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Volume VI No. 10
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
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| Bobby
Drama about the 1968 assassination of U.S. senator and presidential candidate
Robert F. Kennedy, centering on 22 people who were with him at Los Angeles’ Ambassador
Hotel when he was gunned to death. Written and directed by Emilio Estevez (“Men
at Work,” “War at Home”). With Estevez (“D3: The Mighty
Ducks 3”), Anthony Hopkins (“The World’s Fastest Indian,” “All
the King’s Men”), Demi Moore (“Charlie’s Angels: Full
Throttle”), Elijah Wood (“Everything is Illuminated”), Martin
Sheen (“Catch Me If You Can”), Helen Hunt (“A Good Woman”),
Nick Cannon (“Monster House”), Lindsay Lohan (“A Prairie
Home Companion”), Brian Geraghty (“Art School Confidential”),
Shia LeBoeuf (“The Greatest Game Ever Played”), Freddy Rodriguez
(“Lady in the Water”) and Sharon Stone (“Basic Instinct 2:
Risk Addiction”). Nov. 17 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Nov. 22.
MGM.

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Candy
Romantic drama about the tumultuous relationship
shared by a poet and a student, both addicted to
heroin. Directed by Neil Armfield from a screenplay
by Armfield and Luke Davies. With Heath Ledger
(“Casanova”), Abbie Cornish (“Somersault,” “A
Good Year”), Nathaniel Dean (“Somersault”),
Damon Herriman (“House of Wax”) and
Geoffrey Rush (“Pirates of the Caribbean:
Dead Man’s Chest”). Flat. 108 min.
R: Pervasive depiction of drug addiction; disturbing
images; language; sexual content; nudity. Nov.
17 in New York. ThinkFilm.

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Climates
Turkish-language drama about a
middle-aged college professor who finds his relationship
with his much younger girlfriend growing increasingly
turbulent during a vacation to the Aegean coast.
Written and directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Distant”).
With Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan (“Distant”),
Nazan Kesal, Fatma Ceylan (“Distant”)
and Arif Asçi (“Distant”).
98 min. Oct. 20 in New York; Nov. 10 in Los Angeles.
Zeitgeist.
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Déjà Vu
Sci-fi actioner about an FBI agent who falls for
a woman from the past when he travels back in time
to stop a terrorist attack. Directed by Tony Scott
(“Man on Fire,” “Domino”)
from a screenplay by Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio
(the “Pirates of the Carribbean” series).
With Denzel Washington (“Inside Man”),
Paula Patton (“Idlewild”), Val Kilmer
(“10th & Wolf”), James Caviezel
(“I Am David”), Adam Goldberg (“Keeping
Up With The Steins”), Matt Craven (“Assault
on Precinct 13”) and Bruce Greenwood (“Eight
Below”). Scope. Nov. 22. Buena Vista.

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Flushed
Away
Animated comedy about a pampered rat who, after
accidentally getting flushed from his penthouse
into the London sewers, falls in love with
his new surroundings. Directed by veteran animator
David Bowers (“Wallace & Gromit in
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”) and Sam
Fell (the short “Chump”) from a
screenplay by Dick Clement & Ian LeFrenais
(“Still Crazy”). Featuring the
voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen,
Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy and Jean Reno. Nov.
3. DreamWorks.

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The
Fountain
Science fiction epic, set in 1535, 2006 and 2500,
about: a Spanish soldier seeking the fabled
Mayan “tree of life”; a contemporary
doctor trying to use part of that tree to find
a cure for his dying wife; and a space traveler
determined to transport the tree to a distant
star. Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky
(“Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream”).
With Hugh Jackman (“Scoop,” “The
Prestige”), Rachel Weisz (“The
Constant Gardener”), Ellen Burstyn (“The
Wicker Man”), Donna Murphy (“Spider-Man
2”), Ethan Suplee (“Clerks II”),
Sean Patrick Thomas (“Barbershop 2”),
Cliff Curtis (“Runaway Jury”),
Mark Margolis (“Stay”) and Sean
Gullette (“Requiem for a Dream”).
Flat. R: Some violence. Nov. 22 limited. Warner
Bros.

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Backstage
French-language drama about an adolescent girl
who gets the opportunity to meet her idol, a selfish
pop rocker. Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot from
a screenplay by Bercot and Jérôme
Tonnerre (“Intimate Strangers”). With
Emmanuelle Seigner (“Buddy Boy”), Isild
Le Besco, Noémie Lvovsky (“Kings and
Queen”), Samuel Benchetrit, Valéry
Zeitoun and Mar Sodupe. 115 min. Nov. 22 in New
York. Strand.

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Borat:
Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Comic documentary about a faux Kazakhstani TV
reporter who cannot keep his misogynistic and
anti-Semitic views in check as he interviews
real Americans on a variety of topics. Based
on the popular character from HBO’s “Da
Ali G Show.” Directed by Larry Charles
(“Masked and Anonymous”). Writers
on the project include “Da Ali G Show” vets
Sascha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines and Don Mazur,
as well as Peter Baynham and Adam Del Rio.
Cohen (“Talladega Nights: The Ballad
of Ricky Bobby”) plays the title role.
Flat. R: Pervasive strong crude and sexual
content including graphic nudity; language.
Nov. 3. Fox.

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Casino
Royale
Action thriller about a British intelligence operative
named James Bond, whose first mission as “00
agent” with a “license to kill” is
to infiltrate the operations of the shadowy Le Chiffre – a
villain reportedly using his casino dealings to launder
terrorist funds. Based on the 1953 first James Bond
novel by Ian Fleming (“Moonraker”). Returnees
from “The World Is Not Enough” and “Die
Another Day” include screenwriters Neal Purvis & Robert
Wade (“Johnny English”) and actress Judi
Dench (“Pride and Prejudice”). Martin
Campbell (“Beyond Borders,” “The
Legend of Zorro”), who helmed the 1995 Bond
adventure “GoldenEye,” directs. Daniel
Craig (“Munich,” “Infamous”)
inherits the role of Bond. Other newcomers to the
franchise include screenwriter Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “The
Last Kiss,” “Flags of Our Fathers”)
as well as actors Mads Mikkelsen (“Torremolinos
73”) as Le Chiffre, Eva Green (“Kingdom
of Heaven”) as Vesper Lynd, Giancarlo Giannini
(“Man on Fire”) as Rene Mathis, and Jeffrey
Wright (“Lady in the Water”) as CIA agent
Felix Leiter. Also with Simon Abkarian (“When
The Cat’s Away”), Isaach De Bankolé (“Miami
Vice”), Tobias Menzies (“Finding Neverland”),
Jesper Christensen (“The Interpreter”),
Tsai Chin (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), Clemens
Schick (“Enemy at the Gate”), Malcolm
Sinclair (“V For Vendetta”), Ade (“Formula
51”), Ludger Pistor (“Run Lola Run”)
and Ivana Milicevic (“Running Scared”).
Nov. 17. Sony.

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Deck
The Halls
Comedy about two neighbors who “go to war” when
one goes overboard decorating his house for Christmas.
Directed by John Whitesell (“Big Momma’s
House 2”) from a screenplay by Matt Corman & Chris
Ord and Don Rhymer (“Big Momma’s
House 2”). With Matthew Broderick (“The
Producers: The Movie Musical”), Danny DeVito
(“The OH in Ohio”), Kristin Davis
(“The Shaggy Dog”), Kristin Chenoweth
(“R.V.,” “Running with Scissors,” “Stranger
Than Fiction”), Alia Shawkat (“Rebound”)
and Lochlyn Munro (“Little Man”).
Previously known as “All Lit Up.” Nov.
22. Fox.

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Fast
Food Nation
Ensemble drama about – among many other things – a
restaurant-chain exec dispatched to investigate
claims that cow feces have turned up in his company’s
hamburgers. Based on the nonfiction bestseller
by Eric Schlosser (“Reefer Madness”).
Written and directed by Richard Linklater (“Before
Sunset,” “A Scanner Darkly”).
With Greg Kinnear (“Invincible”), Bruce
Willis (“16 Blocks”), Catalina Sandino
Moreno (“Maria Full of Grace”), Ethan
Hawke (“Lord of War”), Patricia Arquette
(“Holes”), Luis Guzman (“School
for Scoundrels”), Bobby Cannavale (“Snakes
on a Plane”), Ashley Johnson (“Killer
Diller”), Avril Lavigne (“The Flock”),
Wilmer Valderrama (“Beauty Shop”),
Kris Kristofferson (“Dreamer: Inspired by
a True Story”), Lou Taylor Pucci (“The
Chumscrubber”) and Paul Dano (“Little
Miss Sunshine”). 114 min. R: Disturbing images;
strong sexuality; language; drug content. Nov.
17. Fox Searchlight.

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For
Your Consideration
Semi-improvisational mockumentary about the stars
and filmmakers behind an independent Oscar contender.
The “Waiting for Guffman”-”Best
in Show”-”A Mighty Wind” team
of writer-director-actor Christopher Guest, screenwriter-actor
Eugene Levy, and actors Fred Willard (“Monster
House,”), Parker Posey (“Superman Returns”),
Bob Balaban (“Trust The Man”), Larry
Miller (“Keeping Up With The Steins”),
Don Lake (“Return To Me”) and Catherine
O’Hara (“Monster House”) reunite.
Also with Michael McKean (“The Guru”),
Jennifer Coolidge (“Click”), Claire
Forlani (“Hooligans”), Rachael Harris
(“Kicking and Screaming”), John Michael
Higgins (“The Break-Up”), John Krasinski
(“Jarhead”), Jane Lynch (“Talladega
Nights”), Suzy Nakamura (“The 40-Year-Old
Virgin”) and Ricky Gervais (BBC’s “The
Office”). Nov. 17 limited; wider Nov. 22.
Warner Independent Pictures.

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