Volume VI No. 1

A publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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Curious George
Animated comedy about a precocious, silent primate who leaves the jungles of Africa for a series of misadventures with a man in a yellow hat. Based on the children’s books by Margaret and H.A. Rey. Directed by Matthew O’Callaghan (“The Itsy Bitsy Spider”) from a screenplay by Robert Baird (TV’s “Misguided Angels”), Dan Gerson (“Monsters, Inc.”), Karey Kirkpatrick (“The Little Vampire,” “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”), Michael McCullers (“Austin Powers in Goldmember,” “Thunderbirds”) and Joe Stillman (“Shrek 2”). Featuring the voice of Will Ferrell as the Man in the Yellow Hat, as well as the voices of Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright and Dick Van Dyke. Feb. 10. Universal.

 

 

Eight Below
Adventure drama, based on a true story, about two explorers in Antarctica desperate to rescue the sled dogs they were forced to abandon during a cold snap. Directed by Frank Marshall (“Arachnophobia,” “Alive,” “Congo”) from a screenplay by David DiGilio. With Paul Walker (“Into the Blue,” “Running Scared”), Bruce Greenwood (“Capote,” “The World’s Fastest Indian”), Jason Biggs (“Jersey Girl”), Wendy Crewson (“A Home at the End of the World”) and Moon Bloodgood (“A Lot Like Love”). Also known as “Antarctica.” PG: Some peril; brief mild language. Feb. 17. Buena Vista.

 

 

Firewall
Thriller about a high-powered security expert forced to rescue his family by “withdrawing” a large sum of money from the bank he was hired to protect. Directed by Richard Loncraine (“Wimbledon”) from a screenplay by Joe Forte. With Harrison Ford (“Hollywood Homicide”), Paul Bettany (“Wimbledon”), Jimmy Bennett (“The Amityville Horror”), Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”), Carly Schroeder (“Mean Creek”), Mary Lynn Rajskub (“Mysterious Skin”), Alan Arkin (“Eros”), Vince Vieluf (“Grind”), Vincent Gale (“The Final Cut”), Kett Turton (“Blade: Trinity”), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Kingdom of Heaven”) and Zachary De Wilde. Feb. 10. Warner Bros.

 

 

A Good Woman
Comedy, set in 1930s Italy, about a middle-aged American temptress who plans to steal away a younger American woman’s husband. Loosely based on the play “Lady Windermere’s Fan” by Oscar Wilde (“The Importance of Being Earnest”). Directed by Mike Barker (“Best Laid Plans”) from a screenplay by Howard Himelstein. With Helen Hunt (“The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”), Scarlett Johansson (“The Island,” “Match Point”), Stephen Campbell Moore (“Bright Young Things”), Roger Hammond (“Around the World in 80 Days”), John Standing (“Pandaemonium”) and Tom Wilkinson (“The Exorcism of Emily Rose”). Flat. 93 min. PG: Thematic material; sensuality; language. Feb. 3 limited. Lions Gate.

 

 

Lonesome Jim
Drama about a 28-year-old forced by economic circumstance to return to his Indiana hometown and live with his dysfunctional parents. Directed by Steve Buscemi (“Trees Lounge”) from a screenplay by James C. Strouse. With Casey Affleck (“Ocean’s Twelve”), Liv Tyler (“Jersey Girl”), Kevin Corrigan (“Chelsea Walls”), Mary Kay Place (“Nine Lives”) and Jack Rovello (“The Hours”). 91 min. Feb. 10. IFC.

 

 

The Master of Crimson Armor
Mandarin-dialect fantasy-actioner, set in China, about a slave who falls for a royal concubine. Written and directed by Chen Kaige (“The Emperor and the Assassin”). With Cecilia Cheung (“Zu Warriors”), Hong Chen (“Nowhere To Hide”), Hiroyuki Sanada (“The Last Samurai,” “The White Countess”), Nicholas Tse (“The Medallion”) and Ye Liu (“Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress”). February. Weinstein.

Battle In
Heaven

Spanish-language drama, set in Mexico, about a chauffeur who kidnaps a baby for ransom and, when the child dies, turns to his boss’s daughter for help. Written and directed by Carlos Reygadas. Performers are all non-actors, including Marcos Hernández, Anapola Mushkadiz, Bertha Ruiz, David Bornstien and Rosalinda Ramirez. Feb. 17. Tartan.

 

 

Date Movie
Spoof of the romantic comedy genre. Screenwriters Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg (“Spy Hard,” “Scary Movie”) make their feature directorial debuts from their own screenplay. With Alyson Hannigan (“American Wedding”), Eddie Griffin (“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo”), Sophie Monk (the TV-movie “The Mystery of Natalie Wood”), Fred Willard (“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle”), Judah Freidlander (“Duane Hopwood”), Carmen Electra (“Scary Movie,” “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”) and Jennifer Coolidge (“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”). PG-13: Continuous crude and sexual humor, including language. Feb. 17. Fox.

 

Final Destination 3
The third installment of the “Final Destination” series deals with a high-school student who predicts a fatal accident involving her friends at an amusement park. Returnees from part one include director-screenwriter James Wong (“Willard”) and screenwriter Glen Morgan (“Willard”). Newcomers to the franchise include actors Ryan Merriman (“The Ring 2”), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Sky High”), Gina Holden (“Fantastic Four”), Jamie Isaac Conde and Texas Battle (“Coach Carter”). Feb. 10. New Line.

 

 

Freedomland
Drama about the racial tensions that ignite after a poor white New Jersey woman blames the death of her child on an African-American from a nearby housing project. Based on the novel by Richard Price (“Clockers”). Directed by Joe Roth (“Christmas with the Kranks”) from a screenplay by Price (“Shaft”). With Samuel L. Jackson (“The Man”), Julianne Moore (“The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio”), Edie Falco (“Sunshine State”), Ron Eldard (“House of Sand and Fog”), Anthony Mackie (“The Man”), William Forsythe (“The Devil’s Rejects”) and Aunjanue Ellis (“Ray”). Scope. R: Language; some violent content. Feb. 17. Sony.

 

 

Lady Vengeance
Korean-language thriller about a young female prisoner who uses her fellow inmates to facilitate a vengeful scheme. The final installment of Chan-wook Park’s “vengeance trilogy,” following “Oldboy” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” Directed by Park (“Three Extremes”) from a screenplay by Park and Seo-Gyeong Jeong. With Yeong-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi (“Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of War”), Byeong-ok Kim (“Oldboy”), Seung-Shin Lee (“Oldboy”) and Shi-hoo Kim. 114 min. Feb. 10. Tartan.

 

 

Manderlay
Sequel to the 2003 drama “Dogville,” this time set in the American South during the 1930s and centering on the locals’ treatment of blacks. Returnees from “Dogville” include writer-director Lars von Trier (“Dancer in the Dark”) and actors Jeremy Davies (“Twentynine Palms”), Lauren Bacall (“Birth”), Udo Kier (“Feardotcom”), Jean-Marc Barr (“Le Divorce”) and Chloë Sevigny (“Broken Flowers”). Newcomers to the series include Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Village”), who inherits the role originally played by Nicole Kidman, as well as Michael Abiteboul (“The Time of the Wolf”), Danny Glover (“Saw”) and Willem Dafoe (“XXX: State of the Union”). 139 min. Feb. 3. Lions Gate.

 

My First Wedding
Romantic comedy about a bride-to-be who recruits what she believes to be a Catholic priest to help her overcome an urge to cheat on her fiancé, unaware that the “priest” is actually just a guy who thinks she’s hot. Directed by Laurent Firode from a screenplay by Joan Carr-Wiggin. With Rachael Leigh Cook (“Stateside”), Kenny Doughty (“The Great Raid”), Paul Hopkins (“Mambo Italiano”), Elizabeth Whitmere (“Head in the Clouds”), Valerie Mahaffey (“Seabiscuit”) and Claire Brosseau (“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”). Flat. PG-13: Sexual content; language. Feb. 17 limited. Indican.

 

 

 

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