|
  


Volume VI No. 1
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
©
|
| 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.

|
|
|