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Volume VII No. 1/2
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
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| Severance
Comic horror thriller about a corporate
team-building weekend in Eastern Europe that
goes horribly awry when one group finds itself
holding off local crazies bent on revenge.
Directed by Christopher Pike from a screenplay
by Pike and James Moran. With Danny Dyer,
Tim McInnerny (“Casanova”), Claudie
Blakely (“Pride & Prejudice”),
Andy Nyman, Toby Stephens (“Die Another
Day”), Laura Harris (“A Mighty
Wind”) and David Gilliam. 95 min. March
9. Magnolia.

Smokin’ Aces
Action-comedy about a semi-famous Las Vegas
magician who becomes a walking target after
he snitches on the mob. Written and directed
by Joe Carnahan (“Narc”). With
Ryan Reynolds (“Just Friends”),
Ray Liotta (“The Last Shot,” “Wild
Hogs”), Jeremy Piven (“Keeping
Up with the Steins”), Ben Affleck (“Hollywoodland”),
Alicia Keys (“The Nanny Diaries”),
Andy Garcia (“The Lost City”)
and Martin Henderson (“Flyboys”).
Scope. R: Strong bloody violence; pervasive
language; some nudity; drug use. March 2.
Universal.

300
Historical epic about the Battle of Thermopylae
(480 B.C.), in which King Leonides led 300
Spartans against overwhelming numbers of
invading Persians. Based on the graphic novel
by Frank Miller (“Sin City”).
Directed by Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the
Dead”) from a screenplay by Snyder,
Michael Gordon and Kurt Johnstad. With Gerard
Butler (“Dear Frankie”), Lena
Headey (“Click”), David Wenham
(“The Proposition”), Vincent
Regan (“Unleashed”) and Dominic
West (“The Forgotten,” “Hannibal
Rising”). R: Graphic battle sequences
throughout; some sexuality; nudity. March
9. Warner Bros.

Tyler
Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls
Romantic comedy about a successful attorney
who falls for a struggling auto mechanic, but
faces complications in the form of his three
kids and ex-wife. Written and directed by Tyler
Perry (“Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Madea’s
Family Reunion”). With Gabrielle Union
(“Running With Scissors”), Idris
Elba (“The Gospel,” “The
Reaping”), Louis Gossett, Jr. (“A
Good Man in Africa”), Brian J. White
(“The Family Stone,” “Stomp
the Yard”), Malinda Williams (“Idlewild”)
and Tasha Smith (“You, Me and Dupree”).
Flat. Feb. 14. Lionsgate.

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Shooter
Thriller about a marksman who employs
the help of a renegade FBI agent to track
down the men who framed him for the assassination
of a political leader. Based on the novel “Point
of Impact” by Stephen Hunter. Directed
by Antoine Fuqua (“Tears of the Sun,” “King
Arthur”) from a screenplay by Jonathan
Lemkin (“The Devil’s Advocate,” “Red
Planet”). With Mark Wahlberg (“The
Departed”), Kate Mara (“Zoom,” “We
Are Marshall”), Michael Peña
(“World Trade Center”), Danny
Glover (“Dreamgirls”) and Lane
Garrison (TV’s “Prison Break”).
Scope. March 16. Paramount.

Sunshine
Sci-fi thriller about a team of astronauts
who, while on a mission to use nuclear devices
to re-ignite the dying sun, come across what’s
left of the ship that disappeared years earlier
on the same mission. Directed by Danny Boyle
(“28 Days Later,” “Millions”)
from a screenplay by Alex Garland (“28
Days Later”). With Cillian Murphy (“Breakfast
on Pluto”), Rose Byrne (“Marie
Antoinette”), Michelle Yeoh (“Memoirs
of a Geisha”), Troy Garity (“Milwaukee,
Minnesota”), and Chris Evans (“Fantastic
Four”). March 16. Fox Searchlight.
TMNT
Computer-animated action comedy about ordinary
turtles transformed by industrial waste into
walking, talking, fighting, pizza-loving
bi-peds. Based on the “Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles” comic book series. Written
and directed by Kevin Munroe (the 2001 ABC
Christmas special “Donner”).
Those lending their voices to the enterprise
include Quinton Flynn. March 23. Warner Bros.
Zodiac
The true story of the hunt for the Zodiac Killer, a never-captured serial murderer
who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area between 1966 and 1978, taunted local
law enforcement officials and claimed credit for 37 murders. Based on the books "Zodiac" and "Zodaic
Unmasked" by Robert Graysmith ("Auto Focus: The Murder of Bob Crane").
Directed by David Fincher ("Fight Club," "Panic Room")
from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt ("Basic," "The Rundown").
With Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brokeback Mountain") as Graysmith, Mark Ruffalo
("All the King’s Men") as detective Dave Toschi, Brian Cox
("Running with Scissors") as attorney Melvin Belli, and Robert Downey,
Jr. ("A Scanner Darkly," "Fur") as investigating reporter
Paul Avery. Also with Anthony Edwards ("The Forgotten"), Clea DuVall
("The Grudge"), John Getz ("Curly Sue"), Adam Goldberg
("Déjà Vu"), Zach Grenier ("Pulse," "Rescue
Dawn"), Pell James ("The King"), Elias Koteas ("The Greatest
Game Ever Played"), Donal Logue ("The Groomsmen"), John Carroll
Lynch ("Looking For Comedy in the Muslim World"), Dermot Mulroney
(“The Family Stone”), Chloe Sevigny (“Manderlay”),
Ione Skye (“Fever Pitch”), John Terry (“The Big Green”),
Tom Verica (“Flags of Our Fathers”) and Charles Fleisher (“Permanent
Midnight”). Scope. R: Some strong killings; language; drug material;
brief sexual images. March 2. Paramount.

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Blood & Chocolate
Horror thriller about a teen werewolf
whose romance with a human puts her at odds
with the rest of her pack. Based on the young
adult novel by Annette Curtis Klause. Directed
by Katja von Garnier (“Bandits”)
from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger (“The
Brothers Grimm,” “Skeleton Key”).
With Agnes Bruckner (“Peaceful Warrior”),
Olivier Martinez (“Taking Lives”),
Hugh Dancy (“Basic Instinct 2: Risk
Addiction”), Katja Reimann (“Rosenstrasse”),
Bryan Dick (“Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World”), Tom Harper
(“The Upside of Anger”) and Kata
Dobo (“Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction”).
PG-13: Violence/terror; some sexuality; substance
abuse. Jan. 26. MGM.

The Hitcher
Horror thriller about two college kids who,
on a road trip through desolate terrain, become
prey for a hitchhiking serial killer. A remake
of the 1986 film starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer
Jason Leigh and C. Thomas Howell. Veteran music
video director Dave Meyers (The Offspring’s “Defy
You,” Britney Spears’ “Lucky”)
makes his feature directorial debut from a
screenplay by Jake Wade Wall (“When A
Stranger Calls”) and Eric Bernt (“Romeo
Must Die”). With Sean Bean (“Silent
Hill”), Sophia Bush (“John Tucker
Must Die”), Zachary Knighton (“The
Mudge Boy”), Lauren Cohn (“Win
A Date with Tad Hamilton!”), Kyle Davis
(“Elizabethtown”) and Neal McDonough
(“Flags of our Fathers”). Jan.
19. Focus.

Lucky You
Drama, set in Las Vegas, about a high-stakes
poker player who tries to overcome some personal
demons as he vies for a world championship.
Directed by Curtis Hanson (“8 Mile,” “In
Her Shoes”) from a screenplay by Hanson
and Eric Roth (“Munich,” “The
Good Shepherd”). With Eric Bana (“Munich”),
Drew Barrymore (“Fever Pitch,” “Music
and Lyrics”), Robert Duvall (“Kicking & Screaming”),
Robert Downey Jr. (“Fur,” “Zodiac”),
Jean Smart (“I Heart Huckabees”),
Horatio Sanz (“School for Scoundrels”),
Charles Martin Smith (“Deep Impact”)
and Debra Messing (“The Wedding Date”).
Scope. PG-13: Some language; sexual humor.
Warner Bros.

Race You To The Bottom
Romantic drama about a male bisexual travel
writer who begins to fall for a female friend
while the two are traveling together, despite
the fact that both have boyfriends. Written
and directed by Russell Brown. With Amber Benson
(“Latter Days”), Cole Williams
(“North Country”), Danielle Harris
(“Poor White Trash”), Jeremy Lelliott
(“Jack”), Philipp Karner (“The
Battle of Shaker Heights”), Adam Del
Rio (“The Hot Chick”) and Justin
Zachary. 72 min. R: Sexual content; language;
brief drug use. Jan. 19. Regent.

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Fakers
British caper comedy about a con man trying
to pay off a 50,000-pound debt by selling
the same long-lost Italian sketch five times.
Directed by Richard Janes from a screenplay
by Paul Gerstenberger. With Tom Chambers,
Kate Ashfield (“Pure”), Matthew
Rhys (“What Ever Happened to Harold
Smith?”), Art Malik (“A Kid in
King Arthur’s Court”), Tony Haygarth
and Edward Hibbart (“Uptown Girls”).
84 min. R: Language; some nudity. Jan. 26.
Indican.
Hostel Part II
Sequel to the 2006 horror hit, this time
about three young American women lured to
a remote Eastern European hostel, where a
brutal fate awaits them. Returnees from the
previous film include writer-director Eli
Roth (“Cabin Fever”) and actor
Jay Hernandez (“World Trade Center”).
Newcomers include Lauren German (“Standing
Still”), Heather Matarazzo (“Princess
Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”), Bijou
Phillips (“Venom”), Roger Bart
(“The Producers”) and Richard
Burgi (“Fun With Dick and Jane”).
Jan. 5. Lionsgate.

The Martian Child
Drama about a single writer who decides to
adopt a troubled young boy dealing with his
history of abuse by telling people he’s
from another planet. Based on the 2002 novel
by David Gerrold (“Child of Earth”).
Directed by Menno Meyjes (“Max”)
from a screenplay by Seth Bass & Jonathan
Tolins (the TV-movie “Twilight of the
Golds”). With John Cusack (“Ice
Harvest”), Bobby Coleman (“Friends
with Money”), Amanda Peet (“Syriana”),
Sophie Okonedo (“Alex Rider: Operation
Stormbreaker”), Joan Cusack (“Friends
with Money”) and Oliver Platt (“Loverboy”).
PG: Thematic elements; mild language. Jan.
19. New Line.

Stephanie Daley
Drama about a forensic psychologist assigned
to a case of a 17-year-old girl accused of
concealing her pregnancy and murdering the
baby. Written and directed by Hilary Brougher.
With Amber Tamblyn (“The Grudge 2”),
Tilda Swinton (“The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”),
Melissa Leo (“The Three Burials of Melquiades
Estrada”), Denis O’Hare (“Derailed”),
Deirdre O’Connell (“Winter Passing”),
Jim Gaffigan (“Trust The Man”)
and Timothy Hutton (“Last Holiday,” “The
Good Shepherd,” “Off the Black”).
91 min. R: Disturbing material involving teen
pregnancy; sexual content; language. Jan. 12.
Regent.

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