Opening 5/4/2007

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

LUCKY YOU [PG-13] 2 hrs. 20 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, Debra Messing. Plot: as a young poker player and his father progress toward a final showdown at the poker table, the younger man learns that to win in the games of life and poker, he must try to play cards the way he has been living his life and live his life the way he has been playing cards. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

SPIDER-MAN 3 [PG-13] 2 hrs. 5 min. Action/Adventure Trailer Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Rosemary Harris. Plot: when Peter Parker's suit turns jet black and enhances his powers, he must choose between the seductive power of the new suit and the compassionate hero he used to be. He also must overcome two of the most-feared villains yet, Sandman and Venom. Showing at: Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren. This feature will be shown at 12:01 a.m. Friday in many theatres.

Leaving 5/3/2007

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - Wild Hogs
Northrock 14 - In The Land Of Women, Perfect Stranger, TMNT, Vacancy, Wild Hogs
Palace West - Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girl
Premiere Palace - Night At The Museum, Redline, The Hoax, Aqua Teenage Hunger Force, Lives Of Others
Starlite Drive-In -
Warren East 13th - Perfect Stranger, Shooter, Reign Over Me, 300, Pathfinder, The Reaping
Warren Old Town - Blades of Glory, Wild Hogs
Warren West 21st - Redline, Shooter, Pathfinder, Premonition, Perfect Stranger, 300, The Reaping

HOT FUZZ ***

I had a friend who went to see this and said he disliked it so much he left half-way through. Being a fan of British comedies I decided I needed to watch it even though I didn't get a chance on the weekend. Unlike him, I thoroughly enjoyed the picture although I can understand why, if you're expecting a typical Hollywood comedy, you might not. This is not a knee slapper and in fact I think I actually laughed out loud only once.

Simon Pegg portrays a straight arrow metropolitan British policeman who's so good he puts the rest of his squad to shame. Consequently, he's shipped out to a small country village with no crime, where he'll be out of everyone's hair. But find crime he does, and lots of it, aided by the son (Nick Frost) of the Chief Inspector (Jim Broadbent). Other recognizable people on the force include Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in Pirates Of The Caribbean) and Edward Woodward, who older fans will remember as The Equalizer, but who is totally unrecognizable and never understandable in this film. Timothy Dalton is note perfect as the smarmiest store owner you're ever likely to see.

The plot really isn't that important because the movie is all about making fun of police films, which reaches a crescendo at the end with a Clint Eastwood style "one man against the town" shootout. The casting is spot on, the production values are top notch, and while I may not have laughed much, I sure did chuckle and smile a lot. If you like British humor, go for it. Otherwise, steer clear and wait for the Hollywood variety.

Worthwhile (and not) 4/27/07

The ratings winner at the boxoffice this weekend is Hot Fuzz although I can almost guarantee you it won't be the boxoffice winner. Next drops substantially and The Condemned is clear in the cellar. Kickin' It Old Skool and The Invisible apparently weren't screened in advance for the critics. You can look at the current week's MetaCritic rating summaries here.

NEXT **½

Evidently Nicolas Cage has decided to go for boxoffice action hits rather than concern himself with the occasional artistic endeavor. That would explain Ghost Rider a few months ago and the slew of upcoming films that appear to be more of the same. At least he's got some recognizable co-stars in this feature. Julianne Moore almost always turns in a good performance and Jessica Biel is certainly nice to look at although it's a little early in her career to know whether she'll develop acting skills to match.

The plot is based on a Phillip K. Dick short story about a man who has the ability to see a couple of minutes into the future, but only his future. That's enough, however, to let him duck when someone takes a swing at him and to allow him to make a few bucks at the gambling tables in Las Vegas. Then he notices he can see even further into the future when it involves a certain woman, which naturally makes him curious to meet her. He's also been noticed by the FBI who want to use his abilities to discover where terrorists are going to detonate a nuclear weapon in the U.S. And, somehow he's also been noticed by the terrorists who want to kill him lest he alert the authorities about their plans.

Already, you should have spotted a few problems. Why is he attracted to the girl whom he's never met and why can he see further than normal into her future? How did the FBI figure out he had this ability when the film goes to great lengths to show you how good he is at hiding it? Same question about the terrorists. Unfortunately, the film isn't going to answer those questions as well as a whole lot more that will occur to you as the movie progresses. It will provide you with plenty of action, car chases and explosions which is all the action fans really require. It will also give you a twist at the end that's completely unnecessary, but you'll be so full of questions you'll hardly notice.

THE INVISIBLE *

Featuring a cast of relative unknowns and a script based on a Swedish film, this pic would have to be very good to make any headway at the boxoffice. Unfortunately, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me so I predict this will be gone before you know it.

The story is about a teenager, Justin Chatwin, who's left for dead after a run-in with a troubled female teen, Margarita Levieva, who thinks he gave her up to the police. As you probably already know, he isn't dead but instead is some type of astral projection. No one can see or hear him but he's got to get someone to find his body before it dies or he's a real gonner. To complicate matters further, the girl has a boyfriend who thinks he would be safer if she were dead.

I get the distinct impression this movie was severely edited which is why the story is so confusing. In fact, if you'll look at the trailer you can see a scene that never made it into the final cut. We need a lot more background info in order to understand why he's an astral projection, why the girl is so important to his survival, why she can occasionally hear him when she is perfectly healthy, and what happened in her life to make her the person she is now. While the production values are fine and the cast does a good job, the script makes this D.O.A.

Opening 4/27/2007

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

THE CONDEMNED [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Action/Thriller Trailer Cast: Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Robert Mammone, Victoria Mussett, Rick Hoffman, Christopher Baker, Samantha Healy, Madeline West, Luke Pegler. Plot: a man awaiting the death penalty is "purchased" by a wealthy television producer and taken to a desolate island where he must fight to the death against nine other condemned killers, with freedom going to the sole survivor. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

HOT FUZZ [R] 2 hrs. Action/Comedy Trailer Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Steve Coogan, Timothy Dalton, Martin Freeman, Paul Freeman, Bill Nighy, Lucy Punch, Anne Reid, Billie Whitelaw, Stuart Wilson, Edward Woodward. Plot: the finest cop London has to offer is so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, he's sent to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing -- the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford. Once there, a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, convincing the Londoner Sandford is not what it seems. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

THE INVISIBLE [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Supernatural thriller Trailer Cast: Justin Chatwin, Marcia Gay Harden, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette. Plot: a writer finds himself trapped between the world of the living and the dead-completely invisible to the living. Now in limbo, his only chance to live again is to figure out the mystery of what happened to him and why. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

KICKIN' IT OLD SCHOOL [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Jamie Kennedy, Maria Menounos, Christopher McDonald, Miguel Núñez, Aris Alvarado, Bobby Lee, Debra Jo Rupp, Alan Ruck, Michael Rosenbaum, Vivica Fox. Plot: after 20 years in a coma from a freak break dancing accident, a man wakes up to discover the girl of his dreams is engaged and his parents are drowning in the debt of his medical costs. To put things right he must rally his former squad, bust a move, and win back the girl of his dreams. Showing at: Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

NEXT [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Sci-Fi/Action/Romance Trailer Cast: Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel. Plot: based on the Philip K. Dick story "The Golden Man," about a man with the unique ability to see future events and affect their outcome. Pursued by the FBI, seeking to use his abilities to prevent a global terrorist threat, he is faced with the daunting choice of saving the world or the woman he loves. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 4/26/2007

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - TMNT, Firehouse Dog, Grindhouse
Northrock 14 - 300, Firehouse Dog, Pathfinder, Redline, Slow Burn
Palace West - Hannibal Rising
Premiere Palace - The Host, Bridge To Terabithia, Slow Burn, Miss Potter
Starlite Drive-In -
Warren East 13th - Redline, Aqua Teenage Hunger Force, The Hoax, Premonition, TMNT, Grindhouse
Warren Old Town - Perfect Stranger, 300
Warren West 21st - Grindhouse, TMNT, Slow Burn

Worthwhile (and not) 4/20/07

THE HOST is the film with the most "star power" this week, earning 3½-4 stars from the national scribes. It will probably disappear in a week so I wouldn't dawdle in getting to the theatre. FRACTURE is next in the ranking with the rest down in the 2-2½ range You can check them out here.

FRACTURE **½

Director Gregory Hoblit has been a TV producer/director for years and has a few theatrical features under his belt. The big star power in this feature is Anthony Hopkins, with Ryan Gosling and Rosamund Pike costarring.

If you watch any TV at all you've seen plenty of previews for this film and know the basic story. Hopkins is an engineer who's wife is having an affair. Since he fancies himself smarter than everyone else, he takes this as a personal affront and decides to kill her. Before doing so, he carefully prepares what he's going to do so he can escape the consequences of his action. Gosling is a public prosecutor with a stellar conviction record on his way to a cushy job with a major law firm where Pike is employed. The story is a cat and mouse legal affair between Hopkins and Gosling.

While this movie has its momenta, it isn't as good as it should be. The pace is slower than necessary which lowers the film's tension. While Hopkins is excellent as usual, Gosling simply isn't in his league as an actor and it shows. Pike is nice to look at but her character is never really developed and the relationship between her and Gosling isn't really believable. The method Hopkins uses to escape justice isn't immediately obvious and you'll have to think a bit in order to discover it before it's explained. The ending is satisfactory although a little abrupt. If you prefer to wait, the DVD will be just fine for this film.

VACANCY *½

VACANCY is a thriller starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale and directed by Nimród Anta. Wilson is of course one of the three Wilson brothers; the lovely Beckinsale has been in a number of films including Underworld and Underworld Evolution as well as Click with Adam Sandler. Director Anta is an American who's spent most of his career as an actor and director in Hungary but currently resides in the United States.

Wilson and Beckinsale portray a young couple whose marriage is on the rocks after the death of their son. After a visit to her parents they end up in a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere after their car dies. Watching one of the videos supplied with the room they are horrified to note the room they're in was the film's location and conclude the graphic snuff film is real and they're to be the stars of the next one. The rest of the film is their attempt to escape the motel with their lives.

My guess is the director should consider returning to Hungary. He manages to include a few thrills but the film isn't nearly as suspenseful as it could have been and Wilson and Beckinsale don't begin to live up to their potential. The pace of the film is about right but when all is said and done, the ending falls absolutely flat. This will be all right as a date movie for the younger set but don't count on it being around for long. There's nothing here that wouldn't work just as well in your living room when the DVD appears.

Opening 4/20/2007

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

FRACTURE [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Drama/Thriller Trailer Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Billy Burke, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davitz, Valerie Dillman. Plot: when a meticulous structural engineer is found innocent of the attempted murder of his wife, the young district attorney prosecuting him becomes a crusader for justice in this story packed with twists and turns that weave in and out of the courtroom as the pair try to outwit each other. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

THE HOST [R] 2 hrs. Sci-Fi/Comedy/Thriller Trailer Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hie-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na, Ah-sung Ko. Plot: hen a young girl is snatched away from her father by a horrifying giant monster that emerges from the river, her entire family sets out to locate the beast and bring their little girl back home. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy/Drama/Romance Trailer Cast: Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart, Meg Ryan, Olympia Dukakis, Makenzie Vega, Clark Gregg, Elena Anaya. Plot: after being dumped by a famous actress a man moves to Michigan to care for his ailing grandmother and stumbles into the lives of the family living across the street: a mother and her two daughters. Through his relationships with these women he discovers what felt like an end was only the beginning of something else. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

VACANCY [R] 1 hr. 25 min. Horror/Thriller Trailer Cast: Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry. Plot: When a couple's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around and discover the low-budget slasher movies they're watching on TV were all filmed in their room. With hidden cameras now aimed at them... trapping them in rooms, crawlspaces, underground tunnels... and filming their every move, they must struggle to get out alive before whomever is watching them can finish their latest masterpiece. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 4/19/2007

Derby Cinema -
Movie Machine - Shooter
Northrock 14 - A Good Year, Grindhouse
Palace West - Music And Lyrics, Arthur & The Invisibles, Dreamgirls, Pursuit Of Happyness
Premiere Palace - Iraq In Fragments, The Lookout, Ghost Rider
Starlite Drive-In -
Warren East 13th - Slow Burn, The Namesake
Warren Old Town - Grindhouse
Warren West 21st - The Last Mimzy, Firehouse Dog

Worthwhile (and not) 4/13/07

IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS is the highest rated film for the week, averaging 3½ stars from the critics. SLOW BURN has almost no reviews since its release appears to be a last minute decision. It's actually a 2003 film that was released in most countries in 2005. VARIETY thought it would be an obvious direct to DVD pic. DISTURBIA leads the rest of the weekend choices. You can see the current week's listing here.

DISTURBIA ***

An interesting cast mixture of young and upcoming actors with seasoned veterans. Shia LaBeouf, the lead in this film, has only been out of high school a few years, Sarah Roemer, the love interest, hasn't been around long at all as this is only her third film. Aaron Yoo, the best friend, is a college graduate but is obviously just getting started in the film business. A rather matronly looking Carrie-Anne Moss is the mother, a role I'm surprised to see her take although she hasn't done much of note since The Matrix films. David Morse is a familiar face with an extensive list of film and TV credits and perfect for his role in this film.

The story has a young teen (LeBeouf) becoming a discipline problem after a spectacular car accident in the opening minutes claims the life of his father.He eventually is sentenced to three months house arrest enforced with a tracking device strapped to his ankle. Bored to tears, he starts watching the neighborhood residents with his binoculars, soon spotting a cheating husband, a man who he thinks is acting suspiciously, and a new girl next door who before long joins him and a friend in the observations. The suspicious neighbor becomes aware he's being watched, lets the teens know he doesn't appreciate it, and warns them to stop. They don't, of course, and the rather exciting consequences ensue.

This is a fast paced thriller that will have some jumping in their seats. The teens fit their roles perfectly and Morse and Moss are just fine in theirs. This will never win any awards but teens especially will find this a great date movie. If you can't make it to the theatrical showing, it will be fine in the DVD version also.

PERFECT STRANGER ***

After wrting the main part of this review I went on the web to see what others said and was surprised at how negative they were about this pic. I suppose it comes down to what you're reviewing for. I look for entertainment value while others mainly seem to focus on technique and artistic quality. That's easy enough to do after watching thousands of films but that's not what the public does and it's why in my opinion many reviewers opinions don't agree with those of the general public.

This film features a cast of reasonable quality: Berry, Willis and Ribisi combined with a plot that's fast paced and with enough intracacies to keep you interested. Berry is an investigative reporter who becomes interested in the death of a childhood friend when it appears a famous man may be responsible. Willis is that man and he also has a very jealous wife (with good reason). Ribisi is another reporter who helps Berry in her investigations and who would like to be romantically involved with her, but isn't. Additionally, the childhood friend was no paragon of virtue so there could be any number of others responsible for her death.

I personally found this to be an entertaining film. The language is unnecessarily foul and the plot is so convoluted that any one of the characters mentioned could have been responsible for the murder. Willis phones in his part, smirking in all the wrong places. However, sufficient clues are given throughout to allow you to determine the ending if you set your mind to it. The bottom line is, the time passed quickly and I was satisfied when it was over. What more could you want? If you prefer to wait for this film, the DVD version will be just fine.

Opening 4/13/2007

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATRES [R] 1 hr. 25 min. Animated action comedy Trailer Voices Of: Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis, Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Andy Merrill, Mike Schatz, Bruce Campbell, Neil Peart. Plot: when an immortal piece of exercise equipment threatens the balance of galactic peace, it is up to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force to run away from it. Peril escalates when the Plutonians team up with the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past to strive for ultimate control of the sinister deadly device. This is the film whose advertising promo caused a major security scare in Boston.Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

DISTURBIA [PG-13] 1 hr. 45 min. Thriller Trailer Cast: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Aaron Yoo. Plot: a troubled teen under a court-ordered sentence of house arrest begins to suspect a neighbor is a serial killer. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS [NR] 1 hr. 50 min. Documentary Trailer Plot: a stunningly photographed documentary of Iraq today, seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Showing at Premiere Palace exclusively.

PATHFINDER [R] 1 hr. 30 min. Action/Adventure Trailer Cast: Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means, Clancy Brown, Jay Tavare, Nathaniel Arcand, Ralf Moeller. Plot: a young Norse boy left behind after his clan shipwrecks on the Eastern shores of North America is raised by the very Indians his kinsmen set out to destroy. Now, as the Vikings return to stage another barbaric raid on his village, the 25 year-old Norse warrior wages a personal war to stop the Vikings' destruction. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

PERFECT STRANGER [R] 1 hr. 40 min. Psychological thriller Trailer Cast: Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Dourdan, Patti D'Arbanville, Clea Lewis. Plot: when an investigative reporter learns her friend's murder might be connected to a powerful ad executive she goes undercover to find the truth, only to discover she isn't the only one changing identities. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

REDLINE [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Action/Thriller Trailer Cast: Angus Macfadyen, Nathan Phillips, Eddie Griffin, Nadia Bjorlin, Kevin Levrone , Wyclef Jean. Plot: A group of drivers find themselves in an illegal drag race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a large cash prize. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

SLOW BURN [R] 1 hr. 35 min. Thriller/Drama Trailer Cast: Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Jolene Blalock, Nora Timmer, Taye Diggs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donny Falsetti, Bruce McGill, Mekhi Phifer. Plot: a district attorney who wants to be mayor has only hours to untangle the truth concerning a beautiful assistant D.A., a gang lord, and a mysterious stranger. Filmed in 2003 but just now being released in the U.S. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 4/12/2007

Derby Cinema - TMNT, Shooter, Premonition, The Last Mimzy
Movie Machine - The Last Mimzy
Northrock 14 - A Good Year, The Hills Have Eyes 2, The Last Mimzy, Peaceful Warrior, Shooter
Palace West - Breach
Premiere Palace - Music and Lyrics, Becket, Pride
Starlite Drive-In -
Warren East 13th - The Lookout, The Last Mimzy, Firehouse Dog, The Hills Have Eyes 2
Warren Old Town - Shooter
Warren West 21st - Peaceful Warrior, The Hills Have Eyes 2

Worthwhile (and not) 4/6/07

The best reviewed new film this weekend is THE NAMESAKE followed by GRINDHOUSE and then THE HOAX. The rest trail off pretty rapidly. You can check out the MetaCritic ratings here.

GRINDHOUSE ***

I started my movie management career in a time when movies of the type in this film were quite common. I never managed a Grindhouse, a theatre that continuously played B movies, but the Drive-In Theatres I was associated with at the time certainly played that same product. About the only place you'll see product like this anymore is on Cinemax late at night and even those films are of higher quality (I know that will be hard for some to believe) than the Grindhouse ilk.

What Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have done in this movie is recreate a typical Grindhouse bill of fare; a double feature complete with coming attraction trailers, very dated "Coming Attraction" intros and ads. All of the above are replete with scratches, film breaks, bad splices, and missing reels. They've populated these films with second and third tier actors whose faces will be familiar but whose names you probably won't recall. And occasionally an A list actor will make a brief appearance. Rodriguez's film, Planet Terror, is shown first followed by Tarantino's, Death Proof. The first is the campiest: zombies created by an escaping military gas go on the attack. Tarantino's is the more exciting of the two once it finally gets going but is terribly slow until the muscle cars really make their appearance..

I got a real kick out of this program as my rating indicates. But it's one of those features I would never recommend unless I knew the person well. The language is continuously foul and the killings are too numerous to count and accompanied by voluminous quantities of blood. If you take this kind of thing seriously or are offended by such, stay away. If you do decide to go and have a weak stomach, you may want to hold off on the concessions until after the first of the two features. A big screen and good sound will be necessary for maximum effect.

THE REAPING **½

Normally in my reviews I complain because I felt the movie was too long. In the case of this film they should have added a few extra minutes or perhaps edited more judiciously because the story definitely needed to provide more information. I finally worked it all out but it really didn't need to be that difficult.

The story concerns a former missionary who looses her faith when her family is killed while they're out "sharing the message." She then decides to devote her life to debunking religious "miracles," convinced they're all fakes. It's at this juncture she is invited by a local science teacher from Haven, Louisiana, to come to their town as it appears they are suffering from a progression of Biblical plagues. Furthermore, the town is convinced the cause is a young girl who needs to be disposed of, quickly. She makes the trip and, as you surely have guessed, finds herself with problems that can't be neatly resolved and which may actually have supernatural causes.

This is a reasonably well made supernatural/horror film with good production values and a fine cast. It has the usual shrieking violins and jump cuts found in pictures of this type but the story moves along nicely toward a conclusion that contains a couple of twists. As I mentioned earlier, there are some plot gaps that make the story more difficult to understand than necessary and if those hadn't been there this would have been a 3 star picture, which isn't bad for this genre. It should be a great date pic and an acceptable feature for fans of the supernatural.

Opening 4/6/2007

BECKET [NR] 2 hrs. 45 min. Drama Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit, Martita Hunt, Pamela Brown, Siân Phillips, and Felix Aylmer. Plot: Nominated for twelve Academy Awards, this 1964 film is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II and Thomas à Becket, a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury. This stunning new 35mm color & Scope print was restored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, with funding from Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

GRINDHOUSE [R] 3 hrs. 10 min. Horror Trailer Cast: "Death Proof" - Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Marley Shelton, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Bacall, Eli Roth, Omar Doom; "Planet Terror" - Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Michael Parks, Josh Brolin, Michael Biehn, Carlos Gallardo, Tom Savini, Naveen Andrews, Marley Shelton, The Crazy Babysitter Twins, Stacy Ferguson. Plot: the ultimate film experience: a double-bill of thrillers presented as one full-length feature comprised of two individual films. Quentin Tarantino's film, Death Proof, is a slasher flick where the killer pursues his victims with a car rather than a knife, while Robert Rodriguez's film explores an alien world eerily familiar to ours in Planet Terror. Showing at: Northrock, Warren Old Town, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

THE HOAX [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Julie Delpy. Plot: inspired by true events in the life of Clifford Irving, the writer who nearly pulled off one of the most audacious media scams in history, when his completely bogus "autobiography" of Howard Hughes was published. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

THE NAMESAKE [PG-13] 2 hrs. Drama Trailer Cast: Kal Penn, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson, Brooke Smith, Sahira Nair. Plot: two clashing cultures and two very different ways of life crash into each other in this film about the imminently relevant question: what does it mean to be an American family? Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

Leaving 4/5/2007

Derby Cinema - Premonition
Movie Machine - nothing
Northrock 14 - Pride
Palace West - The Messengers, Stomp The Yard, Flushed Away, Reno 911: Miami
Premiere Palace - The Astronaut Farmer, Happy Feet, Zodiac, Dead Silence, Little Children, Norbit, The Number 23
Starlite Drive-In - nothing
Warren East 13th - Pride, Amazing Grace
Warren Old Town - Premonition
Warren West 21st - Pride, Bridge To Terabithia