Release Date: June 12, 2009 Genre: Action, Thriller Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, James Gandolfini Director: Tony Scott Producers: Todd Black, Tony Scott Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the trains passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But theres one riddle Garber can\'t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? [More] [Less]
Release Date: Feb 13, 2009 Genre: Drama Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Moni Moshonov, Isabella Rossellini, John Ortiz Director: James Gray Writers: James Gray, Richard Menello Studio: Magnolia Pictures Plot: Set in the insular world of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, TWO LOVERS is a classic romantic drama, with Joaquin Phoenix giving a raw and vulnerable performance as Leonard, a charismatic but troubled young man who moves back into his childhood home following a recent heartbreak. While recovering under the watchful eye of his parents (Isabella Rossellini and Moni Monoshov), Leonard meets two women in quick succession: Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a mysterious and beautiful neighbor who is exotic and out-of-place in Leonard\'s staid world, and Sandra, the lovely and caring daughter of a businessman who is buying out his family\'s dry-cleaning business. Leonard becomes deeply infatuated by Michelle, who seems poised to fall for him, but is having a self-destructive affair with a married man. At the same time, mounting pressure from his family pushes him towards committing to Sandra. Leonard is forced to make an impossible decision between the impetuousness of desire and the comfort of love or risk falling back into the darkness that nearly killed him. [More] [Less]
Release Date: 2009 Genre: Foreign, Horror Cast: Clovis Cornillac, Gabriella Wright, Alexandra Ansidei Director: Franck Vestiel Studio: Magolia Pictures Plot: In this French frightener, a man (Clovis Cornillac) wakes up to find himself at the bottom of a cavern. But this is no ordinary cave; it appears to be the abandoned labs of a company called Eden Log. However, the underground labyrinth isn\'t entirely empty. A creature prowls the halls, and the man must do all he can to escape its clutches. [More] [Less]
Release Date: Oct 24, 2008 Genre: Foreign, Thriller Cast: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist Director: Tomas Alfredson Writer: John Ajvide Lindqvist Studio: Magnolia Pictures Plot: A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy\'s wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him with her father. A pale, serious young girl, she only comes out at night and doesn\'t seem affected by the freezing temperatures. Coinciding with Eli\'s arrival is a series of inexplicable disappearances and murders. One man is found tied to a tree, another frozen in the lake, a woman bitten in the neck. Blood seems to be the common denominator and for an introverted boy like Oskar, who is fascinated by gruesome stories, it doesn\'t take long before he figures out that Eli is a vampire. But by now a subtle romance has blossomed between Oskar and Eli, and she gives him the strength to fight back against his aggressors. Oskar becomes increasingly aware of the tragic, inhuman dimension of Eli\'s plight, but cannot bring himself to forsake her. Frozen forever in a twelve-year-old\'s body, with all the burgeoning feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent, Eli knows that she can only continue to live if she keeps on moving. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can ... [More] [Less]
Release Date: May 15, 2009 Genre: Foreign, Comedy Cast: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ryunosuke Kamiki Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto Studio: Magnolia Pictures Plot: A middle-aged slacker living in a rundown, graffiti-ridden slum, Daisatos job involves being shocked by bolts of electricity that transform him into a stocky, stick-wielding giant several stories high who is entrusted with defending Japan from a host of bizarre monsters. But while his predecessors were national heroes, he is a pariah among the citizens he protects, who bitterly complain about the noise and destruction of property he causes. And Daisato has his own problems an agent insistent on branding him with sponsor advertisements, an Alzheimer-afflicted grandfather who transforms into a giant in dirty underwear, and a family who is embarrassed by his often cowardly exploits. A wickedly deadpan spin on the giant Japanese superhero, BIG MAN JAPAN is an outrageous portrait of a pathetic but truly unique hero. [More] [Less]
Release Date: July 24, 2009 Genre: Comedy, Kids/Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Animation Cast: Gary Oldman, John Cleese, Dwayne ´The Rock´ Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long Director: Jorge Blanco, Marcos Martinez Writers: Joe Stillman, Etan Cohen Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: Planet 51 is a galactic sized animated alien adventure comedy revolving around American astronaut Captain Charles \"Chuck\" Baker, who lands on Planet 51 thinking he\'s the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders...like Chuck! With the help of his robot companion \"Rover\" and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum. [More] [Less]
Release Date: Jan 16, 2009 Genre: Comedy Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O\'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale Director: Steve Carr Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: In Columbia Pictures\' comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James stars as the title character, a single, suburban dad, trying to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. Though no one else takes his job seriously, Paul considers himself on the front lines of safety. When a heist shuts down the megaplex, Jersey\'s most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day. [More] [Less]
Back in the 50\\\'s and 60\\\'s, this is what they would run at the Drive in between features, to advertise the snack bar fare, and to let you know how much time you had to get back to your car. Campy, nostaligic, and fun.
Release Date: June 12, 2009 Genre: Action, Thriller Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, James Gandolfini Director: Tony Scott Producers: Todd Black, Tony Scott Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the trains passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But theres one riddle Garber can\'t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? [More] [Less]
Release Date: Feb 13, 2009 Genre: Drama Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Moni Moshonov, Isabella Rossellini, John Ortiz Director: James Gray Writers: James Gray, Richard Menello Studio: Magnolia Pictures Plot: Set in the insular world of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, TWO LOVERS is a classic romantic drama, with Joaquin Phoenix giving a raw and vulnerable performance as Leonard, a charismatic but troubled young man who moves back into his childhood home following a recent heartbreak. While recovering under the watchful eye of his parents (Isabella Rossellini and Moni Monoshov), Leonard meets two women in quick succession: Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a mysterious and beautiful neighbor who is exotic and out-of-place in Leonard\'s staid world, and Sandra, the lovely and caring daughter of a businessman who is buying out his family\'s dry-cleaning business. Leonard becomes deeply infatuated by Michelle, who seems poised to fall for him, but is having a self-destructive affair with a married man. At the same time, mounting pressure from his family pushes him towards committing to Sandra. Leonard is forced to make an impossible decision between the impetuousness of desire and the comfort of love or risk falling back into the darkness that nearly killed him. [More] [Less]
Release Date: Jan 16, 2009 Genre: Comedy Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O\'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale Director: Steve Carr Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: In Columbia Pictures\' comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James stars as the title character, a single, suburban dad, trying to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. Though no one else takes his job seriously, Paul considers himself on the front lines of safety. When a heist shuts down the megaplex, Jersey\'s most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day. [More] [Less]
Release Date: 2009 Genre: Foreign, Horror Cast: Clovis Cornillac, Gabriella Wright, Alexandra Ansidei Director: Franck Vestiel Studio: Magolia Pictures Plot: In this French frightener, a man (Clovis Cornillac) wakes up to find himself at the bottom of a cavern. But this is no ordinary cave; it appears to be the abandoned labs of a company called Eden Log. However, the underground labyrinth isn\'t entirely empty. A creature prowls the halls, and the man must do all he can to escape its clutches. [More] [Less]
Release Date: Oct 24, 2008 Genre: Foreign, Thriller Cast: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist Director: Tomas Alfredson Writer: John Ajvide Lindqvist Studio: Magnolia Pictures Plot: A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy\'s wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him with her father. A pale, serious young girl, she only comes out at night and doesn\'t seem affected by the freezing temperatures. Coinciding with Eli\'s arrival is a series of inexplicable disappearances and murders. One man is found tied to a tree, another frozen in the lake, a woman bitten in the neck. Blood seems to be the common denominator and for an introverted boy like Oskar, who is fascinated by gruesome stories, it doesn\'t take long before he figures out that Eli is a vampire. But by now a subtle romance has blossomed between Oskar and Eli, and she gives him the strength to fight back against his aggressors. Oskar becomes increasingly aware of the tragic, inhuman dimension of Eli\'s plight, but cannot bring himself to forsake her. Frozen forever in a twelve-year-old\'s body, with all the burgeoning feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent, Eli knows that she can only continue to live if she keeps on moving. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can ... [More] [Less]
A hard-boiled detective (Dillon) gets in between a group of bank robbers and their plan to make away with a $20 million bounty.
Buzz:
Matt Dillon is back on the right side of the law after Armored, but the real question here is: How do you promote a movie featuring one currently incarcerated musician/actor (T.I.) and post-Rihanna Chris Brown, whose fame allotment has been nearly drained. Suddenly, heist movies don't seem fun anymore.
A troubled evangelical minister (Fabian) agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew, where a possessed young (Bell) brings him face to face with the devil himself.
Buzz:
Eli Roth (in producer mode here) and Lionsgate are testing the Paranormal Activity theorem here: can you turn a low-budget horror/thriller with no stars into a hit? Director Daniel Stamm caused a minor genre stir back in 2008/2009 with A Necessary Death; screenwriters Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland are back in theaters on September 10 (as co-directors) with a completely different project, The Virginity Hit, and we think they had something to do with this viral video. Funny or Dead?
The fearless Barney Ross (Stallone) leads a team of mercenaries on a mission to South America, where their objective -- to overthrow a ruthless dictator -- is more dangerous than the men realize.
Buzz:
Scott Pilgrim and Elizabeth Gilbert might find themselves defeated by a handful of old guys this weekend. My only questions here: Why did Sylvester Stallone not turn this screenplay into Rambo V? And who thought the name Barney Ross sounded tough?
While trying to get pregnant, a happily married woman (Roberts) realizes her life needs to go in a different direction, and after a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey.
Buzz:
While Liz Gilbert liberates herself on her globe-spanning trip, Julia Roberts might be feeling the pressure to deliver a major box-office hit, since Sex and the City 2 derailed the momentum earned by Mamma Mia!, Julie & Julia, and other "women's films". Still wondering what attracted subversive writer/director Ryan Murphy ("Glee", "Nip/Tuck") to the project, but I'm more curious whether Ms. Robert's let actual mosquitoes feast on her in India.Will Murphy + Roberts reunite for a second movie? They are both attached to an untitled romantic comedy where an executive learns to readjust to life at home with her kids after losing her job -- sort of like if Danny Moder became the breadwinner of the Roberts household.P.S. Did you know you can purchase the aromas of Ms. Gilbert's reawakening?
Detectives Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) might not be New York City's finest, but when they discover a path that leads directly to one the city's biggest criminals, they seize the opportunity to become supercops.
Buzz:
Will Ferrell looks to put Land of the Lost behind him with a can't-miss late-summer comedy directed by his best handler, Adam McKay. Though New York City wasn't so kind to Ferrell the last time around. Funny that this will be the movie to topple Inception from its position atop the box-office.
A spoof of vampire-themed movies, where teenager Becca finds herself torn between two boys. As she and her friends wrestle with a number of different dramas, everything comes to a head at their prom.
Buzz:
I feel like if you're the type of person who eye-rolls every time you hear the names Bella or Edward, but you wind up shelling out for a spoof comedy from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer -- who share the honor of having three movies in the IMDb Bottom 100 -- then the joke is really on you?
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Studio:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Plot:
Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a thief who specializes in the art of extraction, the stealing of secrets from a target's subconscious. Though his profession cost him everything he has ever loved and has turned him into a fugitive, an offer for a final job -- one that requires him to plant an idea instead of pilfering it -- could be his chance at redemption.
Buzz:
Our founder has already called this "the movie of the decade".
Nanny McPhee (Thompson) arrives to help a harried young mother, Mrs. Green (Gyllenhaal), with running the family farm while her husband is away at war. With Mrs. Green's children waging a personal war with their two spoiled cousins, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach the kids five important new lessons.
Buzz:
A sequel? Surely. While the original Nanny McPhee wasn't a textbook blockbuster, it earned over $100 million in theaters (worldwide) on a reported budget of $25 million. Maybe Nanny McPhee teaches economic lessons to the farm kids here.
An unmarried 40-year-old woman (Aniston) turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend (Bateman), who has been living with a secret ...
Buzz:
I don't know if audiences avoided The Back-Up Plan because of the movie's theme or its star, but, when compared to The Switch, at least Jennifer Lopez's adventures in conception was marketed by its studio. No offense to anyone at the recently sold Miramax, which is a bit rudderless as the company transitions away from its Disney handlers to its new owners. Hopefully Jennifer Aniston's celebrity and Jason Bateman's cult audience will be enough to grow the awareness for this foul-mouthed and potential crowd-pleaser from the dudes behind Blades of Glory. Will Jennifer Aniston swear on film again?
After a tremor under the surface of Lake Victoria unleashes scores of prehistoric piranhas, a group of strangers under the direction of the local sheriff (Shue) band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food.
Buzz:
New rule: From now on, if you're going to remake a movie, it has to be in 3D. Oh, and the original has to be bad. And by bad, we mean terrible. Elsewhere, Richard Dreyfuss returns to scary waters in what might be the best cheapie horror flick casting since Betty White in Lake Placid (but let's hope the supporting players and cameo appearances don't end with Christopher Lloyd or Eli Roth). Other questions: Is Alexandre Aja embracing his camp side? Will this level of gore make it to the big screen intact?
