Wednesday, January 31, 2007

For Your Consideration (2006)

Dir. Christopher Guest

A director (Christopher Guest) who's never had a hit pins his hopes on the independent drama Home for Purim, a film set in the 1940s South that's swiftly earning buzz for its performances. Guest's reliable troupe of improv actors -- a cast that includes Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Eugene Levy -- grows even funnier with the addition of Ricky Gervais, who plays a Hollywood studio "suit."

Monday, January 29, 2007

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Dir. Edward D. Wood, Jr.

After the embarrassing failure of the first eight plans, a group of evil aliens enacts plan nine -- resurrecting the dead to take over the Earth. Bela Lugosi makes his final film appearance -- along with Vampira, Tor Johnson, Criswell and a chiropractor acquaintance of director Ed Wood -- in one of the most popular cult classics of the 20th century, a two-time winner of the Golden Turkey Award for Worst Film and Worst Director of all time.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Thank You For Smoking (2005)

Dir. Jason Reitman


Big Tobacco spin doctor Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is on a mission to make the country forget the dangers of his product. Rallying for the cause, he works to promote smoking in the movies and hush former employees who bad-mouth cigarettes, all the while trying to remain a role model for his young son. Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Robert Duvall and William H. Macy co-star in Jason Reitman's razor-sharp satire, which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

John Tucker Must Die (2006)

Dir. Betty Thomas

When three popular girls (Sophia Bush, Brittany Snow and Ashanti) discover they've all had their hearts broken by the same scoundrel (Jesse Metcalfe), they join forces to get revenge in this teen comedy. Determined to give their ex a taste of his own medicine, Heather, Beth and Kate devise a plan to ruin John Tucker's reputation as a Casanova by enlisting the new girl in town to seduce him and then break his heart. Jenny McCarthy co-stars.

Stick It (2006)

Dir. Jessica Bendinger

When her rebellious attitude gets her in trouble with the law, acerbic 17-year-old Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym), a former gymnast, is sentenced to enroll in an elite gymnastics academy run by notorious coach Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges), where she butts heads with a competitive rival (Vanessa Lengies). But with an important international meet on the horizon, can the girls put their differences aside to win?

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Hard Candy (2005)

Dir. David Slade

In this suspenseful drama from director David Slade, Hayley (Ellen Page) is an intelligent teen who's been spending time with Geoff (Patrick Wilson), a much older man she met online. Even though Geoff is a charming, good-looking photographer, Hayley should know better than to go home with a guy in his early thirties, especially since he may have ulterior motives. Of course, Hayley may have underlying motives of her own. …

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Baise-moi (2000)

Dir. Virginie Despentes & Coralie

Manu, a hardened young waif is violently raped by a group of savage young thugs. Nadine, a tough-skinned prostitute, sells her body but refuses to give up her soul to the world's oldest profession. Angry at the world, they embark on a twisted rage-filled road trip.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Curse of the Golden Flower (Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia) (2006)

Dir. Zhang Yimou

This lavish film from landmark director Yimou Zhang follows the romantic intrigue and political machinations in the house of the Emperor Ping (Chow Yun Fat) and his ailing wife (Li Gong). Even their children are swept into their secret passions and schemes to power, but will their reign end in a bloody coup? Sumptuous costumes and dazzling martial arts form the backdrop for this complex tale of loyalty and deception, love and betrayal.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Black Dahlia (2006)

Dir. Brian DePalma

In this thriller based on James Ellroy's novel, Los Angeles cops Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) uncover corruption and conspiracy within the force while searching for the killer of Tinseltown hopeful Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner). The film follows Bleichert and Blanchard as they venture into Hollywood's darker side to piece together Short's secret life in an effort to crack the 1947 high-profile case.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Cat People (1942)

Dir. Jacques Tourneur

Irena Dubrovna, a beautiful and mysterious Serbian-born fashion artist living in New York City, falls in love with and marries average-Joe American Oliver Reed. Their marriage suffers though, as Irena believes that she suffers from an ancient curse- whenever emotionally aroused, she will turn into a panther and kill. Oliver thinks that is absurd and childish, so he sends her to psychiatrist Dr. Judd to cure her. Easier said than done...

Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (1957)

Dir. Ingmar Bergman

Exhausted and disillusioned, a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) makes the journey home after years of combat in the Crusades. When the black-robed figure of Death confronts him, the knight challenges him to a game of chess. A powerful meditation on the existence of God and the meaning of life, this drama is considered one of Ingmar Bergman's best and took the Cannes Film Festival Prize in 1957.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Dir. David R. Ellis

FBI agents Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) are tasked with escorting a witness, ex-mobster John Saunders (Mark Houghton), to a high-profile trial and to keep him safe from those who would do him harm. As the film's title suggests, however, an onboard assassin determined to rid the G-men of their precious cargo unleashes a crate full of venomous snakes in this taut airborne thriller.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Dir. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris

Convinced little Olive (Abigail Breslin) is beauty queen material, parents Richard (Greg Kinnear) and Sheryl (Toni Collette) and the rest of the family embark on a life-altering road trip to a pageant in this madcap comedy. Struggling motivational speaker Richard pushes Olive to win, while her silent brother (Paul Dano), depressed uncle (Steve Carell) and nursing-home reject grandpa (Alan Arkin, in an Oscar-winning role) add their own quirks to the mix.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

A Dirty Shame (2004)

Dir. John Waters

Acclaimed filmmaker John Waters returns to his favorite city, Baltimore, for this side-splitting film starring Tracey Ullman as Sylvia Stickles, a convenience-store worker who becomes a raging sexaholic after a minor accident. But her newfound lust is more a hassle than a gift, igniting class warfare on her street, Harford Road. Co-stars Johnny Knoxville, Chris Isaak and Selma Blair. Waters's muse, Patty Hearst, makes her usual cameo.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

The Brown Bunny (2003)

Dir. Vincent Gallo

Director Vincent Gallo's controversial movie The Brown Bunny garnered much press at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival for its racy segments. Gallo also stars as Bud Clay, a competitive road biker riding from New Hampshire to California for yet another race. But the journey is also an attempt to erase his memory of Daisy (Chloe Sevigny), the one true love he can't forget even as he beds other women.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Beyond the Sea (2005)

Dir. Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey directs and stars in this film biography of singer Bobby Darin, a hipster in the Frank Sinatra mold and singer of pop hits such as "Splish Splash" and the titular tune. Darin eventually moved on to performing jazz standards that culminated in his signature gigantic hit, "Mack the Knife." Kate Bosworth plays Darin's wife, the movie star Sandra Dee. John Goodman, Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn co-star.