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The award-winning drama Skin tells one of the most unusual and moving true stories to
emerge from apartheid South Africa. Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo, The Secret
Life of Bees) is a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners (Sam
Neill, Alice Krige) who are unaware of their black ancestry. Her parents are
rural shopkeepers serving the local black community, who lovingly bring her
up as their 'white' little girl. But at the age of ten, Sandra is driven out
of white society. The film follows Sandra's thirty-year journey from rejection
to acceptance, betrayal to reconciliation, as she struggles to define her
place in a changing world. Official
Web Site Cary Darling's Dallas Morning News review... |
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A fashionable contemporary art gallerist in Chelsea, New York falls for a
brooding new music composer in this comic take on the state of contemporary
art. Adam Goldberg (Two Days In Paris) plays the composer, whose work
calls for paper crumpling, glass breaking and bucket kicking. Marley Shelton
(Grindhouse) plays the gorgeous Chelsea gallerist, whose latest show
features an artist (Vinnie Jones, Snatch) who employs taxidermy and
household objects. Further complicating the affair is the composer's brother
Josh (Eion Bailey, "Band of Brothers"), whose highly commercial
art work—the financial backbone of the gallery—is sold to corporate
clients discreetly out of the gallery's back room. Directed and co-written
by Jonathan Parker (Bartleby). Official
Web Site Director/co-writer Jonathan Parker on creativity and success Mick LaSalle's Dallas Morning News review... |
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Disney's A Christmas Carol, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned
by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back
to the Future, The Polar Express), beautifully captures the fantastical
essence of the classic Dickens tale. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins
the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful
clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts
of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey
revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart
to undo years of ill will before it's too late. Also starring Robin Wright
Penn, Cary Elwes and Bob Hoskins. Official
Web Site Chris Vognar's Dallas Morning News review... |
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Michael Jackson's This Is It offers Jackson fans and music lovers
worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed,
created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place
in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June 2009,
the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson
and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring
Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given
a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before.
In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the
singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at
work as he creates and perfects his final show. Directed by Kenny Ortega,
who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage
show. Official Web
Site Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review... |
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| An extraordinary life of adventure, celebrity and continuing mystery comes to light in Amelia, a vast, thrilling account of legendary aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (two time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank). After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheartthe legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Cherry Jones) to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Richard Gere), and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history. Directed by Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding). Official Web Site |
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Innovative director Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) collaborates
with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books
of all time to the big screen in Where the Wild Things Are, a classic
story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live
in. The film tells the story of Max (Max Records), a rambunctious and sensitive
boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are.
Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose
emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately
long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule.
When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will
be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and
his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.
Co-starring Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo and the voices of Lauren Ambrose,
Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker. Official
Web Site Nancy Churnin's Dallas Morning News review... |
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| A little girl who is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of France, who waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her… A cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken soldiers… A humble seamstress, who stitches hems at the back of a provincial tailor's shop… A young, skinny courtesan, to whom protector Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) offers a safe haven, amongst the idle and decadent… A woman in love who knows she will never be anyone’s wife, refusing marriage even to Arthur 'Boy' Capel (Alessandro Nivola), the man who returned her love… A rebel who finds the conventions of her time oppressive, and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes… This is the story of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (Audrey Tautou, Amélie), who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style. Official Web Site |
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From Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC
series "The Office" and HBO's "Extras," comes a romantic
comedy which takes place in an alternate reality where lyingeven the
concept of a liedoes not exist. Everyonefrom politicians to advertisers
to the man and woman on the streetspeaks the truth and nothing but the
truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser
named Mark (Gervais) suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty
has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute
truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing
Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves
(Jennifer Garner). Co-starring Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe and Tina Fey. Official
Web Site Roger Moore's Dallas Morning News review... |
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Acclaimed Korean vampire thriller Thirst · Nov 13 & 14 New 35mm print! The Goonies · Nov 20 & 21 Michael J. Fox goes Back to the Future · Nov 27 & 28 Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High · Dec 4 & 5 Mel Brooks' comedy classic Blazing Saddles · Dec 11 & 12 Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca · Dec 18 & 19 Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory · Dec 25 & 26 Prince & Apollonia in Purple Rain · Jan 1 & 2 |
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| Pirate Radio is a high-spirited, laugh-out-loud ensemble comedy from filmmaker Richard Curtis (screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, and writer/director of Love Actually), spinning the irreverent yet fact-based tale of a seafaring band of rogue rock and roll deejays whose "pirate radio" captivated and inspired 1960s Britain. Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker anchored in the middle of the North Sea (just beyond British jurisdiction), Radio Rock sends out a vibrant and unifying signal to millions across the nation. The Radio Rock roster, overseen by unflappable station owner Quentin (Bill Nighy), includes a risk-prone American known only as The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman); mystic deejay royalty Gavin (Rhys Ifans); slyly amorous Dave (Nick Frost) and others. One night in 1966, Quentin's teenaged godson Carl (Tom Sturridge) comes aboard. While Carl harbors romantic aspirations that he hopes will be fulfilled during one of the biweekly visits by Radio Rock's prettiest fans, he also hopes to find out more about his long-absent father As the ship sails on and rocks out, what Carl and the freewheeling, free-loving Radio Rock gang don't know is that back in London, a landlocked government minister (Kenneth Branagh) has embarked on a vehement crusade to silence their signalpermanently. Official Web Site |
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A priest becomes a vampire…another man’s wife is coveted…a
deadly seduction triggers murder. Thirst is the new film from director
Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Lady
Vengeance). Already a boxoffice smash in Korea, Thirst was honored
with the Prix du Jury at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival. Continuing
his explorations of human existence in extreme circumstances, the director
spins a tale that he conceived and then developed over several years with
co-screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung. Sang-hyun (played by top Korean star Song
Kang-ho of The Host) is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that
he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to
eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion
is urgently ordered up for him. The blood he receives is infected, so Sang-hyun
lives—but now exists as a vampire. Struggling with his newfound carnal
desire for blood, Sang-hyun’s faith is further strained when a childhood
friend’s wife, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin), comes to him asking for his help
in escaping her life. Sang-hyun soon plunges into a world of sensual pleasures,
finding himself on intimate terms with the Seven Deadly Sins. Official Web Site Writer/Director Park Chan-wook didn't set out to make a vampire film |
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| In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer's phenomenally successful Twilight series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part ofonly to find herself in greater peril than ever before. Following Bella's ill-fated 18th birthday party, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his family abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect her from the dangers inherent in their world. As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edward's image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks. With the help of her childhood friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bella's frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob, a member of the mysterious Quileute tribe, who has a supernatural secret of his own. Official Web Site |
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| In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival. Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Oren Moverman, The Messenger brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity. Official Web Site |
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| Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Kathy Bates star in The Blind Side, which depicts the remarkable true story of All-American football star Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron). A homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, Oher is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential on and off the football field. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. Official Web Site |
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| In Werner Herzog's new film, Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugswhile playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous. Official Web Site |
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| Visionary director Wes Anderson's first animated film utilizes classic handmade stop-motion techniques to tell the story of the best-selling children's book by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach). Mr. and Mrs. Fox (voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep) live an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Foxs wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil FarmersBoggis (Brian Cox), Bunce (Hugo Guinness) and Bean (Michael Gambon)who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr. Fox at any cost. Also featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson and Jarvis Cocker. Official Web Site |