In “Exiled,” the 1999 turnover of the Portuguese colony of Macau to China is investigated here through the unique rites of passage of a group of cold-blooded hit men as they wonder what the future has in store for them, try to make quick money or simply hope to retire. Thus, the story of “Exiled.” A Chinese film from Magnolia Pictures.
STARRING: Simon Yam
DIRECTOR: Johnny To
STUDIO: Magnolia Pictures
RATING: R (For violence, language and adult situations)
Rob Zombie’s vision of “Halloween” is an entirely new take on the legend and will satisfy fans of the classic “Halloween” legacy while beginning a new chapter in the Michael Myers saga. This new movie will not only appeal to horror fans, but to a wider movie-going audience as well. It will not be a copycat of any prior films in the “Halloween” franchise. Oh! And by the way, if you’re counting, this is the NINTH “Halloween” movie to hit theaters.
STARRING: Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Daeg Faerch, Tyler Mane, Sheri Moon Zombie, Pat Skipper, Dee Wallace Stone, William Forsythe, Ken Foree, Lew Temple, Danny Trejo, Hanna Hall, Danielle Harris, Adrienne Barbeau, Clint Howard, Courtney Gains, Daryl Sabara, Heather Bowen, Brad Dourif, Udo Kier, Kristina Klebe
DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie
STUDIO: The Weinstein Co.
RATING: R (For violence, language, sexual situations)
John August’s “The Nines” consists of three short films, each featuring the same actors in different — and sometimes overlapping — roles.
“The Prisoner” tells the story of a troubled television star (Ryan Reynolds) who finds himself under house arrest, with his chipper publicist (Melissa McCarthy) and disillusioned next door neighbor (Hope Davis) providing his only links to the outside world. Mysterious events lead him to question whether one or both women are deceiving him about the nature of his incarceration.
“Reality Television” is a half-hour episode of “Behind the Screen,” a Project Greenlight-style documentary series tracking the process of creating a network television drama. Having shot the pilot, creator/ showrunner Gavin Taylor (also Ryan Reynolds) faces post-production with the help of his best friend (and lead actress) Melissa McCarthy and development VP Susan Howard (Hope Davis).
“Knowing” finds an acclaimed videogame designer (also Ryan Reynolds) and his wife (Melissa McCarthy) facing car trouble deep in the woods. Their daughter (Elle Fanning) uncovers information which leads to a difficult and irrevocable choice.
Together, the three stories in “The Nines” form a single narrative that explores the relationships between author and character, actor and role, creator and creation. Alternately funny and unsettling, “The Nines” is like a riddle where the answer is the question: “How does it all add up?”
STARRING: Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Elle Fanning
DIRECTOR: John August
STUDIO: Newmarket Films
RATING: R (Adult situations, language, violence)
“Self Medicated” begins on the edges of Las Vegas, where 17-year old Andrew (Monty Lapica) is spiraling out of control. Unable to cope with the loss of his father, Andrew’s descent into drugs and violence is gaining momentum, and the once promising young man is heading for self-destruction. Andrew’s mother (Golden Globe nominee Diane Venora), helpless to control her son and fighting an addiction of her own, refuses to watch idly as her only child destroys himself. As a last resort, she hires a private company to forcibly kidnap and confine him in a locked-down (and corrupt) psychiatric hospital. As Andrew is subjected to the the physical and emotional abuses of the program, something inside of him is re-awakened. He decides that it is time to rebuild his life, but in order to do so, he must face his demons head-on. Based on true events, and winner of 39 international film awards, “Self Medicated” is the most award-winning independent film of 2006.
STARRING: Diane Venora, Monty Lapica, Michael Bowen, Greg Germann
DIRECTOR: Monty Lapica
STUDIO: THINKFilm
RATING: R (For substance abuse, language, and some sexual material)
In “Freshman Orientation,” a typical Midwestern 18 year-old freshman at a large state university eager to delve into the college party life, instead discovers that school is not the beer-driven, sexual fantasy of his imagination. Determined to do anything to obtain the girl of his dreams (a gorgeous but reluctant sorority girl), he decides to adopt a gay identity in order to insinuate himself in her life. This casual charade, however, quickly lands him in a morass of campus activism, gender warfare, fraternity hazes, sorority torture, “coming out” narratives, political martyrdom, and ultimately, a university-wide meltdown.
STARRING: Sam Huntington, Marla Sokoloff, Mike Erwin, Heather Matarazzo, Kaitlin Doubleday, Bryce Johnson, Judy Tylor, John Goodman, Rachel Dratch
DIRECTOR: Ryan Shiraki
STUDIO: Regent Releasing
RATING: R (For strong sexual content, language, drug use)
In “Death Sentence” Nick Hume (KEVIN BACON) is an Everyman with a stable, comfortable life. He goes to work every day at his middle-management job at an insurance company. He goes home every night to his beautiful wife, Helen (KELLY PRESTON), and his two teenage sons, Brendan (STUART LAFFERTY) and Lucas (JORDAN GARRETT).
The Humes are a middle-class family who are the epitome of suburban bliss. And Nick is content. He pitches in with chores around the house. He relishes the intimacy he shares with Helen. She is his confidant and equal. And he is very involved in his boys’ lives. Brendan, the eldest son, is confident and headstrong. He is popular, he is an athlete and he is on his way to college to begin a promising life of his own. Lucas looks up to his brother, but is cognizant of the shadow Brendan casts. Lucas still hasn’t found himself, and he feels a little left out because of the adoration given to Brendan. All in all, the Humes are a typical all-American family – morally upright and humble.
And then one day, their perfect life comes to a screeching halt. One night when Nick is driving Brendan home from a hockey game, he stops for gas. While he is filling up the tank on the family car, Brendan goes inside to get a drink. Moments later, a gang of thugs enter the store in ski masks, armed with various weapons. But it is not your typical convenience store robbery: this is a rite of passage for Joe Darley (MATTHEW O’LEARY), the younger brother of Billy Darley (GARRETT HEDLUND), the ruthless street leader of the gang. After terrorizing and killing the store clerk, they turn their attention to Brendan.
It is at that moment when Nick turns from the pump and looks inside the store, only to witness Joe deliver the fateful blow that ends all of the promise of Brendan’s future, and leaves him lying in a pool of blood as the gang begins to flee. But when Nick runs to help his son, he clashes with Joe and they fall to the ground. Joe is unmasked, and his own future marked.
Joe is arrested, but despite assurances from the lead investigator, Detective Wallis (AISHA TYLER), the system ultimately fails the Humes and Joe is put back on the street. Driven by a heightened sense of justice and keen grief, Nick takes matters into his own hands by seeking out his son’s killer. In his confrontation with Joe, Nick finds himself at the mercy of his emotions and ultimately kills him. Unsure what to do, Nick runs back to the life that has always been his shelter: his wife, his surviving son and his job.
Nick thinks that all is at an end – an imperfect resolution to a horrible tragedy, but fitting. Except there is blood, now, on Nick’s hands and it will not come off … Billy Darley is on the prowl, and the stage is set for a violent exchange that only escalates with each pounding beat of their hearts. How far will Nick go to protect his family? How far will Billy go to protect his own?
STARRING: Kevin Bacon, Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Preston, John Goodman, Aisha Tyler
DIRECTOR: James Wan
STUDIO: 20th Century Fox
RATING: R (For strong bloody brutal violence and pervasive language)
“Balls Of Fury” – In the unsanctioned, underground and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Now, Rogue Pictures’ outrageous new comedy “Balls of Fury” serves up this secret world for the first time on-screen. Written by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant (Night at the Museum, Reno 911!), the absolutely dreadful film is directed by Ben Garant. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona (Tony Award winner Dan Fogler) is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father’s (Robert Patrick) killer – one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng (Academy Award winner Christopher Walken). But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can’t turn his life around and avenge his father’s murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong (James Hong), and the training expertise of Master Wong’s wildly sexy niece Maggie (Maggie Q), both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng’s mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournaments ever staged. There, Randy faces such formidable players as his long-ago Olympics opponent, the still-vicious Karl Wolfschtagg (Mr. Lennon). Can Randy keep his eye on the balls? Will he achieve the redemption he craves while wielding a paddle? Is his backhand strong enough to triumph over rampant wickedness?
STARRING: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, Thomas Lennon, Robert Patrick
DIRECTOR: Robert Ben Garant
STUDIO: Rogue Pictures
RATING: PG-13 (For crude and sex-related humor, and for language)
“War The Movie”: After his partner Tom Lone (Terry Chen) and family are killed apparently by the infamous and elusive assassin Rogue (Jet Li), FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) becomes obsessed with revenge as his world unravels into a vortex of guilt and betrayal. Rogue eventually resurfaces to settle a score of his own, igniting a bloody crime war between Asian mob rivals Chang (John Lone) of the Triad’s and Yakuza boss Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi). When Jack and Rogue finally come face to face, the ultimate truth of their pasts will be revealed.
STARRING: Jet Li, Jason Statham, Nadine Velazquez
DIRECTOR: Philip G. Atwell
STUDIO: Lionsgate
RATING: R (For violence, language, drug use)
“The Last Legion.” Rome, AD 475. The Roman Empire is under threat. A mighty force for almost 800 years, at its height Rome’s power spread from Mesopotamia in the east to the Iberian peninsula in the west, from the Rhine and Danube in the north to Egypt in the south. This story follows the events surrounding the historical capture of Romulus Augustus and his imprisonment on the island of Capri.
On the eve of the ceremony to crown twelve-year-old Romulus Augustus as the new emperor, the Barbarian general Odoacer arrives in Rome to make a deal with Orestes, patrician and father of the young Caesar. Odoacer makes demands on the power of the Roman Empire, in fair exchange for his decade-long support of the Roman legions in the east. Orestes refuses.
On the day of the coronation, as the whole of Rome gathers to watch the proceedings, Ambrosinus, the shaman who is a mentor and tutor to Romulus, predicts danger. Orestes is worried for his son’s safety and appoints Aurelius, the tribune of the fourth legion, as his personal guard. That night Aurelius and his legionnaires are confronted by a real danger—Odoacer and his army of Goths have returned to the outskirts of Rome to conquer the city.
With a deafening roar, the Barbarian army storm the city. A terrible battle ensues, the brutal invaders show no mercy and blood flows through the streets.
With Orestes and his wife Julia slaughtered, Romulus is captured along with Ambrosinus and both are taken to the island fortress of Capri built by the emperor Tiberius. It is there that Romulus finds the mythical sword of Caesar that holds the prophecy ‘One edge to defend, one to defeat; In Britannia was I forged…to fit the hand of he…who is destined to rule’.
But not all the Roman legionnaires are dead. Aurelius is alive and when he learns that the Byzantine Empire will give Romulus sanctuary, he embarks on the journey to the coast accompanied by a small group of his men and a mysterious, black-clad Byzantine warrior. On the journey, Aurelius discovers what lies behind the black clothing — a young, beautiful woman called Mira.
Thanks to the strategic cunning of Ambrosinus and the fighting skill of Aurelius and Mira, Romulus is freed. But when the group arrive on shore, they learn that the Byzantines have joined forces with the Goths. Faced with such betrayal, the only course of action is to reach the one legion still loyal to Rome—the ninth legion in Britannia.
As they set off on their dangerous trek North in search of the last legion, Romulus discovers a new father figure in his protector Aurelius and together they embark on a new beginning.
STARRING: Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai, Thomas Sangster, Rupert Friend, Peter Mullan, Rory James, Lee Ingleby, Owen Teale, Ferdinand Kingsley
DIRECTOR: Doug Lefler
STUDIO: The Weinstein Co.
RATING: PG-13 (For sequences of intense action violence)
“September Dawn” is a fictional Romeo and Juliet relationship love story set against the background of the controversial real-life massacre of 120 men, women and children traveling through Utah in the nineteenth century. The Mountain Meadows Massacre, as it is known, occurred on September 11, 1857, and was the first known act of religious terrorism on U.S. soil. A group of Mormons, many disguised as Paiute Indians, slaughtered all but 17 small children on a wagon train on its way to California. One man, the adopted son of Mormon leader Brigham Young, was eventually executed for the crime — 20 years after the event. The film is deemed controversial because it presents a point of view held strongly by hundreds of direct descendants of the massacre: that the iconic Brigham Young had complicity in the massacre, a view denied by the Mormon Church, even today.
STARRING: Jon Voight, Trent Ford, Tamara Hope, Terence Stamp, Lolita Davidovich, Dean Cain, John Gries, Taylor Handley, Krisinda Cain, Shaun Johnston
DIRECTOR: Christopher Cain
STUDIO: Slowhand Releasing
RATING: R (For violence)