|
|
November 2005 Releases
|
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) remains the Jedi apprentice of master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Battling dark forces that threaten the Republic, the duo quickly eliminates enemy Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), and Anakin proves--as he states more than once--that his powers have doubled. An intimidating warrior with superior knowledge of the Force, Anakin becomes the pet of Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who is connected to the dark side. Meanwhile, Padme (Natalie Portman), the senator and former queen who is secretly married to Anakin, is pregnant, and Anakin is tortured by dreams of her dying in childbirth. With Obi-Wan on Utapau battling cyborg General Grievous (Matthew Wood), and Yoda (Frank Oz) joining the Wookiees of Kashyyyk, the sage warnings of the Jedi council (Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits) go unheard by Anakin. His moodiness and glowering are a clear precursor to his inevitable, terrifying metamorphosis into Darth Vader, the dark leader of the evil Empire who haunts the remainder of the series.
Street Date: 11/1/2005
Genre:
Science Fiction
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson
|
|
The Perfect Man
Hilary Duff stars in this comedy as Holly, a teenager whose lovelorn single mom (Heather Locklear) moves the family--including her youngest daughter (Aria Wallace)--to a new state every time she gets dumped, which is often. Their latest residence turns out to be Brooklyn, where the now thoroughly destabilized Holly decides that enough is enough and works to prevent mom from dating yet another local loser. She uses a friend's handsome uncle (Chris Noth) as the unwitting basis for a fictional secret admirer to keep mom occupied, but the deception quickly spins out of control, resulting in some madcap hijinx. Meanwhile, a classmate who is a comic book artist (Ben Feldman) falls for Holly, but she's way too edgy to notice that love has found her instead of her mom. This whimsical plotline may sound familiar to any non-'tweener in the audience, but it works due to the relaxed, natural rapport between Duff and Locklear who share some heartfelt moments of mother-daughter bonding.
Street Date: 11/1/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear, Christopher Noth, Mike O'Malley
|
|
Aliens of the Deep
This vivid undersea exploration for IMAX offers visual thrills and educational information about the little-known life living on the ocean floor. Director James Cameron theorizes that studying this fauna could help astronomers figure out what alien life may be like on other planets. He teams up with NASA researchers and marine biologists to find out more.
Street Date: 11/1/2005
Genre:
Documentary
Rating:
G
Starring:
James Cameron (Director)
|
|
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Who better to bring Roald Dahl's adored children's story to life than the mastermind behind inventive films like EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BEETLEJUICE? From Tim Burton's opening shot--against Danny Elfman's eerie score--this CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is recognizably darker than the Mel Stuart-directed 1971 version starring Gene Wilder. Though the mysterious chocolate factory has been closed for 15 years, it continues to produce and ship candy all over the world. When a contest promises a tour of the plant to the lucky finders of five golden tickets hidden inside wrappers, no one is more excited than Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), an impoverished boy whose family lives mere steps from the factory. Though he can barely afford even one candy bar, fate intervenes, and Charlie finds the last golden ticket.
Street Date: 11/8/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham-Carter, David Kelly, Noah Taylor, James Fox
|
|
Christmas With the Kranks
The Kranks have always celebrated a picture-perfect Christmas. But with their only daughter, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), away from home on her Peace Corps assignment, Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther (Tim Allen) are suffering from empty nest syndrome and decide to skip Christmas in favor of a Caribbean cruise. But their neighbors, led by Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Akroyd), take Christmas very seriously and are none too happy about the Kranks' boycott. In this neighborhood where every house is decorated to the hilt and has a Frosty on the roof, skipping Christmas is virtually a crime. And just as the Kranks are preparing for their Christmas Day departure, they get a call from their daughter who announces that she is coming home for Christmas after all. Suddenly, all systems are go for their annual Christmas Eve party and a normal--highly festive--holiday. Will the Kranks be able to pull together a perfect Christmas for Blair in just a few hours, or will she discover their plan to skip Christmas?
Street Date: 11/8/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey
|
|
Devil's Rejects
The follow-up to his 2003 horror hit HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS continues the story of a bizarre group of very odd people who like to torture, maim, and kill virtually everyone they come in contact with. When Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe) pays a visit to the body-ridden lair of Mother Firefly (Leslie Easterbrook, taking over the role played by Karen Black in the first film), her children Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) are forced to run, eventually holing up in a roadside motel with four hostages (including Clint Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis and THREE'S COMPANY star Priscilla Barnes). Seeking help from creepy clown Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), they continue their murderous rampage while being tracked by Wydell, who is hellbent on avenging the death of his brother, which came at the hands of this very weird and dangerous family.
Street Date: 11/8/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie
|
|
Blizzard
A young girl's magical friendship with Santa's newest reindeer is the greatest gift of all in this enchanting holiday film!
Street Date: 11/8/2005
Genre:
Family
Rating:
G
Starring:
Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Pollak, Brenda Blethyn
|
|
Madagascar
The friendship between a New York City lion and zebra is tested when fate brings them out to the unforgiving wilderness in this computer-animated DreamWorks feature. Chris Rock does the voice of Marty the Zebra, whose longing to explore beyond his cushy Central Park Zoo boundaries is the impetus that ultimately strands him and his pals on the shores of savage Madagascar. Marty loves the new, edible scenery, but his best friend Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller) the Lion begins to starve since his diet of thick steaks has been cut off, and the rump of his friend starts to look mighty tasty. Their other friends, a hypochondriac giraffe (David Schwimmer) and a sassy hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), try their best to think of a solution as the call of the wild slowly turns the starving Alex into Marty's worst nightmare. Meanwhile the hilariously self-aggrandizing King of the Ocelots (Sacha Cohen) has a plan to use Marty to repel their own carnivore problem. This kid-oriented comedy stays adult-friendly every step of the way thanks to a clever script that mixes New Yorker humor and even some existentialism in with the pratfalls and spit-takes.
Street Date: 11/15/2005
Genre:
Family
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter (voices)
|
|
Skeleton Key
After New Orleans hospice worker Caroline (Kate Hudson) answers a help wanted ad, she finds herself working as the live-in caretaker of Ben Devereaux (John Hurt), a stroke victim who has lost his ability to speak. Ben's wife, Violet (Gena Rowlands), presents Caroline with a skeleton key to open any door in the house--with the exception of one, which she claims she has never been able to open. But curiosity gets the best of her, and Caroline opens the door to find a wealth of materials representing the old house's history of hoodoo, an ancient form of folk magic. She soon discovers that the house harbors a dark secret--one that Violet knows more about than she first admits.
Street Date: 11/15/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard
|
|
Stealth
This high-action flight movie centers on a team of three stylish stealth bomber pilots who are forced to fly with EDI (Extreme Deep Invader), a computer-manned prototype plane that specializes in extra-precision bombing. The brainchild of a Bill Gates-esque wunderkind (Richard Roxburgh), EDI has the ability to learn at a fantastic rate, talks like HAL from 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, and likes to listen to hard rock before going into combat. Before long, a freak accident causes it to question authority and launch an attack on Russia. W.D. Richter's script probes big issues involving man, machine, and the nuclear fate of the free world (Read: DR. STRANGELOVE meets THE TERMINATOR). But this is also an action thrill ride from Rob Cohen--the man responsible for THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and XXX--replete with some truly tremendous explosions and speeds that outdo any mph records set in Cohen's past ouevre.
Street Date: 11/15/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Joshua Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Shepard
|
|
Happy Endings
This comedic drama from writer-director Don Roos (THE OPPOSITE OF SEX) comes packed with many unusual adult themes including teenage pregnancy and marrying for green cards. Lisa Kudrow receives an exception massage and she later makes a video about her masseur/lover--who says he has information about a son she gave up for adoption years earlier. Meanwhile, her gay brother (Steve Coogan) suspects that his boyfriend may have helped a lesbian couple (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke) have a daughter. Another thread of this intricately woven plot concerns a libertine (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who seduces both a rich widower (Tom Arnold) and his closeted gay son (Jason Ritter). Amazingly, it is Arnold who manages to stand out among the ensemble cast.
Street Date: 11/15/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
R
Starring:
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Arnold, Jason Ritter, Laura Dern, Lisa Kudrow, David Sutcliffe, Steve Coogan
|
|
War of the Worlds
Disgruntled, divorced father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is struggling to connect with his estranged kids, who have been dropped off by their mother for the weekend, when a severe and unusual lightning storm leaves his New Jersey neighborhood powerless. Over the course of the next few hours, it becomes obvious that this was not a storm at all, but rather the first sign of a worldwide alien attack. Emerging from the ground in multi-legged tripod-like machines that have apparently been stored beneath the earth's surface since before man's time, these aliens begin the process of waging a long-planned war on our planet. While WAR OF THE WORLDS follows Ray's growing closeness with his two children (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) in the face of imminent disaster, and his transformation from lousy father to hero, their story is used mostly as a vehicle for illustrating an unending series of horrific scenarios. Directed by Stephen Spielberg.
Street Date: 11/22/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Tom Cruise, Miranda Otto, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins
|
|
The Polar Express
In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism. Based on the classic children's Christmas story by Chris Van Allsbury, the Polar Express tells the tale of a disillusioned little boy, just old enough to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, who has the adventure of a lifetime one fateful Christmas Eve. Clad in his pajamas, he climbs aboard a magic train to the North Pole, driven by a kindly train conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks who starred in both of director Robert Zemeckis's Academy-Award winning films FORREST GUMP and CASTAWAY). Among myriad jaw-dropping moments, the train plummets brakeless through crystalline mountains in a simulated roller coaster ride. Going off the rails, skidding sideways, and snaking violently across a frozen lake, the train arrives at the North Pole (a vast, glowing city of brick buildings). At that moment, the car carrying the kids detaches and they're sent tumbling down never-ending chutes and slides until they land in the middle of Santa's Workshop
Street Date: 11/22/2005
Genre:
Family
Rating:
G
Starring:
Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen, Charles Fleischer
|
|
The Honeymooners
In THE HONEYMOONERS--an update of the classic 1950s television comedy that starred Jackie Gleason--Ralph Kramden (Cedric the Entertainer) is a New York City bus driver and irrepressible dreamer whose mind constantly whirs with new plans to get rich. But six years after meeting his wife, Alice (Gabrielle Union), none of his schemes have resulted in anything more than clutter in the closet of their Brooklyn apartment. When Alice's dream of buying a home looks like it could become a reality, the Kramdens team up with their best friends who live upstairs, Ed (Mike Epps) and Trixie (Regina Hall), to amass the $20,000 for a down payment before a shady land developer (Eric Stoltz) beats them to it.
Street Date: 11/22/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Mike Epps, Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, John Leguizamo, Eric Stoltz, Cedric the Entertainer
|
|
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Named after a 1941 Alfred Hitchcock film, MR. AND MRS. SMITH is really its own ball of flaming wax, with enough sizzling chemistry between stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to blow up a small building. He shows he is equally adept in comedy and action, and she manages to set new screen standards of bad-ass sexiness. It's impossible to dislike this pair, or a movie that makes being married seem like such insane fun. Pitt and Jolie play extremely skilled professional assassins who have managed to stay married for five years without ever realizing each other's profession because they work for rival agencies and the work is top secret. When their paths eventually cross on a high-level hit, one of the most lethal battles of the sexes in the history of cinema is officially on. Thanks to a genuinely witty script, the issue isn't who will win, but whether the couple will realize they are meant for each other before it's too late.
Street Date: 11/29/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Kerry Washington, Adam Brody
|
|
March of the Penguins
The March of the Penguins follows the mating rituals of the emperor penguin, one of the most resilient animals on earth. Each summer, after a nourishing period of deep-sea feeding, the penguins pop up onto the ice and begin their procession across the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Walking in single file, they are a sight to behold. Hundreds converge from every direction, moving instinctively toward their mating ground. Once there, they mingle and chatter until they find the perfect mate--a monogamous match that will last a year, through the brutal winter and into the spring. During that time, the mother will birth an egg and then leave for the ocean to feed again. The father will stay to protect the egg through the freezing blizzards and pure darkness of winter, which would be deadly to practically any other species. Finally, with spring, the egg hatches and the baby penguins are born. Mothers return from the sea to reunite with their families and feed the starving newborns, while the fathers are finally relieved of their protective duties after months without food. The film is remarkable in its story, which is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose dignified voice gives the penguins the grave admiration they deserve. But even more incredible is its photography, which shows the penguins hunting underwater and sliding on the ice.
Street Date: 11/29/2005
Genre:
Family/Documentary
Rating:
G
Starring:
Mogan Freeman (narrator)
|
|
Sky High
Most teenagers cringe at the thought of meeting their parents' high expectations--good grades, well-behaved friends, and a plan for the future--and none more so than Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of legendary superheroes Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). This clever Disney comedy follows Will from his first day as star student at Sky High, an elite school for the children of superheroes. The only problem is that Will apparently has no special powers, and he can't let his parents find out! Lacking the abilities needed to attend hero classes, Will falls in with the misfit sidekicks, whose only powers include turning into a guinea pig, glowing, and melting. However, when an old villain with a new power reappears on the scene, the pressure is on Will and his sidekicks to save his parents, his school, and the earth itself.
Street Date: 11/29/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Kurt Russell, Michael Angarano, Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Kelly Preston
|
|
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
The film opens with Deuce Bigalow (Rob Schneider) at the beach doing research on fish, where he is bullied by a couple of kids. The situation quickly escalates into a catastrophe involving elderly blind people and dolphins. So when he gets a call from an old friend, T.J. Hicks (Eddie Griffin, MY BABY'S DADDY), with an invitation to join him in Amsterdam, Deuce deems it wise to accept. Accompanied by the prosthetic leg of his recently deceased bride (she was eaten by a shark on their honeymoon), Deuce shows up in Europe only to find that a mysterious killer is knocking off the city's gigolos. Worse, T.J. is implicated, so Deuce is forced to go undercover and search for the killer on his own, hoping to clear his friend's name. He suspects the killer is a woman, and so he has a string of flawed dates--one with massive ears and a hunchback, among others. Along the way Deuce makes each freakish date feel special, and falls for the niece of the detective assigned to the case (former model Hanna Verboom).
Street Date: 11/29/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
R
Starring:
Rob Schneider, Eddie Griffin, Jean Reno, Til Schweiger
|
|
Murderball
Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro's MURDERBALL is an inspiring documentary, which proves that physical limitations are no match for the human spirit. For the determined quadriplegic men who participate in the dangerous sport of "quad rugby," it's more than just a game: it's a chance to prove themselves in a much bigger way. With armored wheelchairs and enough macho energy to overcome any challenge, the players engage in a violently physical game. The charming but intimidating Mark Zupan was angry and suicidal after a car accident relegated him to a wheelchair. He regained his confidence and spirit by becoming both a player and the spokesman for quad rugby's Team USA. Zupan's militaresque rival, Joe Soares, is a former star for Team USA who headed north to coach Team Canada when he was cut from the US team in 2000. Concentrating on the buildup to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, the film introduces other awe-striking figures--young men who have risen to the challenge of the game time and time again.
Street Date: 11/29/2005
Genre:
Documentary
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Dana Adam Shapiro, Henry Alex Rubin (directors)
|
|
|
