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October 2005 Releases
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House of D
David Duchovny makes his feature-film debut as a writer-director in the very funny, very poignant HOUSE OF D. Living in Paris, Tom Warshaw (Duchovny) is an American expatriate who feels it is time to tell his wife and son the truth about what happened when he was a kid. The action then shifts to Greenwich Village in the 1970s, when young Tom (the remarkable Anton Yelchin) has recently lost his father and is trying to survive with his severely depressed mother (Duchovny's real-life wife, Tea Leoni). His best friend is an older, mentally challenged man named Pappass (Robin Williams); the two of them deliver meat together, go to the movies, and see each other in school, where Pappass is the assistant janitor. As his mother's mental state deteriorates, Tom becomes friendly with Lady (Erykah Badu), an inmate at the Women's House of Detention on Tenth Street; they talk about life and love, but Tom can't see her, as she speaks with him from behind the window of her cell up high in solitary confinement. When Tom starts falling for a rich girl, Melissa (Robin Williams's real-life daughter, Zelda Williams, in her feature-film debut), Pappass acts out, changing everything.
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Drams
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Robin Williams, Anton Yelchin, Téa Leoni, David Duchovny, Erykah Badu, Orlando Jones, Stephen Spinella, Frank Langella
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Amityville Horror
This frightening remake of the 1979 horror classic from producer Michael Bay (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) delves deeper into the supposedly true story of supernatural events that occurred in a Long Island, New York home in the '70s. When George and Kathy Lutz (Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) come across a beautiful river-front colonial home being sold for a steal, they suspect a catch. Once informed that the home was the site of a grisly mass murder, they decide to buy the house anyway and eagerly move in, bringing with them Kathy's three children from a previous marriage. While no one can deny that the house is rife with spooky sounds, the family members try to put their fears at bay. But over time, strange occurrences start happening, becoming more and more frequent, and these events start to have a transformative effect on several family members.
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Thriller
Rating:
R
Starring:
Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jimmy Bennett, Jesse James, Chloe Grace Moretz
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The Interpreter
Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in a film riddled with subterfuge, recriminations, and deadly secrets. Kidman plays Silvia Broome, an interpreter who works at the UN in New York City. One night, while collecting a bag she has left behind in the building, Silvia overhears a whispered conversation in which an assassination attempt on a redoubtable African leader, named Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), is planned during his future visit to the UN. Secret service agent Tobin Keller (Penn) is assigned to provide security for Zuwanie on the forthcoming trip, and conducts an investigation when Silvia explains what she has heard. He quickly discovers that Silvia has a lengthy, troubled past as a citizen from the same country as Zuwanie, and immediately doubts her story. A series of frantic, fast-paced set pieces ensue, with director Sidney Pollack beautifully capturing the architectural wonder of the UN, and staging some breathtaking scenes all over the city.
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Drama
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener
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Animal
Ving Rhames (PULP FICTION) stars as convict James "Animal" Allen in this pulse-racing drama. Although he entered prison with a fearsome reputation, Allen left it a changed man. While behind bars, he met Berwell (Jim Brown), a black revolutionary who managed to cause a seismic shift in the world-view of the hard-bitten criminal. But in the outside world, Allen's son has followed in his miscreant father's footsteps, and has garnered a reputation on the crime-strewn streets of his neighborhood that is comparable to Allen's own. Desperate to deter his son from continuing down this rocky path, Allen tries schooling him in Berwell's ways, but faces a tough task as the impressionable youngster has a difficult time accepting the lifestyle change his father is now preaching to him.
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
(not rated)
Starring:
Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Chazz Palminteri
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Desperate Souls
An ancient Druid book unleashes a terrible evil when activated by group of young, troubled orphans wanting to escape their hopeless lives however they can. One boy among them has witnessed much horror in his young life, and is called upon to carry out orders to kill the other orphans. Only afterwards does he realize that he has participated in a satanic ritual that summoned the powers of Hell. He makes it his mission to guard the site, for whoever enters it will become possessed by demons. He is successful for many years, until a group of unsuspecting teenagers on a camping trip arrive and disturb the carefully-guarded doorway to Hell. What ensues is a massacre unlike any the small, rural community has ever seen, and the authorities, who presume they are faced with a brutal serial killer, have no conception of the true enormity of their foe.
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Pete Soltesz, Ryan Barrett
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Satan's Little Helper
A horror-comedy in the vein of GINGER SNAPS, SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER tells the story of a quiet suburban town overtaken by evil. Director Jeff Lieberman, long a cult director of the underground horror circuit, takes the chair in the production of this quirky tale of nine-year old boy Douglas (Alexander Brickel), who runs into a serial killer while trick or treating. Unfortunately for Douglas, the serial killer is dressed up like a "character" in his favorite video game, Satan's Little Helper. Douglas will do anything to help his virtual hero, and soon finds himself acting as an assistant in the brutal murder of his own family! A film that will induce grimaces and laughs in equal measure, SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER features a memorable performance from the great British actress Amanda Plummer (THE FISHER KING).
Street Date: 10/4/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
(not rated)
Starring:
Amanda Plummer, Stephen Graham, Katheryne Winnick, Alexander Brickel
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High Tension
Like the most effective additions to the Slasher genre, HIGH TENSION's plot is elemental, and simply serves as a springboard for French director Alexandre Aja (FURIA) to deliver lashes of blood and guts. Alex (Maiwenn Le Besco) and Marie (Cecile De France) are two teenage girls who head out to Alex's family home in the French countryside. Once there, their idyllic and peaceful time is abruptly disturbed when a maniac breaks into the house and butchers Alex's parents. The shadowy figure captures Alex and throws her into his van, while Marie escapes and sneaks into the vehicle in order to save her friend. By affording very little screen time to the unhinged protagonist who attacks the family, Aja creates a genuinely scary villain, recalling Wes Craven's treatment of Freddy Krueger in the first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movie.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
(not rated)
Starring:
Philippe Nahon, Maiwenn Le Besco, Cecile de France
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Unleashed
Martial arts superstar Jet Li reteams with French writer-director Luc Besson (KISS OF THE DRAGON) in this psychological action film shot in Glasgow, Scotland. Li stars as Danny, a human attack dog for a powerful mobster he calls Uncle Bart (Bob Hoskins, looking resplendent in white suit after white suit). When Bart and his men go out on their collection runs, they bring Danny, who has been trained since he was a child to fight to kill. When Bart takes Danny's collar off and commands, "Get 'im," Danny goes to work, an unstoppable machine, using the only weapon he knows: his body. But when a turf war ends up in bloody carnage, Danny escapes and is taken in by a kind family consisting of blind piano tuner Sam (Morgan Freeman) and his teenage stepdaughter, Victoria (Kerry Condon). They teach Danny how to be a real person, to be able to act civilly in society. They also allow Danny to explore his love of the piano, where a specific tune haunts him, bringing up repressed memories from his long-ago past. Just when Danny thinks he has escaped from his former life, he is pulled back in, but he is no longer the trained dog Bart thinks he is.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
R
Starring:
Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Vincent Regan
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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This tale of lifelong friendship uses a pair of magical jeans as a metaphor for the moral support and shared happiness which forms the glue between four teenage girls. The quartet purchase the pants while shopping together before going separate ways for summer vacation. Shy, self-conscious Lena (Alexis Bledel) takes the jeans to Greece where she is visiting her grandparents. They hardly seem lucky when she falls into the sea while wearing the pants and almost drowns, only to be rescued by a local fisherman. Before recognizing that the pants helped her find love, Lena sends them along to rebellious Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) with the hope that the jeans will prove luckier for her. Tibby has stayed home in Bethesda, Maryland for the summer to make a documentary film. With a nagging job at a superstore, Tibby finds humanity and sensitivity while the jeans are in her possession. Next the pants travel to Carmen (America Ferrera), a talented writer living with her father for the summer. The jeans make her face the anger she feels toward him for leaving her and her mother, and help her find forgiveness. Finally, the jeans end up at soccer camp in Mexico with Bridget (Blake Lively), a beautiful, athletic wild child dealing with the loss of her mother. Through the jeans, Bridget discovers that ignoring the truth doesn't make it disappear.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Blake Lively, Bradley Whitford, Nancy Travis
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Kingdom of Heaven
Director Ridley Scott confronts hundreds of years of religious conflict in KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. An epic film set in Europe and the Middle East, the story follows one man's struggle to better himself and the world around him. Orlando Bloom stars as Balian, a French blacksmith who is mourning the deaths of his wife and baby when his estranged nobleman father (Liam Neeson) arrives and asks him to join the Crusades in Jerusalem. Mindful that conducting the Lord's work will help him atone for his sins, Balian agrees, and embarks on the perilous journey. Along the way, he reveals his gifts of inherent goodness and fair treatment of all human beings. Upon reaching Jerusalem, a city where his meager beginnings no longer matter, Balian earns respect and fealty, while the evil Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas) looks down his aristocratic nose at the former laborer.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Rating:
R
Starring:
Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson
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Kicking and Screaming
In KICKING & SCREAMING, funny man Will Ferrell's (OLD SCHOOL, ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY) humorous man-child antics meet actual kids on the soccer pitch. He plays vitamin salesman Phil Weston, a sensitive man easily capable of both crying and sewing. Unfortunately for Phil, these qualities have never quite endeared him to his tough-as-nails father, Buck (Robert Duvall) who will stop at nothing to one-up Phil. He goes so far as benching Phil's 10-year-old son--his own grandson--on the youth soccer team he coaches. Upon Phil's begging to get his son more playing time, Buck trades his grandson to the last-place team, the Tigers. Not just any normal cellar-dwelling outfit, the Tigers feature a cast of lovable losers who prefer eating worms and telling jokes to playing soccer. When the Tigers' coach leaves, putting the season on the line, an inexperienced Phil steps in to helm his son's new team. With help from Buck's neighbor and rival, real-life football coach Mike Ditka--hilariously playing himself--the Tigers turn their season around. Fueled by a raging caffeine habit, Phil starts to overly obsess with beating Buck, losing sight of why he took the job in the first place--to be a better dad to his own son.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Kate Walsh, Musetta Vander, Josh Hutcherson
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Undead
Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig directed this entry in the flesh-eating zombie genre, a full-on gore and gag fest, outback style. The plot finds local beauty contest winner Rene (Felicity Mason), about to head out of her isolated lakeside hometown to the big city when a meteor shower animates some corpses, with the usual grisly results. She and some other survivors hole up in an old farmhouse owned by the taciturn antihero, Marion (Mungo McKay), who likes performing slow motion back flips while blasting the heads of zombies with his endless supply of .45 automatics. When everyone tires of shouting at each other they try and escape the endless zombie onslaught in Marion's van, only to run into a giant, spike-covered wall blocking the road out of town. If that's not enough, there's the problem of acid rain and random alien abductions of insects, livestock, and supporting actors.
Street Date: 10/11/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Felicity Mason, Mungo McKay, Rob Jenkins, Lisa Cunningham
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Land of the Dead
With 2005's LAND OF THE DEAD, George A. Romero positions the bulk of his story in a giant skyscraper which houses the last humans left on the planet; although his intentions are foggy this time, LAND appears to be Romero's commentary on the post-9/11 political landscape. The zombies only bother crews who venture outside the makeshift city for supplies, but the people are kept sedated by their leader, the irascible Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), who exaggerates their threat. What Kaufman doesn't realize is that the zombies are learning skills they half-remember from their old selves, leading to some impressively blood-soaked scenes of tumult. In an unusual move for Romero, Hopper is joined by name actors such as John Leguizamo and Asia Argento. The film greatly benefits as a result, successfully portraying an atrophied civilization that has regressed to a primitive state, allowing its undead tormentors to sense that a free lunch may be just around the corner.
Street Date: 10/18/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento, Robert Joy, John Leguizamo
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Batman Begins
Genius of mystery and intrigue Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO, FOLLOWING, INSOMNIA) helms this prequel to the Batman films based on the DC Comics series, explaining how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale)--the billionaire prince of Gotham whose parents were killed in an alleyway mugging--transformed into the crime-fighting superhero. With flashbacks to his privileged childhood, young Master Wayne, as he is called by the butler Alfred (Michael Caine), develops a terrible fear of bats when he falls through the backyard garden into a hidden cave. As a young adult, Wayne lives among the League of Shadows, a martial arts group in the mountains of Asia. His leaders Ra's al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) and Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) teach him strength, endurance, and--unfortunately--evil, against which he naturally rebels. Returning to Gotham and reinstating himself as a dapper socialite and the rightful heir to his parents' enterprise, Wayne quickly devises his secret identity, commanding help from the gadgetry expert Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). With one eye on his childhood playmate Rachel (Katie Holmes)--now a beautiful woman and dedicated lawyer--and the other on his mission to save Gotham from criminal corruption, Batman makes his fledgling debut. But when the blue-blooded mastermind Dr. Crane (Cillian Murphy)--who steals every scene with chilling menace--taints the water system with a hallucinatory substance, Batman realizes he has met his first true opponent.
Street Date: 10/18/2005
Genre:
Action
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine
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Care Bears - Big Wish Movie
Street Date: 10/18/2005
Genre:
Children's
Rating:
(not rated)
Starring:
The Care Bears (fictional characters)
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Dark Harvest 2
One year after the horrific Halloween encounters of a group of teenagers in a corn maze, the evil presence that occupies it is back, and even more determined to claim the lives that feed it. Unbeknownst to Allie and her older sister, a farmer who has made a pact with the devil to secure a prosperous harvest has left a legacy for anyone who enters. The two girls, dressed as vampires, enter the field as part of a horror movie they are making, but they become trapped, pursued by the ghosts of those who came before. Now it's up to their father to find them, with only his psychic abilities to guide him.
Street Date: 10/18/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
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Rize
Famed photographer David LaChapelle gets behind a different kind of lens for RIZE, his feature film debut. LaChapelle heads to Los Angeles to make his mark in the cinematic world, shooting a documentary about a style of hip-hop dance called "krumping." Dividing his time between the personal lives of the dancers and some spectacular on-screen demonstrations courtesy of the cream of the krumpers, LaChapelle's bright, vivacious photographic style makes an impressive translation to the big screen. Central to LaChapelle's film is Tommy "The Clown" Johnson. In the wake of the 1992 LA riots, Tommy performed as a traveling clown act for children's parties. Unable to satisfy the enormous demand for his act, Tommy set up a small clown-recruiting business which flourished under his tutelage. As the 21st century dawned, Tommy noticed his younger recruits had worked a unique and highly agile dance routine into their act, and krumping was born. LaChapelle slowly unravels the ties that bind Tommy and his cohorts throughout the movie. Broken homes, domestic violence, and other horrors have cast an irrepressibly dark shadow over the dancers lives.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Documentary
Rating:
PG-13
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Melinda and Melinda
A complex story of a woman whose life is told from both a tragic and a comic perspective. Both stories involve the same woman, but feature wildly different results.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet, Steven Carell, Chloe Sevigny, Josh Brolin, Sabrina Lloyd, Vinessa Shaw
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House of Wax
In this remake of the classic 1953 Andre de Toth film that starred Vincent Price, horrors abound in a creepy wax museum. A group of road-tripping Florida teenagers (Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Robert Ri'chard, Jared Padalecki, and Jon Abrahams) stop to camp near a small town where an abandoned wax museum draws their curiosity. Upon exploring the scary cobwebbed space, they find that the figures are not only eerily lifelike, but that the entire museum--floor to ceiling--is actually made of wax. If that wasn't enough to scare them, they encounter a couple of very unsettling characters who seem to be the only people around for miles. One is a blood-splattered redneck who collects roadkill, dumping the bodies of dead deer into a fetid carcass swamp. The other is Bo (Brian Van Holt), a gas station attendant who lures the kids back to his house. Soon, through a series of stomach-turning slasher scenes featuring scissors, long knives, and even a pair of pliers, the teens get to know Bo a whole lot better.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Brian Van Holt, Jared Padalecki
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Bewitched
Director Nora Ephron (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, YOU'VE GOT MAIL) breathes new life into the classic television show BEWITCHED in this romantic comedy of the same name. Movie star Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) had it all--until he made a few bad films and his wife left him. Now, the washed up star is slated to play Darrin in a remake of the 1960s sitcom about a mortal man who unknowingly marries a beautiful, good-hearted witch. Determined to resuscitate his career, Jack and his agent, Richie (Jason Schwartzman), demand that an unknown be cast as the witch, Samantha, in order to maximize his screen time and star power. After an exhaustive search for the right actress--and the perfect nose wiggle--Jack spots Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) in a book store and is convinced that she can be the new Samantha. And right he is; Isabel really is a witch who is determined to try life--and hopefully love--without magic, much to the chagrin of her debonair warlock father, Nigel (Michael Caine). Immediately drawn to Jack, Isabel follows her heart and takes the role only to discover that he has no plan to share the spotlight with her, and can also be a big jerk. Can Isabel refrain from using magic to put Jack in his place and win his love? And how will Jack react when he learns Isabel's secret?
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman
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Herbie - Fully Loaded
The Love Bug is back! Herbie (AKA #53), the sweet little '63 Volkswagen bug with a mind of his own and a serious love for speed, pairs with Lindsay Lohan in HERBIE: FULLY LOADED for a sunny comedy. Maggie Peyton (Lohan) is a third generation member of a NASCAR racing family and dreams of winning from behind the wheel, but her protective dad Ray Peyton, Sr. nixes the idea, while her brother Ray, Jr. (Breckin Meyer) carries on the family legacy (even though he's not a very good driver). After graduating from college and securing a job at ESPN, Maggie has one month at home before leaving for New York City. When Ray Sr. offers her a car as a graduation gift, they visit a junk yard to pick out a used stock car and end up coming home with a thrilled Herbie. Maggie quickly discovers Herbie is more than just a regular car, and soon they're on their way to realizing her dreams of racing glory while battling ego-inflated champ Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon) with the help of her cute mechanic friend Kevin (Justin Long).
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Childrens
Rating:
G
Starring:
Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon
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Ghost Watcher II
Following upon the success of the horrific chiller GHOSTWATCHER, Laura Kove is back to help a young girl free herself from the voices she is hearing in her dreams. A horrific car accident and brutal murder on a rural road are seemingly unconnected to 13-year-old Tracy's experiences, but their incessant presence in her dreaming life leaves no other option than to solicit Ghost Watcher Laura's help. The supernatural power that threatens Tracy's family could wreak havoc upon hundreds of lives--including Laura's own.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Horror/Suspense
Rating:
R
Starring:
Jillian Byrnes
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Left Behind - World at War
It's been 18 months since Nicolae Carpathia's rise to power. The treaty with Isreal has been signed, leading to the Beginning of the tribulation. Meanwhile, the tribulation force Is growing. Soon the lives of President Fitzhugh and the Tribulation Force will be connected in ways they can't imagine.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Drama
Rating:
PG-13
Starring:
Louis Gossett Jr, Brad Johnson
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Noel
A first-rate cast comes together for this collection of intertwining tales of lonely New Yorkers reaching out to each other on Christmas Eve. Susan Sarandon plays Rose, a widowed editor who spends way too much time at the hospital bed of her Alzheimers-stricken mother. Robin Williams is the mysterious fellow who later prevents her from possibly jumping in the East River. Meanwhile Nina (Penelope Cruz) gets tired of the violently jealous outbreaks of her cop boyfriend, Mike (Paul Walker), and breaks their engagement. An obsessive old waiter (Alan Arkin) is convinced Mike is the reincarnation of his dead wife, while in another story a troubled young man (Marcus Thomas) attempts to smash up his hand so he can attend an emergency room Christmas party. Needless to say, these tales intersect movingly and the miracle of Christmas provides major healing to each character involved.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Drama
Rating:
PG
Starring:
Penelope Cruz, Susan Sarandon, Alan Arkin, Paul Walker, Robin Williams
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Single White Female 2: The Psycho
Following the successful scare tactics of the original, this horror outing sees a young woman (Holly Parker, THAT'S MY BUSH) moving in with a seemingly normal new roommate, Tess (Allison Lange, GACY). Unbeknownst to her unwitting tenant, however, Tess is an Angel of Mercy who makes the rounds, killing off those she deems in need. Unfortunately, Tess is also losing her ability to discern who those people are, and begins turning her "merciful" attentions on her friends.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Drama
Rating:
(not rated)
Starring:
Kristen Miller, Allison Lange, Brooke Burns, Todd Babcock
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The Truth About Love
Alice is happily married to Sam living in what seems to be a story-book lifestyle. But on Valentine's Eve, Alice receives a Valentine card anonymously sent that changes everything.
Street Date: 10/25/2005
Genre:
Comedy
Rating:
R
Starring:
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jimi Mistry, Dougray Scott
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