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127 HOURS (R) Academy Award
winner Danny Boyle's newest film is
based on the true story of mountain
climber Aron Ralston (the increasingly
interesting James Franco), who resorts
to doing anything to survive after he is
trapped under a boulder. For five days,
he lies trapped before summoning the
courage and will to scale a 65-foot wall
and hike eight miles to be rescued
Think Cast Away except James Franco
a lot more desperate than Tom Hanks
With Lizzy Caplan, Kate Mara, Amber
Tambtyn and Treat Williams
AFTERSHOCK (NR) This Chinese
domestic smash (it is China's highest
grossing locally made film) chronicles
the 1976 earthquake in Tangshan
that claimed 240,000 lives Director
Xiaogang Feng has won several inter
national awards, including one from the
Venice Film Festival, for his features
A Sign, A World Without Thieves. The
Banquet and Assembly Aftershock is
the first major commercial IMAX film
shot outside of the United States The
film is also the official Chinese admis
sion for the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film
ALPHA AND OMEGA (PG)Two
young wolves at opposite ends of their
pack's social order find themselves in
a foreign land. They must rely on each
other in order to find their way home
BURLESQUE (PG-13) Who hasn't
heard this story before 9 A small town
girl, Ali Rose (Christina Aguilera),
wants to be a dancer so she ventures
to Los Angeles and gets her big
break in a neo-burlesque club run by
former dancer, Tess (Cher). The cast
ranges from the blissfully talented
(Alan Cumming and Stanley Tucci) to
the pretty but “can she sing/dance?’
(Kristen Beil) to the distinguished
gentlemen (Eric Dane and Peter
Gallagher) to hoofer-turned-actress
Julianne Hough.
CASE 39 (R) Add 10-year-old Lillith
to cinema’s ever-growing list of poten
tially demonic children. Social worker
Emily Jenkins (Renee Zelhveger) sus
pects that problem-child Lillith (Jodelle
Fertand) is the victim of abuse. After
a fairy-tale oven incident transpires
(from which the girt narrowly escapes),
her fears are validated and the parents
quickly jailed Jenkins then brings
Lillith into her home until the girl
can be placed with the perfect foster
parents, but a series of mysterious
circumstances force do-gooder Jenkins
to reassess the child* innocence.
Directed by Christian Alvert (writer of
2009 horror flick, Pandowm).
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF
ELIOT SPITZER (R) Academy Award
winning documentarian Alex Gibney
(he won the Oscar for Taxi to the Dark
Side but also helmed Enron: The
Smartest Guys in the Room. Gonzo
The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S.
Thompson, and Casino Jack and the
United States of Money} charts the rise
and fall of former New York Governor
and present CNN anchor Eliot Spitzer
Featuring interviews with the scandal-
rocked former politico. Client 9s poster
claims to tell *the real story *
THE COMPANY MEN (R) TV mega-
producer John Wells (*ER,‘ 'The West
Wing") makes his feature film debut
with this timely drama Three men—
Bobby Vfclker, Gene McClary and
Phil Woodward (Oscar winners Ben
Aflleck. Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee
Jones)—deal with losing their jobs in
the present recession and the effects
on their wives, lives and communities
Talk about a cast Besides the three
stars, Kevin Costner. Craig T. Nelson,
Maria Bello and Rosemarie Dewitt are
also Company Men
DUE DATE (R) After the big-time
breakthrough of The Hangover, direc
tor Todd Phillips (Road Trip) returns
with this comedy about a soon-to-be
father, Peter Highman (Robert Downey,
Jr ), who must hitch a ride witli
aspiring actor. Ethan Tremblay (Zack
Galitinakias). if he wants to make it to
his child's birth on time. Something
feels off in the trailer for this seemingly
_ funny comedy.
FASTER (R) Dwayne Johnson gets
his Rock on, returning to the action
genre to hopefully teach his director.
Notorious George Tillman, Jr., a
few things about staging fake fights.
Johnson stars as ex-con Driver, out
to avenge his brother* death during a
double-cross years earlier. Too bad he's
got a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton)
and an egocentric hit man on his tail.
I’d be remiss without mentioning the
bevy of beauties starririg alongside
Johnson: Maggie Grace (“Lost"). Moon
Bloodgood and Carla Gugino. With
TomBerenger. .
FOR COLORED GIRLS (R)He*-
baa-ack. Tyler Perry returns, and he's
brought his Why Did I Get Married
star Janet JacksOn with him. The lives
of several black women intersect at a
12-step program in Perry’s first adapta
tion of someone else* work (Ntozake
Strange's 1975 play. For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered Suicide When
the Rainbow Is Enuf). It might be inter
esting to see how (if) Perry converts
Shange’s 20-poem structure into a
cohesive plot-driven movie. With Anika
Noni Rose, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie
Newton, Loretta Devine, Kimberly Elise,
Phylicia Rashad and Macy Gray.
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE
HORNET’S NEST (R) 2009. The cin
ematic tale of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi
Rapace) concludes with this adaptation
of Stieg Larsson’s third and final novel
Trapped in the hospital, recovering
from life-threatening injuries, Lisbeth
and her allies, including Mikael
Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), must
outwit a secret section of the Swedish
government that just wants her dead
The Girl Who Placed with Fire director
Daniel Alfredson returns.
HARRY POTTER ANO THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
(PG-13) As much as I still cherish
this senes of books. I just have never
been as invested in the film versions.
That lack of true, heartfelt engagement
has never shown as brightly as it does
now, as the end we all know by heart
approaches I cannot find fault with
this flawless penultimate installment of
the stalwart franchise The three young
leads have matured tremendously as
actors. Emma Watson has improved
vastly since the game-changing third
film Director David Yates continues
to bring Rowling's magical world to
rousing, tangible life. The landscapes
of the hopeless, doomed, lonely HP7.1
resembled a post-apocalypse and con
jured up the highest possible praise; it
reminded me of Peter Jackson's Lord of
the Rings and The Empire Strikes Back
INCEPTION (PG-13) Mysterious thief
Dorn Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a
mastermind at stealing from your mind.
He and his team will forge your dream-
scape, infiltrate it and extract whatever
valuable secrets you are trying to hide
A perfect summer blockbuster that is
also an Oscar contender (for set design
and cinematography), the thrillingly
original Inception is the cinematic
equivalent of an intelligent, bestselling
beach-read, well written enough to
aspire higher but entertaining enough
for mass appeal.
INSIDE JOB (PG-13) Charles
Ferguson—fits Oscar nominated
Iraq War doc. No End in Sight, was
one of 200Ts best, most insightful
films—returns with a comprehensive
look at the 2008 financial meltdown in
which we remain mired. As fantastic as
Ferguson* previous filnvwas, it was
also one of the most depressing and
frightening. I cannot see Inside Job
being any more optimistic. However, I
would assume it will garner Ferguson
his second Oscar nomination. Narrated
by Matt Damon.-
IT S KINO OF A FUNNY STORY
(PG-13) A depressed teenager (Keir
Gilchrist, the son from “The United
States of Tara*) checks into an adult
psychiatric ward, befriending one nut
ter (Zack Galiiianakis) and sparking a
romance with another (Emma Roberts).
The third film from Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck {Half Nelson and Sugar)
with hopefully, finally break the duo
through to the next filmmaking tier
With Lauren Graham, Jeremy Davies
(‘Lost*), Jim Gaffigan and Viola Davis
(an Academy Award nominee for
Doubt).
JACKASS 30 (R) Everything I said
four years ago in my Jackass Number
Two review holds due for Jackass
3D. Vs disgusting, filthy, violent and
fracking hilarious. No matter how many
positive critiques I make, I cannot
change the minds of those set against
these men No matter how immatuie
they still ad. Johnny KnoxviHe and
the crew have all aged too much to be
called boys. They also exemplify the
concept of brotherhood. Ten years after
rheir small screen debut, these guys
remain the great artistes of riotous
stupidity.
THE KING’S SPEECH (R) To combat
a nervous stammer. King George VI
(Colin Firth). AKA Bertie, works with
an unorthodox speech therapist. Lionel
Logue (Oscar winner Geoftrey Rush).
Diredor Tom Hooper helmed HBO's
excellent ‘John Adams' and Elizabeth I
This historical picture is shaping up to
be Firth's best Oscar shot yet. the trailer
predids a winner With Helena Bonham
Carter as George's daughter Queen
Elizabeth II, Guy Pearce as Edward VIII,
Michael Gambon as King George V and
Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill.
LIFE DURING WARTIME (R)
Controversial filmmaker Todd Solondz
returns !o his Happiness clan, albeit
with all new adors. Convided pedo
phile Bill (Ciaran Hinds) is set to be
released Irom prison, while his wile,
Trisf’ (Alison Janney). is planning to
get remarried Meanwhile, Trish's sister.
Joy (Shirley Henderson), leaves a wake
of secrets and shame while on leave
from the correctional institute where
she works. With Michael Lerner Paul
‘Pee Wee Herman* Reubens. Charlotte
Rampling, Ally Sheedy and Gaby
Hoffman.
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (R)
Director Edward Zwick ditches the his
torical adion genre (Glory, Legends ot
the Fall, Courage Under Fire, The Last
Samurai. Blood Diamond. Defiance
he prefers for a romantic comedy (he's
made one, 1986's About Last Night. .)
starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne
Hathaway. Jamie Reidy (Gyllenhaal)
is a charming Viagra salesman woo
ing the free-spirited Maggie Murdock
(Hathaway). With Judy Greer, Hank
Azaria, Oliver Platt. Gabriel Macht and
George Segal. Based on Reidy* mem
oir, Hardsell: The Evolution of a Viagra
Salesman
MADE IN OAGENHAM (R) Sounds
like another satisfying Britcom. In
1968, the female workers at the Ford
Dagenham car plant went on sinks
to protest sexual discrimination. The
swell cast indudes Salty Hawkins, who
probably will not get her first Oscar
nomination for this (she should have
gotten one for Happy-Go-Lucky) and
Bob Hoskins. Diredor Nigel Cole also
helmed A Lot Like Love, Calendar Girls
and Saving Grace. Word is good on tne
script by TV writer William Ivory.
MEGAMIND (PG) A blatant riff on
the Superman mythology, Megamind
begins with the destrudion of the home
planet of the blue baby soon to be
known as Megamind (v. Will Ferrell).
Jettisoned to safety by his parents.
Megamind finds his way to Earth.
Unfortunately, a bundle of muscles
and invincibility with a bulldozer chin
(Metro Man) barley escaped his neigh
boring planet's concurrent obliteration
to crash land on Earth as well. Thus
is born the Metro Man vs. Megamind
rivalry. Though Megamind always
loses to Metro Man (v. Brad Pitt), the
blue baddie keeps trying, kidnapping
the white-dad hero* girlfriend, reporter
Roxanne Ritchi (it Tina Fey), time and
time again. Of course, the superhero
always wins, and the super villain ends
up in prison—until the day Megamind
defeats Metro Man. But what is a bad
guy to do when no good exists to
oppose him? Megamind wittily twe3ks
the superhero genre with enough inge
nuity and crafty celebrity voice-work
lo save a parent's weekend trip to the
movies.
MONSTERS (R) Monsters envisions
a world in which Mexico has become
an alien quarantine zone One man,
U S. journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot
McNairy. In Search of a Midnight Kiss).
must help tourist Samantha Wynden
(Whitney Able. All the Boys Love
Mandy Lane) find the safety offered by
the U S. border. Gareth Edwards wrote,
directed and shot this buzz-inducing
genre flick, the visual effects whiz com
pleted the FX on his laptop Sounds
line Escape from District 9 I'm in
MORNING GLORY (PG-13)
Fortunately, watching a movie about
morning talk shows is a lot less pamtul
than actually watching ‘Good Morning.
Early Today Show!’ Small-lime pro
ducer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams)
gets her shot at the big-time when IBS's
fourth-place ‘Daybreak* comes to call.
Firing her depraved cohost (‘Modern
Family** gone-too-soon Ty Burrell),
Becky hires news icon Mike Pomeroy
(Harrison Ford) to join the morning vet
Colleen Peck (a so underused Diane
Keaton that they should have cast my
grandmother) and jumpstart the rat
ings Nothing special (it's no Broadcast
News), Morning Glory reaps the old-
fashioned benefits of casting movie
stars like zestful beauty McAdams or
grutl audience fave Ford and letting
them do their charismatic thing.
NEVER LET ME GO (R) See Movie
Pick.
THE NEXT THREE DAYS (PG-13)
Academy Award winner Paul Haggis
(Crash) returns with a remake of
the French thriller, Pour Elle. A wife
and mother, Lara Brennan (Elizabeth
Banks), is accused of murder. Years
into her sentence, her husband. John .
(Russell Crowe), struggles fo raise
their family while his imprisoned wife
falls apart Naturally, he plots to break
her out. The film sounds intriguing;
can it right Haggis* ship after the dis
appointing (especially award-wise) In
the Valley of ElaM
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (R)
Katie* back. Does it matter what this
sequel to Oren Peli’s tiny budgeted fall
blockbuster is about, so long as the
movie is as chilly as the teaser? What
worries me most is how you justify
another found footage supernatural
thriller without completely ripping
off the original or coming off as hor
ribly forced structurally? Diredor Tod
Williams previously helmed the John
Irving adaptation The Door in the Poor,
writer Michael R. Perry has some
genre experience from years in the
TV biz (“Stephen King* Dead Zone,*
‘Millennium/ ‘American Gothic* and
the zwesome "Eerie, Indiana*).
SKYLINE (PG-13) Populated by a cast
of TV-level actors (Donald “Scrubs*
Faison, Eric “Six Feet Under* and “24*
Balfour), Skyline is barely better than
a Syfy Saturday Night Movie, in LA
visiting his movie star pal (Faison).
Jarrod (Balfour) and his pregnant girl,
Elaine (Scottte Thompson), wind up
in foe middle of an alien invasion
Lots of people die/have their brains
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The Girl Whq Kicked The Hornet's Nest (R) 6:00 (starts F. 11/26)
(addfl times F, 11/26-Su. 11/28: 2:15)
It's Kind of a Funny Story (PG-13) 9j45 (ends W. 11/24)
Inside Job (PG-13) 7:15 (ends W. 11/24)
Life During Wartime (R) 5:00 (ends W. 11/24)
Never Let He Go (R) 5:15, 7:30. 9:40 (new time F. 11/26: 5:30)
Whiting for Superman (PG) 5r00. 7:15, 9:30 (starts F. 11/26) (adcfl
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Accurate movie times for the CAtWKI 12 (706-354-0016),
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time. Visit www.fUgpole.com for updated times. ,
sucked out. For reasons known only to
the writers. Jarrod is enhanced rather
than captured by the aliens' blue lighl
special. Then, in the movie's climactic
scene, the writers opt to taki a slick.
District 9 turn in the plot that would
have led to a much better story had it
been introduced earlier, say the end
of Act Two. As a demo reel for effects
gurus turned directors, the Brothers
Strause, Skyline is a grand slam The
giant monsters stalking the streets and
the spaceships dominating the skies of
L A. look incredible Weak as it is with
out being awful. Skyline will make fans
of the most diehard genre inveterates.
THE SWITCH (PG-13) For those who
did not get their till of artificial insemi
nation humor with the woeful Back-Up
Plan, enjoy The Switch. Jennifer
Aniston plays a single 40-something
who becomes pregnant through Al.
Little does she know her pal (Jason
Bateman) switched her preferred
brand of sperm for his store brand.
Seven years later, he tells her the truth
Awkward. And a bit beyond creepy
What?'-This flick is based on a short
story by Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey
Eugenktes, but it's directed by the duo
behind ‘Cavemen ’ I am so contused.
TAKERS (PG-13) A theft ot multiple
millions of dollars and Matt Dillon
sounds a lot like Armored. This crime •
around, Dillon is a detective in the way
of a group of bank robbers and the $20
million they stole The odd. recogniz
able cast also includes Zoe Saldana.
Hayden Christensen. Paul Walker.
Idris Elba (I would say he's slumming
but this flick seems no worse than
Obsessed). Johnathon Schaech. Jay
Hernandez. Michael Ealy, Chris Brown
and Tip 11* Harris
TANGLED (PG) Disney's take on the
Rapunzel fairy tale. Tangled stars the
voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary
Levi (‘Chuck*) as the princess with a
magically long head of hair and her
Prince Charming, a dashing rogue
named Flynn Rider. The filmmak
ers behind Boll—codirector Byron
Howard and Head of Story Nathan
Greno direct the screenplay by writer
Dan Fogelman—helm the House of
Mouse’s animated holiday tent pole. *
Featuring the voices of Donna Murphy
and MC. Gainey
TOY STORY 3 (G) Toy Story 3 lacks
the emotional heft (though parents
of youngsters best bring the tissues)
ol recent Pixar masterpieces, but is
every bit the satisfying curtain call for
Andy’s toys.
UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13) It was
about lime Tony Scott got back lo the
terse, gruff action he specialized in
before 1995 when he lost his mind to
overdirection He was not helped when
the world of digital filmmaking opened
up before him like Avatar* Pandora
The fleet, hour and a half, bullet train
that is Unstoppable gets audiences
to its destination by the most scenic,
suspenseful route. Loosely based
on the true story, Unstoppable stars
Denzel Washington and Star Trek*
Chris Pine as the only two men who
can stop a runaway train terrorizing
the Pennsylvania countryside. Rosario
Dawson is the secy dispatcher guiding
the two heroes. Sure, the genre ciichfe
abound (Pine* sexity scruffy conductor
has marital issues; Washington’s ok)
hand has professional problems), but
they cannot derail Tony* train once it
gets going.
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN (PG)
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows
a handy of promising kids through an
education system that inhibits, rather
than encoufages, academic Qrowth
Guggenheim* exhaustive review of
tf« public education system expires
“drojHJMt factories,* 'academic sink
holes* and reminds the viewer that
education statistics have names
14 FUW3POUE.COM NOVEMBER 24,2010