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Director: Rob Cohen Stars: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello (Full Cast) Studio: Universal Pictures The Plot: In the Far East, trouble-seeking father-and-son duo Rick (Fraser) and Alex O'Connell (Ford) unearth the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin (Li) -- a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard (Yeoh) centuries ago.
THE BUZZ: We never thought we'd see Stephen Sommers as an artiste, but when you replace him with Rob Cohen, he starts looking a little like Coppola, don't you think? Even with Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh on board, this feels like one expensive pay-per-view flick (okay, okay, the first trailer looks cool). Rachel Weisz weisz-ly dropped out, leaving poor Maria Bello to replace her. We hope Ms. History of Violence gets a nice down payment and a call from David Cronenberg soon. As for Mr. Fraser -- doesn't he have a sitcom deal yet? His summer of love up on the big screen can't last. Message Boards: The Mummy Trilogy - character elimination game | Rachel Weisz or Maria Bello Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Joshua Michael Stern Stars: Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer (Full Cast) Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The Plot: When Bud Johnson (Costner) goes to cast his vote for the next U.S. president, a glitch affects his ballot, and protocol allows him to make up his mind at his own discretion. With the entire nation focused on his every move -- and, of course, his pending decision -- will the admittedly lazy Bud make an informed choice?
THE BUZZ: Kevin Costner recruits his famous friends for an aww-gee gander at the American political landscape which dramatically changed during the 2004 Presidential election, and moved into unprecedented territory this year. I don't need an Oscar winner to tune me up for November, though I think Swing Vote's trailer offers warm, fuzzy feelings which are pretty welcome. Less perplexing but definitely shocking is the notion that Disney cloned Abigail Breslin and cast her double in this movie. Message Boards: Probably DIDN'T flop ya know | Why do so many people hate Kevin Costner? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Ryûhei Kitamura Stars: Vinnie Jones, Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb (Full Cast) Studio: Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment The Plot: A photographer (Cooper) hunts down a serial killer (Jones) who preys upon travelers in the subways of New York City.
THE BUZZ: At MMT's Comic-Con preview last year, we learned that Mr. Barker came up with this story (and, clearly, its title) while under the influence of a pot brownie. No joke. Poor Leslie Bibb, in girlfriend mode here, tried in earnest to keep the momentum going from there, but even the stoniest stoners began to walk out of the conference hall after gleaning all they needed to know about this one: Mahogany, the name of Jones's character, ain't looking to be anywhere near as iconic as Candyman or Hellraiser. In fact, as MMT's unveiling date finally draws near, Lionsgate is considering a major-cities only release to be quickly followed up by the DVD push. Message Boards: 100 Things I Learnt from 'The Midnight Meat Train' | Clive Barker: Great Writer - Bad Movie Maker Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Courtney Hunt Stars: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott (Full Cast) Studio: Sony Pictures Classics The Plot: A struggling single mom (Leo) reluctantly partners with a Mohawk Indian woman (Upham) to make money from running illegal immigrants across from Quebec into the U.S. While both women swear each trip will be their last, one particular run leads to an unexpected confrontation ...
THE BUZZ: An immigration drama set north of the U.S. something you don't see everyday, but curious as to why this Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning chiller is being released in the middle of summer, especially as distributor Sony Pictures Classics must be busy turning The Wackness into an indie summer hit. Message Boards: Roger Ebert gave it 4/4 | Oscar?! Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Alex Holdridge Stars: Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds (Full Cast) Studio: IFC First Take The Plot: Broke and alone on New Year's Eve, Wilson (McNairy) just wants to spend the rest of a very bad year in bed. But, when his best friend convinces him to post a personal ad, he meets a woman (Simmonds) bent on finding the right guy to be with at midnight.
THE BUZZ: Releasing a Manhattan-set romance is a smart move this season, and filmmaker Alex Holdridge's black-and-white confection looks to conjure up a sense of contemporary innocence that could be a Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist for us slightly older folks. (Note to said older folks: If you watch the trailer and are reminded of 90s-era indie films that's because executive producer Anne Walker-McBay has had Richard Linklater's back since Slacker.) Message Boards: The Ending (spoilers) | Similar films ? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: David Gordon Green Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole (Full Cast) Studio: Columbia Pictures The Plot: After mega-stoner Dale Denton (Rogen) witnesses a corrupt cop commit a murder, he and his dealer (Franco) hit the road in an attempt to outrun the squad of police officers who want them dead.
THE BUZZ: M.I.A.'s incredible single "Paper Planes" is one of the many amazing components of P.E.'s redband trailer, an instant Internet phenomenon and the first testament we have to the rather brilliant bag of talent that is director David Gordon Green (making his big-studio debut), co-stars Seth Rogen (who co-wrote/exec-produced with his crony Evan Goldberg) and James Franco (taking a much-needed comedic turn), and producer Judd Apatow (who can safely put Walk Hard behind him). Add hottie Amber Heard, Bill Hader (who we think is playing a cop ... again), Gary Cole, and Rosie Perez to the mix, trim the leaves and stems, and keep the marketing on high until August, and you have Superbad's raunchier big brother ... Message Boards: DVD RElease Question | why pot should not be legal! Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Sanaa Hamri Stars: America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn (Full Cast) Studio: Redbox The Plot: Best friends Lena (Bledel), Carmen (Ferrera), Bridget (Lively) and Tibby (Tamblyn) -- all of whom are having different experiences during their first year of college -- reunite in a Grecian seaside town in order to locate their missing pair of magical jeans.
THE BUZZ: Hardcore fans will want to know this sequel is actually an adaptation of the fourth book in the amazingly popular series, not the second. And if you're wondering how the producers got Rory Gilmore, Joan of Arcadia, Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty to reteam, the answer's simple -- contractual requirements. The Emmy-bound Ferrera was none too pleased, we hear, and we can't imagine the rest relish playing youthful college freshmen; only Lively is age-appropriate, and she has a new CW series to focus on. Still, Sanaa Hamri, of the wildly underappreciated rom-com Something New, is at the helm, giving all those Trav-Pants-ers a glimmer of hope. Message Boards: Hot model guy? | Ivy League schools and jetting around the world...? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Larry Bishop Stars: Larry Bishop, Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen (Full Cast) Studio: Dimension Extreme The Plot: Pistolero (Bishop), leader of the Victors biker gang, looks to exact his revenge on the Six-Six-Sixers, a band of bikers led by the infamous Billy Wings (Jones) who recently offed a Victor in cold blood.
THE BUZZ: While Harvey Weinstein tropes from runway to international runway, somewhere along the line he forgot about a spectacular failure called Grindhouse. As much as we love Larry Bishop's voyeuristic biker fantasies, whoever put the gears in motion for this one is clearly out of touch with the multitude of ways in which a cult movie can be re-routed around a theatrical release. Some writers loved the ride, but more of them know that QT could comb through his collection and put his stamp on a dozen better exploitation flicks than this one. And at least a quarter of them probably star Michael Madsen. Here's the redband trailer, in which Madsen appears to shoot up his residence from Kill Bill. Message Boards: I had absolutely no idea what the *beep* was going on the entire time.. | What was in the freakin' box????? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Randall Miller Stars: Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman (Full Cast) Studio: Freestyle Releasing The Plot: Paris, 1976: A struggling California vineyard enters a blind wine-tasting test, hoping to pull off a surprise win in the typically French-dominated competition.
THE BUZZ: I wonder for how much longer Randall Miller (Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School) will remain a truly independent filmmaker, since he is one of the better mainstream storytellers working without a major-studio connection. Perhaps Bottle Shock's predicted success holds the answer to his future endeavors. This Sundance hit (in a year where that festival failed to generate many buzz-worthy movies) should generate word-of-mouthfeel due to Miller's ability to deftly handle ensemble casts (supporting BS players include Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodríguez, and Eliza Dushku) and to build anticipation. Don't expect to be surprised by this one, but there should be an effective antidote to every comic-book adaptation and shoot-em-up we see during the summer ... Message Boards: Bottle Shock intl' release + Korean trailers and spots | Hecklers + Critics Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Isabel Coixet Stars: Ben Kingsley, Penélope Cruz, Patricia Clarkson (Full Cast) Studio: Red Envelope Entertainment The Plot: Renown professor David Kepesh (Kingsley) finds his life thrown into disarray by Consuela Castillo (Cruz), a well-mannered student who awakens her teacher's sense of sexual possessiveness.
THE BUZZ: We've never read the Phillip Roth novel, though we understand while Kingsley's life falls apart in the wake of his affair with Cruz, she returns years after the events with a whopper of a revelation. But with Isabel Coixet (My Life Without Me) directing a Nicholas Meyer (The Human Stain) screenplay, this feels like way too much psychodrama for us ... We'd rather: (1) celebrate the fact that the film finally got a release date; (2) watch Kingsley smoke marijuana in The Wackness this summer; (3) look at photos of Cruz in, like, every issue of Vanity Fair. Message Boards: Completely boring - 7 rating is FLAWED | timeline question (spoiler) Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Dave Filoni Stars: Matt Lanter, Nika Futterman, Tom Kane (Full Cast) Studio: Redbox The Plot: Filling the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, this animated tale chronicles the on-going intragalactic battle involving the Jedis of the Republic and the battle droids of the Trade Federation.
THE BUZZ: Warner Bros. releases this kid-friendly SW filler as the studio's Dark Knight prepares to eclipse the original Skywalker classic as the #2 box-office champ of all time. We love irony more than animation, but that doesn't mean diehards won't line up for some further Clone Wars backstory, no matter how much Harry Knowles hated it. Message Boards: Say what you will, but... | Oscar Predictions (I'm going to be hated for this) Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Ben Stiller Stars: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. (Full Cast) Studio: DreamWorks Distribution The Plot: While shooting a big-budget war movie, a group of actors (Stiller, Black, Downey Jr., and others) are forced to become soldiers in a real-life conflict.
THE BUZZ: Want to get people to forget about Owen Wilson dropping out of this project? Easy, just put the formerly troubled Robert Downey Jr. in some eyebrow-raising make up, create a cameo that will potentially revive a star's career, spread around a now-standard red-band trailer, and generate some last-minute controversy and suddenly Pineapple Express seems so PG-13. Message Boards: I didn't laugh ONE TIME. | Jack Black on Smack Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Alexandre Aja Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart (Full Cast) Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation The Plot: An ex-cop (Sutherland) and his family are the target of a evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.
THE BUZZ: This unspeakable evil found a crack in Fox's summer schedule, and while I think Alexandre Aja's latest assault on the senses might come and go faster than an episode of "24," the movie's best bet for traction with late-season audiences might be this boundary-pushing red-band trailer. Click on it only if you want to see Amy Smart pull apart her face. Message Boards: actress who played his wife.... | Am I the only one who was thinking this during the bathtub scene? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Woody Allen Stars: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem (Full Cast) Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) The Plot: Two girlfriends (Hall and Johansson) on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter (Bardem), fully unaware that his ex-wife (Cruz), with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.
THE BUZZ: Hey, did you hear that Woody Allen has made a fun, breezy, holiday postcard of a movie, one in which Rebecca Hall reunites with her Prestige castmate, then outperforms her? That's the report from Cannes; however, all those stories you heard about a ménage a trois here and a sex scene between Scarlett J. and Penélope C. there turn out to be less frothy than for what you would hope (and, I have to say, more innocent than anything Allen would imagine privately). Though, as you would expect, Cruz owns the movie upon her entrance, one who eviscerates the Americans before bursting into tears, eyeliner streaming down her beautiful face ... Message Boards: Indie | The biggest flaw Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Claude Chabrol Stars: Ludivine Sagnier, Benoît Magimel, François Berléand (Full Cast) Studio: IFC Films The Plot: Gabrielle (Sagnier) is desired by two men, a popular novelist twice her age (Berleand) and an industrial heir unfamiliar with not getting what he wants (Magimel). When the former man tires of her, she marries the latter, setting into motion a tragic series of events. THE BUZZ: It's a fortuitous time for French cinema, with Tell No One (in which Girl's François Berléand co-stars), Roman de gare, and OSS 117 all making inroads at the art house this summer. Will Claude Chabrol's latest trump them all? No, according to most critics, though with a sumptuous trailer and a few beautiful, familiar faces, I think the French invasion has at least one more wave in it. Message Boards: ¿Anyone else find it a bland and pretentious movie? | The 'playhouse' Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Mark Pellington Stars: Luke Wilson, , George Lopez (Full Cast) Studio: Overture Films The Plot: Henry Poole (Wilson) abandons his fiancée and family business to spend what he believes are his remaining days alone ... until the discovery of a "miracle" by a nosy neighbor ruptures his solitude and restores his faith in life. | |||||
