What to See This Weekend: 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' and Big Stars in Small Movies

We're in the limbo between summer popcorn-movie season and serious Oscar-movie season. So there's only one new wide release this week, which is still more likely to spark popcorn sales than awards buzz. Keep an eye out, though, for big stars among this week's rush of art-house movies.

New in Theaters: 'Resident Evil: Afterlife'

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
What It's About: In the fourth installment of the popular videogame/horror franchise, Jovovich is back as zombie-fighter Alice. Five years after the zombiepocalypse, she's the Omega Woman, looking for survivors. Rumors that Los Angeles is a haven for the uninfected turn out to be, um, overly optimistic.
Why Should You See It? This one's shot in state-of-the-art, James Cameron-approved 3-D. Fans of the games should inside references and more fidelity to the game play. For everyone else, well, it's another opportunity to see the waiflike Jovovich prove once again that she's actually a credible, sleek action heroine.
You Might Like It If You Like: The first three 'Resident Evil' movies, 'Aliens,' '28 Weeks Later' We're in the limbo between summer popcorn-movie season and serious Oscar-movie season. So there's only one new wide release this week, which is still more likely to spark popcorn sales than awards buzz. Keep an eye out, though, for big stars among this week's rush of art-house movies.

New in Theaters: 'Resident Evil: Afterlife'

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
What It's About: In the fourth installment of the popular videogame/horror franchise, Jovovich is back as zombie-fighter Alice. Five years after the zombiepocalypse, she's the Omega Woman, looking for survivors. Rumors that Los Angeles is a haven for the uninfected turn out to be, um, overly optimistic.
Why Should You See It? This one's shot in state-of-the-art, James Cameron-approved 3-D. Fans of the games should enjoy inside references and more fidelity to the game play. For everyone else, well, it's another opportunity to see the waiflike Jovovich prove once again that she's actually a credible, sleek action heroine.
You Might Like It If You Like: The first three 'Resident Evil' movies, 'Aliens,' '28 Weeks Later'

Short on time? Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review of 'Resident Evil: Afterlife'

•Showtimes & Tickets: 3-D | 3-D IMAX | 2-D
•On the Scene: 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' Set Visit
•Milla Jovovich on Girl Fights, Being a Mom & 'Resident Evil'
•Trailers & Clips

'Resident Evil: Afterlife': Trailer No. 2

'The Romantics'

Starring: Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel
The movie's a Little Chill, with several recent college grad pals reuniting for a wedding, where an old romantic triangle involving the maid of honor (Holmes), the bride (Paquin), and the groom (Duhamel) resurfaces. Galt Niederhoffer directed this adaptation of her own novel.
• Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Reviews: Cinematical | The Hollywood Reporter

'I'm Still Here'

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
It's either a documentary of a movie star's epic meltdown, an extended Method acting exercise, or a massive put-on. The film recounts the recent exploits of Joaquin Phoenix as he publicly renounced acting in favor of hip-hop. Making his directing debut is Phoenix's brother-in-law, Casey Affleck.
• 'I'm Still Here' Timeline: Milestones in Joaquin Phoenix's Countdown of Crazy
• Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Reviews: Cinematical | Variety

Short on time? Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review of 'I'm Still Here'

Also in Theaters (Limited Release)

•'Legendary' is an inspirational wrestling drama produced by WWE (you read that right) about a youth who decides to follow his brother (John Cena) and late father into the ring. Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover co-star.
Interview with John Cena | Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Reviews: Entertainment Weekly

•'Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?' Well, he's the idiosyncratic 1970s singer-songwriter who's the subject of this documentary.
Showtimes & Tickets | Reviews: Time Out New York | Village Voice

•'Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould' is another documentary about an idiosyncratic musician. This one asks whether the celebrated classical pianist's quirks were real personality tics or just something he did in public to cultivate an eccentric image. (Sounds like this would make a good double feature with 'I'm Still Here.')
Showtimes & Tickets | Reviews: Village Voice | The New Yorker | Time Out New York

•'Heartbreaker' offers a rare chance to see Vanessa Paradis (Johnny Depp's inamorata) in a French romantic comedy, in which professional romance-buster Romain Duris is hired to end her romance with her fiancé, only to strike sparks with her himself.
Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Reviews: Entertainment Weekly | Variety

•'Lovely, Still' shows it's never too late for romance, as seniors Ellen Burstyn and Martin Landau discover.
Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Reviews: New York Magazine

•'Bran Nue Dae' is an Australian road-movie musical set amid the social upheavals of the 1960s. Geoffrey Rush co-stars.
Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips | Reviews: Chicago Reader | Roger Ebert for Chicago Sun-Times
Still In Theaters, Still Awesome

•'Machete' - Milla Jovovich isn't the only action heroine on screen this weekend. Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba are no slouches either, and even Lindsay Lohan gets to show off her shooting skills.
Showtimes & Tickets | Will 'Machete' Ignite a Firestorm Over Its Immigration Stance? | Red-band 'Machete' Trailer (Contains NSFW Language and Violence) | Lego Version of the 'Machete' Trailer (Contains NSFW Language and Violence) | Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review | Critics' Reviews

•'The American' - A lot of people were enraged by this movie, since it's not the action-packed ride its ad campaign suggests. It's certainly not for everyone, but it does boast George Clooney, a hot naked Italian babe, and some thoughtful, Euro-style, existential action drama.
Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips | What's Wrong With Critics -- and Why Do They Love 'The American'? | George Clooney's 10 Best Movies | Exclusive Photos | Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review | Leonard Maltin's Review | More Critics' Reviews

•'The Tillman Story' - Watch for this acclaimed Afghanistan War documentary, about the military cover-up surrounding the death of NFL star-turned-soldier Pat Tillman, to expand into more theaters over the coming weeks
Showtimes & Tickets | Trailer | Critics' Reviews
Staying In This Weekend?

New on DVD This Week: 'Killers' is a romantic comedy/action pic starring Katherine Heigl as a woman who discovers that new hubby Ashton Kutcher is actually a spy with a license to kill. (Buy or rent the DVD) 'MacGruber' is Will Forte's expansion of his recurring 'Saturday Night Live' parody of 'MacGyver' into a full-length feature. (Buy or rent the DVD) Michael Douglas stars in 'Solitary Man' as a divorced man in need of redemption, but with a talent for self-sabotage. (Buy or rent the DVD)

Also Out This Week: Bryce Dallas Howard plays a strong-willed heiress in 1920s Memphis in the unearthed Tennessee Williams gem 'The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.' (Buy or rent the DVD) Hal Holbrook earned Oscar talk last year as an aged farmer fighting to hold onto his land in 'That Evening Sun.' (Buy or rent the DVD) More new DVDs

Movie Homework: Why wait until you're middle-aged to have a midlife crisis? As 'The Romantics' is only the latest movie to show, you can have one when you're barely out of college. In fact, some recent grads barely give themselves enough time to frame their diplomas before they start brooding over their wasted potential and uncertain futures. The classic model for this, of course, is Dustin Hoffman's aimless Benjamin Braddock in 'The Graduate' (Buy or rent the DVD), but he had to endure his quarterlife crisis pretty much all by himself; most mid-20s-malaise movie characters prefer to commiserate in groups of fellow alumni. After all, college (in the movies, at least) may be less a launching pad for adulthood than a cocoon for extending adolescence, leaving graduates unprepared for the harsh economic and emotional realities of the real world, but suffering the indignity of having to grow up fast is at least easier among friends.

So it is with the Me Decade hedonists of 'The Last Days of Disco' (Buy or rent the DVD), the '80s Brat Packers of 'St. Elmo's Fire' (Buy or rent the DVD), and the '90s Gen X slackers of 'Reality Bites' (Buy or rent the DVD) and the woefully underrated 'Kicking and Screaming' (Buy or rent the DVD). Besides 'The Romantics,' the most recent example is the adorable comedy 'Post Grad' (Buy or rent the DVD), in which Rory Gilmore Alexis Bledel confronts the horrible current job market for new college graduates with the aid of just one former classmate (Zach Gilford of 'Friday Night Lights'), the once-platonic friend she suddenly sees in a new light. That's the other lesson of these quarterlife crisis films, from 'The Graduate' on: adulthood may not work out the way you thought it would, but it's never too late to fall in love with someone you couldn't imagine as a romantic prospect during your undergraduate years.

On My Netflix Queue: You don't have to be a sci-fi geek to love 'Forbidden Planet,' the classic 1956 space opera that cleverly updates Shakespeare's 'The Tempest.' Highlights include a lovably clunky robot, a pioneering all-electronic music score, and the delightfully stolid Leslie Nielsen, back when he was considered a sober-minded man of action and not a deadpan comic genius. It's just out on Blu-Ray, so now's your chance to see it again, or for the first time. Buy or rent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

What to See This Weekend: Ben Affleck Goes to 'Town,' Emma Stone Causes a Scandal

Oscar-hopeful season kicks off in earnest this weekend with the release of dramas 'The Town' and "Never Let Me Go.' Which isn't to say that there's not also plenty of frivolous fun ('Easy A,' 'Devil,' 'Alpha and Omega').

New and Noteworthy: 'The Town'

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively
Directed by: Ben Affleck
What It's About: After making his feature directing debut in 2007 with the acclaimed 'Gone Baby Gone,' Affleck returns to the world of Boston crime dramas with this adaptation of Chuck Hogan's novel 'Prince of Thieves,' this time starring and co-scripting as well. It's Stockholm syndrome in reverse when Affleck, leader of an accomplished team of bank robbers, falls for a lovely hostage (Hall) and finds his loyalties divided between her and his tight-knit, family-like crew.
Why Should You See It? The Boston-bred Affleck certainly knows the turf, works well crafting the performances of other actors and (lest we forget) is already an Oscar-winning screenwriter. He's out to prove 'Gone' was no fluke, and early word is he's done so. Plus, the film has plenty of action, not to mention the man you can't get enough of, Jon Hamm.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'The Departed,' 'Mystic River,' 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle' Oscar-hopeful season kicks off in earnest this weekend with the release of dramas 'The Town' and "Never Let Me Go.' Which isn't to say that there's not also plenty of frivolous fun ('Easy A,' 'Devil,' 'Alpha and Omega').

New and Noteworthy: 'The Town'

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively
Directed by: Ben Affleck
What It's About: After making his feature directing debut in 2007 with the acclaimed 'Gone Baby Gone,' Affleck returns to the world of Boston crime dramas with this adaptation of Chuck Hogan's novel 'Prince of Thieves,' this time starring and co-scripting as well. It's Stockholm syndrome in reverse when Affleck, leader of an accomplished team of bank robbers, falls for a lovely hostage (Hall) and finds his loyalties divided between her and his tight-knit, family-like crew.
Why Should You See It? The Boston-bred Affleck certainly knows the turf, works well crafting the performances of other actors and (lest we forget) is already an Oscar-winning screenwriter. He's out to prove 'Gone' was no fluke, and early word is he's done so. Plus, the film has plenty of action, not to mention the man you can't get enough of, Jon Hamm.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'The Departed,' 'Mystic River,' 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle'

•Showtimes & Tickets
•The 10 Best Heist-Movie Disguises
•Reviews: Cinematical | Variety | indieWIRE's Leonard Maltin

'Easy A'
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci
Directed by: Will Gluck
What It's About: Reading 'The Scarlet Letter' in English class, high-schooler Olive (Stone) discovers that letting people know you're sexually active is still a way to make yourself a scandal-magnet in your community. Even if, as in Olive's case, it's not true.
Why Should You See It? Gawky geek bombshell Stone ('Superbad', 'Zombieland') at last gets to carry a movie and show off her full comic range, with the help of an ace supporting cast. Plus, seeing this is a lot easier than actually, y'know, reading 'The Scarlet Letter' yourself.
You Might Like It If You Like: '10 Things I Hate About You,' 'Clueless,' 'She's All That,' or any other teen comedy that cribs liberally from classic works of literature

•Showtimes & Tickets
•Moviefone Minute: 'Easy A' Premiere
•Moviefone Minute: 'Easy A' Screening with Emma Stone and Will Gluck
•Reviews: Cinematical | Hollywood Reporter

'Easy A': Trailer No. 1

Also New: 'Never Let Me Go'
What It's About: Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro ('The Remains of the Day'), Mark Romanek's beautifully shot drama stars Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightley and future Spider-Man Andrew Garfield as friends raised in an English boarding school, bred and groomed for a horrific purpose. Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips

'Devil'
What It's About: The first film in 'The Night Chronicles,' a series of low-budget horror features produced by M. Night Shyamalan, this one finds several office workers trapped in an elevator with Satan himself. (Think of it as a vertical version of Sartre's 'No Exit.') Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips

'Alpha and Omega'
What It's About: For once, wolves are the heroes in this 3-D cartoon that sends two of them (voiced by Justin Long and Hayden Panettiere) on a cross-continental journey back to the national park they call home. Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips
In Limited Release

'Catfish' is a Sundance-fave documentary, in which filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman learn a valuable lesson about social media: that people you meet on the Internet aren't necessarily who they say they are. (Hard to say more about this acclaimed, idiosyncratic tale without spoiling it.) Showtimes & Tickets

'Jack Goes Boating' marks the directing debut of Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Oscar-winning actor stars opposite Amy Ryan in this romantic drama about two couples, one coming together, the other coming apart. Showtimes & Tickets
Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'Resident Evil: Afterlife' -- Watch Milla Jovovich kick zombie butt again, this time in 3-D and IMAX. Showtimes & Tickets

'Takers' -- 'The Town' faces some stiff competition from this stylish heist caper, still going strong in its fourth week in theaters. Showtimes & Tickets

'I'm Still Here' -- We're pretty sure this chronicle of actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix's epic two-year meltdown is a massive Method acting stunt. But what if it isn't? Showtimes & Tickets
Staying In This Weekend?

New on DVD This Week: An ancient hex, James Bond's ex (Gemma Arterton), special effects, Jake Gyllenhaal's pecs -- that's what you get in 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,' the sprawling Disney action spectacle from Jerry Bruckheimer, based on the popular videogame. Buy or rent the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework, Part 1: Need proof that Ben Affleck can act? See 'Hollywoodland,' in which his portrait of the life and mysterious death of TV Superman George Reeves offers not only a poignant character study but also an ironic commentary on Affleck's own thwarted desire to be taken seriously in Hollywood. Buy or rent the DVD

Movie Homework, Part 2: 'Easy A' is full of references to high school syllabus staple 'The Scarlet Letter.' The best and most faithful of the dozen or so filmed versions of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel is the Emmy-winning 1979 PBS mini-series, starring Meg Foster as the adulterous Hester Prynne. (Stay away from the thoroughly absurd Demi Moore version.)

On My Netflix Queue: Harold Gould, who passed away earlier this week, was an elegant, mustachioed character actor who tended to play dapper gents with a mischievous twinkle in their eyes. Exhibit A: Woody Allen's Tolstoy parody 'Love and Death,' in which Gould plays a snobby, hot-tempered Russian nobleman who challenges Allen's cowardly peasant to a duel, with unexpectedly wacky results. Buy or rent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

Weekend Movie Preview: 'Blue Valentine,' 'Another Year,' 'Biutiful'

No more giant presents under the tree this weekend, at least in the form of new wide-release movies. Instead, there are some limited-release indie gems, all of them fascinated with human frailties and relationships, and all of them poised for possible Oscar glory over the next couple of months.

In Limited Release

'Blue Valentine' (R)

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Directed by: Derek Gianfrance
What's It About? This romantic drama takes an intimate look at the relationship of a young couple (Gosling and Williams), both during the excitement and fear of their early courtship and a few years later during the bitterness and recrimination of their failing marriage.
Why Should You See It? Gosling and Williams both give awards-caliber performances of raw, occasionally shocking honesty and bravery in this drama, whose poignance stems from the contrast between the back and forth scenes of the couple both then and now. There was some controversy over the movie's handful of frank sexual moments, which almost earned it an NC-17, but this is one film where you can say that the sex scenes are not exploitative and really do serve the story.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'Revolutionary Road,' 'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'The Notebook'

Showtimes & Tickets | Read Our Review
10 Sexiest Movie Scenes of 2010 (and 5 Unsexiest)
'Blue Valentine' Sex Scene: Is it Really That Controversial?
Parents TV Council Hasn't Seen 'Blue Valentine,' Still Upset Over Ratings Change

Watch a Scene From the Movie and Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review

Also New and Noteworthy

'Another Year' is another comedy-drama from British kitchen-sink master Mike Leigh ('Secrets & Lies,' 'Vera Drake'), this time about an aging couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and their loose-cannon, newly single friend (Lesley Manville, whose performance represents the movie's best shot at an Oscar).

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Read Our Review

'Biutiful,' a Spanish-language drama from Mexican film titan Alejandro González Iñárritu ('Babel,' 'Amores perros'), stars Javier Bardem (in a performance likely to earn the 'No Country for Old Men' star a repeat visit to the Kodak Theatre) as a Barcelona black marketeer who must rearrange his complicated life when he develops cancer.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Read Our Review
Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'True Grit' - There's a terrific performance in this Coen Brothers western - a turn that's fearless, fiery, commanding and full of horse-ridin', gun-shootin' action - from teen newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Jeff Bridges is pretty impressive, too. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'Country Strong' - There's a terrific performance in this Nashville soap -a turn that's full of sexiness, conflict, danger, and surprisingly good singing - from 'Gossip Girl' star/movie ingenue Leighton Meester. Gwyneth Paltrow is pretty impressive, too. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'Gulliver's Travels' - There's a terrific performance in this kiddie comedy - all right, you know this drill. It's a Lilliputian Jason Segel who steals the movie from gargantuan Jack Black. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
Staying in This Weekend?
New on DVD This Week: Milla Jovovich returns to kick more undead butt in 'Resident Evil: Afterlife,' the fourth installment of the zombie-fighting franchise. This one upped the gore and special-effects antes with some state of the art 3-D, but the movie should still look pretty formidable at home on your 2-D TV. Buy or rent the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework: Ryan Gosling sealed his status as one of the top romantic movie heartthrobs of our day in 'The Notebook,' but his intense romance with Michelle Williams in the new 'Blue Valentine' owes more of a debt to the indie-before--the-word-was-coined films of John Cassavetes. The actor-director became known to his cult of fans (and to the many filmmakers he influenced) for his semi-improvisational, gritty, candid tales of passion, violence, betrayal and hard-won love. Like 'Blue Valentine,' his comedy 'Minnie and Moskowitz' (1971) depicts an unlikely courtship between a fiery slacker (Seymour Cassel) and a woman who thinks she's too good for him (Gena Rowlands). It's the sort of defiantly ragged movie that's unlike the generally polished, glossy, more traditional Hollywood romances like 'The Notebook.' Though there is a connection: Rowlands (who was also Mrs. John Cassavetes in real life) appeared in 'The Notebook' as the older version of Gosling's flame, and the film was directed by John and Gena's son, Nick Cassavetes. So maybe that's where Gosling picked up the affinity for the elder Cassavetes' work that so clearly informs 'Blue Valentine.' Buy or rent the DVD

On Our Netflix Queue: There's no better way to celebrate New Year's Eve than getting sloppy drunk with old college pals. At least, that seems to be the notion behind 'Peter's Friends,' a comedy set at an English country mansion that plays like 'The Big Chill' without all the politics or Motown songs and with more witticisms and heavy English cooking. Of course, the movie came out nearly 20 years ago, so looking at two-decades-younger versions of Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Kenneth Branagh, Imelda Staunton and token Yank Rita Rudner has its own added, unintentional nostalgia value. Buy or rent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

What to See This Weekend: 'The Social Network,' 'Let Me In'

What's scarier: an Ivy League brat with a billion dollars and a lot of grudges, or a pair of creepy, demonic little girls? Ask yourself that question as you ponder this weekend's new movie choices.

New and Noteworthy: 'The Social Network'

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones
Directed by: David Fincher
What It's About: It's about the founding of Facebook, how it grew from a college dorm-room prank into a global phenomenon -- and a source of bitter, multimillion-dollar lawsuits among its founders. It's also about how a group of Harvard snobs with no social skills created the planet's biggest ongoing party, how creator Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) became the world's youngest billionaire, how a guy who changed the way we use the word "friend" lost all of his own and how the great egalitarian leveling power of the Internet is still trumped by old-school markers of class and privilege.

Why Should You See It? Because Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin make surprisingly compelling drama out of a story that takes place largely at computer keyboards and lawyers' offices. Because it addresses an up-to-the-minute topic in the form of a classic drama about inspiration, friendship, money and betrayal. Because it's proof Justin Timberlake (as Napster founder Sean Parker) can act. Because it's the biggest surefire Oscar contender so far this year. And because, by Monday morning, all your Facebook friends will be asking each other if they've seen it.
You Might Like It If You Like: '21,' 'Hackers,' 'Citizen Kane'

•Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips
•Jesse Eisenberg vs. Michael Cera: Avoiding Slacker Burnout
•'The Social Network' Stars Justin Timberlake, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield on Geeky Hobbies and Polka
•'Social Network' Exclusive Clip: Rooney Mara Chastises Jesse Eisenberg
•David Fincher on 'The Social Network': "I Wanted to Make a 21st Century John Hughes Film"
•10 Movies That Defined Their Generation
•Five Reasons Why 'The Social Network' Doesn't Define This Generation
•Reviews: Cinematical | Leonard Maltin | More Critics' Reviews

'Let Me In'

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Elias Koteas, Richard Jenkins, Sasha Barrese
Directed by: Matt Reeves
What It's About: Like the 2008 Swedish hit 'Let the Right One In,' this Americanized remake is about a lonely boy ('The Road's' Smit-McPhee) who befriends his new neighbor, a mysterious little girl ('Kick-Ass's' Moretz) who happens to be a bloodthirsty vampire.
Why Should You See It? Advance buzz has it that 'Cloverfield' director Reeves' remake is true to the spirit of the original: haunting and contemplative, not just horrific. In fact, it may be even better than the original.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,' 'Interview With the Vampire,' 'The Visitor'

•Showtimes & Tickets
•Trailers & Clips
•Chloë Moretz on Playing a Vampire, Her Role Model and Sexy Hit-Girl Costumes
•Reviews: Cinematical | Leonard Maltin | More Critics' Reviews

'Let Me In' - Trailer No. 1

Also New: 'Case 39'

What It's About: In this long-shelved horror movie that was filmed nearly five years ago and has been released pretty much everywhere in the world except the United States, Renée Zellweger plays a social worker who takes custody of a haunted little girl, only to learn that there's a good reason her parents are afraid of her. Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane costar in this chiller from 'Pandorum' director Christian Alvart. Showtimes & Tickets | Trailers & Clips

'Case 39' Trailer No. 1

'Freakonomics' turns the bestseller by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner into a four-chapter documentary (with segments directed by such documentary pros as Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock) that uses statistics to challenge conventional wisdom about the incentives that motivate our economic decisions. Showtimes & Tickets
'Barry Munday' is a dark, unlikely romance between a castrated womanizer (Patrick Wilson) and the antagonistic woman (Judy Greer) who may still offer him his last chance to be a father. Showtimes & Tickets
Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' -- In case you can't get in to see 'The Social Network,' here's another grown-up drama about a callow whiz kid, an intimate betrayal, billions of dollars, and an antihero you'll love to hate. Showtimes & Tickets
•'The Town' -- Or, you could see this Oscar-baiting drama about friendship, treachery, theft, and colorful Boston locations. Showtimes & Tickets
•'Catfish' -- Or, you could see this cautionary tale about the Internet and the perils of social media. Showtimes & Tickets
Staying In This Weekend?

New on DVD This Week: Okay, 'Iron Man 2' didn't quite measure up to the unexpectedly good 'Iron Man,' but it still had plenty going for it: not just the cocky Robert Downey Jr., but also such upstagers as a villainous Mickey Rourke and a slinky Scarlett Johansson. If you're one of the five people who missed it in theaters, now's you're chance to see it at home. Buy or rent the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework, Part 1: 'The Social Network' takes place at Harvard, but very little of it was shot there. The deans of America's oldest university seldom allow Hollywood productions on campus, and who could blame them, since the few exceptions they've made have yielded such cringeworthy results as 'Love Story' and 'With Honors'? One of the better movies shot at the 374-year-old campus is 'Good Will Hunting,' which, like the Facebook movie, is about an antisocial young number-crunching prodigy. And like Mark Zuckerberg, star Matt Damon seems to have done fine despite dropping out of Harvard. Buy or rent the DVD

Movie Homework, Part 2: Scary little girls have been popular in horror films for at least the last decade, from 'The Ring' to 'Orphan.' But the mother of all scary little girls is the homicidal blond moppet played by Patty McCormack in 'The Bad Seed' back in 1956, a scary turn that earned the pigtailed 11-year-old an Oscar nomination. Buy or rent the DVD

On My Netflix Queue: The death this week of director Arthur Penn made me want to revisit 1967's 'Bonnie and Clyde,' a movie that broke pretty much every rule of Hollywood storytelling (what with its warped sexuality, extreme violence, amoral heroes, and cathartically bleak ending) and launched a decade-long renaissance in American moviemaking. The movie can still pull the rug out from under you, not least because of the performances of the impossibly beautiful young Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. Buy or rent the DVD.
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

What to See This Weekend: The Dismembered Remember in 'Saw 3-D'

Another Halloween, another installment of 'Saw.' Only this time, the veteran slasher franchise has to compete with upstart 'Paranormal Activity 2.' Which one will scare up the bigger audience this Halloween weekend?

New and Noteworthy: 'Saw 3-D'

Starring: Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
What It's About: In the seventh (and purportedly final) installment, one of Jigsaw's surviving victims (Flanery) leads a support group for others who survived his diabolical traps. But of course, the mayhem and murder aren't over yet.
Why Should You See It? Because the creative team behind 'Saw VI' is back, including director Greutert and writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. Because Elwes, a veteran of the memorable first installment six years ago, is back as well. Because the torture devices and gore are in 3-D this time. And because this is supposedly your last chance to see a 'Saw' movie in a theater.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'Saws' I-VI, 'Hostel,' those old driver's-ed movies with footage of car crash victims

•Showtimes & Tickets: 3-D | 2-D
•Trailers & Clips
•Moviefone Mash: Every Death in the 'Saw' Movies (Video)
•Cinematical: 'Saw 3D' vs. 'Paranormal Activity 2' at the box office
•Reviews

Six Second Review: 'Saw 3-D'

In Limited Release

•'Welcome to the Rileys' is a drama that marks a change of pace for Kristen Stewart, who plays a teenage stripper In New Orleans who's taken under the wing of a visiting businessman (James Gandolfini) bereaved after the death of his own daughter. Showtimes & Tickets
•'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest' sees Noomi Rapace return as crusading hacker Lisbeth Salander in the final installment of the Swedish thrillers based on Stieg Larsson's bestselling 'Millennium' trilogy. Showtimes & Tickets Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'Paranormal Activity 2' - Scarier than the previous haunted house faux-documentary, or still just a gimmicky stunt? See it and decide. Showtimes & Tickets
•'Jackass 3D' - Like the new 'Saw,' it's a 3-D movie about a diabolical clown who devises fiendish contraptions in order to torture his carefully chosen victims. Only funnier. Showtimes & Tickets
• 'Conviction' - Is Hilary Swank on her way to a third Oscar? Maybe, judging by the word-of-mouth on this drama about a woman who spends 18 years working to free her wrongfully convicted brother. Showtimes & Tickets
Staying In This Weekend?

New on DVD This Week : For some fans of Carrie Bradshaw & Co., this summer's 'Sex and the City 2' was a fizzy throwback to the HBO series, a daffy frolic (with fabulous clothes and lush settings) of the sort that the much more serious 2008 film was not. For others, 'Sex 2' was too frivolous and superficial, even for these four frothy fashionistas. Then again, that may make it work even better on home video. Buy the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework, Part 1: Just in time for the release of 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' comes the home video release of the second of the three Lisbeth Salander movies, 'The Girl Who Played with Fire.' Some fans consider this the best film of the trilogy. Buy the DVD

Movie Homework, Part 2: What's James Gandolfini been up to since 'The Sopranos' ended three years ago? Besides some Broadway work, he's etched some fine portraits in independent films, like this week's theatrical release 'Welcome to the Rileys,' or last year's global-political satire 'In the Loop.' Gandolfini has a supporting role as an American general wary of the buildup to a Middle Eastern war in this bitingly funny movie full of lines of dialogue that would be endlessly quotable if they weren't so profane. Buy or rent the DVD

On My Netflix Queue: Looking for a different kind of Halloween movie? Check out 1993's 'A Perfect World,' in which a fatherly Kevin Costner takes a little boy trick-or-treating. But Costner is also a killer on the run from lawman Clint Eastwood, and the boy is his hostage. Eastwood also directed this surprisingly low-key, tragic drama about innocence lost - and possibly regained. Buy or rent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

What to See This Weekend: 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' 'The Tourist,' 'The Fighter'

Travel these days can be a nightmare, and we're not just talking TSA patdowns. Just ask the Pevensie kids about their dangerous cruise in the new 'Narnia' movie, or Johnny Depp about his vacation gone horribly awry in 'The Tourist.'

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' (PG)

Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton
Directed by: Michael Apted
Genre(s): Action - Family - Fantasy
What's It About? In the third installment of the C.S. Lewis fantasy series, the Pevensie siblings return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace and travel with Prince Caspian aboard his ship, the Dawn Treader, toward the edge of the world. More on what it's about
Why Should You See It? Come for the dazzling visuals and magical creatures, stay for the spiritual allegory. Plus, it's the only major family-fantasy spectacle of the season (well, there's also 'Harry Potter,' but you've already seen it, right?), and you're eager to see Swinton reprise her role as the wicked, wintry White Witch. Did we mention that it's in 3-D?
You Might Like It If You Like: The first two 'Narnia' movies, the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy

Showtimes & Tickets | Reviews
Family Film Guide: 'Narnia' | Cast Interviews
Director Michael Apted on Future Sequels

Watch a Scene From the Movie and Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review

'The Tourist' (PG-13)

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Timothy Dalton
Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Genre(s): Drama - Thriller
What's It About? During a trip to Europe, lovelorn Frank (Depp) crosses paths with alluring Elise (Jolie), who entraps him in a web of mystery and international intrigue.
Why Should You See It? To learn whether or not Depp + Jolie = more hotness than the screen can handle. Also because Jolie is, by now, an old pro at the femme fatale/international-woman-of-mystery thing.
You Might Like It If You Like: 'Salt,' 'Nick of Time,' 'Wanted'

Showtimes and Ticket | Reviews

Watch the 'Tourist' Trailer
In Limited Release

'The Fighter' (R), which tells the true story of lightweight champ "Irish" Micky Ward, should be a cut above the usual boxing drama, thanks to performances by Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale that are already being touted for Oscar consideration.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Six Second Review | Christian Bale Interview

'The Tempest' (PG-13), a Shakespeare adaptation by visionary stage director Julie Taymor ('Frida'), has two ideas that sound brilliant on paper: make the aging sorcerer Prospero a woman, and give the role to Helen Mirren.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Read Our Review

'The Company Men' (R) is a timely drama about losing your job, featuring three white-collar guys (Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones) in different stages of their careers who are forced to cope with massive layoffs at their company.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Read Our Review

Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'Black Swan' -- Catch up with the Natalie Portman performance no one can stop talking about, as this ballet drama expands to theaters nationwide. | Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'Tangled' -- Can't book passage to Narnia this weekend? There are still plenty of princesses, warriors and magical creatures in Disney's something-for-everyone version of the Rapunzel tale. | Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'I Love You Phillip Morris' -- This conman-meets-convict prison-cell romance isn't for everyone, but it may contain the performance of Jim Carrey's career. | Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer

Staying In This Weekend?

New on DVD This Week: Didn't grasp all the plot complexities of 'Inception' the first time around? Or the second? Or third? Now that you can watch the mind-bending dreams-within-dreams thriller at home, with your finger on the rewind button, all should become clear. Buy or rent the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework: What was C.S. Lewis thinking? How did a man who conveyed Christian faith so easily to children in the 'Narnia' books cope in his own life when his faith was tested by deep personal loss? 'Shadowlands' offers an intimate look at the life of the British academic, focusing specifically on the tragic romance between Lewis (played by Anthony Hopkins) and an American woman, Joy Gresham (Debra Winger). Buy or rent the DVD

On Our Netflix Queue: Why isn't 'Love Actually' considered a Christmas movie? Sure, it's a romantic comedy (actually, several simultaneous romantic comedies in one), but the whole thing takes place in the weeks counting down to Christmas, with the plotlines all neatly wrapped up on Christmas Eve like presents under the tree. Time to watch it again with your loved ones. Buy or rent the DVD

•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here

Weekend Movie Preview: 'True Grit,' 'Little Fockers,' 'Gulliver's Travels'

Christmas is a time of peace on Earth, good will toward men -- except at the movies, where it's a weekend of violent cowboys, broken-down country singers, hedonistic Hollywood hermits, paranoid fathers-in-law, tiny armies and lonely magicians. NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

'True Grit' (PG-13)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genre(s): Western
What's It About? This remake of the classic 1969 John Wayne western reportedly hews closer to the original Charles Portis novel. It's still the tale of a fierce-willed 14-year-old girl (Steinfeld) who teams up with drunken, one-eyed marshal Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) and a green Texas ranger (Damon) to hunt down the outlaw (Brolin) who killed her father.
Why Should You See It? After their modern-day western 'No Country for Old Men,' the Coens prove just as adept at the traditional kind. Bridges, who is on a roll these days, imbues Rooster Cogburn with so much snarling, cranky charisma that he banishes the memory of Wayne's Oscar-winning performance. And Steinfeld, in a debut performance to be reckoned with, easily holds her own opposite vets like Bridges and Damon and pretty much carries the movie on her slender shoulders.
You Might Like It If You Like: The original 'True Grit,' 'The Searchers,' 'Miller's Crossing'

Showtimes & Tickets | Reviews
Interview with Matt Damon (VIDEO)
Twelve Totally Random Reasons Jeff Bridges Is Awesome
10 Best Coen Brothers Characters

Watch a Scene From the Movie and Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review

'Little Fockers' (PG-13)

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Jessica Alba
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Genre(s): Comedy
What's It About? In the third go-round for these characters, nurse Greg Focker (Stiller) has been married to Pam (Polo) for a few years now, and they even have pair of five-year-old twins, but his father-in-law, retired spy Jack (De Niro), is still suspicious of Greg's fidelity and suitability as a provider for Pam and the children. Beside's Jack's constant surveillance, there's also Pam's ex, Kevin (Wilson) still hanging around, not to mention Greg's exuberantly embarrassing parents (Hoffman and Streisand).
Why Should You See It? Well, the first two Focker frolics were big hits. Also, no one does humiliation like Stiller. It's a rare chance to see Streisand, who hasn't appeared in a movie since the last Focker flick six years ago. Paul Weitz, taking over the franchise from Jay Roach, has directed some memorable, unexpectedly heartfelt comedies, including the original 'American Pie' and 'About a Boy.'
You Might Like It If You Like: 'Meet the Parents,' 'Meet the Fockers,' 'Along Came Polly'

Showtimes & Tickets | Reviews
Best Boner Jokes in Movies: 6 Crotch Gags That Make Us Stand Up and Salute
Read our Review of 'Little Fockers'

Watch the 'Little Fockers' Trailer

'Gulliver's Travels' (PG)

Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet
Directed by: Rob Letterman
Genre(s): Comedy
What's It About? In this kid-friendly update of Jonathan Swift's classic satire, Gulliver (Black) is an aspiring reporter who gets lost in the Bermuda Triangle and discovers the land of Lilliput, whose wee natives regard him as literally the biggest thing ever to happen to them. Gulliver tries to pass himself off as a big deal in his world, but when Lilliput goes to war, he has to back up his braggadocio and demonstrate some actual character.
Why Should You See It? The striking image of Gulliver as a giant tied down and staked by the little Lilliputians never gets old -- especially in 3-D. Kids, unaccustomed to feeling like the biggest and most importat person around, are likely to identify with the wish-fulfillment of the impish Black's fantasy. Director Letterman made you and your kids laugh last year with 'Monsters vs. Aliens.'
You Might Like It If You Like: 'Gulliver's Travels' (the classic 1939 animated version), 'Night at the Museum,' 'Shark Tale'

Showtimes & Tickets: 2-D | 3-D | Reviews
Video Interviews: Jack Black | Jason Segel | Emily Blunt

Watch the 'Gulliver's Travels' Trailer

In Limited Release

'Country Strong' gives Gwyneth Paltrow a chance to show off her vocal chops as a Nashville star fresh out of rehab whose efforts to return to the top -- aided by her manager husband (Tim McGraw), an up-and-coming musician (Garrett Hedlund) and a rising starlet (Leighton Meester) -- are complicated by romance, jealousy and old demons.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Reviews

'Somewhere' is another quiet drama from Sofia Coppola ('Lost in Translation') about a jaded movie star trapped in a hotel with a much younger gal. Only this time, the actor (Stephen Dorff) is having his midlife crisis early, and the girl is his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning).

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Read Our Review

'The Illusionist,' animator Sylvain Chomet's follow-up to 'The Triplets of Belleville,' is a poignant, nearly dialouge-free tale drawn from a screenplay by French comedy legend Jacques Tati about a tattered French magician touring Scotland who finds an unlikely relationship with an admiring young girl.

Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer | Reviews
Still in Theaters, Still Awesome

•'TRON: Legacy' -- 'True Grit' (starring Jeff Bridges) and 'Country Strong' (starring Garrett Hedlund) might be sold out, but you could see them both for the price of one movie ticket here. In case the prospect of nonstop 3-D CGI spectacle wasn't enough of a draw. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'Rabbit Hole' -- There's unexpected humor and hopefulness in this drama about bereaved parents struggling to move past their grief. Also an Oscar-caliber performance by Nicole Kidman. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
•'The King's Speech' -- In which Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of cussing, thereby proving they're not making some stuffy British costume drama -- and probably earning themselves both Oscar nominations along the way. Showtimes & Tickets | Watch the Trailer
Staying in This Weekend?
New on DVD This Week: The new film 'The Tourist' and this summer's 'Salt' seem to have a lot in common: same studio, same star (Angelina Jolie), same basic premise (a retro thriller in which Jolie plays an international woman of mystery). So why did 'Tourist' fizzle while 'Salt' sizzled? Maybe because 'Salt' didn't try for cuteness or tongue-in-cheek humor. It's a no-nonsense, straight-up, old-school Cold War spy adventure, in which Jolie plays a CIA agent who may also be a Russian assassin. Or maybe because 'Salt' is a one-woman showcase for Jolie's formidable gifts; no Johnny Depp necessary. Buy or rent the DVD | More new DVD releases

Movie Homework: Forty-one years before Jeff Bridges donned his eyepatch for the new 'True Grit,' John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for the role of ornery one-eyed marshal Rooster Cogburn. No wonder Wayne wanted to revisit the role, which he did six years later in a sequel titled (naturally) 'Rooster Cogburn' (1975). As in 'True Grit,' a gal enlists Cogburn to hunt down the man who killed her father, and she insists on going along for the ride. Only this time, she's not a 14-year-old, she's the mature Katharine Hepburn. Her presence turns the film into a bantering adventure, 'The Aftrican Queen' with spurs. Worth seeing simply because it's the only time these two screen immortals ever worked together. Buy or rent the DVD

On Our Netflix Queue: With the passing last week of director Blake Edwards, there were a lot of memories shared of such hits as 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' '10,' 'Victor/Victoria' and all the Pink Panther films. But an underrated film favored by many Edwards fans is 1968's 'The Party,' a farce in which Edwards regular Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor (a performance no one could really get away with today) who accidentally wreaks havoc at a Hollywood party. See it quick, before the industry ruins it by remaking it with Sacha Baron Cohen. Buy or rent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

View the original article here