Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

OPENING THIS WEEK

by Kam Williams

For movies opening August 31, 2007


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Balls of Fury (PG-13 for profanity, crude behavior and sex-related humor) Dan Fogler stars in this revenge comedy as a washed-up ping-pong champion coaxed out of retirement by an FBI Agent (George Lopez) to enter a tournament hosted by the Asian crime lord (Christopher Walken) who murdered his father. Cast includes Maggie Q, Aisha Tyler, Kerri Kenney, David Koechner and Jim Lampley.

Death Sentence (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Kevin Bacon stars in this gruesome revenge thriller about a mild-mannered businessman who moonlights as a vigilante after his son is murdered by a brutal gang. Cast includes John Goodman, Aisha Tyler and Kelly Preston.

Halloween (Unrated) Rob Zombie directs this remake of the 1978 horror classic which jumpstarted the storied slasher franchise about a maniac (Tyler Mane) who embarks on a murderous rampage after escaping from the mental institution where he’d been held since killing his sister. Supporting cast includes Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Adrienne Barbeau, Mickey Dolenz and Dee Wallace.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bordertown (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, and violence, including a brutal rape) Jennifer Lopez stars in this fact-based thriller about an American journalist who goes undercover to investigate the murders of hundreds of women near U.S.-owned factories located in a Mexican town just across the border. Featuring Antonio Banderas, Martin Sheen and Sonia Braga. (In Spanish and English with subtitles)

Exiled (R for sexuality and graphic violence) Set in Macau in 1998, this highly-stylized mobster saga revolves around a couple of hit men (Francis Ng and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) dispatched from Hong Kong to execute a renegade member (Nick Cheung) of their gang who’s just trying to leave his life of crime behind to settle down with his wife (Josie Ho) and newborn. (In Cantonese with subtitles)

Ladron Que Roba a Ladron (PG-13 for profanity and sexuality) Crime caper about a couple of career crooks (Fernando Colunga and Miguel Varoni) who come out of retirement to rob a TV infomercial guru (Saul Lisazo) who has made millions by selling worthless health products to poor Latino day laborers. (In Spanish with subtitles)

The Monastery (Unrated) Faith-based documentary, filmed over six-years, chronicles the efforts of octogenarian Jorgen Lauersen Vig, a spiritually-oriented virgin, to convert his Danish castle into a monastery for an order of Russian nuns led by the headstrong Sister Ambrosija. (In Danish, Russian and English with subtitles)

The Nines (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Three different tales, each starring Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy, eventually become intertwined in this multi-layered mystery written and directed by John August.

Self-Medicated (R for sexuality, profanity, and drug abuse) Monty Lapica makes his scriptwriting, directorial and acting debut in this drama about a mother’s (Diane Verona) desperate efforts to save her drug-addicted, 17 year-old son whose life has been spiraling out of control since the death of his father.

Vanaja (Unrated) Class-conscious melodrama, set in Southern India, revolves around the tensions which arise after a 14 year-old fisherman’s daughter (Mamatha Bukhya) takes a live-in position working for a woman from a higher caste (Urmila Dammanagari) in order to pursue her dream of studying Kuchipudi dancing. (In Telugu with subtitles)