Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Kam's Kapsules: For movies opening August 19, 2011

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening August 19, 2011


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Conan the Barbarian (R for nudity, profanity and gory violence) 3-D re-launch of the Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise features Jason Momoa in the title role of a fantasy adventure, set in the mythical Hyborian Age, about a wanton warrior out for revenge after the murder of his father (Ron Perlman) and the plundering and pillaging of his decimated village. With Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang and Said Taghmaoui.

Fright Night (Unrated) 3-D remake of the 1985 horror comedy about a high school senior (Anton Yelchin) who enlists the assistance of a Las Vegas magician (Victor Tennant) to help make the new next-door neighbor (Colin Farell) he suspects of being a vampire disappear. With Toni Colette, Imogen Poots and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG for mild action and rude humor) 4-D adventure, the first in the franchise featuring scratch-n-sniff ”aromascope,” finds a pair of precocious, pint-sized twins (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) outfitted with state-of-the-art gadgetry squaring-off against a nefarious nemesis (Jeremy Piven) bent on world domination. Ensemble includes Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo, George Lopez, Ricky Gervais and Tony Shalhoub.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

5 Days of War (R for gruesome atrocities, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Fact-based drama revolving around an American journalist (Rupert Friend) and a local cameraman (Richard Coyle) who get caught in the crossfire while covering the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. With Heather Graham, Val Kilmer, Dean Cain and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

Amigo (R for violence and profanity) Two-time, Oscar-nominee John Sayles wrote and directed this character-driven drama, set at the turn of the 20th Century, recounting the start of the Philippine-American War from the perspective of a garrison of U.S. troops under the command of a hard-boiled Lieutenant (Chris Cooper) Cast includes DJ Qualls, Garret Dillahunt and Joel Torre. (In English and Tagalog with subtitles)

Darwin (Unrated) Survival-of-the-fittest documentary about the resilient denizens of Darwin, population 35, a windswept, desert ghost town located in Death Valley, California without any municipal government, schools, or houses of worship in the wake of the demise of the once-prospering metropolis’ mining business.

Flypaper (Unrated) Romantic comedy about a customer (Patrick Dempsey) who tries to protect the teller (Ashley Judd) he has a secret crush on when the bank where she works is robbed by two gangs at once. Cast includes Mekhi Phifer, Tim Blake Nelson, Octavia Spencer and Jeffrey Tambor.

Griff the Invisible (Unrated) Superhero saga about a nerdy office clerk-turned-crime-fighting vigilante (Ryan Kwanten) who falls head over heels for his brother’s (Patrick Brammall) gorgeous girlfriend (Maeve Dermody), a sympathetic scientist sharing his vision. Cast includes Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell and Anthony Phelan.

Mozart’s Sister (Unrated) Historical bio-pic, set in 1762, examining the early years in the life of Mozart’s older sister, Anna-Maria (Marie Feret), a Classical music prodigy in her own right. With David Moreau as Wolfgang. (In French with subtitles)

One Day (PG-13 for profanity, substance abuse, violence, sexuality and partial nudity) Flashback flick about a couple (Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess) reminiscing about the evolution of their relationship over the years on every July 15th, starting with the one-night stand they shared on that day on the eve of their college graduation back in 1988. With Romola Garai, Rafe Spall and Patricia Clarkson.

Programming the Nation? (Unrated) Mind control expose‘ touting the paranoid conspiracy theory that the mass media have been saturated with subliminal messages since the Fifties. With appearances by Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Jerry Mander, author of Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television.

Summer Pasture (Unrated) Tibetan documentary chronicling the efforts of a family of nomads to adjust to the governmental pressures of rapid modernization pushing them off their ancestral grasslands. (In Tibetan with subtitles.

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