Thursday, September 20, 2012

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 9-28-12



OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:      
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         
by Kam Williams
For movies opening September 28, 2012


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Hotel Transylvania (PG for action, rude humor and scary images) Animated romantic comedy about the Dracula’s daughter (Selena Gomez) who, over the objections of her father (Adam Sandler), falls in love with a mere mortal (Andy Samberg). Voice cast includes Kevin James, Ceelo Green, Steve Buscemi and Jon Lovitz.

Looper (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity, drug use and graphic violence) Sci-fi thriller, set in 2042, about a mob hit man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has no qualms about time-travelling to carry out contracts until he is ordered to assassinate his future self (Bruce Willis). With Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels and Piper Perabo.          

Won’t Back Down (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) Fact-based, female empowerment saga, set in Pittsburgh, about a jaded teacher (Viola Davis) and a frustrated single-mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who join forces to turn around an underperforming public school. A-list cast includes Ving Rhames, Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter (for The Piano), and Oscar-nominees Rosie Perez (for Fearless) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (for Secrets & Lies).
  

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

American Autumn (Unrated) Occupation Wall Street-inspired documentary speculating about what the world would look like if capitalism were replaced by an economic system that put human need above corporate greed.  

Bear City 2: The Proposal (Unrated) Homoerotic sequel reunites the hirsute, gay gang from Manhattan in Provincetown, Massachusetts for a wild, week-long bachelor party in anticipation of two pals’ (Joe Conti and Gerald McCullouch) same-sex wedding. With Kevin Smith, Kathy Najimy and Richard Riehle.  

Bringing Up Bobby (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Famke Jansen makes her writing and directorial debut with this dysfunctional family comedy about a European con artist (Milla Jovovich) on the run from the law who settles with her son (Spencer List) in Oklahoma hoping to escape her shady past. Co-starring Bill Pullman, Marcia Cross and Rory Cochrane.

Headshot (Unrated) Revenge thriller, set in Thailand, about an honest cop (Nopachai Chaiyanam) who turns vigilante after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Plot thickens when he’s shot in the head and emerges from a coma seeing the world upside-down. With Sirin Horwang, Chanokporn Sayoungkul and Apisit Opasaimlikit. (In Thai with subtitles)

The Hole (PG-13 for violence, profanity and frightening images) Haunted house horror flick about a single-mom (Teri Polo) who moves with her kids (Nathan Gamble and Chris Massoglia) from New York City to a new home in the country only to unwittingly open a gateway to hell when they unlock a hatch over a bottomless hole in the basement. With Haley Bennett, Bruce Dern and Quinn Lord.

My Life as Abraham Lincoln (Unrated) Surreal, dark comedy about a blushing bride (Caroline Luft) whose life spirals out of control after she murders her fiancé (Trevor Nelson) on their wedding day. With Gerry Birnbach, Jennifer Lynn Malloy and Wendy Taylor.    

The Other Dream Team (Unrated) Hoops documentary recounting the unlikely triumph of the Lithuanian Men’s Basketball Team at the 1992 Olympics with help from the Grateful Dead. Featuring Bill Walton Chris Mullin and Mickey Hart.   

Pitch Perfect (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity and drug use) Musical comedy about a college freshman (Anna Kendrick) who overhauls the repertoire of her all-girl singing group in preparation for a big showdown on campus with an all-male rival ensemble in an a cappella competition. Featuring Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson and Skylar Astin.

Six Million and One (Unrated) Holocaust documentary about four siblings who undertake a journey of discovery to Gunskirchen Concentration Camp after finding a diary among their late father’s personal effects detailing the host of horrors he had witnessed while interned there. (In Hebrew English and German with subtitles)

Solomon Kane (R for pervasive violence) 16th Century tale of redemption about a mercenary killing machine for the Royal Family (James Purefoy) who has a change of heart after an encounter with an emissary of the Devil (Ian Whyte). With Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite and Mark O’Neal. (In English and Arabic with subtitles)

Vulgaria (Unrated) Raunchy sex romp revolving around a cash-strapped film producer (Chapman To) who decides to try to pay off his debts by shooting a remake of a classic skin flick, casting an aging porn star (Shaw Yin Yin) in the starring role. With Hiro Hayama, Ronald Cheung, Dada Chan and Suet Lam. (In Cantonese with subtitles)

The Waiting Room (Unrated) Safety net documentary offering an intimate peek at the state of affairs at Oakland, California’s Highland Hospital, a struggling, healthcare facility catering to a community comprised of mostly uninsured patients.  

The Yakuza and the Mermaid (Unrated) Romantic fantasy about a novelist with writer’s block (Peter Hertsgaard) who wills his characters to life, including a vicious gangster (Takumi Mitobe) and a fetching femme fatale (Georgiana Avram) he proceeds to woo. With Ikuko Ikari, Jennifer Lynn Malloy and Caroline Luft.

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