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here for the previous week's New Movies
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here for 2009 OVERVIEW!
NEW
MOVIES! FEBRUARY 17 - FEBRUARY 23, 2009
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ALIEN RAIDERS (dir: Ben Rock, R) –
A group of rag-tag alien hunters get stuck in a small town grocery store when they realize the odds they’re up against are undesirable. The word from the sci-fi dorks posting on IMDB is that this is actually pretty good. |
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BODY OF LIES (dir: Ridley Scott, R) –
I read a review which described this as SYRIANA-lite and I think that’s pretty fitting. The actors are good, there are some great chase scenes, but the film’s stance seems to be that The Middle East is really, you know, hard to understand. |
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CHANGELING (dir: Clint Eastwood, R) –
Angelina Jolie loses a kid. But only in this movie. And he comes back. But he seems really different. And poor Angie, in her fantastic period clothing, doesn’t know whom to trust. |
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CHOKE (dir: Clark Gregg, R) –
Sam Rockwell stars as a guy who, when not cruising for dates at sex addict support meetings, cons people who save him when he pretends to choke at restaurants. From the twisted mind of Chuck
Palahniuk, the author of FIGHT CLUB. |
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DEAD LIKE ME: LIFE AFTER DEATH (dir: Stephen
Herek, R) –
Hardcore fans of the short-lived cult series will rejoice at this reunion movie. But what will they make of the absence of Mandy
Patinkin? |
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FEAST III: THE HAPPY FINISH (dir: John
Gulager, Unrated) –
The survivors of the first two films meet a “prophet” who helps them to beat the aliens by learning martial arts. Look, this planet belongs to humans. If we have to defend it from alien invaders using karate, c’est la vie. |
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FLASH OF GENIUS (dir: Marc Abraham, PG-13) –
Greg Kinnear plays the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, only to see it stolen by Ford Motors. He then spends the next 12 years fighting to set the record straight. |
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THE GOOD STUDENT (dir: David
Ostry, R) –
That girl from HEROES gets kidnapped, which sets off some sort of comic caper involving Tim Daley as her school principal. |
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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR (dir: Kenny Ortega, G) –
Kids today are literally one step away from watching OZZIE & HARRIET re-runs. What is with the wholesomeness? Do you really want to live in a sexless, drugless, rock and roll-less future? |
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THE HOLY MODAL
ROUNDERS… BOUND TO LOSE (dir: Sam Wainwright Douglas / Paul C. Lovelace, Not Rated) –
This documentary about the slightly legendary psychedelic folk band features appearances by Dennis Hopper, Peter Tork and onetime member Sam Shepard, most of whom seem surprised that singer Steve Weber is still alive. |
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HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE (dir: Robert B.
Weide, R) –
Simon Pegg plays a British writer struggling to fit in a at a New York magazine. Also starring Kirsten
Dunst, Gillian Anderson and Danny Huston. |
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^I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND (dir: Jiri
Menzel, R) –
An elderly man looks back on his adventures working at a grand hotel in Prague in this comedy that is also the most expensive Czech movie ever produced. |
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KILLER MOVIE (dir: Jeff Fisher, R) –
GOSSIP GIRL star Leighton Meester may get top billing for this generic
slasher, but don’t be fooled. I have it on authority that she only spends a few minutes onscreen and the packaging is simply a cynical attempt to bathe in her glow. |
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LA LEON (dir: Santiago
Otheguy, Not Rated) –
A gay reed cutter in a small Argentinean village has an affair with
a homophobic riverboat captain in this contemplative character
study. |
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LOVE COMES LATELY (dir: Jan
Schutte, Not Rated) –
Three of acclaimed writer Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short stories are merged into this feature about an elderly man looking back on the many lovely ladies in his life. |
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*THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (dir: Ryuhei Kitamura,
Unrated) –
They don’t give out Oscars for cool titles. They also don’t give out Oscars for Best Low Budget Bloodbath With A Small But Really Irreverent Sense Of Humor. Which is sad, really. |
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QUARANTINE (dir: John Erick
Dowdle, R) –
This remake of the Spanish horror film [REC] won over a few critics with its claustrophobic story of an apartment building sealed off due to zombie outbreak. But the whole found footage gimmick seems a little bit BLAIR WITCH PROJECT to me. |
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RELIGULOUS (dir: Larry Charles, R) –
Bill Maher knows he’s kind of a jerk. So who better to go globetrotting around, offending everyone everywhere about their various religious beliefs? I’m surprised he’s still alive. |
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STILL WAITING… (dir: Jeff
Balis, Unrated) –
Luis Guzman and Andy Milonakis are back in this sequel to the popular comedy set behind the scenes at a chain restaurant. Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris wisely determined they had better things to do. |
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TRANTASIA (dir: Jeremy Stanford, Not Rated) –
There can be only one winner at The World's Most Beautiful Transsexual Pageant in Las Vegas. And with this helpful documentary, you’re practically there. |
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= GREG's
pick of the week! ^ = Bart's
pick of the week! |
