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NEW MOVIES!  JULY 21 - JULY 27, 2009

AMERICAN OUTRAGE (dir: George Gage / Beth Gage, Not Rated) – Watch this documentary and find out why the federal government has spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to kick two elderly Native American sisters off their ancestral land. It may or may not involve the huge gold deposits buried underneath it.

BALLERINA (dir: Bertrand Normand, Not Rated) - This French documentary follows five Russian dancers in the Kirov Ballet, so you're guaranteed lots of beautiful bodies in motion.

CARMEN & GEOFFREY (dir: Linda Atkinson, Not Rated) - If you know anything about modern dance, you'll know that Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder are two of its most important practitioners. Here's a documentary about them.
COMMON SENSES (dir: Alexander Rojas, Daniel J. Pico, Mary Filice, MT Cozzola and Dennis Belogorsky, Not Rated) - The story of a kleptomaniac and a street hustler is told in five chapters by five different directors in this gritty, realistic indie flick.

CORALINE (dir: Henry Selick, PG) – Although Tim Burton didn’t have anything to do with this, it sure feels like he did. A creepy story by Neil Gaiman, some of the best 3-D ever used in film and the vocal talents of Dax Fanning and Ian McShane all add up to a truly memorable experience.

DIM SUM FUNERAL (dir: Anna Chi, R) – The estranged members of a Chinese-American family band together and try to fulfill the matriarch’s dying wish.
*THE DRUMMER (dir: Kenneth Bi, Not Rated) – Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, stars in this inspiring but not treacly story about a young man hiding from a mob boss in Taiwan who gets involved with a group of Zen drummers. This screened very recently at the Maine International Film Festival and is this month’s Film Movement selection.

ECHELON CONSPIRACY (dir: Greg Marcks, PG-13) – Ed Burns alert! We here at B&G’s like to take every precaution to let our renters know when they may be exposed to the acting of Ed Burns. So consider yourself warned. No refunds will be issued.

AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS (dir: Siu-Tung Ching, R) – Some of the people behind HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS and HERO helped churn out this action-soaked epic about a kingdom trying to repel an invading horde.
GLOBAL METAL (dir: Sam Dunn / Scot McFadyen, Not Rated) – Man, metal gets no love in our culture. While you’re driving around in your Prius being aurally massaged by Coldplay, there are crazy kids liquefying their eardrums with Slayer, Priest and Maiden. Now, the makers of METAL: A HEADBANGER’S JOURNEY take a tour of metal hotspots to take in Indonesian death metal, Chinese black metal and Iranian thrash metal. This would make a really swell double feature with HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD.

THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD (dir: Sean McGinly, PG) – John Malkovich works his very particular brand of charm in this whimsical comedy about a faded illusionist trying to recapture the limelight. This has the added bonus of being the first official teaming on screen of Colin and Tom Hanks.

THE MESSENGERS 2: THE SCARECROW (dir: Martin Barnewitz, R) – Kristen Stewart has moved onto Mormon vampire movies so that requires this cheap-o franchise to utilize the prequel route. At least BOONDOCK SAINT Norman Reedus found some work.
THE NEW TWENTY (dir: Chris Mason Johnson, Not Rated) – A mixed group of gay and straight friends in New York close in on their 30th birthdays with all the insecurities and romantic entanglements you’d expect.

SHERMAN'S WAY (dir: Craig M. Saavedra, Not Rated) – A road trip of convenience turns into a quirky exploration of friendship for a stuffy Yale student and an eccentric Olympic athlete played by the tragically underrated James LeGros.

THE UNKNOWN WOMAN (dir: Giuseppe Tornatore, R) – The director of CINEMA PARADISO switches it up with this unsettling thriller about an affluent family who get more than they bargained for when a mysterious young woman becomes their nanny. Despite the genre conventions, this nabbed 5 Donatello Awards, the Oscars of Italy.
VISIONEERS (dir: Jared Drake, Not Rated) – Newly crowned big-time movie star Zach Galifianakis brings his unique brand of humor to this surreal office comedy that also stars Judy Greer and, once again, James LeGros.

^WATCHMEN (dir: Zack Snyder, R) – Unless you’ve been drooling over your collection of graphic novels while living in your parents' basement, this movie will mean nothing to you and your life. Plus, this is almost 3 hours long so make sure you get permission to stay up weally weally late.

* = GREG's pick of the week!         ^ = Bart's pick of the week!

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