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here for the previous week's New Movies
click
here for 2009 OVERVIEW!
NEW
MOVIES! NOVEMBER 17 - NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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THE ACHIEVERS: THE STORY OF THE LEBOWSKI FANS (dir: Eddie Chung, Not Rated) – For the people in this documentary, THE BIG LEBOWSKI is more than a movie. It's a lifestyle, a philosophy and a way to meet other like-minded individuals. These folks gather by the thousands and drink White Russians, bowl and wear funny outfits at annual festivals organized on the internet. Last year Jeff Bridges, The Dude himself, even attended. |
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BALLAST (dir: Lance Hammer, Not Rated) – In the Mississippi Delta, a mother and son take refuge with a loner farmer after a shocking act of violence. Making his directorial debut, utilizing authentic locations and non-professional actors, Lance Hammer effortlessly achieves a naturalism that announces his name as one of the most exciting new filmmakers around. |
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BRUNO (dir: Larry Charles, R) – It was always going to be impossible to re-create the fizzy euphoria of
BORAT. So it's unfortunate that Sacha Baron Cohen basically made the same movie with the awkwardness turned up a few notches. You'll laugh yourself silly but feel a bit empty afterward. |
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THE CANYON (dir: Richard Harrah, R) – A young couple get lost in the desert and the only help in sight is creepy Will Patton. I hope he doesn't recite Shakespeare like in THE POSTMAN. |
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THE CARTER (dir: Adam Bhala
Lough, Not Rated) – Lil Wayne or, as I like to call him, Dr. Carter is, in his own humble estimation, the greatest rapper alive. I still think it's a bit early for a feature length documentary about him though. |
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THE ECHO (dir: Yam
Laranas, R) – A recently paroled young man moves into the apartment where his mother lived and died and it's safe to assume that her ghost is not very pleased with him. |
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EXPIRED (dir: Cecilia
Miniucchi, Not Rated) – Jason Patric looks really cool with a Magnum moustache. Is that going to be enough to float this edgy romantic comedy? |
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FRANKLYN (dir: Gerald
McMorrow, R) – Somewhere between WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA and monumental incoherence resides this moody fantasy starring Ryan Phillippe and Eva Green. |
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THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD (dir: Neal Brennan, R) – Jeremy Piven tries to parlay all that slimy charm he oozes on ENTOURAGE into a career as a leading man on the big screen. And fails. |
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HOW TO BE (dir: Oliver Irving, Not Rated R) – That himbo from TWILIGHT with the hair tries desperately to prove he's a real actor by starring in a low budget
indie. And fails. |
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^HUMPDAY (dir: Lynn Shelton, R) – Two dudes make a bet that neither one of them really wants to win in this fake mumblecore that stars one of the guys from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. |
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HURT (dir: Barbara
Stepansky, R) – After the untimely death of the family patriarch, a young mother and her children are forced to move into the ramshackle desert home of the dead guy's brother. Creepy things that you would expect from a movie that stars Tom Cruise's cousin start to happen. |
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INK (dir: Jamin
Winans, Not Rated) – Nobody can figure what this movie is about. That's probably why it's being hailed as a new cult classic in the tradition of BRAZIL, DONNIE
DARKO, THE MATRIX and other movies that make absolutely no sense. |
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*IS ANYBODY THERE? (dir: John Crowley, PG-13) – Will somebody give Michael Caine an Oscar already? In this decidedly nice film, he plays a reluctant resident of a rest home who is befriended by the owners' precocious son who has a somewhat morbid fascination with death. Just imagining how much Bart would hate this film makes it even more enjoyable. |
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THE LIMITS OF CONTROL (dir: Jim
Jarmusch, R) – File this in the "difficult" Jim Jarmusch section. No lovable Forrest Whitaker playing with pigeons here. Just a bunch of typical Jarmusch actors (Murray,
Swinton, Garcia Bernal) wandering around Spain in funny hats. |
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MARGARET CHO: BEAUTIFUL (dir: Lorene Machado, Not Rated) – Oh, Maggie. Still kicking out these stand-up movies, I see. Hopefully, you'll find some new and interesting way to work in that hilarious impression of your mother. |
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MY SISTER'S KEEPER (dir: Nick
Cassavetes, PG-13) – A fun new website I invented is
www.things-i-would-rather-do-than-watch-this-cameron-diaz-drama.com. You should check it out. You can even upload your lists of dental work, fighting sharks, holding hands with dying people and whatever else you would rather do than watch this puddle of suck. |
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THE OPEN ROAD (dir: Michael Meredith, PG-13) – I think they made this Jeff Bridges/Justin Timberlake movie while JT was still in *N Sync. This long turnaround time should not be seen as necessarily negative. Maybe they were just polishing the diamond until it really sparkled. |
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STAR TREK (dir:
J.J. Abrams, PG-13) – Here's one bombastic summer blockbuster that got it right. A fresh faced cast, a good story and a modicum of respect for the audience put this franchise reboot ahead of the rest. |
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THIRST (dir:
Chan-wook Park, R) – Following up I'M A CYBORG, BUT THAT'S OK, Korea's Park
Chan-Wook tries to jump on the TWILIGHT bandwagon with a vampire flick. It follows a priest who, after receiving a tainted blood transfusion, learns to really dig the pleasures of the flesh. |
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WILD CHILD (dir: Nick Moore, PG-13) – Sadly not a remake of the Truffaut classic but simply some filler to jam in your tween's head between Facebook updates. |
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A WOMAN IN BERLIN (dir: Max
Farberbock, Not Rated) – Based on a controversial autobiography published anonymously in the 1950s, this is a harrowing look at what one woman survived after Berlin fell to the Red Army in 1945. |
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