Wednesday, February 27, 2008

New Quick Flicks for the week of 2/24/08



30 Days of Night
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When a month-long darkness sets in on the tiny Alaskan town of Barrow, the locals are visited by a flock of bloodthirsty vampires eager to take advantage of the no-sun zone. The town sheriff Eben Olemaun and his deputy and wife, Stella, must act fast to save the dark day.

Angels in the Dust
The inspiring documentary of Marion Cloete who, with her family, fearlessly walked away from a life of privilege in Johannesburg to start an orphanage for more than 550 South African children. For a nation overwhelmed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recovering from Apartheid's legacy, Marion's orphanage offers a pathway of hope.

Beowulf
In the age of heroes comes the mightiest warrior of them all, Beowulf. After destroying the overpowering demon Grendel, he incurs the undying wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother, who will use any means possible to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle resonate throughout the ages.

Nora Roberts' Blue Smoke
After witnessing an uncontrollable blaze that burns her family's pizzeria to the ground, it's no wonder that Reena decides to become and arson investigator. Now, years later, Reena decides to visit the old neighborhood, where she finds true romance with a hunky carpenter named Bo Goodnight. But Reena is swiftly knocked off cloud nine when she discovers that a psycho connected to her past has resurfaced to wreak havoc in her life. This villain has an unhealthy obsession with torching things who are near and dear to Reena. Now Reena must use her sleuthing skills to snare this pyromaniac before her life goes up in flames.

Darjeerling Limited
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Following the death of their father, three brothers embark on a journey on the cross-India train the Darjeeling Limited and attempt to reconnect after years of physical and emotional distance. The trip also opens up some old wounds and proves that their sibling rivalry can never be completely erased.

Darkon
Follows the real-life adventures of an unusual group of weekend 'warrior knights,' fantasy role-playing gamers whose live action battleground is modern-day Baltimore, Maryland, re-imagined as a make-believe medieval world named Darkon.

Desert Bayou
In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to hit American shores, nearly 600 African-Americans were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah. Examines whether two cultures can come together in a time of utter chaos, or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words, evacuees of Hurrican Katrina tell how they survived the storm of the century and, out of the rubble, ended up at a military installation in the Utah deserts.

Goya's Ghosts
Told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Set against political turmoil at the end of the Spanish Inquisition and start of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon's army. Captures the essence and beauty of Goya's work which is best known for both the colorful depictions of the royal court and its people, and his grim depictions of the brutality of war and life in 18th century Spain. When Goya's beautiful muse is accused of being a heretic, the renowned painter must convince his old friend Lorenzo, a power-hungry monk and leader of the Spanish Inquisition, to spare her life.

In the Shadow of the Moon
Between 1968 and 1972, the world watched in awe each time an American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon. Only 12 American men have walked upon its surface and they remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. Now for the first time, a combination of archival material from the original NASA film footage, much of it never before seen and interviews with the surviving astronauts tells the story of the Apollo space program.

Lust, Caution
Set against the backdrop of a transforming country, a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue, love and betrayal.

Moolaade
Set in a small village, four young girls face ritual "purification" decide to flee to the household of Collé Ardo Gallo Sy, a strong-willed woman who has managed to shield her own teenage daughter from the mutilation. Collé invokes the time-honored custom of moolaadé (sanctuary) to protect the fugitives, and tension mounts as the ensuing stand-off pits Collé against village traditionalists. This endangers the prospective marriage of her daughter to the heir-apparent to the tribal throne.

Never Been Done: The Jon Comer Story
This award-winning documentary recounts how Jon Comer became the first professional skateboarder to have a prosthetic leg.

Silk
Herve Joncour is a married silkworm smuggler in 19th century France. He travels to Japan to collect his clandestine cargo after his original shipment was destroyed. While in Japan, he spots a beautiful Japanese woman who is the concubine of a local baron. He immediately becomes obsessed. Without speaking the same language, they communicate through letters until war intervenes. Their unrequited love persists however, and Herve's wife Helene begins to suspect something is going on with her husband.