Wednesday, March 12, 2008

New Quick Flicks for the week of 3/9/08




August Rush
After cellist Lyla and guitarist Louis share an enchanted night together, circumstances rip them apart, and the child produced by the union is raised by a caring stranger who nurtures the boy's musical talent. Determined to find his parents, the boy, known as August Rush, relies on music to draw his mother and father to him.

Based on the Korean legend, unknown creatures will return and devastate the planet. Reporter Ethan Kendrick is called in to investigate the matter, and he arrives at the conclusion that a young woman, named Sarah who is stricken with a mysterious illness, is supposed to help him. The Imoogi makes its way to Los Angeles, wreaking havoc and destruction. The entire city is under arms and Ethan and Sarah need make it to Los Angeles in time to save the entire population from total destruction.

Leanne vanishes into thin air. Her children, abandoned in her car, also end up missing. As police search for clues over the next three months, Leanne's husband and family soon learn that nobody is what they seem. Everyone is a suspect. In the end, five days prove critical in solving the case.

Hitman
A mysterious hired gun has a barcode tattoo on his bald head. In lieu of a name, he is number 47. Living like a chaste monk while slipping past borders to kill his targets, 47 moves like a determined shark. He speaks softly to his contact at the enigmatic "Organization," which raises cast-off children to become well-paid assassins. Fruitlessly pursued by an Interpol cop who can never get sovereign governments to cooperate, 47 has no trouble slipping in and out of countries to ply his trade. That is until he is double-crossed on a mission in Russia with the shooting a national leader who is promptly replaced by a lookalike double. Suddenly on the run, 47 has to retrace his steps and formulate a lethal plan for extricating himself from a trap. Caught in the chaos is the lovely Nika who is forced into sex slavery by 47's new enemies and the one person who seems uniquely qualified to break through 47's many personal barriers.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Unprecedented rivalry rocks the electronic world to its core. Join novice gamer Steve Wiebe on his quest to destroy the top score of gaming legend Billy Mitchell, the uncontested champion of the Donkey Kong world for over 20 years. Only one can truly claim the title King of Kong.

In this Hindi language film, VK, an aspiring actor, comes to Mumbai hoping to make it big. When he thinks he's finally gotten a break, he finds himself drawn into an underworld plot.

Intrepid teen private eye Nancy Drew investigates a Tinseltown murder in this mystery based on Carolyn Keene's popular book series.

A hunter stumbles upon a dead body, $2 million and a stash of heroin in the woods. He absconds with the cash, but brutal thief Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with a local sheriff on his trail.
Kunal struggles to become a major player in Bollywood, but must compete with Karan at every step. A Hindi language film.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

New Quick Flicks for the Week of 3/2/08



Best of the Fest
Ten of the best films (seven animated) from the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, the nation's premier festival of films for children -- these amazing short films from around the world entertain and engage children's imaginations and creativity.

Bone Dry
Eddie's mysterious past has come to haunt him. Forced at gunpoint by an unseen assailant, Eddie finds himself on a dark and brutal journey through the harsh terrain of the Mojave Desert. His nemesis is Jimmy, a man with an agenda of vengeance and torture; armed with a rifle, a scope, walkie-talkies and a truck, he has organized a series of ambushes and mantraps designed to push Eddie to the limits of humanity and beyond.

Comanche Moon

Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call are now young men dealing with the ever increasing tensions of adult life-- Gus with his great love, Clara, and Call with Maggie, the young prostitute who is in love with him. McCrae and Call join a Ranger troop in pursuit of three outlaws: Comanche Chief Buffalo Hump, Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf and Ahumado, the deadly Mexican bandit king with a penchant for slow torture. Together, they struggle to protect an advancing western frontier against the defiant Comanches who are determined to defend their territory and their way of life.

Into the Wild
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Based on best-selling author Jon Krakauer's true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild. Christopher McCandless, a middle-class college graduate, abandons his safe existence to trek across the harsh yet beautiful terrain of Alaska.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

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When the 243-year-old Mr. Magorium discovers his health is failing, he turns over his fantastical toy store to the quiet, depressed manager, Molly Mahoney. Since the store reflects the energy of those who run it, Molly must work to lift her spirits and help the shop recapture its magic.
Persuasion
Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with rank and fortune, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet. Can Frederick forgive Anne for listening to her family instead of her heart?

43rd Academy of Country Music Award Winners

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney

Top Male Vocalist
Brad Paisley

Top Female Vocalist
Carrie Underwood

Top Vocal Group
Rascal Flatts

Top Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn

Top New Male Vocalist
Jack Ingram

Top New Female Vocalist
Taylor Swift

Top New Duo or Vocal Group
Lady Antebellum

Album of the Year
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Miranda Lambert
Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

Song of the Year
Stay
Writer: Jennifer Nettles
Publishers: Jennifer Nettles Publishing

Single Record of the Year
Stay
Sugarland
Produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
Mercury

Vocal Event of the Year
Find Out Who Your Friends Are
Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Produced by Julian King, Tracy Lawrence
Rocky Comfort/CO5

Video of the Year
Online
Brad Paisley
Producer: Mark Kalbfield and Peter Tilden
Director: Jason Alexander

Special Awards
The Home Depot Humanitarian Award
Rascal Flatts

Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
Brenda Lee
Oak Ridge Boys
Conway Twitty
Porter Wagoner

Crystal Milestone Award
Garth Brooks

Jim Reeves International Award
Dick Clark

Poet's Award
Bill Anderson
Fred Rose

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.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

New Quick Flicks for the week of 2/17/08




All My Loving
A groundbreaking documentary on music and its effect on pop culture in the late '60s, with previously unseen footage from the Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Pink Floyd, and many more.

American Gangster
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A tense crime thriller, starring two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington as true-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas. Oscar winner Russell Crowe co-stars as the dogged outcast NYPD cop charged with bringing Lucas down.

Hyderabadi bakra
The stars of "The Angrez" and "Hyderabad Nawabs" are back for a new adventure in which they con a hotel owner out of his money.

In the Valley of Elah
Hank, a retired Sergeant with the Military Police, receives a call informing him that his youngest son, Mike, has gone AWOL. He thought his son was in Iraq, but is informed that Mike returned stateside four days ago with his platoon. When he calls his son's cell phone and gets voice mail, he drives to Fort Rudd and begins to make inquiries, but with each inquiry he comes to a dead end. Then a body is found, dismembered and burned beyond recognition and is identified as Mike. Hank tries to find out what happened, but continues to encounter hurdles. Yet he is persistent, uncovering things no one wants to hear, including himself.

Margot at the Wedding
When Margot and her son, Claude, come to attend the wedding of her sister, Pauline, it seems as if a family rift is being mended. Despite their best efforts, Margot and Pauline revert to their most dysfunctional selves. It does not help that Pauline's fiancé is woefully depressed and Margot's lover is as narcissistic as she is. Margot's estranged husband can't seem to recognize that Margot cringes at his every effort at reconciliation. Margot and Claude have both a loving and poisonous relationship and she begins to pull Claude down with her as she sinks in self-absorption.

Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton is an in-house fixer at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of the law firm Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder, Marty Bach. Burned out with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class-action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

Rama Rama
Santosh becomes convinced that it is time to get married, so he marries Shanti. But he and Shanti have different ideas of what marriage should be.

Rendition
The policy of "extraordinary rendition" began under the Clinton administration and accelerated after September 11, 2001. The policy allows for the handing over of suspected terrorists to countries that use torture as an interrogation tool. Anwar El-Ibrahimi is an Egyptian-born man who disappears on a flight from Africa to Washington, DC. He is sent to a North African country where torture is practiced and the CIA gives approval. Anwar's pregnant American-born wife wants to know what happened to her husband. A reluctant CIA agent begins to question his assignment after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation. A severe interrogator plys his trade on Anwar while a U.S. terrorism honcho is willing to turn a blind eye to the unpleasantness, especially if it stops a terrorist attack.

Welcome
Sanjana married into a respectable family. Uday, upon a chance meeting with a handsome bachelor, Rajiv, is convinced that the latter would be an appropriate match for Sanjana. However, Rajiv's uncle, Dr. Ghunghroo does not approve of his nephew's assocation with a dubious family.