Director: Iain Softley
Genre: Drama
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

Very enjoyable, despite being manipulative and not really making sense. Everything in the film works well enough to get you into the amen corner. Great music, among other things.

*Spoiler alert*

When it's all over with, it falls apart when you think about it for a second. How can someone show extraordinary astronomical insight, inspire people to cure themselves, remain impervious to institutionalization and industrial-strength medication, but be a typical Hollywood-style multiple personality with a traumatized past? Because anything's possible when the goal is inspiration.

Nice to know that they're still reading Nietzsche in Hollywood, if not on K-pax. (The end was a reference to N's Eternal Recurrence doctrine, first introduced in _The Gay Science_.) Even the image of the character as a wheel-chair bound catatonic is sort of reminiscent of N's final days. Eternal recurrence, being unfalsifiable, functions purely as a goad to more authentic living.

The score was a minor masterpiece of craft, cueing the viewer at every step in exactly what to expect and feel. A techno-ish drum part for the city scenes syncopated just enough to keep you guessing and keep the energy up.

This is Hollywood film-making functioning like a gleaming cliche' generator.

Director: Lawrence Jordan
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Warner Bros / Wea
Rated: NR

One night in 2000, the extraordinary k.d. lang delivered an emotional and truly magical concert recorded for the A & E series "Live by Request", spanning lang's career, from her gripping rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" to "Constant Craving" to songs from 2000's "Invincible Summer" album. Songs: Summerfling, Big Boned Gal, Black Coffee, Trail of Broken Hearts, Crying, Don't Smoke in Bed, The Consequences of Falling, Miss Chatelaine, MacArthur Park, Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray, Fever, Barefoot, Constant Craving, Wash Me Clean, Pullin' Back the Reins, Simple. 67 minutes.

Director: Gregg Araki
Studio: Universal
Rated: Unrated

SYNOPSIS: Smith, the bisexual Southern California college student whose misadventures - some possibly in his own head, many in other people's beds - are at the center of 'Kaboom,' is a cinema studies major. This fact in itself may not be enough to establish him as an alter ego for the director, Gregg Araki, but it does allow Mr. Araki to offer some hints about what he is up to in this chaotic, trifling, oddly likable film. At one point Mr. Araki's super-bright color scheme gives way to flickering black-and-white images culled from the early, silent, aggressively Surrealist work of Luis Buñuel. Buñuel's insight in 'L'Age d'Or' and 'Un Chien Andalou' - independently repeated a few years later by Leo McCarey in the Marx Brothers vehicle 'Duck Soup' - was that the syntax of film could make the incongruous appear coherent. An illusion of continuity is produced that can turn nonsense into sense, even as the medium's compression and fracturing of time can have the opposite effect. And Mr. Araki works the logic both ways. 'Kaboom' is both crazily disjunctive and smooth, jumping from polymorphous sex comedy to murder mystery to paranoid apocalyptic science-fiction freakout, with nimble nonchalance and up-to-the-minute pop music cues. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Cannes Film Festival, ...Kaboom (2010) ( Boom ) ( Ka - boom )

Director: Scott Marshall
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Miramax
Rated: PG-13

While it barely registered a blip on the box-office radar, "Keeping Up with the Steins" is the kind of good-natured, above-average comedy that's guaranteed to thrive on DVD. It's the bloated economics of Hollywood (and the constant pressure of box-office performance) that forced this movie into undeserved obscurity; now viewers have a second chance to discover the heartfelt dilemma of Adam Fiedler (Jeremy Piven), a Hollywood agent who wants nothing more than to give his son Ben (Daryl Sabara, from the "Spy Kids" movies) the lavish bar mitzvah he rightly deserves. Trouble is, Adam's archrival and former business partner Arnie Stein (Larry Miller) has already thrown a spectacular bar mitzvah for his own son, and Adam's now feeling intense pressure (from only himself, of course) to keep up with the Steins. As Adam plans an epic scale bar mitzvah to end all bar mitzvahs, director Scott Marshall (nephew of Penny) makes good use of his comedic pedigree, casting his own father (veteran comedy director Garry Mashall) as Adam's estranged father Irwin, who's been living on an Indian reservation with his younger girlfriend Sacred Feather (Daryl Hannah, nicely cast). The younger Marshall also indulges plenty of one-liners and sight gags (not to mention the questionable inclusion of his father's bare backside), but with a likeable supporting cast including Jami Gertz and Doris Roberts, "Keeping Up with the Steins" stays warmly true to its family values, minus the ostentation that Adam originally thought was important. As comedies go it's hardly original, but it's a welcomed alternative to the frat-boy crudeness we've come to expect from Hollywood."--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

The cinematic equivalent of a half case of Red Bull chased with donuts, Kick-Ass is a giddy, violent experience--and not your average superhero movie. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., it offers a set of heroes who are decidedly without superpowers: Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides he'll be just like a comic-book character, and puts on a ridiculous green suit to fight crime as the mysterious Kick-Ass. Luckily, somebody else had the same idea and comes along to rescue the incompetent crusader: Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who also happen to be running around town wearing masks and vanquishing evil. And here we have the movie's masterstroke: Hit Girl, a pint-sized preteen who slaughters bad guys and swears like a sailor on leave (and was the focus of a measure of controversy when the movie was released). The main target of our heroes is a gangster (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), whose neglected son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, McLovin from Superbad) figures he might just pull on a costume himself and become… Red Mist! (One of the many funny things about Kick-Ass is that the superhero names are hopelessly lame.) Director Matthew Vaughn is operating at the same glib level as his Layer Cake, with cutesy song cues galore and a freewheeling appetite for cartoon violence. This means the movie's high wears off quickly, but it does get high--a crazy, hilarious (and by the way: decidedly R-rated) kick. All that, plus Nicolas Cage executes a deadly Adam West imitation when he pulls on his cape and cowl. That's entertainment. --Robert Horton

Stills from Kick-Ass (Click for larger image)

Director: Jeff Wadlow
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

Self-made superhero Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and sweet-faced, foul-mouthed assassin Hit Girl (Chlo‰ Grace Moretz) try to return to life as "normal" teenagers, but soon they are faced with their deadliest challenge yet. To seek revenge for his father's death, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has re-invented himself as the leader of an evil league of super-villains. To defeat their new nemesis, Kick-Ass and Hit Girl must team up with a new wave of masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), in this battle of real-life villains and heroes.

Director: Fred Olen Ray
Genre: Comedy
Studio: New Concorde
Rated: PG

This seemed like a typical young kid vs. bad guys movie. But having Justin Berfield as the star made it a 5 star film. He has such good comic timing. The scene in the middle was classic---where Justin was fixing macaroni & cheese and he was singing and dancing in his uncle's kitchen.'

Director: Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, John Fortenberry
Genre: Television
Studio: A&E Home Video
Rated: NR

For five groundbreaking seasons, Canadian-bred comic prodigies THE KIDS IN THE HALL stretched sketch comedy to its ultimate limits with hilariously off-the-wall results. With a cast of comic creations only the brilliant--or truly twisted--could imagine, THE KIDS IN THE HALL: THE COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET presents the Kids’ nearly 800 sketches from every single episode of each season in this stunning 20-disc set. From the infamous Chicken Lady and Crushing Your Head to Buddy Cole and the romantically challenged Cabbage Head, these pioneering, edgy, and ever-charming comedians always managed to land on the stranger side of funny--and look good in floral dresses while doing it. Unhinged, unprecedented, and unfailingly unpredictable, the Emmy® nominated, critically acclaimed cult favorite THE KIDS IN THE HALL is at long last available in its sidesplitting entirety. Be warned: the complete compendium of THE KIDS IN THE HALL could lead to irrepressible episodes of spontaneous head-crushing. FEATURING: Buddy Cole, Hecubus, Head Crusher, Chicken Lady, Apathetic Cop, Gavin, Sir Simon Milligan, A.T. & Love Boss, The Queen, Cabbage Head, Bad Doctor, Francesca Fiore, Bearded Lady, Flying Pig, Satan DVD Features: An Oral History-Season 1: 45 Minutes of Interviews with the Kids and Lorne Michaels; An Oral History-Season 2: 15 minutes with the Kids, Paul Bellini, and Lorne Michaels; Audio Commentary by The Kids; 10 Best-of Compilations Featuring Fan-Favorite Sketches; Over 90 Minutes of Original Performances from the Rivoli Theater; Archival Footage Never-Before-Seen-on-TV; Original KIDS IN THE HALL Performance Poster Gallery; Slide Show; Cast Biographies; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Director: Owen Harris
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Studio: Unigram
Rated: See all certifications

An A&R man working at the height of the Britpop music craze goes to extremes in order to find his next hit.

Director: Tricia Brock
Genre: Drama, Music
Studio: Bulwark Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

A guitar playing car thief meets an autistic savant piano player, and together they transform a group of reluctant halfway house convicts into The Killer Diller Blues Band.

Director: Gary McKendry
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

They're not exactly The Expendables, but the idea of gathering Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro for special ops duty in Killer Elite gives rise to some basic expectations: and sure enough, there's Statham as the cool, compact trained killer, and De Niro as the grizzled seen-it-all-veteran of some very off-the-record assassinations, and Owen as the smooth-talking (and curiously mustachioed) insider with a mess to clean up. These three fellows might indeed make for a badass team in some international thriller, but this particular international thriller is so ham-handed and breathlessly "stylish" that the actors are stranded amidst the relentless noise. De Niro's character gets kidnapped early in the proceedings (and spends most of the movie off-screen), so Statham must come back on the job and rescue his old killer-in-arms. But there's a bigger plot a-turning, based on Ranulph Fiennes's novel, which was allegedly a real tale of espionage, although this claim has been disputed. (This film is not related to Sam Peckinpah's 1975 film The Killer Elite). Director Gary McKendry serves up some bone-crunching moments, which almost drown out the sound of the tin-ear dialogue, and Owen manages to emerge with dignity intact. That will have to suffice as a recommendation for hard-core action fans. --Robert Horton

Director: Gilles de Maistre
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This
Rated: Unrated

Killer Kid tells the story of Djilali, an orphan from Lebanon, recruited to be a soldier. He is sent to Paris on a secret mission, and, to help him "blend in," he is told to make friends with a poor Arab boy named Karim. Karim knows nothing of war - he loves rap music, skateboarding, cheeseburgers, and 16-year-old Isabelle. Soon, Djilali and Karim become close, vowing to remain friends "for better or for worse." But eventually Djilali must choose between his mission and the life of his friend.

Director: John Madden
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Studio: FilmColony
Rated: R

Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an extortion scheme go wrong. Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced intimidating hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer. The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.

Director: Justin Kelly
Genre: Crime, Drama, TV Movie
Studio: RabbitBandini Productions
Rated: Not Rated

This ripped-from-the-headlines drama covers the early rise of gay porn headliner Sean Paul Lockhart a.k.a. Brent Corrigan, before his falling out with the producer who made him famous. When Sean decides he'd be better off a free agent, a cash-strapped pair of rival producers aim to cash in by any means possible.

Director: Felix Thompson
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Studio: Buffalo Picture House

Trapped in a violent feud with a cruel older bully and facing another bout of summer school, Jack's got all the problems he can handle. So when Jack's aunt falls ill and his runty younger cousin must stay with him for the weekend the last thing Jack wants to do is look after him. Unfortunately no one really cares what Jack wants.

Director: John Guillermin
Genre: Action
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Rated: PG

A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.

Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13

Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's "King Kong", a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his "Lord of the Rings" films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. "Venture", which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....
There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of "King Kong"; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the "Venture"'s hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the "Venture"'s sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to "LOTR"'s Mordor), "Kong" turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as "Kong" trumps most anything that has come before it.
Despite the visual challenges of "King Kong", the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the "LOTR" films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where "Kong" earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R

Perched in a nice, bittersweet spot between sentimental and zany, "The Kings of Summer" wonderfully captures a fantasy of youth and free time--it could only happen in a slightly off-reality la-la land, but that turns out to be a pleasant place to visit. 15-year-old Joe (Nick Robinson) determines to occupy a ramshackle collection of building materials (let's call the resulting mess a cabin) set in the middle of the woods; his buddy Patrick (Gabriel Basso) comes along for the ride during the summer break. Both guys are sick of their parents, even if their troubles are never so bad the movie would lose its daffy undertone. There's a third wheel: Biaggio (Moises Arias), a strange and hilarious kid who just keeps hanging around long enough to be allowed in to the idyll. What follows is a very peculiar mix of styles (gauzy nature photography, boom-boom sitcom-style humor, bittersweet teen-movie angst), but director Jordan Vogt-Roberts keeps these different notes in harmony for most of the film's running time. Add the rock-solid support of comedy wizards like Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Mary Lynn Rajskub, and the movie finds a winning beat. At its best, "The Kings of Summer" is like a Young Adult novel about getting away from it all, but with a better soundtrack. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Eli Roth
Genre: Thriller
Studio: Black Bear Pictures
Rated: R

When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse. A sexy new thriller from director Eli Roth and written for the screen by Eli Roth & Nicolás López & Guillermo Amoedo and story by Anthony Overman and Michael Ronald, KNOCK KNOCK stars Keanu Reeves as the family man who falls into temptation and Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas as the seductresses who wreak havoc upon his life, turning a married man's dark fantasy into his worst nightmare. KNOCK KNOCK will be released by Lionsgate Premiere in theaters and On Demand on October 9th.

Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: Unrated

The writer and director of The 40-year-old Virgin delivers another a hilarious hit comedy! They say that opposites attract. Well, for slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) and career girl Alison (Katherine Heigl), that's certainly the case - at least for one intoxicated evening. Two months and several pregnancy tests later, Ben and Alison go through a hysterically funny, anxious and heartwarming journey that leads to huge laughs in the most outrageous comedy of the year!