Director: M. Blash
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Studio: Essentia
Rated: R

An enigmatic phone call from a psychic, catapults a family into a state of suspended belief while waiting for their recently deceased mother to be resurrected. One sister believes the claim, and the other staunchly opposes it until she encounters a chance at love, giving her hope that anything, even resurrection, is possible. A discordant struggle between sisters plays out in a world where the virtual and real often converge.

Director: Rob McKittrick
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Live / Artisan
Rated: Unrated

The bitter, vengeful world of waiting tables gets the "Clerks" treatment in "Waiting...". A new employee (John Francis Daley, "Freaks and Geeks") gets trained at Shenanigan's, a banal theme restaurant where the bored employees play a game of flaunting their genitals. The staff includes a snarky waiter (Ryan Reynolds, "Van Wilder", "The Amityville Horror") who lusts after the underage hostess; a waiter suffering from crippling pee-shyness (Robert Patrick Benedict, "Threshold"); an oracular dishwasher (Chi McBride, "Roll Bounce"); and a conflicted waiter named Dean (Justin Long, "Dodgeball"), who's just been offered a promotion to assistant manager--a job that offers more money, but threatens to trap him at Shenanigan's for the rest of his life. "Waiting..." is a loose shamble of a movie--the only thing resembling a story is Dean's life crisis--but that's part of its charm. It's a tricky thing to depict tedium without being tedious, but "Waiting..." pulls it off; some jokes smack of forced sitcom writing, but most of the humor feels genuine, as if it came from writer/director Rob McKittrick's personal experience. A future cult film. Also featuring Anna Faris ("Lost in Translation"), Luis Guzman ("The Limey"), and rabidly adored stand-up comic Dane Cook as..a cook. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama, Thriller
Studio: ImageMovers
Rated: PG

Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man - Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX 3D wizardry, The Walk is true big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds. The film, a PG-rated, all-audience entertainment for moviegoers 8 to 80, unlike anything audiences have seen before, is a love letter to Paris and New York City in the 1970s, ...

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

A solid and entertaining biopic, "Walk the Line" works less as a movie than an actors' showcase for its stars. Joaquin Phoenix's total immersion into the skin of singer Johnny Cash is startling--watching it, you can't believe this is the same guy who whined about being "vexed" in "Gladiator". As he evolves from a farm boy to gospel croonin' plunker to the Man in Black, Phoenix disappears into Cash's deep baritone, his way of slinging the guitar onto his back, and his hunched-up style of strumming. But it's more than just picking up mannerisms: Phoenix also sings as Johnny Cash, and it's quite impressive.
The story of how Johnny Cash became Johnny Cash traces from his childhood under a distant father (Robert Patrick) to his early attempts at a music career, during which he married his girlfriend Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). During a tour with the likes of Elvis (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne), he encounters singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), and his love for her--and her rejection of him through the years--spurs him into drugs, drinking, and depression. As with most movies based on real-life singers, as his popularity grows, the women come a-flockin', and the childhood demons surface. Witherspoon, who matches Phoenix drawl for drawl, plays June both as a sassy spitfire whose charm breaks your heart, and as a sympathetic friend who tries to help Cash get over--well, her. The love story is what endures, but the movie comes most alive during its musical numbers, and even if you're not a country fan, it may just get you to run out and buy a Johnny Cash album."--Ellen A. Kim"

Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Sterling Ent
Rated: PG-13

Although it's nice to see young hunk Jonathan Taylor Thomas in a bathtub scene, Ellen Burstyn is the heartbeat that drives this great little film. It never got released to theaters, just direct to Blockbuster and beyond. That's a shame because director Arthur Allan Seidelman captured some great shots of Florida that deserve to be stretched across a large cinematic canvas. Wonderful ensemble cast, I especially loved Gwen Verdon, but then I always did. For once, the film is every bit as good as the novel.

Director: Kevin Bray
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: PG-13

The Rock is definitely "Walking Tall" in this straightforward remake of the popular 1973 revenge flick based on the real-life exploits of Sheriff Buford Pusser. Only the basic premise of the original film remains, but it's well-suited to the Rock's rising-star agenda, and it's a savvy, albeit uninspired follow-up to his previous hit, "The Rundown". With typical beefcake bravado, Chris Vaughan (the Rock) arrives home in rural Kitsap County, Washington (filmed in budget-friendly Canada, of course) to find his hometown overtaken by childhood friend-turned-sleazebag casino owner and drug-dealer Jay Hamilton (played with steely-eyed malevolence by Neal McDonough), whose squad of goons includes the local sheriff. The cards are instantly and simplistically stacked against our hero, but no matter: he's soon kickin' ass and takin' names as the new sheriff, and from that point director Kevin Bray ("All About the Benjamins") goes strictly by-the-numbers, limiting this punchy programmer to a brisk 85 minutes, with comic relief (courtesy of costar Johnny Knoxville) and an obligatory love-interest (Ashley Scott, in obligatory skimpy attire) tossed in for good measure. It's a cracker movie for a cracker audience, and on those terms it handily expedites the Rock's ascension to the action-movie throne. "--Jeff Shannon"

Rated: R

Based upon Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series and helmed by stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov - creator of the most successful Russian film franchise in history, the Night Watch series - Wanted tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. 25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors - including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) - Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny.

Director: Matt Reeves
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: Chernin Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

The sheer physical beauty of the horse and the magnificent landscape of rural Devon, England, makes the first section of "War Horse" a feast for the eyes, as stalwart young lad Albert (Jeremy Irvine, in his film debut) struggles to channel the high-strung energy of newly bought horse Joey into plowing a rocky field. A destructive rainstorm forces Albert's father (Peter Mullan, "Boy A") to sell Joey to an army captain (Tom Hiddleston, "Thor") who takes the horse into the battlefields of World War I. From there, turns of fortune lead Joey into the hands of a German private, a French girl and her grandfather, and then into the cratered no man's land between the warring armies. "War Horse" is jarringly uneven. Some moments are over-the-top while others are elegantly understated; the tone ranges from the broad comedy of a mid-1970s Disney live-action flick to the raw majesty of a John Ford western. The episodic storytelling doesn't help--the characters don't have time to fully establish themselves in the audience's hearts, despite some excellent performances. The greatest weakness is that director Steven Spielberg doesn't connect us to Joey himself; though it's impossible not to have moments of empathy with the trials of this beautiful animal, at other times the horse is no more than a narrative device, carrying us from one micro-story to another. Still, some episodes are unquestionably compelling (a sequence in which a British and a German soldier collaborate to rescue Joey is particularly good) and, though stylistically all over the place, "War Horse" is never less than visually stunning. --"Bret Fetzer"

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Rated: PG-13

Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies ("Jaws", "Jurassic Park"). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and soon is on the road with his teen son (Justin Chatwin) and preteen daughter (Dakota Fanning) in tow, trying to keep ahead of the invasion. The film is, of course, impeccably designed and produced by Spielberg's usual crew of A-class talent. The aliens are genuinely scary, even when the film--like the novel--spends a good chunk of time in a basement. Readers of the book (or viewers of the deft 1953 adaptation) will note the variation of whom and how the aliens come to Earth, which poses some logistical problems. The film opens and closes with narration from the novel read by Morgan Freeman, but Spielberg could have adapted Orson Welles's words from the famous Halloween Eve 1938 radio broadcast: "We couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night, so we did the best next thing: we annihilated the world." "--Doug Thomas"
"War of the Worlds" at Amazon.com
The Soundtrack
"The War of the Worlds" (1953)
"War of the Worlds - The Complete First Season" (TV series)
Classic Sci-Fi Movies and Their Remakes
Aliens Invade on DVD
The Prog-rock Opera (no kidding)

Director: Jonathan Levine
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

If true love is meant to be, what does it matter if one is human and the other a zombie? "Warm Bodies" is a pretty delightful, tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy loosely based on "Romeo and Juliet". But the Capulets and Montagues have much more in common than do R, the hipster zombie boy character (played by Nicholas Hoult), and Julie (Teresa Palmer), a girl human. "Warm Bodies" takes place after the zombie apocalypse (of course), and on the surface it appears to be "Twilight" for zombie fans. Happily, writer-director Jonathan Levine has taken the concept a step further than the novel by Isaac Marion. As a result, "Warm Bodies" is just self-aware enough to keep the whole idea from being too precious. The viewer knows that the two young leads were born to be together--if they can work with their hearts "and" their brains. Complicating matters is the fact that Julie's dad (John Malkovich, having a wickedly good time) is the boss of all the humans fighting the zombies. Let's just say Julie definitely has her work cut out for her. "Warm Bodies" will thrill younger viewers who adore "Twilight", but fans of great romantic comedies with a light touch will like it just as much. --"A.T. Hurley"

Director: Walter Hill
Genre: Action, Thriller
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: R

Cyrus, the leader of the most powerful gang in New York City, the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for all the area gangs, with all asked to send nine unarmed representatives for the conclave. A gang called The Warriors are blamed for killing Cyrus as he gives his speech. They now have to cross the territory of rivals in order to get to their own 'hood. The Warriors slowly cross the dangerous Bronx and Manhattan territories, narrowly escaping police and other gangs every step of the way.

Director: Robert Wilson
Genre: Horror
Studio: Cutting Edge
Rated: NR

An animal-rights activist group plans a raid on a bio-tech company. They discover the true nature of the experiments that are really taking place. -Story by David Bonneywell, the special F/X artist on Seed of Chucky and Dog Soldiers -Stars Edward Furlong from Terminator 2

Director: Stephen T. Kay
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

While this film fictionalizes the account of the drug deaths in Plano, you can hear the ring of real voices inside the monologue. There is no romanticizing the use of heroin, the kids use simply because they want to use, and it there for them. Without comedy, exaggeration, or inflated drama, 'Wasted' simply tells the story of one girl's relationship with heroin and how it almost killed her.

Nick Stahl, Summer Phoenix, and Aaron Paul play their roles expertly and believably as Chris, Samantha, and Owen, respectively. I'm a fan of Nick Stahl anyway, part of the reason I rented a MTV produced movie. The production, photography, and presentation of the movie is better than I thought would come out of MTV also, so give this movie a try by renting and find out for yourself.

Samantha and her lifelong friends Owen and Chris grew up together in Plano, TX, what Samantha calls a "Pop-Up" city. Their parents are all wealthy, and the kids are all bored, waiting to find out which college they will be going to after high school. So they party and get high.

Samantha overdoses, and Chris, a track star and the only friend who doesn't use heroin, takes Sam to the hospital. Sam is forced to confront her addiction and attend NA classes. Owen, Sam's boyfriend who is heavy into using, doesn't want to take her, so Chris drives her to her meetings. Chris and Samantha develop a stronger relationship while Owen falls away from them, still deeply imbedded in his drug lifestyle. Regardless of the fact that Sam drops Owen and begins to date Chris, the three are still fast friends.

Sam slips, Chris blows his knee in a track meet and winds out trying heroin, Owen continues to behave like a mess, and meanwhile kids in this pop-up town are dying right and left, from boredom and heroin.

The results are typical, but what makes 'typical' not-clich� in this movie is that these events are based on the real facts that occurred in Plano, and the narrative based on real kid's voices. In spite of film's inability to ever reach box-office proportions, I felt that it was well acted, well scripted, realistic, and something I would certainly want my kids to watch. Definitely worth at least a rental. Enjoy!

Director: Joe Charbanic
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

James Spader stars as Joel Campbell, a former detective traumatized by the death of his lover at the hands of a serial killer he'd been hunting--a psychopath who has taken their combative relationship a little too personally, and has now tracked the retired Campbell down in Chicago. The killer, who methodically studies his victims before killing them, starts sending Campbell photographs of prospective victims and gives him a day to find them before they're killed. Campbell rises to the challenge, returns to his role as detective, and launches a comprehensive manhunt for the killer and the women in the photographs. "The Watcher" is surprisingly watchable--though it does suffer from an excessive use of arty cinematography. But while the psychological interpretation of the killer's behavior is a little too schematic to be convincing, the portrayal of Campbell is quite strong, particularly due to Spader's performance. A much-underrated actor, Spader is lean and efficient in his portrayal, rarely given to flashy histrionics, but compelling and emotionally complex. Unfortunately, the killer is played by Keanu Reeves; and though Reeves isn't as terrible an actor as some critics may say, he's out of his depth here. Still, Spader carries most of the movie, and the sequences in which the police are trying to track down the victims are nicely suspenseful--in fact, the movie is overall more interested in suspense than gore, making it a pleasant change from most contemporary thrillers. Also starring Marisa Tomei as Campbell's psychiatrist and budding romantic interest. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

Everybody's favorite graphic novel comes to the screen (after years of rumors and false starts), less a roaring work of adaptation than a respectful and faithful take on a radical original. "Watchmen" is set in the mid-1980s, a time of increased nuclear tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, as Richard Nixon is enjoying his fifth term as president and the world's superheroes have been forcibly retired. (As you can probably tell, the mix of authentic history and alternate reality is heady.) Things begin with a bang: the mysterious high-rise murder of the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a masked hero with a checkered past, puts the rest of the retired superhero community on alert. The credits sequence, a series of tableaux that wittily catches us up on crime-fighting backstory, actually turns out to be the high point of the movie. Thereafter we meet the other caped and hooded avengers: the furious Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), the inexplicably naked Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup, amidst much blue-skinned, genital-swinging digital work), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode). The corkscrewing storytelling, which worked well in the comic book, gives the movie the strange sense of never quite getting in gear, even as some of the episodes are arresting. Director Zack Snyder ("300") doesn't try to approximate the electric impact of the original (written by Alan Moore--who declined to be credited on the movie--and illustrated by Dave Gibbons) but retains careful fidelity to his source material. That doesn't feel right, even with the generally enjoyable roll-out of anecdotes. Even less forgivable is the blah acting, excepting Jeffrey Dean Morgan (lusty) and Patrick Wilson (mellow). "Watchmen" certainly fills the eyes, although less so the ears: the song choices are regrettable, especially during an embarrassing mid-air coupling between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II as they unite their--ah--Roman numerals. In the end it feels as though a huge work of transcription has been successfully completed, which isn't the same as making a full-blooded movie experience. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Daniel Ribeiro
Studio: Strand Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Set against the music of Belle and Sebastian, Daniel Ribeiro's coming of age tale, "THE WAY HE LOOKS" is a fun and tender story about friendship and the complications of young love. Leo is a blind teenager who's fed up with his overprotective mother and the bullies at school. Looking to assert his independence, he decides to study abroad to the dismay of his best friend, Giovana. When Gabriel, the new kid in town, teams with Leo on a school project, new feelings blossom in him that make him reconsider his plans. Meanwhile, Giovana, grows jealous of this new found companionship as tensions mount between her and Leo.

Strand Releasing presents the highly anticipated feature film remake of the award-winning short film "I Don't Want To Go Back Alone (Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho)" by Daniel Ribeiro.

Winner of 7 Audience Awards for Best Feature Film! Official Brazilian Entry - Foreign Language Film - 87th Academy Awards

Specs:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
1080p HD
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
Audio Descriptive Track in English

Bonus Features:
Behind-the-Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Interview with Cast and Crew
Short Film: "I Don't Want To Go Back Alone"
Original Theatrical Trailer

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Live / Artisan
Rated: R

The big selling point for "The Way of the Gun" is the fact that it was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the guy who wrote "The Usual Suspects". Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe star as two low-rent criminals who fall into a plan to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying a baby for a very wealthy couple. The duo are immediately in over their heads, and their kidnapping plot brings to light the dark and hidden tendrils of the old man's family structure. It also brings on lots of gunfights and lots of blood. McQuarrie creates some good action sequences (particularly the slow-moving car "chase" through the alleys), but that only serves to emphasize the one major weakness of the film: the script. Though it's chock full of macho declarations, shootouts, and "surprise" revelations, the core story is ultra-predictable. That wouldn't be so bad if there were any characters to care about, but only a supporting performance from James Caan elicits any kind of sympathy. This is merely a movie based on violent movies, with no additional commentary. Then again, McQuarrie does do a nice job with much of the action. Though nowhere near as good as "The Usual Suspects", particularly in its story, "The Way of the Gun" is a promising debut for McQuarrie as a director. "--Andy Spletzer"

Studio: Fox Searchlight
Rated: PG-13

Dive into this "smart, imaginative, first-rate comedy" (Karen Durbin, ELLE) featuring an all-star comedic cast, including Steve Carell, Maya Rudolph, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, and Amanda Peet! While 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) is being dragged on a family trip with his mom (Collette) and her overbearing boyfriend (Carell), he finds a gregarious friend (Rockwell) at a local water park. The two form a powerful bond as Duncan learns to swim through the challenges of life, love, family and friendship, resulting in a vacation he'll never forget.

Director: Cameron Crowe
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

Oscarr Winner Matt Damon gives a heartfelt performance in this "delightful surprise" (Lou Lumenick, New York Post) that's based on a true story. When his teenage son gets into trouble, Benjamin Mee (Damon) gives up a lucrative newspaper job to move his family to the most unlikely of places: a zoo! With help from an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, Benjamin embarks on a fresh beginning to restore the dilapidated zoo to its former glory, while uniting his family. From the director of Jerry Maguire, We Bought a Zoo is a "wonderful, warm and witty" (Bill Bregoli, CBS Radio News) celebration of the human spirit.

Director: Didier Bivel
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This!
Rated: Unrated

A profoundly poignant and thought provoking French coming of age drama about two young youths desperately in need of time away from their poverty stricken homes. The performances by the two males leads are unforgettable and the writing and direction is top notch. The score for the film (particularly its theme song) is quite a effective as is also the cinematography.

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
Rated: R

A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin explores the fractious relationship between a mother and her evil son. Tilda Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller). Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, We Need To Talk About Kevin explores nature vs. nurture on a whole new level as Eva's own culpability is measured against Kevin's innate evilness. Ramsay's masterful storytelling simultaneously combines a provocative moral ambiguity with a satisfying and compelling narrative, which builds to a chilling, unforgettable climax.

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: R

David Burke (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids-after all, he has his scruples. After his stash and his cash are stolen, leaving him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms), he must become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad's latest shipment in from Mexico. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the Millers are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

Director: John Hughes
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Two unpopular teenagers, Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to becoming accepted, they encounter many hilarious obstacles, which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness.

Director: Robert Harmon, Rick Bota
Genre: Horror
Studio: Dimension
Rated: PG-13

They're coming to get you, but who--or what--are "They"? By refusing to offer specifics, this chilling mood-piece rises above its familiar premise and achieves its desired effect of percolating dread. It's a Wes Craven presentation, sponsored by the horror-meister but directed by Robert Harmon, whose 1986 thriller "The Hitcher" has a modest legion of fans. "They" deserves a similar following after its brief theatrical release; Harmon values suggestion over explicit frights (i.e., don't expect a full-throttle shocker), and he effectively exploits our collective fear of things that go bump in the night. Petite newcomer Laura Regan is well-cast as Julia, a psychology grad student who, like a close friend who just committed suicide, has suffered "night terrors" since childhood… and her gravest fears have now returned. Is it all in her head, along with that mysterious implant in her skull? Do "They" really exist, in this movie's gloomy nooks and crannies? If you prefer subtlety, "They" is creepily engrossing, and better than its box-office failure would suggest. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Vincent Ward
Genre: Adventure
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

WHAT IF is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who's been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his roommate Allan (Adam Driver) seems to be finding the perfect partner (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend? The ensemble romantic comedy costars Megan Park and Oona Chaplin.

Director: Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente, William Arntz
Genre: Comedy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: NR

The unlikeliest cult hit of 2004 was "What the (Bleep) Do We Know?", a lecture on mysticism and science mixed into a sort-of narrative. Marlee Matlin stars in the dramatic thread, about a sourpuss photographer who begins to question her perceptions. Interviews with quantum physics experts and New Age authors are cut into this story, offering a vaguely convincing (and certainly mind-provoking) theory about... well, actually, it sounds a lot like the Power of Positive Thinking, when you get down to it. Talking heads (not identified until film's end) include JZ Knight, who appears in the movie channeling Ramtha, the ancient sage she claims communicates through her (other speakers are also associated with Knight's organization). What she says actually makes pretty good common sense--Ramtha's wiggier notions are not included--and would be easy to accept were it not being credited to a 35,000-year-old mystic from Atlantis. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Simon West
Genre: Horror
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

The smartest thing about the remake of "When a Stranger Calls" is that it strips the original 1979 version to its bare essentials as a primal exercise in stormy-night terror. While taking the original film's suspenseful first act and expanding it into an 87-minute cat-and-mouse game, screenwriter Jake Wade Wall adds a few clever updates involving cellphones and home-security services, as well as the maze-like menace of a lavish modern home that serves as the setting for mayhem when cute teenager Jill (Camilla Belle, in the role originated by Carol Kane) takes on a babysitting job that she may live to regret. Someone is stalking her in the big, expensive glass palace that her employers call home (a splendid set designed by Jon Gary Steele), and that creepy voice on the phone (belonging to Lance Henriksen, master of doom-laden threat) should've been her first clue to grab the pair of terrified kids she's supposed to be protecting and leave the house ASAP. But no, the script, the overwrought score, and the uninspired direction of Simon West ("Con-Air", "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") insist that poor Jill be put through a "Halloween"-like night from hell, complete with a black cat as an omen of nasty things to come. Kudos to Wall and West for attempting to generate horror through suggestion (by keeping the homicidal stalker mostly off-screen), but let's face it: the original film is hardly a classic (its TV-movie sequel, "When a Stranger Calls Back", is considerably better), and the remake takes too long to yield minimal rewards. Maybe Jill should've just unplugged the phone. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Salvador Litvak
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Hart Sharp Video
Rated: R

The hilarious story of the world's fastest Passover Seder dinner gone horribly awry when the son secretly slips his father a dose of ecstasy at the beginning of the evening. Starring Michael Lerner, Jack Klugman, and Lesley Anne Warren

Director: Chris Cain
Studio: MGM
Rated: PG

An orphaned boy who was raised in the Amazon jungle is brought back to civilization by a priest who knew his father.
"This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply."

Director: Damien Chazelle
Genre: Drama, Music
Studio: Bold Films
Rated: R

A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school, one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness, and the professor pushes him.

Director: Stewart Hendler
Genre: Television
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

From the producers of White Noise and in the horrifying tradition of The Omen comes an unnerving tale of bone-chilling terror! Confident the ransom will be easy money, ex-con Max (Josh Holloway, Lost) kidnaps an 8-year-old boy and escapes to an eerie, deserted cabin in the woods with his fiancee (Sarah Wayne Callies, Prison Break) and two shady associates. But Max soon realizes that this is no ordinary kidnapping…and this is no ordinary child. Using haunting supernatural abilities to manipulate the minds of his captors, the boy maliciously turns them against each other in a cruel and deadly game that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end!

Director: Gregg Araki
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Desperate Pictures
Rated: R

Kat Connors is 17 years old when her seemingly perfect homemaker mother, Eve, disappears in 1988. Having lived for so long in an emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormat of a father, Brock, for the loss. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve's disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother's departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it...

Director: Roland Emmerich
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation’s government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.

Director: Geoffrey Sax
Genre: Horror
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

Despite an abundance of gaping plot holes, "White Noise" serves up enough spooky atmosphere to make it worth a look-see for fans of supernatural thrillers. Even when hampered with a shoddy, clumsily written screenplay, Michael Keaton brings professional conviction to his role as a grieving widower who is introduced to the mysterious (and according to paranormal researchers, highly documented) existence of EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomenon, which allows the dead to communicate (one-way only, it seems) from the great beyond, through images and voices recordable on a variety of electronic media such as VCRs, computers, etc. Seeking contact with his recently deceased wife, Keaton finds dire warnings of evil in the afterlife, with connections (all too convenient) to killings and disappearances in his Vancouver, British Columbia vicinity. British TV director Geoffrey Sax brings slick style to this hokum, and a few moments of genuine eeriness, but you may find yourself giggling too much to appreciate the highlights. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Jeff Stein
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Pioneer
Rated: PG

Half its members may be dead and its leader may be keeping a low profile, but the Who remains enormously popular. Devotees who haven't availed themselves of Jeff Stein's thrilling, self-mocking 1979 documentary about the group shouldn't wait another minute now that the film has been painstakingly--perhaps heroically--restored to its theatrical-release length from original elements. The sound is clearer than on previous video releases, images are once more crisp and color-rich, and adjustments in tape speed make the Who sound like themselves again, particularly in vintage television performances and filmed club dates from as far back as the band's sonically thrilling, early R&B period. Special features are, shall we say, extensive: 100 or so minutes of multiple-angle footage, an insightful interview with Roger Daltrey, a featurette about the film's restoration, and a mesmerizing, isolated John Entwistle audio track. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Lance Mungia
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Dimension
Rated: R

Tara Reid (AMERICAN PIE, MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER), David Boreanaz (TV's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL), and Edward Furlong (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, AMERICAN HISTORY X) star in the latest chilling chapter of THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER -- an epic tale of death, revenge, and redemption. Just as ex-con Jimmy Cuervo (Furlong) tries to straighten out his life, he and his girlfriend Lily are brutally murdered in a satanic ritual by a renegade biker gang. But payback is at hand when Cuervo rises from the dead -- with the power of The Crow -- to avenge Lily's death and reunite with her in the afterlife! Also starring Dennis Hopper (TRUE ROMANCE), Danny Trejo (FROM DUSK TIL DAWN), and recording star Macy Gray!

Director: Robin Hardy
Genre: Horror
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: R

Typically categorized as a horror film, "The Wicker Man" is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer ("Sleuth") with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until "The Fantasist", a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. ("Sirens" took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes "The Wicker Man" an unforgettable film. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Neil LaBute
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13

Nicolas Cage stars in "The Wicker Man" as a traumatized police officer investigating a lost girl on a mysterious, mist-shrouded island of imperious women and dimwitted men. Summoned by his ex-fiancee (Kate Beahan, "Flightplan", who seems to have borrowed her lips from Angelina Jolie), Edward Malus (Cage, "Adaptation.") blusters his way into a closed religious community by flashing his out-of-state badge around and insulting everyone he meets. To describe "The Wicker Man" any further would deprive viewers of enjoying the staggering ineptness of this absurd remake of the fairly creepy 1973 original. Despite a talented cast (including Ellen Burstyn, "Requiem for a Dream", Molly Parker, "Deadwood", and Leelee Sobieski, "Joy Ride"), the performances are uniformly awful, with Cage leading the pack; his overwrought cries of "How'd it get burned?!?" will provoke barks of laughter. Arbitrary wierdness abounds--ranging from animal masks to a body-stocking of bees--in a flailing effort to distract the audience from the narrative running madly off the rails. Maybe writer/director Neil LaBute ("In the Company of Men", "The Shape of Things") aspired to create a fever dream of male fears about women, but the result is a deformed hybrid of "Invasion of the Bee Girls" and "The Village". A future camp classic. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Art Linson
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: R

Eighties teen romp involving Bill and his new apartment, Jim and his rebellious antics, Tom and his crazy self, and Anita with her older man David.

Director: Cam Archer
Genre: Drama
Studio: Wellspring Media
Rated: Unrated

Logan is a soft spoken and lonely 13 year old boy with a crush. Unlike his equally lonely friend Joey, who obsesses over the sexual exploits of the popular boys, Logan is fixated on the boys themselves, particularly Rodeo Walker. Logan's infatuation with Rodeo inspires him to create a new persona named Leah. Leah and Rodeo grow close through whispered late night phone calls, and when Leah agrees to meet Rodeo face to face it is Logan who must finally prove that he can ask for what he so achingly wants.

Director: Robert Luketic
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Rated: PG-13

To improve their client's tarnished image, the managers of movie heartthrob Tad Hamilton (TV star Josh Duhamel) trump up a contest in which an innnocent middle-American girl will win a date with the hunk. A West Virginia grocery clerk named Rosalee (Kate Bosworth, "Blue Crush") wins, much to the dismay of her friend Pete (Topher Grace, "Traffic"), who's secretly in love with her. A summary of the romantic triangle that follows won't capture the charm of "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!". Though formulaic in structure, the movie is constantly surprising and engaging in its details. All romantic comedies should have such a smart script, understated but spot-on acting (Grace, Bosworth, and Duhamel are delightful and given excellent comic support from Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Gary Cole), and clean, clear direction (from the director of "Legally Blonde", another formulaic but irrepressibly fun movie). "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Marni Banack
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

Matt (Milo Ventimiglia) has just graduated college. Time to join the work force and be an adult, right? Not! His best friend, Peter (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and wild school buddies convince him to winter in Aspen instead. This hilarious no holds barred vacation takes an unexpected turn when Matt falls in love with Michelle (Maggie Lawson) and must decide between money and career or following his heart. Buckle your bindings for the coolest party fest of the year!

Director: Debra Granik
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: R

Family loyalty and self-reliance take on whole new meanings in this dark story of one family's desperate struggle to survive in the Ozark woods of southern Missouri. Day-to-day life is tough in the economically depressed, unforgiving harsh rural landscape that's home to the extended Dolly clan, but it's made much tougher thanks to their history of cooking crank and deep involvement in the local drug culture. For Jessup Dolly and the other men of the family, looking out for oneself has become the first priority. Seventeen-year-old Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) has been caring for her mentally ill mother and her two younger siblings while her father runs from the law. Ree has been managing OK, but when the sheriff shows up with news that her father has put the house up as bond collateral and is unlikely to show for his court date, things get desperate. Ree is well aware of the family code of silence, but desperation forces her to confront her relatives in search of her father, regardless of the personal consequences. One by one, Ree's relatives refuse to help, protecting themselves even at the cost of one of their own. This is a dark, often violent film that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the manic drug culture permeating some rural areas of the South. It is intense, emotional, and extremely effective: it is at times simultaneously uncomfortable to watch and paradoxically riveting. Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, and Dale Dickey deliver phenomenally powerful performances and are completely believable in their respective roles. While this official selection in the dramatic film competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival doesn't align well with many of the details in the Daniel Woodrell novel on which it's based, what is absolutely faithfully rendered is the overwhelming sense of resolute self-reliance, complete desperation, and intense, yet distorted family loyalty. "--Tami Horiuchi"

Director: Robert Eggers
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Studio: Parts and Labor
Rated: R

New England, 1630: William and Katherine try to lead a devout Christian life, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness, with five children. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. 'The Witch' is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own sins, leaving them prey for an inescapable evil.

Director: Steven Brill
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

To honor a childhood oath, three friends (Seth Green from "Austin Powers" and "Party Monster", Matthew Lillard from "SLC Punk" and "Scooby Doo", and newcomer Dax Shepard) head into the Oregon wilderness in search of lost treasure. After grappling with a bear, whitewater rapids, backwoods psychopaths, beautiful eco-terrorists, homophobia, and a very hairy Burt Reynolds, the boys face their fears and learn valuable life lessons about treasuring friendship and stuff. Dude, it's totally, like, "Deliverance" for the Gen-Y slacker set! Admittedly, it falls a bit short as a meditation on masculinity, but teen audiences will find plenty to enjoy. The interplay among Green, Lillard, and Shepard has a rambunctious enthusiasm that overcomes the predictability of the script. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Stefano Reali
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This! Home Video
Rated: Unrated

'VERSO NORD' ('Without Conscience') is one of those unheralded Italian films that deal with controversial subjects while retaining a story of human compassion and love. It is a film with equal parts brutality and tenderness and the direction and writing (Stefano Reali) and cast that make it work exceedingly well.

Mauro (Maurizio Mattioli) is an emotionally needy and lonely middle-aged male nurse, working for a physician (whom he wishes to impress) who connects Mauro with a group of questionable types led by Gino (Claudio Bigali) dealing in the transport of undocumented children from Morocco and other countries to 'buyers/adoptive parents'. When Mauro meets the smarmy crew and the boy Eddi (Mohamed Ismail Bayed) is selected, he is joined by a strangely quiet, powerfully brutal fighter, but exceptionally handsome young man Rollo (Valerio Foglia Manzillo). Mauro is the guardian, the driver of his boss' Mercedes, and the verbal member of the unlikely trio as they begin their drive from Rome to the Swiss border. Rollo is mysterious, seems to react to stimuli in a Pavlovian way, gets in to fights and trouble from the start, but becomes increasingly devoted to the mute Eddi in the back seat.

Mauro and Rollo gradually form an alliance out of need and out of mutual growing love for Eddi and for each other. Mauro senses a feral quality in Rollo, realizes through his inappropriate behavior towards bar girls that he has never experienced intimacy, and finds a prostitute Elena (Ana Papadopulu) who not only fills the sexual void in Rollo's life but also begins to teach him the gentle quality of intimacy. But with her comes the baggage of criminal pimps who further hamper the safety of Mauro's delivery mission. The film develops into a chase film with the now quartet of Mauro, Rollo, Eddi, and Elena madly striving to reach the safety of the Swiss border and the reward of delivering Eddi to adoptive parents. The manner in which the movie ends is best left to the discovery of the individual viewer: the unlikely pairing of Mauro and Rollo serves as the nidus for one of the more beautiful friendships on film.

The acting is exceptional in this film: Maurizio Mattioli creates a gay character impossible not to love while the inordinately handsome and charismatic Valerio Foglia Manzillo brings a presence to the screen that promises an exciting career! Stefano Reali finds just the right balance between the always popular gangster atmosphere films and the intensely personal views of unexpected human love stories. The pacing is breathtaking, the cinematography is magnificent, and the message is timely and universal. In Italian, French, Bulgarian, etc and with English subtitles. Recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Genre: Drama
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: NR

I like this movie. Read something about the story. A crooked developer fails to convince the owner of a wax museum to sell, and so hires an evil arsonist, Gregor. It's a fast and furious fight for their lives when a young boy and his unlikely friend discover the arsonist's plot to burn the historic museum to the ground. There's danger at every turn and fear with every breath!

Director: Victor Fleming
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: G

The magic of M-G-M’s wonderfully colorful and unique fantasy has melted hearts for more than seven decades with its indelible melodies and transcendent themes of family, home and the courage to pursue dreams. To celebrate the beloved movie’s 75th anniversary, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has brought The Wizard of Oz into the present and beyond with a brand new kind of magic: a stunning 3D Blu-ray™.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz starred Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion; Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award® nominations1, including Best Picture (Outstanding Production), and captured two Oscars® -- Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score -- plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Ms. Garland.

Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: Unrated

The mist rising over the moors feels right, and so does the slant of moonlight coming over a Victorian village-scape. And if the moon is full, this must be "The Wolfman", Universal's 2010 attempt to revive one of the crown jewels in its deservedly legendary horror stable. Benicio Del Toro takes on the old Lon Chaney Jr. role of Lawrence Talbot, an American visitor to his ancestral home in England. Talbot's brother has recently been torn to bits by a beast in the forest, leaving behind a grieving fiancée (Emily Blunt) and a not-visibly-grieving father (Anthony Hopkins). This central situation seems drained of blood even before the full-moon transfigurations begin to bloom, and Del Toro's Talbot--an actor by trade, which raises interesting possibilities for a story of a man divided by different personalities--is mystifyingly blank. The intriguing casting of Del Toro (what an opportunity for a cool werewolf!) comes to naught as Talbot seems to languish on the periphery of his own story. Hugo Weaving tries to generate some interest as the police inspector on the case, but he too is defeated by the combination of mechanical storytelling and bland computer-generated werewolves. The script skips from one exposition scene to the next, but nothing registers long enough to create character, tension, or the slimmest desire to see what happens in the next scene. Every once in a while director Joe Johnston ("Jumanji") finds a grand staircase or CGI fog that conjures up the atmosphere of the old Universal horror classics, but otherwise this is a clueless affair--not as bad as "Van Helsing", but flat-out dull. The movie can't even find a way to get the old Gypsy lady (Geraldine Chaplin stepping into Maria Ouspenskaya's tiny shoes) to deliver a proper recitation of screenwriter Curt Siodmak's great "Even a man who is pure in heart" doggerel from the 1941 film. Instead, it's thrown away in a voice-over at the beginning--one hairy way to start the movie. "--Robert Horton"

Director: James Mangold
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: Unrated

In 2013's summer of superheroes, The Wolverine breaks a lot of rules of the genre and comes out a winner for the most unexpected of reasons. Both the movie and the man (make that super-man) are driven by vengeance, anger, and the existential angst of the whole "with great power comes great blah, blah, blah" thing. But The Wolverine has a sense of higher responsibility and a quietude that distinguishes it from the likes of Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, and even the numerous X-Men movies that forged its legacy. With Hugh Jackman reprising the role (for the sixth time) that made him a movie star, The Wolverine is the least like any of its predecessors for the way it prefers subdued tension and real dramatic buildup of character rather than all-out frenzied action. There are plenty of elegantly realized set pieces that make visual sense and have direct bearing on the story (not necessarily things that are a priority in other mega-budget actioners), but the moments of talk and gentler sense of introspection that director James Mangold carefully oversees are more important and equally as satisfying. The events of The Wolverine take place in the aftermath of 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, with Wolverine/Logan's grief over the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) still raw. He's become a hermit somewhere in the frozen north, still seething with inward rage. The appearance of a lethal Japanese pixie named Yukio (Rila Fukushima) distracts him with a message from an old friend who wants to say goodbye. He's whisked to an idealized, manga-inspired Japan where billionaire industrialist Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi) is about to pass on. Logan saved him near the end of World War II (a truly haunting sequence), a debt Yashida wishes to repay by relieving Logan of the curse of his immortality and the healing power of his adamantine bones (and claws). Mangold has cited numerous samurai films as inspiration, and The Wolverine stands out as a classic eastern western for the thematic elements it incorporates from Japanese cinema and the iconic American genre. The other important characters in this cunningly entertaining morality play are Yashida's beloved daughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto), who battles ethereal dream encounters with Jean Grey for Logan's heart, and his evil son Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada). There's also Yashida's creepy, statuesque doctor, who we later get to know as Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), another mutant who may actually have the power to kill Wolverine. The story is loosely based on a popular Wolverine comic series from 1982 that sets the stage for all the mythical Japanese elements, including a final battle with a scary adamantine samurai warrior-bot. Another super-cool CGI action scene is set on top of a bullet train going top speed (believe it or not, Jackman's enormous, ripped, straining, hyper-vascularized pecs and neck were not computer-enhanced). The Wolverine is an unexpected success in the year's blockbuster field for action that is in service of the story and for a temperament that pays homage to samurai ronin legends as well as James Bond-style summer-movie joyousness. That it is 2013's least superhero-clichéd comic book fantasy is also high praise. And with The Wolverine still cursed with immortality, there will no doubt be more praises as the X-Men universe continues to expand (be sure not to look away before the credits are through). --Ted Fry

Director: Patty Jenkins
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, War
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: PG-13

Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when a pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers and her true destiny.

Director: James Cox
Genre: Drama
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

The dark underside of "Boogie Nights" is tracked in "Wonderland", a sleaze-filled look at the notorious "Wonderland Murders" of 1981. The movie attempts to explain how the legendarily endowed porn actor John C. Holmes was involved in the killings, while deliberately suggesting the difficulty of knowing the truth of a murky case. The police procedural aspects turn out to be less intriguing than the weirdly hapless domestic life of Holmes (Val Kilmer at his most dazed), who despite his promiscuity continues to rely on his starchy, clean-cut wife (an unflattering role for Lisa Kudrow, but the most interesting character in the picture). Well-known actors--notably a near-unrecognizable Dylan McDermott--slouch through the story, which rather distracts from the aggressively realistic approach. In the end, the unclean aura makes one yearn for the stylized ingenuity of "Boogie Nights", or at least a reason to be watching this story this way. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Nicole Kassell
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

Kevin Bacon gives one of the best, most nuanced performances of his career in "The Woodsman", a daring and thought-provoking drama he co-produced with his wife, Kyra Sedgwick. In portraying a convicted pedophile named Walter, recently released from prison and struggling to rebuild his life, Bacon and writer-director Nicole Kassell (making her feature-film debut) do a remarkable job of exploring all facets of this troubling yet very human character, from his continuing criminal impulses to the despair he feels over having to conceal his horrible past. Sedgwick costars as the one woman who appears willing to accept Walter, secrets and all, and while "The Woodsman" takes a few regrettable shortcuts in illustrating Walter's quest for the good man he can be, the film deserves to be seen and discussed as a provocative yet admirably humane study of an individual whom society may too quickly label a "monster." The film allows for different interpretations, and that complexity--along with Bacon's performance--makes it worthy of a wide and hopefully understanding audience. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Michael Wadleigh
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

The three-day Woodstock music festival in 1969 was the pivotal event of the 1960s peace movement, and this landmark concert film is the definitive record of that milestone of rock & roll history. It's more than a chronicle of the hippie movement, however; this is a film of genuine historical and social importance, capturing the spirit of America in transition, when the Vietnam War was at its peak and antiwar protest was fully expressed through the liberating music of the time. With a brilliant crew at his disposal (including a young editor named Martin Scorsese), director Michael Wadleigh worked with over 300 hours of footage to create his original 225-minute director's cut, which was cut by 40 minutes for the film's release in 1970. Eight previously edited segments were restored in 1994, and the original director's cut of Woodstock is now the version most commonly available on videotape and DVD.
The film deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and it's still a stunning achievement. Abundant footage taken among the massive crowd ("half a million strong") expresses the human heart of the event, from skinny-dipping hippies to accidental overdoses, to unpredictable weather, midconcert childbirth, and the thoughtful (or just plain rambling) reflections of the festive participants. Then, of course, there is the music--a nonstop parade of rock & roll from the greatest performers of the period, including Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Canned Heat, The Who, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Ten Years After, Sly & The Family Stone, Santana, and many more. Watching this ambitious film, as the saying goes, is the next best thing to being there--it's a time-travel journey to that once-in-a-lifetime event. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Leszek Burzynski
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: PG

I think this movie was good for the family. It's annoying how people try to pull apart a movie from their own narrow view. For goodness sake don't disect movies, try to enjoy the movie as a regular human would!

Director: Oliver Stone
Genre: Drama
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

Regardless of whether it was "too early" in 2006 to dramatize the events of September 11th, 2001, "World Trade Center" succeeds as a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who served at "ground zero" in the wake of terrorist attacks on the WTC's twin towers in New York City. Removed from the politics of war and terrorism (yet still, like all films, inherently political in expressing its point of view), Oliver Stone's potent drama focuses on the nightmarish ordeal, and subsequent rescue, of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Peña), who were buried deeply within the rubble of the WTC after the twin towers collapsed. Granted, it's only the film's historical context that distinguishes it from any other dramatic rescue story, but in focusing on the goodness of humanity in response to the evil of terrorists who remain unnamed and off-screen, Stone and first-time screenwriter Andrea Berloff create an emotional context as powerful as anything Stone has directed since "Platoon". Even as he resorts to some questionable tactics typically lacking in subtlety, Stone refrains from much of the blunt-force filmmaking that has made him a critical punching bag, rising to this challenging occasion with a heartfelt and deeply American portrait of unity - personal, familial, and national. Flaws and all, "World Trade Center" serves an honorable purpose, reminding us all that for those fleeting days in September 2001, America showed its best face to a sympathetic world. --"Jeff Shannon"

Studio: Paramount
Rated: Unrated

Few monsters lend themselves better to allegory than the zombie. In the years since George Romero first set the shambling mold with "Night of the Living Dead", filmmakers have been using the undead as handy substitutes for concepts as varied as mall-walking consumers, punk rockers, soccer hooligans, and every political movement imaginable. (All this, plus brain chomping.) "World War Z", the mega-scale adaptation of Max Brooks's richly detailed faux-historical novel, presents a zombie apocalypse on a ginormous level never seen before on film. Somehow, however, the sheer size of the scenario, coupled with a distinct lack of visceral explicitness, ends up blunting much of the metaphoric impact. While the globe-hopping action certainly doesn't want for spectacle, viewers may find themselves wishing there was something more to, you know, chew on. Director Marc Forster and his team of screenwriters (including J. Michael Straczynski and "Lost"'s Damon Lindelof) have kept the basic gist of the source material, in which an unexplained outbreak results in a rapidly growing army of the undead. Unlike the novel's sprawling collection of unrelated narrators, however, the film streamlines the plot, following a retired United Nations investigator (Brad Pitt) who must leave his family behind in order to seek out the origins of the outbreak. While the introduction of a central character does help connect some of Brooks's cooler ideas, it also has the curious effect of narrowing the global scale of the crisis. By the time of the third act, in which Pitt finds himself under siege in a confined space, the once epic scope has decelerated into something virtually indistinguishable from any other zombie movie. Even if it's not a genre changer, though, "World War Z" still has plenty to distinguish itself, including a number of well-orchestrated set pieces--this is a movie that will never be shown on airplanes--and the performances, with Pitt's gradually eroding calm strengthened by a crew of supporting actors (including Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, and a fantastically loony David Morse) who manage to make a large impression in limited time. Most importantly, it's got those tremendous early scenes of zombie apocalypse, which display a level of frenetic chaos that's somehow both over-the-top and eerily plausible. When the fleet-footed ghouls start dogpiling en masse, even the most level-headed viewer may find themselves checking the locks and heading for the basement. "--Andrew Wright"

Director: Rob Schmidt
Genre: Horror
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

Sultry Eliza Dushku runs for her life in a snug white tanktop, pursued by inbred backwoods cannibals in "Wrong Turn". Dushku ("Bring It On", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and a clump of other attractive young people (including "Six Feet Under"'s Jeremy Sisto and Desmond Harrington of "We Were Soldiers") get waylaid in the deep West Virginia wilds by a trio of grotesque mountain men, all given realistic ugliness by makeup artist Stan Winston ("Interview with the Vampire", "Terminator 2"). "Wrong Turn" is the sort of movie where you know who's going to die by the order they appear in the credits, but fans of the inbred backwoods cannibals genre ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Hills Have Eyes") will find much to savor, particularly the scene in which Dushku and Harrington are trapped under a squalid bed while the inbred backwoods cannibals prepare one of their friends for dinner. Grisly. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Mark Obenhaus, ,
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Curb Records
Rated: NR

Wynonna's live album is a treat for listeners. This two disc live set chronicles her journey of 20 years in country music. From early hits as a member of the Judds, to her solo hits, to inspired covers, Wynonna does it all! It's great to hear her fine voice as usual, but it's also nice to hear the intimate stories she tells between songs. The stories are personal and the music is passionate. Highlights include cover songs like "I'm The Only One", "The Best", and classic hits like "Is It Over Yet", "Love Is Alive", "To Be Loved By You", etc. Vocally this is an impressive set as she goes from country to pop to blues and rock with no effort! She has an amazing voice! Wynonna is still going strong 20 years later!