Hitting the theaters
Playing Sept. 12 – Sept. 18
Babylon A.D. – Toorop (Vin Diesel) is a mercenary who believes he would never give his life for anyone else, until he meets Aurora (Melanie Thierry). He is hired to protect the teenager as they journey from Russia to America, though he doesn’t know why the girl he is escorting is so valuable. The film challenges the validity of religion as well as the benefits of technology and cloning in its futuristic world, but it falls short of meeting expectations with its abrupt ending. Also starring Michelle Yeoh and Gerard Depardieu. Action, PG-13.
Bangkok Dangerous – Joe (Nicolas Cage) is a hitman who has several jobs to carry off in Thailand, but his plans are interrupted when he falls for a Thai woman and bonds with an errand boy. The movie, directed by Danny Pang and Oxide Pang Chun, is based on a 1999 Hong Kong film, where the men got their start in the industry. Action, R.
Brick Lane – When a young Bangladeshi woman leaves her home for an arranged marriage in 1980s London, she feels trap. She deals with the life she has ended up with until she meets a hotheaded young man. Drama, PG-13.
Burn After Reading – The latest film from bothers Ethan and Joel Coen promises to be as much of a screwball as all their other movies. A CIA agent loses a disk with his memoirs, and it ends up in the hands of two gym employees who plan to sell it. The film stars Coen regulars George Clooney and Frances McDormand, as well as Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton. Comedy, R.
Death Race – In the future, the most popular sport will be a race to the death involving cars. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is a former convict who is forced into just such a race by the warden (Joan Allen) of a prison. He must find a way to survive the death match. Action, R.
Disaster Movie – Written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, this movie spoofs every Hollywood film about a natural – or not so natural – disaster as a group of 20-somethings try to escape each catastrophe. Starring Vanessa Minnillo, Kimberly Kardashian and Tony Cox. Comedy, PG-13.
House Bunny – Shelly (Anna Faris) is a past her prime Playboy bunny who has just been kicked out of the mansion. She takes on employment as a house mom for a group of misfit sorority girls instead of finding a real job and place to live. Soon she finds she has more to offer the girls than she thought, and they have more to offer her. Also starring Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings and Julia Lea Wolov. Comedy, PG-13.
The Longshots – Who says girls can’t play football? Jasmine Plummer (Keke Palmer) became the first girl to play in a Pop Warner Super Bowl when she and her uncle Curtis Plummer (Ice Cube) challenged the norm. Comedy, PG
Righteous Kill – Years ago two detectives (Al Pacino and Robert De Niro) put a man behind bars for murder. Now they have a new murder to solve that bears some similarities to the long solved case. They must discover if they have a serial killer on their hands and if they put the wrong man behind bars all those years ago. Crime drama, R.
Traitor – When FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) investigates an international conspiracy, all fingers seem to point at Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), a former CIA agent. Also starring Archie Panjabi and Jeff Daniels. Drama, PG-13.
Tropic Thunder – Ben Stiller directed and wrote this film, with Justin Theroux, about a group of actors who head into the jungle to get into character for a movie. When they are captured by rebels, they don’t realize it’s not just a movie anymore. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and Steve Coogan and Stiller. Comedy, R.
Tyler Perry’s Family That Preys – Though Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard) works for socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) the two have always been friends. That is until their adult children draw them into scandal that will test their friendship and family ties. Also starring Sanaa Lathan, Cole Hauser and Kadee Strickland. Comedy, PG-13.
The Women – Based on a 1939 film by George Cukor, this updated version has a wealthy New York woman leaving her cheating husband to bond with other society women at a resort. The film stars Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Bette Midler and plenty of other well-known females. Comedy, PG-13.
Hitting the couch
Movies out on DVD and Blu-Ray Sept. 16
Made of Honor – After years of playing the field Tom (Patrick Dempsey) has finally realized he is in love with his best girlfriend Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). When he finally gets ready to reveal the truth to her, she announces she is engaged to another man and wants him to be her maid of honor. Romantic comedy, PG-13. On DVD and Blu-ray
Speed Racer – For those who remember the cartoon, Speed Racer comes to life in the new film by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) wants to win the cross-country car race that took his older brother’s life. Also starring Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon. Action, PG. On DVD and Blu-ray
Young@heart – This documentary directed by Stephen Walker collows the Young at Heart Chorus, a choir of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs. On DVD.
88 Minutes – A forensic psychiatrist is threatened by a man condemnced for serial killing based on his testimony. Starring Al Pacino, Alicia Witt and Neal McDonough. Crime thriller, R. On DVD and Blu-ray
The Love Guru – Pitka (Mike Myers) is an American who was raised by gurus in another country. He returns to the United States to start a self-help business. He soon finds himself helping a hockey player (Justin Timberlake)whose career and love life are on the rocks. Also starring Jessica Alba, with cameos by Deepak Chopra and Rob Blake. Comedy, PG-13. On DVD and Blu-ray
Television series on DVD Sept. 16
Pushing Daisies season one – Ned (Lee Pace) discovered at a young age that he had an uncanny knack for bringing things back to life, but only at the cost of something else. He has learned to control his power – and uses it only to help solve crimes with a private investigator (Chi McBride). But Ned’s life becomes a lot more complicated when an old love comes back into the picture. The series is created by the same man who thought up “Dead Like Me” and “Wonderfalls,” so expect an unexpected world in the show. On DVD and Blu-ray
Torchwood season two – For those who haven’t seen it, “Torchwood” is a sci-fi series that aires on BBC America and it has plenty of humor and thrills. Torchwood is a secret government agency that controls traffic between a rift in the space-time continuum. The staff includes Capt. Jack (John Barrowman) as well as Gwen (Eve Myles), Owen (Burn Gorman), Toshiko (Naoko Mori), and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd), who all have their invididual strengths. Some of the special effects seem pedantic, and the characters do seem to always be making out with each other, but it is a funny show.
