BIG BUDGET FILMS
"Bandslam" (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) Music-driven teensploit about a popular cheerleader (Aly Michalka) who joins forces with the new kid in school (Gaelan Connell) and a moody loner (Vanessa Hudgens) to form a rock group in order to compete against her egotistical ex-boyfriend (Scott Porter) in a battle of the bands showdown.
"Ponyo" (G) Disney animated adventure about a young mermaid (Noah Lindsey Cyrus) who runs away from home and washes up on shore where she is befriended by a 5 year-old boy (Frankie Jonas) who promises to protect her forever. Voice cast includes Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin, Betty White and Cloris Leachman.
"The Time Traveler's Wife" (PG-13 for mature themes, nudity, sexuality and brief disturbing images) Sci-fi fairytale about the frustrations experienced by a woman (Rachel McAdams) in love with a librarian (Eric Bana) born with a genetic disorder which causes him to travel in time involuntarily.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
"Captain Abu Raed" (Unrated) Heartwarming drama about a Jordanian janitor who dreams up fanciful tales to give hope to disadvantaged children from his neighborhood after they mistake him for a worldly-wise airline pilot. (In Arabic with subtitles)
"Cloud 9" (Unrated) Viagra drama about an elderly seamstress (Ursula Werner) married for decades to a reliable bore (Horst Rehberg) who secretly embarks on a steamy affair with a very virile 76 year-old (Karl Westphal) who makes her feel young again. (In German with subtitles)
"District 9" (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Sci-fi adventure about a race of extraterrestrial refugees from a dead planet, caged in a South African slum, whose fortunes change after one of their prison guards (Sharlito Copley) contracts a DNA-changing virus which holds the key to understanding the mysterious aliens. (In English and Nyanja with subtitles)
"Earth Days" (Unrated) Nature documentary traces the evolution of the modern environmental movement from the Fifties to the first Earth Day through the recollections of nine activists who helped raise public awareness about pollution.
"The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" (R for nudity, sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity) Coarse comedy about a struggling auto dealership that hires a used-car liquidator (Jeremy Piven) to help turn their Fourth of July weekend into a profitable sales event. Cast includes Ving Rhames, James Brolin, Alan Thicke and Dr. Ken Jeong.
"Grace" (R for violence, sexuality and bloody images) Horror flick about a pregnant woman (Jordan Ladd) facing a difficult decision when her stillborn baby (Evan Lanier) is miraculously resurrected with an appetite for blood.
"I'm Gonna Explode" (Unrated) Mexican melodrama about a rebellious teen (Juan Pablo de Santiago) who kidnaps a cute classmate (Maria Deschamps) at gunpoint after faking his suicide. (In Spanish with subtitles)
"It Might Get Loud" (PG for smoking, brief profanity and mature themes) Musical documentary explores the history of the electric guitar from the perspective of three rock icons: The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White.
"My Fuhrer" (Unrated) Holocaust comedy, set in Germany in 1944, about a Jew (Ulrich Muhe) spirited out of a concentration camp by Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) in order to impersonate an ailing Adolf Hitler (Helge Schneider) to deliver a speech on New Year's Day. (In German, Hebrew and Yiddish with subtitles)
"Pool Boys" (Unrated) Raunchy buddy comedy about a pool boy and a gardener who turn an empty mansion into a house of ill repute. Cast includes Tom Arnold, George Takei and Jay Thomas.
"Spread" (R for nudity, profanity and sexuality) Romantic romp, set in L.A., about a young gigolo (Ashton Kutcher) living in a Hollywood Hills mansion with a rich, middle-aged attorney (Anne Heche) who complicates his life by falling for a gorgeous gold digger (Margarita Levieva) with a similar agenda.
"Yasukuni" (Unrated) Japanese documentary about the controversial Tokyo shrine dedicated to soldiers who died fighting for the Emperor, including war criminals who participated in the ethnic cleansing of the Chinese during WWII. (In Cantonese and Japanese with subtitles).
