DVDS THIS WEEK

Last updated: Tuesday, October 16, 2007

DVDS THIS WEEK

Release Date: October 16, 2007

GRINDHOUSE

Cast: Kurt Russell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, Stacy Ferguson

Synopsis: Married doctors William and Dakota Block (Brolin and Shelton) find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by gangrenous sores and a suspiciously vacant look in their eyes. Among the wounded is Cherry (Rose McGowan), a go-go dancer whose leg was ripped from her body during a roadside attack. Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), her former significant other, is at her side and watching her back. Cherry may be down, but she hasn’t danced her last number. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors, Cherry and Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night, hurtling towards a destiny that will leave millions infected, countless dead, and a lucky few struggling to find the last safe corner of PLANET TERROR.

Trailer (QuickTime)

THE HOAX

Cast: Alfred Molina, Julie Delpy, Marcia Gay Harden, Richard Gere, Stanley Tucci

Synopsis: Golden Globe® winner Richard Gere* (SHALL WE DANCE?, CHICAGO) leads a stellar cast in THE HOAX, the thrilling and unbelievably true story of the man who almost pulled off the biggest literary con of the 20th century. When the charismatic Clifford Irving (Gere) convinces a major publishing house that Howard Hughes, the bigger-than-life billionaire recluse, has asked Irving to pen his authorized autobiography, Irving must concoct an elaborate scheme to prove his fake manuscript is real. Inspired by Irving's tell-all book THE HOAX, and directed by Lasse Hallström (CHOCOLAT), this tensely comedic story of deception, international intrigue, powerful corporate empires and beautiful women is a wild ride down the slippery slope of a lie run amuck.

THE INVISIBLE

Cast: Justin Chatwin, Marcia Gay Harden, Amber Borycki, Benita Ha, Michelle Harrison

Synopsis: From the producers of THE SIXTH SENSE comes the gripping suspense-filled mystery, THE INVISIBLE. Nick Powell is a handsome young writer with a future as bright as he is. Then one tragic night he's brutally attacked and left for dead -- but he's really not. He's trapped in a ghostly limbo where no one can see or hear him except Annie, the one person who might be able to save him. They must work quickly together to solve the mystery of his murder before it is too late, and Nick's chance to live again is lost forever.

Trailer (QuickTime)

A MIGHTY HEART

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Archie Panjabi, Dan Futterman, Denis O'Hare, Will Patton

Synopsis: On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl’s world changed forever. Her husband Daniel, the South Asia Bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned. In the face of death, Danny’s spirit of defiance and his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write about his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual murderer in her memoir A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl. Six months pregnant when the ordeal began, she was carrying a son that Danny hoped to name Adam. She wrote the book to introduce Adam to the father he would never meet. Transcending religion, race and nationality, Mariane’s courageous desire to rise above the bitterness and hatred that continues to plague this post 9/11 world, serves as the purest expression of the joy of life she and Danny shared. Starring Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted) as Mariane Pearl, and Dan Futterman, Oscar®-nominated for his Capote screenplay, as Daniel Pearl, A Mighty Heart is directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Road to Guantanamo, Tristram Shandy) and produced by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner for Plan B Entertainment (Year of the Dog, THE Departed) and Andrew Eaton for Revolution Films (The Road to Guantanamo). John Orloff (BAND OF BROTHERS) wrote the screenplay.

In addition to Jolie and Futterman, A Mighty Heart stars Irrfan Khan (The Namesake), Tony Award winner Denis O’Hare (“Take Me Out”), Archie Panjabi (Bend It Like Beckham), Will Patton (Remember the Titans), Pakistani television star Adnan Siddiqui (Amer Bail), and Obie Award winner Gary Wilmes (“Red Light Winter”). The film’s behind-the-scenes artists are all Winterbottom veterans, including director of photography Marcel Zyskind (The Road to Guantanamo), production designer Mark Digby (The Road to Guantanamo), editor Peter Christelis (CODE 46), and costume designer Charlotte Walter (TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK & BULL STORY). The night Danny disappeared, Mariane kept vigil with Asra Nomani, an old friend and colleague of Danny’s at the WSJ, living in Karachi. Both women were seasoned international journalists with formidable investigative skills, but they were also foreign women in a country that had become increasingly volatile since September 11. By dawn, they knew they were facing a crisis that required strong allies fully briefed on Pakistan’s proliferating terrorist cells, its byzantine bureaucracy and its notorious Inter-Services-Intelligence agency (I.S.I.). Dozens of local investigators swarmed the house that morning, including a man called Captain, the then head of Pakistan’s brand new counter-terrorism unit. With Asra’s house as headquarters, Captain’s men, along with an American diplomatic security agent, two Journal colleagues and the FBI, dedicated themselves to the search. After five harrowing weeks, amidst escalating media frenzy, they found the kidnappers. Among them was the known militant Omar Saeed Sheikh, aka “Bashir,” the go-between who had offered Danny information relating to the shoe bomber story. Then came the devastating news that Danny had been brutally murdered weeks earlier.

Mariane and Danny believed that by bearing witness to events and allowing all voices to be heard, truthful journalism could bridge communities in conflict. Mariane has remained devoted to this principle, refusing to succumb to hate or fear. After Danny’s death, she went home to her native France to await Adam’s birth. She and Adam now live in Paris, France.

Trailer (QuickTime)

MY BEST FRIEND

Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon, Julie Durand, Julie Gayet

Synopsis: François is a middle-aged antique dealer. He has a stylish apartment and a fabulous life, but at a dinner with a group he considers his dearest acquaintances, he is blindsided by the revelation that none of them actually likes him. He’s arrogant, self-centered and harsh, and they don’t believe he knows the meaning of friendship. His business partner Catherine makes him a bet: if he can produce his best friend, she will let him keep the massive Greek vase he acquired that afternoon on the company tab. If not, it’s hers. Having accepted the wager, François naively tears through his address book, trying to shoehorn an increasingly unlikely series of contacts into the all-important role. Moving through Paris, he keeps encountering a trivia-spouting, big-hearted cabbie named Bruno. Bruno’s chatty, lowbrow ways grate against François’s designer temperament, but he covets the other man’s easy way with people. He convinces Bruno to teach him how to make friends and sets about learning the “three S’s” – being sociable, smiling and sincere – though they don’t come easy. Ultimately, François victory will depend on Bruno's naiveté in playing along, but what's the cost of cheating at friendship? Patrice Leconte, one of France's most renowned writer-directors, has often explored the theme of friendship in his award-winning films including MAN ON THE TRAIN, INTIMATE STRANGERS and THE HAIRDRESSER¹S HUSBAND. He leapt to international attention with the highly praised MONSIEUR HIRE, his ninth feature - but his first drama - and followed it with films known for their wit, swift pace and visual elegance. His other hit films include RIDICULE, THE WIDOW OF SAINT-PIERRE, and the comedies that propelled him as one of France's most talented comedy writers/directors, LES BRONZES and its sequels LES BRONZES FONT DU SKI and LES BRONZES 3: FRIENDS FOR LIFE.

MY BEST FRIEND marks the third time that Daniel Auteuil stars in a film by Patrice Leconte following GIRL ON THE BRIDGE and THE WIDOW OF SAINT-PIERRE. One of France's most beloved and prolific French stars, Auteuil is best known to American audiences for his roles in the recent CACHE by Michael Haneke and the classic Claude Berri films JEAN DE FLORETTE and MANON OF THE SPRING. He has worked with many of France's best directors, including André Techiné (THE THIEVES, MA SAISON PREFEREE,) Patrice Chéreau (QUEEN MARGOT), Claude Sautet (A HEART IN WINTER) and Francis Veber in the upcoming THE VALET.

Trailer (QuickTime)

THE REAPING

Cast: Hilary Swank, AnnaSophia Robb, David Morrissey, Idris Elba, Samuel Garland

Synopsis: Investigative scholar Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is a debunker of modern 'miracles,' bringing scientific light to superstition and fraud. But events in tiny Haven, Louisiana, defy even her expertise. There, the 10 Biblical Plagues seem to be reoccurring. And the more she seeks answers, the more she questions her own beliefs. Two-time Academy Award (R) winner Swank headlines this electrifying Dark Castle Entertainment production that reaps locusts, frogs, a river of blood and more - all to eye-filling, fear-inducing, heart-probing, must-see effect.

RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL

Cast: Amanda Righetti, Cerina Vincent, Andrew Lee Potts, Erik Palladino, Tom Riley

Synopsis: Sarah Wolfe was the only living survivor from the massacre at the Vanacutt Mansion, but no one believed her claims that ghosts were responsible for the gruesome murders that took place there. Now her recent and questionable suicide leaves her sister, Ariel, no choice but to devote herself to finding out who - or what - was responsible for her death. Ariel discovers that Sarah sent her the diary of the sadistic Dr. Vanacutt just before she died, offering clues to the diabolical evil that resides within the house. But the diary also makes Ariel a target in a deadly treasure hunt that leads a group of unwitting victims back to the Vanacutt Mansion, reawakening the terror imprisoned within the house on the hill.This time, the house and the evil spirits inside are out to make sure that no one leaves alive.

SHOW BUSINESS

Cast: Alan Cumming, Boy George, Kristin Chenoweth, Rosie ODonnell, Idina Menzel

Synopsis: Over the course of one Broadway musical season (2003-2004), 'ShowBusiness' follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical: a big-noise musical named 'Wicked,' the Rosie O'Donnell/Boy George collaboration, 'Taboo,' the much-anticipated Tony Kushner musical, 'Caroline, or Change,' and an irreverent puppet show named 'Avenue Q.' From casting to staging, from previews to red-carpeted opening nights, from the announcement of Tony nominations to the suspense-filled Tony Awards, 'ShowBusiness' provides a never-before-seen look at the inner workings of Broadway musicals. Allowed unprecedented backstage access, director Dori Berinstein casts a camera's eye on rehearsals, backstage highs and lows, and the mysterious and wondrous creative process. Featuring a star-studded array of Broadway icons as well as ambitious new faces, 'ShowBusiness' proves that 2003-2004 was truly a season to remember.

Trailer (QuickTime)

TRANSFORMERS

Cast: Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor, Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson

Synopsis: From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes a thrilling battle between the heroic Autobots® and the evil Decepticons®. When their epic struggle comes to Earth, all that stands between the Decepticons® and ultimate power is a clue held by young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Unaware that he is mankind's last chance for survival, Sam and Bumblebee, his robot disguised as a car, are in a heart-pounding race against an enemy unlike anything anyone has seen before. It's the incredible, breath-taking film spectacular that USA Today says 'will appeal to the kid in all of us.'

Trailer (Windows Media)

Source: CelebrityWonder.com

| Tuesday, October 16, 2007

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