Movies Forever

“The Dead Girl,” the new film from acclaimed writer/director Karen Moncrieff (”Blue Car”), is a quintet of stories about seemingly unrelated people whose lives converge around the murder of a young woman.

“The Stranger” is about the woman (Toni Collette) who finds the body. The publicity generated by the discovery creates an opening for her to break away from her abusive mother’s (Piper Laurie) control and form an unlikely bond with the mysterious Rudy (Giovanni Ribisi).

“The Sister,” a forensics graduate student (Rose Byrne), is torn between her mother’s (Mary Steenburgen) pressure to hold onto hope for her abducted sister’s return and her longing to move forward with her own life. When she examines the dead girl, she is convinced that she has found the body of her missing sister, finally releasing her from her burden.

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From the creative mind of talented filmmaker Luc Besson (”La Femme Nikita,” “The Fifth Element”), comes a larger-than-life, family adventure about a boy who, after his grandfather disappears, sets out to save his family home from emerging real estate developers. Arthur learns that he must follow his grandfather’s ancient clues to a vast treasure – and unlock the passageway to a spectacular new world filled with mysterious little people, so tiny they are considered invisible, and enlist their help. But once in the magical land, Arthur must join swords with a beautiful princess and a reckless army of defenders to save the land from the evil wizard. It seems like an impossible task, but as he discovers along the way, sometimes the smallest heroes can make the biggest difference.

Using a dazzling new combination of live-action and ground-breaking CGI technology, “Arthur and the Invisibles” is the story about the true meaning of courage and the endless power of imagination. The film is scheduled for release on January 12, 2007, and stars Mia Farrow and Freddie Highmore, featuring the voices of Madonna, David Bowie and Snoop Dog. “Arthur and the Invisibles” was written and directed by Luc Besson and is based on the best selling children’s book, “Arthur and the Minimoys.”

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Based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Süskind, “Perfume” is a story of murder and obsession set in 18th-century France.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille has used his unique talent for discerning the scents and smells that swirl around him to create the world’s finest perfumes, but his talent masks his burden. An orphan from birth, Grenouille has always felt alone in the world and different from any other person. Determined to connect with others, Grenouille tries to capture the irresistible but elusive aroma of young womanhood, traveling far and delving deeper into the intricate science of perfume-making. As he becomes increasingly – and recklessly – passionate about his art, his obsession to create the world’s most powerful fragrance takes a deadly turn.

Ben Whishaw, the young British actor who received rave reviews for his performance in “Hamlet” at the Old Vic in London, stars in the central role of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, the murderer on the hunt for the perfect scent. The film also stars Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman (”Sense & Sensibility,” the “Harry Potter” franchise), Rachel Hurd-Wood (2003’s “Peter Pan”) and two-time Academy Award® winner Dustin Hoffman (”Rain Man,” “Kramer vs. Kramer”).

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The greatest underdog story of our time is back for one final round of the Academy Award-winning “Rocky” franchise, former heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era. After a virtual boxing match declares Rocky Balboa the victor over current champion Mason “The Line” Dixon, the legendary fighter’s passion and spirit are reignited. But when his desire to fight in small, regional competitions is trumped by promoters calling for a rematch of the cyber-fight, Balboa must weigh the mental and physical risks of a high profile exhibition match against his need to be in the ring.

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How does artist Matthew Barney use 45,000 pounds of petroleum jelly, a factory whaling vessel, and traditional Japanese rituals to create his latest art project?

Barney plowed the waters off the coast of Nagasaki to film his massive endeavor, “Drawing Restraint 9.” The documentary “Matthew Barney: No Restraint” journeys to Japan with Barney and his collaborator Björk, as the visual artist creates a “narrative sculpture” telling a fantastical love story of two characters that transform from land mammals into whales.

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Sixty-one years ago, U.S. and Japanese armies met on Iwo Jima. Decades later, several hundred letters are unearthed from that stark island’s soil. The letters give faces and voices to the men who fought there, as well as the extraordinary general who led them, Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe). With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of the island itself, Gen. Kuribayashi’s unprecedented tactics transform what was predicted to be a quick and bloody defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat.

In an effort to explore an event that continues to resonate with both cultures, Clint Eastwood was haunted by the sense that making only one film, “Flags of Our Fathers,” would be telling only half the story. With this unprecedented dual film project, shot back-to-back to be released in sequence, Eastwood seeks to reveal the battle of Iwo Jima–and, by implication, the war in the Pacific–as a clash not only of arms but of cultures.

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It’s Christmas Eve and five kids have just been snowed in at the airport — and there isn’t a parent in sight. Unaccompanied Minors follows awkward Spencer (Dyllan Christopher), rich-girl Grace (Gina Mantegna), tomboy Donna (Quinn Shephard), geeky Charlie (Tyler James Williams) and bashful Beef (Brett Kelly) as they try to outwit a disgruntled airport official (Lewis Black) and reunite with their families. Using “borrowed” golf-carts, a canoe on a snow hill and the help of a reluctant flight attendant (Wilmer Valderrama), these kids are about to prove the holidays aren’t about where you are, but who you’re with.

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In “Screamers,” Garapedian traces the history of modern-day genocide - and genocide denial – from the fertile “Holy Mountains” of Anatolia to the current atrocities in Darfur. The documentary is as shattering as it is powerful, which includes live performance footage and interviews with System of a Down, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning rock band, all of whose members are of Armenian descent. The film is laced with seven of the band’s songs from “Holy Mountains” to “P.L.U.C.K.” to the #1 hit “B.Y.O.B.” that illuminate the band’s views on political and social issues

Carla Garapedian (the acclaimed director/producer of such documentaries as “Lifting the Veil,” and “Children of the Secret State”) weaves an intricate tapestry of historical footage, current day interviews of survivors who witnessed the Ottoman Turks genocide against those of Armenian decent in 1915, their relatives, concert footage, and even footage of a confronted Dennis Hastert in the Capital Rotunda! Garapedian’s documentary shows without ambivalence that until we truly recognize our past, our history is doomed to repeat itself.

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“Off the Black” is a coming-of-age story of teenager Dave Tibbel (Morgan) who copes with his own distant father (Timothy Hutton) by forming an unlikely friendship with a disheveled, irascible high school umpire, Ray Cooke (Nolte). As they grow more dependent on each other, Ray asks Dave to go to his 40th high school reunion and pretend to be his son, a benevolent act of deception that winds up opening unexpected dimensions in the two men.

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Actress Monica St. John, her boyfriend Dwayne and six other close friends head for a weekend escape at a remote cabin in the mountains. Along the way, they pick up Dwayne’s ex-con cousin Troy. Monica’s agent arrives uninvited with his date, hoping to convince Monica to renew her contract. A severe thunderstorm moves in. While there, a news story seems to implicate Troy in a brutal murder. Just as Dwayne professes Troy’s innocence, the lights go out and folk start dying. Is it Troy the convict, Greg the agent, Dwayne the boyfriend, or one of the “hater” friends? No one knows who’s next.

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