This Week's Releases...

Releasing Friday July 18th

In Wide Release:

First up, the Dark Knight, which has been a powerhouse of antcipation for the last year with viral marketing and with the recent tragic death of Heath Ledger. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who also did the highly praised Batman Begins, has alot of hype surrounding his newest film. It has recieved 88% positive review on Rotten Tomatoes and based on all of the ticket pre-sales, may be the biggest grossing comicbook film of all time. This time around Bats squares off against the villain setup at the end of Batman Begins, The Joker!

Mamma Mia! is the beloved musical that has been adapted to the screen. The film features music from the sweedish superpop group ABBA and follows the story follows a bride-to-be trying to find her real father. The play was largely successful and has been adapted into 8 different languages on stage. The film is sure to make some money but will definately coem in second next to Dark Knight.

Last up in wide release is, Space Chimps. This film looks terrible and none of my 3 boys (all within the age range) do not want to see it. This should flop, but for families that feel Dark Knight is too intense for their kids, they may take them to Space Chimps instead. The film follows 3 chimps who are sent into space by a opportunity seeking senator.



In Limited Release:

Avant Que J'oublie (Before I Forget) is a potrait of a 58-year-old man battling his inner demons on the search for self-discovery. This is a tale of a downward spiraling gay gigolo, struggling to cope with his advancing age, poverty, loneliness, writers block, and the increasing complications of HIV disease. When his wealthy benefactor dies after thirty years of lavish support, his inheritance is challenged by the benefactor’s family, leaving him destitute. Underscoring his every move is the fear of being forgotten, or worse: dying back where he started – on the streets. Young hustlers, drugs, alcohol, and countless cigarettes provide momentary distractions, but ultimately, he must face his inner demons in order to be free of them.

A rookie cop teams up with a former detective with a supernatural gift to hunt down a serial killer. Lau Ching-wan plays the title character, a loopy police inspector who solves cases by seeing a suspect's inner "ghosts." After a long absence from the force for mental-health reasons, he is brought back to track down a missing officer.


Filmed at Reed’s December 2006 performances of his rock opera, Berlin, at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse. A Brechtian tale of junkies in love, Berlin was a commercial failure when it was first released in 1973; Reed did not perform it again for 33 years. Here he is backed up by a 35-piece ensemble that includes guitarist Steve Hunter, who performed on the original album, and vocalist Antony, front man for Antony and the Johnsons, who sings a sublime version of “Candy Says,” one of three non-Berlin songs in the film. Schnabel sets this live performance against stage sets of his own design and complements Reed’s romantic, doom-laden lyrics with dreamy, evocative filmed visuals by his daughter Lola Schnabel, starring French actress Emmanuelle Seigner as the songs’ heroine, Caroline. Veteran cinematographer Ellen Kuras gives the film a gritty, intimate look that matches Reed’s in-your-face persona and hard-as-nails voice.

Ana (Minnie Driver) is a mother - desperate to save her marriage and keep from losing her son to a world where he doesn’t belong. Saul (Jeremy Renner) is a gambling addict – out a job, out of money, and out of time to pay his debts. In an instant, these unlikely strangers’ lives collide in unspeakable tragedy. Years later, Ana finds herself driving through the desert to witness Saul’s execution, while Saul waits out his final hours. As the two are once again brought together, they are caught in the memory of the fateful day when their lives first became permanently intertwined.