RUN FATBOY RUN (2008)

Dennis (Simon Pegg) is a little on the hefty side. He also, quite stupidly, leaves his fiancé at the alter on their wedding day. Several years later, he realizes he left the love of his life and becomes determined that the only way to win her back is to run a marathon, something he's not quite in shape for.

Release Date: March 28, 2008




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MEET BILL 2008

Bill (Aaron Eckhart) is a total schlub who is married to the beautiful Jess (Elizabeth Banks) and who works for his father-in-law's (Holmes Osborne) bank. When Jess starts having an affair with a handsome news reporter (Timothy Olyphant), Bill is ready to give up on life until a cocky high school student (Logan Lerman) encourages him to win her back. To accomplish this feat, Bill pretends to date a hot lingerie salesgirl (Jessica Alba) in order to make Jess jealous and to finally see him as a real man again.
Release Date April 4, 2008 — limited; May 9, 2008 —: wide
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UNDER THE SAME MOON (La Misma Luna)

Rosario (Kate del Castillo) is an illegal immigrant who had to leave her son, Carlitos (Adrian Alonso), behind in Mexico to find work in the U.S. After working dutifully for several years and sending money back home for Carlitos, Rosario goes on a dangerous journey to be reunited with her son. Plus, unbeknownst to her, little Carlitos takes off to find his mother.

Drillbit Taylor comes from the quite remarkable team that brought 40 Year Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Walk Hard. While this movie doesn't quite live up to their ideals, it still is an enjoyable 2 hours.

The plot revolves around 3 students and their horrifying treatment at the hands of a couple of uber-bullies. Enter Drillbit Taylor ( Owen Wilson )- a man who is basically a bum who just wants to at first fleece the kids so that he go to Canada to start anew. However the more he gets entangled in the story, the more he begins to care for the 3 kids.

The plot is incredibly predictable and doesn't really go anywhere amazing. The three kids themselves too are very similar to the three kids from Superbad; just younger. Whether this was a conscious decision or not, it sorta makes the movie have to stand in comparison with Superbad and unfortunately it doesn't have Superbad's black humour. What it does have though is some nice little comic set pieces, particularly in the middle of the film which are helped by Owen Wilson, who seems to be able to play his part effortlessly.

This is a movie that will never set the world on fire, but what it does do is raise a laugh or two without offending anyone ( quite new ground for Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen ). For their first real

go at a family film, it does OK.

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Cloverfield (2008)

If you haven't heard by now Cloverfield is a film about a giant monster attacking Manhattan all seen through the perspective of a 20-something's hand-held camera. The film has been hyped for months via viral marketing, JJ Abrams fan boys, and media coverage/ monster speculation. Did it live up to the hype? The answer is OH GOD YES Cloverfield is by far the most intense monster film I have ever seen in my lifetime, after the initial 15 minutes of character introduction and whatnot the film does not go 5 minutes without a HOLY CRAP moment. Constantly driving you to the edge of your seat at every turn and it really pulls no punches, I was surprised to learn it was rated PG13. Now the film is entirely filmed in shaky cam since you cant really survive a monster attack pushing a trolley around and it just works, you may get motion sickness though so be warned. The camera itself becomes a character of the film as it IS the viewer making everything happening on-screen more and more realistic. Now the acting is amateur but thats for the best considering that the film would have made no sense if they had used big name actors/actresses, the characters are not that deep either and mostly serve as fodder, comic relief, moral guidance, panic, commentary, puzzlement, a little bit of annoyance, in other words they're people surviving a monster attack. The presentation is brilliant, the only music heard is in the party and at the ending credits and the special effects are some of the most seamless stuff you'll ever see in a film. The monster itself is actually not seen in its entirety only being viewed from different angles for the audience to piece it together as the survivors themselves are, you pretty much know as much as they do about everything going on making you actually feel like you're there. Critics compare the film to Blair Witch meets Godzilla but it is so much more than that, Cloverfield is the definitive American Monster Film, best if seen on the opening weekend just to hear the audience's reactions not to mention the presentation is far greater on the big screen, watch it again to see the things you missed or just to enjoy the ride again, admittedly the shock value will wane with multiple viewings but for what it's worth Cloverfield is an excellent piece of film and special effect engineering and is the first great monster film of the millennium. Its also downright scary at parts. 8/10

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21 (2008)

This film screened at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. It is a reasonable well-made based-on-a-true-story film that tells the story of a group of MIT students who attempt to make a fortune counting cards in Vegas. The screenplay apparently plays pretty fast-and-loose with the version told in the book. Never-the-less, the acting is excellent - especially Jim Sturgess in the role of the lead student. Honestly, his accent was so good that I didn't realize - until he came on stage afterward - that he was British. He does a great job with the mannerisms to give you a real sense of the character's evolution. Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne are solid - although Fishburne's role is fairly small. The minor characters are not as well-developed as they could have been. The cinematography of both Boston and Las Vegas is quite good, especially on the big screen. It's an interesting story, but they could have edited down a bit to make it move a little quicker. This is a good film, but it probably could have been a lot better.

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Sleepwalking

Bill Maher's directorial debut 'Sleepwalking' follows a 12 year old Tara (AnnaSophia Robb) as tries to come to terms with her mother Jolene's (Charlize Theron) recent abandonment. In the process we're introduced to James (Nick Stahl) Tara's uncle and Jolene's brother. In the process Jolene and Tara wind up staying with James (a stunning Nick Stahl), Jolene's brother and Tara's uncle. Jolene one day disappears, she sends a letter saying that she has a plan and she'll be back in a month for Tara's birthday. Tara doesn't take this lightly; James however sees this as an opportunity to do some good, the pair then sets off on a departure from their everyday lives. Events unfold and Tara and James drive to James' father's farm expecting it to be a safe haven for themselves. Mr. Reedy (Dennis Hopper) is James' dad. When they finally arrive to the farm it turns out to be a hellish location set specifically for the all too predictable climax.

Sleepwalking has terrible camera work. It's one of the main problems with it. Its shot like a sappy Lifetime movie, close-up after close-up in the film's most pivotal scenes tires the audience. Another one of the problems is the quantity of unnecessary dialog and scenes that the film subjects the viewers to. Does the viewer really care that much about Jolene's ex boyfriend's nickname? No, they care about the plot and it moving on solidly.

The main highlight is Nick Stahl as James. He makes you feel for his character in ways I've never felt for a character before. He is simple minded and very caring, but those traits make it so that he never comes out on top. He led a very simple life as well before Tara came into his life for such a long period of time. How she transforms his character is interesting and Stahl displays it all. AnnaSophia Robb is also great as the young vixen who we watch. She shows again that she has a great potential for more serious and dramatic work in the years to come. In one of the film's best scenes she glides around skates, smoking cigarette acting reminiscent of Heather Graham's infamous Roller Girl. The boys all gawk as she smoothly moves around the pull, acting out of her age range and becoming more mature with each puff we understand that her character is perhaps doomed to end up like her mother. There is hope that she won't though hidden deep in James, just like her mother she just wants someone to show her that they love and care for her.

The film's two most prolific actors, legendary Dennis Hopper and the incomparable Charlize Theron disappoint a bit in their roles. Hopper's character is dry and bitter, Hopper plays him right but the overall deliver is still short of what it could be. Theron not only acted but also played producer to the film, however I think she should have stayed in the producer's chair for this one. Her character is a supporting one and she plays her right but you feel unsatisfied by her performance because there's not that much there.

Overall, Sleepwalking as a very bland film that could've much more if it had stayed more focused and less cliché at parts. Although, after the sleepwalk you'll remember it as a decent dream.

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Semi-Pro

The American Basketball Association is on the verge of collapse, and when a former NBA benchwarmer returns to his hometown of Flint, MI, to whip his former team into shape for the playoffs, redemption is just a free throw away in this period sports comedy starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. Penned by Old School scribe Scot Armstrong, Semi-Pro tells the tale of a 1970s-era basketball player who doesn't have much luck in the NBA, but vows to leave his mark on the sport by coaching the Flint Tropics. When the upstart ABA league agrees to be absorbed by the NBA, only four teams will be allowed in. Jackie Moon must orchestrate a successful season both on the court, and financially off the court with the help of many odd promotional events, in order to remain in the sport he loves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Battle for Haditha

Dramatising real events using a documentary style, "Battle for Haditha" is Broomfield‘s follow up to Ghosts. The film begins with some Marines from different ethnic backgrounds talking to camera about the bitter experience of the war in Iraq. All are genuine veterans no longer with the Marine Corps, playing people much like themselves and improvising a deal of the dialogue. The film focuses on an incident that occurred shortly after the Battle of Haditha in the Iraq War. On November 19, 2005, twenty–four Iraqis were killed in Haditha, a city in the western Iraq province of Al Anbar. At least fifteen, and allegedly all, of those killed were non–combatant civilians. All are alleged to have been killed by a group of 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb. The Iraqis appeared to have been shot by marines searching for still–dangerous insurgents concealed within the local population. Filmed in Jordan, using genuine ex–marines playing the soldiers‘ roles. This film shows the marines themselves not as hateful murderers, but bored, excitable and very scared young people driven to the edge by the intolerable daily burden of patrols in which they are sitting ducks.
Release Date: 17/03/2008
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Jumper

Davey lives alone with his father. But the truth is, it isn‘t much of a home. When things get so bad that Davey decides to run away, his big question is, Where? And how will he live? The magical answer is anywhere Davey wants! Davey discovers he has the power to jump from one place to another. Not just a few feet. But hundreds, even thousands of miles! And as Davey explores his new power he learns that the world is literally his for the taking But there are consequences too, as Davey will learn..

Davey discovers that his ability to "jump" and transport himself anywhere is a genetic anomaly. He finds that it has existed throughout history and becomes involved in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who swear to kill them.

Those who hunt the Jumpers are known as Paladins, an ancient sect who have long recognised the threat that Jumpers pose to the world. Paladins have the ability to sense when a Jumper is near and about to jump. They also have weapons to stop them. Cox (Samuel L. Jackson) is the leader of the Paladins and he warns Davey that jumping comes with consequences.

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HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
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The Spiderwick Chronicles

From the beloved best-selling series of books comes “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what’s really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and the creatures that inhabit it. --© Paramount Pictures
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The Bank JOB

Terry (Jason Statham) is a car dealer who just wants to put his old crooked life behind him and start all over with a new family. However, when Martine (Saffron Burrows) offers him the job of a lifetime — robbing a bank on London's famous Baker Street — Terry can't resist. After breaking into the bank and stealing cash and jewelry from dozens of safety deposit boxes, only then does Terry find out what he's really being used to steal: sexy photos taken of a royal family member. Based on a true story.
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Horton Hears A Who!

A new CG animated feature film from 20th Century Fox Animation, the makers of the 'Ice Age' films, based on the beloved book, first published in 1954, by Ted Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Seuss books are among the defining works of family literature, have sold over 200 million copies, and have been translated into fifteen languages. The 'Horton' series ('Horton Hears a Who,' 'Horton Hatches the Egg') are consistently among the top-selling of all Seuss titles – generation after generation. 'Horton Hears a Who' is about an imaginative elephant who hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community which thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help.
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Shrek the Third

Casting: Mike Myers - Shrek Eddie Murphy - Donkey
Cameron Diaz - Princess Fiona Antonio Banderas - Puss in Boots

When Shrek married Fiona, the last thing he had in mind was becoming the next King. But when Shrek's father-in-law, King Harold, suddenly croaks, that is exactly what he faces. Unless Shrek (with the help of his trusted companions Donkey and Puss In Boots) can find a suitable King for Far Far Away, the ogre could be stuck with the job. The most promising candidate, Fiona's cousin Artie, an underachieving Medieval high school slacker, proves to be more of a challenge than they bargained for.

source: aol.com

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College Road Trip

Choosing which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time of a young womans life ... unless your overprotective father isnt quite ready to let you go. In this family comedy, Melanie (Raven-Symoné) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step towards independence when she plans a girls only road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overbearing police chief father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip has turned into a nightmare adventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil.

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No Country For Old Men

The time is our own, when rustlers have given way to drug-runners and small towns have become free-fire zones. The story begins when Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds a pickup truck surrounded by a sentry of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash are still in the back. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the law -- in the person of aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) - can contain. As Moss tries to evade his pursuers -- in particular a mysterious mastermind who flips coins for human lives (Javier Bardem) - the film simultaneously strips down the American crime drama and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning?s headlines.

Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarth
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DoomsDay

Doomsday takes place three decades after a lethal virus called the Reaper nearly wipes out Scotland and causes the rest of the world to wall off the country. When the Reaper begins to emerge in another country 25 years later, an elite team and their leader (Rhona Mitra) are sent to the contaminated landscape of Scotland to find a cure. However, what they don't count on is that some people in Scotland were able to survive the Reaper, and have set up their own society in the ruins of Scotland, and are determined to kill anybody who dares set foot inside of their home.







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Wanted

25-year-old Wes was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox. After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors--including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan--Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny.

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