Starring: Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger and James Nesbitt
Directed by: Emilio Estevez
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 55 mins
Elixir Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

This past weekend my wife and I attended an engagement party for our son. While there I did the “dad” thing and contemplated the last twenty seven years. There is no stronger bond then the one between father and son. And no more is that statement proven then in the new film, “The Way”.

Dr. Tom Avery (Sheen) is a small town optometrist who seems content with his life. He has his practice. He has his golf game. And, occasionally, he has contact with his son, Daniel (played in flashbacks by director Estevez). It’s been some time since the two were in the same room. Daniel took off for France, much to the chagrin of his father, who scolded him about his life choices. “You don’t choose a life,” Daniel informs him, “you live one.” One day Tom receives the phone call all parents dread. Daniel has died. Tom makes the trip to France to retrieve his body. Little does he know that he is about to embark on the most important trip of his life.

Smartly written and directed with a master filmmaker’s eye, “The Way” is one of those films you’ll want to see again and again. The film takes place along a trail known as El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that begins in France and ends 800 kilometers later in Spain, where the remains of the apostle St. James are rumored to be buried. Tom learns that Daniel had begun to make the journey, passing away before he could reach the first check point. Faced with Daniel’s hiking gear and blank passport (there are many towns on the route and pilgrims receive colorful stamps on their passport at each one), Tom decides to honor his son’s memory by completing the journey himself. Though he wants to be alone with his grief, he soon meets up with fellow travelers from around the world. Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), a Dutchman, is making the journey to lose weight. Canadian Sarah (Unger) wants to quit smoking. The American priest (played by the great character actor Matt Clark) hoping to beat cancer. And the writer from Ireland (Nesbitt), whose novel is due soon, though he can’t come up with page one. Each has their own reasons for their pilgrimage, and the absolution they hope to find when the journey ends. As Tom makes his way, scattering bits of Daniel’s ashes as he goes, he begins to understand why Daniel was making the trip. And in doing so he finds a part of himself he thought had been lost.

Is there a more underrated actor working today then Martin Sheen? For more than five decades he has often been the best thing in many a film or television show. In “The Way” he gives a strong, mannered performance, touching every level of emotion. He is supported by an ensemble of talented actors, each breathing genuine life into their characters. Director Estevez, following up the outstanding “Bobby,” continues to grow as a filmmaker. Be it the expansive landscape or the intimate conversations, he keeps the film sharply paced, allowing us to take the journey with Tom and his companions. The film has been beautifully photographed by Juan Miguel Azpiroz, with many scenes looking like postcards that have come to life. The musical score, by popular horror film composer Tyler Bates, is first rate, keeping perfect time with the action on screen.

Directed by: Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green, Joe Lynch
Starring: Sean Paul Lockhart, Anton Troy, Gabrielle West, Joel David Moore and Lin Shaye, Kristina Klebe.
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 115 Minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When you have four very talented and up-in-coming horror directors team up for a horror anthology you should expect a lot from it. This film delivers mostly but falls short of the being great. This film consists of four mini movies within ala “Creepshow”. What is great about these films is that the title alone tells the premise, which you will see below. Overall though, it is a fun film for horror fans looking for a flashback to the good ole horror drive-in days.

The first film is one of my favorites “Wadzilla”…that’s right it is about a giant killer sperm. Enough said right? I must note that the creature was created by The amazing Chiodo Brothers (“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”). I love when you see their creations in films because it shows that everything doesn’t need to be in CG to be cool. The film is funny and WAY over the top. Plus it says the great Ray Wise (“Reaper”)…enough said again?

Probably tying the first film for my favorite is Adam Green’s “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein”. This is beyond hysterical with Joel David Moore (Avatar) playing Hitler. He speaks gibberish German the whole film and it just a riot. This is shot in black and white and is just a riot which not a shock since it is from Adam Green (“Hatchet” series),who is just great. To make it any better if it that is possible Kane Hodder plays the creature Meshugannah, that’s right that is his name.

I wish this film would have ended with those because I would be raving about this but then we go to “I Was a Teenage Werebear”, directed by Tim Sullivan. I absolutely hated this film and it almost ruined it for the film as a whole. I have no problem with the gay content but it is just so unbearable (get it?) to watch. To top it off it is a musical…the songs are funny but the film feels like an hour long and drags major ass. I could have done without this one.

The last film is the general basis for the opening and closing scene called “Zom B Movie”. It is a spoof of ’70s & ’80s zombie films and was directed by Joe Lynch (“Wrong Turn 2: Dead End”). This film is fun, a little weird and a good closing to this film.

Overall, three out of four films are fun and will provide some great laughs. Just skip over “I Was a Teenage Werebear” and you might enjoy this film. I hope that they continue this tradition and make more of these films. This film is currently available on VOD from most cable providers, also currently touring the drive in market theaters and will be on Blu-ray/DVD November 29th. I watched it on VOD but is probably really fun at a midnight show, so try and check it out that way.

Directed By: Dick Maas
Starring: Huub Stapel, Edbert Jan Weeber, Caro Lenssen, Madelief Blanken
Distributed By: IFC Films
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 88 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Christmas is easily my favorite holiday but doesn’t mean I don’t like watching films about good ole St. Nick wrecking some havoc. When I heard of this Netherlands based film, I was hoping for some good gory horror…and I got what I hoped for. Besides terrible…terrible dubbing, (would have rather had option to watch it subbed) this film is brutal and really dark. There is quite a bit of slaying (get it?) in this film and you are going to leave you yourself wishing that you were on the nice list this year.

This horror film starts back in 1492 depicting St. Nicholas as murderous bishop kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5. He is taken down by the villagers but his evil spirit return ever 32 years to wreak havoc again. Our story picks up in present day but this time our hero Frank (Egbert Jan Weeber) aims to end his reign for good.

The story is well….what do you expect it is a horror film about a killer Santa Clause. It works for what it is worth, it is a different take to create mystery behind St. Nicholas. The special effects are really top notch and topped with some great kills. Huub Stapel is one scary son-bitch as St. Nicholas and rides high on his horse and his demon minions are not to be messed with. There are also some decent scares in the film. I hope they make this into a series because I would love to see more of these films.

Starring:  Anna Faris, Chris Evans and Blythe Danner
Directed by:  Mark Mylod
Rated:  R
Running time:  1 hour 46 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Ally Darling (Faris) is having a bad day.  Having just gotten fired from a job she really didn’t like her day gets worse when she picks up a magazine and reads that the average woman will have 10.5 lovers in her life before she finds Mr. Right.  Surprised to read this, Ally quickly totals up the men of her past, a list which includes a step-cousin and a boy next door that she only refers to as “that creepy puppet guy.”  When a drunken one night stand puts Ally at the magic number of 20 (according to the article, after 20 it’s all downhill), she resolves to revisit the men of her past, convinced that one of them HAS to be her soul mate.

Featuring two winning performances, “What’s Your Number?” is a comedy that is sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, depending on your tastes.  Faris, who has built a career as the cute, spunky girl in films like “The House Bunny” and “Yogi Bear,” as well as the “Scary Movie” films, shines her as a comedienne of the first order.  Surprisingly as funny is co-star Evans, who plays her horn-dog neighbor, Colin.  So serious as Captain America, Evans shows a talent for comedy I didn’t expect.  As a man who believes the perfect relationship ends at breakfast, Colin agrees to help Ally track down her previous lovers.  Of course, as the search progresses it becomes clearly obvious that the two are meant for each other.  However, fearing the stigma of #21, Ally won’t budge on the idea.

Based on the book “20 Times a Lady,” the screenplay, by veteran television writers Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittendon, has some funny moments.  Flashbacks of Ally and her previous lovers are often hilarious, including her encounter with “creepy puppet guy!”  There are also moments that are cringe-worthy.  Note to Hollywood:  Just because films like “The Hangover” and “Bridesmaids” were successful doesn’t mean that having characters yell “Vagina” every few minutes is funny.  It usually isn’t.

On the plus side, the stars do their best to rise above the material.  And the supporting cast, including Danner, Ari Graynor and Ed Begley, Jr, are equally strong.  Director Mylod, who knows his way around an ensemble cast thanks to his work on “Entourage,” keeps the film moving smartly.  If only he had been given a script equally smart.

Starring: Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 53 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Hollywood is full of films with stories that inspire us. “Rudy.” “Rocky.” “The Shawshank Redemption.” These are movies that, when you leave the theatre, stick in your memory long after the lights have come up. A new film opens this week that joins this short list: Dolphin Tale.

Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) is a young boy living with his mother in Clearwater, Florida. His father having long deserted the family, he looks up to his older cousin Kyle (Austin Stowell). A champion swimmer Kyle seemingly has the world at his fingertips. But rather than accept the many scholarship offers he’s received, Kyle joins the Army. Feeling he’s being abandoned again, Sawyer is not happy with the decision. Kyle assures the boy he’ll be back and gives him a gift inscribed “Family is Forever.” With school out Sawyer happens down to the beach. While there he comes across a dolphin caught up in some netting. Soon the dolphin is rescued and taken to a nearby marine aquarium. Sawyer follows and soon begins an adventure that will change the lives of everyone, and everything, around him.

Based on a true story, “Dolphin Tale” is a smart, funny film that packs a solid message. The cast is strong across the board, with youngsters Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, who plays Hazel, the daughter of the aquarium director (Connick, Jr.), giving credible performances. On the adult side, Connick, Jr. excels as a father figure for Sawyer. Kris Kristofferson offers sage advice as the elder of the family. Freeman, who really should be declared a national treasure, brightens the film every moment he’s on screen. But the real star here is the real star: Winter the Dolphin. Playing herself, Winter is a natural performer. The bond she develops with Sawyer and the others feels real.

Because of her run in with the netting, Winter loses her tail. Freeman’s character embarks on a mission to create a prosthetic one for her. As Winter’s plight and circumstances become public the aquarium begins to attract visitors from all over the country, with a majority of them being families where one of the members has a handicap. It is these small moments, when a child in a wheel chair sees Winter overcome her hardship, that the film is at its most inspirational. Director Smith, probably best known to film fans for his roles in “American Graffiti” and “The Untouchables,” frames the film handsomely against the natural Florida beauty. If I have any quibble it’s that the 3D is practically non-existent and doesn’t really add anything to the story.

Read our interview with “Dolphin Tale” director Charles Martin Smith HERE

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hours 13 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

As a kid you always spent your summer memorizing the statistics on the backs of baseball cards. Even the casual fan recognizes certain numbers. 2131 – consecutive games played by Cal Ripken, Jr. (his streak ended at 2632), 755 – career home runs by home run king Hank Aaron (sorry, I don’t recognize Bar-roid Bonds). 4256 – career hits by Pete Rose. You get my point. But there are even more stats to be compiled, hundreds of them. And the way they’re used is the story behind “Moneyball.”

October 15, 2001. Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series pitted two very different teams against each other. In one corner sat the New York Yankees, winners of 97 games with a payroll just over $113 million. In the other corner, the surprising Oakland Athletics, winners of 102 games. Total payroll – under $40 million. The Yankees would go on to win the game and the series. The next season they opened the team wallet and signed the A’s best player, Jason Giambi, paying him $20 million a year, half of the A’s total team salaries. Realizing the hole he is in as a small market team, A’s general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) begins to search for replacements for the ones he lost. While speaking with another team he meets Peter Brand (Hill), a young Yale graduate who looks at the game via statistics. Impressed by Brand, Beane hires him as his assistant and the two begin to build a team not based on scouting reports but on such percentages as runs scored and on base percentage.

Adapted from the best selling book by two of Hollywood’s best, Academy Award winners Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List”) and Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”), “Moneyball” introduces us to the way baseball is now conducted. The A’s are truly the have nots of major league baseball. So strapped for cash that they charge the players for soda pop, they have to make the best out of what they can afford. By following the numbers they assemble a team that Brand refers to as coming from “the Island of Misfit Toys.” But between all of the number crunching is a film with heart…one that makes you want to root for the little guys.

Just as the fundamentals of Moneyball rest squarely on the real Billy Beane’s shoulders, the success of “Moneyball” rests on Pitt’s. He gives a many layered performance, one of humor and sadness. A former player who never lived up to the hype (Beane was chosen in the first round of the 1980 baseball draft – Brand tells him that, based on his research, he would have drafted him in the ninth), Beane has come to realize that money isn’t everything. You have to play the game for the love of the game. As head stat geek Brand, Hill gives a quiet yet solid performance. Oscar winner Hoffman is A’s manager Art Howe, the fly in Beane’s ointment. He doesn’t understand the numbers and is hesitant to do anything that will jeopardize his future as a big league manager. We are also introduced to Beane’s daughter, Casey (“Brother’s and Sister’s” Kerris Dorsey), and their scenes together are some of the film’s best.

Miller, who earned a Best Director Academy Award nomination for “Capote,” keeps the tone of the film flowing seamlessly. He works in archival footage brilliantly, giving the game sequences almost a documentary feel. That this is his first film since “Capote” is a travesty. Films need more Bennett Miller and a six year gap between projects, unless it was something Miller wanted, is unconscionable.

Directed by: Yuen Woo-ping
Starring: Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine, Guo Xiaodong, Feng Xiaogang, Cung Le, Gordon Liu, Bryan Leung, Jacky Heung
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 116 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I have to say “True Legend” is easily one of the best Kung-Fu movies that I have ever seen. I am huge fan of this genre and I have literally seen hundreds of films. The film is directed by Yuen Woo-ping, in case you don’t known him he did the fight choreography on “The Matrix” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. This is his first returns to directing since 1996. I hope that he doesn’t wait another 17 years before he directs again. Whenever you see his name you automatically expect insane fight scenes but these went WELL above my expectations. If you are a fan of kung-fu movies than this is a must for sure.

Here is the plot for this film, we follow Su Can as he seeks revenge from his evil brother, Yuan for kidnapping his son and sending him and his wife to their supposed death. When Su regains his strength, he returns home to get revenge and redeem his family’s honor. Yuan has since mastered the Five Venom Fist and the two mortal enemies battle the ultimate fight. Epic…right? There is more but I will leave that to you to find out…don’t like spoilers.

Like I mentioned already the fight scenes are a work of genius. I was left sitting with my mouth wide open just staring and even rewinding a few scenes. The cast is not good…it is amazing, ranging from such legends as Vincent Zhao, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, David Carradine (his final screen performance), and Gordon Liu. The Blu-ray presentation was phenomenal, the picture was perfect and the sound was so clear and rocked my 7.1 surround sound. I read that parts of this film were shot in 3D, I would have love to get to experience that since it would probably make this amazing film even better.

The special features are lacking a little bit. Since this film is such a big production I was hoping for a lot of extras. We are given some behind the scenes, storyboards and a QR Code inside to access to more material (cool idea, though). The behind the scenes where good but not as long as I would have liked them to be. The lack of extra does not reduce the fact though of how truly awesome this movie is.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Albert Brooks
Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40 mins
Film District

Our Score: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

In a darkened room a man speaks into a cell phone. The rules are simple. You have him for 5 minutes. In that time frame he’s yours, no matter what. A minute before and a minute after you’re on your own. Yes or know?

Hollywood stunt driver by day/robbery wheel man at night, our hero – we never learn his name, he’s identified in the credits as DRIVER – (Gosling) is the best of the best when it comes to driving. So much so that his boss, Shannon, (Bryan Cranston) wants to make a NASCAR driver out of him. To get the money for a car Shannon visits Bernie (Brooks) one of the neighborhood “lenders,” a former film producer looking to invest his money wisely. Years ago Shannon ran afoul of Nino (Ron Perlman) one of Bernie’s fellow “lenders,” whose men demonstrated to Shannon that there really IS a substantial penalty on a delinquent loan. While returning home one night DRIVER meets his neighbor, Irene (Mulligan), a single mom who lives with her young son. Chance keeps putting the two in the same places and a friendship begins to grow. But, like many things we approach, things are not as they seem.

Winner of the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “Drive” is a stylish film that doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a thriller? A romance? A heist film? All of the above? To be honest, I really don’t know. Though based on the novel of the same name by James Sallis, “Drive” has very little dialogue. The majority of the story is told through camera angles and a musical score that seems to have been composed in 1985. Gosling is serviceable here but he’s not given much of a back story – why does he do what he does? All he does is squint, talk softly and resemble a very young Christoph Waltz? He also spends his time constantly clenching his hand menacingly. As the mom next store, Mulligan is fine. Brooks, who I have followed since he started submitting short films on “Saturday Night Live” in the 70s does a good job as a bad guy, a role he’s also played in “The Simpson’s Movie.” Perlman is suitably evil and it’s always nice to see Russ Tamblyn (Riff in “West Side Story”) on the big screen. This is the good part.

I’m still confused as to what story director Refn wanted to tell. There are some fine chase scenes – perhaps an homage to Peter Yates’ “Bullitt” or William Friedkins’ “The French Connection” or “To Live and Die in L.A.” But there are also a lot of moody close ups accompanied by bad songs right out of 1985 – perhaps an homage to John Hughes? And there’s an awful lot of blood – props to Quentin Tarantino? This is the bad part.

I won’t deny that Renf has a way with a camera and, since I don’t know what his competition was, I will assume that he WAS the best director at Cannes this year. But slow motion action and gallons of blood do not a great film make. In this case, it only makes an average one.

Directed: Matthew Bate
Starring: Eddie Lee Sausage, Mitchell D, Dan Clowes, Henry Rosenthal, Ivan Brunetti, Mike Mitchell and Bob Mothersbaugh.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 89 minutes
Distributor: Tribeca Film

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of comedy prank CDs and I remember listening to The Jerky Boys religiously growing up. I am not sure how but I never came across Eddie Lee and Mitchell D’s audio vérité recordings till now, but I am glad I did. The recordings of Peter and Raymond has been used in pop culture over the last 20 years in music, comics and film. This documentary follows the Eddie Lee and Mitchell D as they take us through how this whole phenomenon was born and what is has turned into today. The interviews are really interesting and we even have rare interview Peter himself back in 1993.

The recordings made by Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitchell D. where done back in the last 80’s when they lived in a pink apartment building dubbed the “Pepto Bismol Palace” in San Francisco. When they moved into their apartment in 1987, they discovered that their neighbors, Peter Haskett and Raymond Huffman, constantly were arguing and Peter was often screaming “shut up, little man!” at Ray. Eddie and Mitchell found this quite humorous and began began tape recording the arguments and distributing copies among their friends. From this it grew and grew into what it is today.

This film has not only been premiered at 2011 Sundance Film Festival, It has also won numerous awards. Overall it is very entertaining, but the second half runs a little thin. This comedy will make you laugh for sure. If you have never heard these recordings, it is sure to impact you more than others who have been listening for years. If you want to know how popular this has become while writing this review I attempted to visit the documentaries website and this is what I received “Bandwidth Limit Exceeded”. It just shows the demand for this film.

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Directed by: Fred M. Andrews
Starring: Sid Haig, Mehcad Brooks, Serinda Swan
Studio: The Bubble Factory
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 93 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Alright so if you have seen the trailers then you probably get an idea of what to expect from “Creature”. It is going to be over the top and have a lot of gore and nudity. You pretty much get that for the most part and no really extra surprises. This recently opened up in theaters to one pf the worst ever opening weekends in history but it is not the worst movie by a long shot. There is some good comedy and the kills are decent. The film reminds me of a mix of “Hatchet” with “Cabin Fever”…but they are much funnier and with better gore and kill scenes.

The story follows an ex-Navy seal (Mehcad Brooks), his girlfriend (Serinda Swan) and their friends as they make their way to New Orleans on a road trip. When the group stop at the local convenience store, they meet Chopper (Sid Haig), who tells them about Lockjaw, a creature who is half-man/half-alligator. The group of friends decide to go visit the house of this creature and go figure things go to hell.

The creature is a little bit stiff overall and doesn’t really steal the show, probably due to the budget but overall looks pretty cool. The cast is fun including horror genre favorite Sig Haig. When I originally saw he was in this I figured he was a cameo but he has a nice decent role. It was nice to see Sid on the big screen again since “The Devil Rejects”. Serinda Swan known best for her role as a siren in “TRON: Legacy” was able to finally show off her acting skills. Since this is a campy horror she can’t do much with it but she definitely shows promise. Is it the best movie ever…no, but it is worth a watch for horror fans.

Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hours 20 mins
Lionsgate

Our Score: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Philadelphia is known as a sports town. Philly gave us Doug Allison, who history tells us was the first baseball player to wear a glove in the field. Also from the City of Brotherly Love: basketball player Lloyd Bernard Free, who in 1981 legally changed his name to World B. Free. But the town’s biggest claim of local talent belongs to fighters. Sonny Liston. Joe Frazier. Bernard Hopkins. Heck, even Rocky Balboa hails from Philly. In “Warrior” we learn that there are two more fighters to watch. The Conlon Brothers.

Paddy Conlon (Nolte), celebrating 1000 days away from the alcohol that cost him his family, spends his days listening to “Moby Dick”, the book-on-tape following him from home to the car and back. He arrives home one night to find Tommy (Hardy) waiting for him. He has a favor to ask.

Brendan Conlon (Edgerton) is a high school teacher. And a former MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter. With an ever rising mortgage looming over his head, he’s decided to make a little money on the side fighting. YouTube footage of one of his weekend battles gets him suspended from school. With the bank breathing down his neck he comes to the only possible solution. He visits his friend Frank (Frank Grillo), who owns the local gym. He has a favor to ask.

One part “Rocky,” one part “The Wrestler,” “Warrior,” in the wrong hands, could be your average ESPN movie of the week. But anchored by three outstanding performances the film soars and reaches all the right chords. Nolte, his face weathered from life (has it really been 35 years since he played young Tom Jordache on “Rich Man, Poor Man?”) would easily make my short list when Oscar nominations come around. As a man trying everything…anything…to right the wrongs of the past, Nolte’s performance ranks with his work in “The Prince of Tides” among his career best. I must say that I was only familiar with Edgerton thanks to his role as Luke Skywalker’s future Uncle Owen in “Star Wars: Episode II and III.” Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Conan O’Brien, he does a fine job here. But the revelation here is Hardy. So good as Eames, the master of disguise in “Inception,” Hardy explodes off the screen in what is truly a star making performance. And he’s ripped! I can’t wait to see him as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Director O’Connor, who fluidly shot “Miracle,” the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, is just as strong here. His camera takes you into the ring so close to the action that you can almost feel every punch. The script is fairly tight, with a subplot of Tommy as an Iraqi war hero with a past the only distraction. Sport fans will recognize Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Kurt Angle as Russia’s entry into the films main event, a 16 man winner take all war called Sparta. And kudos to stunt coordinator/fight choreographer J.J. Perry for some of the best ring action ever committed to film.

Starring: Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne and Jude Law
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

There’s a great scene in “Along Came Polly” where Ben Stiller discusses the danger of eating from a bowl of mixed nuts at a bar. It goes something like this:

“Let’s say, conservatively, I don’t know, 17 people eat these nuts on a given night. Okay? If they’ve been here for even two weeks, we’re talking about 238 people who dipped their dirty hands into that bowl. On average, only one out of every six people wash their hands when they go to the bathroom. Yeah, so when you think you’re innocently eating a little bar snack, you’re actually ingesting potentially deadly bacteria from about 39 soil-handed strangers. I mean, people wonder why they get E. Coli poisoning or salmonella or hepatitis, when all they gotta do is look at the snack bowl at their local watering hole. I’m not being neurotic. It’s an absolute hot zone in there.”

Believe me, after seeing “Contagion,” you’ll take Ben Stiller much seriously.

Chicago. Business traveler Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), just arrived from Hong Kong and on her way home to Minneapolis, chats with a friend before boarding her plane. When she gets home she finds she’s not feeling well. When she goes into convulsions her husband, Mitch (Damon) has her rushed to the hospital. Minutes later he’s informed that Beth is dead. Unbelieving, Mitch returns home where more tragedy awaits him. Within days, the world is caught up in a catastrophe that threatens to dwarf the greatest plagues of the past.

Directed with a skilled eye, “Contagion” is a film that plays off of our worse fears. What with the recent SARS and H1M1 Flu scares, the plot suggested by the film is really only one bad cold away. With a cast boasting as many Oscar winners as “The Towering Inferno” (I was going to say “The Poseidon Adventure” but Gene Hackman won his Oscar while filming the movie. “Inferno” alums Paul Newman and Faye Dunnaway also won theirs after that film was released). “Contagion” is a tight thriller that allows us to observe how the world might act if suddenly 25% of its inhabitants took ill. The cast, which besides Paltrow and Damon boasts award winners Marion Cotilliard and Kate Winslet. As a vaccine is being sought the world as a whole goes into anarchy. Taking advantage is a blogger (Law) who claims to have cured himself with a medication he has acquired a piece of financially. People avoid others like…well, like the plague.

The story moves quickly as the illness spreads, only slowing down some in what felt to me like an ending stretched out for time purposes. The musical score, by frequent Soderbergh collaborator Cliff Martinez is chillingly perfect, reminding me of some of the great scores by Tangerine Dream. The bleak landscapes of major cities deserted by the frightened are well depicted courtesy of production designer Howard Cummings. “Contagion” is a strong film to kick off the end of summer…just make sure you know who you’re sharing your popcorn with!

Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan and Chris Carmack
Directed by: David R. Ellis
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 31 mins
Rogue Entertainment

Our Score: 0 out of 5 stars

A young woman is swimming alone, left in the water by her boyfriend. Suddenly she is pulled violently back in forth until she disappears. Sound familiar? This is the opening scene from “Shark Night 3D,” a film that tries, on several occasions, to steal from “Jaws”…a feat it fails at miserably.

The story: a group of college students from Tulane decide to spend the weekend at the home of rich girl Sara (Paxton). While stopping for booze they meet some of the unsavory characters that Sara grew up with. Why has it been three years since she’s come home? And really, who cares? Once at the house they begin to disappear, one by one, in a series of shark attacks. Scared yet?

What a horrible film. The plot, as it is, is lame enough without all of the inconsistencies the story holds. When the teens decide to call for help we are told that there is no cell phone reception. But surely that won’t affect the land line based telephones in the house?

Besides the opening “Jaws” rip-off scene, the film also steals from “Jaws 2” (waterskier), “Jaws 3” (horrible 3D) and even pulls a “flying” shark out of “Jaws the Revenge.” We learn that there are 46 different kinds of sharks in the lake yet apparently no one has ever been attacked until now. Trying to tie the attacks into an attempt to make money off the people who enjoy “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel each year is equally absurd. More unbelievable are the various sharks. They come off as cartoony rubber toys. And to my understanding, most of the lakes I’ve come across are fresh water, which would not be conducive to sharks. But when this fact is brought up on screen we are informed that this is a salt water lake. Whatever.

The direction is pedestrian at best. Director Ellis seems keen on two things: speeding up the film to make everyone travel around fast and bikini clad back sides. The scares, if you want to call them that, are telegraphed minutes ahead. And the 3D is almost non-existent. Apparently Hollywood thought they would ass-rape the movie going public one more time before the summer ended and charge an extra three dollars! My advice is to take that money and go rent “Jaws.”

Directed by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Michael Parks, John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Melissa Leo, Stephen Root
Distributed by: Lionsgate
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 88 minutes

Out score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Man, I really wanted this movie to be freaking amazing. Ever since I heard about Kevin Smith doing a “horror movie” I was really psyched. Well firstly let me clear the air saying that this is not a horror film. It features the horror from the actions of a religious cult, but it ends there. It has a lot of tension and action it in so I think it falls more on that genre. I honestly couldn’t write this review right after watching it because I wasn’t sure what I thought about the film overall. I have been a fan of Kevin Smith since ’94 and I have been a fan of his work up to “Jersey Girl”, that’s right I liked that film. I was not a fan of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and I never even saw “Cop Out”. I was hoping that this was going to be a turn for the better. But like Kevin Smith said in the behind the scenes for “Red State”, he is retiring and doesn’t care about his film career. So why should we? Does this mean that Kevin Smith sucks as a director…hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I think that this is prob his most smartly directed film since “Clerks” but I just didn’t dig it.

The story follows three boys who go out one night looking for sex and end up the prisoners of a cult religious group, the Five Points Church. This group of religious followers we find out are more like terrorists with an bunker under the church and a room full of guns. They have prisoners locked up awaiting judgement and they are mission is to punish them for their crimes of being homosexuals. There is a lot of preaching and then all hell breaks out when the cops and the government gain wind on this operation. The group let by Pastor Abin Cooper as they fight the law in pursuit of their holy mission.

I have to say one thing is that the acting in the film is really intense and notable. Michael Parks as Pastor Abin Cooper gives one heck of an profound performance and leave you with your mouth open. John Goodman as Special Agent Keenan kicks some ass with his serious and troubled character. It was not a mistake that Melissa Leo won the Oscar for “The Fighter” this year, the woman knows how to act. Even though it is directed well by Kevin Smith, it is shocking…it is controversial…it is intense, but overall I just didn’t get into it. The film jumps from religious blabbering to intense thriller to all out action film…just too much to process in one sitting. If I would have written this review immediately after watching it my score would have been a lot lower…so maybe it is not as bad as I say it is but either way disappointed. Could I watch it again?…maybe but I wouldn’t be jumping on that train anytime soon. Fans of Kevin Smith, might want to check it out since it is like nothing he has ever done but otherwise interest in this film is probably going to be scarce.

Starring: Marton Csokas, Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington
Directed by: John Madden
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 54 mins
Miramax

Our Score: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The year is 1997. The place is Tel Aviv, Israel. The occasion is a book launching party for Sarah Gold (Romi Aboulafia). Her book is the story of how three young MOSSAD agents infiltrated East Berlin in 1966 and captured and killed Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), better known as “The Surgeon of Berkenau,” a place more commonly known as Auschwitz. Two of the agents involved attend the party, mostly because they are Sarah’s parents. But as the tale unfolds, we learn that what we believe to be true often isn’t.

Based on the 2007 Israeli film “Ha-Hov,” the majority of the film deals with the operation to kidnap and return Vogel, who is working in East Berlin as a fertility doctor, to Israel to stand trial. The three agents given the assignment are Stephan (Csokas), Rachel (Chastain) and David (Worthington). Rachel and David are pretending to be a young married couple who cannot conceive, causing them to visit Vogel (now referred to as Doctor Bernhardt). Though there seems to be some chemistry between the two, it is Stephan and Rachel who make beautiful music (both physically and literally in a bit of piano-playing foreplay). As the plan proceeds we think we know the outcome but, as I said, don’t believe everything you see (or read).

Skillfully directed by John Madden, who earned an Academy Award nomination for the Oscar-winning Best Picture “Shakespeare in Love,” “The Debt” is a thriller that keeps you guessing up to the end. It also boasts two talented groups of actors. While Csokas, Chastain and Worthington give life to their characters in the flashbacks, the characters are played in later years by Tom Wilkinson, Helen Mirren and Ciaran Hinds, all veterans at the top of their game here. All six give strong performances and it’s a relief to see Worthington not standing in front of a green screen and doing some actual emoting. The story flows nicely for the first ninety minutes or so. It’s only at the end, when 66 year old Mirren goes into her “RED” mode, that the film feels forced. It’s as if the filmmakers felt they needed to take the story PAST the logical ending just to prove they weren’t making a conventional film.

The set decoration by Jim Clay is outstanding, capturing the look of Cold War Berlin perfectly. Thomas Newman’s score helps drive the action as well.