Archive for October, 2009

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Dvd release date: 10/27/2009

Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo
Director: Carlos Saldanha, Michael Thurmeier
Category: Children & Family
Rated: PG

The sub-zero heroes from the worldwide blockbusters “Ice Age” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown” are back, on an incredible adventure…for the ages. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while, maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the Saber-toothed Tiger wonder if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals and Sid the Sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck, and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named buck. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: ** (out of four)
New York Post: *** (out of four)
USA Today: ** (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)

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Nothing Like the Holidays

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Dvd release date: 10/27/2009

Starring: John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez
Director: Alfredo De Villa
Category: Comedy
Rated: PG-13

It’s Christmas time in Chicago, and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parent’s home to celebrate the season. During the course of this eventful week, traditions will be celebrated, secrets revealed, old resentments forgotten, familial bonds re-affirmed, and the healing power of laughter will work its magic. “Nothing Like The Holidays” is a “Heartfelt” (Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert) gift for the whole family.  (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: ***1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: **1/2 (out of four)

Overall: *** (out of four)

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Orphan

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Dvd release date: 10/27/2009

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Category: Horror
Rated: R

Tragedy seems to follow nine-year-old Esther. She was orphaned in her native Russia. Her last adoptive family perished in a fire Esther barely escaped. But now the Coleman family has adopted her, and life is good. Until a classmate takes a serious fall from a slide. Until an orphanage nun is battered to death. And until Esther?s new mom wonders if that tragic fire was an accident. From Dark Castle Productions comes “Orphan”, bringing stunning new twists to the psychological thriller and locking audiences in a tightening vise of mystery, suspicion and terror. You?ll never forget Esther. So sweet. So intelligent. So creative. So disturbed.  (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: ** (out of four)
New York Post: *1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: **1/2 (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)

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Whatever Works

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Dvd release date: 10/27/2009

Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood
Director: Woody Allen
Category: Comedy
Rated: PG-13

Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood and Patricia Clarkson star in Woody Allen’s sharp new comedy about living the life you always dreamed and finding love. “Whatever Works” explores the relationship between a crotchety misanthrope, Boris (Larry David) and a naive, impressionable young runaway from the south, Melody (Evan Rachel Wood). When Melody’s uptight parents arrive in New York to rescue her, they are quickly drawn into wildly unexpected romantic entanglements. Everyone discovers that finding love is just a combination of lucky chance and appreciating the value of “whatever works”.  (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

New York Post: ** (out of four)
Rolling Stone: **1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: ** (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)

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Adoration

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Dvd release date: 10/13/2009

Starring: Rachel Blanchard, Scott Speedman
Director: Atom Egoyan
Category: Drama
Rated: R

Sabine (Arsinee Khanjian), a high school French teacher, gives her class a translation exercise based on a real news story about a terrorist who plants a bomb in the airline luggage of his pregnant girlfriend. The assignment has a profound effect on one student, Simon (Devin Bostick), who lives with his uncle (Scott Speedman). In the course of translating, Simon re-imagines that the news item is his only family’s story, with the terrorist standing in for his father. Years ago, Simon’s father crashed the family car, killing both himself and his wife, making Simon an orphan. Simon has always feared that the accident was intentional.(Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: ** (out of four)
USA Today: ***1/2 (out of four)

Overall: *** (out of four)

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