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The Marriage Counselor (2012)

2012-07-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 27th, 2012

Director: Tyler Perry

Writers: Tyler Perry

Actors: Andrea Moore, Brandy Norwood, Candice Coke, Cara Mantella, Ella Joyce, Eric West, Jerry Stiller, Jurnee Smollett, Kim Kardashian, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones, Shaeleigh Person, Sharon Oliphant, Shelley Bassett, Vanessa Williams, Zach Sale

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: Lionsgate

A marriage counselors personal and professional life becomes complicated after she enters into a relationship with one of her clients.The film, which is based on Perry’s beloved stage play of the same name, marks the prolific filmmaker and multi-media tycoon’s 13th feature film production with Lionsgate in seven years.
Jurnee Smollett plays the central character in the film. Her character is caught between Lance Gross and Robbie Jones. Smollett’s Judith is an Ivy League educated relationship expert who gives marital advice for a living, yet can’t seem to follow that advice in her own marriage to Bryce (Gross). Bored with her life, she breaks her professional code and begins an affair with a smooth talking client (Jones). After the initial excitement of their torrid relationship wears off, Judith realizes that she’s made a grave mistake. It will take every ounce of courage and forgiveness for Judith to escape the dangerous situation she finds herself in.
Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Williams in the role of Janice, the owner of the firm where Judith practices, and Kim Kardashian as Ava, Judith’s sassy co-worker. Accomplished singer and actress Brandy Norwood, better known to some as simply Brandy, will play Melinda, Bryce’s co-worker, whose personal life ends up intersecting with Judith’s in an unexpected twist. Ella Joyce will play Sarah in the film, with Jerry Stiller also slated to make an appearance.

The Watch (2012)

2012-07-06T10:15:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 27th, 2012

Director: Akiva Schaffer

Writers: Evan Goldberg, Jared Stern, Seth Rogen

Actors: Ben Stiller, Billy Crudup, Carissa Capobianco, Doug Jones, Joe Nunez, Jonah Hill, Justin Wheelon, Mel Rodriguez, Nicholas Braun, Patricia French, Richard Ayoade, Rosemarie DeWitt, Vince Vaughn, Will Forte, Willam Belli

Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi

MPAA Rating: R (for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images)

Official site: www.jointhewatch.com

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Suburban dads form a neighborhood watch group to get time away from their families, only to discover a plot to destroy Earth.“Neighborhood Watch” is a sci-fi comedy about a suburban “neighborhood watch” group that serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world.

Ruby Sparks (2012)

2012-07-06T10:10:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 25th, 2012

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writers: Zoe Kazan

Actors: Aasif Mandvi, Alia Shawkat, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Barrett Perlman, Chris Messina, Deborah Ann Woll, Eleanor Seigler, Elliott Gould, John F. Beach, Paul Dano, Steve Coogan, Toni Trucks, Wallace Langham, Zoe Kazan

Genre: Comedy, Romance

MPAA Rating: R (for language including some sexual references, and for some drug use)

Official site: www.foxsearchlight.com

Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures]

A young novelist struggling with writer’s block finds a love interest in a most unusual way.In “Ruby Sparks” (formerly “He Loves Me”), Calvin (Dano) is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing – as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby (Kazan), in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person.

Electric City (2012)

2012-07-06T10:04:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 17th, 2012

Director: Not available

Writers: Tom Hanks

Actors: Chris Parnell, Ginnifer Goodwin, Holland Taylor, Jason Antoon, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Paul Scheer, Tom Hanks

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: Not available

A view of the future of civilization, presented through the lens of provocative themes such as energy consumption, freedom of information, crime and punishment.“The world as we know it has ended and out of the rubble, the Electric City stands as a symbol of peace and security. Yet under the veneer of order lies a world full of secrets and violence. Secret police, back-alley dealings, daring chases, and murder all find a home in the “Electric City.” Through the lens of a functioning, yet dystopian metropolis, “Electric City” touches upon relevant global issues and themes including energy consumption, freedom of information, crime and punishment and more.
The story unfolds gradually, layering mystery upon mystery, inviting viewers to interact with the content and each other. Metaphors and symbols are woven throughout, creating a perfect environment for puzzle-solving and community interaction. Like good science fiction, “Electric City” raises provocative questions about our own way of life and value systems. Short-form connecting storylines combined with vivid animation and a compelling score will keep audiences watching, while metaphors and a range of subject lines will keep them guessing—and reflecting.”

The Obama Effect (2012)

2012-07-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Charles S. Dutton

Writers: Barry Hankerson, Celeste Walker, Charles S. Dutton, Samuel Z. Jean, Sidra Smith

Actors: Bill Lee Brown, Charles S. Dutton, Cleo King, Giselle Bonilla, Jenny Gago, John Diehl, Katt Williams, Lonnie Henderson, Meagan Bell Calloway, Meagan Good, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Vernetta Jenkins, Wesley Johnathan, Zab Judah

Genre: Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Official site: Not available

Studio: Arc Entertainment

A serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50′s (played by writer/director Charles S. Dutton) to take a closer look at his life. Motivated by a misguided obsession with getting Barack Obama elected, John takes an overwhelming involvement in the Presidential campaign. While John becomes obsessed with the ideal of change that Obama represents for Americans, he has in turn neglected to create positive change in his own life, particularly with regard to his health and familial relationships.A serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50s, to take a closer look at his life. Motivated by a misguided obsession with getting Barack Obama elected, John takes an overwhelming involvement in the Presidential campaign. While John becomes obsessed with the ideal of change that Obama represents for Americans, he has in turn neglected to create positive change in his own life, particularly with regard to his health and familial relationships. John hides his health problems from his strong, yet supportive wife, Molly, creating a strain on their marriage. John seeks the support of a Republican relative, MLK, who initially starkly resists supporting a Democratic candidate. John’s son, Kalil, rebels against his father’s avid support of Obama by supporting the Republican candidate as well.
John neglects to support his daughter, Tamika, at a crucial moment in her life, as she has recently fallen in love and become engaged to be married. John faces additional discord with his other son, Jamel, an up-and-coming boxer, who gets mixed up with a shady manager, Slim, as he rises toward a professional boxing career. Joshua, John’s recently-paroled brother, also struggles as he attempts to find work in a tough economy and to maintain his new marriage. When Molly discovers that John has been hiding his health scares from her, she urges him to take positive action to improve his bad habits. John works to get back on the right path with his health and family as Obama soars to success in the campaign.

Ballplayer: Pelotero (2012)

2012-07-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin

Writers: Not available

Actors: Jean Carlos Batista, John Leguizamo, Miguel Angel Sano

Genre: Documentary, Drama, Sport

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.peloterothemovie.com

Studio: Strand Releasing

Pelotero (original title). Two top baseball prospects in the Dominican Republic face fierce competition and corruption as they chase their big league dreams.This compelling documentary, narrated by John Leguizamo and executive produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, is a gritty and never before seen look inside the world of Major League Baseball (MLB) training camps in the Dominican Republic. Miguel Angel and Jean Carlos are two of the top prospects and they are both about to turn 16, which means they can be signed to an MLB farm team and ultimately move up to the majors. Ballplayer: Pelotero filmmakers Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jonathan Paley take you inside this never before seen world for an up close and personal look at the cost of the American dream.

30 Beats (2012)

2012-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 20th, 2012

Director: Alexis Lloyd

Writers: Alexis Lloyd

Actors: Ben Levin, Condola Rashad, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Jason Day, Jennifer Tilly, Justin Kirk, Lee Pace, Paz de la Huerta, Thomas Sadoski, Vahina Giocante

Genre: Comedy, Romance

MPAA Rating: R

Official site: www.facebook.com

Studio: Roadside Attractions

A summer heat wave and a series of sexual encounters connect a group of New Yorkers.In Manhattan, everybody is connected by less than six degrees of sexual separation. A first encounter sparks a series of intimate and comedic moments linking ten New Yorkers in a chain reaction of love and desire.
“30 Beats” is inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s play “La Ronde”. Set in present-day Manhattan, it explores a series of encounters between ten people connected by the laws of sexual attraction and spans across ten different neighborhoods of the city.

Keep the Lights On (2012)

2012-07-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 18th, 2012

Director: Ira Sachs

Writers: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias

Actors: Aylam Orian, David Anzuelo, Ed Vassallo, Julianne Nicholson, Justin Reinsilber, Maria Dizzia, Miguel del Toro, Paprika Steen, Sebastian La Cause, Souleymane Sy Savane, Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: keepthelightsonfilm.com

Studio: Music Box Films

It’s 1997 and New York City is in a state of intense flux when documentary filmmaker Erik Rothman (Thure Lindhardt) first meets Paul Lucy (Zachary Booth), a handsome but closeted lawyer in the publishing field. What begins as a highly charged first encounter soon becomes something much more, and a relationship quickly develops. As the two men start building a home and life together, each continues to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions. A film about sex, friendship, intimacy and most of all, love, Keep the Lights On takes an honest look at the nature of relationships in our times.Telling a story that spans a decade, “Keep the Lights On” begins in 1997, when documentary filmmaker Erik Rothman (Thure Lindhardt) first meets Paul Lucy (Zachary Booth), a closeted and handsome lawyer in the publishing field. What begins as a highly charged first encounter, however, soon becomes something much more, and a relationship develops. Though the two men quickly move in and start building a home together, each continues to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions. A film about sex, friendship, intimacy, and most of all, love, “Keep the Lights On” is a film that looks honestly – with the lights on — at the nature of relationships in our times.

Drunkboat (2012)

2012-07-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Bob Meyer

Writers: Bob Meyer, Randy Buescher

Actors: Aaron Benjamin Miller, Brian Deneen, Bryce Pegelow, Dana Delaney, Dana Delany, Elizabeth Hipwell, Jacob Zachar, Jim Ortlieb, John Goodman, John Malkovich, Rae Gray, Skipp Sudduth, Steve Haggard, Zach Gray

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: drunkboat.com

Studio: Seven Arts/Lantern Lane

Drunkboat tells the story of a young teenager, Abe (Jacob Zachar) who manipulates the unsuspecting help of his alcoholic uncle (John Malkovich) to buy a boat (a Drunkboat) from a con man named Mr. Fletcher (John Goodman) when his mother Eileen (Dana Delaney) is out of town. The story resonates with the struggle of Uncle Mort, making the story much deeper than a simple tale of a boy and his boat. Both the uncle and Abe come of age in the story.
Lies have a way of finding the truth…
After twenty years of drunken bottles and empty hallways, Mort Gleason witnesses his nephew Moo being beaten while in a drunken stupor. The short contact with family brings Mort back to what are left of his senses and he returns to the last home he remembers in Chicago.
His sister, Eileen, lives in their family home now with her sixteen year old son, Abe. Her older son, Moo, the now missing nephew, helped spark Mort’s return to his family. Three, four, five weeks pass as Mort waits outside her home and makes a tenuous re-entry into family life.
Abe dreams of a sailboat and distant horizons. He saves money and sees an advertisement for the Kathy II. He and his friend calculate a way to buy the vessel from two unscrupulous rogues who make ends meet wholesaling liquor and operating a sometime boatyard.
Eileen, however, is unaware that her youngest son is planning his escape. Comfortable enough with Mort`s presence to allow her a night away from home, Eileen`s departure allows Abe to seize the opportunity that his mother`s absence provides. He purchases a beaten-up wooden sailboat that he scheduled to be delivered to their house while Mort is in charge.
Based on Bob Meyer’s original play. Brought to you by Left Bank Films and Magnificant Mile.

Farewell, My Queen (2012)

2012-07-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Benoit Jacquot

Writers: Benoit Jacquot

Actors: Diane Kruger, Gerard Depardieu, Lea Seydoux

Genre: Drama, History

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: Cohen Media Group

A look at the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers during the final days of the French Revolution.Benoit Jacquot’s adaptation of Chantal Thomas’ novel, “Farewell, My Queen.” Green will play Marie Antoinette with Seydoux as a reader to her royal majesty during the final days of the French Revolution.

Sacrifice (2012)

2012-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 27th, 2012

Director: Kaige Chen

Writers: Ningyu Zhao

Actors: Bingbing Fan, Fengyi Zhang, Hai-Qing, Wenzhuo Zhao, William Wang, Xiaoming Huang, Xueqi Wang, You Ge

Genre: Drama, History

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.unmeinoko.jp

Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Zhao shi gu er (original title). To save the only child of the Zhao Family, whose whole clan is massacred at the hands of a nefarious minister, a doctor sacrifices his Zhao shi gu er (original title). To save the only child of the Zhao Family, whose whole clan is massacred at the hands of a nefarious minister, a doctor sacrifices his own son, and later becomes intent on seeking vengeance against the minister after the child grows up. For generations, the Zhao family has wielded power, even extending over the king. In a well-planned coup, their mortal enemy TU’AN GU (Wang Xue Qi) slaughters the entire clan, determined to wipe out their influence forever. However, a solitary Zhao baby survives the massacre, and is hidden and taken home by CHENG YING (Ge You), the doctor who delivered him, to live with his WIFE (Hai Qing) and their own newborn baby. Set on revenge, and raising the Zhao child as his own, Cheng Ying bides his time, enrolling himself and the Zhao orphan (whom he calls Cheng Bo) into the service of the Tu’an Gu household. Tu’ an Gu grows very fond of Cheng Bo and makes Cheng Bo his godson, unaware that Cheng Ying has been plotting to use the boy as an instrument of vengeance when he comes of age. But as the day draws closer, the boy’s true identity is discovered

Trishna (2012)

2012-07-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Writers: Thomas Hardy

Actors: Anurag Kashyap, Freida Pinto, Kalki Koechlin, Neet Mohan, Riz Ahmed, Roshan Seth

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: R (for sexuality, some violence, drug use and language)

Official site: www.facebook.com

Studio: IFC Films

The story of the tragic relationship between the son of a property developer and the daughter of an auto rickshaw owner.Based on Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’Ubervilles, master filmmaker Michael Winterbottom’s newest film stars Freida Pinto who soars as Trishna in her most revealing performance yet.
Trishna lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay (Riz Ahmed, FOUR LIONS) is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father’s request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to win Trishna’s affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay’s deep family bond threaten the young lovers’ bliss.
Shot with Winterbottom’s agile camera, Trishna is a powerful look at the tension between ancient privilege and modern equality, between codes of urban and rural life and ultimately a hymn to both the glory and the tragedy that comes with beauty in all forms.
Trishna played at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Easy Money (2012)

2012-07-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 11th, 2012

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Writers: Fredrik Wikström, Hassan Loo Sattarvandi, Maria Karlsson

Actors: Annika Ryberg Whittembury, Christian Hillborg, Dejan Cukic, Dragomir Mrsic, Fares Fares, Hamdisa Causevic, Joel Kinnaman, Joel Spira, Jones Danko, Lea Stojanov, Lisa Henni, Mahmut Suvakci, Matias Padin, Miodrag Stojanovic, Sasa Petrovic

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

MPAA Rating: R

Official site: www.myspace.com

Studio: The Weinstein Company

Snabba Cash (original title). A three-tiered story centered around drugs and organized crime, and focused on a young man who becomes a runner for a coke dealer.JW is a poor student who lives a double life within the wealthy Stockholm elite. He falls in love with an upper class girl and is soon lured into a world of crime. Jorge is a fugitive on the run from the police and the Yugoslavian mafia. His plan: import a massive cargo of coke and then disappear for good. Yugoslavian hitman Mrado is trying hard to find Jorge but his criminal life takes a turn when he is forced to take care of his young daughter. While JW starts a journey into the dark world of organized crime, he brings together the fate of all to a struggle of life and death. “Easy Money” is a Swedish crime thriller based on the International best-selling book “Snabba Cash” by Jens Lapidus. The book is the first installment in Jens Lapidus’ Stockholm Noir Trilogy.

Alps (2012)

2012-07-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Giorgos Lanthimos

Writers: Efthymis Filippou, Giorgos Lanthimos

Actors: Aggeliki Papoulia, Ariane Labed, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Stavros Psyllakis

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: Not available

With “Alps,” director Yorgos Lanthimos brings to the screen the story of a group of people who specialize in playing the role of deceased people to anyone (usually relatives, friends or colleagues of the deceased) willing to pay for their services. Their company, called Alps, is managed by Mont Blanc (Aris Servetalis), a strict boss who keeps his employees under a close watch. But when the company’s nurse (Aggeliki Papoulia) decides to get off her scripted routine, this eccentric group starts falling to pieces.

Union Square (2012)

2012-07-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Nancy Savoca

Writers: Mary Tobler, Nancy Savoca

Actors: Christopher Backus, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Harper Dill, Holden Backus, Michael Rispoli, Michael Sirow, Mike Doyle, Mira Sorvino, Patti LuPone, Tammy Blanchard

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.theunionsquaremovie.com

Studio: DADA, Required Viewing

A reluctant reunion of two estranged sisters. One is on the verge of marriage; the other is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Both struggle with truths they’re hiding from each other – and from themselves. Jenny has rejected her tumultuous family and cut off communication, seeking a more ordered life far from her roots in the Bronx. And she’s almost ready to commit to her longtime fiancé when her sister Lucy – the personification of all that Jenny has been trying to flee – surprises her at a critical time. Lucy and Jenny’s combustible reunion brings both of them to unforeseen places, shattering and reconstructing the worlds they have both carefully constructed. New York City’s “Union Square” is the setting for an unexpected reunion between two estranged sisters, one of whom is on the verge of getting married, the other on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Lucy (Academy Award® winner Mira Sorvino) attempts to shop for young and flirty discount clothes while anxiously carrying on a conversation on her cell phone. When the news on the other end of the cell is not what she wants to hear, she has a complete meltdown in the park. Crying openly and unsure of her next move, she has an idea. Suddenly, Lucy finds herself somewhere she’s never been: her sister Jenny’s (Tammy Blanchard) loft apartment off Union Square.
The apartment is as spare and disciplined as Jenny is herself. Jenny is stunned to see Lucy on her doorstep and, what’s worse, unable to keep her out – Lucy has decided she needs to stay with Jenny a few days, along with her dog and all her shopping. Attempting to remain calm, Jenny has little time to prepare how to explain Lucy’s presence to her fiancé Bill (Mike Doyle), whom she has not been completely honest with about her family’s tumultuous upbringing in the Bronx or her sister’s excessive behavior. Lucy suspects as much and attempts to play along but also tries to update Jenny about their mother (Patti LuPone) and the old neighborhood. And the news is not what Jenny expects to hear. After a tense dinner with Bill, the sisters try to clear the air by heading out together to a club, but the confrontation that follows only creates more tension. And the next day when Lucy leaves as unexpectedly as she showed up, Jenny is left wondering what else could possibly happen to disrupt her ordered life…that is, until Lucy returns with even more surprises for Jenny.

Killer Joe (2012)

2012-07-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 27th, 2012

Director: William Friedkin

Writers: Tracy Letts

Actors: Blain Sanchez, Carol Sutton, Charley Vance, Danny Epper, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Gralen Bryant Banks, Gregory C. Bachaud, Jeff Galpin, Julia Adams, Juno Temple, Marc Macaulay, Matthew McConaughey, Scott A. Martin, Thomas Haden Church

Genre: Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: NC-17 (for graphic abberant content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality)

Official site: www.facebook.com

Studio: EOne Entertainment

When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.When 22 year-old drug dealer Chris (Hirsch) has his stash of drugs stolen from him by his mother, he has to come up with six-thousand dollars quick, or he’s dead. Desperate, he goes to the trailer-park to see his father, Ansel (Hayden Church), and he lays out the plan. Chris’s mother, who everyone hates, has a life insurance policy that would clear up his debt and make them all rich. The problem is that Chris’ mother is very much alive.
Enter Detective “Killer” Joe Cooper, a hired hit man with the manners of a Southern gentleman, who will do the job – for an upfront fee, that Chris and Ansel can’t pay. Just as Joe is about to leave, he spots Dottie (Temple), Chris’ innocent younger sister. Joe makes Chris an offer, he’ll keep Dottie as sexual collateral until the money is collected and his fee can be paid. Chris reluctantly puts his debt ahead of his sister and agrees to Joe’s demand.
As the days pass, Chris watches Joe with Dottie and he regrets his decision. He asks Joe to call the whole thing off, but it’s too late, the job is already done. Feeling like it’s almost over, Chris giddily attends the meeting with the lawyer to discuss the insurance payments. When he realizes that his mother’s boyfriend is the sole beneficiary and not Dottie, Chris knows he’s been duped.
When Joe comes to collect and discovers there’s no money. He uses his detective skills to get to the bloody bottom and everyone pays the price.

Red Lights (2012)

2012-07-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Rodrigo Cortes

Writers: Rodrigo Cortes

Actors: Burn Gorman, Cillian Murphy, Craig Roberts, Elizabeth Olsen, Garrick Hagon, Jan Cornet, Jeany Spark, Jesse Bostick, Joely Richardson, Karen David, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Peter Brooke, Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Jones

Genre: Thriller

MPAA Rating: R (for language and some violence)

Official site: www.red-lights-movie.com

Studio: Millennium Entertainment

Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic.Veteran paranormal researchers Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) debunk fraudulent claims of ghost whispering, faith healing and other psychic phenomena by detecting what Matheson calls “red lights,” the subtle tricks behind every staged supernatural occurrence. But when the legendary blind psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) comes out of retirement after 30 years, his once-fearless adversary Matheson warns Buckley to back off, fearing reprisal from the powerful Silver.
Determined to discredit Silver, Buckley and his star student (Elizabeth Olsen) use every tool at their disposal to uncover the truth behind the charismatic, spoon-bending, mind reader. But Buckley is forced to reexamine his own core beliefs as his quest builds to a mind-blowing conclusion in this taut psychological thriller from award-winning writer and director Rodrigo Cortés (“Buried”).

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2012)

2012-07-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 20th, 2012

Director: Takashi Miike

Writers: Kikumi Yamagishi, Yasuhiko Takiguchi

Actors: Baijaku Nakamura, Ebizo Ichikawa, Eita, Hikari Mitsushima, Kôji Yakusho, Munetaka Aoki, Naoto Takenaka, Takashi Sasano

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.ichimei.jp

Studio: Tribeca Film

Ichimei (original title). An tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.From visionary auteur Takashi Miike (“13 Assassins”) comes the story of a mysterious samurai who arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord, requesting an honorable death by ritual suicide in his courtyard. The lord threatens him with the brutal tale of Motome, a desperate young ronin who made a similar request with ulterior motives, only to meet a grisly end. Undaunted, the samurai begins to tell a story of his own, with an ending no one could see coming. With stunning cinematography and gripping performances, “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” is a thrilling exploration of revenge, honor, and individuality in the face of oppressive power.

Family Portrait in Black and White (2012)

2012-07-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 13th, 2012

Director: Julia Ivanova

Writers: Not available

Actors: Not available

Genre: Documentary

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.familyportraitthefilm.com

Studio: First Pond Entertainment

In a small Ukrainian town, Olga Nenya, raises 16 black orphans amidst a population of Slavic blue-eyed blondes. Their stories expose the harsh realities of growing up as a bi-racial child in Eastern Europe.In a Ukrainian village, big-hearted, formidable Olga Nenya single-handedly raises 23 foster children. Sixteen are the biracial offspring of visiting African students and Ukrainian women, who, living in a country of blue-eyed blondes that’s racked with endemic racism, often see no choice but to abandon their babies. Family Portrait in Black and White charts the rhythms of Olga’s hectic household, rife with rambunctious kids and goats. As diverse dramas unfold among the brood—a high-schooler struggling to transcend his plight through education, a boy longing to reunite with his Ugandan father, and a child courted for Italian adoption—Olga reveals herself to be loving and protective, but also narrow-minded and controlling. A product of communist ideology, she favors collective duty over individual freedom. It’s this philosophy that gives the orphans the rich sense of belonging they ache for, as well as cause for rebellion and distrust, in this lyrical, sometimes gut-wrenching tale about the meaning of “Mama,” “family,” and “nation.”

Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (2012)

2012-07-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 27th, 2012

Director: Fredrik Gertten

Writers: Not available

Actors: Not available

Genre: Biography, Documentary, Drama, News

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: www.bigboysgonebananas.com

Studio: WG Film

Dole Food Company wages a campaign to prevent a pair of Swedish filmmakers from showing their documentary about a lawsuit against the company.What is a big corporation capable of doing in order to protect its brand?
Recently, Swedish documentary filmmaker Fredrik Gertten experienced this first hand. His previous film “Bananas!*” recounts the lawsuit that 12 Nicaraguan plantation workers successfully brought against the fruit giant Dole Food Company. That film was selected for competition by the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. Then just before leaving Sweden to attend the Los Angeles world premiere of his film, Gertten gets a strange message: the festival has decided to remove “Bananas!*” from competition. Then, a scathing, controversial and misinformed article appears on the cover of the Los Angeles Business Journal about the film a week before the premiere. And subsequently, Gertten receives a letter from Dole’s attorneys threatening legal action if the film is shown at this festival and to cease and desist.
What follows is an unparalleled story that Gertten captured on film. He filmed this entire process of corporate bullying and media spin – from DOLE attacking the producers with a defamation lawsuit, utilizing scare tactics, to media-control and PR-spin. “Big Boys Gone Bananas!*” can be seen as a thriller and a cautionary tale. But, mostly this is a personal story about what happened to Gertten, as a documentary filmmaker and to his company and how the livelihood of documentary filmmakers can be easily put into jeopardy. This powerful film reveals precisely how a multinational will stop at nothing to get its way – freedom of speech is at stake. As Dole’s public relations company puts it, “It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than a bad reputation”.
Many see “Big Boys Gone Bananas!*” as a modern day real life David vs. Goliath story, while law schools, legal experts and attorneys have begun to use this film as a teaching tool about the defense of the freedom of speech and the terrifying antics of corporate bullying.

The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)

2012-07-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 6th, 2012

Director: Rob Reiner

Writers: Andrew Scheinman, Guy Thomas, Rob Reiner

Actors: Ash Christian, Boyd Holbrook, Debargo Sanyal, Emma Fuhrmann, Fred Willard, Jessica Hecht, Kenan Thompson, Madeline Carroll, Michael Morana, Morgan Freeman, Nicolette Pierini, Rosemary Howard, Virginia Madsen

Genre: Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: PG

Official site: www.facebook.com

Studio: Magnolia Pictures

in an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.Reuniting with his director from the hit film, “The Bucket List,” Morgan Freeman plays Monte Wildhorn, a famous Western novelist whose struggle with alcoholism has sapped his passion for writing. He takes a lakeside cabin for the summer in picturesque Belle Isle, and befriends the family next door—an attractive single mom (Virginia Madsen) and her young daughters—who help him find inspiration again.

Crazy Eyes (2012)

2012-07-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 6th, 2012

Director: Adam Sherman

Writers: Adam Sherman, Dave Reeves, Rachel Hardisty

Actors: Blake Garrett, Cali-Ente, Christian Calloway, Edward Finlay, Jake Busey, Jessica Elder, John Bryant Davila, Josh Davis, Lauren Byrnes, Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima, Natalie Floyd, Ned Bellamy, Regine Nehy, Tania Raymonde

Genre: Comedy

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: Strand Releasing

The story of Zach (Haas), whose obsession for a girl he calls Crazy Eyes (Zima) drives him to the brink – as his hard-partying lifestyle conflicts with his familial responsibilities.

One of those glamorous L.A. people with too much money and too much time on his hands, Zach (Lukas Haas) looks like he’s living the Hollywood dream. There’s a steady stream of beautiful women coming in and out of his posh home in the hills, and every night he makes his way through the hottest nightspots for a party that never ends.
A divorcée with a five-year-old son, Zach has become a master at seducing women without ever getting too close. But all that’s about to change – he’s met a girl he calls “Crazy Eyes” (Madeline Zima, “Californication”), and she’s not like anyone he’s ever met before. Flirty but withholding, intelligent but damaged, she’s the one woman Zach can’t have, so naturally he wants her above all others.
While Zach’s hard-partying lifestyle – aided and abetted by his bartender pal Dan (Jake Busey) – threatens to go off the rails, family concerns begin to play a major role in Zach’s life. While his ex-wife becomes more financially demanding, Zach grows closer to their son (Blake Garrett Rosenthal), finding stability and maturity in his role as a father that’s absent from the rest of his life.
And as Zach begins to embrace fatherhood, his own father (Ray Wise) becomes seriously ill – which in turn leads to Zach’s mother (Valerie Mahaffey) having a mental breakdown. Will the quest for love and the responsibilities of family life help this poor little rich boy become a man?

Savages (2012)

2012-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 6th, 2012

Director: Oliver Stone

Writers: Don Winslow, Shane Salerno

Actors: Aaron Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, Blake Lively, Demian Bichir, Emile Hirsch, John Travolta, Salma Hayek, Taylor Kitsch, Uma Thurman

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

MPAA Rating: R (for strong brutal and grisly violence, some graphic sexuality, nudity, drug use and language throughout)

Official site: www.savagesfilm.com

Studio: Universal Pictures

Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.Three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone returns to the screen with the ferocious thriller “Savages,” featuring the all-star ensemble cast of Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch and Demian Bichir. The film is based on Don Winslow’s best-selling crime novel that was named one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Books of 2010.
Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry—raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town…until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them.
When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon—with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta)—wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.

The Pact (2012)

2012-07-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 6th, 2012

Director: Nicholas McCarthy

Writers: Nicholas McCarthy

Actors: Agnes Bruckner, Anjini Taneja Azhar, Bo Barrett, Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Dakota Bright, Haley Hudson, Jeffrey T Ferguson, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Mark Steger, Rachael Kahne, Sam Ball, Sam Zuckerman, Santiago Segura

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: IFC Films

As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home.After their mother passes away, sisters Nicole (Bruckner) and Annie (Lotz) reluctantly return to their childhood home to pay their last respects. While staying overnight in the house, the sisters sense a mysterious presence in their midst: noises startling them in the night, objects moving about, a fallen picture of an unknown woman posed next to their mother. Annie begins experiencing a series of intense and disturbing dreams visions that lead her to uncover something terrible about her mothers past that is finally revealing itself.

Starry Starry Night (2012)

2012-07-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Release Date: July 6th, 2012

Director: Tom Lin

Writers: Jimmy Liao, Tom Lin

Actors: Harlem Yu, Hui Ming Lin, Janel Tsai, Jiao Xu, Kenneth Tsang, Lunmei Kwai, Rene Liu

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: Not available

Studio: China Lion Entertainment

When Mei falls in love with Jay, love at first sight takes hold, providing her fondest childhood memory. Amongst her parents’ divorce and bickering and her grandfather’s death, Mei finds solace in Jay even as they begin a perilous journey into the mountainous wilderness to find her grandparents’ home. As they venture into the starry, starry night, they get lost in a storm that leads them towards a greater destination.