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- Holding Court: Keira Knightley reigns in The Duchess.
- According to the gossipy English period piece The Duchess, the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) had only met young Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) twice before they became engaged in 1774.... read on»
- By Curt Holman posted October 09, 2008 12:00 AM
- Comments: 0
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- Scary Talk: With Baghead, the mumblecore movement goes mainstream.
- Mumblecore, the favorite genre of film geeks and hipsters everywhere, may be moving toward a more popular market share than the Staff Picks shelf of independent DVD stores. For the... read on»
- By Anders Wright posted October 09, 2008 12:00 AM
- Comments: 0
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- Puppy Love: Peter Sollett again captures teen romance’s sweet awkwardness in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
- It took five years for director Peter Sollett to follow up his sparkling feature debut Raising Victor Vargas with his adaptation of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s novel, Nick &... read on»
- By Scott Renshaw posted October 02, 2008 12:00 AM
- Comments: 0
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- Seen Stealers: Julianne Moore finds the light in Blindness.
- Acommuter loses his eyesight without warning in the first scene of the apocalyptic allegory Blindness. The puzzled eye doctor (Mark Ruffalo) determines that there’s nothing physically wrong with him: “Someone... read on»
- By Curt Holman posted October 02, 2008 12:00 AM
- Comments: 0
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- An American Carol
- N/A • Comedy
- Rated PG-13
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- The people are in need for comedy relief from America’s controversial issues and up and coming election. Director David Zucker was sure to combine controversy and comedy in his ridiculous, funny and far fetched story to provide laughs and melt the stress away. Actor Kevin Farley (Michael Malone) who impersonates acclaimed documentary director Michael More, sets out on a mission to abolish The 4th of July, but soon is visited by three spirits who try to convince him otherwise. Reviewed by [SL].
- Movie Times:
- Maya Cinemas : 2:55; 7:35
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:40; 2;55; 5:10; 7:20; 9:30
- Osio Cinemas : 12:15; 2:15; 4:30; 7:00; 9:15
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- Appaloosa
- 114 min • Western
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Appaloosa is a suitable slow burn punctuated by sudden acts of violence. It's 1882, and lawmen-for-hire Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) arrive in the titular township, a barely conceived place of wood and dirt and whiskey. They come at the town council's request: A scheming, would-be cattle baron by the name of Bragg (Jeremy Irons, resplendent in his villain's finery and subtexting the inherent dangers of a nascent capitalist system on the range) has murdered the sheriff and his deputies and must be brought to justice. No easy task, that, and it's complicated by the arrival in town of a comely, piano-playing widow, Allie French (Renée Zellweger, wearing a permanent aw-shucks smile), who plays Virgil's heart like a seasoned pro. Harris, directing from an adaptation of Robert Parker's novel, cuts a leathery, desiccated figure as the love-blinded Virgil, who lets his heart get in the way of his work. Reviewed by MS.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 1:05; 4:05; 7:20; 10:00
- Maya Cinemas : 11:50am; 2:20; 4:50; 7:25; 10:15
- Lighthouse Cinemas : (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:30; 4:30; 7:00; (Sat-Mon): 11:00am, 2:00, 4:45, 7:45
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- Baghead
- 84 min. • Horror
- Rated R
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Mumblecore, the favorite genre of film geeks and hipsters everywhere, may be moving towards a more popular market share than the Staff Picks shelf of independent DVD stores. For the uninitiated, the genre's films are traditionally made on the cheap by aspiring filmmakers with a camera, some angst and a story to tell. The Duplass brothers are considered two of mumblecore's founding fathers, having made the strange, awkward, and sweet film The Puffy Chair a couple of years ago. With Baghead, they've created something very different—the first mumblecore horror film. It succeeds in a number of ways—it's very much true to its cerebral, ironic roots, and it also manages to be, at times, really scary. Four struggling L.A. actors catch an arthouse movie at a film festival, and decide that auditioning and working as extras isn't paying dividends, so they head up to an isolated cabin in the woods to write their own screenplay. Even when one of them comes up with an idea, making a horror movie about a crazy dude who wears a bag over his head stalking them through the forest, everyone would rather get hammered and get down than try to further their careers. They have serious relationship issues that take precedent—until, of course, they're suddenly confronted with a real dude wearing a bag over his head carrying a knife. Which puts things into perspective in a hurry. Reviewed by AW.
- Movie Times:
- Osio Cinemas : 12:45; 3:00; 5:15; 7:15; 9:15
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- Battle in Seattle
- 99 min • Drama/Action
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue)Director Stuart Townsend brings the true story of the November 1999 protests in Seattle against the World Trade Organization. The ensemble cast, including Andre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, and Michelle Rodriguez, depicts multiple views of the demonstrations that erupted into chaotic violence and turned Seattle inside out. Reviewed by QE.
- Movie Times:
- Osio Cinemas : 12:30; 2:40; 4:50; 7:15; 9:40
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- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- 91min • Comedy
- Rated PG
- Buy Tickets
- Man’s best friend is loved and cared for by, being fed, walked, and pampered at day spas? Only Beverly Hill’s pets and especially little chihuahua Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) who receives a life of luxury provided by her owner. Unfortunately, on a vacation to the warm beaches of Mexico, Chloe becomes lost on the dangerous streets with no doggy boutiques or spas accessible. Alone for the first time she must trust new friends German Shepard Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia) and Papi a pup (voice of George Lopez) to help her on the journey toward home. Reviewed by [SL].
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:25; 2:50; 5:05; 7:30; 9:45
- Maya Cinemas : 11:45; 12:40; 1:50; 2:50; 3:50; 5:10; 6:00; 7:10; 8:10; 9:20
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:15; 1:25; 2:40; 3:50; 5:05; 6:15; 7:30; 8:40; 9:55
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- Blindness
- 120 min • Drama
- Rated R
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- A commuter loses his eyesight without warning in the first scene of the apocalyptic allegory Blindness. The commuter turns out to be Patient Zero in an epidemic of “white sickness” that spreads throughout an urban population despite brutal official intervention. Blindness never identifies the city or its characters by name, and Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian director of City of God and The Constant Gardener, filmed his international cast in Ontario, Brazil and Uruguay. Anyone can see Meirelles’ goal to place Blindness in a kind of universal city, and though the film offers a powerful portrayal of societal collapse, it also suffers from a plague of metaphorical implications. Meirelles overplays his hand when pushing the film’s symbolic themes. But Julianne Moore’s superb central performance finds the humanity in the film’s angry, abstract themes. Reviewed by CH.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 3:55; 10:25 (except Wed)
- Maya Cinemas : 2:45; 7:50
- Northridge Cinemas : 1:50; 4:45; 7:40; 10:35
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- Body of Lies
- 128 min. • Drama
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue.) From director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator) comes this film about a C.I.A. operative who is trying to infiltrate a terrorist network in Jordan. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the undercover agent, while a bulky Russell Crowe plays his boss. Reviewed by ST.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:55; 4:10; 7:00; 10:15
- Maya Cinemas : 11:45; 2:25; 5:05; 7:45; 10:20
- Northridge Cinemas : 1:30; 4:30; 7:30; 10:30
- Lighthouse Cinemas : (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:15, 5:15, 7:55; (Sat-Mon): 10:30am, 1:45, 4:30, 7:30
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- Burn After Reading
- 96 min • Comedy
- Rated R
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Burn After Reading turns out to be one of the Coen brothers’ trademark comedies of cause and effect, with clueless characters responsible for events that unleash ridiculous chaos. Writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen clearly enjoy blowing off steam following the powerful austerity of their Oscarwinning No Country for Old Men, and turn the tropes of cloak-and-dagger films into frantic, at times violent, farce. Burn After Reading dissects two social strata of Washington, D.C. At the top are the bureaucrats and government officials such as Cox and Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Pfarrer and Cox’s wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), are having an affair, but Cox, having quit his agency, instead focuses on settling scores by writing a memoir. A gym franchise called Hardbodies represents the lower, service-oriented pecking order. Employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), despite being in fine shape for her age, obsesses that her body isn’t hard enough for her to find true love and needs cash to bankroll a series of plastic surgeries. When the gym employees discover a disc containing cryptic data and Cox’s name, Linda and a lunk headed trainer named Chad (Brad Pitt) become blackmailers, sort of accidentally on purpose. Audiences can rely on the Coen brothers for snappy acting, hilarious dialogue and off-putting amounts of bloodshed, and Burn After Reading is no exception. The film also showcases the filmmakers’ adoration for anticlimaxes.
Reviewed by CH.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:40; 3:00; 5:20; 7:50; 10:35
- Lighthouse Cinemas : (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:45, 7:30; (Sat-Mon): 2:15, 7:55
- Cirque du Soleil: Delirium
- 101 min • Music
- Rated NR
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue.) Filmed at London's 02 Centre, Cirque du Soleil DELIRIUM finds the modern circus mixing visuals, musicians, singers and dancers. Reviewed by ST.
- Movie Times:
- Northridge Cinemas : 7:00 (Wed Only)
- City of Ember
- 95 min • Adventure/Fantasy
- Rated PG
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue)A brilliantly assembled cast including Bill Murray, Martin Landau, Tim Robbins, and Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, City of Ember chronicles the journey of two teens desperate to save their society from destruction. When the underground city’s generator beings to fail, it is up to Lina and Doon to avoid corrupt politicians, navigate twists and turns, and find a way to the surface. Reviewed by QE.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : Noon; 2:25; 4:50; 7:25; 9:50
- Maya Cinemas : Noon; 2:30; 5:00; 7:30; 10:00
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:20; 2:50; 5:20; 7:50; 10:20
- Death Note II: The Last Name
- 170 min • Foreign/Thriller
- Rated NR
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue)Based on the popular Manga comic, the English-dubbed film retells the final moments of the Death Note series. Light, a brilliant young man, comes across a dangerous book that causes the death of any name written in it. As Light begins to use his newfound powers, a secretive detective name L starts investigating the mysterious murders and a thrilling game of cat and mouse begins. Reviewed by QE.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 7:00 (Wed only)
- Eagle Eye
- 118 min. • Thriller/Action
- Rated PG-13
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- I could be wrong, but it feels like Eagle Eye is arriving a few months late. With its frenetic car chases; its near-erotic fascination with explosions, gadgets, and guns; and its improbable and, in the end, totally disposable storyline, it’s the very definition of a summer blockbuster: good, manic fun plus a heavy dose of political intrigue adding up to two hours of clamorous, mind-numbing nonsense. Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a sweet-talking slacker with a chip on his shoulder who gets dragged into a violent conspiracy against the U.S. government. He is on the run from the FBI (led by a deliciously dyspeptic Billy Bob Thornton) after being framed as a terrorist for reasons he can’t understand and narrowly escaping the gaping maw of the post-PATRIOT Act American justice system. Like Enemy of the State, Eagle Eye’s backdrop is a world gone mad with surveillance and, like The Terminator trilogy, one where the machines have slipped their leashes and taken over. Reviewed by JR.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 1:00; 4:00; 7:10; 9:55
- Maya Cinemas : Noon; 1:30; 2:40; 4:15; 5:20; 7:00; 8:00; 9:30; 10:30:0
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:35; 1:45; 3:30; 4:40; 6:25; 7:35; 9:20; 10:30
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- Fireproof
- 122 min. • Drama
- Rated PG
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- (Not reviewed this issue.) Former TV star Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains fame plays a firefighter who tries to save his marriage by revisiting his Christian values. Reviewed by ST.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 1:20; 4:25; 7:05; 10:20
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- Flash of Genius
- 119 min. • Drama
- Rated PG-13
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Flash of Genius has all the ingredients of a great American drama, so why does it feel so bland? Based on the true story of engineer Robert Kearns—who, in 1963, invented the intermittent windshield wiper, only to see his idea stolen by the Ford Motor Co.—it’s real David and Goliath stuff, a battle between the forces of corporate greed and chicanery on one side and an extremely stubborn individual human spirit on the other. Like Tucker: The Man and His Dream and Erin Brockovich, Flash of Genius should have been one of those movies that makes us feel better about ourselves by fooling us into believing that, under the same circumstances, we would have been the ones standing up to those titans of industry. Greg Kinnear’s Kearns is an idealized and rather bloodless Hollywood vision of the early-1960s Midwestern American male, and the film is also at a loss when it comes to pacing.
Reviewed by JR.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 1:15; 4:20; 7:45; 10:30
- Maya Cinemas : 11:55am; 4:55; 9:40
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- Ghost Town
- 102min • Comedy/Romance
- Rated PG-13
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) is a misanthrope when something extraordinary happens to him: While under general anesthesia, he dies on the surgical table. Upon resuscitation, Pincus discovers he can see dead people. But shaking hands with the reaper doesn’t make him any nicer; he gets even worse, actually, and is cruelly contemptuous of all the stuck-in-limbo souls who beg him to tidy up for them their loose ends. Still, newly dead Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) convinces Pincus to take up his cause, which is to steer Frank’s widow, Gwen (Téa Leoni), away from a bad love match. Sounds a little bit cookie-cutter, but if you were going for cookie-cutter, you wouldn’t have hired Gervais. Ghost Town is a slow-burn kind of picture that doesn’t bend over backward to ingratiate itself. By the time this imperfect little film wends its way to one of the most winning exit lines I’ve heard in a long time, it’s turned into something, well, perfectly lovely. Reviewed by KJ.
- Movie Times:
- Lighthouse Cinemas : (Sat-Mon Only) 11:15am; (Everyday): 5:00
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- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
- 110 mins. • Comedy
- Rated
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Based on Toby Young’s memoirs chronicling his often mortifying struggles as a Vanity Fair employee, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People stars Simon Pegg (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) as Young’s alter-ego, Sydney Young. Sydney’s uproarious antics seem to amuse the editor of the New York based Sharps Magazine. So begins Sydney’s rise to the top, presenting opportunities to rub elbows with society’s elite. When a wild starlet (Megan Fox, Transformers) walks into his life, Sydney crashes head first into obsession, jeopardizing a budding romance with his co-worker (Kirsten Dunst.) Reviewed by SK.
- Movie Times:
- Maya Cinemas : 12:10; 5:15; 10:25
- Northridge Cinemas : 4:25; 9:25
- Osio Cinemas : 9:15
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- Lakeview Terrace
- 110 min • Thriller
- Rated PG-13
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- With Lakeview Terrace, we get middling melodrama too concerned with providing visceral kicks to uncover anything truly psychologically insightful. Our unsuspecting victims: Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Lisa (Kerry Washington), a bi-racial couple re-locating from Northern California to a Los Angeles suburb during a hot summer. Their from-hell adversary: Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson), their next-door neighbor and also an L.A.P.D. beat cop. It turns out Abel isn’t too fond of the idea of a white man and a black woman together, and he has his own unique way of demonstrating his antipathy: shining annoying security lamps through their windows, wrecking their air conditioning and so on, while basically daring the Mattsons to call in local law enforcement and take their word over his. Doing another piece of Hollywood “will direct for food” work, Neil LaBute leaves behind all of the incendiary skill he brings to his own material. The film degenerates into a rote pattern of escalating confrontations, inevitably involving a knock-down drag-out between Abel and Chris.
Reviewed by SR.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:50; 7:05 (except Sat and Wed)
- Maya Cinemas : 1:50; 6:15; 10:35
- Northridge Cinemas : 1:55; 4:35; 7:15; 10:00
- Miracle at St. Anna
- 2hr 40min • Drama
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Sadly, Spike Lee’s new movie is a major disappointment, especially as it comes on the heels of the filmmaker’s greatest commercial success, Inside Man. Miracle at St. Anna is a bloated, muddled, indistinct, and ill-paced movie (adapted by James McBride from his novel) that makes its 160 minutes seem like a tour of duty for the viewer. It’s a war movie and a murder mystery, a history lesson and a sentimental melodrama all jumbled together episodically and glancingly. The bulk of the movie is one long flashback about four Buffalo Soldiers from the Army’s 92nd Infantry Division who get trapped in Tuscany behind enemy lines in 1944. The soldiers never develop beyond their signature traits into memorable human beings. A completely superfluous murder mystery bookends the flashback. Lee adds some touches of magic realism to his repertoire, while Terence Blanchard’s music score overwhelms the visuals and leaves little to the imagination. And the film comes packaged with its own set of stereotypes. Reviewed by MB.
- Movie Times:
- Maya Cinemas : 10:05
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- Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
- 90 min. • Comedy
- Rated PG-13
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- It took five years for director Peter Sollett to follow-up his sparkling feature debut Raising Victor Vargas with his adaptation of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s novel Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. And while the road along the way surely was littered with Hollywood-typical stories of aborted projects and collapsing funding, he should take comfort in this: He has now established himself as cinema’s reigning genius of awkward young love. He starts off with some pretty solid source material in this story of two bridge-and-tunnel teens who find themselves together on one New York City night. Nick (Michael Cera) is a sensitive guy still mooning over being dumped by his ex Tris (Alexis Dziena) when he’s not playing bass as the token straight boy in a queercore band. Norah (Kat Dennings) is Tris’ private school classmate who knows of Nick from the killer mix CDs Tris dumps in the school trash and loathes Tris’s queen-bee pity. So when all three of them find themselves at the same nightclub, Tris pleads with “random stranger” Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend—only later realizing that this is “Tris’s Nick.” It’s a set-up only slightly more gimmicky than the book’s device of alternating chapters from each protagonist’s—and each author’s—point of view. The devices that end up keeping Nick and Norah together for the rest of the night—alternately, tracking down Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) and finding a super-secret concert by their mutual favorite hip band—also could have ended up feeling forced. But a meet-cute rarely rings hollow if the chemistry ends up working, and there’s clearly a zing between these two sarcastic puppy-dogs. Reviewed by SR.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:20; 2:35; 4:55; 7:20; 9:40
- Maya Cinemas : 11:40am; 1:40; 3:40; 5:50; 8:05; 10:25
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:25; 2:25; 9:45
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- Nights in Rodanthe
- 97 min • Drama
- Rated PG-13
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- There’s no getting around the three-hanky, tearjerker appeal of Nights in Rodanthe, or the fact that the film is mere months away from a big debut on Lifetime. But make no mistake: This is a solid drama with quality performances and a story that never feels forced. Given that the movie’s goal is to make you cry, that’s a huge compliment. Diane Lane (Untraceable) is Adrienne, a mother of two whose philandering husband (Christopher Meloni) wants to get back together. Unsure of what to do, she sojourns to the Carolina shore for the weekend to look after her friend Jeanie’s (Viola Davis) inn, where the only expected guest is a surgeon named Paul (Richard Gere). If you’re expecting love at first sight between Adrienne and Paul, don’t. Their first meeting is cordial but rather cold, largely because they are determined to sulk in their loneliness all weekend. To their credit, writers Ann Peacock and John Romano (based on a novel by The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks) structure the story so Adrienne and Paul fall in love as they help one another through their personal dilemmas, which means it happens naturally and convincingly. (And if you think I just ruined the movie, you obviously A) have not seen the trailer or B) know nothing about movies.) Reviewed by DH.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:15; 2:45; 5:10; 7:35; 10:00
- Maya Cinemas : 11:45am; 4:10; 8:30
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:30; 3:00; 5:30; 7:55; 10:25
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- Quarantine
- 89min • Horror/Mystery/Thriller
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Shadowing the night shift of LA’s Fire Department, television reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman follow-up an emergency response call leading them to a chaotic apartment where a women has contracted a rare contagious case of rabies. Preventing further contact, officials have no choice but to quarantine the building with everyone inside. Reviewed by SL.
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 12:30; 3:05; 5:25; 7:40; 10:05
- Maya Cinemas : 12:05; 2:05; 4:05; 6:05; 8:15; 10:10
- Northridge Cinemas : 12:45; 3:05; 5:25; 7:45; 10:05
- Religulous
- 101 mins. • Documentary
- Rated R
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Though fashioned as popular entertainment with laughs, light moments, and mostly humorous segments, Religulous is as serious as a disapproving Jehovah about its mission to upend our rote allegiance to blind religious faith. Bill Maher hosts this globe-hopping whirlwind of interviews with various representatives of the Western religious faiths. As always, Maher carries with him his sharp wit. Maher and director Larry Charles play it somewhat safe by never going toe-to-toe with sophisticated thinkers or experienced theologians. Neither do they delve too deeply into the more indecipherable sense of spirituality that seems to infuse the majority of people even if they don't consider themselves members of an organized religion or faith. Yet if, as Maher states, 16% of the U.S. population identifies as secular humanists who don't believe in God, then that's a large cross section of the country whose voices are muffled by the status quo. It is to them, more than the believers, Maher speaks, in essence saying, "Let my people go." Reviewed by MB.
- Movie Times:
- Osio Cinemas : 12:15; 2:50; 5:10; 7:30; 9:45
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- Sea Monsters (3D)
- 40 min • Documentary / Animation / Adventure
- Rated NR
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- This story has a sturdy backbone, which is fitting for a story about palentologists unearthing skeletons from a one-time massive inland sea that covered much of the U.S. 80 million years ago. In other words, it's not just about the bone-snapping 3D action that evolves when massive sharks, menacing crocodile-like lizards and creatures that look like pterodactyl-penguins roamed the sea (and the space between the screen and a rapt audience). It's about piecing together prehistoric clues—a shark tooth lodged in a fin is particularly important in this sage—to construct a facinating saga of life long ago. The only problem: the riveting centuries-long adventure only lasts 40 minutes.
Reviewed by MCA.
- Movie Times:
- Cannery Row IMAX Theatre : 11:00am; 1:10; 2:10
- The Dark Knight (IMAX)
- 152 min. • Action
- Rated PG-13
- ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Bob Kane created him in 1939, Frank Miller re-imagined him in 1986, Tim Burton darkened him up in 1989, and in 2008 the Batman reached epic proportions in Christopher Nolan's masterpiece The Dark Knight, now in 3-story-high IMAX glory. The sumptuous cinematography holds up beautifully to the big, scenic IMAX proportions, with thrilling action sequences set against pitch perfect dialogue and sweeping cityscape shots. The powerful sound system can rattle the theater, especially during onscreen explosions, to the point that objects on the armrests fall down. Fans of The Dark Knight (and that's a lot of us) will savor the intensity like the first time again; newbies to the film (if there are any left) will be blown away Reviewed by WR.
- Movie Times:
- Cannery Row IMAX Theatre : 3:15; 6:00; 9:00
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- The Duchess
- 110 min • Drama
- Rated PG-13
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- According to the gossipy English period piece The Duchess, the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) had only met young Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) twice before they became engaged in 1774. The new bride had to fulfill the two obligations of being well bred and good for breeding. Given a rich, powerful husband and all that England has to offer, Georgiana must only provide the duke with a male heir. When she finds herself unable to fulfill that part of her job description, The Duchess becomes a juicy drama of domestic power struggles. Director/co-writer Saul Dibb presents a lively adaptation of Amanda Foreman's 1998 biography, which became a best seller partly for showing how history repeated itself 200 years later. The marriage of popular, glamorous Georgiana to the emotionally remote duke anticipated the tribulations of Princess Diana, who was related to Georgiana's brother through the Spencer line. The Duchess' focus on pre-feminist social predicaments make it more intelligent and classy than the usual royal bodice ripper.
Reviewed by CH.
- Movie Times:
- Maya Cinemas : 11:35; 2:00; 4:20; 6:50; 9:10
- Osio Cinemas : Noon; 2:30; 5:00; 7:30; 10:00
- The Express
- N/A • Drama
- Rated PG
- Buy Tickets
- During the civil rights movement in America one African American college student and nationally noted Syracuse coach break prejudice and make history as a determined team playing in a divided country. Based on a true story Denis Quaid (Coach Ben Schwartzwalder) and Rob Brown (Ernie Davis) reveal the inspirational story of legendary sports star Ernie Davis beginning with his upbringing in poverty and witnessing his challenges becoming the first African American football player to win a Heisman Trophy and set numerous records that still stand to date. Reviewed by [SL].
- Movie Times:
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center : 1:10; 4:15; 7:15; 10:10
- Maya Cinemas : 11:40am; 2:15; 4:45; 7:15; 9:50
- Northridge Cinemas : 1:00; 4:05; 7:10; 10:15
- Lighthouse Cinemas : (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:00, 4:45, 7:45; (Sat-Mon): 10:45am, 1:30, 4:15, 7:15
- The House Bunny
- 97 min • Comedy
- Rated PG-13
- Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- This empty-headed comedy about a Playmate who finds herself a house mother to a group of misfit sorority sisters is little more than a recycled version of Legally Blonde with bunny ears. (Not surprisingly, both films were penned by screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith.) After being evicted from the mansion, sweet but dimwitted Shelley Darlingson (Faris) ends up at the rundown Zeta Alpha Zeta house, which quickly becomes the most popular spot on campus once she nurtures her girls by teaching them to wear too much make-up and too little clothing. While the female empowerment theme is a bit muddled, the film lacks the confident presence of someone like Reese Witherspoon to gloss over the mixed signals it gives about femininity and individualism. Faris' performance grows on you, but the character is never given the opportunity to command the silliness onscreen in the way that Elle Woods gave Witherspoon the opportunity to shine. Reviewed by SD.
- Movie Times:
- Northridge Cinemas : 2:00; 7:00
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- 105 min • Drama
- Rated PG-13
- Read Review • Watch Trailer • ImDb • Buy Tickets
- Still making films in his early 70s, Woody Allen has found new life and fresh perspectives with changes of scenery. London’s tony neighborhoods set the stage in 2005’s Match Point for an icy, compelling noir story. His creative juices flowed again for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a stormy romance set in Spain. Allen’s tendency to overthink his dialogue and ideas doesn’t muffle the sensuality of the locale or the characters. Allen splits the perpetual tension between heart and head between the film’s young heroines, dark-haired Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and blonde Cristina (Scarlett Johansson). Depressed following the completion of a 12-minute art film, Cristina tags along with her friend for a summer in Barcelona as Vicky completes her academic research on Catalan art and culture. One evening, suave painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) approaches the two friends with a surprisingly blunt suggestion. Cristina proves game for the indecent proposal while Vicky analyzes it to death. Both women gradually become involved with Juan Antonio, even though he’s clearly not over his passionate, mentally unstable ex-wife Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz). In the film, Christopher Evan Welch’s chatty narration sounds like a young, WASPish interpretation of Allen’s own rapid delivery. The characters’ dialogue isn’t much better. Fortunately you can tune out the script’s obtuse aspects as Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s romantic entanglements become more fraught. Reviewed by CH.
- Movie Times:
- Osio Cinemas : Noon; 2:15; 4:30; 7:00
- Wild Ocean 3D
- 45 min • Documentary
- Rated
- ImDb • Buy Tickets
- This 3D IMAX film looks at the way migrating shoals of sardines and other small fish affect marine and terrestrial species on South Africa's Wild Coast. When the spinning bundles of fish reach the region every year, it drives the small fish's predators into ecstatic feeding frenzies: tiger sharks bullet after the prey, seabirds streak through the sea like fireworks hoping to catch one of the creatures. The film also cautions that global warming and unsustainable fishing practices could destroy the migrating fish's numbers, which would have repercussions farther up the food chain. Reviewed by ST.
- Movie Times:
- Cannery Row IMAX Theatre : Noon
3000 + movie briefs »
Looking for a movie to rent? Explore Monterey County Weekly's collection of movie briefs and reviews.
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- An American Carol
-
Appaloosa
-
Baghead
- Battle in Seattle
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
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Blindness
- Body of Lies
-
Burn After Reading
- Cirque du Soleil: Delirium
- City of Ember
- Death Note II: The Last Name
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Eagle Eye
- Fireproof
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Flash of Genius
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Ghost Town
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
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Lakeview Terrace
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Miracle at St. Anna
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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
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Nights in Rodanthe
- Quarantine
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Religulous
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Sea Monsters (3D)
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The Dark Knight (IMAX)
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The Duchess
- The Express
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The House Bunny
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Vicky Cristina Barcelona
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Wild Ocean 3D
- Century Cinemas Del Monte Center
-
1700 Del Monte Center, Monterey
1-800- FANDANGO - Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- 12:25; 2:50; 5:05; 7:30; 9:45
- Appaloosa
- 1:05; 4:05; 7:20; 10:00
- Eagle Eye
- 1:00; 4:00; 7:10; 9:55
- City of Ember
- Noon; 2:25; 4:50; 7:25; 9:50
- Nights in Rodanthe
- 12:15; 2:45; 5:10; 7:35; 10:00
- Burn After Reading
- 12:40; 3:00; 5:20; 7:50; 10:35
- Death Note II: The Last Name
- 7:00 (Wed only)
- Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
- 12:20; 2:35; 4:55; 7:20; 9:40
- Blindness
- 3:55; 10:25 (except Wed)
- Body of Lies
- 12:55; 4:10; 7:00; 10:15
- Flash of Genius
- 1:15; 4:20; 7:45; 10:30
- The Express
- 1:10; 4:15; 7:15; 10:10
- Fireproof
- 1:20; 4:25; 7:05; 10:20
- Lakeview Terrace
- 12:50; 7:05 (except Sat and Wed)
- Quarantine
- 12:30; 3:05; 5:25; 7:40; 10:05
- Golden State Theater
-
417 Alvarado St., Monterey
372-4555 - Maya Cinemas
-
153 Main St., Salinas
757-Maya - Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- 11:45; 12:40; 1:50; 2:50; 3:50; 5:10; 6:00; 7:10; 8:10; 9:20
- Miracle at St. Anna
- 10:05
- Quarantine
- 12:05; 2:05; 4:05; 6:05; 8:15; 10:10
- City of Ember
- Noon; 2:30; 5:00; 7:30; 10:00
- The Express
- 11:40am; 2:15; 4:45; 7:15; 9:50
- Blindness
- 2:45; 7:50
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
- 12:10; 5:15; 10:25
- Body of Lies
- 11:45; 2:25; 5:05; 7:45; 10:20
- The Duchess
- 11:35; 2:00; 4:20; 6:50; 9:10
- Eagle Eye
- Noon; 1:30; 2:40; 4:15; 5:20; 7:00; 8:00; 9:30; 10:30:0
- Flash of Genius
- 11:55am; 4:55; 9:40
- An American Carol
- 2:55; 7:35
- Lakeview Terrace
- 1:50; 6:15; 10:35
- Nights in Rodanthe
- 11:45am; 4:10; 8:30
- Appaloosa
- 11:50am; 2:20; 4:50; 7:25; 10:15
- Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
- 11:40am; 1:40; 3:40; 5:50; 8:05; 10:25
- Northridge Cinemas
-
350 Northridge Shopping Center, Salinas
449-9101 - An American Carol
- 12:40; 2;55; 5:10; 7:20; 9:30
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- 12:15; 1:25; 2:40; 3:50; 5:05; 6:15; 7:30; 8:40; 9:55
- Nights in Rodanthe
- 12:30; 3:00; 5:30; 7:55; 10:25
- Quarantine
- 12:45; 3:05; 5:25; 7:45; 10:05
- The Express
- 1:00; 4:05; 7:10; 10:15
- The House Bunny
- 2:00; 7:00
- Blindness
- 1:50; 4:45; 7:40; 10:35
- Body of Lies
- 1:30; 4:30; 7:30; 10:30
- City of Ember
- 12:20; 2:50; 5:20; 7:50; 10:20
- Cirque du Soleil: Delirium
- 7:00 (Wed Only)
- Eagle Eye
- 12:35; 1:45; 3:30; 4:40; 6:25; 7:35; 9:20; 10:30
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
- 4:25; 9:25
- Lakeview Terrace
- 1:55; 4:35; 7:15; 10:00
- Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
- 12:25; 2:25; 9:45
- Osio Cinemas
-
350 Alvarado St., Monterey
644-8171 - The Duchess
- Noon; 2:30; 5:00; 7:30; 10:00
- Battle in Seattle
- 12:30; 2:40; 4:50; 7:15; 9:40
- Baghead
- 12:45; 3:00; 5:15; 7:15; 9:15
- Religulous
- 12:15; 2:50; 5:10; 7:30; 9:45
- An American Carol
- 12:15; 2:15; 4:30; 7:00; 9:15
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- Noon; 2:15; 4:30; 7:00
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
- 9:15
- Cannery Row IMAX Theatre
-
640 Wave St., Monterey
372-4629 - Sea Monsters (3D)
- 11:00am; 1:10; 2:10
- Wild Ocean 3D
- Noon
- The Dark Knight (IMAX)
- 3:15; 6:00; 9:00
- Lighthouse Cinemas
-
525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove
643-1333 - Burn After Reading
- (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:45, 7:30; (Sat-Mon): 2:15, 7:55
- Body of Lies
- (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:15, 5:15, 7:55; (Sat-Mon): 10:30am, 1:45, 4:30, 7:30
- The Express
- (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:00, 4:45, 7:45; (Sat-Mon): 10:45am, 1:30, 4:15, 7:15
- Appaloosa
- (Fri, Tues, Wed): 2:30; 4:30; 7:00; (Sat-Mon): 11:00am, 2:00, 4:45, 7:45
- Ghost Town
- (Sat-Mon Only) 11:15am; (Everyday): 5:00
Published by Monterey County Weekly. The mission of the Monterey County Weekly is to inspire independent thinking and conscious action, etc.
Serving Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Moss Landing, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Salinas Valley, Sand City, Seaside and the entire Monterey County. © 2008 Milestone Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
