Columbia Pictures / Sony

“Perfect Stranger”
Starring: Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Dourdan, Patti D'Arbanville, Clea Lewis
Director: James Foley
Story: When investigative reporter Rowena Price (Berry) decides to investigate her friend’s murder, she’s led straight to powerful ad executive Harrison Hill (Willis). She goes undercover as a temp at his company; she also creates an online identity as a flirtatious emailer who’s interested in Hill. Ribisi plays Rowena’s associate who helps her get close to Hill.
Buzz: Director Foley is the man behind “Glengarry Glen Ross,” but before you get too excited, he’s also the man behind “Hollywood Homicide.” All of which is to say that this film could go either way, depending on the script. He filmed three different endings to the film, each one with a different killer (potential DVD extras). Berry desperately needs a hit film — people are starting to forget about that Oscar.
Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/perfectstranger/

First Look Pictures

“Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters”
Starring: Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis, Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Andy Merrill, Mike Schatz, Bruce Campbell, Neil Peart
Director: Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis
Story: Meatwad (Willis), Frylock (Means) and Master Shake (Snyder) hit the big screen in this epic adventure that explores their origins as the Aqua Teen Hunger Force and involves a battle over an immortal piece of exercise equipment.
Buzz: The question is: Will this off-beat animated show from the Cartoon Network work as an animated feature? Those “South Park” boys say, “Hell, yes.” Bruce Campbell fans take note: The cult star provides one of the voices. The film was shot for a paltry $750,000 — so don’t expect too much of an upgrade in animation quality. But isn’t that part of the charm?
Web site: http://www.adultswim.com/shows/athf/movie/index.html

Lionsgate

“Slow Burn”
Starring: Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Jolene Blalock, Nora Timmer, Taye Diggs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donny Falsetti, Bruce McGill, Mekhi Phifer
Director: Wayne Beach
Story: Liotta stars as a district attorney whose beautiful assistant (Blalock) confesses that she killed a man who raped her. An enigmatic man (Smith) turns up to contradict Blalock’s rape story. In trying to solve the crime, Liotta is led to a mysterious crime boss, who no one has actually ever seen.
Buzz: According to EFilmcritic.com’s Eric Childress, this film is a “Usual Suspects” ripoff. He wrote, “Interrogations and a Keyser Soze wannabe are enough to draw comparisons to the Oscar-winning screenplay from 1995, so why invite further ridicule by littering the third act with the near-exact same conclusion.” This looks like one to skip.
Web site: NA

“Disturbia”

Dreamworks

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Aaron Yoo
Director: D. J. Caruso
Story: LaBeouf stars as a troubled teen under house arrest, who amuses himself by watching his neighbors. When he sees what he thinks is a murder, he begins to suspect that one of his neighbors (Morse) is a serial killer. Because he can’t get outside, it’s up to his best friend (Yoo) and the neighborhood girl (Roemer) he has a crush on to help him solve the mystery.
Buzz: Wow, this movie makes no bones about being a “Rear Window” ripoff. Can’t you just hear the pitch meeting? “It’ll be ‘Rear Window’ meets ‘The Girl Next Door.’” Is there anyone more typecast than David Morse (who had a great storyline this season playing the heavy on “House”). Remember how he played a nice guy on “St. Elsewhere”? Hollywood doesn’t.   
Web site: http://www.disturbia.com/

“Pathfinder”

20Th Century Fox

Starring: Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means, Clancy Brown, Jay Tavare, Nathaniel Arcand, Ralf Moeller
Director: Marcus Nispel
Story: A Viking boy is left behind after his clan battles Native Americans. They take him in and raise him as one of their own. When the Vikings return years later, the man (Urban) decides to fight on the side of the Native Americans.
Buzz: It’s a rather PC storyline for an otherwise mindless action-adventure movie. You either like this stuff or you don’t. At least Urban isn’t a former wrestler. Nispel is the man behind the remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Web site: http://www.pathfinderthemovie.com/

“Year of the Dog”

Paramount Vantage

Starring: Molly Shannon, Regina King, Peter Sarsgaard, John C. Reilly, Laura Dern
Director: Mike White
Story: Shannon stars as Molly, a woman who becomes unglued after her beloved beagle dies. She becomes an obsessive animal rights activist, gets involved with an asexual man (Sarsgaard), and makes friends with her gun-nut neighbor (Reilly). Dern co-stars as her sister-in-law who’s a Stepford-style mom. King plays Molly’s best friend, who thinks she should concentrate on men instead of dogs.
Buzz: This is one of those off-beat films with gentle humor, which could make a great matinee treat. John Anderson of Variety wrote, “Molly Shannon's bittersweet portrayal of its lonely canine-loving heroine … make for a satisfying and funny, if ironic, comedy intended for lovers of both the beast and/or sophisticated laughs.” Screenwriter White (“The Good Girl,” “The School of Rock”) makes his directorial debut.
Web site: http://www.yearofthedogmovie.com/

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