De Niro, Pacino, Wahlberg have fall thrills

When Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up for a thriller, you’ve got to line up — even if the results do prove disappoint. This season’s thrillers offer a lot of cops and robbers action. Sometimes the cops are good (Mark Wahlberg) and sometimes they’re bad (Samuel L. Jackson) and sometimes the gangsters (Gerard Butler) are attractive enough to get the ladies into the theater. One thing guaranteed: Bullets will be flying.

“Righteous Kill”

Video   'Righteous Kill': Sept. 12 Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star as a couple of New York City police detectives on the trail of a vigilante serial killer. Buena Vista Pictures

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Jon Avnet
Story: When bad guys keep turning up dead, two detectives (De Niro, Pacino) realize that they may have a serial killer on their hands, and they may have put the wrong man in prison years ago.
One to watch? 50-50 (in honor of 50 Cent). De Niro and Pacino haven’t shared the screen since their small diner scene in “Heat,” so there are a lot of expectations here — and it’s almost certain that they’ll fail to live up to them. Both stars really haven’t been challenged by their recent roles, and director Avnet (“88 Minutes,” “Fried Green Tomatoes”) isn’t anywhere near the ballpark of a Scorsese or Coppola. One good sign: Writer Russell Gewirtz (“Inside Man”) penned the screenplay.
Web site:  http://www.righteouskill-themovie.com/
Release date: Sept. 12

“Lakeview Terrace”

Video   'Lakeview Terrace': Sept. 19 Samuel L. Jackson stars as a tightly wound police officer who hassles a young interracial couple next door. Buena Vista Pictures

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Eva La Rue, Bitsie Tulloch
Director: Neil LaBute
Story: When a young, interracial couple (Washington, Wilson) move into a new home, they encounter a stern neighbor and LAPD officer (Jackson) who disapproves of their coupling and will seemingly go to any means to get them to move out of the neighborhood. The couple, however, refuses to go and the feud escalates.
One to watch? Looks promising, primarily due to the involvement of the fearless LaBute (“In the Company of Men”). Wilson told the L.A. Times, “Neil (LaBute) is able to push buttons without it seeming heavy-handed. It's never done with a, ‘Let’s throw in some crazy stuff for shock value.’ He's not that kind of writer.” LaBute added, “That’s a modern-day horror movie: that the person you normally turn to for safety (is after you), not that you're running around in the woods being chased by someone with a chain saw.”
Web site:  http://www.body-of-lies.com/
Release date:  Sept. 19

“Max Payne”

Video   ‘Max Payne’: Oct. 17 In this video-game adaptation, Mark Wahlberg is Max Payne, a widowed cop hell-bent on delivering justice no matter what the cost as he investigates a string of killings in his city.

Starring:  Mark Wahlberg, Chris O'Donnell, Beau Bridges, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Mila Kunis, Donal Logue, Amaury Nolasco
Director:  John Moore
Story: Max Payne (Wahlberg), a DEA agent whose family has been murdered, teams up with an assassin (Kunis), who wants to avenge her sister’s death, to find the killers. In his hunt, Max must battle both real and supernatural creatures. Based on the video game of the same name.
One to watch? Maybe — it is based on a video game after all. At Comic-Con, director Moore said the film would not rely on CGI, “I'm bored s--tless with CG. I think everyone is bored f--king s--tless of it. “ Of his role, Wahlberg said, “Thankfully John was also in the headspace of doing something that really was layered because I had already done the guy with a few words, you know? That's one note and that's it. I wanted to really kind of go off and push the envelope.” Luckily, the screenwriter is “The Shield” creator Shawn Ryan (who is also a fan of the video game) and he knows how to write intense drama.
Web site:  http://www.maxpaynethemovie.com/
Release date: Oct. 17

“Pride and Glory”

Video   ‘Pride and Glory’: Oct. 24 Ed Norton stars in this thriller about a cop who must investigate one of his colleagues (Colin Farrell).

Starring: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Story: Police officer Ray Tierney (Norton) investigates a case that uncovers a police corruption scandal that involves his brother-in-law Jimmy (Farrell).
One to watch? Looks dicey. This movie has had a bumpy road to the box office. It was originally slated to come out on March 12, and when it was pushed back director O’Connor (“Tumbleweeds”) wasn’t happy. “I don't think (New Line Chairman) Bob Shaye believes in it,” O’Connor told Variety. “And he's decided he'll only release (sure bet) films. He never had the decency to call me. We've delivered something special and unique, a film that's not for everybody but has something to say. We're all heartbroken.” Farrell explained the delay to Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeff Wells, saying, “It's just a really really strong piece, but I think New Line lost the bollocks on ‘The Golden Compass’… and they literally don't have enough money to market things.”
Web site: http://www.prideandglorymovie.com/
Release date: Oct. 24

“RocknRolla”

Video   'RocknRolla': Oct. 3 Guy Ritchie directs this tale of a Russian mobster who orchestrates a crooked land deal.

Starring: Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jeremy Piven, Idris Elba, Tom Wilkinson
Director: Guy Ritchie
Story: When a Russian mobster orchestrates a crooked land deal, millions of dollars are up for grabs and all of London’s underworld wants the money. Butler and Elba are mobster partners and Wilkinson is the man on top. Bridges and Piven are record producers whose client (Toby Kendell), a broken-down rock star who hangs out in a crack den, gets mixed up in the scheme.
One to watch: Yes. Guy Ritchie goes back to his “Snatch” roots with this film. At Comic-Con, Guy Ritchie described the film as “born out of enthusiasm … trying to reflect the changing cultural environment in the U.K. It's a look into the underbelly of a subculture.” According to Empire magazine, Ritchie based the role of a rock star on the infamous Pete Doherty.
Web site: http://rocknrolla.warnerbros.com/
Release date: Oct. 3

Best of the rest: Thillers and horror films “Passengers” (Oct. 24) Anne Hathaway stars as a young therapist counseling survivors of a plane crash, but when they suddenly begin disappearing one by one, she suspects that the one remaining passenger (Patrick Wilson), with whom she’s fallen in love, may have the answers. “House”  (Nov. 14) A couple on the run from a psycho killer think they’ve found refuge in a house, but when they get inside, they find a message from the murderer laying down the house rules. They have 12 hours to find a way to survive. “Saw V” (Oct. 24) Jigsaw may be dead, but he’s left Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) behind to ensure his legacy continues with all new, even more complex forms of torture. “Quarantine” (Oct. 10) When the hazmat team is called in to check out an old woman’s apartment, they find more than they expected. They, along with the residents of the building and a local news crew, get quarantined in the building with a deadly presence. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley”  (Oct. 31) After her mother suffers a psychotic break, Molly Hartley (Haley Bennet) gets a chance to start over at a new private school. But as her 18th birthday approaches, she begins to realize that ownership of her own soul may be in jeopardy.

Note: Dates are subject to change.

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