David Mamet takes this story of thieves along many twists and turns, some of which work and some of which don’t. Gene Hackman plays the brilliant leader of a gang (Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay & Rebecca Pigeon as Hackman’s youngish wife), which pulls off complex heists for a despicable fence (Danny DeVito). After stiffing the gang on a jewelry robbery, DeVito forces the gang to go after a Swiss gold shipment and to use his nephew (Sam Rockwell) in the crime. No one trusts anyone and every step is shaded with the unexpected. Written by John Sacksteder {jsackste@bellsouth.net}

The attempted assassination of the American President is told and re-told from several different perspectives.

Medical students begin to explore the realm of near death experiences, hoping for insights. Each has their heart stopped and is revived. They begin having flashes of walking nightmares from their childhood, reflecting sins they committed or had committed against them. The experiences continue to intensify, and they begin to be physically beaten by their visions as they try and go deeper into the death experience to find a cure. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}

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Nazi skinheads in Melbourne take out their anger on local Vietnamese, who are seen as threatening racial purity. Finally the Vietnamese have had enough and confront the skinheads in an all-out confrontation, sending the skinheads running. A woman who is prone to epileptic seizures joins the skins’ merry band, and helps them on their run from justice, but is her affliction also a sign of impurity? Written by Ed Sutton {esutton@mindspring.com}

In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, a 15-year old girl named Helena who works at the family circus with her father and mother, who wishes–quite ironically–that she could run away from the circus and join ‘real life’. But such is not to be the case, as she finds herself on a strange journey into the Dark Lands, a fantastic landscape filled with giants, Monkeybirds and dangerous sphinxes. She must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get back home. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

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Robert Luketic took a break from romantic comedies (the genre where he’s been most comfortable) to direct 21, an entertaining, while not completely comprehensible, dramatic movie adapted from Ben Mezrich’s book, Bringing Down the House. Loosely based on the true story of a group of MIT students who made a killing counting cards at Vegas casinos, 21 makes playing blackjack look not only exciting, but profitable. Despite a few gaping plot holes, the card action and engaging cast make this film fun for even those of us who’ve had only losing experiences at blackjack tables. (more…)

This witty tale of a young woman who’s the victim of an age-old family curse may sound like a chick flick but, truthfully, the humor, production design, and cast make this a film even guys can sit through without too much fidgeting. It’s fresh and fun, and while the lesson of the story isn’t subtle, it’s not so distracting as to make the film annoyingly preachy. The message is clothed in clever dialogue so while the film’s straightforward storyline is a simple one, Penelope manages to be entertaining even while pounding you over the head with its “I’m okay with myself” hammer.

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Based on the classic novel by ‘CS Lewis’ . Four London children are sent to a professor’s country home in order for protection during World War II. There they find a magic wardrobe which leads to a mystical land called Narnia, which is being ruled by an evil witch. To defeat the witch, they must join forces with Aslan, the lion God of Narnia. Written by Brett Walter {StreepFan126@cs.com}

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The gangster Nino has a gang who call themselves Cash Money Brothers. They get into the crack business and not before long they make a million every week. A cop, Scotty, is after them. He tries to get into the gang by letting an ex-drug addict infiltrate them, but the trial fails miserably. The only thing that remains is that Scotty himself becomes a drug pusher. Written by Mattias Thuresson {mattias.thuresson@mbox300.swipnet.se}

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Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn’t believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true? Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos {makzax@hotmail.com}

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