A successful talk show host leaves Los Angeles to reunite with his family in the Deep South.

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…)

Sam Lowry is a harried technocrat in a futuristic society that is needlessly convoluted and inefficient. He dreams of a life where he can fly away from technology and overpowering bureaucracy, and spend eternity with the woman of his dreams. While trying to rectify the wrongful arrest of one Harry Buttle, Lowry meets the woman he is always chasing in his dreams, Jill Layton. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy has fingered him responsible for a rash of terrorist bombings, and both Sam and Jill’s lives are put in danger. Written by Philip Brubaker {coda@nando.net}

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THE MACHINIST is the story of TREVOR REZNIK, a lathe-operator who is dying of insomnia. In a machine shop, occupational hazards are bad enough under normal circumstances; yet for Trevor the risks are compounded by fatigue. Trevor has lost the ability to sleep. This is no ordinary insomnia… Written by Anonymous

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What sounds like an excellent set-up for a movie turns out to be just another run of the mill, disappointingly mediocre comedy. Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stay) and starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, Stranger Than Fiction takes the idea of a man facing his impending death at the whim of a British writer and instead of running with it, casually swaggers to a predictable finish.

College freshman Cassandra “Cassie” (Melissa Sagemiller) steps into a nightmare of otherworldly visitations after surviving a devastating car accident. Haunted by a grim reaper of a far different kind, her only hope is to cling to chance encounters with her lost love Sean (Casey Affleck) and the aid of a mysterious young priest named Father Jude (Luke Wilson). It is the spirit of Sean, her soul mate, who guides her to love, but it is her friends Matt (Wes Bentley), Annabel (Eliza Dushku) and Annabel’s morose friend Raven (Angela Featherstone) who try to draw her to the dark side. Written by Brian Berger

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Everyone’s born with one special thing, and Eddie Adams uses his humongous “asset” to take the world of film pornography by storm. Things get ugly though when success leads to drugs and ruin. Will Dirk clean up and get back on top? Will Amber see her son? Will Rollergirl ever take off her skates?! Written by Film Student Boy {gillease@scf.usc.edu}

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“Moonlight Mile” is a surprisingly honest film that doesn’t take the easy route as it explores how a loved one’s sudden violent death affects the surviving family members and friends. The crisp dialogue exposes a family with all its foibles and idiosyncrasies laid bare, bringing to the screen truly genuine characters (including another Oscar-worthy performance by Susan Sarandon) and creating a fictional family worthy of an audience’s empathy.

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Sally Bowles, an American singer in 1930s Berlin, fall in love with bi-sexual Brian. They are both then seduced by Max, a rich playboy. Sally becomes pregnant, and Brian offers to marry her… All the characters are linked by the Kit-Kat club, a nightspot where Sally sings. Written by Colin Tinto {cst@imdb.com}

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A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, Welles relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town private eye. Written by Columbia Pictures

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