Now Playing! (New Movies 10/21/05).

IN WIDE RELEASE
Doom
Starring:  The Rock, Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Ben Daniels, Razaaq Adoti
--Based on the video game that made the first person shooter cool and redifned creepy with Doom 3.  Most video game movies suck beyond suck, and the critics seem to think this one follows in that proud tradition.

Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story
Starring: Kurt Russel, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue, Freddy Rodriguez
--This looks like a new twist on Seabiscuit, with the always impressive Fanning as the inspiration for her father to get with a lame horse and win the Breeder's Cup.  Honestly, I've already seen Seabiscuit, so what makes this movie stand out, aside from Fanning, who is worth watching in almost anything.

North Country
Starring:  Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson, Sean Bean
--The story behind the first class action lawsuit for sexual harassment promises stellar acting with that cast listed above.  This one's an Oscar fave, so know that going in.  If you're more in the mood for explosions and senseless action, there's always Doom.

Stay
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Reaser, Ryan Gosling, Bob Hoskins
--A suicidal man makes predictions to his psychologist that disturbingly begin to come true.  Appears to be right in line with the spate of so-so suspense/thriller/terror/supernatural movies they like to throw at us.  At least there's some diversity in the four releases this week.

IN LIMITED RELEASE
After Innocence
Documentary
--Could be a very compelling look at what happens to those who were wrongly convicted after they get out with an "hey buddy, sorry about that," and try to reclaim their lives.

Emmanuel's Gift
Documentary
--Oprah Winfrey tells us this story about a guy who rode a bike across Ghana with only one leg to show his country that disabled people were more abled than they thought.

Kids in America
Starring: Gregory Smith, Stephanie Sherrin, Nicole Richie, Malik Yoba, Julie Bowen
--A high school comedy with a message?  Apparently so.  This one looks to address the continuing oppression and crack down on free speech in public schools by having a band of students stage demonstrations in protest.  And don't forget Nicole Richie is in it.  And probably has at least a bit of meat left on her bones when they filmed this.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Starring: Roberty Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Joel Michaely, Corbin Bernsen
--This one sounds like a movie.  A thief pretends to be an actor, gets wrapped up in a murder mystery with his old high school crush and the detective who's been training him for his movie role.  Uh-huh.

National Lampoon's Barely Legal
Starring: Tom Arnold, Erik von Detten, Tony Denman, Daniel Farber, Sarah-Jane Potts
--There will be nudity.  Or at least one would think so.  I mean come on, it's National Lampoon, you know what these things are.  And yet some of them are actually funny.  And a movie about high school kids trying to film a porno that has Tom Arnold in it is guaranteed at least a few laughs.  Right?

Protocols of Zion
Documentary
--Did you know the Jews plan to take over the world?  Yeah, me neither.  This documentary follows Marc Levin as he tries to track down the holders of this theory and find out why they think they way they do and what kind of people buy into this stuff.

Shopgirl
Starring:  Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman, Steve Martin, Frances Conroy, Sam Bottoms
--A story of a girl in the middle, who falls in love with an older man who makes her feel wonderful, but may not be enough.  And then there's this other guy, who's pretty great, too.  Likely to be a fairly lukewarm, sweet, typical "chick flick" romantic comedy, but the actors in it are proven at their craft, so expect a good addition to that genre.

Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family
Documentary
--A look at the lives of a threeple... or a couple plus one.  A menage-relationship.  How two guys and a girl created a nurturing and loving three-way relationship.  I'm sure the religious activists will be lining up to see this and selling tickets to it in their church groups like they did for The Passion of the Christ.

Ushpizin
Starring: Shuli Rand, Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, Shaul Mizrahi, Ilan Gannai, Avraham-Abutbul
--In case you hadn't figured it out yet, this is a foreign comedy film.  Expect production qualities to reflect that, and subtitles, but it's getting good reviews.  When a couple in financial straits pray for divine assistance, they get to strangers with criminal pasts instead.  Could this be the answer?  Now, practice asking for tickets to this one so you don't look like a fool.  Or just point to it on the marquee.

The Work and the Glory: American Zion
Starring: Sam Hennings, Brenda Strong, Eric Johnson, Jonathan Scarfe, Alexander Carroll
--Historical fiction, chronicling a family in the midst of the Mormon movement to the West.  There isn't much out there on this one, but it appears people are liking or not linking it based on their opinion of the Mormon faith.  Nice to see we can separate art from religion.  Or maybe the movie is preachy?  Who knows.