Movie Listings (August 11, 2006)
An Inconvenient Truth Release Date: May 24, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 35 min. Rating: PG - mild thematic elements Director: Davis Guggenheim Genre: Art House/Foreign, Documentary Synopsis: Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment. The Ant Bully Release Date: July 28, 2006 Rating: PG Cast: Nicolas Cage, Bruce Campbell, Zach Tyler Eisen Director: John A. Davis Genre: Animated, Family Synopsis: Ten-year-old Lucas is the new kid on the block--and the local bullies make sure he knows it. Tired of being a punching bag, Lucas takes out his frustration on the ants living in his lawn. But when the ants strike back--shrinking Lucas down to their size with a magic potion and forcing him to live like an ant within the colony--an astonishing new world opens up to him. Lucas learns, first-hand, the value of friendship and teamwork, ultimately leading the ants in an effort to save their colony from annihilation. And in the process, Lucas obtains the things he wants most: friends, companionship, acceptance and the courage to stand up for himself. Barnyard: The Original Party Animals Release Date: August 4, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 23 min. Rating: PG - some mild peril and rude humor Cast: Kevin James, S. Scott Bullock, Courteney Cox Director: Steve Oedekerk Genre: Animated, Comedy, Family Synopsis: Down on the farm, the farmer thinks he's in charge, keeping all the animals safe and sound. But when the farmer is out of sight, the lookout sheep shouts Clear! and all of the barnyard animals spring up on two legs, walk, talk, watch TV, and orchestrate practical jokes. For Otis the cow that last one is the most important. He and his best friends--Pip the mouse, Freddy the ferret, Peck the rooster, and Pig the pig--are world-class pranksters and always in the mood for a laugh. Otis is in the state of arrested development and quite happy that way. Otis's dad, Ben, is the cow who makes sure the farm is running on all cylinders. Each morning, Ben leads a meeting to take care of farm business and to issue warnings about their common enemy, the coyotes. (It's a position that Ben takes seriously: As long as I'm still kickin', he says, no animal will be harmed inside that fence!) Ben wants Otis to grow up and take responsibility. Much to Ben's chagrin, Otis's main project comes to life every evening. As soon as the Farmer hits lights out, the barn is transformed into Party Central. On this night, there's even a pretty new cow, Daisy--Otis hams it up for her, and she can't help but be attracted to his fun-loving personality. That world is not for Ben. He's outside, guarding the fence and protecting the farm from the coyotes. When Otis explains to Ben that being on watch isn't his thing. Ben responds: Otis, a strong man stands up for himself, a stronger man stands up for others. When Ben is no longer able to lead, Otis tries to keep order but the role of leader does not come as naturally for him. Without Ben to keep everyone in line, absolute mayhem breaks loose and it isn't long before the farmer begins to get to the bottom of the animals' secret--and the scheming coyotes begin to think that the farm could be theirs for the taking. The Celestine Prophecy Release Date: April 19, 2006 Rating: PG - some violence Cast: Matthew Settle, Thomas Kretschmann, Sarah Wayne Callies Director: Armand Mastroianni Genre: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: After losing his high-school teaching job, John Woodson reaches a crossroads in his life. Fate seems to steer him toward a trip to Peru, where he becomes involved in the search for the missing ninth scroll to a set of eight ancient manuscripts that are rumored to reveal the future of mankind. Based on the book by James Redfield. Clerks II Release Date: July 21, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 37 min. Rating: R - pervasive sexual and crude content including aberrant sexuality, strong language, some drug material Cast: Jeff Anderson, Brian Christopher O'Halloran, Jason Mewes Director: Kevin Smith Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Clerks writer-director Kevin Smith returns to his roots to find out what's going on in the lives of slackers Dante and Randall. They're now in their 30's, but still wasting away dissecting pop culture and sex. This time, though, they may take a few tentative steps towards maturity. The Descent Release Date: August 4, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 33 min. Rating: R - strong violence/gore and language Cast: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid Director: Neil Marshall Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: One year after a severe emotional trauma, Sarah goes to North Carolina to spend some time exploring caves with her friends. After descending underground, the women find strange cave paintings and evidence of an earlier expedition. Later, they learn they are not alone: Underground predators inhabit the crevasses, and they have a taste for human flesh. The Devil Wears Prada Release Date: June 30, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 46 min. Rating: PG-13 - some sensuality Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Adrian Grenier Director: David Frankel Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Andy is a recent college graduate with big dreams. Upon landing a job at prestigious Runway magazine, she finds herself the assistant to diabolical Miranda Priestly. Andy questions her ability to survive her grim tour as Miranda's whipping girl without getting scorched. Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger. John Tucker Must Die Release Date: July 28, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 27 min. Rating: PG-13 - sexual content and language Cast: Jesse Metcalfe, Sophia Bush, Ashanti Director: Betty Thomas Genre: Comedy, Romance Synopsis: Three jilted ex-girlfriends set up the boy who dumped them all with a new girl in town that they're secretly hoping will break his heart. Lady in the Water Release Date: July 21, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min. Rating: PG-13 - some frightening sequences Cast: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright Director: M. Night Shyamalan Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Synopsis: When Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) rescues an enigmatic young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) from danger, little does he know that she is a character from a bedtime story, who is trying to return to her world. As he falls deeply in love with her, he begins to realize that he and fellow tenants are also characters in the fable, and they must work together to protect her from those who would prevent her from returning home. Little Man Release Date: July 14, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: PG-13 - crude and sexual humor throughout, language and brief drug references Cast: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Kerry Washington Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Posing as an abandoned toddler, a very small fugitive (Marlon Wayans) from the law tricks a couple (Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington) into taking him in. Once there, the baby-faced thief endures the other man's attempts at fatherhood while waiting for a chance to take back the stolen gem he hid in the wife's purse. Miami Vice Release Date: July 28, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 12 min. Rating: R - strong violence, language and some sexual content Cast: Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Gong Li Director: Michael Mann Genre: Action/Adventure Synopsis: A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves. Based on the hit television series. Monster House Release Date: July 21, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 31 min. Rating: PG - scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor and brief language Cast: Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mitchell Musso Director: Gil Kenan Genre: Action/Adventure, Animated, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Synopsis: No adults believe three youths' assertion that a neighboring residence is a living creature that means them harm. With Halloween approaching, the trio must find a way to destroy the structure before innocent trick-or-treaters meet ghastly ends. The Night Listener Release Date: August 4, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: R - language and some disquieting sexual content Cast: Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin Director: Patrick Stettner Genre: Drama, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: Gabriel Noone (Robin Willaims), the host of a late-night radio show, receives a mysterious manuscript chronicling the abuse of a 14-year-old (Rory Culkin) at the hands of his parents. After the boy contacts him, Gabriel travels to the teen's hometown in Wisconsin to learn the truth. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Release Date: July 7, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley Director: Gore Verbinski Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Family Synopsis: When ghostly pirate Davey Jones (Billy Nighy) comes to collect a blood debt, Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) must find a way to avoid his fate lest his soul be damned for all time. Nevertheless, the wily pirate manages to interrupt the wedding plans of Jack's friends Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). Pulse Release Date: August 11, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: PG-13 - violent and disturbing images Cast: Kristen Bell, Steve Talley, Ian Somerhalder Director: Jim Sonzero Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: After her boyfriend commits suicide, a psychology student and her friends begin receiving unsettling e-mails and video messages. After a number of disappearances across campus, she teams up with a computer hacker to shut down the deadly force before it spreads to the rest of the world. Scoop Release Date: July 28, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - some sexual content Cast: Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman Director: Woody Allen Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Synopsis: The late U.K. journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) is being mourned by his colleagues - even as, stuck in limbo, Joe remains committed to pursuing a hot tip on the identity of "the Tarot Card Killer" at large in London. But how can his legwork get done now? Via the very much alive Sondra Pransky (Ms. Johansson). Sondra is an American journalism student visiting friends in London. During a stage performance by another American, magician Sid Waterman (Mr. Allen), Sondra is shocked to find herself able to see and hear Joe. From beyond, he gives her the scoop of a lifetime and urges her to pursue it. Sondra immediately starts chasing the big story, enlisting the aid of a reluctant Sid. That chase leads right to handsome British aristocrat Peter Lyman (Mr. Jackman). Soon, Sondra finds that the romance of her life may well be the dangerous scoop she's looking for. Step Up Release Date: August 11, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 38 min. Rating: PG-13 - thematic elements, brief violence and innuendo Cast: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Mario Director: Anne Fletcher Genre: Drama, Music/Performing Arts Tyler Gage has grown up all his life on the rough streets of the city and he knows he's unlikely to ever make it out of there. But after a brush with the law lands Tyler with a community service gig at the city's Maryland School of the Arts, everything changes. That's when he meets Nora, the school's prima ballerina, an alluring diva who is desperately searching for someone to replace her injured partner before the school's all-important Senior Showcase. Spying Tyler's moves, Nora can't help but notice he's got a raw but natural gift. She decides to take a chance on Tyler, but as they begin to train, the tension between them, and their polar opposite backgrounds, skyrockets. The only thing standing between Tyler and the void are his dreams of making it off the streets--and the only thing standing in the way of Nora's obviously brilliant future is the Senior Showcase. Now, with everything on the line, Tyler will have just one performance to prove to Nora, and to himself, that he can step up to a life for larger than he ever imagined. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Release Date: August 4, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min. Rating: PG-13 - crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence Cast: Will Ferrell, David Koechner, Sacha Baron Cohen Director: Adam McKay Genre: Comedy Ricky Bobby has always dreamed of driving fast--real fast--like his father, Reese Bobby, who left the family to pursue his racing dreams. Early on, Ricky's mother, Lucy Bobby worried that her boy was also destined to end up as a professional daredevil on wheels. Ricky enters the racing arena as a jackman for slovenly driver Terry Cheveaux and accidentally gets his big break behind the wheel when Cheveaux makes an unscheduled pit stop during a race to gorge on a chicken sandwich. Ricky jumps into the car and so begins the ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ricky quickly becomes one of NASCAR's top stars, supported by his pit boys--the impressively large crew chief Lucius Washington, a trio of lovably moronic but loyal crew members, Herschell, Kyle and Glenn, as well as racing partner and boyhood best friend, Cal Naughton, Jr. They are all part of the Dennit Racing team, headed by wealthy Dennit Senior and his petulant son, Dennit Junior, whose jealousy of Ricky Bobby increases with every victory. In a short time, Ricky Bobby is on top of the world. He has everything a championship NASCAR driver could ever want--a gorgeous wife, Carley, a lakeside mansion, two hell-raising sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, huge sponsor endorsements and a string of victories from Daytona to Darlington. Ricky Bobby's win at all costs approach had made him a natural hero. But after a frightening crash sends Ricky Bobby to the hospital, he loses his nerve and falls on hard times. When his career and his wife are taken over by his friend Cal, Ricky Bobby turns his back on racing and takes his sons back to his small hometown to live with his mother. But Ricky just isn't cut for the slow life away from the race track and soon hits rock bottom. His mother reluctantly turns to the only person she can think of to help her son--his estranged father Reese Bobby. Ricky Bobby will do anything to find a way back to the top, no matter how many speed bumps life throws his way. Who Killed the Electric Car? Release Date: June 28, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 32 min. Rating: PG - brief mild language Cast: Martin Sheen, Dave Barthmuss, Jim Boyd Director: Chris Paine Genre: Documentary Synopsis: Following a strict air emissions mandate in California, General Motors launches the EV-1 in 1997. It is an electric automobile that requires no gas, oil, muffler or brake changes and is, seemingly, the world's first perfect car. Yet six years later, GM recalls and destroys the EV-1 fleet. Filmmaker Chris Paine examines the birth and death of a revolutionary vehicle. World Trade Center Release Date: August 9, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 5 min. Rating: PG-13 - intense and emotional content, some disturbing images and language Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello Director: Oliver Stone Genre: Drama Synopsis: September 11, 2001 was an unusually warm day in New York. Will Jimeno, an officer with the Port Authority Police Department, was tempted to take a personal day to enjoy his hobby of bow hunting, but ultimately decided that he would go to work. Sergeant John McLoughlin, a respected veteran of the PAPD, had been up for hours--a requirement of his daily, 1 ½ hour trek to the city. They and their colleagues made their way to midtown Manhattan, just like they did any other day. Only this wasn't any other day. A team of PAPD first responders drove from mid-town Manhattan to the World Trade Center. Five men, including McLoughlin and Jimeno, went into the buildings and were trapped when the towers collapsed. Miraculously, McLoughlin and Jimeno survived, but were buried and pinned beneath slabs of concrete and twisted metal, 20 feet below the rubble field. Though they couldn't see each other, each could hear that the other had survived, and for the next 12 hours, McLoughlin and Jimeno kept each other alive--talking about their families, their lives on the force, their hopes, their disappointments. You, Me and Dupree Release Date: July 14, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference Cast: Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon Director: Anthony Russo,Joe Russo Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Newlyweds Carl and Molly are anxious to start their lives together, but the pair soon become a trio when Carl invites his jobless buddy, Randy, to crash at their place until he gets back on his feet. At first, Carl is happy to have him around, but that soon turns to annoyance when Randy threatens to become a permanent fixture in their home. Zoom Release Date: August 11, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 23 min. Rating: PG - brief rude humor, language and mild action Cast: Tim Allen, Courteney Cox Arquette, Chevy Chase Director: Peter Hewitt Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Family Synopsis: Many years ago, there was a colossal battle between the Team Zenith (led by the faster-than-light Captain Zoom) and their arch-nemeses, Concussion. Zoom finally destroyed Concussion, but not before his entire team was slain at the hands of Concussion's sonic blasts. As the dust settled, secret departments within the military were already disseminating an official story: The turbulence was caused by an earthquake. When it was discovered that Captain Zoom had sacrificed all his powers to defeat his enemy, the military no longer had any use for him, and he once again became simply Jack Shepard. After many years, the masterminds behind the old Zenith Program, General Larraby and Dr. Grant, have reunited after detecting alarming patterns of disruption from the dimensions beyond that could threaten the fabric of human life. Their only hope is to reactivate the Zenith Program. A new talent in the studies of latent supernatural abilities, Marsha Holloway, finds four youngsters with the potential to be superhero fighters. But the reluctant quartet needs someone to teach them how to save the world--and fast!--and there's only one man for the job, Jack Shepard.

Re: Zoom
The commercials for Zoom remind me of Galaxy Quest. I'm not quite sure if this is a good thing or not.