Eugene Weekly : Movies : 2.22.07


.MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO

 

OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived movie reviews.

Abandoned, The: Strange things happen when an American woman visits a huge house, in an isolated area in Russia, that she’s recently inherited. R. Cinemark.

Academy Awards: Watch the Oscars on the big screen. All proceeds benefit ShelterCare. 5 pm Feb. 25, Bijou. $10 adv., $12 door.

All Things Fair: During WWII, a Swedish schoolboy is drawn to his teacher, who reacts poorly when the boy begins to fall for someone his own age. In Swedish with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 23, 221 McKenzie, UO. Free.

Amazing Grace: Ioan Gruffudd stars as British abolitionist William Wilberforce in a film directed by Michael Apted, whose resumé includes everything from the 49 Up documentary series to Bond entry The World is Not Enough. PG13. Cinemark.

Astronaut Farmer, The: Billy Bob Thornton plays the title character in this based-on-a-true-story feelgood film about a feller building a rocket in his barn. With Virginia Madsen and Bruce Dern. PG. Cinemark.

Babel: The last fim of a thematic trilogy for director Alejandro González Iñárritu follows four emotional, affecting storylines on three continents, exploring their connections and breakdowns. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal and astonishing newcomer Rinko Kikuchi. R. OSCAR NOMS: RINKO KIKUCHI & ADRIANA BARRAZA, SUPPORTING ACTRESS; BEST DIRECTOR; BEST PICTURE; ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY; FILM EDITING; ORIGINAL SCORE. Movies 12. (11/9/06)

Black Christmas: Remake of the 1974 horror film stars Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Dawn) as one of a group of sorority sisters being menaced by a psycho … during Christmas break! R. Movies 12.

Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan and Children of the Decree: Two films about women’s rights play as part of the Margaret Mead Traveling Film and Video Festival: Bride Kidnapping is about an ancient marriage tradition in Kyrgyzstan; Children explores women’s reproductive rights in Romania under Ceausescu. 5:30 pm Feb. 23, 110 Knight Law, UO. $3, $2 UO stu.

Life Show: Huo Jianqi’s film follows a restaurant owner in Shanghai who finds herself the family matriarch when her mother dies and her father remarries. 6 pm Feb. 28, 240A McKenzie, UO. Free.

Mardi Gras: Made in China: This documentary, shown at Sundance in 2005, follows the path of mardi gras beads from the streets of New Orleans back to the factories in China, where young laborers thread beads constantly. 7 pm Feb. 22, Cozmic Pizza. Free.

Number 23, The: After discovering a book that seems to be about his own life, Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) gets obsessed with the number 23 and goes a little crazy. Directed by Joel Schumacher, still trying to redeem himself for Batman & Robin. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Perfume: Newcomer Ben Whishaw stars in the adaptation of Patrick Süskind’s fantastic novel about a young man with an astonishing talent for distinguishing scents — and a deadly fascination with the scent of young women. A slightly campy looking Dustin Hoffman co-stars. R. Movies 12.

Peter Tosh: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979. Also featuring Tosh in Brazil in 1980. Part of the In-Concert Series. Bijou LateNite.

Primeval: If you’d like to know what the terrible serial killer — still at large to this day! — is in this horror thriller, check out the imdb.com page, which explains a lot. Plot? Some journalists go to Africa to capture something murderous and mysterious. Based on a true story. Yep. R. Movies 12.

Quiet Flows the Don: A Russian classic that follows the story of Grigory Melekhov through the Russian Revoultion, the beginning of WWI and the trials of young love. Part 1 of 3. In Russian with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 27, 111 Pacific, UO. Free.

Reno 911: Miami: The cast of the Comedy Central show (including Karri Kenney and Thomas Lennon) heads to Miami to thwart terrorist attacks on spring break. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Animation: The 25-year-old series of weird and wild animation hits town with a new bunch of films. Not rated. Bijou.

Wild Hogs: What kind of dirt did the producers have on William H. Macy, John Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence to get them to appear in this male-bonding, midlife crisis flick with a mortifying trailer? PG13. Sneak peek 7:30 pm Feb. 24 at Cinemark.

 

CONTINUING:

Because I Said So: Diane Keaton plays a mom conspiring with her two elder daughters (Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo) to get youngest child Milly (Mandy Moore) a good man. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Breach: Dramatic thriller follows Eric O’Neill (Ryan Phillipe) in his new job: secretly keeping an eye on Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), a government employee being investigated as a suspected mole. With Laura Linney. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Bridge to Terabithia: Adaptation of the much-loved children’s book by Katherine Paterson, in which two lonely kids create a fantasyland for themselves. Despite the fantasy-film feel of the trailer, the film is said to be very loyal to the book. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Casino Royale: Bond gets blond as Daniel Craig (Munich, Infamous) steps into the role in a rebooting of the whole franchise, turning it into something darker and, well, better. With Judi Dench and Eva Green. PG13. Movies 12. (11/22/06)

Children of Men: Clive Owen and Julianne Moore star in this highly praised adaptation of P.D. James’ novel, which envisions a troubled near future where no more children are being conceived. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también). R. OSCAR NOMS: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ADAPTED SCREENPLAY; FILM EDITING. Movies 12. (1/11)

Daddy’s Little Girls: In Tyler Perry’s new film, a single father enlists the help of a beautiful attorney to try to win back custody of his daughters. With Gabrielle Union (Bring It On) and Idris Elba (The Wire). PG13. Cinemark.

Departed, The: Martin Scorsese’s new film is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a cop undercover in the mob; Matt Damon is the gangster mole in the police force. With Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. R. OSCAR NOMS: MARK WAHLBERG, SUPPORTING ACTOR; BEST DIRECTOR; BEST PICTURE; FILM EDITING; ADAPTED SCREENPLAY. Movies 12. (10/12/06)

Eragon: Adaptation of young novelist Christopher Paolini’s first thick tome stars John Malkovich as an apparently campy evil king. Newcomer Edward Speelers plays the title character, who bonds with a dragon named Saphira and, um, saves the world? Or at least the kingdom. Just a guess. PG13. Movies 12.

Flushed Away: Aardman Features (Wallace and Gromit) teams up with Dreamworks for the story of a pampered pet mouse (Hugh Jackman) who finds himself, after a trip down the drain, in London’s bustling rodent underground. With Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen and Jean Reno. PG. Movies 12.

Ghost Rider: What did they do to Nicolas Cage’s face? He looks like he lost at least 10 years to play the titular hero, whose long-ago deal with the devil forces him to hunt rogue demons at night. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Hannibal Rising: Author Thomas Harris wrote the screenplay for this uninspired look at the history of Hannibal the Cannibal (Gaspar Ulliel). Directed by Peter Webber (Girl With a Pearl Earring). R. Cinemark. (2/15)

Holiday, The: Man-troubled Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap houses for Christmas break in the new film from Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give) – and naturally, each finds a new feller (Jude Law and Jack Black) on the other’s home turf. PG13. Movies 12.

Last King of Scotland, The: At long last, Eugeneans can see Forest Whitaker’s highly-praised performance as Idi Amin in Kevin MacDonald’s new(ish) film. With James McAvoy as the (fictional) young doctor who becomes Amin’s personal physicial until his eyes are opened to the dictator’s brutal actions. R. OSCAR NOM: FOREST WHITAKER, BEST ACTOR. Cinema World. (2/1)

Messengers, The: When a family tries to take over a sunflower farm, things go weirdly wrong — especially when John Corbett arrives. Supposedly, the kids can see things the parents can’t. Creepiness abounds. PG13. Cinemark.

Music and Lyrics: Hugh Grant is back in scruffy, lovable mode as a washed-up pop star who has a new chance at fame — if he can just write the right song for a young diva. Drew Barrymore plays his “plant lady,” who has a flair for words. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark.

Night at the Museum: When down-on-his-luck Larry (Ben Stiller) gets a job as the night guard at a museum, he sure doesn’t expect the exhibits to come alive at night. There’s something very Jumanji about this. PG. Cinemark.

Norbit: Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy plays both the nerdy title character and his overweight, possessive fiancée. The trailer hurts us, and so does the fact that Thandie Newton is in this movie. PG13. Cinemark.

Notes on a Scandal: Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett deliver outstanding performances in a tangled story of infidelity, jealousy and power that’s one of the best films of 2006. OSCAR NOMS: JUDI DENCH, BEST ACTRESS; CATE BLANCHETT, SUPPORTING ACTRESS; ORIGINAL SCORE; ADAPTED SCREENPLAY. R. Bijou. (2/8)

Pan’s Labyrinth: Writer-director Guillermo del Toro delivers a beautifully wrought, sometimes excruciating film that follows a young girl though her adventures in a fantastic otherworld — and through a difficult, frightening existence in this one. In Spanish with English subtitles. OSCAR NOMS: BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM; ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY; ORIGINAL SCORE; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ART DIRECTION; MAKEUP. R. Bijou. Cinemark. (2/8)

Smokin’ Aces: There’s a price on Jeremy Piven’s head, and a whole lot of people are out to collect it. ‘Course, he’s under FBI custody. Joe Carnahan’s film has a whiz-bang trailer and a passel of unexpected stars, including Alicia Keys and Jason Bateman. R. Movies 12. (2/1)

Stranger Than Fiction: Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) begins to hear a voice (Emma Thompson) narrating his life — and he doesn’t like where the story’s going. PG13. Movies 12. (11/16/06)

Volver: Penélope Cruz is radiant as troubled mother, daughter and sister Raimunda in the new film from celebrated director Pedro Almodóvar. Warm and welcoming, but not as engrossing as some of the director’s earlier work. R. OSCAR NOM: PENéLOPE CRUZ, BEST ACTRESS. Cinema World. (1/25)

We Are Marshall: Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox (Lost) play two coaches trying to revive the Marshall College football team following a horrifying crash that killed most of the previous team and staff. Oddly, this based-on-a-true-story flick is directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels). PG. Movies 12.

 

 

MOVIE THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.

Bijou Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th

Regal Cinemas
Cinema World 342-6536 | Valley River Center

Cinemark Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall