Eugene Weekly : Movies : 3.29.07


.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.

Arthur and the Invisibles: In this animated feature, 10-year-old Arthur goes in search of a magical land after finding a note left by his grandfather. Directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element). PG. Movies 12.

Blades of Glory: Ricky Bobby and Napoleon Dynamite … er, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star in the story of two disgraced figure skaters who discover a way they can compete again: by skating together. Spandex and bad hair abound. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Grindhouse: Double feature with classic exploitation-influenced films from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez promises violence, hot chicks and B-movie greatness. R. Sneak preview only at 12:01 am April 5 (late Thursday night) at Cinemark.

Hail Bop! A Portrait of John Adams: Director Tony Palmer’s documentary is a portrait of American composer John Adams, who created the operas Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer. 7 pm April 1, DIVA, with discussion to follow. Free.

Host, The: Korean creature feature mixes environmental commentary, dysfuntional family humor and plain old monster magic in the story of a giant mutant that rises from the Han River to wreak havoc on humans. R. Bijou. See review this issue.

Last Refuge for the Senses: Subtitled or Noise Hippies Against All War, filmmaker Ben Russell’s program features eight films by five artists that mix up DIY cinema and independent music. 7 pm March 29, DIVA. $5, $3 stu., members.

Lookout, The: Former star high school athlete Chris (the exceptional Joseph Gordon-Levitt) tries to make the most of what’s left of his life, but finds himself caught up in a planned heist at the bank where he works. R. VRC Stadium 15.

Meet the Robinsons: Orphaned inventor Lewis has his latest and greatest creation stolen, but a stranger whisks him away to the future, where adventures, and the thief, await. G. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15 ($2.50 fee for 3D).

Peaceful Warrior: Based on Dan Millman’s spiritual memoir, the film follows the story of a young Olympic hopeful who learns to live in the now when he meets an old man (Nick Nolte) with unbelievable abilities. PG13. Cinemark.

Russian Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet and take on their first case in Red on White, Getting to Know Each Other. In Russian with English subtitles. 7 pm April 3, 115 Pacific, UO. Free.

 

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. Movies 12.

Blood Diamond: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly star in Edward Zwick’s (Glory) film about diamond mining in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. R. Movies 12. (12/21/06)

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. Movies 12.

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. VRC Stadium 15.

Charlotte’s Web: Dakota Fanning plays Fern, the little girl who loves her pig Wilbur (voice of Dominic Scott Kay) more than anything. Julia Roberts voices Charlotte the spider, who helps Wilbur escape his fate. G. Movies 12.

Dead Silence: Creepy dolls, a mad ventroloquist and grisly murders — oh, and Donnie Wahlberg (formerly of NKOTB) and model Amber Valetta. This frightfest clearly has everything. R. 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. VRC Stadium 15.

Happy Feet: Warner Bros. chases some March of the Penguins dough with this animated film, starring Elijah Wood as a cute lil’ guy in search of his soul mate. (OK, so they were working on this one first.) PG. ACADEMY AWARD: BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Movies 12.

Hills Have Eyes 2, The: Just what you need: Another movie about inbred, murderous hillfolk. This time, they’re after a unit of National Guard soldiers. Because that makes it timely. R. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Joni Mitchell: Professionally filmed program from BBC television that includes the only known video of the Blue era. Part of the “In-Concert” late night series. Not rated. Bijou LateNite.

Last Mimzy, The: A mysterious box of toys gives two children strange powers and draws them and their families into a magical, sometimes scary world. With Timothy Hutton, Joely Richardson and Rainn Wilson. PG. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Lives of Others, The: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s debut feature, set in East Germany in the 1980s, is a gripping and affecting look at the watched and the watcher: a playwright suspected of being subversive, and the stoic police captain who warms to the writer’s life while spying on him. ACADEMY AWARD: BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM. R. Bijou. (3/8)

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. Movies 12.

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. Movies 12.

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. ACADEMY AWARDS: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ART DIRECTION. R. Bijou. (2/8)

Premonition: Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) is having a very bad week: One day, her huband is killed in a car wreck; the next, she wakes up and he’s still alive. Does that sound interesting? Don’t be fooled: This is an overwrought, tedious stinker. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (3/22)

Pride: The story of a teacher (Hustle & Flow‘s Terrence Howard) who forms an African-American swim team in a rough Philly neighborhood. The movie looks like it means well, but it also looks mighty familiar. PG. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Pursuit of Happyness, The: Will Smith stars as a down-on-his-luck father who strives to make it as a stockbroker while facing eviction and raising his son (Smith’s real-life son Jaden). PG13. Movies 12.

Reign Over Me: Former college roommates Charlie (Adam Sandler) and Alan (Don Cheadle) randomly meet again, but rebuilding a friendship with Charlie proves complicated in Mike Binder’s subtly 9/11-related, sometimes wispy film. With Liv Tyler and Jada Pinkett Smith. R. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. See review this issue.

Shooter: Former Army sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), whose name almost couldn’t be funnier, is pressed back into service protecting the president — and then caught up in a horrible doublecross. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). R. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

TMNT: Does shortening Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to TMNT make it hipper? Not sure. This animated version finds the formerly-of-the-’80s foursome fighting ancient monsters with the help of Casey Jones (now voiced by Chris Evans) and good ol’ April O’Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar). PG. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

300: Super-stylized, derivative and overbaked film, based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel, about the Battle of Thermopylae, when King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) led 300 apparently half-naked Spartans against the massive army of Persia. R. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (3/15)

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. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

 

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