A wickedly fun skewering of corporate greed, "The Yes Men Fix the World" is the true story of two conscientious mischief-makers who pose as the representatives of companies they despise. In this wonderfully therapeutic film, Yes Men Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno impose cosmic (and comic) justice by any means necessary. To a television audience of 300 million, Andy (posing as a Dow Chemicals spokesman) announces that Dow will finally compensate the victims of the Bhopal disaster, causing the company's stock to instantly plunge by $2 billion. At an oil industry conference, the Yes Men introduce a wonderful new Exxon miracle fuel made from the bodies of global warming losers. And they go after and expose the people profiting from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Vitals: Director: Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno
2009, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 87 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $.181 million, Docurama.
In Werner Herzog's take on Abel Ferrara's 1992 "The Bad Lieutenant," Nicolas Cage plays Terence McDonagh, a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs -- while playing fast and loose with the law. During the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, McDonagh saves the life of a prisoner from a flooded cell but injures his back, and the pain killers he now takes has made him a high-functioning addict. In the storm's aftermath, the deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigns over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way ... and manipulates the law in order to get the bad guys -- and his drugs. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and maniacally humorous. The film -- sorely overlooked by critics and film organizations at awards time -- features an amazingly tour-de-force performance by Cage. Vitals: Director: Werner Herzog. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Vondie Curtis Hall, Shawn Hatosy, Denzel Whitaker, Xzibit, Katie Chonacas, Brad Dourif.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 122 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.367 million, First Look.
In 1966 -- arguably British pop music's finest era -- the BBC played only two hours of rock and roll every week. But pirate radio blasted rock and pop from the high seas 24 hours a day. And 25 million people -- more than half the population of Britain -- listened to these pirates every single day. This is the story of how eight DJs broadcast rock 'n' roll -- illegally --from a boat in the middle of the Northern Atlantic. The songs they played united and defined an entire generation and drove the British government crazy. By playing rock 'n' roll they were standing up against the British government who did everything in their power to shut them down. The film features an unbelievable selection of music including The Beatles, The Stones, Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Smokey Robinson, David Bowie, Otis Redding, Cat Stevens and more. Vitals: Director: Richard Curtis. Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Jack Davenport, Ralph Brown, Chris O'Dowd, January Jones.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 135 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $7.994 million, Universal.
Collector, The
A handyman and ex-con aims to repay his debt to his ex-wife by robbing his new employer's country home. Inside the house lies a jeweler's safe, and inside the safe is a gem -- his only hope for keeping what's left of his family intact. Unfortunately, inside the house is also a box containing the latest addition to a collection catalogued in blood, bone and tears. As the seconds tick down to midnight, the handyman becomes a reluctant hero trapped by a masked "Collector" in a maze of lethal invention -- the Spanish Inquisition as imagined by Rube Goldberg -- while trying to rescue the very family he came to rob.
Vitals: Director: Marcus Dunstan. Stars: Josh Stewart, Karley Scott Collins, Juan Fernandez, Jabari Thomas, Colvin Roberson, Michael Reilly Burke.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., thriller, Box office gross: $7.706 million, Genius Products/Vivendi Entertainment.
An adaptation of the Alice Sebold best-selling novel, "The Lovely Bones" tells the story of a murdered 14-year-old girl, Susie Salmon, who continues to observe her family from a beautiful in-between world. Although detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, while her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and her need to see them heal; and ultimately comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and the dead. Eventually she must help her father catch her killer and protect her family before she can finally move on. Vitals: Director: Peter Jackson. Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 135 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $41.661 million, Paramount.
Young Victoria, The
In "The Young Victoria", Emily Blunt plays Queen Victoria in the turbulent first years of her reign and Rupert Friend portrays Prince Albert, the suitor who won her heart and became her partner in one of history's greatest romances. Victoria became queen at 18 in 1837 and married Prince Albert in 1840. She was devastated when he died in 1861 and wore black for the rest of her life, remaining largely secluded.
Vitals: Director: Jean-Marc Vallee. Stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 104 min., Romance, Box office gross: $8.271 million, Sony.
April 27
All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a
Rotel RDV-1060 DVD Audio/Video Player, a
Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center),
and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.
