Intense and chilling story follows a young, middle-class couple who become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly most active in the middle of the night ... especially while they sleep. Filmed as if it were a home video. Katie and Micah were enjoying a happy, carefree life until bizarre events began occurring at night. Katie was no stranger to paranormal phenomena -- she had been stalked by a malevolent entity since childhood and she feared that it had followed her to her new home. So the couple purchase a video camera to find out what is happening at night as they sleep; over the course of three weeks in September and October of 2006 they run nightly surveillance and capture indelible proof of "Paranormal Activity." Vitals: Director: Oren Peli. Stars: Micah Sloat, Katie Featherston, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong, Tim Piper, Randy McDowell.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Horror, Box office gross: $106.224 million, Paramount.
Small town high school cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) gets possessed by a hungry demon and transitions from being "high school evil" -- gorgeous, stuck up and ultra-attitudinal -- to the real deal: evil/evil. When she begins feeding off the boys in the school her lifelong best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried), long relegated to living in Jennifer's shadow, must step-up to protect the town's young men, including her nerdy boyfriend. Vitals: Director: Karyn Kusama. Stars: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Johnny Simmons, Kyle Gallner, Josh Emerson, Lance Henriksen, Diablo Cody.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Horror, Box office gross: $16.140 million, Fox.
9
Animated film about a post-apocalyptic world. When "9" first comes to life, he finds himself alone. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them. Feature-length expansion of Shane Acker's short film
of the same name. Vitals: Director: Shane Acker. Stars: Voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Fred Tatasciore.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 79 min., Animated, Box office gross: $31.691 million, Universal.
A Perfect Getaway
Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they've found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins.
Vitals: Director: David Twohy. Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Marley Shelton, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth Katie Chonacas.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $15.483 million, Universal.
All DVD Releases
Carriers
(2009) Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Chris Melon. Determined to escape a deadly virus, four teens set out in search of an uncontaminated refuge. As they travel across the decimated landscape of America, they encounter a truth far more horrifying than the virus they are trying to survive. Sell-through version; DVD was released to rental Dec. 8. (Paramount).
Emily of New Moon, Season Two
(2009) Two-disc set with 13 episodes. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).
Glee: Season 1: Road To Sectionals
(2009) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98. Extras: Director's cut of the pilot episode, behind-the-scenes featurettes, audition videos, isolated music from the show. (Fox).
Gone to Texas
(1986) Sam Elliott,Claudia Christian, John Quade, Donald Moffat. Docudrama about Texas evolutionary Sam Houston. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).
Jennifer's Body
(2009) Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Johnny Simmons, Kyle Gallner, Josh Emerson, Lance Henriksen, Diablo Cody. In theatrical and extended editions. Read more about "Jennifer's Body" in the December Calendar.Extras: Commentary. Two-disc Blu-ray Disc adds deleted scenes, gag reel, "Jennifer's BodyThe Dead Pool," video diaries, "Megan Fox Is HOT," Fox Movie Channel presents "Life After Film School" Liter Diablo Cody. (Fox).
The Marine 2
(2009) Ted DiBiase, Temuera Morrison, Lara Cox, Robert Coleby, Michael Rooker. Inspired by a true story and shot on location in Phuket, Thailand. WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase stars as Marine recon sniper Joe Linwood, whose vacation trip to paradise with his wife is suddenly shattered when guerillas take control of a secluded five-star resort asking for a substantial ransom. The guerilla leaders begin murdering hostages as the clock ticks away, forcing Linwood to use his expert skills to save the hostages from certain death. Extras: Behind-the-scenes footage of the climatic fight scenes -- without stunt doubles -- between DiBiase and Morrison and between DiBiase and the film's Muay Thai fighters; featurette on the terrorist siege sequence including storyboards, miniatures and hotel guests' reactions to filming at the five-star resort; Ted DiBiase profile; production featurette; music video of unseen sequences. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
9
(2009) Voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Fred Tatasciore. Animated film about a post-apocalyptic world. Feature-length expansion of Shane Acker's short film. Extras: Deleted scenes, the original short, "The Long and the Short of It" behind the scenes featurette, "The Look of 9," "Acting Out," commentary. Blu-ray Disc adds BD-Live features "On Tour With Shane Acker," "My Scene Sharing," U-Control. (Universal).
Paranormal Activity
(2009) Micah Sloat, Katie Featherston, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong, Tim Piper, Randy McDowell. Read more about "Paranormal Activity" in the December Calendar.Available as a single-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray.Extras: Unrated version with alternate ending not seen in theaters. Blu-ray adds digital copy of theatrical version. (Paramount).
Perfect Getaway, A
(2009) Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Marley Shelton, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Katie Chonacas. An adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii, get caught up in a fight for survival when they discover that another newlywed couple on the island has been murdered. Includes both theatrical and unrated director's cut. Extras: Alternate ending. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Universal).
A Song From the Heart
(1999) Amy Grant, Keith Carradine. A blind cellist falls in love with her next-door neighbor. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).
Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures!
(2008) Mel Brooks lends his voice and writing talent to the hilarious re-imagination of the greatest "Star Wars" spoof of all time. Four episodes with intermission shorts, $19.98. (MGM).
United States of Tara: Season One
(2009) 12 episodes, $42.99. Extras: ommentary by Diablo Cody, "Sitting Down With Diablo Cody," "Meet Toni Collette." (Paramount)
