.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.

I Am Legend: Will Smith does the all-by-his-lonesome thing in a New York City left not exactly empty after a manmade virus devastates the globe. During the day, he tries to find other survivors; at night, he tries to survive the creatures that are what’s left of humanity. PG13. 100 min. Movies 12. (12/20)

In Bruges: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star in playwright Martin McDonagh’s directorial debut, a slightly sweet, somewhat philosophical, totally sailor-mouthed tale of two hitmen sent to hide out in the Belgian town of Bruges. A mixup of genre and tone, it’s nonetheless diverting and amusing, and Farrell, as the more distressed of the pair, is surprisingly sympathetic. R. 107 min. Bijou. See review this issue.

King Corn: Well-reviewed documentary about two friends who grow an acre’s worth of (genetically modified, pesticide-laden) corn and try unsuccessfully to follow it into the food system. “A lively introduction to the corn industrial complex,” said Entertainment Weekly. Not rated. 88 min. Bijou.

Lars and the Real Girl: The remarkable Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson) stars as Lars, who meets and brings home Bianca, a life-sized doll he treats as if she were a person. The film’s “daring and delicate blend of apparent irreconcilables will sweep you off your feet if you’re not careful,” said Los Angeles Times. PG13. 106 min. Movies 12. (11/1)

Lunafest: Fundraising film festival features nine films for, by and about women that cover topics including motherhood, body image and cultural diversity. Proceeds from this screening benefit the ASUO Women’s Center. 7 pm March 4, Bijou. $10, $5 stu.

Other Boleyn Girl, The: In this film, based on Phllippa Gregory’s novel, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn are sent by their family to lure the attentions of the king of England (Eric Bana). Court intrigue, family drama and other period-piece standards fill out the sisters’ stories as they fight for love and power. PG13. 115 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Penelope: Christina Ricci stars as the title character of this modern-day sorta fairytale, a girl cursed with a pig’s snout instead of a nose. Her family tries to lure suitors (true love will break the curse, of course), but they all run screaming — until the always-charming James McAvoy happens along. With Catherine O’Hara and Reese Witherspoon. PG. 102 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Raising Flagg: Local filmmaker Neal Miller’s indie feature stars Alan Arkin, Lauren Holly and Glenne Headly in a homespun Oregon story. Arkin plays the town crank who takes his neighbor and longtime friend to court and alienates everyone. Unable to set things right, he takes to his bed and calls the children home. Funny family film will leave you smiling. PG13. 102 min. 7:30 pm (social hour begins at 6) March 1, Lorane Grange. $7 sug. don. Online archives.

Semi-Pro: Will Farrell continues to make millions playing idiots; here he’s the coach-player-owner of the Flint Tropics, an American Basketball Association team dreaming of joining the NBA. Thing is, they suck, and wrestling bears isn’t going to make them any better. With Andre Benjamin and Woody Harrelson. R. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Strange Wilderness: Steve Zahn and Allen Covert star as the hosts of a failing nature program whose only hope for saving their series is to find something truly different to feature: Bigfoot! R. Movies 12.

Swedish Film Series: Bille August’s Jerusalem tells the story of turn-of-the-century lovers who are divided when a preacher comes to town; when the young man doubts the preacher, he loses everything, and his love follows the man to Jerusalem. 7 pm Feb. 29, 177 Lawrence, UO. Free.

Who, The: Live in London in 1974 in a Quadrophenia-era television broadcast. Screens as part of the In-Concert series. Not rated. Bijou LateNite.

Zhang Yimou: Three films by the acclaimed Chinese director, including Ju Dou, 1 pm; Raise the Red Lantern, 4 pm; and To Live, 7 pm March 2, DIVA. Free.

Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com

 

CONTINUING:

Alvin and the Chipmunks: What’s next? A live-action Care Bears movie starring Jason Lee? (He’s in this and Underdog, for those not keeping track.) Those wacky little creatures with the high-pitched voices will surely cause him some trouble in this newest bit of family fare. With, um, David Cross. Now I’m confused. PG. Movies 12.

Be Kind Rewind: Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) playful, creative new film looks like a total joy. Mos Def and Jack Black star as friends facing a dilemma when one of them becomes magnetized and erases all the tapes in the store where his friend works. Bingo! They’ll make new versions of the films. PG13. 101 min. Cinemark. See review this issue.

Charlie Bartlett: After being booted from yet another private school, Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) winds up in public school, which is a whole different world — and nearly everyone in it needs some kind of help. So Charlie becomes something of an underground psychiatrist —?and falls for the principal’s daughter. Whoops. R. 97 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Definitely, Maybe: Manhattan papa Will (Ryan Reynolds) answers his daughter’s (Abigail Breslin) questions about how her now-divorcing parents met and fell in love with a complicated story about growing up —?but of course it’s the tot who helps him figure out how to grow even farther. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The: Julian Schnabel’s affecting film puts viewers inside the mind of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Almaric), the French Elle editor whose entire body was paralyzed — except for one eye, via which he blinks to communicate. Gracefully told and beautifully acted, Schabel’s film is one of the best-received of the year. PG13. 112 min. Bijou. (1/24)

Enchanted: Beautiful princesses! Handsome princes! And … midtown Manhattan? Amy Adams (Junebug), James Marsters (X-Men) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy) star in this charming fairy tale in the real world, which follows Princess Giselle (Adams) after a wicked witch banishes her from her magical kingdom. PG. 107 min. Movies 12. (1/3)

Fool’s Gold: Fools’ choices? Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey play a divorced couple who reteam to bicker endlessly — and search for a sunken treasure. Totally sure they stay divorced in the end, too. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Golden Compass, The: An only slightly above average film based on Philip Pullman’s utterly brilliant novel. In a world much like our own, everyone has an animal companion who’s part of themselves, and one little girl (Dakota Blue Richards) is the key to saving not just her own world, but countless others as well. With Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and Sam Elliott. ACADEMY AWARD: VISUAL EFFECTS. PG13. 113 min. Movies 12. (12/13)

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds: Just what it sounds like: a concert film on tour with the tween sensation. Cinemark.

Into the Wild: Star Emile Hirsch bears a reasonable resemblance to Christopher McCandless, a bright, priveleged young man who took off into Alaska in the early 1990s, but Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s novel doesn’t create an entirely satisfying portrait of the man whose story has been captivating readers for a decade. R. 140 min. Movies 12. (10/18)

Juno: Director Jason Reitman’s turned out another buzzworthy movie, this time with a screenplay by newcomer Diablo Cody. Ellen Page (who was outstanding in Hard Candy) plays a pregnant teenager dealing with herself, her future, her parents, the best friend who fathered the kid and the couple who wants to adopt it. “Hilarious and sweet-tempered, perceptive and surprisingly grounded,” said the Los Angeles Times. ACADEMY AWARD: BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. PG13. 96 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (1/10)

Jumper: Adapted from a novel by Steven Gould, this film follows “jumpers” who can leap through space and time. Among these lucky few are Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell; Samuel L. Jackson provides the tension as a fella who doesn’t approve of these crazy hijinks. Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity). PG13. 88 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Michael Clayton: George Clooney plays the title character, a “fixer” at a law firm. When one of his colleagues seems to snap, sabotaging a major case, Clayton is forced to take a good look at what he’s doing. “A terrifically engrossing, tethered-to-the-real-world drama,” said Entertainment Weekly. ACADEMY AWARD: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (TILDA SWINTON). R. 119 min. Movies 12. (10/25)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets: Nicolas Cage returns for more adventure and hijinks — something to do with the president’s secret book (hey, this sounds like Crooked Little Vein!) and clearing his family’s name; did great-great grandpa have something to do with Lincoln’s assassination? With Helen Mirren. PG. Cinemark.

No Country for Old Men: The latest from the Coen brothers is a near-masterpiece, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel, and it’s earning plenty of acclaim itself. The story involves a small-town sherriff, a deadly drug deal and a psychopathic killer (Javier Bardem). The reviewers say “intense,” “searing,” “an evil delight.” ACADEMY AWARDS: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (JAVIER BARDEM), BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, BEST PICTURE. R. 122 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (11/29)

Spiderwick Chronicles, The: Adaptation of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi’s books about a young boy (Freddie Highmore, playing twins) who finds that there’s much more than meets the eye to an old family estate. Black has a knack for a different kind of fairy tale; let’s hope the movie can translate that to the screen. With Mary-Louise Parker. PG. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Step Up 2: The Streets: Apparently, 2006’s Step Up was a phenomenon, despite the fact that the RottenTomatoes.com critical consensus is “Not enough dancing.” This time around, street dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) struggles to fit in at an elite arts school, where she — naturally — meets the school’s hottest dancer. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Sweeney Todd: Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (and Alan Rickman!) star in Tim Burton’s take on the Broadway musical about a murderous barber who’s sworn revenge for what happened to his wife and daughter. “Depp is simply stupendous,” says Rolling Stone. R. 117 min. Movies 12. (12/27)

Teeth: Mitchell Lichtenstein’s (son of Ray) debut as writer and director is a sort of horror comedy about Dawn (Jess Weixler), a young woman who lectures her peers about saving themselves for marriage. But when she begins to get close to another member of her chastity group, she (and he) find that Dawn, who lives near a nuclear reactor, has something of a mutation: more than one set of teeth. R. 94 min. Bijou.

There Will Be Blood: Oscar-nominated Daniel Day-Lewis stars in Paul Thomas Anderson’s (Magnolia) dark film about an evil oilman who heads to a California town, where a preacher (Paul Dano) accepts his presence on the condition that the oilman will help fund a church. “A force beyond categories,” said Roger Ebert. ACADEMY AWARDS: BEST ACTOR (DANIEL DAY-LEWIS), BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY. R. 158 min. VRC Stadium 15. (1/31)

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie: Cinematic version of a Canadian TV show about a group of trailer park residents. Here, after going to jail for a robbery attempt, the boys plan one more crime to finance their eventual lives of leisure. R. 97 min. Bijou LateNite.

U2 3D: Are concert movies the way of the future? U2 follows the smash Hannah Montana film with their own 3D extravaganza, shot during seven South American concerts on the 2007 Vertigo tour. G. 85 min. Cinemark.

Vantage Point: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver are just half the people — and perspectives — in this thriller about an assassination attempt made on the American president (William Hurt) as he gives a speech about the war on terror. I think the real story might be, uh, complicated? PG13. 90 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Water Horse: Legend of the Deep: It’s nice to see Ben Chaplin (The Truth About Cats and Dogs) again, even if it’s in this too-cute-but-still-charming children’s film about a boy who finds a mysterious eggs that turns into a mythical creature. Directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip). PG. 111 min. Movies 12.

Witless Protection: Larry the Cable Guy stars as a small-town sheriff who accidentally gets caught between the Mob and the FBI when he “kidnaps” a woman (Ivana Milicevic) who turns out to be in witness protection. PG13. 97 min. Cinemark.

 

 

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

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

Regal Cinemas
VRC Stadium 15 342-6536 | Valley River Center

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