.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.

Ballets Russes: 2005 documentary explores Russian ballet’s introduction, in the early 20th century, to western Europe, and the division of choreographer Diaghilev’s company into two rival companies. With discussion led by Tom Blank and a member of the Eugene Ballet to follow. 7 pm Feb. 4, DIVA. Free.

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.

Chi-hwa-seon: A portrait of a 19th century Korean painter and his search for artistic transcendence. In Korean with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 1, Int’l Resource Center, EMU, UO. Free.

Crossroads Festival: International film festival, Jan. 28-Feb. 18, features movies from Indian, Italy, Tunisia, Japan, Brazil, Palestine and more. Feb. 4 screenings include Red Satin (Tunisia), 2 pm; Lost Boys of Sudan (U.S.), 6 pm; The Man Who Copied (Brazil), 8 pm. Avalon Theater, Corvallis. $8 per film.

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.

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.

On the Nameless Height: 2003 Russian miniseries takes place in 1944 and focuses on the relationship between a military officer and female sniper. Part 2 of 2; in Russian with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 6, 111 Pacific, UO. Free.

Unaccompanied Minors: A host of kids (traveling alone) find themselves snowed in at the airport (a fictional one in Chicago) on Christmas Eve. What else is there to do but wreak havoc? PG. Movies 12.

Under the Sun: In 1956, Olof, a never-married, illiterate man, lives on his family farm, dependent soley on his young friend Erik until he decides to advertise for a housekeeper, whose arrival shakes things up. In Swedish with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 2, 221 McKenzie, UO. Free.

 

CONTINUING:

Alpha Dog: Justin Timberlake is among the ensemble cast in Nick Cassavetes’ new film, which follows L.A. teens who impulsively kidnap a younger boy who begins to enjoy himself with his captors. R. Movies 12.

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. 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. Cinema World. (11/9/06)

Blood and Chocolate: Being a werewolf spells trouble in love for Vivian (Agnes Brucker) in this adaptation of Annette Curtis Klause’s young adult novel. Directed by Katja von Garnier (Bandits). PG13. Cinemark.

Borat: Sacha Baron Cohen (of “Da Ali G Show”) plays the title character, a Kazakhstani reporter creating a documentary while road-tripping across the U.S. The subtitle, “Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” ought to tell you something. R. OSCAR NOM: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY. Movies 12. (11/9/06)

Catch and Release: Jennifer Garner is a suddenly single woman who finds comfort in her quirky male friends after the death of her fiancé. With Kevin Smith and Timothy Olyphant. PG13. Cinemark.

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. Cinema World. Cinemark. (1/11)

Déja Vu: This Jerry Bruckheimer-produced, Tony Scott-directed thriller has something to do with traveling four days back in the future to stop a boat exploding. Or maybe it’s just looking four days back. Clever preview, either way. Stars Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. PG-13. Movies 12.

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. Cinema World. Cinemark. (10/12/06)

Dreamgirls: The much-buzzed-about musical from director Bill Condon (Kinsey) stars Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and the said-to-be transcendent Jennifer Hudson in the story of a girl group’s rise, loosely based on the story of the Supremes. PG13. OSCAR NOMS: EDDIE MURPHY, SUPPORTING ACTOR; JENNIFER HUDSON, SUPPORTING ACTRESS; ART DIRECTION; COSTUME DESIGN; ORIGINAL SONGS; SOUND MIXING. Cinema World. Cinemark. (1/18)

Epic Movie: Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard are among the cast in this send up of everything from Willy Wonka to Harry Potter to Narnia — actually, they’re saving the land of Gnarnia. Could be funny, could be terrible. PG. Cinema World.

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. Cinemark.

Flags of Our Fathers: Clint Eastwood’s new film explores the story behind the iconic image of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima during WWII. “A film of awesome power and blistering provocation,” says Rolling Stone. R. OSCAR NOMS: SOUND MIXING; SOUND EDITING. 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.

Fountain, The: Fearless director Darron Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) spent years making this ambitious film, which follows characters in different times periods, all played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, all on difficult quests. PG13. Movies 12. (11/30/06)

Freedom Writers: Hilary Swank stars as a real-life teacher who made a difference in an inner-city high school through an ambitious writing project. PG13. Cinemark.

Good Shepherd, The: Robert DeNiro heads back behind the camera to direct a story about the birth of the CIA, starring Matt Damon as one of the agency’s founders and Angelina Jolie as his frustrated wife. R. OSCAR NOM: ART DIRECTION. Movies 12. (12/28/06)

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. Still.) With Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman. PG. OSCAR NOM: ANIMATED FEATURE Cinemark.

Hitcher, The: Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings) stars as the titular creep, who torments a young couple on the road. R. Cinemark.

James Brown: Film of Brown’s 1968 performance in Boston, less than 24 hours after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With a 1971 performance featuring Bootsy Collins. Bijou LateNite.

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. See review this issue.

Letters From Iwo Jima: Clint Eastwood’s second 2006 WWII film recently won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film; The New York Times called this film, which looks at WWII from the Japanese side, “one of the best war movies ever.” R. OSCAR NOMS: BEST DIRECTOR; BEST PICTURE; SOUND EDITING; ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. Cinemark. (1/25)

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.

Open Season: Sony breaks into the animation game with the story of a clueless grizzly bear (Martin Lawrence) whose friend Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) lures him into the wild life. PG. Movies 12.

Painted Veil, The: Edward Norton and Naomi Watts star in the third film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s novel about an English socialite and the doctor she marries, who takes her to a Chinese village afflicte with cholera. “Let it sweep you away,” said Rolling Stone. PG13. Bijou. (1/18)

Prestige, The: Two magicians (Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman) see their slight friendship turn to rivalry in Christopher Nolan’s (Batman Begins) enthralling film. Competition grows as the men do, each trying to outdo the other’s performance. With Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine and David Bowie. PG13. OSCAR NOMS: ART DIRECTION; CINEMATOGRAPHY. Movies 12. (10/26/06)

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. OSCAR NOM: WILL SMITH, BEST ACTOR. Cinemark.

Queen, The: Stephen Frears’ movie about the shifting desires and threats of Britain’s public and the differences in Tony Blair’s (Michael Sheen) and Queen Elizabeth II’s (Helen Mirren) responses to the death of Princess Diana is a grand, usually subtle fiction that gets at a lot of truth. PG13. OSCAR NOMS: HELEN MIRREN, BEST ACTRESS; COSTUME DESIGN; BEST DIRECTOR; ORIGINAL SCORE; BEST PICTURE; ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. Bijou. Cinemark. (11/30/06)

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. Cinema World. Cinemark. See review this issue.

Stomp the Yard: A troubled street dancer from L.A. finds himself a hot commodity among the step dancing teams of two fraternities at a university in Atlanta. PG13. Cinemark.

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. Bijou. (1/25)

 

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