December movies

December 8

Apocalypto

Genre: Action, Adventure

MPAA Rating: R (for sequences of graphic violence and distrubing images)

Cast: Dalia Hernandez, Mayra Serbulo, Gerardo Taracena, Raoul Trujillo, Rudy Youngblood

Story: From Academy Award® winning filmmaker Mel Gibson (“The Passion of The Christ,” “Braveheart”), comes “Apocalypto”: a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.

Director:Mel Gibson

Studio: Touchstone Pictures

Website: http://apocalypto.movies.go.com/

Blood Diamond

Genre: Action, Drama

MPAA Rating: R (for strong violence and language)

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, James Purefoy, Arnold Vosloo, Stephen Collins, Michael Sheen

Story: Set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone, “Blood Diamond” is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and their circumstances are as different as any can be—until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives.

Director:Edward Zwick

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Website:http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/

DOA: Dead or Alive

Genre:Action, Adventure

Cast: Devon Aoki, Sarah Carter, Natassia Malthe, Matthew Marsden, Jamie Pressly, Eric Roberts, Holly Valance

Story: DOA” is based on Tecmo’s best-selling “Dead or Alive” videogame franchise and has an ensemble cast starring Devon Aoki (“Sin City” and “2 Fast 2 Furious”), Sarah Carter (“Final Destination 2”), Natassia Malthe (“Elektra”), Matthew Marsden (“Black Hawk Down”), Jaime Pressly (“Torque”), Eric Roberts (“National Security”) and hot newcomer and Aussie pop star Holly Valance (“National Lampoon’s “Pledge This!”).

Director: Corey Yuen

Studio:MGM

Website: http://www.uip.co.uk/deadoralive/

The Holiday

Genre:Comedy, Romancer

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell

Story: In writer/director Nancy Meyers’ (“Something’s Gotta Give,” “What Women Want”) “The Holiday,” two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament. Desperate for a change of scenery, the two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday discovering that a change of address really can change your life.

Director:Nancy Meyers

Studio: Coumbia Pictures

Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theholiday/

Unaccompanied Minors

Genre: Comedy, Family

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild rude humor and language)

Cast: Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Brett Kelly, Rob Corddry, Jessica Walter

Story: It’s Christmas Eve and five kids have just been snowed in at the airport — and there isn’t a parent in sight. Unaccompanied Minors follows awkward Spencer (Dyllan Christopher), rich-girl Grace (Gina Mantegna), tomboy Donna (Quinn Shephard), geeky Charlie (Tyler James Williams) and bashful Beef (Brett Kelly) as they try to outwit a disgruntled airport official (Lewis Black) and reunite with their families. Using “borrowed” golf-carts, a canoe on a snow hill and the help of a reluctant flight attendant (Wilmer Valderrama), these kids are about to prove the holidays aren’t about where you are, but who you’re with.

Director: Paul Feig

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Website:http://unaccompaniedminors.warnerbros.com/

December 15

Eragon

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Cast: Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, John Malkovich

Story: Based on the best-selling novel, this epic fantasy-adventure centers on a young man named Eragon whose destiny is revealed with the help of a dragon. Eragon, now a Dragon Rider, is swept into a world of magic and power, discovering that he alone has the power to save n or destroy n an Empire.

Director: Stefen Fangmeier

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Website: http://eragonmovie.com/

The Pursuit of Happyness

Genre: Drama

Cast: Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith

Story: “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. …You got a dream, you gotta protect it… If you want something, go get it. Period.”

In Columbia Pictures’ “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Website: http://sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappyness/index.html

December 20

Charlotte’s Web

Genre: Drama, Family

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates

Story: The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures n a spider named Charlotte n and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur’s days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte n who sees miracles in the ordinary n spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is “some pig” and worth saving.

Director: Gary Winick

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Website: http://www.charlotteswebmovie.com/site/index.php

December 22

The Good Shepherd

Genre: Espionage Drama

MPAA Rating: R (for some violence, sexuality and language)

Cast: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, John Turturro, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Gabriel Macht, Tammy Blanchard, Vladimir Mashkov, Joe Pesci

Story: Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) understands the value of secrecy-discretion and commitment to honor have been embedded in him since childhood. As an eager, optimistic student at Yale, he is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders. Wilson’s acute mind, spotless reputation and sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during WWII.

Director: Robert De Niro

Studio: Universal Pictures

Website: http://www.thegoodshepherdmovie.com/

Night at the Museum

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action, language and brief rude humor)

Cast: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, Robin Williams

Story: “Night at the Museum” is an action-adventure-comedy that comes to life by night. Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he’s destined for something big. But even he could never have imaged how “big,” when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry’s watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he’s history’s fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.

Director: Shawn Levy

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Website: http://www.nightatthemuseum.com/

Rocky Balboa

Genre: Drama

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, James Francis Kelly III, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes

Story: The greatest underdog story of our time is back for one final round of the Academy Award-winning “Rocky” franchise, former heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era. After a virtual boxing match declares Rocky Balboa the victor over current champion Mason “The Line” Dixon, the legendary fighter’s passion and spirit are reignited. But when his desire to fight in small, regional competitions is trumped by promoters calling for a rematch of the cyber-fight, Balboa must weigh the mental and physical risks of a high profile exhibition match against his need to be in the ring.

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Studio: MGM

Website:http://rockythemovie.com/

We Are Marshall

Genre: Drama, Sports

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, January Jones, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Huntley Ritter, Kate Mara

Story: “We Are Marshall” tells an inspiring true story set in Huntington, West Virginia, a small town steeped in the rich tradition of college football. For decades, players, coaches, fans and families have come together to cheer on Marshall University’s “Thundering Herd.” For this team and this community, Marshall football is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life. But on a fateful night in 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 75 members of Marshall’s football team and coaching staff were killed in a plane crash. As those left behind struggled to cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones, the grieving families found hope and strength in the leadership of Jack Lengyel, a young coach who was determined to rebuild Marshall’s football program and in the process helped to heal a community.

Director: McG

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Website: http://wearemarshall-themovie.warnerbros.com/

December 25

Black Christmas

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Cast: Michelle Trachtenberg, Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Katie Cassidy, Andrea Martin, Jessica Harmon, Oliver Hudson

Story: In “Black Christmas” a sorority house is terrorized by a killer who makes frightening telephone calls before murdering the sorority sisters during the Christmas break.

Director: James Wong, Glen Morgan

Studio: MGM

Website: http://www.blackchristmas.com/

December 29

Fast Track

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Cast: Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Donal Logue, Fred Armisen, Mia Farrow, Paul Rudd, Yul Vazquez, Tim Brennan

Story: A slacker (Zach Braff) is forced to work for his father-in-law after his pregnant wife (Amanda Peet) steps away from her high-paying job.

Director: Jesse Peretz

Studio: MGM, The Weinstein Company

Website: Not Available