The Day the Earth Stood Still Release Date: December 12, 2008 (conventional theaters and IMAX)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” is 20th Century Fox’s contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Keanu Reeves portrays Klaatu, an alien whose arrival on our planet triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance, a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission – and come to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described “friend to the Earth.”
I Can’t Think Straight Release Date: November 21, 2008
Tala, a London-based Jordanian prepares for an elaborate wedding with her fiancé, when she encounters Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend Ali. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla could not be more different from each other but the attraction is immediate. Tala’s feisty nature provokes Leyla out of her shell and soon both women reveal their feelings for each other. But Tala is not ready to accept the implications of the choice her heart has made and escapes back to Jordan where her chain-smoking high-brow mother finishes preparations for an ostentatious wedding. As family members descend and the wedding day approaches, simmering family tensions come to boiling point and the pressure mounts for Tala to be true to herself. Meanwhile heartbroken Leyla relishes her newly found sense of identity and self-respect and moves on with her new life – much to the shock of her tradition-loving Indian parents. Single again, Tala flies back to London – but it will take more than just a date set up by Ali and Leyla’s sister Zara to win Leyla back
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Release Date : November 14, 2008
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (ISBN 0-385-60940-X) (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in USA) is a 2006 novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Boyne is the author of 6 novels. Unlike the months of planning Boyne had for his other books, he said that he wrote the entire first draft of Boy in two and a half days, barely sleeping until he got to the end. To date the novel has sold more than 3 million copies around the world. In 2007, it was the best selling book of the year in Spain.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Plot
This book is a story about a nine year old boy trying to understand what is happening around him in (Out-With) Auschwitz during World War II.
The nine year-old boy Bruno, is the son of commander general of a Nazi concentration camp. He has a strong headed sister, Gretel (the Hopeless Case!). They live in a five story mansion, but are one day suddenly moved to a place called (Auschwitz). Bruno, angered and confused by his father’s decision to move to Auschwitz, and desperate to go home, spends his time in his room, with no friends to play with. He misses their old five-story mansion, as with such a small space, there isn’t any room for exploration (a hobby of Bruno’s) like there was in his old home, misses sliding down the banister in their old house, and misses his friends.
From his bedroom window, Bruno spots a fence behind which he sees many people in ’striped pajamas’. These are the Jews, and they are in a concentration camp. One day his parents come to an agreement that both Bruno and Gretel (his sister) need a tutor for their education so they hire Herr Liszt. To Bruno, Herr Liszt is the most boring teacher one could ever have - because he teaches science (such as geography and history), instead of reading and arts, which Bruno prefers. So, in boredom and confusion he wonders what is going on at Auschwitz and why people are always dressed in striped pajamas there. On the afternoon he goes exploring. What he finds is a boy, a Jewish boy called Shmuel, a name Bruno has never heard of before but apparently is quite common in the concentration camp. He soon becomes Bruno’s friend and Bruno goes to see him every afternoon to talk. Bruno is told by his sister that the people in the striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence are Jews and that he and his family are “the opposite”. Shortly after this, Bruno and Gretel get a bad case of lice and Bruno has to have his head shaved. This makes him look a lot more like his friend Shmuel and he finds himself thinking that it is as if “they weren’t all that different, really.”
The story ends with Bruno about to leave Auschwitz and return to his previous home with his mother and sister. As a final adventure, he agrees to dress in a set of striped pyjamas and climb under a loose wire in the fence to help Shmuel find his father, who has gone missing in the camp. They are unable to find him, and just as it starts to rain and Bruno decides he would like to go home, the people in the area of the camp which the boys are in must go on a ‘march’. Neither boy knows where this march will lead. However, they are crowded into a gas chamber, and the author leaves the story with Bruno pondering, yet unafraid, in the dark.
The book ends with the effects of Bruno’s disappearance on his family and his father discovering his clothes outside the fence, and realising the implications of this.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Film
A Miramax film adaptation of the novel was shot in Budapest between April and June 2007. The film will be released September 12, 2008 in Ireland and the UK, on September 17, 2008 in China and Japan, on October 3, 2008 in Finland and on November 7, 2008 in USA.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Awards
The novel has won several literary awards including:
Two Irish Book Awards
The Bisto Book of the Year Award (Ireland)
The Que Leer Award (Spain)
The novel has been shortlisted for many literary awards including:
In Ireland, shortlisted for 3 Irish Book Awards: the Novel of the Year, the People’s Choice Book of the Year, and the Children’s Book of the Year. It won 2 awards.
In England, shortlisted for The British Book Awards 2007
In the UK, shortlisted for the British Children’s Book of the Year, Ottakar’s Children’s Book Prize, the Berkshire Book Award, and the Sheffield Children’s Book Prize.
In the UK, it was longlisted for the 2006 Carnegie Medal.
In Italy, shortlisted for the Paolo Ungari Literary Award.
In the USA, shortlisted for the Border’s Original Voices Award.
In 2007, Miramax started shooting a film adaptation in Budapest.
Valkyrie Release Date: December 26, 2008
In a country in the grips of evil, in a police state where every move is being watched, in a world where justice and honor have been subverted, a group of men hidden inside the highest reaches of power decide to take action. Tom Cruise stars in the suspense film, “Valkyrie,” based on the true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring and ingenious plot to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Director Bryan Singer (”The Usual Suspects,” “X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) re-teams with Academy Award®-winning “Usual Suspects” screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie to bring to life the story of the men who led the operation to assassinate Hitler. The film also stars an acclaimed cast including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel and Terence Stamp.
A proud military man, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is a loyal officer who serves his country all the while hoping that someone will find a way to stop Hitler before Europe and Germany are destroyed. Realizing that time is running out, he decides that he must take action himself and joins the German resistance. Armed with a cunning strategy to use Hitler’s own emergency plan – known as Operation Valkyrie – these men plot to assassinate the dictator and overthrow his Nazi government from the inside.
With everything in place, with the future of the world, the fate of millions and the lives of his wife and children hanging in the balance, von Stauffenberg is thrust from being one of many who oppose Hitler to the one who must kill Hitler himself.
Slumdog Millionaire Release Date: November 12, 2008 (limited)
“Slumdog Millionaire” is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions.
Intrigued by Jamal’s story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show?
When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out…
Transporter 3 Release Date: November 26, 2008
Jason Statham is back in the third outing of ‘The Transporter’. This time he’s hired by a criminal mastermind to go on a mission to deliver a ‘package’. With Frank Martin now electronically rigged, he must complete his mssion or die!
Resident Evil: Degeneration Release Date: December 30, 2008 (DVD)
The “Umbrella Incident” that took place in Raccoon City ended with a missile attack ordered by the government intended to wipe out the deadly zombie virus. Following this catastrophe, the Umbrella Corporation’s stock plummeted. This serious blow to the business giant resulted in its complete dissolution. 7 years later, at an airport somewhere in the United States, on an ordinary autumn afternoon, a zombie is unleashed. Now, in an airport beginning to fill with the undead, the horrific disaster is about to repeat itself…
Twilight Release Date: November 21, 2008
Twilight’ is an action-packed, modern day love story between a vampire and a human. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother remarries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn’t expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she’s ever met. Intelligent and witty, he sees straight into her soul. Soon, Bella and Edward are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance. Edward can run faster than a mountain lion, he can stop a moving car with his bare hands — and he hasn’t aged since 1918. Like all vampires, he’s immortal. But he doesn’t have fangs, and he doesn’t drink human blood; Edward and his family are unique among vampires in their lifestyle choice. To Edward, Bella is that thing he has waited 90 years for — a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), the Cullens’ mortal vampire enemies, come to town, looking for her?
Full Twilight Sneek preview with Bella, James & Edward Full Scene
The Day The Earth Stood Still Release Date : December 12, 2008
The first official trailer of The Day The Earth Stood Still, upcoming science-fiction remake movie starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connolly, has finally been released online.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 science fiction film, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, the film updates the Cold War themes of man against man, to the more contemporary concerns of man against nature.
The Descendant Release Date : September 26
Winner “Best Fiction Feature” Philadelphia International Film Festival 2007
The film will have its theatrical premiere at Montreals Cinema du Parc, 3575 ave. du Parc (metro Place-des-Arts) from September 26th to October 2nd. Friday and Saturday screenings are at 9 p.m. with Sunday to Thursday screenings held at 5 p.m. The director will be present for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Do not miss this opportunity to see it on the big screen for which it was conceived and expect more North American dates and venues to follow.
Directed by Philippe Spurell
Produced By Philippe Chabot
Edited by Eric Lavoie
A year after his mother passes away, James Duke contemplates doing the one thing she had always forbidden him to do; contact her parents. With temptation too great, the young man visits his grandparents and discovers that although friendly, they are very nervous about his surprise visit. Deciding to stay on for a few days at their eerie run down secluded farmhouse, he gradually uncovers an unspeakably shameful part of his family history that his mother had never revealed. Carefully watched by menacing townspeople, he digs dangerously deep to uncover clues to his disturbing past; old gramophone recordings, disturbing b&w photos, animal (human?) remains and a very unusual patchwork quilt made by tortured hands. Ultimately, he confronts both conspiracy and the heavy burden of truth through his discovery of ghosts from the past.
This mystery-ghost story was inspired by little-known but fascinating historical events involving the hidden burial of imported farm workers in a small border town just north of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. This modern day tale of historical vengeance will entertain a broad audience as well as inform about an important part of our heritage. In a world of overly familiar films, THE DESCENDANT achieves surprising originality with its shocker ending.
“Fantastic! A film worthy of attention.” (Film Threat)
“A sharp, meticulously crafted work… breaks away from overcooked horror-thriller conventions.” (FANTASIA Film Festival)
“…a cinematic rarity: a genuinely moving chiller… shot in luscious 35mm and showcasing a beautifully melancholic score.” (RUE MORGUE magazine)
In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one of the students, a mysterious girl who seems to hear whispered voices, fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead.
Fast forward 50 years to the present: A new generation of students examines the contents of the time capsule and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Myles. But it is Caleb’s father, professor Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document’s secrets, he realizes it foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son.
When Ted’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place.
This gripping supernatural thriller charts one man’s faltering steps towards belief in the ultimate order of the universe even as he finds himself surrounded by mounting chaos. With the reluctant help of Diana Whelan (Rose Byrne) and Abby, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the cryptic prophecies, Ted’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.instead.
“Quantum of Solace” continues the high octane adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) in “Casino Royale.”
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.
Forensic intelligence links an Mi6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation.
On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.
In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene’s sinister plan and stop his organisation.