THE iNDI

 

Apocalypto
Touchstone/Buena Vista

Mel Gibson (Braveheart, The Passion Of The Christ) tackles the downfall of Mayan civilization in his latest turn as writer/director. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) and his fellow villagers lead a peaceful life in the forest until a savage, unprovoked attack turns their world upside down. Full review


Notes On A Scandal
Universal (Cat #2243898)

Dame Judi Dench and Kate Blanchett face off with searing performances in this riveting tale of obsession and desire. Based on the novel by Zoe Heller, Notes On A Scandal is the story of Barbara Covett (Dench), a hard-nosed spinster schoolteacher, and her poisonous friendship with fellow teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett). Full review


Hitcher
Universal (Cat #62033276)

Music video director Dave Meyers's debut film is an updated version of the 1986 shocker of the same name, featuring Sean Bean (The Lord of The Rings trilogy) in the title role of a chillingly sadistic hitchhiker. Twenty-something couple Grace (a mini-skirted Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill) and Jim (Zachary Knighton) embark on a road trip across the American Southwest to meet up with Grace's friends on vacation. Full review


Because I Said So
Universal (Cat #61032270)

Diane Keaton lights up the screen as an overbearing, matchmaking single mother in this slightly offbeat romantic comedy from director Michael Lehmann (Heathers, The Truth About Cats And Dogs). The film is a lot of fun, with both Keaton and Mandy Moore delivering energetic performances as a loveable and pretty believable mother-daughter team. Full review

  
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Queen
Buena Vista H E (Cat #5208103)
Helen Mirren delivers a royally stirring performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears's fictional romp, The Queen. The year is 1997, and Great Britain has a newly elected prime minister, the youthful, optimistic Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). In Buckingham Palace , the Queen doesn’t appear to be fazed by Blair’s arrival. Full review

Night at the Museum (SE)
Fox Home Entertainment (Cat #2242092)

Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (Just Married, Cheaper By The Dozen). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but none of them comes to fruition. In an attempt to prove his stability to his ex-wife (Kim Raver) and his son, Nicky (Jake Cherry), Larry accepts a job as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History . But the elderly night guards who hire him (played by entertainment legends Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, and Bill Cobbs) fail to mention one crucial detail: when the museum is closed, everything inside comes to life. Full review
Stomp the Yard
Sony PHE (Cat #16042)

What is the difference between a gang and a team? DJ Williams (Columbus Short) is forced to confront this question, along with the usual post-adolescent romantic and family conflicts, when his well-meaning uncle (Harry Lennix) enrolls him at his Atlanta alma mater, Truth University . His enrollment is part of a plea bargain that will save him from being imprisoned, and it is also a last resort to rescue him from the LA gang life that has already claimed his beloved brother. Full review


Dreamgirls (2-Disc SE)
 Paramount HE (Cat #012355)

The 1982 Tony-Award-winning musical Dreamgirls shimmies its way to the big screen with a stellar cast and undeniable sheen. Set in 1960s Detroit , Dreamgirls follows the commercial and cultural struggles of the R&B recording industry, through the rise of the Dreamettes (later shortened to just the Dreams) from backup singers to headlining international superstars. Full review

 
 

 
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