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||| Stanley Kubrick |||
Stanley Kubrick

A filmmaker of international importance, Kubrick was one of the only directors to work within the Studio System and still have full artistic control over his films from scripting through post-production, prompting Time Magazine to compare Kubrick’s early independence with the magnitude of Orson Welles.

An uncompromising antiwar film, this gut-wrenching drama depicts a World War I officer as he labors with an ultimately futile defense for three painfully sympathetic men tried for cowardice. Kubrick artistically utilizes a beautifully washed-out black and white photography to represent the muddied boundaries of right and wrong, and the many gray areas that lay between.

A fabulous and inspiring adventure, this visually stunning epic stars Kirk Douglas as the heroic slave who fights to lead his people to freedom from Roman rule. Although a clear departure from Kubrick’s oeuvre, “Spartacus” is an all time classic helmed by a man with a precise vision who is equally capable of crafting colossal spectacle, tense tête-à-têtes, and a tender moment between lovers.

This film is so stylish it’s easy to forget it’s a horror film at heart. Considered to be the thinking man’s thriller, Kubrick molds this very particularly “Stephan King” material into the portfolio of his films about human failure, as the hero’s desperate desire to become somebody ends in frustration and tragedy.

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The Early Report for February 10, 2010: Part One

February 10th, 2010

This first section of The Early Report features the most detailed listings on the Internet of all films scheduled to be released in the upcoming four weeks, including actual and estimated screen counts, running times and ratings. This week's report covers 21 known new movies opening in theatres between Friday 2/12/09 and Friday 3/5/10, plus dozens more titles expanding their runs during this timeframe.

Friday, February 12, 2010

My Name Is Khan
Logline: An unconventional hero embarks on an incredible journey across America in order to win back the love of his life
Featuring: Christopher B. Duncan, Steffany Huckaby, Kajol, Shahrukh Khan, Carl Marino
Director: Karan Johar
Writers: Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: Select markets on February 12
MPAA Rating: Not rated by the MPAA
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS

October Country
Logline: Documents an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war
Directors: Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher
Distributor: International Film Circuit
Opening Week Release Pattern: Exclusive to the IFC Film Center in New York City on February 12
MPAA Rating: Not rated by the MPAA
Running Time: 80 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.78:1)
Sound Format: Stereo

Order of Chaos
Logline: A mild-mannered businessman becomes paranoid and obsessed with uncovering the truth about those who are intent on ruining his life
Featuring: Rhys Corio, Samantha Mathis, Mimi Rogers, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Ward
Director: Vincent Vieluf
Writer: Vincent Vieluf
Distributor: Cinema Epoch
Opening Week Release Pattern: Select markets on February 12
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, pervasive language and some violence
Running Time: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Logline: A trouble-prone teen suspected of stealing Zeus' ligtning thief must return the god's property and find out who the real culprit is
Featuring: Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson, Logan Lerman, Uma Thurman
Director: Chris Columbus
Writer: Craig Titley, based on the novel by Rick Riordan
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3500 plus playdates on February 12
MPAA Rating: PG for action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language
Running Time: 120 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS

Valentine’s Day
Logline: Intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine's Day
Featuring: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift
Director: Garry Marshall
Writer: Katherine Fugate, story by Katherine Fugate and Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3000 plus playdates on February 12
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexual material and brief partial nudity
Running Time: 121 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

The Wolfman
Logline: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, a man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf
Featuring: Emily Blunt, Benecio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving
Director: Joe Johnston
Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self, based on the 1941 film written by Curt Siodmak
Distributor: Universal Studios
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3650 plus playdates on February 12
MPAA Rating: R for bloody horror violence and gore
Running Time: 102 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

Expanding today
Broken Embraces: Opens at the Flicks Theatre in Boise
Creation: Opens at Landmark's Century Centre Cinemas in Chicago, the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, Landmark's Main Art Theatre in Detroit, the Angelika Film Center in Houston, Landmark's Edina Cinemas in Minneapolis, Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse Cinemas in Phialdelphia, Landmark's Hillcrest Theatre in San Diego, the Plaza Del Oro Cinemas in Santa Barbara, Landmark's Plaza Frontenac Cinemas in St. Louis and the Circle Cinema in Tulsa OK
District 13: Ultimatum: Opens at the Starz Film Center in Denver
Fish Tank: Opens at Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse Cinemas in Philadelphia
44 Inch Chest: Opens at Landmark's Midtown Art Theatre in Atlanta and in Seattle
North Face: Opens at the Lascaux Micro Theatre in Buckhanoon WV, Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA, Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino CA, the University Town Center 6 in Irvine CA, Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and Laemmle's Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles
The Last Station: Opens at Laemmle's Claremont 5 in Claremont CA, Laemmle's Fallbrook 7 in West Hills CA and in additional locations in select markets
Police, Adjective: Opens at Landmark's Chez Artiste Theatre in Denver, Landmark's Ken Cinema in San Diego and the Nickelodeon Theatre in Santa Cruz
The Red Riding Trilogy: Opens at Landmark's Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles
Terribly Happy: Opens at Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinemas in San Francisco and Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Los Angeles
35 Shots of Rum: Opens at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland OR and in St. Louis
A Town Called Panic: Opens at the Wexner at the Gateway Cinemas in Columbus OH and Landmark's E Street Cinemas in Washington DC
The White Ribbon: Opens at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, the Arbor Cinemas at Great Hills in Austin, the Charles Theatre in Baltimore, the Century 16 in Boulder, the Modern Art Museum Theatre in Fort Worth, the Jupiter 18 in Jupiter FL, the Suncoast 16 in Las Vegas, Landmark's Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, the Cinemas Palme D'Or in Palm Desert CA, Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, the Westhampton Twin in Richmond VA, the Plaza Del Oro Theatre in Santa Barbara, the CCA Cinematheque in Santa Fe and the Miracle 5 in Tallahassee

Friday, February 19, 2010

Blood Done Sign My Name
Logline: Unrest blankets a community after a local white businessman is exonerated of the murder of a local black Vietnam-era veteran
Featuring: Afemo Omilami, Nate Parker, Lela Rochon, Michael Rooker, Ricky Schroder, Nick Searcy
Director: Jeb Stuart
Writer: Jeb Stuart, based on the novel by Tim Tyson
Distributor: Paladin
Opening Week Release Pattern: Opens at the Beverly Center 13 in Los Angeles and in additional locations in select markets on February 19
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for an intense scene of violence, thematic material involving racism and for language
Running Time: 128 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

Dreamkiller
Logline: Two doctors embark on a research project to cure fear-ridden, phobic patients of all varieties
Featuring: Kelly Chambers, John Colton, Dario Deak, Penny Drake, Diandra Newlin, Tyrone Power Jr., John Savage
Director: Catherine C. Pirotta
Writer: Clyde Ware
Distributor: Delaware Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: Opens at the Beverly Center 13 in Los Angeles and in additional locations in select markets on February 19
MPAA Rating: Not yet rated
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

The Ghost Writer
Logline: A gifted author hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of a controversial former British Prime Minister becomes a hunted man when he uncovers explosive secrets about the politician's past
Featuring: Pierce Brosnan, Kim Catrall, Timothy Hutton, Ewan McGregor, Eli Wallach, Olivia Williams
Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Roman Polanski and Robert Harris, based on the novel "The Ghost" by Robert Harris
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Opening Week Release Pattern: Major markets on February 19
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, brief nudity/sexuality, some violence and a drug reference
Running Time: 128 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

The 2009 Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
Logline: The five Oscar-nominated Animated Short Subjects for 2009 are shown together, with bonus showings of additional short films
Distributor: Shorts International/Magnolia Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: Select markets on February 19
MPAA Rating: Not rated by the MPAA
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

The 2009 Oscar Nominated Live-Action Short Films
Logline: The five Oscar-nominated Live Action Short Subjects for 2009 are shown together
Distributor: Shorts International/Magnolia Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: Select markets on February 19
MPAA Rating: Not rated by the MPAA
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Stereo

The Red Baron
Logline: A famous World War I pilot discovers there is more to life than war
Featuring: Joseph Fiennes, Lena Headey, Maxim Mehmet, Til Schweiger, Matthias Schweighöfer
Director: Nikolai Mullerschön
Writer: Nikolai Mullerschön
Distributor: monterey media
Opening Week Release Pattern: Opens at the El Morro Theatre in Gallup NM and the Museum of Art Theatre in Portland ME on February 19
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for war violence, some disturbing images, and brief suggestive material
Running Time: 106 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

Shutter Island
Logline: Two U.S. marshals are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane
Featuring: Patricia Clarkson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3000 plus playdates on February 19
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity
Running Time: 138 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

Expanding today
Creation: Opens at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinemas in Atlanta, Landmark's Mayan Theatre in Denver and in Seattle
District 13: Ultimatum: Opens at Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA
Fish Tank: Opens at Landmark's Main Art Theatre in Detroit and the Nickelodeon Theatre in Santa Cruz
44 Inch Chest: Opens in Dallas
North Face: Opens at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, the Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax VA, Landmark's Renaissance Place Cinemas in Highland Park IL, the Cinema City Theatre in Hartford, the Cinema Arts Centre 3 in Huntington NY, the Kew Gardens Cinemas in Kew Gardens NY, the Madison Art Cinemas in Madison WI, the Criterion Cinemas in New Haven CT, the Cinemas Palme D'Or in Palm Desert CA, Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse Cinemas in Philadelphia, Landmark's Ken Cinema in San Diego, the Avon Theatre in Stamford CT, the Ritz 16 in Voorhees NJ, and the Avalon Theatre and Landmark's E Street Cinemas in Washington DC
The Red Riding Trilogy: Opens at Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA
A Town Called Panic: Opens at the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville FL, the Tivoli at Manor Square Cinemas in Kansas City MO and the Screen Theatre in Santa Fe
The White Ribbon: Opens at the Fleur 4 in Des Moines, the Bijou Art Cinema in Eugene OR, the Gainesville 14 in Gainesville FL, Landmark's Keystone Art Theatre in Indianapolis, the Tivoli at Manor Square Cinemas in Kansas City MO, the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Landmark's Canal Place Cinemas in New Orleans, the Nickelodeon 5 in North Falmouth MA, the Quail Springs 24 in Oklahoma City, the Riverside 12 in Reno, the Salem Cinema in Salem OR, the Bijou Theatre and the Fiesta 16 in San Antonio, and the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport

Friday, February 26, 2010

Cop Out
Logline: Cult darling filmmaker sells out to big studio to make a buddy cop comedy. Wasn't his last movie the biggest grosser of his career, and wasn't he supposed to make a cheapo horror movie next? What the hell happened?
Featuring: Rashida Jones, Jason Lee, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Michelle Trachtenberg, Bruce Willis
Director: Kevin Smith
Writers: Robb Cullen & Mark Cullen
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3500 plus playdates on February 26
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language including sexual references, violence and brief sexuality
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Did you know?: The original title for this film was the far better, and funnier, A Couple of Dicks

The Crazies
Logline: The inhabitants of a small Iowa town are suddenly plagued by insanity
Featuring: Joe Anderson, Radha Mitchell, Timothy Olyphant, Danielle Panabaker, Christie Lynn Smith
Director: Breck Eisner
Writers: Scott Kosar and Ray Wright, based upon the screenplay for the 1973 movie written by Paul McCollough and George A. Romero
Distributor: Overture Films
Opening Week Release Pattern: 2650 plus locations on February 26
MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence and language
Running Time: 101 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

Formosa Betrayed
Logline: An FBI agent investigates the brutal murder of a Taiwanese-American professor on U.S. soil
Featuring: Wendy Crewson, John Heard, Leslie Hope, Will Taio, James Van Der Beek
Director: Adam Kane
Writers: Adam Kane and Will Taio
Distributor: Screen Media Films
Opening Week Release Pattern: Select markets on February 26
MPAA Rating: R for some violent content
Running Time: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Stereo

A Prophet
Logline: A young Corsican man becomes a mafia kingpin after he is sent to a French prison. IN Arabic, Corsican and French with subtitles
Featuring: Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb, Tahar Rahim, Hichem Yacoubi
Director: Jacques Audiard
Writers: Thomas Bidegain & Jacques Audiard, original story and screenplay by Abdel Raouf Dafri & Nicolas Peufaillit
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Opening Week Release Pattern: Los Angeles and New York City in February 26
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language and drug material
Running Time: 149 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby DIgital

The Red Canvas
Logline: A young fighter finds his place in the mixed martial-arts world
Featuring: Maria Conchita Alonso, Ernie Reyes Jr., Ernie Reyes Sr., John Savage, George Takei, Ken Takemoto
Directors: Kenneth Chamitoff and Adam Boster
Writer: Kenneth Chamitoff
Distributor: Freestyle Releasing
Opening Week Release Pattern: 500 plus playdates on February 26
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and pervasive martial arts action
Running Time: 102 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

Expanding today
Fish Tank: Opens at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinemas in Atlanta, Landmark's Chez Artiste Theatre in Denver and Landmark's Varsity Theatre in Seattle
44 Inch Chest: Opens in Minneapolis and St. Louis
Police, Adjective: Opens at the Bill Cosford Cinemas and the Miami Beach Cinematheque in Miami
The Red Riding Trilogy: Opens at Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, Landmark's Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco and the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle
Terribly Happy: Opens at Landmark's E Street Cinemas in Washington DC
A Town Called Panic: Opens at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville and the George Eastman House in Rochester NY
The White Ribbon: Opens at the Fireweed 7 in Anchorage, the Pilot Butte 6 in Bend OR, the Manor Twin in Charlotte, the Darkside Cinemas in Ocrvallis OR, the Fiesta Squate 16 in Fayetteville AR, the Cherrydale 16 in Greenville SC, the Beach Blvd. 12 in Jacksonville, the Downtown West 8 in Knoxville, the River Park Square 20 in Spokane WA, the Loft Cinemas in Tucson, the Circle Cinema in Tulsa OK and the Indian River 24 in Vero Beach

Friday, March 5, 2010

Alice in Wonderland
Logline: A young woman returns to a whimsical world she previously encountered as a child
Featuring: Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Stephen Fry, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Mia Wasikowska
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Linda Woolverton, based on the novels by Lewis Carroll
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Opening Week Release Pattern: 3650 plus playdates, including 2250 plus Digital 3D playdates, on March 5
MPAA Rating: Not yet rated
Running Time: 105 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

Brooklyn's Finest
Logline: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths
Featuring: Ellen Barkin, Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Will Patton, Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: Michael C. Martin
Distributor: Overture Films
Opening Week Release Pattern: 2250 plus playdates on March 5
MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence throughout, strong sexuality, nudity, drug content and pervasive language
Running Time: 140 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

Stolen
Logline: A detective deals with the loss of his own son while trying to uncover the identity of a boy whose mummified remains are found in a box buried for fifty years
Featuring: Jimmy Bennett, Jon Hamm, Josh Lucas, Rhona Mitra, James Van Der Beek
Director: Anders Anderson
Writer: Glenn Taranto
Distributor: IFC Films
Opening Week Release Pattern: New York City exclusive on March 5
MPAA Rating: R for a scene of sexuality
Running Time: Not yet set
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic (2.39:1)
Sound Format: Dolby Digital

Expanding today
Creation: Opens at the Valley Art Theatre in Phoenix and the Spectrum 18 in Tucson
Fish Tank: Opens at the Palm Cinemas in San Luis Obispo and Landmark's Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis
44 Inch Chest: Opens in Denver
Police, Adjective: Opens at Landmark's Midtown Art Theatre in Atlanta
The Red Riding Trilogy: Opens at the Starz Film Center in Denver and Landmark's E Street Cinemas in Washington DC
Terribly Happy: Opens at Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA
The White Ribbon: Opens at the Market Street Cineas in Little Rock
Wonderful World: Opens at the Cinema 3 in Salem MA


For Release Dates Changes and Estimated Screen Counts for films scheduled for release between mid-March 2010 and 2013, please visit the second section of The Early Report

Have corrections or additional info about this edition of the Early Report or a future version? Feel free to submit it via our Feedback Form. Thanks!