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Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard team up for this bloody horror satire that offers an inventive twist on the familiar stranded-in-the-woods sub-genre. As five friends pile into an RV bound for a secluded cabin far from civilization, the operators of a mysterious, high-tech control room monitor their every move while preparing an arcane ritual that dates back to the beginning of time. Shortly after arriving at the rickety cottage, Dana (Kristen Connolly) and her friends Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran Kranz), and Holden (Jesse Willaims) venture into the basement and discover a little girl’s diary from the early 1900s — which recounts a series of horrifying events that unfolded precisely where the vacationing teens how stand. Before long, the nightmare comes knocking at the door — murder gleaming from its putrid eyes and a rusty saw clenched in rotting hands. In the control room, everything is going exactly according to plan; Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford) are taking bets, and their supervisor Lin (Amy Acker) is monitoring every detail. But just when it looks like the show is over, an unexpected glitch threatens to topple the entire system. ~ Rovi
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A couple named Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) find their wedding plans interrupted by a number of disappointments and surprises over the course of five years, as Violet is forced to move to Michigan for school and Tom becomes frustrated by missed job opportunities in this romantic comedy from producer Judd Apatow. Nicholas Stoller directed from a script co-written by Segel, and the supporting cast includes Alison Brie, Chris Pratt, and Rhys Ifans. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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World Chimpanzee Foundation head Christophe Boesch joins filmmakers Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield for this documentary offering an intimate look into the world of chimpanzees. The chimpanzee is an exceptionally intelligent species of anthropoid ape, and by spending over three years in the tropical jungles of Uganda and the Ivory Coast, filmmakers and experts offer viewers a unique opportunity to better understand their distinct role in our global ecosystem. The story in Chimpanzee centers on Oscar, a young simian born into a large family of 35 others, and eager to learn the ways of life in the jungle. As Oscar’s mother Isha teaches her newborn how to find food and avoid dangerous predators, the leader of their family, Freddy, vigilantly defends their territory from his rival Scar. Scar and his clan covet the nut grove at the center of Freddy’s domain, and it’s only a matter of time before they attempt to take the precious resource by force. When tragedy strikes and Isha perishes, Oscar struggles to survive without a parent to feed and protect him. But just as it begins to appear as if all hope for Oscar is lost, something miraculous happens – Freddy adopts the orphaned youngster, and…
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Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called “Tributes”) to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government’s total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12’s latest “Tribute,” Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A suicidal New Jersey cage fighter protects a young Chinese math prodigy from Triads, Russian gangsters, and corrupt cops in this action thriller from producer Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction) and writer/director Boaz Yakin (Fresh, A Price Above Rubies). Ten-year-old Mei (Catherine Chan) is a genuine numbers wizard from Nanjing. Unfortunately, her unusual proficiency in mathematics has made her the target of Triad boss Han Jaio (James Hong), who abducts the young girl from her home and sends her to America to help keep his underhanded business dealings a well-guarded secret. Mei has the ability to store a virtual library of financial information in her head, and by having the young girl as his personal bookkeeper, Han is able to operate without fear of being implicated by a telling paper trail. Meanwhile, as Mei follows her new “father” Chang (Reggie Lee) on his many extortion outings, Luke Wright (Jason Statham) takes flight from the Russian mafia after botching a fixed fight and seeing his wife murdered in retribution. Mei’s and Luke’s fates collide, however, when, soon after Han Jiao makes the trip to America to give the young girl a secret number, the fallen fighter witnesses her fleeing from Russian gangsters just…
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An Iraq War veteran searches for the woman from a mysterious photo that he credits with saving his life during three tours of duty in this romantic drama adapted from the book by Nicholas Sparks. U.S. Marine sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) was serving his country overseas when he happened across a discarded photo of a beautiful woman. An inscription on the back read “Keep Safe,” yet the photo revealed no clues about either the subject or her whereabouts. Upon returning home to civilian life, Logan conducts his own research and discovers that the woman’s name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and that she cares for dogs at a small-town kennel. Before long, Logan manages to get a job at the kennel, and sets his sights on winning Beth’s heart. But it won’t be easy because Beth’s past experiences have made her wary of relationships. Meanwhile, as Logan works to earn Beth’s trust, a dark secret from her past threatens to derail his hope for a happy future together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Peter and Bobby Farrelly finally deliver their long-gestating reboot of The Three Stooges with this 20th Century Fox production. Working from a script they penned with Mike Cerrone (Me, Myself & Irene), the brothers’ comedic take on the trio is not a biopic, but rather a sampling of new slapstick adventures set in the present day. Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and Chris Diamantopoulos star as, respectively, Larry, Curly, and Moe. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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Set sail for fun with this family-friendly Aardman Animations adventure following a bumbling, abundantly bearded scallywag who competes against his two biggest rivals for the title Pirate of the Year. Try as he might, the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) just can’t be taken seriously as a plunderer. But that might change if he could only manage to win the Pirate of the Year competition. As the event gets under way, the Pirate Captain makes it his mission to leave dreaded foes Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) sinking in his wake. Before that can happen, though, the determined Pirate Captain will have to seek out the help of a love-struck scientist (David Tennant) and defeat a malevolent queen (Imelda Staunton), who might just send him down to Davy Jones’ Locker. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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This adaptation of Steve Harvey’s non-fiction relationship advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man focuses on six friends who regularly get together to play basketball, and usually are dealing with women issues. Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) is a geeky pothead and comic-book obsessive whose career is stuck in neutral and who won’t pop the question to his girlfriend of nine years. Zeke (Romany Malco) is a former musician-turned-businessman who is great at picking up the ladies but can’t commit to a long-term relationship. Michael (Terrence J) is good looking and charming, but his mother still has him wrapped around her finger and doesn’t want to let him go. Dominic (Michael Ealy) keeps changing career goals, and while he’s an excellent chef, he hasn’t found a way to make it pay. And short, motormouthed Cedric (Kevin Hart) is in the midst of a divorce and can’t wait to be free of his wife. Nerdy but well-meaning Bennett (Gary Owen) is the only one in a functioning relationship, and he gets a lot of grief from his buddies for his happy marriage. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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Upon discovering that a psychotic serial killer has been using his writings as inspiration, legendary author Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) joins forces with a bright, young Baltimore detective to catch the maniac and end his reign of terror. Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) was investigating a vicious murder when he realized the crime scene bore a striking resemblance to a mystery story that was just published in the local newspaper. The author of that ominous tale was Edgar Allan Poe, a brilliant young writer whose status as a social outcast catches the attention of the diligent detective. Shortly after Poe is questioned by the authorities, detectives stumble upon yet another murder scene that seems to have been inspired by the author’s morbid writings. Convinced that the killer will once again use Poe’s writings as a springboard to murder, Detective Fields recruits the reclusive author to help piece together a pattern to the crimes and stop the madman before he can strike again. Brendan Gleeson and Alice Eve co-star in this tense period thriller from director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Original: Movies.com Top 10 Box Office
