SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

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Independent films in the spotlight- here a selection of films making the festival circuits and in limited/ coming limited release.

The Cross “The Cross” is the story of one man carrying a twelve-foot wooden cross on a pilgrimage around the world.



The Song of Sparrows Karim works at an ostrich farm outside of Tehran, Iran. He leads a simple and contented life with his family in his small house, until one day when one of the ostriches runs away. Karim is blamed for the loss and is fired from the farm. Soon after, he travels to the city in order to repair his elder daughter’s hearing aid but finds himself mistaken for a motorcycle taxi driver. Thus begins his new profession: ferrying people and goods through heavy traffic. But the people and material goods that he deals with daily start to transform Karim’s generous and honest nature, much to the distress of his wife and daughters. It is up to those closest to him to restore the values that he had once cherished. Grammy-nominated composer and musician Hossein Alizadeh, a master tar and setar player, provides the haunting score.



Dehli 6 A young American from New York City accompanies his Indian grandmother on a trip to New Delhi, where he is surprised to feel connections to his heritage. With time, he gets over his discomfort with unfamiliar customs, falls in love with a local girl, and comes to see the city as a microcosm of India, chaotic and beautiful, traditional and complex.



Sex Positive Explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M- hustler-turned-AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has never been aptly credited. Berkowitz emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic as a community leader, demanding a solution to the problem before anyone else would pay attention. However, it was not Berkowitz’ voice alone that sparked contention. Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor, postulated that AIDS was more complicated than just a new virus. With Sonnabend’s theory in tow, Berkowitz fought, alongside beloved activist and musician Michael Callen, for safer sex practices without giving up on sex altogether.

Genre:Documentary Director:Daryl Wein Cast:Richard Berkowitz, Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, Larry Kramer, Ardele Lister, Krishna Stone

Inglorious Basterds - Official Synopsis

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Screenplay by: Quentin Tarantino

Produced by: Lawrence Bender

Executive Produced by: Erica Steinberg, Llyod Phillips, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein

Cast: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, Samm Levine, B.J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Omar Doom, Sylvester Groth, Julie Dreyfus, Jacky Ido, August Diehl, Martin Wuttke, Richard Sammel, Christian Berkel, Sönke Möhring, Michael Fassbender, Mike Meyers, Rod Taylor, Denis Menochet and Cloris Leachman

Release Date: August 21, 2009

Synopsis:
Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich.

Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own...

Source: SpoilerTV

Every Little Step- documentary chronicling how one of the longest running broadway production every A Chorus Line was brought to the stage- compares the original to the revival



Merry Gentleman Running away from a troubled marriage, Kate Frazier (Kelly Macdonald) hopes to find anonymity with a new home and a new job in Chicago. Despite friendly flirtation from co-workers and others, the shy and reserved Kate keeps her distance, avoiding questions about her sudden arrival and her recent past. When Kate meets Frank Logan (Michael Keaton), the two discover unexpected satisfaction in their mutual shared silence. Haunted by the troubling choices he has made, Frank finds a kindred spirit in the younger Kate, and, for a moment, the two seem destined to redeem and remake each other. As the holidays and New Year pass against an urban landscape that seems both breathtakingly beautiful and starkly quiet, Kate and Frank’s friendship becomes one of necessity and survival. But, neither lonely soul can escape the lives they have left behind. As events unfold and the painful truth slowly emerges, Frank is forced to face the man he truly is, while Kate struggles to become the woman she needs to be.

Genre:Drama Director:Michael Keaton Cast:Kelly MacDonald, Michael Keaton, Tom Bastounes, Bobby Canavale





Sleep Dealer SCI FI! Mexico. The near future. Memo Cruz has always dreamed of leaving his tiny village and heading north. But when he is ultimately forced to leave, Memo finds a future so bizarre - border walls, shantytowns, hi-tech factories, remote control drones and aqua-terrorists - that it looks a lot like today. Genre:Foreign, Science Fiction, Drama Director:Alex Rivera Cast:Leonor Varela, Jacob Vargas, Luis Fernando Pena



The Objective A decade after The Blair Witch Project successfully dissuaded many would-be campers from venturing out into the woods, one of its co-creators is back with a similarly unsettling descent into the unknown. In the supernatural thriller The Objective, writer-director Daniel Myrick locates the action in a remote mountain region of Afghanistan, where a team of US Special Ops forces is dispatched with the ostensible orders of locating an influential Muslim cleric. While on the mission they find themselves lost in a Middle Eastern ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of ancient evil and faced with an enemy that none of them could have imagined.

Genre:Drama Director:Daniel Myrick Cast:Jonas Ball, Matt Anderson, Kenny Taylor, Michael C. Williams, Jeff Prewett

The only sort of plot was the bad guy saying in a voiceover to Holmes that, "Tomorrow, at midday, the world as you know it, will end." The next scene showed Downey as Holmes saying, "Well, there isn't anytime to waste then, is there?"

A lot of action footage was shown, from Holmes jumping out a third story or so window into the river below (Thames) and shots of Holmes in a bare knuckle fist fight reminiscent of Tom Cruise's fights in Far and Away. Some of the punches were in slow motion kind of like 300. We didn't see Jude Law as Watson until halfway in the footage, when Sherlock wanted to find someone that would compliment his skills. "Holmes, does your depravity know no bounds?" "No." is also exchanged in the footage shown, along with Holmes saying, "Watson, what have you done?"

We see shots of Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr.'s love interest in the film, who knocks him down in one scene , and he wakes up later handcuffed naked to a bed. The last scene shows a maid walking into the room and screaming at the site of a naked Holmes handcuffed to the bed with only a pillow to cover him up. Holmes then says, "Madam, I need you to remain calm and act like a professional. Take this pillow as the key to my release." It was a pretty funny scene.

There were also shots of Holmes picking a lock until Watson just kicks the door in, a scene where he has a hammer but is up against an enormous man wielding a giant sledgehammer. Holmes throws the hammer at the guy's chest and it bounces off with no effect.

Source: IESB

From the creators of the Resident Evil film franchise comes Pandorum, a terrifying thriller in which two crew members wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they’ve been asleep, or what their mission is. The two soon discover they’re actually not alone — and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined.

Genre:Science Fiction, Horror Director:Christian Alvart Cast:Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther-this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone.

Genre:Horror Director:Jaume Collet-Serra Cast:Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder

First movie is a documentary - trailer and clip from Enlighten Up all about immersing oneself in yoga... it chronicles a guy who doesn't believe it will do anything for him.


Alexander at Last-From director Joe Swanberg comes this sexy drama about a married actress, her sister, and their various attractions. A sensual and intimate portrait of a young marriage, focusing on an artistic young couple. Swanberg illuminates the challenges of monogamy amidst myriad sexual and creative temptations.


Lemon TreeWinner of the Audience Award at the Berlin Film Festival and Best Actress prize (Hiam Abbass) at the Israeli Film Academy Awards, LEMON TREE is Eran Riklis’ (THE SYRIAN BRIDE, CUP FINAL) engaging human drama of one woman’s struggle to preserve her way of life in the midst of political turmoil. The wonderful Hiam Abbass (THE VISITOR) is Salma, a Palestinian widow who earns her living tending to her late father’s lemon grove. When an Israeli government minister moves next door and declares the grove a potential security threat, Salma struggles to defend her peaceful livelihood. Personal drama gives way to political controversies as Salma forms an unexpected bond with the minister’s lonely wife (Rona Lipaz-Michael), and takes her protest – with the help of her young lawyer (Ali Suliman, PARADISE NOW) – all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court.”



After Last Season The end of another season has brought more than the usual change in temperature to the residents of a city. As they go through some tragic events, the residents, and especially a group of medical students, must reevaluate their lives and face new questions.



Guest of Cindy ShermanIn 1993, artist Paul H-O discovered a new passion when he melded his two great loves: the art world and the video camera. From that combination came the quirky, handmade public-access show, “GalleryBeat.” Years later and flying high, Paul discovers one of his biggest fans is the reclusive, art world superstar Cindy Sherman. During a series of exclusive interviews, Paul and Cindy fall in love and begin a romance. Unexpectedly, the relationship forces Paul to confront issues of ego, gender and identity as he gets caught up in the aura of Cindy’s celebrity. With unprecedented access, the documentary places us in the company of the great artist. Spanning over 15 years and including more than fifty interviews with art world and entertainment luminaries (including Eli Broad, Eric Bogosian, Jerry Saltz, Roberta Smith, Danny DeVito, Carol Kane, Christine Vachon, Ingrid Sischy, Molly Ringwald, Eric Fischl and April Gornik), the film offers a unique critique of the ever-inflated New York art market and the culture of celebrity.

It’s been a hell of a day on the highway. When Federal Officers Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman) arrive at Captain Billing’s office, they have three sets of stories to figure out and a string of vicious murders to consider. One zealot cop, a strung out junkie and an eight year old girl all sit in testimony to the roadside rampage, but as the Feds begin to expose the fragile little details each witness conceals so carefully with a well practiced lie, they soon discover that uncovering ‘the truth’ can come at a very big cost…

Genre:Drama Director:Jennifer Lynch Cast:Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Pell James, Ryan Simpkins

Eddie leaves the fat suit behind in this cute looking family film coming this summer.

Sir Michael Caine gives one of the finest performances of his career as a retired magician who reluctantly enters a family-run old age home in John Crowley’s IS ANYBODY THERE? Set in a seaside English town circa 1987, IS ANYBODY THERE? charts the unlikely friendship that develops between Caine’s proud, acerbic old performer and the death-obsessed young son (played by SON OF RAMBOW’S Bill Milner) of the home’s overwhelmed owners. Written by Peter Harness, who draws from his own experience growing up in a retirement home, IS ANYBODY THERE? brings a rich humor as well as a rigorous honesty to its portrait of different lives colliding under one roof. With a supporting cast that includes Anne-Marie Duff (THE MAGDALENE SISTERS), David Morrissey (THE DEAL), Rosemary Harris (SPIDER-MAN) and Leslie Phillips (VENUS), IS ANYBODY THERE? tells a charming story about growing up and growing old, and the unpredictable adventures that happen along the way.

Terminator Salvation - Four New HQ Promo Pics

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Star Trek - Several New Promo Pics

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The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a coming-of-age story set in the faded glory of early 1980’s era Pittsburgh, based on the novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon. The story opens with Art Bechstein (Jon Foster) floundering in his new-found post-college freedom, opting to take the job with the least amount of responsibility he can find (at the appropriately titled Book Barn), while sleep walking through the Series Seven prep courses that will speed him into a job chosen for him by his father (Nick Nolte), far away from the security of his childhood Pittsburgh. Art’s fortunes begin to change when a chance encounter with freshman roommate and part-time drug dealer Mohammed (Omid Abtahi) lands him at a swanky summer party where he falls for the beautifully tipsy Jane Bellweather (Sienna Miller). The two quickly connect over a late-night plate of pie, but Jane’s on-again off-again boyfriend Cleveland (Peter Sarsgaard) has other plans for the pair. Taking Art hostage from the dreary Book Barn, Cleveland threatens to throw Art off the top of an abandoned steel mill, a hide-out that Cleveland romantically calls “The Cloud Factory.” Suspended high above Pittsburgh, Art realizes that his summer has finally begun, what would become the last true summer of his life.

In the year 2707, war rages between earth’s four giant corporations as they battle over the planet’s dwindling resources. In an era marked by warfare and social regression, the earth is on the verge of ruin, destruction is everywhere; battles explode on every ravaged continent. Amidst heavy combat, an errant shell shatters an ancient buried seal releasing a horrific mutant army from its eternal prison deep within the earth. As the mutant scourge threatens human extinction, a single squad of soldiers descends into the earth to fulfill the ages-old prophesy of the MUTANT CHRONICLES and save mankind.

Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) from an original screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, this funny and heartfelt film follows the journey of an expectant couple (John Krasinski [“The Office’] and Maya Rudolph [“Saturday Night Live’]), as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover “home” on their own terms for the first time. The movie features the music of Alexi Murdoch.