Movie News: Monday, November 20

Smokin' Aces
    ( Release: Jan. 26, 2007   Rated: R (MPAA)    Details | Photos  ) — Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven) is a small-time Las Vegas magician who suddenly becomes very popular after ratting out his boss, who has ties to the mob, to the FBI. After the Feds shuttle Aces off to Lake Tahoe for safe-keeping, an army of assassins swarm the tiny resort town looking to cash in on a prize hit.

The Hitcher
    ( Rated: N/A    Details | Photos  ) — Driving across the desert by himself, Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) stops by the side of the road to pick up a hitchhiker — who turns out to be a murderous psychopath (Sean Bean). While Jim quickly ditches his would-be assassin, the maniacal killer follows him along the dusty backroads and the two engage in a nasty game of cat-and-mouse. A remake of the cult horror film starring Rutger Hauer and C. Thomas Howell.

Lonely Hearts
    ( Release: Jan. 13, 2007   Rated: R (MPAA)    Details  ) — Two young lovers (Salma Hayek, Jared Leto) scour the newspaper personal ads and pick out lonely victims to rob and kill. Meanwhile, two police detectives (John Travolta, James Gandolfini) must figure out the killers' MO and catch them.

Japanese director plans 'sushi western' (Reuters)
   Reuters - Inspired by the "spaghetti westerns" of the 1960s, Japanese director Takashi Miike is making the first "sushi western."

Romanian Village Takes Aim at Borat (E! Online)
   

E! Online - Apparently being portrayed as Kazakhstan's top mechanic/abortionist in a hit feature film is not worth its weight in gold.

Wah-Wah
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: R   Avg. Score: 3.5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Set during the final years of the British Empire in Swaziland in 1969, this dramedy follows the slow disintegration of the Compton family. Son Ralph, 14, returns home after his parents' divorce to find that his father has married an American flight attendant.

Another Gay Movie
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: N/A    | Trailers  ) — This parody of gay rom-coms follows four high school students attempting to lose their virginity and features a cameo from John Waters veteran Mink Stole and Survivor's Richard Hatch.

Scoop
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: PG-13 - for some sexual content   Avg. Score: 2.5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — London journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) is dead, but while stuck in limbo, he keeps pursuing the identity of the Tarot Card Killer. To do so, he communicates from beyond with Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson), an American journalism student. Sondra chases Ian's leads, which take her to Sid Waterman (Woody Allen), a magician, and British aristocrat Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman). Before long Sondra finds herself romantically tangled up with Peter while thinking he might be the murderer.

Wassup Rockers
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: R - for pervasive language, some violence, sexual content and teen drinking   Avg. Score: 2.5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — A group of South Central L.A. street kids ditch hip-hop culture for punk rock and skateboarding and fight against both the poverty of their surroundings and the intolerance of their peers.

Spielberg calls for responsible TV (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Steven Spielberg urged TV networks to be mindful of what they show on the air because of the effect it might have on children, and said programs like "CSI" and "Heroes" were too gruesome.

"Three Investigators" finding way to film (Reuters)
   Reuters - Khayelitsha township, with its sprawl of tin-roofed shacks and makeshift shops, is an unlikely setting for a family film franchise.

Penguins narrowly beat Bond at box office (Reuters)
   Reuters - The dancing penguins beat out the new James Bond at the North American box office last weekend, though by a slimmer margin than originally estimated Sunday.

You, Me and Dupree
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: PG-13 - for sexual humor and references   Avg. Score: 3.25/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Carl and Molly Peterson (Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson) are newlyweds who just moved into a new house. But before they can settle in, Carl's old buddy Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson) turns up — he's just been fired and is looking for a place to crash. But as the days turn into weeks, Carl begins to wonder whether his old friend is ever going to leave.

Ice Age: The Meltdown
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: PG   Avg. Score: 4/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Manny the wooly mammoth, Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger and silly squirrel Skrat find themselves at the end of the Ice Age, and everyone is happy that the deep freeze is over. Until, that is, they learn that a huge glacial dam is about to break, flooding their entire valley. The only chance for survival: get the heck outta there, and fast! To do so, they enlist the help of a mammoth named Ellie.

An Inconvenient Truth
    ( Released: 11/21/2006   Rated: PG   Avg. Score: 4/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Al Gore's environmental documentary covers the effect of human behavior on global climate.

Romanian villagers sue in NY over role in "Borat" (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Residents of a Romanian village sued the Hollywood studio behind the top-grossing U.S. film "Borat" on Monday, claiming the film wrongly depicted them as rapists, abortionists, prostitutes and thieves.

Peter Jackson dropped from "Hobbit" film: letter (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Where is Frodo when you need him?

'Borat' suit says villagers were misled (AP)
   

AP - Residents of a remote Romanian village filed a $30 million lawsuit Monday over their depiction in the hit movie "Borat," accusing the filmmakers of misleading them into thinking the project was a documentary about poverty.

O.J. Simpson book, TV special canceled (AP)
   

AP - After a firestorm of criticism, News. Corp. said Monday that it has canceled the O.J. Simpson book and TV special "If I Did It."

James Bond songs products of their times (AP)
   

AP - When it comes to James Bond theme songs, nobody's done it better than Carly Simon — except maybe Shirley Bassey. Some of them endure — especially the signature theme by the John Barry Orchestra, introduced at the start of the franchise in 1962's "Dr. No" — while others have come and gone as quickly as Bond girls.

`History Boys' jump from stage to screen (AP)
   

AP - When Samuel Barrett and Dominic Cooper landed the roles of Posner and Dakin, respectively, in Alan Bennett's play "The History Boys," they were expecting an 80-show run at England's National Theater.

'Happy Feet' tops box office (AP)
   AP - Warner Bros.' animated penguin romp "Happy Feet" drew $41.5 million at the box office, edging out Sony's James Bond prequel, "Casino Royale."

Beckham told to skip TomKat wedding (AP)
   

AP - Not even David Beckham can get a day off to attend a friend's wedding. The soccer star-pop idol wanted to stay in Rome for an extra day to watch Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tie the knot, but Real Madrid didn't like that idea.

Estevez reveals Kennedy ties in 'Bobby' (AP)
   

AP - Emilio Estevez's life has been repeatedly touched by Robert Kennedy. So there's symmetry in the fact that Estevez's rebirth in Hollywood should come with the saga "Bobby."

Malawian judge postpones Madonna hearing (AP)
   

AP - A High Court judge on Monday postponed his ruling on a challenge to Madonna's plans to adopt a Malawian baby.

Washington, Scott provide sense of "Deja Vu" (Reuters)
   Reuters - Teaming for the third time with Denzel Washington, director Tony Scott finds himself at the top of his game with "Deja Vu," a smart, explosive techno-thriller that remains compelling right up until its brain-twisting (but ultimately logical) ending.

Upcoming Film Releases -- Week of November 20 (Reuters)
   Reuters - An update of the U.S. film calendar for this week. Dates are subject to change, and films initially may open only in select cities, mentioned wherever possible.

"Let's Go to Prison" a criminal endeavor (Reuters)
   Reuters - The ingenuity and talent of the movie industry's trailer creators are well demonstrated by "Let's Go to Prison" because the few laughs this purported comedy contains are fully displayed in its far more amusing trailer.

"Office" fascist Dwight dons ninja suit for film (Reuters)
   Reuters - Rainn Wilson, who plays the sycophantic Dwight on "The Office," is making his screenwriting debut on a project in which he will star as a once-great ninja who is now living a life of mediocrity.