Flags for other Fathers
There are a number of new World War II pictures on the shelf, the most prominent being Letters from Iwo Jima, Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, telling the story of the Japanese side of Iwo Jima. The Good German is Steven Soderbergh's (Ocean's 11, Traffic) nod to classic film noir, casting George Clooney (Out of Sight) and Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) against the Potsdam Conference in post-war Berlin. From the German side, As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me is based on the true story of a German's escape from a Siberian labor camp. On the homefront, American Pastime centers around the internment of Japanese Americans, and the internees challenging the U.S. military guards to a game of baseball.
Outside the studio system, the independently financed Apocalypto is an epic Mayan story of kidnapping, chases, and fathers & sons, gorgeously set in ancient Central America. Fay Grim is Hal Hartley's (Simple Men, Girl From Monday) sequel to Henry Fool, with Parker Posey (A Mighty Wind, Superman Returns) reprising the titular role. Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, Lion in Winter) was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Venus, where he plays a down on his luck actor invigorated when he meets a wild teenager.
For family viewing, Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) has released the animated/live action hybrid Arthur and the Invisibles, where Freddy Highmore (Finding Neverland) delves into the fantasy microcosm in his backyard. Hoping to kick off a teenage hero franchise Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker offers a youthful superspy in an adventure supported by Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: Ep I) and Mickey Rourke (Domino).
Epic Movie is the new comedy this week, the newest spoof from the makers of Scary Movie and Date Movie. Our two new horror movies are The Final Patient, where the possibility of eternal youth reveals a supernatural price, and a classic trapped-on-the-island-with monsters trope in The Breed, with Michelle Rodriguez (Resident Evil) and a pack of wild dogs. The Italian is the story of an abandoned boy who searches for his mother, and Constellation is a drama surrounding a funeral and the revealing of a family's past, featuring Billy Dee Williams. Family Law is a family drama about sons following in their fathers' footsteps, and The Hard Easy is a raucous gangster tale featuring Bruce Dern, Peter Weller, and Gary Busey.
This is a pretty big week for TV, and we've got new seasons for a lot of top shows: Kyle XY debuts this week, offering the first season of the story of a mysterious teenager with incredible abilities. The O.C. has just released their fourth and final season. Scrubs is up to Season 5, the Adult Swim show The Venture Brothers has release their second season, and the newest disc of Avatar is out, now at Book 2, Volume 3. We've also added the complete Gilgamesh to our anime section, a futuristic sci-fi where two teenagers join a battle against super-powered beings. We also have the first seasons of Murphy Brown with Candice Bergen, the alien comedy 3rd Rock from the Sun, and the domestic goddess Roseanne, as well as the first four seasons of Will & Grace.
