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Science Fiction,
Romance,
Silent Films,
and Robots
Pixar's (Ratatouille, Monsters Inc) latest animated feature is new this week, the incredibly successful (both critically and popularly) Wall-E. The G-rated film tells the story of Wall-E, the last active robot on Earth, cleaning up the debris left behind by the human race... but over 700 years, Wall-E developed a romantic streak, collecting interesting artifacts and watching an old tape of Hello Dolly. When Eve, a shiny, modern robot drops into Wall-E's world, his life changes drastically enough for him to follow the beautiful new robot into space, where the Earth-refugee human race lives effortless lives of ease. The story is science fiction, romance, and adventure, the characters recall the heyday of silent stars like Charlie Chaplain and Buster Keaton, and Pixar takes their groundbreaking visuals to the next level, from the dusty, polluted Earth to the slick, modern ships. On DVD and Blu-Ray.
The Importance of Actors
Three egotistical actors threaten to ruin their big budget Viet Nam drama in Tropic Thunder. Fading action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller: Zoolander, Envy) is trying to come back from five sequels of his action-scifi movies "Scorcher," comic goofball Jeff "Fatty" Portnoy (Jack Black: King Kong, Shallow Hal) is trying for respectability after releasing "The Fatties: Fart 2," and acclaimed dramatic actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr: Iron Man, Natural Born Killers) disappears into his controversial character: an African-American soldier. When the self-important actors, their fevered egos, petty demands, and hedonistic addictions have their new film a month behind schedule on the 5th day of shooting, the director decides to drop them into the jungle and do the movie "guerrilla style." Even if the real jungle means real danger, the pampered actors are too sheltered to know they've gone so far off-script, 
they might get themselves killed. On DVD and Blu-Ray.
Documentaries
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Woyzeck) explores Antarctica in Encounters at the End of the World. Always interested in character and story, Herzog's film combines the Antarctic landscape with the personalities of the people who make their livings and spend their time in one of the most remote locations on Earth. On DVD and Blu-Ray.
Up the Yangtze films the "farewell cruise" up China's Yangtze River, forever changed by the building of the Three Gorges Dam, and the transitions in China as the nation undergoes massive economic and cultural change.
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is a biography of legendary author Hunter S. Thompson (Where the Buffalo Roam, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), from his rise as a journalist, his excesses, Gonzo journalism, and his eventual suicide. Thompson's posthumous voiceover is provided by Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd, What's Eating Gilbert Grape), who played (and befriended) the author in the film version of Fear and Loathing.
Bringing Balanchine Back is a documentary about the New York City Ballet's travels to Russia's Mariinsky Theater, where the company's co-founder received his training. The documentary is narrated by Kevin Kline (The Pink Panther, I Love You to Death).
The Teen Set
The sequel to 2005's popular film, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 reunites its four best friends (Amber Tamblyn: Spiral, The Ring, Alexis Bledel: Tuck Everlasting, Gilmore Girls, 
America Ferrera: Under the Same Moon, Real Women Have Curves, and Blake Lively: Gossip Girl, Accepted) as they continue from where the last movie left off, and journey into young adulthood. The girls head off in their own directions, but keep in touch with one another as they each find their own paths.
The Clique is the story of a new girl in a wealthy Florida school, as she tries to make her way into the most popular clique in school, even if she doesn't have the budget to keep up with their expensive fashions.
Christmas
This Christmas is the story of the Whitfield family's first Christmas together in years. The mother (Loretta Devine: I Am Sam, Eli Stone) holds the family together as the family goes through the trials and tribulations of the holidays, and all the family drama they entail. With Idris Elba (The Wire, 28 Weeks Later) and Chris Brown (Stomp the Yard).
Perfect Holiday is the story of a young girls who tries to find the perfect man for her single mother (Gabrielle Union: Daddy's Little Girls, Bad Boys 2), and thinks she's found him in a charming department store Santa (Morris Chestnut: Ladder 49, Confidence).
The story behind artist Thomas Kinkade's (played by Jared Padalecki: Cry Wolf, House of Wax) painting of the same name, Christmas Cottage covers the life and story of the young artist, starting his career after finding out his mother (Marcia Gay Harden: Into the Wild, The Mist) was in danger of losing their house. Peter O'Toole (Man of La Mancha, Venus) plays the young artist's mentor.
more this week...
Audrey Tautou (Amelie, L'Auberge Espangole) plays a woman who only dates wealthy men in Priceless, a loose adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Frequenting a high class hotel on the French Riviera, she accidentally ends up with a humble waiter. He does everything he can to appear rich, so he can win the heart of the beautiful woman, but will she stay with him when the illusion of wealth fades?
Garden Party is an ensemble movie drifting between several people trying to "make it" in Hollywood. The lives of painters, musicians, dancers, and other young up and comers cross paths as they cross shady deals, drugs, and the possibility of success. With Vanessa Shaw (The Hills Have Eyes, Melinda and Melinda) and Willa Holland (The O.C.).
The thriller The Devil's Curse stars Myanna Burning (The Descent, Doomsday), Clayton Watson (Matrix Revolutions), and Colin Salmon (Match Point, Alien vs. Predator) as a group of friends break into their former Catholic school and test their faith by proving the existence of Hell. When they find themselves trapped in the school, they find that they are not alone.
New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Release section is season 3 of the procedural Bones, as well as season 4 of both the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who and the reality series Project Runway. Finally, we have the BBC video of Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
