Your Entertainment Ticket.net

MONSTERS VS ALIENS

Voices of: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, Kiefer Southerland and Stephen Colbert

Directed by: Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon

Rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language

By John Delia

Between seeing the trailer and going to the screening of Monster’s VS Aliens I had a lot of doubt about the animated film, including a storyline that looked a lot like The Day the Earth Stood Still, animation that seemed lifeless and a little skeptical about the highly touted InTru 3D, but you know what, I was proved wrong. The film is a monster hit from its very funny beginning to the explosive big finish.

Susan Murphy (Witherspoon) is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day and mysteriously grows to nearly 50 feet tall. The military lead by General W.R. Monger (Southerland) jumps into action and Susan gets captured and put into a secret government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and held along with a ragtag group of Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (Laurie); the macho half-ape, half-fish, The Missing Link (Arnett); the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B. (Rogen); and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President (Colbert) is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the alien robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

The fun in this film comes from the actors who voice the characters. Witherspoon makes a very funny Susan as she aimlessly finds herself among some very weird characters that are ordinarily very disgusting to her. The hilarious dialogue combined with great animation reminded me of the comedy that won the hearts of Shrek lovers. I love B.O.B. played by Rainn Wilson, a blob of gelatin that thinks he’s indestructible. Whenever he thinks he has proved his strength something seems to prove him wrong. In a very funny scene he makes the move on a Jello desert.

The film is filled with comical blunders, prate falls and cleaver dialogue that keeps rolling with the creators parodying the 50’s monster films like The Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman, The Blob, The Monster From The Black Lagoon and others. Much like Shrek that lampooned much of the fairy tales brought to life by Disney, this seems to be the start of a new franchise for Dreamworks.

The 3D effects are awesome when combined with IMAX. The depth of field and the wild stuff coming at you are great, but more importantly; the clarity of the projected image is astounding.
The movie is Rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language.

FINAL ANALYSIS: See Monsters VS Aliens, it’s a monster of a movie. (5 of 5 Palm Trees)

SUNSHINE CLEANING

Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn Clifton Collins, Jr., Mary Lynn Rajskub and Jason Spevak

Directed by: Christine Jeffs

Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use

By John Delia

Although I expected a comedy after seeing the trailer, Sunshine Cleaning surprised me with a wonderful little drama that is memorable and captivating. The acting by Adams and Blunt takes top prize for best chemistry as the two bounce off each other in ways that make you laugh and cry at the same time. If you like films like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, then this dramatic comedy is for you.

Rose Lorkowski (Adams) was once a high school cheerleading standout and was headed for a dream life, then came reality. A down and out cleaning lady for a local service, Rose has succumbed to a mundane life with her father Joe (Arkin) and sister Norah (Blunt) as her only family support. Add to this that her get-rich-quick scheming father and her sister can’t keep a job, while her son keeps getting kicked out of school for inappropriate behavior. One day after making love to her married ex-boyfriend (Zahn) he comes up with a suggestion that she can clean up crime scenes for a living. After getting Norah to join with her on the idea the two start making great strides and the family sees new hope. When the business takes a turn for the worse however, Rose and Norah have to face some very tough decisions.

The acting is the key here to the film’s success. Adams and Blunt really make a plausible duo in this slice of life drama that is unfortunate yet uplifting. The two even look a lot alike so they really fit the family profile. Their character’s personalities, however are totally opposite, while Rose is level headed, Norah is lamebrain and awkward. I really loved the two as they try to run a business that gets too much for them and finally gets out of hand.

In support, both Zahn and Arkin are superb. Zahn plays a local cop who has to visit the bloody crime scenes that need a lot of clean-up where he comes up with the idea for Rose’s business. Arkin provides the comic relief with the wild sales schemes he comes up with to make money for the family. The shrimp caper stands out as one of the funniest scenes of the film.

The movie is rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use so take this into consideration when viewing the film.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film for those that like slice of life films. (4.5 of 5 Palm Trees)

Disney●Pixar’s UP has been selected as the opening night premiere of this year’s Cannes Film Festival

Edited by John Delia

This is a very prestigious honor and the first time ever that an animated film has opened Cannes. It’s also the first 3D film to ever open the Festival and Disney’s first opening night film ever. Opening night of the Cannes Film Festival is Wednesday, May 13th.

UP, is an adventure comedy about Carl Fredricksen who spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. UP takes audiences on a journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.

UP is directed by Pete Docter, director of Monsters, INC. who also developed the story and characters for Toy Story, Pixar’s first full length animated feature film, for which he also served as supervising animator. He served as a storyboard artist on A Bug’s Life, and wrote the initial story treatment for Toy Story 2. The film is co-directed by Bob Peterson, also a screenwriter and author of Finding Nemo

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said, It’s a great honor for The Walt Disney Studios, and our incredibly talented cast members at Pixar Animation Studios, to have UP selected as the first animated feature to ever open the Cannes Film Festival. Adding to this historic milestone, ‘UP’ is also the first digital 3D film, and the first Disney film selected for the coveted opening night slot at Cannes. We are so proud of this terrific movie, and can’t wait to share it with the filmmaking community and festivalgoers on Wednesday, May 13, and the rest of the world starting on May 29th.

We are absolutely thrilled that the Cannes Film Festival has chosen UP to be its prestigious opening night offering. This is a huge step for animation, and further supports our belief that a great-animated film is simply a great film. Pete Docter, the director of 'UP,' and the amazing team of artists, animators, technicians, and storytellers at Pixar have worked so hard to create a great motion picture that is impressively fresh, funny, and powerfully emotional,” said John Lasseter. Lasseter is Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Oscar-winning director or producer of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, INC., The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille and Wall-E.

UP is the 10th film from Disney/Pixar, which has gone nine for nine with an unprecedented streak of hugely successful films comprising Wall-E, Ratatouille, Cars, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and A Bug's Life. Pixar now has nine of the 25 top grossing animated films of all time domestically, and all nine have been No. 1 at the box office on their opening weekends of wide release.

KNOWING (Running Time: 122 min; Rated: PG-13)

Reviewed by Denise Castillón

Your Entertainment Ticket.Com

KNOWING, with its spectacular disaster sequences, is an exciting apocalyptic science fiction, action-thriller, -at least for the first half of the film. Later, the story’s progression changes course, and the resulting hokey-ness loses its captivated audience.

The remaining half of “Knowing” introduces more underdeveloped characters and a confusing avalanche of genres - extraterrestrials, supernaturalism and religion. But, then, the film’s director, Alex Proyas (I, ROBOT, THE CROW), has a reputation of delivering visually stunning action thrillers, in where he, usually successfully, incorporates fanciful mythologies to camouflage a faulty script.

Widowed father and science professor, John Koestler (NICOLAS CAGE), lectures his MIT college students on Randomism versus Determinism. He, himself, believes that “shit happens”, that is until his young son, Caleb (CHANDLER CANTERBURY), brings home a number-filled letter from his school’s fifty year-old time capsule. The professor discovers it is a coded predictor of major disasters. After the last two of three catastrophes are realized, John researches the school girl who wrote the prophecies, and finds her last living relative, Diana Wayland (ROSE BYRNE) and her daughter. Together, both families embark on a race to save their lives from the remaining prediction of global devastation.

Starring Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Leaving Las Vegas), Rose Byrne (FX’s Damages, 28 Weeks Later) and Chandler Canterbury (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

Directed by Alex Proyas. Story by Ryne Douglas Pearson. Screenplay by Ryne Douglas Pearson, Juliet Snowden and Stiles White. Produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. Released by Summit Entertainment

FYI…

SUNSHINE CLEANING LIGHTS UP

BOX OFFICE CHARTS

Overture Films’ specialty release earns best per-theater average

to-date of all films in 2009

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - (March 15, 2009) – Overture Films’ Amy Adams and Emily Blunt starrer Sunshine Cleaning earned a forecasted $216,000 between four theaters in Los Angeles and New York in its opening weekend, good for an estimated $54,000 per-theater average – the best performance of any limited or wide release thus far in 2009. This initial box office performance for the Big Beach Films production, generated at the Pacific Arclight 15 and The Landmark 12 in Los Angeles and the AMC Lincoln Square 12 and the Landmark Sunshine 5 in New York City, places Sunshine Cleaning in company with some of the most successful specialty titles in recent times.

“We are delighted that our aggressive word of mouth campaign, paired with favorable reactions from audiences and critics, have paid off in such a big way,” said Overture’s executive vice president of theatrical distribution, Kyle Davies. “We now have great momentum as we expand into more markets next weekend.”

In addition to greater expansion in the Los Angeles market, which includes Orange County and the New York City market, which includes all five boroughs, the film’s release pattern will grow to 15 markets on Friday, March 20. Cities represented in those markets include San Diego; Phoenix; San Francisco; Seattle; Portland; Denver; Minneapolis; Chicago; Detroit; Washington, D.C; Boston; Philadelphia; Atlanta; Dallas; and Houston. The film will then expand to a minimum of an additional 25 markets on Friday, March 27

In the film – an off-beat dramatic comedy, Oscar nominee^® Adams (Doubt) and Golden Globe^® winner Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) play sisters Rose and Norah Lorkowski who find an unexpected way to turn their lives around when they dive headfirst into the crime scene cleanup business. Oscar winner^® Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), Mary Lynn Rajskub (“24”),Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn), Clifton Collins, Jr. (Capote) and Jason Spevack (Hollywoodland) round out the cast. The film is directed by Christine Jeffs (Sylvia) and written by Megan Holley. The producers are Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub of Big Beach Films, Jeb Brody of Vendome Pictures and Glenn Williamson. Overture acquired the film following its successful debut at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

The estimated $54,000 per-theater average also represents an all-time high for Overture Films’ releases. The Visitor, Overture’s 2008 spring release, found both critical and box office success as a platform release and culminated in a Best Actor Oscar^® nomination for Richard Jenkins.

ABOUT OVERTURE FILMS

Overture Films (www.overturefilms.net) develops, produces, acquires, and distributes feature length, theatrical motion pictures worldwide. The studio is a wholly owned unit of Starz Media, a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group. Its affiliated companies, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Starz Entertainment, make the films available domestically to viewers via home video, premium television, Internet and other outlets.

CASTING CALL FOR A ‘BARK-ON’ ROLE IN A DISNEY FILM

Your dog can be a movie star. Disney is holding a casting call for dogs Sunday March 22, 2009. The call is open to all dogs and the one selected will be in an upcoming Buddies film. So bring your pooch to the following location and maybe you will have a star in your family.

Just bring your dog to:

: Bayfront Park, Miami

1075 Biscayne Boulevard

Miami, Florida 33132

Sunday, March 22, 2009

12:00pm – 3:00pm

12:00pm-12:30pm Beverly Hills Chihuahua sign ups

12:30pm-1:30pm Beverly Hills Chihuahua auditions

1:30pm-2:00pm Bolt sign ups

2:00pm-3:00pm Bolt auditions

Note: Auditions are on a first come first served basis/space is limited

There is no cost for the event and everyone is promised a good time. There will be paw-friendly activities celebrating the upcoming DVD release of Bolt, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Space Buddies on Disney Blu-ray and DVD.

(BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA and SPACE BUDDIES are now available on Disney Blu-ray and DVD. BOLT will be available on Blu-ray March 22nd and DVD March 24th. For more information please go to www.wdshepublicity.com.)

For more information on these or any of our other films, contact Carmina Samayoa at Ondamax Films. Tel:
305-535-3577 or by Email: carmina@ondamaxfilms.com

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Carmina Samayoa FOR INMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel: 305-535-3577
carmina@ondamaxfilms.com

TWO GREAT LATIN FILMS IN COMPETITION!
World Premier of our newest title.



Ondamax Films is pleased to announce that two of our films are in competition at the
2009 Miami International Film Festival taking place from the 6th – 16th of March.
Including the WORLD PREMIERE of our newest title PERFIDY. Both movies have an
exceptional Latin American cast comprised of both consecrated and amateur actors that
give life to the complexities of the movie’s characters and plots.

Perfidy, the new film of third time director Rodrigo Bellot from Bolivia was filmed in
upstate New York. Chilean actor, Gonzalo Valenzuela plays a mysterious young man that
checks into a hotel room where he waits impatiently for a call that comes at 4am. With an
insightful look at the psyche of the character and a riveting twist this is a movie you
should not miss.

From Guatemalan director Julio Hernandez Cordon, comes Gasolina. The story of three
teenagers that steal gasoline to drive around aimlessly and find themselves in the process.
A high-octane ride in which each stop is a crash with reality and where their friendship is
tested in the mist of betrayal and a kamikaze-like solidarity.

Perfidy’s World Premier to be held at Regal Cinema 10 on Wednesday 11th at 9:15 PM,
followed by two other screenings on Thursday 12th at 6:00 PM at the Cosford Theater at
the University of Miami and back on Regal Cinema 18 on Sunday 15th at 9:00PM.

Gasolina showcases on Sunday 8th at 9:45PM on Regal South Beach 9,
Tuesday, 10th at 9:30PM at the Tower Theater 1 and back to Regal Cinema 18th on
Sunday 15th at 3:45 PM.

WATCHMEN (Running Time: 163 min; Rated: R)
Reviewed by Denise Castillón

Be prepared for vivid violence and explicit sexual content in Zack Snyders’ rousing graphic novel-based action-adventure film, WATCHMEN. To the twisted delight of a comic book loving audience, Jackie Earle Haley portrayal of the ultra-violent, but justice-driven protagonist Rorschach rivals Heath Ledgers performance as “The Joker”.

In a parallel universe, two generations of masked crime-fighters allied with Dr. Manhattan, an actual hero with atomic superpowers, come out of retirement to uncover who may be targeting them for elimination, and why?

Despite the distraction of a love triangle amongst them, they expose the mother of all conspiracies that threatens all life on earth. The conflicted team of superheroes must decide if the world is worth saving given the self-destructive nature of humankind.

The “Watchmen’” contains a spectacular journey through its re-imagined U.S. history. Starting in the 1940’s, when the band of vigilantes formed, all the way to the story’s eventual setting in 1985, during the Cold-War era and under President Nixon’s’ reign. Unfortunately, the younger set will likely overlook the historically famous references, including the music selected perfectly to embody each passing decade.

Starring Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter, AKA Silk Spectre II; Billy Crudup as Jon Osterman, AKA Dr. Manhattan; Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt, AKA Ozymandias; Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter, AKA Silk Spectre; Oscar® nominee Jackie Earle Haley (“Little Children”) as Walter Kovacs, AKA Rorschach; Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake, AKA The Comedian; and Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg, AKA Nite Owl II.

Directed by Zack Snyder (“300”). Cinematography by Larry Fong. Screenplay by David Hayter and Alex Tse, based upon the graphic novel co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. Edited by William Hoy. Production designed by Alex McDowell. Costume designed by Michael Wilkinson. Music by Tyler Bates.

Produced by Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder. Herbert W. Gains and Thomas Tull are the executive producers. Released by Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures.

WATCHMEN

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language

By John Delia

Watchmen is every mature teen’s dream film, but don’t leave out us action lovers as it kicks huge butt on the big screen. The film goes way beyond other comic character tries in that we duds get some background on each of the superheroes making it more fun to watch. Sure everyone knows about Batman and Superman, but unless you are a comic book muncher, who ever heard of Rorschach, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, or Nite Owl? I found them to be cool crime crusaders.
Watchmen is a very complex, multi-layered mystery adventure set in alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. During this period of history the President of the USA is Nixon and the cold war has sprung its devilish head with Russia on the move to take over Afghanistan. With America possibly in the sites of Russia for a nuclear attack, the USA has no-one left to help them. Especially since most of the superheroes have retired or lost face in the rag tag society that wants peace, but without the Watchmen’s intervention. The last time the USA was bailed out was Viet Nam, but their biggest weapon Mr. Manhattan (Crudup) has gone into hiding. When The Comedian (Morgan) gets killed, Rorschach (Haley) takes offense and ties to find the killer. After some targeted street attacks, both Nite Owl (Wilson) and Spectre (Akerman) join Rorschach in an attempt to bring the perpetrator down.
It was fun seeing Haley (Bad News Bears) and Wilson (Phantom of the Opera) in the superhero roles. As Rorschach, Haley does some very devastating damage on his foes. The jail cafeteria scene will go down in my mind as the single most wickedly disturbing scene in movies. On the complete opposite side of the coin, Wilson’s Nite Owl uses his brain along with his brawn to thwart his opponents. Trying to choose between his skills in the alley vs. some very tough dudes or his fight for life during the prison break has me on the fence.
The direction in Watchmen by Snyder is brilliant in the way he keeps his characters believable throughout. He does a terrific job with the flash backs that give you the background of the heroes and their reasons for their timely return to the streets. His control of the cinematography does get a little off kilter at times, but he makes up for it during the action sequences. He makes use of some excellent choreography for the hand-to-hand street fighting.
The special effects in this film are awesome. When someone gets blown away, you can’t count the number of parts or the amount of blood that flies around the set. I will say, however that the city models were a bit too unreal and some of the war scenes a bit too over the top.
The film is rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language of which there is a lot. So be cautious if your youngsters are immature.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Watchmen is a thriller and a killer. (4 of 5 Palm Trees)

Film Lover’s Guide to the 2009 Miami Int’l Film Festival
By Denise Castillón

Under the guidance of its’ charming new festival director, Tiziana Finzi, the 26th edition Miami Int’l Film Festival runs March 6th through 15th. Once again, red carpets will unfurl to showcase a line-up of independent arthouse films, particularly from Latin American countries, from where some of the best cinema has been produced for the past several years. The 2009 Miami Int’l Film Festival (MIFF) will screen 137 films, from 43 countries, through traditional programs, such as World and Ibero-American Competition, as well as its new program of artistic audio-visual experimental films, Cutting The Edge.

The festival opens on Friday evening, at the glorious Gusman Center For The Performing Arts, with Matt Tyrnauer’s feature-length documentary, VALENTINO: The Last Emperor. Culminating with a magnificent celebration honoring 45 years of the legendary designers’ contribution to haute couture, the film spotlights the career of the revered fashion icon and temperamental creative genius along with his equally-talented business and life partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. [The nights’ festivities, including the opening night celebration party, will be captured on video and posted on this website.]

Beginning this weekend, MIFF festival-goers will have a variety of films to enjoy at the festival. Here are the top recommendations, followed by reviews: 5 DIAS SIN NORA (Nora’s Will), LA NANA (The Maid), and PARQUE VIA

From MIFF’s Ibero-American Competition Program:

5 DIAS SIN NORA (Nora’s Will)
Mexico
Spanish, with English Subtitles/Running Time: 92 min

Mariana Chenillo makes her directorial debut with the delightful dark comedy, CINCO DIAS SIN NORA. The title character, Nora, has carefully prepared her family’s Passover holiday dinner, before committing suicide. Her ex-husband José grudgingly arranges for her kosher burial, which, according to Jewish law, must be postponed until five days later, after Passover.

The necessity of preserving Nora sets off a series of very comical situations and disputes between atheist José, the hypocritical Rabbi Jacowitz, and the devoutly Catholic servant, Fabiana, all of which are mediated by their only son, Rubén. During the preparations, José discovers an incriminating old photograph that reveals Nora was keeping a secret. José’s relentless pursuit into their shared past to uncover the truth evidently melts away his hatred for Nora to reveal his undying love.

The ensemble cast, led by Fernando Luján, includes Juan Carlos Colombo, Max Kerlow, Enrique Arreola, Angelina Peláez, Ari Brickman, Cecilia Suárez and Verónica Langer.

Written and directed by Mariana Chenillo. Cinematography Alberto Anaya. Edited by Mariana Chenillo. Produced by Laura Imperiale.

Screens at Regal South Beach Cinema 18:
Saturday, March 7th, 7pm
Wednesday, March 11th, 7:30pm
Sunday, March 15th, 7pm


LA NANA (The Maid)
Chile/Mexico
Spanish, with English Subtitles/Running Time: 95 min

Writer-director Sebastián Silva’s “The Maid” is an amusing character study of a well-to-do family’s long-time live-in maid, Raquel (CATALINA SAAVEDRA). Sullen and rigid, Raquel’s obsession with her duty to maintain the household for her employers, Mundo Valdes (ALEJANDRO GOIC), and his wife Pilar (CLAUDIA CELEDON) masks her underlying loneliness. What Raquel truly desires to be regarded as a valued member of the family.

When, Raquel begins to have fainting spells from overworking, Pilar decides to hire a second maid to help out. Instead, Raquel feels threatened to the point of harassing each new hire until they quit. Although her behavior becomes quite antagonistic, these antics also provide the films’ comedy.

Then, Lucy (MARIANA LOYOLA) arrives as the latest maid to offer her support to the family. Soon, Lucy’s confidence and energy affects the whole household. But, when Lucy is attacked by Raquel’s temper, she reacts very differently, -with compassion. For the time, Raquel develops a true and caring relationship through her friendship with Lucy.

Starring Catalina Saavedra as “The Maid”, Claudia Celedon, Mariana Loyola, Alejandro Goic, Anita Reeves, Delfina Guzman, Andrea Garcia-Huidobro, Mercedes Villanueva, Agustin Silva.

Directed by Sebastian Silva. Screenplay by Sebastian Silva and Pedro Peirano. Cinematography by Sergio Armstrong. Edited by Danielle Fillios. Produced by Gregorio Gonzalez.

"The Maid" won at the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema-Dramatic, plus actress Catalina Saavedra received an Special Jury Prize for Acting at this years’ Sundance Film Festival.

Screens at the Tower Theater:
Saturday, March 7th, 9:30pm
And at the Regal South Beach Cinema 18:
Monday, March 9th, 9:45pm
Thursday, March 12th, 7:15pm.


From MIFF’s World Competition Program:

Enrique Riveros’ drama "Parque Via", like “The Maid”, is a character study of a lonely servant. However, the tone and style is completely different and unusual. The extremely slow pace of "Parque Via" may be difficult to bear, but it sets up very well its shocking climatic conclusion.

Beto (NOLBERTO CORIA) is the elderly caretaker of an extravagant house that is up for sale by its refined owner. Because of the extended length of time the residence has been on the real estate market, Beto, through his repetitive daily rituals of maintaining the home and watching the TV news, has surrendered to an isolated and almost wordless existence. His only company, beyond visits by his employer or her real estate agent, is Lupe (NANCY OROZCO), a hooker who makes house calls.

After ten years, Beto has become so resigned to living cloistered indoors that he now experiences panic attacks whenever he does venture out into the real world. Then, his worst fear is realized, the house, his home, has been sold. The dilemma of where can Beto go from here is addressed quite radically.

Stars Nolberto Coria as “Beto”, supported by actresses Nancy Orozco and Tesalia Huerta. Written and directed by Enrique Rivero. Cinematography by Arnau Valls Colomer. Edited by Javier Ruiz Caldera and Enrique Rivero. Produced by Paola Herrera and Enrique Rivero.

Enrique Riveros’ feature directorial debut, PARQUE VÍA, won the Golden Leopard and FIPRESCI Award at Locarno International Film Festival 2008, and the Best Latin American Film and Audience Awards at the Ficco Festival in Mexico.

Screens at Regal South Beach Cinema 18:
Saturday, March 7th, 4pm
Monday, March 9th, 7pm
And at the Tower Theater:
Sunday, March 15th, 9:30pm

***Confirm film dates and times at: www.miamifilmfestival.com" www.miamifilmfestival.com

DVD’s IN THE NEWS

By Al McGhee

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA March 3, 2009: Beverly Hills Chihuahua is now on DVD and at local stores. The canine comedy follows the adventure of Chloe (Drew Barrymore) a diamond-clad pooch from Beverly Hills gets lost when while on vacation in Mexico. Being a Chihuahua helps her along since it’s the national dog of Mexico. Papi (George Lopez) an amusing Chihuahua who’s crazy about her heads to Mexico to find her. While there Chloe gets help from Delgado (Andy Garcia). Its Disney at it’s best as show by the huge box-office it got when it opened in theatres.
The DVD’s bonus features include Deleted Scenes, Blooper Scooper, Legend of the Chihuahua” Animated Short and Feature Audio Commentary by Director Raja Gosnell.

AIR BUD Special Edition March 3, 2009: The original Air Bud is now on DVD. The movie that started it all gets a chance to show off again. When Josh Framm, a 112-year-old boy, finds himself in a new city with no friends, he’s too shy to try out for the basketball team, However, while practicing one day he meets Buddy, a runaway golden retriever who surprises him with his ability to score baskets. The two become friends and later teammates in this cunning release from Disney.
The DVD’s bonus features include Dog-U-Commentary with The Buddies and the Original Theatrical Trailer.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY March 10, 2009: The Golden Globe Award Winner for Best Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical, Sally Hawkins is featured in this funny upbeat comedy about a schoolteacher whose unstoppable optimism guides her life. Bubbling forth with giggles, laughter and jokes, life’s a bowl of cherries, even when she comes across a few pits. Whether it’s a cranky driving teacher or a fiery flamenco instructor, Poppy emphases life on the Sunnyside of the street.
The film has bonus features including Behind The Wheel of Happy-Go-Lucky, Happy-In-Character and Audio Commentary By Director Mike Leigh. The film is a Miramax release.

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS March 10, 2009: The movie drama is based on a best selling novel by John Boyne. Eight year old Bruno has to move away from his Berlin home when his father a high ranking officer in the German Army during WWII gets relocated to a small rural area just outside a concentration camp for Jews. Lonely and bored Bruno takes walks exploring the woods nearby. On one trip he sees a boy behind a fence and starts to communicate with him. When his parents find out about his friendship with the boy, things take a turn for the worse.
The Bonus features include Deleted Scenes, Friendship Beyond The Fence Featurette and Feature Commentary by Writer Director Mark Herman and Author John Boyne. The film is a Miramax Release.