Category: Newsletters

“Children of Men” envisages a world one generation from now that has fallen into anarchy on the heels of an infertility defect in the population. The world’s youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set against a backdrop of London torn apart by violence and warring nationalistic sects, “Children of Men” follows an unlikely champion of Earth’s survival: Theo (Owen), a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, who is forced to face his own demons and protect the planet’s last remaining hope.

Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he’s destined for something big. But even he could never have imaged how “big,” when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry’s watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he’s history’s fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.

Please Note: The club will not be meeting the last two Sundays of 2006 (December 24th and December 31st). We hope to see you in the New Year when we return on January 7th, 2007!

Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990’s Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) – a South African mercenary – and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) – a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon – who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields – has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a trek through rebel territory, a journey that could save Solomon’s family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.

Digital Projection, No one under 18 admitted.

A definitive look at the infamous expletive, director Steve Anderson explores how this oft-used word permeates our culture. Through interviews, film and television clips, and original animation by Oscar-nominee Bill Plympton, the word’s impact is debated by scholars and linguists as well as comedians, actors and writers who defend their Constitutional right to use it, all in an effort to discover what it is about this one syllable that both unites and polarizes people. Featuring appearances by Pat Boone, Drew Carey, Billy Connolly, Sam Donaldson, Janeane Garofolo, Ice-T, Ron Jeremy, Bill Maher, Michael Medved, Alanis Morissette, Kevin Smith and the late Hunter S. Thompson.

“Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to ’00’ status. Bond’s first 007 mission takes him to Madagascar where he is to spy on a terrorist, Mollaka. Not everything goes to plan and Bond decides to investigate, independently of MI6, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. Following a lead to the Bahamas, he encounters Dimitrios and his girlfriend, Solange. He learns that Dimitrios is involved with Le Chiffre, banker to the world’s terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence reveals that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses, it will destroy his organization. ‘M’ places Bond under the watchful eye of the beguiling Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond’s interest in her deepens as they brave danger together and even torture at the hands of Le Chiffre. In Montenegro, Bond allies himself with Mathis MI6’s local field agent, and Felix Leiter who is representing the interests of the CIA. The marathon game proceeds with dirty tricks and violence, raising the stakes beyond blood money and reaching a terrifying climax.”

“A stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun with Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Babel is a grandly conceived and perfectly calibrated epic. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga seek nothing less than a modern version of the story of the Tower of Babel. Our inability to communicate, between cultures or even within relationships, is a jumping-off point for an astonishing series of interwoven stories covering the entire globe.”

“American couple Susan (Cate Blanchett) and Richard (Brad Pitt) travel to Morocco on vacation, where catastrophe stalks their already troubled relationship. As their tour bus passes through a mountain village, a shot rings out and a stranger’s decision to hand his sons a rifle creates an international incident. Meanwhile, in California, the couple’s two children are in the care of Amelia (Adriana Barraza), their nanny. When she has to drive to Mexico with her nephew, Santiago (Gael García Bernal), for her son’s wedding, Amelia illegally brings her young charges with her. And in Tokyo, a widowed father (Kôji Yakusho) struggles to reach his deaf-mute teenaged daughter, Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), as she swings through emotional and sexual extremes.”

“Jagshemash! Sacha Baron Cohen, the star and creator of HBO’s “Da Ali G Show,” brings his Kazakh journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen for the first time. Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him, exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture. In some cases, Borat’s interview subjects embrace his outrageous views on race and sex by agreeing with him, while others attempt to offer a patriotic lesson in Western values. Wa-wa-wee-wa!”