Turistas (2006)

Release Date: December 1, 2006
Studio: Fox Atomic
Director: John Stockwell
Screenwriter: Michael Ross
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, Desmond Askew, Beau Garrett, Max Brown, Raul Guterres, Andréa Leal
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (strong graphic violence and disturbing content, sexuality, nudity, drug use and language)

Plot Summary: After a terrifying bus accident maroons a diverse group of young adventure travelers in a remote Brazilian beach town, they slowly discover that the white sand beaches and lush jungles are concealing a darker, unsettling secret.

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Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (2006)

Release Date: December 1, 2006
Studio: MGM
Director: Mort Nathan
Screenwriter: David Drew Gallagher
Starring: Kal Penn, Lauren Cohan, Daniel Percival, Glen Barry, Anthony Cozens, Tom Davey, Holly Davidson, William de Coverly, Shobu Kapoor, Ashley Rae, Steven Rathman, Amy Steel, Beth Steel
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive crude sexual content, some nudity and language)

Plot Summary: "National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj" is the sequel to the successful 2002 release, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Taj (Kal Penn), Van Wilder's assistant in the first film, heads out on his own and heads to England's prestigious Camden University to further his studies. Along the way, he adopts a group of misfits and shows the uptight student body how to get Wilder!

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Unaccompanied Minors (2006)

Release Date: December 8, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Paul Feig
Screenwriter: Jacob Meszaros, Mya Stark
Starring: Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Brett Kelly, Rob Corddry, Jessica Walter
Genre: Comedy, Family
MPAA Rating: PG (for mild rude humor and language)
Official Website: UnaccompaniedMinors.WarnerBros.com

Plot Summary: It's Christmas Eve and five kids have just been snowed in at the airport -- and there isn't a parent in sight. Unaccompanied Minors follows awkward Spencer (Dyllan Christopher), rich-girl Grace (Gina Mantegna), tomboy Donna (Quinn Shephard), geeky Charlie (Tyler James Williams) and bashful Beef (Brett Kelly) as they try to outwit a disgruntled airport official (Lewis Black) and reunite with their families. Using "borrowed" golf-carts, a canoe on a snow hill and the help of a reluctant flight attendant (Wilmer Valderrama), these kids are about to prove the holidays aren't about where you are, but who you're with.

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The Good Shepherd (2006)

Release Date: December 22, 2006
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Robert De Niro
Screenwriter: Eric Roth
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, John Turturro, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Gabriel Macht, Tammy Blanchard, Vladimir Mashkov, Joe Pesci
Genre: Espionage Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for some violence, sexuality and language)

Plot Summary: The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life in "The Good Shepherd," an espionage drama starring Academy Award® winners Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro and directed by Robert De Niro.

Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) understands the value of secrecy-discretion and commitment to honor have been embedded in him since childhood. As an eager, optimistic student at Yale, he is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders. Wilson's acute mind, spotless reputation and sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during WWII.

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The Fountain (2006)

Release Date: November 22, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenwriter: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality and language)

Plot Summary: "The Fountain" is an odyssey about one man's thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves. His epic journey begins in 16th century Spain, where conquistador Tomas Creo (Hugh Jackman) commences his search for the Tree of Life, the legendary entity believed to grant eternal life to those who drink of its sap. As modern-day scientist Tommy Creo, he desperately struggles to find a cure for the cancer that is killing his beloved wife Isabel (Rachel Weisz). Traveling through deep space as a 26th century astronaut, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life that have consumed him for more than a century.

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Happy Feet (2006)

Release Date: November 17, 2006 (conventional theaters & IMAX)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: George Miller
Screenwriter: George Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris, Warren Coleman
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia, E.G. Daily, Miriam Margoyles, Magda Szubanski, Carlos Alazraqui, Johnny Sanchez III, Jeff Garcia, Lombardo Boyar
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Musical
MPAA Rating: PG (for some mild peril and rude humor)
Official Website: HappyFeetmovie.com

Plot Summary: In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing—which is unfortunate for Mumble (Elijah Wood), who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune... tap dancing. Though Mumble's mom, Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman), thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis (Hugh Jackman), says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love.

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The Nativity Story (2006)

Release Date: December 1, 2006
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Screenwriter: Mike Rich
Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass, Shaun Toub, Alexander Siddig, Said Amadis, Ciaran Hinds, Shohreh Aghdashloo
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG (for some violent content)

Plot Summary: "The Nativity Story" chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. This dramatic and compelling story comes to life in a major motion picture starring Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) as Mary and Oscar-nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo ("House of Sand and Fog") and Oscar Isaac (Syriana) in supporting roles. "The Nativity Story" is directed by Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen," "Lords of Dogtown") from a screenplay by Mike Rich ("Finding Forrester," "The Rookie"). It is scheduled for a December 1, 2006 release.

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A Good Year (2006)

Release Date: November 10, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Marc Klein
Starring: Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Abbie Cornish, Marion Cotillard, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Didier Bourdon, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for language and some sexual content)
Official Website: AGoodYearmovie.com

Plot Summary: Oscar-winner Russell Crowe reunites with "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott in "A Good Year." London-based investment expert Max Skinner (Crowe) moves to Provence to sell a small vineyard he has inherited from his late uncle. As Max reluctantly settles into what ultimately becomes an intoxicating new chapter in his life, he encounters a beautiful California woman who also lays claim to the property.

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The Return (2006)

Release Date: November 10, 2006
Studio: Rogue Pictures (Focus)
Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenwriter: Adam Sussman
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kate Beahan, Peter O'Brien, Adam Scott, Sam Shepard
Genre: Drama, Supernatural Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for violence, terror and disturbing images)

Plot Summary: A new supernatural thriller starring Sarah Michelle Gellar ("The Grudge," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") as Joanna Mills, a tough young Midwesterner determined to learn the truth behind the increasingly terrifying supernatural visions that have been haunting her. Joanna has made a successful career for herself, as sales representative for a trucking company. But her private life has been difficult; estranged from her father (Sam Shepard), stalked by an obsessed ex-boyfriend (Adam Scott), and with few friends, Joanna fears that she is losing control. She sees and feels the brutal murder of a young woman she's never met, at the hands of a heartless killer - a man who appears to be making Joanna his next target. Determined to fight back, Joanna is guided by her nightmares to the murdered woman's hometown. Once there, she will discover that some secrets can't be buried; some spirits never die; and that the murder she is trying to solve may be her own.

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Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

Release Date: November 10, 2006 (NY, LA; expansion: November 17)
Studio: Picturehouse
Director: Steven Shainberg
Screenwriter: Erin Cressida Wilson
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Robert Downey Jr., Ty Burrell, Harris Yulin, Jane Alexander, Emmy Clarke, Genevieve McCarthy
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: R (for graphic nudity, some sexuality and langauge)

Plot Summary: Kidman stars as legendary photographer Diane Arbus. Set in New York in the late 1950s, the film explores an unlikely romance that leads Arbus into a strange new world, sparking her evolution into one of the most provocative and visionary photographers of all time.

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• credits • cast • filmmakers • production notes & articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, •

We Are Marshall (2006)

Release Date: December 22, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: McG
Screenwriter: Jamie Linden
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, January Jones, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Huntley Ritter, Kate Mara
Genre: Drama, Sports
MPAA Rating: PG (for emotional thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language)
Official Website: WeAreMarshall-themovie.com

Plot Summary: "We Are Marshall" tells an inspiring true story set in Huntington, West Virginia, a small town steeped in the rich tradition of college football. For decades, players, coaches, fans and families have come together to cheer on Marshall University's "Thundering Herd." For this team and this community, Marshall football is more than just a sport, it's a way of life. But on a fateful night in 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 75 members of Marshall's football team and coaching staff were killed in a plane crash. As those left behind struggled to cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones, the grieving families found hope and strength in the leadership of Jack Lengyel, a young coach who was determined to rebuild Marshall's football program and in the process helped to heal a community.

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For Your Consideration (2006)

Release Date: November 17, 2006 (limited; wider release: November 22)
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Director: Christopher Guest
Screenwriter: Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest
Starring: Carrie Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Don Lake, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Larry Miller, Christopher Moynihan, Catherine O'Hara, Jim Piddock, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer, Deborah Theaker, Fred Willard, Scott Williamson
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual references and brief language)

Christopher Guest turns the camera on Hollywood for his next film, "For Your Consideration." The film focuses on the making of an independent movie and its cast who become victims of the dreaded awards buzz. Like Guest's previous films, "Waiting For Guffman," "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind," this latest project will feature performances from his regular ensemble, including co-writer Eugene Levy.

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Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)

Release Date: November 22, 2006
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: Liam Lynch
Screenwriter: Jack Black, Kyle Gass
Starring: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Roonie James Dio, Meatloaf, Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Amy Adams, Dave Grohl, Amy Poehler, Colin Hanks, Paul F. Tompkins, Troy Gentile
Genre: Comedy, Musical
MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive language, sexual content and drug use)

Comedians/musicians Jack Black and Kyle Gass bring their infamous rock duo Tenacious D to the big screen in the comedy "Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny." The film tells the story of how "The D" became the self-proclaimed greatest band on earth and is being directed by Liam Lynch.

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• 68 photos • cast • crew • crerdits • production notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 •

Charlotte's Web (2006)

Release Date: December 15, 2006
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Gary Winick
Screenwriter: Susannah Grant, Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates
Genre: Drama, Family
MPAA Rating: G
Official Website: CharlottesWebmovie.com

Plot Summary: The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures – a spider named Charlotte – and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte – who sees miracles in the ordinary – spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving.

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Bobby (2006)

Release Date: November 17, 2006 (NY, LA; wide release: November 23)
Studio: The Weinstein Company, MGM
Director: Emilio Estevez
Screenwriter: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater, Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Freddy Rodriguez, Nick Cannon, Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Shia LaBeouf, Jacob Vargas, Brian Geraghty, Joshua Jackson, Joy Bryant, Svetlana Metkina, Kip Pardue, David Krumholtz, Harry Belafonte, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for language, drug content and a scene of violence)

"Bobby," written and directed by Emilio Estevez, revisits the night Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968. With an incredible ensemble cast portraying fictionalized characters from a cross-section of America, the film follows 22 individuals who are all at the hotel for different purposes but share the common thread of anticipating Kennedy's arrival at the primary election night party, which would change their lives forever. This historic night is set against the backdrop of the cultural issues gripping the country at the time, including racism, sexual inequality and class differences.

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• 101 photos • credits • cast • filmmakers • production notes & articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, •

Deja Vu (2006)

Release Date: November 22, 2006
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Tony Scott
Screenwriter: Terry Rossio, Bill Marsilii
Starring: Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg, Jim Caviezel
Genre: Suspense Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images and some sensuality)
Official Website: DejaVu.movies.com

Everyone has experienced the unsettling mystery of déjà vu – that flash of memory when you meet someone new you feel you've known all your life or recognize a place even though you've never been there before. But what if the feelings were actually warnings sent from the past or clues to the future? In the captivating new action-thriller from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott, written by Terry Rossio & Bill Marsilii, it is déjà vu that unexpectedly guides ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) through an investigation into a shattering crime. Called in to recover evidence after a bomb sets off a cataclysmic explosion on a New Orleans Ferry, Carlin is about to discover that what most people believe is only in their heads is actually something far more powerful – and will lead him on a mind-bending race to save hundreds of innocent people.

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• 86 photos • credits • cast • filmmakers • production notes & articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, •

Let's Go To Prison (2006)

Release Date: November 17, 2006
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Bob Odenkirk
Screenwriter: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Michael Patrick Jann
Starring: Dax Shepard, Will Arnett, Chi McBride, Dylan Baker, Steve Dahl, David Koechner, Michael Shannon
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for language, sexual content, some violence and drug material)

The joint’s a scary place, so you better make friends fast. Right away, Nelson offends the wrong cons and is sold—by John—to Barry (CHI McBRIDE, The Nine, The Terminal, Undercover Brother) for prison snuggling. But the moment that revenge starts tasting sweet, Nelson becomes Big Man in the Big House and turns the tables on John…changing the rules of his insane game.

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Deck the Halls (2006)

Release Date: November 22, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: John Whitesell
Screenwriter: Matt Corman, Chris Ord, Don Rhymer
Starring: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Sabrina Aldridge, Kelly Aldridge
Genre: Comedy, Family
MPAA Rating: PG (for some crude and suggestive humor, and for language)
Official Website: DecktheHalls.com

Plot Summary: A family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration...and the true spirit of the holidays. Steve (Matthew Broderick), a suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, leads a well-ordered, well-planned, and well-organized life. His new neighbor, Danny (Danny DeVito), is Steve's polar opposite: a big personality with big dreams, which have yet to materialize. But Danny's latest dream - to create the biggest holiday light display in the world, visible from outer space - is turning Steve's disciplined world into a chaotic nightmare. As Danny's home explodes with festive lights of incredible design, increasing complexity, and exponentially-growing wattage, Steve becomes a man on a mission. At any cost, he will thwart Danny - or top him.

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The Holiday (2006)

Release Date: December 8, 2006
Studio: Coumbia Pictures
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenwriter: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content and some strong language)

In writer/director Nancy Meyers' ("Something's Gotta Give," "What Women Want") "The Holiday," two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament. Desperate for a change of scenery, the two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday discovering that a change of address really can change your life.

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Jonestown (2006)

Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple
Release Date: October 20, 2006 (NY)
Studio: 7th Art Releasing
Director: Stanley Nelson
Screenwriter: Marcia Smith
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Available

On November 18, 1978, over 900 members of Peoples Temple died in the largest mass suicide/murder in history. What drew so many people across racial and class lines to the Peoples Temple? How could a diverse group of 900 people be convinced to commit suicide? What was a California congregation doing in the jungles of Guyana? And who was Jim Jones to command such loyalty that parents would murder their own children? Using never before seen archival footage and survivor interviews, "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" tells the story of the people who followed Jim Jones from Indiana, to California, and finally to the remote jungles of Guyana, South America, in a misbegotten quest to build an ideal society and rid the world of injustice.

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Casino Royale (2006)

Release Date: November 17, 2006
Studio: Columbia Pictures, MGM
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriter: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schik, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, Isaach de Bankole
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity)

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 (Sebastien Foucan).

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