I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

Release Date: July 27, 2007
Studio: Tristar Pictures (Sony)
Director: Chris Sivertson
Screenwriter: Jeff Hammond
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, Brian Geraghty, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Spencer Garrett, Gregory Itzin, Bonnie Aarons, Kenya Moore, Thomas Tofel, Rodney Rowland, David Figlioli
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for grisly violence including torture and disturbing gory images, and for sexuality, nudity and language)
An idyllic small town is rocked when Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan), a bright and promising young woman, is abducted and tortured by a sadistic serial killer. When she manages to escape, the traumatized girl who regains consciousness in the hospital insists that she is not who they think she is and that the real Aubrey Fleming is still in mortal danger.— More here

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The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Release Date: July 27, 2007
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: David Silverman
Screenwriter: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, Mike Scully, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Albert BrooksWhen Homer mistakenly pollutes the river with toxic waste from the power plant, he loses his job and forces evacuation from Springfield, possibly forever.— More here

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No Reservations (2007)

Release Date: July 27, 2007
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Scott Hicks
Screenwriter: Carol Fuchs, Sandra Nettelbeck
Starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson, Jenny Wade, Lily RabeA master chef, Kate (CATHERINE ZETA-JONES) lives her life like she runs the kitchen at upscale 22 Bleecker Restaurant in Manhattan--with a no-nonsense intensity that both captivates and intimidates everyone around her. With breathtaking precision, she powers through each hectic shift, coordinating hundreds of meals, preparing delicate sauces, seasoning and simmering each dish to absolute perfection. — More here

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The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Release Date: August 3, 2007
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Paul Greengrass
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy, Tom Stoppard, Scott Burns, Paul Attanasio
Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Trevor St. John

Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in 'The Bourne Ultimatum.' In the follow-up to 2002's 'The Bourne Identity' and 2004's 'The Bourne Supremacy'--the smash hits that have earned over $500 million at the global box office--acclaimed director Paul Greengrass ('United 93,' 'The Bourne Supremacy') joins returning cast members Julia Stiles and Joan Allen and new additions David Strathairn and Paddy Considine.

All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was.

Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne--all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs. The Bourne Ultimatum will be shot in Morroco, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. — More here

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The Harry Potter Craze -Pop Culture News

HARRY POTTER CRAZE LIKE THE BEATLES INVASION 25 YEARS AGO

While much of the recent hysteria surrounding Harry Potter has focused on the big screen arrival of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” it has been J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows” that has broken the records.

In its first 24 hours available at retailers ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ sold over 8.3 million copies, an average of more than 300,000 copies per hour according to Scholastic Inc. Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic, compared the frenzy to another British invasion nearly half a century ago, “The excitement, anticipation, and just plain hysteria that came over the entire country this weekend was a bit like the Beatles' first visit to the U.S.”

Borders Group Inc, which operates the giant book retailer Borders, sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide in its first day, surpassing the 850,000 copies of Rowling’s sixth installment “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in 2005.

Here is this past weekends box office:

1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry $34.80M

2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $32.20M-- ($208.00M total)

3. Hairspray $27.80M -- $27.80M

The Golden Compass (2007)

Release Date: December 7, 2007
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: Chris Weitz
Screenwriter: Chris Weitz
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Dakota Blue Richards,
Tom Courtenay, Ben Walker, Adam Godley, Simon McBurney, Nonso Anozie, Jim Carter, Clare Higgins, Jack Shepherd, Magda Szubanski, Ian McShane
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: GoldenCompassmovie.com

Plot Summary: Based on author Philip Pullman's bestselling and award-winning novel, "The Golden Compass" tells the first story in Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. "The Golden Compass" is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who's been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well. "The Golden Compass" stars an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, and Ian McShane. The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz ("About A Boy," "Antz") and produced by Deborah Forte and Bill Carraro ("Frequency"). It is executive produced by Andrew Miano and Paul Weitz ("In Good Company"). "The Golden Compass" is scheduled for a Dec. 7, 2007 release.

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I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)

Release Date: July 20, 2007
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Dennis Dugan
Screenwriter: Lew Gallo, Barry Fanaro, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for crude sexual content throughout, nudity, language and drug references)
Official Website: ChuckandLarry.com

Two straight, single Brooklyn firefighters (Sandler, James) pretend to be a gay couple in order to receive domestic partner benefits.

The pride of their Brooklyn fire station, Chuck Levine (Sandler) and Larry Valentine (James) are two guys' guys-always side-by-side and willing to do anything for each other. Salt-of-the-earth widower Larry wants just one thing: to protect his family. His buddy Chuck also wants one thing: to enjoy the single life. Grateful Chuck owes Larry for saving his life on the job, and Larry calls in that favor big time when civic red tape prevents him from naming his own two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries. All that Chuck has to do is claim to be Larry's domestic partner on some city forms. Easy.

Nobody will ever know. But when an overzealous, spot-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the new couple's arrangement becomes a citywide issue and goes from confidential to front-page news. Forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds, Chuck and Larry must now fumble through a hilarious charade of domestic bliss under one roof. And after surviving their mandatory honeymoon and dodging the threat of exposure, the well-intentioned con men discover that sticking together in your time of need is what truly makes a family. — More here

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Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray
Release Date: July 20, 2007
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: Adam Shankman
Screenwriter: Leslie Dixon
Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah
Genre: Comedy, Musical
MPAA Rating: PG (for language, some suggestive content and momentary teen smoking)
Official Website: Hairspraymovie.com

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.— More here

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POP-CULTURE NEWS JUL 09-07

LIVE EARTH, JIM CARREY, HARRY POTTER PETITION

Carrey Takes Festive Scrooge Role
Actor Jim Carrey is to play Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in a Walt Disney remake of A Christmas Carol.

Transformers conquer US cinemas
The Transformers TV show and toys were hugely popular in the 1980s. Sci-fi blockbuster Transformers has entered the North American box office chart at number one, with takings of $67.6m (£33.6m) in its first weekend.

Petition seeks extra Potter books
Author JK Rowling has said two characters will die in the last book. Harry Potter fans are being urged to sign a petition set up by a book shop chain begging author JK Rowling to write further novels in the series.

Swearing
Madonna used foul language when she encouraged fans at Wembley Stadium to "start jumping up and down" as a way to "save the planet". The BBC was "sorry for any offence" caused by swearing and its presenters had been "quick to apologise", the spokeswoman said.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Release Date: July 11, 2007 (conventional theaters and IMAX)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Michael Goldenberg
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG 13
Official Website: HarryPotterOrderofthePhoenix.comIn "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community has been denied the truth about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students.— More here

REVIEW
What an amazing coming of age film HP5 is! Unlike the previous installments, the focus here is on Harry’s inner struggle. His friends did not write him over the summer. This disappointment is just the beginning for him.

Harry has a very real inner struggle going on between darkness and light. He must make life altering choices. In an early foreshadowing scene Harry must decide if he should risk his own life to save the despised Dudley, or leave him to a horrific fate. The film builds from there. You will not be disappointed.

It is this determined journey toward maturity makes HP an epic story. And HP5 may be the best of all the films so far. Cast and crew have exceeded themselves.

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License to Wed (2007)

Release Date: July 3, 2007
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Ken Kwapis
Screenwriter: Kim Barker, Tim Rasmussen, Vince DiMeglio
Starring: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor, Josh Flitter
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual humor and language)
Official Website: LicensetoWedthemovie.WarnerBros.com

Plot Summary: "License to Wed" follows newly engaged Ben Murphy (John Krasinski) and his fiancée, Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore), in their quest to live happily ever after. The problem is that Sadie's family church, St. Augustine's, is run by Reverend Frank (Robin Williams), who won't bless Ben and Sadie's union until they pass his patented, "foolproof" marriage-prep course. Consisting of outrageous classes, outlandish homework assignments and some outright invasion of privacy, Reverend Frank's rigorous curriculum puts Ben and Sadie's relationship to the test. Forget happily ever after—do they even have what it takes to make it to the altar?— More here

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Transformers (2007)

Release Date: July 2, 2007 (8 p.m.)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Rachael Taylor, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Jon Voight
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language)
Official Website: Transformersmovie.com | MySpace.com/Transformers

A war re-erupts on Earth between two robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, leaving the fate of mankind hanging in the balance.— More here

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