HALLOWEEN [R]

As far as remakes of modern horror classics that did not need to be remade go, rocker-turned-director Rob Zombie’s tribute to John Carpenter’s 1978 original is not a bad one. The Massachusetts-born longtime horror fan pays a solid tribute to the genre-defining slasher film in all kinds of ways, from the casting of a who’s who of fan favorites to the fidelity to the original loony-verse down to Carpenter’s eerily effective and beautifully simple score.

Zombie solidly re-invents the legend of Michael Myers, an inherently evil 10-year-old boy (think Hitler meets Hanson) played by newcomer Daeg Faerch, compelled to kill, kill, kill. To the boy’s credit, it is a pretty big part, painting this portrait of the artist (as a crazy young man) in bloody knife strokes, especially in the way that Zombie has written him. The lad and Zombie both humanize Myers, also known as “The Shape,” before turning him into the monster that has terrorized naughty teenagers in seven previous films (1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch was curiously Myers-free).

Carpenter’s version featured a pretty scant introduction to Myers, a sequence in which he murdered his sister for no apparent reason and was then chased 15 years later by ranting shrink Dr. Loomis (then played by the late Donald Pleasance). Here, Zombie takes the entire first act setting up the why of it, which adds a lot of meat to what could have been a pale imitation masquerading as a tribute. It works, even if it is a little Tarantino-talky. The action is well paced and keenly cut, with the grown-up Myers (played by colossal X-Man Tyler Mane) a truly menacing and unstoppable figure (though shame on Zombie for not giving a nod to the origin of the infamous mask, which was a cheap rubber William Shatner mask painted white).

For the most part, it is a well-acted affair, a rarity among this sort of movie. Malcolm McDowell plays the tenacious Dr. Loomis with a self-awareness that stays just this side of parody, and he is a smart choice in that he played the thrill-killer in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 nad-slam of a dissertation on the ultra-violence, A Clockwork Orange. The novelty of seeing famous faces like Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play movies) and Dee Wallace (The Howling) passes quickly, as soon as we realize that they are good in their roles (though the appearance of Monkees front man Micky Dolenz as a gun shop owner is still a big head-scratcher).

Did Halloween need to be remade? Perhaps not. Zombie has already proven himself more than able with original fare like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. Is it nonetheless a good white-knuckle ride? Certainly, and if it raises the bar for remakes and prevents another bowel evacuation in the form of a clueless Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes sequel, then the Shape’s many victims in this dote-worthy Horror 101 lesson did not die in vein vain. –Robert Newton

DEATH SENTENCE [R]
From the purveyors of the torture porn trilogy Saw and the writer of Death Wish (the 1974 revenge flick starring Charles Bronson that the world may have forgotten if not reminded of it in this movie’s marketing) comes this empty contemplation on the nature of violence. Center of the movie universe Kevin Bacon plays Nick Hume, an Everyman whose life is torn up when his oldest son and golden boy is randomly murdered in a gang initiation ritual. When he learns that the young killer, played by Garrett Hedlund (Eragon), might be out in less than five years, he (oh, man…) takes justice into his own hands and dispatches the lad, an Old Testament style smoting that he develops a taste for. Director James Wan does not adequately chart Nick’s descent toward destruction, and the snuffing of the cardboard cutouts he lays waste to is no tragedy at all. The writing misses a lot of chances for poignancy, and is so on-the-nose that it borders stupid, and Bacon, despite his many gifts, appears to be looking for more direction that Wan is able to give him. The low-angle chase sequences look like they were shot by a maniacal dwarf of some kind, and the washed-out color is a tired gimmick that Wan’s professor should have punished him for in film school so that we would not have to suffer by it. David Cronenberg’s similar A History of Violence was also flawed, but was more thoughtful and engaging than this hollow mess set to radio-ready music. –David Meyer

(Thriller, 101 min.)
Kevin Bacon kills thugs dead in this revenge drama from the creators of Saw and the writer of Death Wish, which is like saying, “Here’s a movie from someone you hate and someone you can’t remember.” Disappointed viewers may start formulating revenge fantasies of their own after realizing how light this movie about something so dark really is. Rated R [for strong bloody brutal violence and pervasive language]

(Horror, 109 min.)
Since John Carpenter’s genre-defining slasher flick Halloween came out in 1978, its psychotic icon, Michael Myers, has become a modern boogeyman, and rocker (and Haverhill native) Rob Zombie sets out to bring him into the 21st century. Whether or not he succeeds has yet to be seen, but you can read our review this Friday and add your own two cents to the mix. Rated R [for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language]

(Documentary, 90 min.)
This muckraking documentary on America’s consumer debt crisis is actually one of the funniest films on Cinema 320’s schedule, and is an alternately absurd and sobering peek at an industry that’s gone totally nuts. Starts Tuesday, September 4. Not Rated [and not appropriate for all audiences]

(Documentary, 102 min.)
The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, director/producer Charles Ferguson’s docu-tribe is a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Not Rated [and also not appropriate for all audiences]

(Western, 117 min.)
Christian Bale mixes it up with Russell Crowe in this remake of the 1957 western starring Van Heflin and Glenn Ford, about a rancher who may or may not sell out an outlaw, and put him on the 3:10 to Yuma (which all cowboys know is a metaphor for justice). Directed by James Mangold, the guy behind Walk the Line. Sneak previews Saturday and Sunday, opens September 7. Rated R [for violence and some language]

[CHECK OUR SHOWTIMES PAGE FOR MOVIE TIMES.]

BALLS OF FURY [PG-13]
Considering that the guys who made this punchy comedy tanked so badly with their “Reno 9/11” movie, expectations were low for this, their sports spoof, expectations that the movie supersedes and ultimately benefits from. Husky actor Dan Fogler, who won a Tony for his role in Broadway’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is perfectly at home as a 30-ish oaf who peaked at the age of 12, when he blew the chance for Olympic gold playing ping-pong at Seoul in ’88. He is more John Belushi than Chris Farley, a lovable lummox whom we want to see get the girl instead of getting hit in the junk. Christopher Walken plays the villain, a delightfully flamboyant but unquestionably ee-vil ping-pong master and host of an annual invitation-only paddle-to-the-death competition. Co-writer Thomas Lennon is a riot as a former East German champ (think Dieter from “Sprockets” meets Ivan Drago from Rocky IV), and lithe Hawaiian superstar Maggie Q (Live Free Or Die Hard) quite literally kicks ass. The comedy zigs when we think it will zag, but it never gets icky, like Reno 911!: Miami or Broken Lizard’s yet-to-be-topped Super Troopers, and while the first half is definitely funnier, this whole snarky goof on Enter the Dragon helps us cleanse our palates of half-baked sports send-ups like Blades of Glory and The Bad News Bears. –Robert Newton 

AIR GUITAR NATION [R] - It is quite easy to mistake Alexandra Lipsitz’s account of the annual Air Guitar Championship held in Oulu, Finland as a mockumentary, but only at first glance. She goes deeply into the who, what, why, where, when and how, making it all not so alien while letting us warm to her colorful cast of characters. Read our interview with Ms. Lipsitz this Friday to learn more about this frettin’ fun film.

BLADES OF GLORY [PG-13] - Will Ferrell again proves that he can almost always be counted on to be the shiny pearl in the oyster of crap, here as one-half of a male skating duo (with professional dork Jon Heder as his partner). Even with talent like real-life couple Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) and Amy Poehler (“SNL”), this is a real mixed bag (with a rabid weasel in it to take all the fun out of dipping in).

BOB SAGET: THAT AIN’T RIGHT [NR] - Most people will know comic Bob Saget from his eight seasons on “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” As Saget points out in this tight, hour-long HBO special, though, so much time doing saccharine, family-friendly fare has squeezed all the nice out of him. That which remains is a funny but foul tirade about anything that comes into the Aristocrats comedian’s delightfully dirty little mind, his manic, rapid-fire attack never slowing down for a minute.

HEROES: SEASON 1 [NR]
Like “The 4400,” this NBC series may be a straight-faced X-Men imitator, but that has not stopped millions of fans from embracing the solidly written dramatic fantasy about some regular people with superhuman abilities who band together to save New York from nuclear annihilation. The bulked-up, 30-episode Season 2 of “Heroes” begins on NBC on September 24, which will contain six episodes of the standalone, “Heroes: Origins.”

KICKIN’ IT OLD SKOOL [PG-13] - How does a comic as likeable and skilled as Jamie Kennedy make one of the worst comedies of all time? The world may never know. So jaw-droppingly awful is this alleged comedy about a guy who has spent the last 20 years in a coma, waking to culture shock and the need to enter a high-profile breakdancing competition in order to save his parents from bankruptcy. Special appearances by ‘80s icons Erik Estrada and purge-master David Hasselhoff only underscore its awesome awfulness.

LEGION OF SUPERHEROES VOL. 1 [NR] - This Kids WB animated series explores the origins of DC’s longtime meal ticket, Superman, giving it a decidedly teenage spin, introducing characters like Saturn Girl, Bouncing Boy and Lightning Lad as they do battle with the fearsome quintet of super-villains known as The Fatal Five (and in the future). Smartly written and animated with flair, it is a far cry above some of the all-around poor Saturday morning incarnations of DC’s stable of staples that have come about since the 1960s. 4 episodes.

YEAR OF THE DOG [PG-13]
Molly Shannon is a delight as a pet lover who goes to extremes after the death of her pet, reminding us of the fun of her days as Mary Catherine Gallagher on “SNL,” but showing us that she has developed so much since then. A super supporting cast, including Laura Dern, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard, helps White make an engaging go of his first film as director. Be sure to read our interview with the writer-director.

WAR [R]
Fans of Jet Li’s martial arts masterpieces like Hero or Jason Statham’s recent over-the-top action romps such as Crank, prepare yourselves…for a let-down at the hands of this well-intended blunder-taking. In its conception, the pairing of The One co-stars seems like a winning combination, but this dud once again proves that it takes something more than a tag line and a solid cast to make a solid movie. Some lengthy and way-talky lulls in the action develop characters just shy of interesting, and not quite deeply enough to make us really bothered about which action hero might bite it by the credit roll. For the smattering of action sequences that there are in the movie, rap music video director Philip G. Atwell takes us a little too up-close-and-personal. Paired with the typical, choppy, quick-cut editing style, it’s a little hard to tell what exactly is going on amid the clanging of swords and occasional arterial spray. This type of fight scene coverage is most often used to mask an actor’s inability to portray a brawl effectively, and comes across as unnecessary (to the point of frustration), especially considering the respective résumés of these two likable leads. It seems like all the ingredients of a great action movie are present here, just unaccounted for. Although the movie’s twist borders on absurd, by that point it is a welcome surprise in an otherwise clichéd revenge flick chock full of tough-guy posturing and patently lame dialog. The sudden plot shift might actually be easier to digest if not for the fact that the rest of the movie seems to take itself so damn seriously. Overall, the impact of this key change is blunted by a lack of solid pacing throughout, and only seems apt when considered with its abrupt and ultimately unsatisfying finale which prevents the whole effort from registering anywhere on the spectrum between smart and thoughtful medicine or careless, over-the-top fun. –Mike McMenemy

Welcome to a brand new weekly feature here on WorcesterMovies.com, “Trailer Stash.” As a remedy to Monday morning, we will offer up a quintet of trailers for your information, entertainment and misappropriation of company time while at work. We will do our best to theme them appropriately, though if we’re really tired from watching movies all weekend, they might be just five trailers that we want to share.Make sure you have QuickTime installed, as most of the trailers we share with you will be in that format (yes, we are Mac loyalists).

[WINDOWS XP/VISTA DOWNLOAD] [MACINTOSH DOWNLOAD]

THE GAME PLAN (Sept. 28, Sneaks Sept. 22) - If for no other reason than to see their friends and family as extras in the airport scene, Worcester folks will go see this sports comedy about a football star, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who gets a dose of reality when his illegitimate daughter shows up on his doorstep. What illegitimate children are doing in a Disney movie, we may never know.

ENCHANTED (Nov. 21) - Disney sends itself up in this story of an animated storybook Princess (played by the adorable Amy Adams) who steps into the very real world of New York City, pursued by her Prince (James Marsden) and the Evil Queen (Susan Sarandon). While they have done this sort of fish-out-of-water tale before, with their 2001 Visitors remake Just Visiting, this one has a distinct American flavor (and “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick “Dr. Dreamy” Dempsey).

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS (Dec. 14) - Jason Lee may have started his career with naughty boys Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater, but recently, his career trend has been toward the squeaky-clean. He loaned his voice to The Incredibles and Underdog, and now, his mug to this live-action/CGI take on David Seville’s three mischievous musical rodents. There isn’t much to the trailer, but if the poop gag is any indication as to what to expect from the movie, it’s tag line (and subsequent reviews) might as well be, “Poop, there it is!”

THE PIRATES WHO DON’T DO ANYTHING (January 11, 2008) - The animation might be basic and bordering on crude, but the writing on “VeggieTales,” the TV series on which this movie is based, is extremely strong. This follow-up to 2002’s very Biblical Jonah plays on the seafaring appeal of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, minus the grotesque monsters, violence and perpetual innuendo.

HORTON HEARS A WHO (March 14, 2008) - The movie adaptations of the late Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat may have stunk worse than a Lorax with a moss infection, but this CGI affair, featuring the voices of Jim Carrey as the way-sensitive elephant Horton and Steve Carell as the Mayor of the very, very small town of Whoville looks like it might get the esteemed Doctor right.

Just when Hollywood thought that this weekend’s #2 movie The Bourne Ultimatum would be the last gasp of the summer movie season, along comes the pedigreed teen sex comedy Superbad, which remained #1 at the box office this past weekend against a slew of mostly no-name comers. With Rush Hour 3 still in the top 3, the closest any new movies made it to that spot was Mr. Bean’s Holiday at #4, adding to the whopping $189 million it has already earned overseas since its release earlier this year. The latest pairing of Jet Li and Jason Statham, War, didn’t get too much action, landing at #5, with the only other new movie to even see the Top 12 being the #6 The Nanny Diaries. Unless Rob Zombie’s remake of Halloween opens strong on Friday — and its take should be cannibalized by the Wednesday opening of Balls of Fury – don’t expect much of a change after next weekend’s “Labor Day Dump.” While this summer’s box office set an all-time record of $4 billion in ticket sales (a week before the season officially ended), the cost of movie tickets is at an all-time high, as well, so this really signifies little.

•••TOP 10 MOVIES: AUGUST 24-26, 2007•••

1. SUPERBAD - $18M ($68.6M total)
2. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM - $12.4M ($185M total)
3. RUSH HOUR 3 - $12.2M ($109M total)
4. MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY - $10.1M ($10.1M total)
5. WAR - $10M ($10M total)
6. THE NANNY DIARIES - $7.81M ($7.81M total)
7. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE - $4.4M ($173M total)
8. STARDUST - $3.95M ($26.5M total)
9. HAIRSPRAY - $3.45M ($107M total)
10. THE INVASION - $3.14M ($11.5M total)

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY [R]
History is desperately important if we are to learn from our mistakes, and films that dredge that harbor are always useful, even if they take sides. Ken Loach takes the side of the Irish republicans who wouldn’t settle for anything less than total independence from the Brits in 1920, battling the ruthless Black-and-Tan squads shipped from Britain to block Ireland’s bid for genuine independence. A treaty — forged after bloody battles and skirmishes in a vicious guerrilla war — under which they had to still swear allegiance to the Crown seemed no victory at all.

Writer Laverty and Loach tell the big picture through the particular stories of a handful of individuals who are at first comrades in arms, but soon find themselves at gunpoint over how to deal with a present that will unfold to become the future. The weight of the subject and the quality of the filmmaking earned Loach his first Palme d’Or (after several near misses and Jury Prizes) at Cannes in 2006.

It’s a searing, sometimes harrowing film, with superb cinematography by Barry Ackroyd to take us into this world through visual magic. The awfulness of everyday life in poverty stricken Ireland is compounded by the vicious warring between the English army and the local lads. You might argue that Loach goes too far in portraying the English soldiers as real bastards and the resistance as heroic young poets, but that’s exactly how history is often written: from one perspective, and that perspective seems always to coincide with God’s…

If your sympathies are not with the Irish republicans, this film will irritate you, but so it should. If you are neutral on the subject, you’ll get a buzz out of the sensitive filmmaking, superb, naturalistic performances with touches of improv, and a sense of outrage that informs the film’s mood. It’s good to get outraged about things, especially if you use that energy to make a film, instead of a bomb. –Andrew L. Urban

MY BEST FRIEND [PG-13]
Friendship is the pot of gold under the rainbow in Patrice Leconte’s entertaining, feather-light buddy movie, in which Daniel Auteuil’s François cannot find himself a pal. Leconte has entertained us before with his odd-couple pairings in films like Man On The Train, and here, François and Dany Boon’s Bruno are total opposites. François is cultured, calm and cold, while Bruno is genuinely sweet, albeit highly strung. The road to discovering the priceless nature of true friendship is a bumpy one, with laughs, surprises and heartfelt underlying truths par for the course.

Daniel Auteuil’s François has no social skills. What is even worse, he does not know it, as he poaches clients from colleagues and has no time for everyday niceties. “You have no friends; you only like things,” his business partner Catherine (Julie Gayet) tells him after François has a sudden urge to bid 200,000 euros for a 5th Century BC Greek vase depicting the undying devotion of Achilles to Patroclus. When François puts his beloved vase on the line if he does not produce a best friend within 10 days, little does he realise the implications. The results are farcical when François heads for a book store whispering self-consciously as he asks for the self-help book “How To Make Friends,” followed by an aborted attempt with the telephone service Dial-A-Friend. Then he notices Bruno, the Ferris Bueller of taxi drivers, who knows every bit of trivia and who is “sympa” with everyone. Auteuil is as convincing as ever, while Boon is endearing as his expressive face reveals his every emotion.

Leconte smartly avoids the inevitable gay relationship inferences by giving François a girlfriend, and negates sexual innuendo with Catherine by making her a lesbian. The implied attraction between Bruno and François’s daughter reassures us that Bruno, too is heterosexual. With set up and players in place, it is now time to discover the intricacies of manipulation and the vulnerability of the heart as the stakes get higher and higher. The search for a best friend can be emotionally and literally shattering, but the experience is one that leaves us smiling. –Louise Keller