reel to reel | Week of August 25, 2011

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30 Minutes Or Less

Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer returns with this comedy about a pizza-delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg) who is kidnapped by dim-witted criminals (Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari) and forced to help them rob a bank.Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony, and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

9500 Liberty

Prince William County, Va., becomes ground zero in America’s explosive battle over immigration policy when elected officials adopt a law requiring police officers to question anyone they have “probable cause” to suspect is an undocumented immigrant. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Another Earth

On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes, and the lives of two strangers become irrevocably intertwined. Rated PG-13. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

Attack the Block

Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial war zone. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society.

Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest is a documentary film directed by Michael Rapaport about one of the most influential and groundbreaking musical groups in hip-hop history. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Landmark Theatres

Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve Rogers is a scrawny guy who is transformed into a World War II super-soldier in Captain America: The First Avenger, the latest comic book adaptation to invade theaters. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron and Century. — Detroit Free Press/ MCT

Cars 2

Anthropomorphic automobiles head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix in this sequel to the 2006 animated film Cars. Rated G. At Flatiron. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cafe of Forgotten Dreams, a breathtaking new documentary from the incomparable Werner Herzog, follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Colombiana

A woman who witnessed the murder of her parents as a child has grown up to be an assassin and hunts the mobster responsible for their deaths. With Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla and Lennie James. Written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Olivier Megaton. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Conan the Barbarian

Take away much of the myth, most of the sorcery and all of the humor of the 1982 John Milius- Arnold Schwarzenegger version of the sword and sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian, and you’ve got an idea of what the new Conan is like. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Roger Moore/MCT

Cowboys & Aliens

Jon Favreau directs this Western about an amnesiac (Daniel Craig) in 1873 who stumbles into an Arizona town ruled by a ruthless rancher (Harrison Ford) who doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Think Eat Pray Love for guys. This comedy centers on a happily married Cal (Steve Carell), whose world unravels when he finds out his high-schoolsweetheart wife (Julianne Moore) is cheating on him and wants a divorce. Suddenly Cal must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of the dating pool. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Colony Square. — Rene Rodriguez

The Devil’s Double

Summoned from the front line to Saddam Hussein’s palace, Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper, An Education) is thrust into the highest echelons of the “royal family” when he’s ordered to become the fiday — or body double — to Saddam’s son, Uday Hussein (also Dominic Cooper). At Mayan. — Landmark Theatre

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark

The new version of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is entirely too literal, but it still manages to be a literally hair-raising piece of modern-style oldschool Gothic horror. The involvement of writerproducer Guillermo (Pan’s Labyrinth) Del Toro meant that no effort was going to be spared to “show” us everything — every little beastie who whispers entreaties and threats, every little gnome who goes bump in the night. Rated R. At Flatiron. — Roger Moore/MCT

Final Destination 5

You would think by now, the makers of this wildly successful franchise would try something a little different. But why mess with a good thing? Once again, a bunch of teens who were supposed to have died but didn’t start getting visits from the Grim Reaper, resulting in spectacularly elaborate deaths. That’s entertainment! Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Fright Night

In this remake of the 1985 film, a popular student trying to enjoy his senior year in high school discovers that his new neighbor is a vampire and must find a way to vanquish him. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Future

In her follow-up to Me and You and Everyone We Know, internationally acclaimed artist, author and filmmaker Miranda July returns with her moving and fearless drama The Future. When 30-something couple Sophie (writer/director Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) decide to adopt a stray cat, their perspective on life changes radically, liter ally altering the course of time and space and testing their faith in each other and themselves. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie

Haters, head for the door. But Gleeks? Get your Glee on. Glee: The 3D Concert Movie may be as spontaneous as a Pringles commercial, with cast members of the hit TV series re-creating — on stage — their biggest musical moments. Rated PG. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Roger Moore/MCT

The Guard

Two policemen must join forces to take on an international drug-smuggling gang — one, an unorthodox Irish policeman and the other, a straitlaced FBI agent. At Mayan and Century. — Landmark Theatres

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

In the new film, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is still hunting Horcruxes, which contain amounts of Voldemort’s (played by Ralph Fiennes) soul. The so-called Elder Wand, stolen from the crypt of Harry’s mentor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), must be put into the right hands. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Colony Square. — Michael Phillips

The Help

Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer star in this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel as women in 1960s Mississippi who form an unlikely bond that shatters societal mores of the era. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Colony Square. — Rene Rodriguez

Horrible Bosses We’ve all had them. We’ve all had to suffer their indignities — or else just quit our jobs. But three friends come up with an alternative to dealing with their monstrous bosses with the help of an ex-con. Rated R. At Flatiron. — Rene Rodriguez

I Am

I Am is an utterly engaging and entertaining nonfiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? Featuring Desmond Tutu, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and Coleman Barks. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

The Interrupters

In Chicago’s CeaseFire organization, reformed gang members protect their community from harm through a unique, dangerous and controversial method — by insinuating themselves personally into conflicts. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Landmark Theatres

La Boheme: The Movie

Puccini’s classic, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, is “breathtakingly dramatic and emotional … full to the brim with some of the best vocal talents of today … Director Robert Dornhelm has not only managed to stay true to Puccini’s story, but has also succeeded in adding another exciting and dynamic dimension to the opera …” – Opera Now Magazine At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Midnight in Paris

A lark, a souffle, a delightful shaggy-dog story with Owen Wilson as its shaggy hero. What’s he doing in a Woody Allen movie about a B-list screenwriter who time-travels from the present to the Jazz Age? Disarming the audience with his wistful joie de vivre, that’s what. Rated PG-13. At Century and Mayan. — Carrie Rickey

The Myth of the American Sleepover

In the tradition of free-wheeling tributes to adolescence, the film follows four young people (a cast of brilliant newcomers in their feature film debuts) on the last night of summer — their final night of freedom before the new school year starts. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Nine Nation Animation

The World According to Shorts presents a selection of recent award-winning animated short films from the world’s most renowned festivals. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Nora’s Will

A Jewish family in Mexico is turned upside down when a long-held family secret is uncovered in this comedy-drama from director Mariana Chenillo. Nora is in poor health, and with Passover coming up, she decides she wants to end her life so her family can come together for the funeral and the high holiday at the same time. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

One Day

This movie follows a man and woman’s relationship over 20 years, revisiting them each year on the exact day that they first entered each other’s lives. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Our Idiot Brother

Our Idiot Brother has a menage a trois, nudity, pot use and profanity. But the unfailing sweetness of Paul Rudd’s lead performance makes what could have been another raunchy and rude R-rated farce a bracing change of pace in a summer of aggressive comedies about aggressive people. Rated R. At Flatiron. — Roger Moore/MCT

Page One: Inside The New York Times

With the Internet surpassing print as our main news source and newspapers all over the country going bankrupt, Page One chronicles the transformation of the media industry. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax­. — Landmark Theatres

Pretty in Pink

Molly Ringwald dresses up to the ’80s max as the poor high school “zoid” who falls for rich rebel Andrew McCarthy, while the wonderfully manic Jon Cryer pines for her on the sidelines. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Genetic experiments on primates lead to them developing intelligence and eventually battling humans for supremacy. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The longest-running midnight movie of all time stars Tim Curry as the kinky yet endearing “transsexual from Transylvania” Dr. Frank N. Furter,

Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as his hapless guests Brad and Janet. It’s harmless musical fun — a delightful spoof of Hollywood horror movies and Old Dark House melodramas. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Sarah’s Key Sarah, a 10-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door-to-door arresting Jewish families. To protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard — their secret hiding place — and promises to come back for him when they are released. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Smurfs

A Smurfs movie was probably inevitable. But doesn’t this feel as if it’s arriving a decade late? Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara and Hank Azaria share the screen with the computeranimated little blue people, who are chased from their village by the evil Gargamel and wind up in our world. Rated PG. At Flatiron, Century and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Spork

Junior high isn’t easy for anyone — especially if you’re a frizzy-haired, pink-cheeked hermaphrodite like Spork. Neither a spoon nor a fork, but rocking elements of both utensils, Spork could use some magic to make life sparkle. At Denver FilmCenter/ Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

A retired secret agent who has her hands full with a new baby and twin step-kids is called back into action to battle a supervillain and gets help from her family. Rated PG. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Director Tobe Hooper’s horror classic is a gruesome reminder that a movie need not be complicated to scare the daylights out of viewers. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax­. — Denver Film Society

The Tree

The exquisite Charlotte Gainsbourg (I’m Not There) stars in French filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli’s mystical drama of loss and rebirth in the Australian countryside. Not since Picnic at Hanging Rock and Walkabout has the harshly gorgeous outback landscape been such a lyrical yet foreboding metaphor for grief and coming of age. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the family’s eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

The Whistleblower

Kathy (Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz) is an American police officer who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she uncovers a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Wizard

Corey Woods (Fred Savage) breaks his emotionally troubled brother, Jimmy (Luke Edwards), out of an institution, and they head for California. On the way, Corey realizes that Jimmy’s a world-class video gamer, and a girl (Jenny Lewis) they meet on the road leads them to a gaming competition. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax­. — Denver Film Society