January Movie Listings

     BRIDE WARS Liv and Emma are best friends who have planned every detail of their respective weddings since childhood. At the top of their bridal “must have” list: a ceremony at New York’s ultimate bridal destination, the Plaza Hotel. Now, at age 26, they’re both about to get married; they’re about to realize their dreams; and they’re about to live happily ever after. Or maybe not. When a clerical error causes a clash in wedding dates–they’re now to be married on the same day!–Liv, Emma and their lifelong friendship are put to the ultimate test. Look for Candice Bergen as the wedding planner to run (or ruin) the events. Starring: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, Kristen Johnston, Bryan Greenberg. Rated PG
NOT EASILY BROKEN What happens when your spouse and best friend becomes a stranger to you? After years of disagreeing on what true happiness, success and love really are, Dave and Clarice Johnson have finally reached a breaking point in their marriage. When Clarice is hurt in a car accident, the obvious truth that more than just her injuries need immediate attention is exposed. Starring: Morris Chestnut, Cannon Jay, Eddie Cibrian, Kwame Boateng, Maeve Quinlan. Rated PG-13
THE UNBORN After all the holiday film fluff here’s one that won’t jingle your bells. Casey Beldon hated her mother for abandoning her as a child. But when inexplicable events begin to happen, Casey begins to understand why she left. Plagued by merciless dreams and a tortured ghost that haunts her waking hours, she must turn to the only person, Rabbi Sendak, who can make it stop. With the help of Sendak, her best friend Romy and boyfriend Mark, Casey uncovers the source of a family curse dating back to Nazi Germany–a creature with the ability to inhabit anyone or anything and that is getting stronger with each possession. Starring: Gary Oldman, Odette Yustman, Cam Gigandet, Jane Alexander, Meagan Good. Rated PG-13
     MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine’s night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. When another horrific event occurs soon after Tom’s appearance, he finds himself suspected of the deadly acts. Starring: Jaime King, Jensen Ackles, Tom Atkins, Kerr Smith, Marc Macaulay. Rated R
NOTORIOUS A chronicle of Christopher Wallace’s (Jamal Woolard) rise from the streets of Brooklyn to become Notorious B.I.G., one of biggest and best rappers of the 1990s, under the tutelage of mentor/producer Sean Combs. This story charts his meteoric rise to fame and his refusal to succumb to expectations and redefines our notion of “The American Dream.” Starring: Derek Luke, Angela Bassett, Anthony Mackie. Rated R
DEFIANCE In 1941, a group of Jewish brothers organize the largest armed rescue of Jews during the Holocaust. Best Picture buzz is big already, it has a Golden Globe nom, and most importantly, this drama brings to light a significant and often overlooked historical event. Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell. Rated R
HOTEL FOR DOGS Orphaned teens Andi and Bruce are sent to live with their aunt, which is just fine with the kids until they meet a stray dog they name Friday who needs their help. Since their aunt is allergic to dogs, the resourceful kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and, using Bruce’s talents as a mechanical genius, transform it into a magical dog-paradise for Friday–and eventually for all Friday’s friends. When barking dogs make the neighbors suspicious, Andi and Bruce use every invention they have to avoid anyone discovering “who let the dogs in.” Starring Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow. Rated PG
 PAUL BLART: MALL COP A single, suburban dad tries to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. It’s a job he takes very seriously, though no one else does. When Santa’s helpers at the mall stage a coup, shutting down the megaplex and taking hostages (Paul’s daughter and sweetheart among them), Jersey’s most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day. Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O’Donnell, Shirley Knight, Stephen Rannazzisi. Rated PG
     INKHEART How about a story that jumps off the pages – literally? Mo Folchart possesses a secret ability to bring characters from books to life when he reads them aloud. But when Mo accidentally brings a power-hungry villain from a rare children’s fable to life, the villain kidnaps Mo’s daughter and demands Mo bring other evil fictional characters to life. In an attempt to rescue his daughter, Mo assembles a disparate group of friends –both real and magic–and embarks on a journey to save her and set things right. Starring: Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany. Rated PG
UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS This Underworld prequel traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom. Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Shane Brolly, Kevin Grevioux. Rated R
     THE UNINVITED Who is taking Mommy’s place? After her mother’s death and her subsequent hospital stay, Anna Rydell returns home to be with her sister and her father, who has become engaged to Rachel, her mother’s former nurse. During her first night back, Anna is visited by her mother’s ghost, who reveals that the new woman in her father’s life is not who she pretends to be, leading to a fateful confrontation between the women of the house. Starring: Emily Browning, David Strathairn, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel. Rated PG-13