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Wittenberg University Union Board |
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Spring 2007 Film Library |
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Each semester, a new film library is selected featuring 44 new release movies that are available to borrow FREE OF CHARGE in the Student Center mail room. Of those 44 films, five are chosen to be shown in the Friday Night Film Series at 8pm in 201 Shouvlin.
1. A Scanner Darkly 2. Accepted 3. All the King’s Men 4. American Dreamz 5. An Inconvenient Truth 6. Annapolis 7. The Black Dahlia 8. Black Gold (after 4/20) 9. Cars 10. Catch a Fire 11. Clerks 2 12. Click 13. CSA: Confederate States of America 14. The Da Vinci Code 15. The Departed 16. The Descent 17. Employee of the Month 18. Game of Their Lives 19. The Guardian 20. Hard Candy 21. Jackass Number 2 22. Kill the Poor 23. Lady in the Water
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24. The Lake House 25. The Last Kiss 26. Lucky Number Slevin 27. Man of the Year (after 3/16) 28. Miami Vice 29. Mission Impossible 30. Nacho Libre 31. Over the Hedge 32. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 33. See No Evil 34. She's the Man 35. Slither 36. Stay Alive 37. Step Up 38. Superman Returns 39. Talladega Nights 40.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (after 3/24) 41. United 93 42. The Wicker Man 43. World Trade Center 44. You, Me and Dupree |
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Film Synopses Spring 2007
1. A Scanner Darkly
Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson Warner Independent Pics; Directed by Richard Linklater Rated R; 100 minutes; 2006
In the future, America has lost its war on drugs. Bob is a dealer and user of a powerful drug called "Substance D." Fred is a cop, and is assigned to bring Bob down. What they don't know is, due to a personality-splitting side effect of the drug, Bob and Fred are actually the same person.
2. Accepted
Justin Long, Blake Lively, Lewis Black, Adam Herschman Universal Pictures; Directed by Steve Pink Rated PG-13; 90 minutes; 2006
Bartleby “B” Gaines has just received his eighth of eight rejection letters from colleges, which isn’t going to please his parents. He and his friends decide that the extreme solution is to open their own “University” at a local abandoned facility. Their ploy works a little too well when other students show up for classes at their sham school.
3. All the King's Men
Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini Columbia Pictures; Directed by Steven Zaillian Rated PG; 90 minutes; 2005
Sean Penn heads this all-star cast as charismatic Southern politician “Boss” Willie Stark. Based loosely on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, Willie shows how political power can corrupt even those with the best intentions. Jude Law is a reporter who unwittingly fuels Starks’ meteoric rise.
4. American Dreamz
Dennis Quaid, Williem Dafoe, Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore Universal Pictures; Directed by Paul Weitz Rated PG-13; 107 minutes; 2006
In a nation where our shrinking attention span can only focus on “what’s hot” rather than on hot-button issues, even our President is obsessed with everyone’s favorite talent show “American Dreamz.” When the President has an apparent breakdown his Chief of Staff gets his popularity back up by booking him as a guest judge on the ratings juggernaut.
5. An Inconvenient Truth
Documentary Feature Al Gore Paramount Vantage; Directed by Davis Guggenheim Rated PG; 100 minutes; 2006
This documentary presents Al Gore’s campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide. Intertwining simple but harrowing statistics with personal reflections, Gore explains that the tools and methods to reverse the damage we have done are at hand and that the economic consequences of tackling the problem are positive rather than negative.
6. Annapolis
James Franco, Jordana Brewster, Donnie Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson Buena Vista Pictures; Directed by Justin Lin Rated PG-13; 108 minutes; 2006
50,000 Apply. 1,200 Are Accepted. Only the best survive. That is the road that Jake Huard faces. He is a young man from the wrong side of the tracks whose dream of attending Annapolis Naval Academy becomes a reality. He gets exactly what he wants but once there, he is not sure he measures up against the best and brightest.
7. The Black Dahlia
Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart Universal Pictures; Directed by Brian De Palma Rated R; 121 minutes; 2006
This fictional tale surrounds the brutal murder of a fledgling Hollywood starlet nicknamed The Black Dahlia in 1947 that fascinated the nation. Two cops were called on to investigate the case, but it remained unsolved due to corruption and conspiracy within the police department.
8. Black Gold
Tracing the path of the coffee consumed each day to the farmers who produce the beans, Black Gold asks us to “wake up and smell the coffee,” to face the unjust conditions under which our favorite drink is produced and to decide what we can do about it. In particular, it follows Tadesse Meskela, representative of the Oromio Coffee Farmers Cooperative in Southern Ethiopia, as he tries to secure a living wage for the 70,000 Ethiopian coffee farmers he represents. Black Gold goes inside the coffee auctions in Addis Ababa, London, and New York where the fate of coffee growing nations is decided, exposing how international commodities markets are rigged against the nations of the global South. Black Gold provides the most shocking exposé of commodity trading on film today and offers a compelling introduction to the “fair trade” movement galvanizing consumers around the globe.
9. Cars
Animated Feature Voices by: Paul Newman, Richard Petty, Bonnie Hunt, Owen Wilson Walt Disney Pictures; Directed by John Lasseter Rated G; 96 minutes; 2006
In the seventh animated feature from Pixar Animation Studios, this high octane adventure follows Lightning McQueen a hot shot stock car heading to the big race. He gets bogged down in Radiator Springs and learns about true friendship during his stay there in this high speed road trip.
10. Catch a fire
Tim Robbins, Derek Luke Focus Features; Directed by Phillip Noyce Rated PG-13; 98 minutes; 2006
Patrick Chamusso is a sweet-natured South African with a beautiful family and a better-than-average life who remains outside of the political world that surrounds him. However, due to unexpected circumstances he finds himself becoming a freedom fighter during Apartheid who carries out solo attacks against the regime.
11. Clerks 2
Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson The Weinstein Company; Directed by Kevin Smith Rated R; 2006
We pick up with the two worst convenience store clerks in history 10 years later and they have settled at Mooby’s fast-food empire. Their 20-something malaise has made its way into their 30s and they are still sitting around dissecting pop culture and obsessing about sex… and offering the worst customer service in town.
12. Click
Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken Columbia Pictures; Directed by Frank Coraci, Sean Astin Rated PG-13; 107 minutes; 2006
Michael is a workaholic architect who finds a very special remote control. He finds that when he uses it he is actually fast-forwarding and rewinding his own life instead of his television. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his own choices.
13. CSA: Confederate States of America
Evamarii Johnson, Rupert Pate, Larry Peterson, Charles Frank IFC Films; Directed by Kevin Willmott 89 minutes; 2006
Director Kevin Willmott creates a “mocumentary” about an alternative American history where the South wins the Civil War. Shot as if it were a typical BBC documentary, the film starts with Grant surrendering to Lee and takes us through events that sometimes vary wildly from the historical record and, at other times, bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the world we know.
14. The Da Vinci code
Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina Columbia Pictures; Directed by Ron Howard Rated PG-13; 149 minutes; 2006
Based on the international best-selling book by Dan Brown, this film begins with a murder at the Louvre Museum. Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is called in to help with the case. He finds an enigmatic riddle filled the clues centered on the paintings of Da Vinci. He goes on an amazing worldwide adventure following leads, which could end up shaking the very foundation of Christianity.
15. The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg Warner Bros.; Directed by Martin Scorsesse Rated R; 149 minutes; 2006
Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Boston State Police department and the Irish mafia. Each has sworn to take the other side down, but when it becomes apparent to both sides that there is a traitor in their midst, will each turn on friends they've made during their long stints undercover? Violence and bloodshed are inevitable in this star studded crime thriller.
16. The Descent
Natalie Mendoza, Shauna Macdonald Lions Gate Films; Directed by Neil Marshall Rated R; 99 minutes; 2006
This grisly film follows six female friends on a hellish caving expedition. What is supposed to be a group outing to help ease the pain of one of the girls after a personal tragedy becomes a bloodbath when the group is trapped after a cave-in. They must battle some bloodthirsty beasties as they try to find their way out.
17. Employee of the Month
Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson Lions Gate Films; Directed by Greg Coolidge 2006
When two slacker best friends find out that their hot new employee likes ambitious men they embark on an all-out, mad-cap war to become the next Employee of the Month in order to impress the girl.
18. Game of their lives
Gerard Butler, Wes Bentley, Richard Jenik, Jay Rodan, Louis Mandylor IFC Films; Directed by David Anspaugh Rated PG; 101 minutes; 2005
In 1950, an American soccer team was assembled in St. Louis to play for the World Cup against the British team which was the best in the world. Expected to be trounced, this rag tag group stunned England and the world by beating the Brits 1-0. This uplifting film shows how this game changed the landscape of sports in the U.S. and also how it changed the lives of the players.
19. The Guardian
Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward Touchstone Pictures; Directed by Andrew Davis Rated PG-13; 126 minutes; 2006
After losing his crew in a fatal crash, legendary swimmer Ben Randall is sent to teach at an elite training program for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. He butts heads with cocky young swim champ Jake Fischer, but Jake eventually complies with Ben’s unorthodox methods and with a trip to the dangerous Bering Sea he learns the true meaning of heroism and sacrifice.
20. Hard Candy
Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Holmes Lions Gate Films; Directed by David Slade Rated R; 103 minutes; 2005
Patrick finds himself in a modern day nightmare when he meets an underage girl after chatting with her online and she persuades him to take her back to his apartment. She spikes his drink and Patrick wakes up tied to the bed and in danger of becoming the recipient of some unwanted at-home surgery if she doesn’t get the answers she wants in this controversial thriller.
21. Jackass: Number Two
Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O Paramount Pictures; Directed by Jeff Tremaine Rated R; 95 minutes; 2006
Chris Pontius, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the whole crew are back with their same M.O. of hurting themselves for your (and their) amusement. This time their stunts include wandering around Japan in panda costumes, tricks with live alligators and the destruction of a once-civilized golf course.
22. Kill the Poor
Clara Bellar, Jon Budinoff IFC Films; Directed by Alan Taylor 85 minutes; 2006
Set in 1982 on the Lower East Side, Joe finds his marriage of convenience becoming the real thing. He moves his pregnant wife into the neighborhood described by his immigrant grandparents only to find that it is not the nostalgic wonderland that he has been led to believe.
23. Lady in the Water
Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright Warner Bros.; Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Rated PG-13; 102 minutes; 2006
Modest building manager Cleveland Heep rescues a mysterious young woman from drowning only to discover that she is actually a narf, a character from a bedtime story. Cleveland and his tenants work to protect her from the deadly creatures that are trying to keep her from returning back to her world.
24. The Lake House
Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Shohreh Aghdashloo Warner Bros. Directed by Alejandro Agresti Rated PG; 105 minutes; 2006
A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its newest resident, an architecture school dropout. Even though the two lived there several years apart the letters seem to bridge time in this mysterious romance.
25. The Last Kiss
Zach Braff, Casey Affleck Dreamworks Pictures; Directed by Tony Goldwyn Rated R; 104 minutes; 2006
In this contemporary drama, Michael finds out that his longtime girlfriend is pregnant just as he catches the eye of another woman. This comedy/drama tackles the issues of infidelity, forgiveness, marriage, friendship…and coming to grips with turning 30.
26. Lucky Number Slevin
Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis The Weinstein Company; Directed by Paul McGuigan Rated R; 109 minutes; 2006
Slevin comes to New York to visit his friend Nick but he finds a henchman there who mistakes him for his friend. With his wallet gone and no way to prove his identity, Slevin is thrown in the middle of all out war between the two most notorious crime bosses in New York.
27. Man of the Year
Robin Williams, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum Universal Pictures; Directed by Barry Levinson Rated PG-13; 115 minutes; 2006
Funnyman Robin Williams is a wise-cracking late-night political talk show host who decides on a lark to run for President. He runs a somewhat serious campaign designed to shake up the corrupt political system but the most amazing result of all happens… he wins! What happens next in this topical comedy?
28. Miami Vice
Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell Universal Pictures; Directed by Michael Mann 2006
Tubbs is a tough as nails, by the book undercover agent. Crockett is a charismatic, impulsive cop. Together they run the streets of Miami busting drug traffickers in this gritty thriller.
29. Mission Impossible
Tom Cruise, Emanuelle Beart, Jon Voight, Ving Rhames Paramount Pictures; Directed by Brian DePalma Rated PG-13; 110 minutes; 1996
Based on the long-running television series about a specialized group of U.S. anti-terrorist agents who rely on split-second timing, this electrifying action-thriller stars Hollywood’s biggest superstar Tom Cruise in an explosive motion picture experience.
30. Nacho Libre
Jack Black, Efrin Ramirez, Moises Arias Paramount Pictures; Directed by Jared Hess Rated PG; 100 minutes; 2006
Inspired by a true story, Nacho is a young man raised in a Mexican monastery who takes it upon himself to rescue the holy place from financial ruin. He enters a local sports tournament as a masked wrestler to win prize money in this raucous comedy.
31. Over the Hedge
Animated Feature Voices by: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Nick Nolte, Steve Carell Dreamworks Pictures; Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick Rated PG; 83 minutes; 2006
Traveling raccoon con artist, RJ, arrives in the woods outside a human city only to find that the animals living there are deathly afraid of people. With encouragement from RJ the local animals slowly venture over the hedge into the buffet that is the suburbs in this fast paced animated comedy.
32. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley Walt Disney Pictures; Directed by Gore Verbinski Rated PG-13; 150 minutes; 2006
Ahoy mates! Captain Jack is back and finds himself with a blood debt to the legendary Davey Jones. If can’t find a way to fulfill his obligation then he will be doomed to eternal damnation and servitude in the afterlife. Meanwhile, Will and Elizabeth are planning a wedding but are forced to put that on hold to help Jack out of yet another predicament.
33. See No Evil
Glen (Kane) Jacobs, Michael J. Pagan, Craig Horner, Luke Pegler Lions Gate Films; Directed by Gregory Dark Rated R: 84 minutes; 2006
When eight petty criminals show up for community service at a long-abandoned hotel, they end up fighting for their lives because a 400-pound psychopath has been holed in the deserted structure. This film stars World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Kane.
34. She's the Man
Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Robert Hoffman, Alex Breckenridge DreamWorks Pictures; Directed by Andy Fickman Rated PG-13; 105 minutes; 2006
A contemporary take on William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” this comedy follows Viola who, when her soccer team gets disbanded, poses as her twin brother at his school which has an active soccer team. Things get complicated when she falls in love with her new roommate, Duke, and then finds herself the object of affection of the beautiful Olivia, the girl whom Duke loves.
35. Slither
Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry Universal Pictures; Directed by James Gunn Rated R; 96 minutes; 2006
In the sleepy small town of Wheely, the unsuspecting citizens notice that more pets than normal can’t be found. When a farmer’s livestock is mutilated and a young woman is missing, the local sheriff realizes he is dealing with a dark force. The small town has been taken over by a plague turning residents into murdering zombies.
36. Stay Alive
Jon Foster, Frankie Muniz, Milo Ventimigilia, Sophia Bush Spyglass Entertainment; Directed by William Brent Bell Rated PG-13; 85 minutes; 2006
Teens playing an online videogame called Stay Alive discover that the actions of their characters in the game are manifesting in real life. If they die in the game -they die for real in this high body count horror thriller.
37. Step Up
Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan Touchstone Pictures; Directed by Anne Fletcher Rated PG-13; 2006
Tyler is a delinquent from the wrong side of the tracks. Nora is a privileged ballerina at Baltimore’s ultra-elite Maryland School of the Arts. Sparks fly when they meet as she realizes that his street style might make him the perfect partner for her senior showcase dance. Can he step up?
38. Superman Returns
Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden Warner Bros.; Directed by Bryan Singer Rated PG-13; 2006
Following a mysterious absence for several years, the Man of Steel is back to fight his old nemesis Lex Luther who is plotting to render him powerless. He must also face his old love Lois Lane who has moved on with her life in his absence. This epic will take you from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.
39. Talladega Nights
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly Columbia Pictures; Directed by Adam McKay Rated PG-13; 105 minutes; 2006
Will Ferrell stars in this wacky look at life on the NASCAR circuit. He and his partner Cal Naughton, Jr. are known as "Shake 'n Bake" by their fans for their ability to finish so many races in 1st and 2nd. They must put the pedal to the metal to beat a new driving sensation - Formula One’s Jean Girard.
40. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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41. United 93
Khalid Abdalla, David Alan Basche, Starla Benford Universal Pictures; Directed by Paul Greengrass Rated R; 111 minutes; 2006
On the morning of September 11, 2001 Flight 93 was delayed on the runway for 45 minutes. By the time it was airborne, the other three planes had reached their targets in New York and the Pentagon. Made with the full support of the families of those on board, this film tracks a real time telling of the events of that 90 minute flight including the cell phone calls to loved ones and the decision by the passengers to take action to throw this plane off of its intended target.
42. The Wicker Man
Nicholas Cage, Ellen Burstyn Warner Bros.; Directed by Neil LaBute Rated PG-13; 106 minutes; 2006
In this remake of the 1973 horror classic, a sheriff is called upon to investigate a young girl’s disappearance from an isolated mysterious island off the coast of Maine. The deeper he digs the more he finds evidence of disturbing pagan rituals and realizes that the whole town may be involved.
43. World Trade Center
Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal Paramount Pictures; Directed by Oliver Stone Rated PG-13; 125 minutes; 2006
This film is the true story of John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno, two Port Authority workers who selflessly ran into the twin towers after the 9/11 attacks to rescue civilians. When they became trapped themselves a race against time ensued as others dug through the rubble to try to extract them before they ran out of air.
44. You, Me and Dupree
Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon Universal Pictures; Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo Rated PG-13; 108 minutes; 2006
Carl Peterson finds that three’s a crowd when he and his new wife start their life together by letting his best friend Dupree crash on their couch after he gets fired. At first Carl loves having his fun-loving best friend around, but once Carl gets into the “real world” he finds Dupree’s antics childish and distracting in this crowded comedy! |