CinePhillyist

Pulse - Another remake of a Japanese horror film about young teens who see dead people while investigating a friend's death. Yawn. We haven't seen the original, but we recommend you see it first anyway, because odds are it's better. The only thing that seems to set this movie out from others of its type is that the horror threatens to go global, which could either be really terrifying or entirely unbelievable, depending on how it's handled. Regardless, the movie could be fun for a little chill on a hot summer day - and anyway it features Brad Dourif as "Thin Bookish Guy," and we all know that Brad Dourif rules, and was born to play a character called "Thin Bookish Guy." Oh, and there's also Kristen Bell as the main character, if you're into that whole Veronica Mars thing, and Christina Milian as her friend.
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview

Most Likely to Suck: Step Up - A privileged, pretty young ballet dancer (Jenna Dewan) wants to make it out there, be somebody, live her dream, etc., but she needs a dance partner for her senior showcase. A hot young "rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore's tracks" (Channing Tatum), who happens to be a talented street dancer, also wants to make it out there, be somebody, live his dream, etc., but some trouble with the law has landed him in community service - at the ballet dancer's school. Can you see where this is going? At first they hate each other, but then they have to work together to achieve their goals, and passion blooms, etc. How many times has this movie been made? We don't know, but we do know we're stick to death of it.
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview, The Bridge

World Trade Center - Oliver Stone's movie about 9/11 focuses on the true story of a couple of hard-working, heroic police officers who were the last men found alive amidst the wreckage of the two towers. Their names are John McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage) and William J. Jimeno (played by Michael Pena), and both of the real guys cooperated in the production of the film. We're still not entirely comfortable with the idea of making movies about 9/11, and Nicolas Cage's fake New York accent is a little distracting, but this film does look like it will be quite moving and effective...
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview, The Bridge

Zoom - This family action/comedy - about a middle-aged superhero (Tim Allen) who comes out of retirement to transform a group of four super-powered kids into a team of heroes that can save the world from destruction - sounds like a combination of Galaxy Quest and Sky High (although it is apparently based on an actual comic book: Jason Lethcoe's Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted). It also stars Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase (in what appears to be a blessedly small part as "Scientist"), Colin Mochrie, Rip Torn, and child actor Spencer Breslin as one of the heroes. It's probably got its share of stupid humor, but we could see it being quite fun, too - especially if you're looking for a family film, in which case it's pretty much a choice between this one or Barnyard. *shiver*
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview

Swiss Roots Documentaries - The International House is presenting a series of documentaries out of Switzerland this weekend, including a profile of reclusive author Thomas Pynchon entitled A Journey into the Mind of P. screening on Friday at 7PM. We've hated Pynchon ever since we slogged our way through the entire pointless mess that is Gravity's Rainbow, but watching a documentary about him would probably still be interesting, if only to find out what the hell he was thinking. On Saturday at 7PM is Storm in a C-Cup, which tells the story of an unconventional Swiss family - composed of a mother, four children, and a cross-dressing father - trying to deal with the prejudice and outrage directed at them as they go about their lives in their small provincial village. Storm is preceded by the short Point of View, which examines the human body through video of dancers with unconventional body shapes.
Showing at: The International House

Image Credit: Cyan Pictures