Kam’s Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun, January 17, 2007

For movies opening January 26, 2007

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Blood and Chocolate (PG-13 for sexuality, terror, violence, and substance abuse) Horror flick about a Bucharest beauty (Agnes Bruckner) whose love for a visiting American artist (Hugh Dancy) has her wrestling with whether to expose a well-concealed secret, namely, that she’s a teenage werewolf. The Book and Audio Book

Catch and Release (PG-13 for sex, expletives, and drug use) Jennifer Garner stars in this bittersweet romantic comedy about a grieving woman who finds herself falling for her late fiance’s best friend (Timothy Oliphant) who she always presumed to be a shameless womanizer. Supporting cast includes Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis and Fiona Shaw.

Epic Movie (PG-13 for sex, expletives, crude humor, and slapstick violence) Snakes on a Plane, Nacho Libre, X-Men, James Bond, Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other big-budget flicks serve as fodder for this parody of the blockbuster genre. Sketch flick features appearances by by Kal Penn, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Coolidge, David Carradine, Fred Willard, Katt Williams and Roscoe Lee Browne.

Smokin’ Aces (R for nudity, drug use, graphic violence, and pervasive profanity) Mafia comedy about a Vegas magician-turned-stool pigeon (Jeremy Pigeon) on the run from assassins after agreeing to testify against the mob. Ensemble cast includes Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Taraji Henson, Wayne Newton, Ryan Reynolds and Andy Garcia, plus Alicia Keys and Common in their screen debuts.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

China Blue (Unrated) Undercover documentary uncovers the exploitation of employees at a blue jeans factory where entry-level workers are paid as little as six cents an hour. (In Cantonese, Mandarin, and English with subtitles)

Fired! (Unrated) Inspired by the trauma of being fired by Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch was inspired to make this documentary which takes a lighthearted look at the toll that downsizing is currently taking on American workers. With appearances by game show host Ben Stein and comedians Tim Allen, Andy Dick, Annn Meara, Fred Willard, Harry Shearer and Sarah Silverman.

From Other Worlds (Unrated) Sci-fi romance about a depressed Brooklyn housewife (Cara Buono) inspired by a close encounter to join a UFO support group where she joins forces with an African immigrant (Isaach De Bankole) who has the same mysterious, otherworldly markings on his body.

Seraphim Falls (R for violence and brief profanity) Panoramic, post-bellum Western, set in the frontier several years after the Civil War, revolves around the efforts of a vengeful Confederate colonel (Liam Neeson) who enlists the assistance of a gang of bounty hunters to track down a Union soldier (Pierce Brosnan) he has a grudge against.

Shockproof (Unrated) B&W neo-noir revolving around a recently-paroled femme fatale (Patricia Knight) embroiled in a love triangle with her parole officer (Cornel Wilde) and a very shady character (John Baragrey).

Kam Williams is a popular and top NewsBlaze reviewer, our chief critic. Kam gives his unvarnished opinion on movies, DVDs and books, plus many in-depth and revealing celebrity interviews.

Sadly, Lloyd Kam Williams passed away in 2019, leaving behind a huge body of work focused on America’s black entertainment community. We were as sad to hear of his passing as we were overjoyed to have him as part of our team.