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8-12 Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

By Kam Williams  

For movies opening August 12, 2011

30 Minutes or Less (Unrated) Crime comedy loosely based on a real-life incident which transpired in Pennsylvania in 2003 when a couple of crooks (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) strapped a time bomb around the neck of a pizza delivery man (Jesse Eisenberg) to force him to rob a bank on their behalf. With Fred Ward, Aziz Ansari and Michael Pena.

Final Destination 5 (R for profanity and gruesome violence) Harrowing, high body-count horror flick revolving around a motley group of co-workers' struggle to survive in the wake of a suspension bridge collapse en route to a corporate retreat. Cast includes Emma Bell, Tony Todd, David Koechner and Courtney B. Vance.

Glee: The 3-D Concert Movie (Unrated) Musical documentary including both onstage and behind-the-scenes footage of the cast of Glee during its recent sold-out tour, featuring performances of hit songs from the Emmy-winning TV series' first two seasons. With Jane Lynch and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Help (PG-13 for mature themes, ethnic slurs and expletives) Screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's poignant best-seller, set in Mississippi in the early Sixties, contrasting the fortunes of privileged white females and their black housekeepers oppressed by Jim Crow segregation on the opposite side of the strictly-enforced color line. A-list ensemble includes Oscar-winners Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen, nominees Viola Davis and Cicely Tyson, along with Emma Stone, Allison Janney, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Aunjanue Ellis.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Aarakshan (Unrated) Political potboiler questioning India's controversial practice of basing access to education and government jobs on the country's caste system. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. (In Hindi with subtitles)

Bad Posture (Unrated) Romance drama, set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, about an awkward graffiti artist (Florian Brozek) who seeks to make amends with the beautiful woman (Tabatha Shaun) whose car and purse was stolen by his felonious-minded roommate (Trey Cole). Supporting cast includes Seth Mossman and Ryan Jason Cook.

Littlerock (Unrated) Road flick about the adventures of a couple of young Japanese tourists (Rintaro Sawamoto and Atsuko Okatsuka) stranded in a California desert town after their rental car breaks down on the way to San Francisco. With Cory Zacharia, Roberto Sanchez and Lee Lynch. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story (Unrated) Female empowerment drama, set in Cairo, about a TV talk show host (Mona Zaki) whose controversial coverage of women's rights issues comes to imperil the career of her politically-connected husband (Hassan El Raddad). With Mahmoud Hemida, Nahed El Sebai and Sawsan Badr. (In Arabic with subtitles)

Senna (Unrated) Bittersweet bio-pic recounting the abbreviated career of Ayrton Senna, the Formula One race car champ from Brazil who died doing what he loved at the tender age of 34 in front of a television audience of 300 million. (In English and Portuguese with subtitles)

Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze.