2-1-2013 Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

By Kam Williams    

For movies opening February 1, 2013

Bullet to the Head (R for profanity, nudity, drug use, graphic violence and bloody images) Grisly revenge thriller, set in New Orleans, about a hit man (Sly Stallone) and a detective (Sung Kang) who form an unlikely alliance to track down the killers of their respective partners. Featuring Christian Slater, Jason Momoa and Jon Seda.

Warm Bodies (PG-13 for violence and profanity) Romeo and Juliet re-imagined as a romantic horror comedy set in a devastated, post-apocalyptic America and revolving around a zombie (Nicholas Hoult) who falls in love with the girlfriend (Teresa Palmer) of one of his victims. With John Malkovich, Rob Corddry and Cory Hardrict.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The Gatekeepers (PG-13 for violence and disturbing images) Oscar-nominated Best Documentary chronicling the exploits of Shin Bet, Israel's national security agency entrusted with the country's closely held top secrets. Includes archival footage, computer animation and in-depth interviews with all six surviving former heads of the organization. (In English and Hebrew with subtitles)

Girls against Boys (R for nudity, sexuality, profanity and violence) Battle-of-the-sexes slasher flick about a college coed (Danielle Panabaker) who embarks with a girlfriend (Nicole LaLiberte) on a retaliatory, man-hating killing spree after a series of dates gone bad. With Liam Aiken, Andrew Howard and Michael Stahl-David.

The Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia (R for disturbing images) Scream sequel finds a married couple (Abigail Spencer and Chad Michael Murray) settling into a historic home in the South where their young daughter (Emily Alyn Lind) suddenly starts seeing dead people visible only to her. Supporting cast includes Cicely Tyson, Katee Sackhoff and Andrea Frankle.

Koch (Unrated) Intimate portrait of Ed Koch, the intensely-private, former Mayor of New York who occupied Gracie Mansion from 1978 to 1989. With reminiscences by Congressman Charles Rangel, Reverend Calvin Butts, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary (Unrated) Reverential biopic about Mumia Abu-Jamal focusing on the controversial cause célèbre's literary career while carefully tiptoeing around the question of the convicted cop killer's guilt or innocence. Featuring commentary by Dr. Cornel West, Amy Goodman, Angela Davis, Hurricane Carter, Ruby Dee and Dick Gregory.

Sound City (Unrated) Retro rockumentary, directed by Foo Fighters' founder and front man Dave Grohl, about Sound City, the fabled, L.A. music studio where everyone from Neil Young to Fleetwood Mac to Tom Petty to Johnny Cash to Charles Manson have recorded albums.

Stand Up Guys (R for profanity, sexuality, violence and drug use) Mobster comedy about a recently-paroled, aging ex-con (Al Pacino) who reunites with a couple of geezer gangsters (Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin) for a last hurrah, only to end-up double-crossed by one of his buddies. With Julianna Margulies, Lucy Punch and Mark Margolis.

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. Read more reviews by Kam Williams.

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