Unattributed film synopses indicate movies not yet reviewed by HW staff.

Indicates films of particular interest

Opening

The Box A square, sci-fi thriller full of nonsensical twists and Pandora-esque turns. A mysterious box arrives at a couple’s home with promises of wealth–will they take it at the expense of someone’s life? Directed by Richard Donnie Darko Kelly.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol See review on page 25.

The Fourth KindParanormal Activity meets Whiteout in this sci-fi horror mockumentary that hop scotches between archival footage and a staged dramatization of events. When a disproportionate number of people begin disappearing in a small Alaskan town, it could only mean one thing: aliens!

Gentleman Broncos An outcast gets his script plagiarized by an acclaimed novelist at a Fantasy writing camp, setting off a montage involving transvestites in tutus and a flying stuffed deer. By way of explanation, it’s from the guys who brought you Napoleon Dynamite, which is both warning and incentive.

The Men Who Stare at Goats Instead of nuclear missiles and stronger tanks, a U.S. military unit decides that the road to victory lies in Tarot cards, crystal balls and paranormal intuition. Based on a true story so bizzare it can’t be fake, starring Ewan McGregor and George Clooney.

Continuing

Amelia A soaring biopic chronicling the life of Amelia Earhart, the brazen pioneer of the aviation movement who disappeared while attempting to circumnavigate the world. Hilary Swank, who bears a striking resemblance to Earhart, stars, alongside Richard Gere as Earhart’s husband.

Amreeka Muna, a single mom, leaves the West Bank with her teenage son and settles into small town Illinois. An immigrant story that takes cues from The Joy Luck Club, both poignant and enlightening. Winner of the Critics’ Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Astro Boy Based on the Japanese manga franchise of the same name. Freddie Highmore is Astro Boy, a young, computer-animated robot who looks freakishly like Bob’s Big Boy (maybe it’s his day job).

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant When a traveling freak show–think Cirque Du Soleil on acid–rolls into town, one teenager trades in his Top-Siders for a pair of vampire fangs.

Coco Before Chanel See review on page 23.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It Is this it? Just when you thought the hyperactive vacuum of Jackson media coverage had subsided comes this glitzy, dance-inducing concert doc, which follows the King of Pop as he crotch-grabs and moonwalks his way through a strenuous run of rehearsals leading up to his death.

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning See review online at [honoluluweekly.com].

Paranormal Activity The latest low-budget home-camcorder horror flick to arrive amidst gigabytes of Internet hype. While the scares are a smidgen obvious, the experience is still fun as theater audiences collectively scare each other with their screams. –Ryan Senaga

Saw VI Yes, you already saw it–five times–though if that wasn’t enough, watch as Jigsaw performs his usual shtick: slicing, dicing and mincing his way through human flesh.

A Serious Man A bleak, cynical comedy à la American Beauty, set in a Midwestern suburb in 1967. Larry Gopnik, a physics professor, is in the throes of an existential crisis, forcing him to seek advice from three rabbis. From the Academy Award-winning Coen brothers.

Still Walking The Yokohama family reunion turns out to be a dysfunctional, awkward and–surprise–uplifting affair. A drama that reveals the nuances of familial secrecy and resentments set amid Japanese austerity.

The Stepfather A boy returns home after serving in the military and suspects something’s a little “off” about his new stepfather–like he’s a psychopathic serial killer out for blood (or something). A remake of the 1987 horror film of the same name.

Where the Wild Things Are A film that’s rich, compelling, disturbing and ultimately, a quiet triumph amidst the rumpus. –R.S.

Zombieland As one of Columbus’ rules states, we should enjoy the little things, and there are a lot of little moments to enjoy in this horror/comedy/road movie. –Dean Carrico

Doris Duke Theatre

K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (Japan, 2008) A circus acrobat, played by heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro, is mistaken for a thief and imprisoned, resulting in a thrilling spectacle for redemption. Based on the “retro-futuristic” romance novel by Soh Kitamura.

Wed 11/4, Thu 11/5, Fri 11/6, Sat 11/7, Sun 11/8 & Tue 11/10, 1pm, 4pm & 7:30pm.

Movie Museum

How to Get Ahead in Advertising (U.K., 1989) Lie, cheat and manipulate. At least that’s what Denis Bagley thinks until he develops a boil on his neck that starts speaking, preventing him from creating more misleading ads. A satire on consumerism.

Thu 11/5, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm & 8:30pm.

Buffalo Soldiers (U.K./Germany, 2001) No, this dark comedy has nothing to do with Bob Marley. Joaquin Phoenix stars as an American GI who runs a drug ring in Germany just before the fall of the wall. A Sergeant, privy to his activities, sets off a showdown. Shown in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Fri 11/6 & Mon 11/9, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm & 8:30pm.

The Lives of Others (Germany, 2006) In the mid ’80s, lust, jealousy and manipulation take center stage at a theater in East Berlin, where a successful playwright has an affair with his leading lady. Winner of the Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Sat 11/7, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm & 8pm.

Good Bye Lenin! (Germany,

2003) A woman (a communist) falls into a coma shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, then reawakens too fragile to cope with the drastic changes that have transpired. In order to keep her alive, her son must insulate her in a fictitious bubble, a feat both comical and touching.

Sun 11/8, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm & 8pm.

Cinema Italiano in Hawaii

Take in the sites, sounds and smells of Italy’s cobblestone-studded streets at the sixth annual Italian film festival, featuring a little something for everyone. See preview on page 24.

University of Hawaii

13: Game of Death (Thailand, 2006) A stomach-churning satire on the Internet age. Based on a Thai comic-book series about an instrument salesman who gets sucked into an online game that requires him to perform increasingly gruesome and degrading tasks for money.

Wed 11/4, 6:30pm.