An assassin hiding out in an Italian village while he anticipates his last-ever assignment tempts fate by seeking out the friendship of a priest (Bonacelli) as well as the affection of a local woman (Placido).
Buzz:
Renown music-video director Anton Corbijn created an art-scene frenzy with his Joy Division biography, Control, back in 2007/08. Without any intended irony, we love that this production is so non-American (Hollywood) in its casting. All of the players surrounding Clooney should vie for the spotlight here, especially Thekla Reuten (if you've seen In Bruges, you'll know who she is) and the sensation-causing Violante Placido. Meanwhile, screenwriter Rowan Joffe has our attention, but more so for another 2010 film, Brighton Rock, his adaptation of Graham Greene's novel, which also finds him making his debut as director.
After being betrayed by the organization who hired him, an ex-Federale (Trejo) launches a brutal rampage of revenge against the people who double-crossed him.
Buzz:
Historically, Labor Day tends to be a snoozefest in terms of new releases, but not this year, since Robert Rodriguez's long-awaited Planet Terror spin-off is finally set for release, in the wake of The Expendables' success, no less ... Danny Trejo's knife-wielding character was generating his own folklore, as it appeared the project was just another one of Rodriguez's great genre ideas, but everything came together in mid-2009 as cameras rolled that July in Austin. We're psyched for the Lindsay Lohanness, but really we're primed for more Cherry Darling and Jessica Alba playing opposing twin sisters. We hope the franchise talk -- both Rodriguez and Trejo have a trilogy in mind -- comes to fruition. Can we start to dream about Sin City 2 again?
A hard-boiled detective (Dillon) gets in between a group of bank robbers and their plan to make away with a $20 million bounty.
Buzz:
Matt Dillon is back on the right side of the law after Armored, but the real question here is: How do you promote a movie featuring one currently incarcerated musician/actor (T.I.) and post-Rihanna Chris Brown, whose fame allotment has been nearly drained. Suddenly, heist movies don't seem fun anymore.
A troubled evangelical minister (Fabian) agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew, where a possessed young (Bell) brings him face to face with the devil himself.
Buzz:
Eli Roth (in producer mode here) and Lionsgate are testing the Paranormal Activity theorem here: can you turn a low-budget horror/thriller with no stars into a hit? Director Daniel Stamm caused a minor genre stir back in 2008/2009 with A Necessary Death; screenwriters Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland are back in theaters on September 10 (as co-directors) with a completely different project, The Virginity Hit, and we think they had something to do with this viral video. Funny or Dead?
A romantic comedy centered on a guy (Long) and a gal (Barrymore) who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between Chicago and Los Angeles to see one another.
Buzz:
Drew Barrymore and Justin Long's on/off/on romance is like a real-life Paper Heart. Maybe that's what attracted documentarian Nanette Burstein (American Teen, The Kid Stays in the Picture) to make the jump to feature filmmaking.
The fearless Barney Ross (Stallone) leads a team of mercenaries on a mission to South America, where their objective -- to overthrow a ruthless dictator -- is more dangerous than the men realize.
Buzz:
Scott Pilgrim and Elizabeth Gilbert might find themselves defeated by a handful of old guys this weekend. My only questions here: Why did Sylvester Stallone not turn this screenplay into Rambo V? And who thought the name Barney Ross sounded tough?
Detectives Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) might not be New York City's finest, but when they discover a path that leads directly to one the city's biggest criminals, they seize the opportunity to become supercops.
Buzz:
Will Ferrell looks to put Land of the Lost behind him with a can't-miss late-summer comedy directed by his best handler, Adam McKay. Though New York City wasn't so kind to Ferrell the last time around. Funny that this will be the movie to topple Inception from its position atop the box-office.
While trying to get pregnant, a happily married woman (Roberts) realizes her life needs to go in a different direction, and after a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey.
Buzz:
While Liz Gilbert liberates herself on her globe-spanning trip, Julia Roberts might be feeling the pressure to deliver a major box-office hit, since Sex and the City 2 derailed the momentum earned by Mamma Mia!, Julie & Julia, and other "women's films". Still wondering what attracted subversive writer/director Ryan Murphy ("Glee", "Nip/Tuck") to the project, but I'm more curious whether Ms. Robert's let actual mosquitoes feast on her in India.Will Murphy + Roberts reunite for a second movie? They are both attached to an untitled romantic comedy where an executive learns to readjust to life at home with her kids after losing her job -- sort of like if Danny Moder became the breadwinner of the Roberts household.P.S. Did you know you can purchase the aromas of Ms. Gilbert's reawakening?
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Studio:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Plot:
Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a thief who specializes in the art of extraction, the stealing of secrets from a target's subconscious. Though his profession cost him everything he has ever loved and has turned him into a fugitive, an offer for a final job -- one that requires him to plant an idea instead of pilfering it -- could be his chance at redemption.
Buzz:
Our founder has already called this "the movie of the decade".
Nanny McPhee (Thompson) arrives to help a harried young mother, Mrs. Green (Gyllenhaal), with running the family farm while her husband is away at war. With Mrs. Green's children waging a personal war with their two spoiled cousins, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach the kids five important new lessons.
Buzz:
A sequel? Surely. While the original Nanny McPhee wasn't a textbook blockbuster, it earned over $100 million in theaters (worldwide) on a reported budget of $25 million. Maybe Nanny McPhee teaches economic lessons to the farm kids here.
Bringing home the bacon used to be a noble thing. Today, it’s considered a health hazard.
So what’s a bacon lover to do? Read the nutrition labels and use common sense.
The good news is that bacon is so loaded with flavor a little bit goes
a long way. Using just a bit to garnish a salad or speckle a meatloaf
or burger can feel indulgent without ruining a diet.
Also look for center-cut varieties, which often have less fat and fewer calories per serving than the regular stuff. Low-sodium variations also are available.
And consider poultry-based bacons, which can be surprisingly good. Just be sure to read the labels and compare the amounts of fat, saturated fat and sodium. Some turkey bacons, for instance, have as much fat per serving as pork varieties.
This double chicken club sandwich with saffron aioli makes a great packed lunch or light supper for a busy school night. It has a sophisticated flavor adults will love, but can easily be tailored to younger tastes by using lettuce rather than arugula and subbing plain mayo for the saffron aioli.
The sandwich was developed using Murray’s Uncured Chicken Bacon, a low-fat variety that has nice flavor and crisps up quite well. It has just 35 calories per ounce, compared to several hundred for pork. If you can't find it in your market, use center-cut pork bacon or one of the leaner varieties of turkey bacon.
DOUBLE CHICKEN CLUB WITH SAFFRON AIOLI
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
(4 to 5 threads)
2 teaspoons warm water
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Ground black pepper, to taste
6 ounces chicken or turkey bacon
8 slices whole-grain sandwich bread
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken breast
2 cups arugula or leaf lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 small avocado, sliced (optional)
In a small bowl, combine the saffron and warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a blender or mini food processor, combine the saffron mixture, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and garlic, then blend until smooth. Season with pepper to taste. Set aside. The aioli can be store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.
Cook the chicken (or turkey) bacon according to package instructions. Toast the bread.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread some of the saffron aioli on each piece of toast. Divide the bacon, sliced chicken breast, arugula (or lettuce), tomato and avocado (if using) among 4 slices of toast; top with the remaining toast.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 398 calories; 172 calories from fat; 19 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 6 g fiber; 1,535 mg sodium.
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