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$5 a Day
USA, 2008, 90 min.
An aging con artist (Christopher Walken) bamboozles his estranged son into a long-distance road trip. The course of their journey provides an opportunity for the hilarious playing out of audacious scams and ultimately, filial reconciliation.... more
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Adam Resurrected
USA, 2008, 106 min.
Paul Schrader's brilliant new work tells the story of Adam Stein, who grapples with a paralytic case of survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of the Holocaust. An extraordinary performance by Jeff Goldblum captures the essence of the complex central character.... more
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Adopt a Sailor
USA, 2008, 86 min.
Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Coyote and Ethan Peck (grandson of Gregory) are featured in this witty dramedy about a dysfunctional New York couple who inadvertently "adopt" a sailor during Fleet Week and find themselves changing in unpredictable ways, thanks to the presence of the young sailor.... more
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Alien Trespass
USA, 2009, 90 min.
1957. A fiery object from space hurtles into a California desert mountaintop. A murderous creature — the Ghota, bent on destroying all life forms on the planet — escapes from the flying saucer. A benevolent alien, Urp, inhabits the body of Ted Lewis and sets out to save mankind.... more
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American Primitive
USA, 2009, 93 min.
Alternately funny and heartbreaking, American Primitive tells the story of the havoc that surrounds a teenaged girl's life when she discovers her widowed father is gay. Inspired by true events, the film is set against the backdrop of the changing sexual identity of the '70s.... more
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At the Edge of the World
USA, 2008, 92 min.
An exhilarating portrait of a group of environmentalists, led by controversial activist Paul Watson, who sail the Antarctic Ocean under the Jolly Roger and do actual battle with Japanese whaling vessels. This ethically provocative documentary examines going outside the law to stop a greater crime.... more
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Baghdad, Texas
USA, 2009, 93 min.
A Middle Eastern dictator, fleeing his occupied country, finds himself near the Mexican border after his plane crashes. Struck by a truck driven by three cowboys, he is taken back to their exotic game ranch where they slowly discover his identity.... more
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Bart Got a Room
USA, 2008, 80 min.
Danny Stein wants what most of the guys at his school want on prom night: a little action from a hot girl. But with the clock ticking and viable girls getting snatched up, Danny's search for the perfect date becomes more desperate, and more hilarious.... more
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Bedford: The Town They Left Behind
USA, 2009, 75 min.
During WWII, Bedford, Virginia was a town of a few thousand residents, 19 of whom lost their lives in the D-Day invasion — a higher proportion than any other place in the US. This film examines the lives of those who died and those who survived, as well as Bedford's role in current conflicts.... more
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Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
USA, 2008, 86 min.
Joan Allen narrates this powerful film about the remarkable life of Hannah Senesh — a 23-year-old Hungarian writer living in Palestine in 1944, who volunteered for a doomed mission to try to rescue Jews in Budapest. Revelatory archival footage and moving interviews combine to great effect.... more
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Blue Gold: World Water Wars
USA, 2008, 89 min.
Wars of the future will be fought over water, not oil, as this liquid source of all life enters the global marketplace and political arena. Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management. Can the human race survive? Environmental Audience Award, Vancouver Film Festival.... more
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The Blue Tooth Virgin
USA, 2008, 80 min.
When aspiring screenwriter Sam gets negative feedback on his latest opus from his best bud, the bad news infects every aspect of Sam's identity — including his marriage — forcing him to evaluate the real motivations behind his ambition.... more
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The Burning Plain
USA, 2008, 111 min.
Starring Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger and excellent newcomer Jennifer Lawrence, Babel screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga's first feature relates how the sins of an earlier generation are visited upon the young and how we are all, essentially, connected.... more
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Cat City
USA, 2009, 95 min.
This film noir crime thriller, set amid the trappings of wealth and the high life in Palm Springs, makes excellent use of its sun-drenched local backdrop to spin its tale of infidelity, deceit, greed and murder in the world of high-rolling developers and low-life financial backers.... more
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Creative Nature
USA, 2008, 83 min.
William Morris' fantastical glass creations have secured him a reputation in the field second only to his mentor Dale Chihuly. This engaging portrait of the man and his work shows Morris' love of craftsmanship and history, and his extraordinary engagement with the natural world.... more
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Dark and Stormy Night
USA, 2009, 92 min.
Hollywood satirist par excellence Larry Blamire returns again with his biggest and funniest film yet, Dark and Stormy Night, a lovingly faithful recreation of those 1930s old-dark-house movies, with every cliché and stereotype hilariously brought to life.... more
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Em
USA, 2008, 93 min.
Josh and Amanda share a strong mutual attraction. Their instant chemistry blooms into a deeper attachment, but Josh soon realizes that his perfect mate may be more of an emotional handful than he bargained for.... more
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Eugene
USA, 2009, 85 min.
Jake Barsha's feature debut is a brilliantly disturbing psychological thriller about a lonely bachelor who befriends a young hustler and his girlfriend, with disastrous results for all involved. Strong performances support Eugene's taut script and beautiful camerawork.... more
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for my wife...
USA, 2008, 75 min.
David Rothmiller's unique documentary humanizes the struggle for full LGBT marriage equality through the story of Kate Fleming and Charlene Strong. After Kate's death, Charlene was instrumental in getting Washington state to pass equality legislation.... more
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Frank the Rat
USA, 2009, 82 min.
Billy and Lisa haven't seen each other in years when Lisa shows up at Billy’s rundown Brooklyn basement apartment with a plan: Track down Frank (the titular Rat), the father they last saw 20 years ago. It's not necessarily a good plan, and it's certainly not going to go as they expect.... more
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The Garden
USA, 2008, 80 min.
This 14-acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles is the largest urban farm in the US. Rising out of the ashes of the devastating riots in '92, its creation was a testament to the resilience of the community. Then the city sold it to a developer. Best US Documentary, Silverdocs.... more
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Giving It Up
USA, 2008, 84 min.
A feature length documentary shot from inside the belly of the beast (aka Hollywood) that gives a rare behind-the-scenes view of the most publicized and criticized group of working photographers in the world today -- the paparazzi.... more
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Goodbye Solo
USA, 2008, 91 min.
Solo (Souléymane Sy Savané), a Senegalese taxi driver living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, strikes up a relationship with a 70-year-old passenger (Red West) who is bent on suicide.... more
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The Great Buck Howard
USA, 2008, 91 min.
When Troy drops out of law school to work in showbiz, catering to the diva-like demands of a washed-up magician was hardly what he had in mind. John Malkovich revels in his hilarious, over-the-top performance as an old-school showman.... more
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Herb and Dorothy
USA, 2008, 91 min.
Herb and Dorothy Vogel, he a postal clerk and she a librarian, through tenacity and a love for beauty, went on to collect more than 4,000 pieces of minimalist and conceptual art. Their stories make Megumi Sasaki's film endlessly fascinating.... more
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Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner
USA, 2009, 90 min.
"The purpose of architecture is to create timeless, free, joyous spaces for all activities in life." That was visionary genius John Lautner's credo, and the guiding principle of this stunning tribute. After breaking with his mentor Frank Lloyd Wright, Lautner went on to build an amazing legacy.... more
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The Inheritance of War
USA, 2009, 72 min.
When Palm Desert attorney James Parkinson took on the case of a group of WWII POWs looking to sue the Japanese companies who used them as slave laborers, his life was changed forever. An eye-opening account of a little-known chapter of the war — the Bataan Death March.... more
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Jolene
USA, 2008, 118 min.
Based on a short story by E. L. Doctorow (Ragtime), Jolene is the tale of a young woman's 10-year odyssey traveling cross-country in search of love and independence.... more
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Last Chance Harvey
USA, 2008, 92 min.
Harvey (Dustin Hoffman) is no stranger to disappointment, but today may be the worst day of his life. Drowning his sorrows at London Heathrow Airport, Harvey strikes up a conversation with Kate (Emma Thompson), whose wit and compassion slowly lure him out of his misery.... more
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The Least among You
USA, 2009, 97 min.
This powerfully moving debut film is based on a true story. A young man railroaded by the police after the 1965 Watts riots must survive a year's probation at an all-white seminary.... more
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Leaving Barstow
USA, 2008, 90 min.
A bright high school senior without a real sense of direction, Andrew lives with his young mom, but for years the roles of parent and child have been reversed. With the arrival of mom's hunky new boy-toy Cody, Andrew must choose between his own ambitions and his devotion to the people he loves.... more
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Like Dandelion Dust
USA, 2009, 100 min.
Wendy Porter gave up her newborn for adoption six years ago when her husband Rip went away to prison. Now Rip's free, and he's using a legal loophole to pluck his son from his upper-crust adoptive parents.... more
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Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
USA, 2008, 93 min.
Trailing two new recruits and two veteran aid workers at field hospitals in Liberia and the Congo, this candid and often shocking documentary gets inside the minds of the volunteers of Doctors Without Borders — people who push their own limits to make a difference.... more
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Maynard Dixon: Art and Spirit
USA, 2008, 67 min.
Narrated by Diane Keaton (a collector of Maynard Dixon's paintings), this painstakingly researched documentary provides a rare insight into of one of the West's most influential artists. Illustrated with more than 400 works, and featuring fascinating interviews with family and friends.... more
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Midnight Cowboy
USA, 1969, 113 min.
The first and only X-rated movie ever to win an Oscar for best picture and director, Midnight Cowboy became a box office phenomenon upon its release in 1969, and broke major new cultural ground at the same time.... more
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Nerdcore Rising
USA, 2008, 82 min.
Palm Springs native Negin Farsad makes an auspicious directorial debut with this vastly entertaining filmic treat that follows MC Frontalot in his first national tour with his band, unveiling the roots of their genre, the dorky complexities of its artists, and one MC's fight for nerd stardom.... more
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No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
USA, 2008, 97 min.
No Subtitles Necessary traces the lives and careers of legendary cinematographers Laszlo Kovaks and Vilmos Zsigmond using archival footage and interviews with a mix of iconic "New Hollywood" and contemporary movie figures including Peter Fonda, Sharon Stone, John Voight, Barbara Streisand, Pe... more
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Pedro
USA, 2008, 93 min.
Diagnosed with HIV before even graduating high school, Pedro Zamora dedicated his remaining years to raising awareness and understanding of the disease. Openly gay, Pedro became a spokesperson for his community and won the hearts of millions through his stint on MTV's "The Real World."... more
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Pray the Devil Back to Hell
USA, 2008, 86 min.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the moving account of the women of Liberia who, after decades of watching their families slaughtered by bloodthirsty warlords, banded together for peace. Gini Reticker's stunning film serves as a testament to humanity's best in the face of humanity's worst.... more
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Prodigal Sons
USA, 2008, 86 min.
Kimberly Reed returns home to a small town in Montana for her high school reunion, hoping for reconciliation with her long-estranged adopted brother. But along the way Prodigal Sons uncovers stunning revelations.... more
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Ready? OK!
USA, 2008, 93 min.
Much to the consternation of his Catholic school, young Joshua wants to be a cheerleader and enjoys dressing like Maria von Trapp. With the help of an understanding uncle and a very tasteful neighbor, Joshua is determined to high-kick and cartwheel with the best of them in this charming comedy.... more
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Route 30
USA, 2008, 88 min.
"Three Stories, One Highway" is the tagline to John Putch's (Mojave Phonebooth) magnificently loopy comedy featuring a brilliant ensemble cast of familiar character actors. The interweaving stories are presented with a wry humor that never fails to find humanity in the oddball characters.... more
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ShowGirls, Provincetown, MA
USA, 2009, 72 min.
This giddily entertaining overview of Provincetown's annual stage review scales the heights and plumbs the depths of that bucolic seaside town's legendary Monday night show, which takes place under the auspices of drag guru Ryan Landry, along with a number of his perennial drag cohorts.... more
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Sugar
USA, 2007, 114 min.
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's (Half Nelson) new film tells the dramatically perfect — no clichés here — story of a 19-year-old Dominican baseball pitcher trying to make it. An example of humanist filmmaking at its best, it stars newcomer Algenis Perez Soto as Sugar.... more
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Sunshine Cleaning
USA, 2008, 102 min.
Alan Arkin, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Christine Jeffs' edgy comedic romp about two underachieving sisters (Adams and Blunt) with a cranky, scheming father (Arkin) who decide to get into the business of "crime-scene cleanup."... more
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Tales from the Script
USA, 2009, 116 min.
So you wanna write movies? Dozens of America's top screenwriters share their war stories about being the low person on the Hollywood totem pole in this insightful documentary, fueled by the wry wit and self-deprecating humor of its subjects.... more
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This Dust of Words
USA, 2008, 60 min.
A prodigiously creative intellectual with a 200 IQ, Elizabeth Wiltsee was a voracious reader, a voluminous writer and a standout student at Stanford University. Decades later, she was homeless, her beautiful mind ravaged by mental illness.... more
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An Unlikely Weapon
USA, 2008, 85 min.
Driven by perfectionism and a fiercely independent spirit, photojournalist Eddie Adams worked in both celebrity photography and war photography, shooting 13 wars, six presidents, and 50 years of movie stars. But his most famous photograph haunted his conscience until the day he died.... more
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(Untitled)
USA, 2009, 96 min.
(Untitled) provides a wry comedic take on the foibles of the contemporary art scene set against the backdrop of the New York City gallery world. Two brothers personify the intersection of art and commerce.... more
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Valentino: The Last Emperor
USA, 2008, 96 min.
Valentino has built his career making women look beautiful while forging a global brand out of the refined art of haute couture. This cheeky and affectionate documentary also charts the mutual dependency and tensions in Valentino's 45-year association with Giancarlo Giammetti.... more
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