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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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$9.99
Israel, 2008, 78 min.
A stop-motion animated film with a decided undertone of irony and wit, Tatia Rosenthal's surprising film uses puppets to bring to life a quirky set of characters inhabiting a Tel Aviv building.... 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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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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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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Cape No. 7
Taiwan, 2008, 129 min.
A big-hearted let's-put-on-a-show comedy centered on a despondent musician who gets his mojo back with a band of eccentric amateurs in his provincial hometown. This charmer won Best Film at the Hawaii Film Festival.... 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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A Deal Is a Deal
United Kingdom, 2008, 95 min.
Sad-sack London Underground driver Paul (Mackenzie Crook) has had two people commit suicide beneath his train in a week. When he learns that a third within in a month would result in a handsome pension, he goes looking. Enter depressed Tommy (veteran Colm Meaney) who agrees to a deal. Or does he?... more
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Dean Spanley
New Zealand, 2008, 99 min.
Featuring a career-capping performance by Peter O'Toole and a magical mélange of fine wine, canines and eccentric behavior, Dean Spanley is a rare pleasure. Based on the book by Lord Dunsany, the film transports us to Edwardian England, with surprising tolerance for the outlandish.... more
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Dunya & Desie
Netherlands, 2008, 97 min.
A heartwarming comedy/road movie centering on the 18-year-old best friends of the title, Dunya & Desie touches on issues of family and fitting in, negotiating parental expectations, and what it means to straddle two worlds with grace and élan.... more
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Eldorado
Belgium, 2008, 80 min.
A heroin addict and the lonely car dealer whom he has just tried to burgle end up taking an eventful road trip together in actor-director Bouli Lanners' small but damn near perfectly formed seriocomedy.... 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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Grown Ups
France, 2008, 84 min.
A single French father and his shy teen daughter discover romance — and deal with a shift in their own relationship — during a Swedish summer holiday. Debuting director Anna Novion proves an astute observer of human interactions in this wistfully charming comic drama.... more
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It's Not Me, I Swear!
Canada, 2008, 108 min.
1968. While his parents' marriage disintegrates, 10-year-old Leon busies himself with vandalism, theft, running away, breaking and entering — and failed suicide attempts. But his vivid imagination and growing crush on his exasperating neighbor, Léa, help him overcome the pain of growing up.... more
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Kisses
Ireland, 2008, 72 min.
Two feisty Irish preteens flee their abusive homes at Christmas. Arriving in Dublin, they spend all they have on new running shoes and clothes, but as the night wears on, the fun starts to wear thin.... more
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Marcello Marcello
Switzerland, 2008, 97 min.
Denis Rabaglia's heartwarming romantic comedy, set on the Italian island of Amatrello in 1956, follows the fortunes of young Marcello, who, in order to win the heart of the lovely Elena (the mayor's daughter, no less) must follow a gift-giving tradition.... more
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Melodrama Habibi
France, 2008, 98 min.
A comedy with heart, Lyes Salem's tale focuses on an Algerian village and, more specifically, headstrong villager Mounir (played by the director), whose every attempt to be taken seriously is undermined by his equally headstrong — and narcoleptic — sister.... more
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Moscow, Belgium
Belgium, 2008, 102 min.
The story of an unlikely romance that develops between Matty, a mother of three, and Johnny, a younger truck driver. In a variation of "meeting cute," Matty's car hits Johnny's truck in a suburban supermarket parking lot and the cops have to break up their ensuing fight.... 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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O'Horten
Norway, 2007, 91 min.
Locomotive engineer Odd Horten's entire life has been governed by a strict train schedule. But after 40 years of driving one route, he's more than a little lost upon his retirement.... more
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A Pain in the Ass
France, 2008, 84 min.
A cold-as-ice assassin and an incompetent would-be suicide make up the very odd couple at the heart of Francis Veber's frothy French farce. Adjoining hotel rooms bring them together, and riotous complications cement the relationship.... 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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The Rest Is Silence
Romania, 2007, 140 min.
A fictionalized account of the making of Romania's first feature film, the 1912 epic The War of Independence, itself a lavish recreation of Romania's struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877.... more
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Robert Zimmermann Is Tangled Up in Love
Germany, 2008, 102 min.
The times they are a-changin' for 26-year-old hipster videogame designer Robert. As relationships all around him are crumbling, he serendipitously meets Monika. She's warm, she's beautiful -- and she's old enough to be his mother. Can love bridge the generation gap?... 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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Stone of Destiny
Canada, 2008, 96 min.
Charles Martin Smith brings a fine wit and charm to spare to this tale, based in truth. The Coronation Stone—the “stone of destiny”—was used in Scotland for centuries to crown the heads of the land. Then the English stole it. In 1950, four Scottish students hatch a plan to steal it back.... 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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Tricks
Poland, 2007, 96 min.
A fatherless boy tries to tempt fate in this pitch-perfect portrait of working-class life in a provincial town — and of growing up as the much younger brother of an adored older sister. Winner, Best Film, Miami Film Festival; Best Cinematography and Critics' Award, Gdynia.... 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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Václav
Czech Republic, 2007, 97 min.
An unorthodox and involving rural drama, culled from true events, that blends elements of Rain Man and My Sweet Little Village. Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Shanghai International Film Festival.... more
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We Can Do That
Italy, 2008, 111 min.
A group of mentally disabled people become specialists in "mosaic parquet," thanks to Nello, a stubborn and passionate guy who believes they need help and understanding, not only pills and isolation. A soulful, funny and moving modern fairy tale.... more
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When a Man Comes Home
Denmark, 2007, 93 min.
A small Danish town is buzzing with excitement: The town's most illustrious son, a world-famous opera singer, is coming home. Meanwhile, Sebastian, an almost-married kitchen boy, falls head over heels for the new maid.... more
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