Reel Life – June 2013

Plot: If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? In ‘The Purge,’ a speculative thriller that follows one family over the course of a single night, four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home. In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.

Directed by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Lena Headey, Ethan Hawke, Max Burkholder, and Adelaide Kane

Plot: Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer-and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the university’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney Pixar’s ‘Monsters University’ is directed by Dan Scanlon (‘Cars’, ‘Mater and the Ghostlight’, and ‘Tracy’), produced by Kori Rae (‘Up’, ‘The Incredibles’, and ‘Monsters, Inc.’) and features music from future Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-inductee and award winning composer Randy Newman (‘Monsters, Inc.’ and ‘Toy Story 3’).

Directed by: Dan Scanlon
Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, and Julia Sweeney

Plot: Superman flies back onto the big screen in this Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures production directed by Zack Snyder (‘Watchmen’), produced by Christopher Nolan (‘The Dark Knight’), and featuring a screenplay by David Goyer (‘Blade’, ‘The Dark Knight’). Born on the alien planet of Krypton, Kal-El is sent by his parents to live on planet Earth, where kindly farmer Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) and his wife, Martha (Diane Lane), give him the name Clark and raise him as if he were their own son. As a young boy, Clark displays incredible superpowers that instill him with a profound sense of personal responsibility. Later, the amiable Clark (Henry Cavill) becomes a reporter for the Metropolis newspaper “The Daily Planet,” and strikes up a friendship with crackerjack journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams). But when his new world is attacked by a force that humans are powerless to defend themselves against, Clark assumes the identity of Superman and fights to protect the entire human race. Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Boardwalk Empire) co-stars as General Zod and Laurence Fishburne steps into the role of “Daily Planet” editor-in-chief Perry White. Russell Crowe and Christopher Meloni co-star.

Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, and Diane Lane

“Plot: Danielle Harris and Kane Hodder return in ‘Hatchet III and are joined by Zach Galligan (‘Gremlins’), Derek Mears (‘Friday the 13th’, ‘2009’), Caroline Williams (‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’), Sean Whalen (‘The People Under the Stairs’) and others. ‘Hatchet III’ continues the tale of the now-iconic villain Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder). As a search and recovery team heads into the haunted swamp to pick up the pieces and carnage left behind from the first two films, Marybeth (Danielle Harris) hunts down the true secret to ending the voodoo curse that has left the ghost of Victor Crowley haunting and terrorizing Honey Island Swamp for decades.

Directed by: B.J. McDonnell
Starring: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Zach Galligan, and Caroline Williams

Plot: Based on the best-selling book, ‘Syrup’ is an edgy comedy that exposes the cutthroat world of advertising through the eyes of a young prodigy chasing fame, fortune, and the woman of his dreams. Fresh out of school with a degree in marketing, Scat will do anything to prove that he has what it takes to swim with the rich and wildly successful. Scat comes up with a brilliant new product that gives new meaning to the old saying “sex sells.” He is sure it will send him right to the top…if only he can convince his boss, the beautiful and mysterious “6,” that it’s an idea worth millions. Betrayed by his best friend “Sneaky Pete,” Scat stumbles through an industry riddled with deception. As he begins to realize that fame and fortune have cost him his morality, he must rediscover his true self behind the elaborate image he has created or risk losing the love of his life. In a world where the average person sees over eight hundred ads in a single day, ‘Syrup’ takes a biting look at the insidious-and often ridiculous-side of advertising. Crackling with romance and humor, this razor-sharp satire leaves you guessing and laughing until the end.

Directed by: Aram Rappaport
Starring: Amber Heard, Brittany Snow, Kellan Lutz, and Shiloh Fernandez