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Machine Gun Preacher


A former biker and drug dealer single-handedly takes on the nefarious Lord’s Resistance Army in a noble bid to save young Sudanese refugees from a life of violence and suffering. Inspired by actual events, Sam Childers is a tough-as-nails biker whose heart shatters upon witnessing the harrowing plight of children in Sudan. Determined that no child shall be enslaved by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, Childers turns to God for inspiration, and establishes an orphanage for wounded kids and child soldiers. When the Lord’s Resistance Army refuses to stand down, Childers organizes a militia to protect the children. In helping to give the orphans of war-torn Sudan a better future, the former outlaw begins to find new meaning in his own life as well. Director: Marc Forster. Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll. Rated: R. Time: 2:07.


21 Jump Street


The television series that shot Johnny Depp to stardom makes the leap to the big screen in this reboot. Schmidt and Jenko have the kind of faces that could let them pass for teenagers. Eager to prove themselves as effective policemen, the pair join the Jump Street program and go undercover to investigate a high-school drug ring. Now, the only thing more daunting than the prospect of taking on violent adolescent dope slingers is the possibility of experiencing the torture of their teenage years all over again. Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller. Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle. Rated: R. Time: 1:50.

My Week with Marilyn


Based on the famously missing chapter in Colin Clark’s memoir The Prince, the Showgirl and Me, My Week With Marilyn reveals the enchanted week that the then-lowly production assistant spent with the most famous celebrity of the era during the production of the classic 1957 comedy romance The Prince and the Showgirl. The year was 1956. Colin Clark was an ambitious 23-year-old determined to make a name for himself in film. As summer gets underway, Clark manages to land a position as a production assistant on the film The Prince and the Showgirl, starring Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier. Monroe had just gotten married to playwright Arthur Miller, and the newlyweds were on their honeymoon as production got underway. Later, when Miller leaves, young Clark seizes the opportunity to befriend the platinum blonde beauty, and give her a taste of everyday life in England — far away from the bright lights of Hollywood and the suffocating pressures of fame. Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Dougray Scott, Julia Ormond. Rated: R. Time: 1:41.

The Avengers


Marvel Studios delivers the ultimate comic-book film, which ties together such characters as Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and Thor for a big-screen franchise team-up like no other. Taking center stage this time is Nick Fury, leader of the peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury, along with former Russian spy Black Widow, recruits a super team to combat Thor’s ever-deceptive brother Loki  after he brainwashes ace archer Hawkeye while stealing a cosmic cube from an underground base. Thus the heroes must learn to work together alongside outlaw scientist Bruce Banner, who can track down the artifact’s gamma signals when he’s not hulking out into a giant green monster. Director: Joss Whedon. Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson. Rated: PG-13. Time: 2:23.

The Intruders


A mysterious beast stalks innocent children in this thriller. In the 1980s, Juan  is a young boy with an active imagination and a talent for writing stories. However, he is being terrorized by a strange creature that lurks in his room late at night and doesn’t seem to have a face. Juan’s mother Luisa comes to believe demonic forces are at work and asks a local priest to help. However, it soon becomes obvious Satan is not the one to blame. Three decades later, John and Susanna are the parents of Mia, a 13-year-old girl. John is fiercely protective of his daughter, and when she’s attacked in her room late one night, he’s determined to find whoever or whatever is responsible. As it happens, Mia is being visited by Hollowface, a monster similar to the one who was stalking Juan, and he’s just as difficult to frighten away. Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s first directorial project after his commercial breakthrough with 28 Weeks Later, Intruders was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Cast: Clive Owen, Carice van Houten, Daniel Brühl, Pilar López de Ayala, Kerry Fox. Rated: R. Time: 1:39.

50/50


Written by Will Reiser who based the film on his own experiences fighting cancer, this poignant comedy features Adam, a 27-year old public radio employee who discovers he has cancer. As his best friend Kyle tries to help out, his girlfriend Rachael proves to be a less than ideal life partner for this particular crisis. All the while, Adam’s overprotective mother Diane tries to overcome her son’s continued attempts to keep her out of his life. As Adam begins to discover how hard it is to deal with his situation, and to maintain various relationships in his life, he begins seeing a young counselor who might prove to be just as helpful personally as she is professionally. Director: Jonathan Levine. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, , Anjelica Huston. Rated: R. Time: 1:39.

Wanderlust


An overtaxed Manhattan couple move to a liberated community that rejects the rules of contemporary society. Urban power couple George and Linda are already buckling under the stress of living in the city when George loses his job. Desperate, they decide to move to Atlanta and stay with George’s obnoxious brother until they can get back on their feet. Along the way, however, they find themselves venturing into Elysium, a small, free-spirited community where money has no value, clothes are strictly optional, and everyone works together to make life more meaningful. It’s the perfect place for the  stressed-out couple to breathe deep and put their lives into perspective. But will the many temptations of the modern world ultimately prove too attractive to resist? Director: David Wain. Cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman. Rated: R. Time: 1:38