“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was a $480 million worldwide hit, but buzz-averse distributor 20th Century Fox rolled out the movie in early August with a blitz of TV advertising but otherwise so little fanfare (as per their usual operating procedure, screenings for critics were “opt-in,” and additionally hush-hush) that a lot of more savvy filmgoers who perhaps look to advance reviews and feature coverage peeks as signs of studio confidence in the marketplace thought the movie was a brainless dud. Far from it, actually. Director Rupert Wyatt’s reboot of Tim Burton’s reboot of Fox’s second most well known franchise property (not counting “Star Wars,” which they don’t own)…

Movies like “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” aren’t necessarily made for critics, who are frequently presumed to have it in for live-action family films, with their primary colors and jokey, obvious set-ups for the lowest common denominator. And director Mark Waters’ film, starring Jim Carrey as a realtor who inherits a half dozen penguins and finds his swank New York penthouse apartment turned into a raucous, chilly wonderland, is certainly not a subtle thing. But it is sweet, and has a heart, and it also benefits in comparison to many movies of its ilk by the use of actual real, live animals rather than talking critters or overly slick CGI creations. Based on the…

In a business that frequently has the tendency to disproportionately celebrate the contributions only of above-the-line talent, a big part of the allure of something like “African Cats” lies in its below-the-line artisans. An engaging, gorgeously photographed nature documentary that puts audiences on Kenyan plains in stunning fashion amidst its title subjects, this Disneynature title only stumbles in its willful insistence on imposing a family-friendly narrative on footage that is more than capable on its own, with less artificial constraints. What does that mean, straight to the point? Less, or none, of Samuel L. Jackson’s narration, dripping as it is with exaggerated tones that needlessly attempt to dictate mood. Granted, he’s given…

From both Sundance Film Festival and SXSW Film Festivals, the thriller “Bellflower” from first time director Evan Glodell, is now available on both DVD and Blu-Ray. Making his debut, Glodell didn’t just work behind the camera, he also stars in the movie. NBC Miami reports that Glodell worked eight years on the film and invented his own camera. The high adrenaline flick follows “best friends Woodrow and Aiden,” who “spend all of their free time building MAD MAX-inspired flamethrowers and muscle cars in preparation for a global apocalypse. But when Woodrow meets a charismatic young woman and falls hard in love, he and Aiden quickly integrate into a new group…

Directed by “Ice Age”‘s Carlos Saldanha, animated family film “Rio” centers on a rare, domesticated macaw, Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, who must have beaten out a crestfallen Simon LeBon), who lives an easy life in Minnesota. Believing he’s the last of his kind, Blu has never spread his wings and learned to fly — both figuratively and literally. When he learns of a female counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway), however, Blu sets off a wild adventure and makes some new friends along the way. The supporting vocal performance (from George Lopez, Tracy Morgan and Jamie Foxx, among others) are energetic and peppy, but not always…

Our DVD release selections for the week of October 12th are “Lost Boys: The Thirst” starring genre favorite Corey Feldman, “Ghost Whisperer: The Final Season” starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, “The Darjeeling Limited” from director Wes Anderson, “As Good As Dead” starring Cary Elwes (Saw 3D) and the period films “Carnies” starring Doug Jones and Reggie Bannister and “Jonah Hex” starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich and Megan Fox. Here’s the complete synopsis and trailers. Title: Lost Boys: The Thirst Synopsis: When veteran vampire hunter Edgar Frog finds himself destitute and almost friendless, he thinks his live has hit bottom – but wealthy vampire-romance novelist Gwen Liebling offers him a small fortune…

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (March 9, 2009) – Gil Bellows (TV’s “Ally McBeal”), Golden Globe nominee Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), Golden Globe and Emmy-nominee Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, Death Becomes Her) and Maxim Roy (A Woman Hunted) star in the sci-fi thriller Infected, debuting on DVD May 19 from Genius Products and RHI Entertainment. Ben (Bellows) and Lisa (Roy), disgruntled reporters for The Boston Daily, are looking for stories to match their ambitions. They find the story of a lifetime when the mayor is assassinated-not by a crazed gun nut, but by a terrified man desperate to stop an alien invasion of “infectious” proportions. Starting in the highest echelon of…

Actors: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender Director: James Watkins Synopsis: Like a bad dream turned worst nightmare, Eden Lake is a “relentlessly tense and immaculately paced” (Twitch Film) horror-thriller about modern youth gone wild. When a young couple goes to a remote wooded lake for a romantic getaway, their quiet weekend is shattered by an aggressive group of local kids. Rowdiness quickly turns to rage as the teens terrorize the couple in unimaginable ways, and a weekend outing becomes a bloody battle for survival. Eden Lake is “fierce, thought-provoking … and genuinely shocking” (Time Out London). Writer: James Watkins Producer: Christian Colson, Richard Holmes Genre: Horror, Thriller Street Date: January 6,…

Actors: Kevin Bacon, Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Robbi Morgan, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor, Ari Lehman, Ronn Carroll, Peter Brouwer, Sally Anne Golden, Walter Gorney, Ron Millkie, Rex Everhart Director: Sean S. Cunningham Synopsis: Terror and suspense abound in this 24-hour nightmare of blood. Camp Crystal Lake has been shuttered for over 20 years due to several vicious and unsolved murders. The camp’s new owner and seven young counselors are readying the property for re-opening despite warnings of a “death curse” by local residents. The curse proves true on Friday the 13th as one by one each of the counselors is stalked by a violent killer. This…

From Su-chang Kong, director of the critically acclaimed Korean shocker ‘R-Point’, comes THE GUARD POST (aka GP506), a similarly genre-bending foray into the cinema of fear that further cements his reputation as one of the most original filmmakers working in Asian cinema today. Already a hit on DVD, THE GUARD POST is now coming to Blu-ray, adding a whole new in-your-face dimension to this gore-drenched chiller. Combining the claustrophobic atmospherics of ‘The Orphanage’ with the tense paranoia of ‘The Thing’, Kong’s latest is part murder-mystery, part horror story – a terrifying tale of a group of soldiers caught up in a mysterious and haunting vortex of desperate alienation and homicidal…