2004 Least Anticipated Movies (Page #5)

U.S. Army Major Bennett Marco can't sleep at night—and he doesn't want to. Marco spends his days giving inspiring speeches about his platoon's ambush in the Kuwaiti desert and the heroics of Sergeant Raymond Shaw, who won the Medal of Honor for saving Marco's crew. But at night, Marco's dreamlike memories of the desert turn sinister and terrifying. And Marco privately wonders whether the two soldiers who died in the firefight might have met darker fates than officially recorded—and whether Shaw might not be the glorious hero that everyone thinks he is. When Shaw takes the national stage as a surefire candidate for vice president—under the thumb of his controversial mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw—Marco is forced to act on his growing suspicions. With military officials questioning his sanity, and the net of security tightening around Shaw, Marco races to probe deeper into the unimaginable, shocking truth before the White House is won.

When Dallas FBI Agent Thomas Mackelway violates serial killer Raymond Starkey's civil rights during an unorthodox arrest, Starkey goes free and Mackelway is demoted to a remote branch of the agency in Albuquerque. His first day on the job, Mackelway investigates the murder of a traveling salesman Harold Speck, which turns out to be the first of three seemingly random killings. Or perhaps they are not random at all; the last to die is Mackelway's nemesis, Raymond Starkey. The assignment consumes him. His past mistakes haunt him. His head throbs constantly as he tries to find the link between the victims that will lead him to their killer. The case becomes increasingly gruesome and patently personal. This does not go unnoticed by his unflappable partner Fran Kulok, who knows of Mackelway's past and the demons that afflict him. Like Mackelway, she becomes drawn into the labyrinth of chilling clues, all of which point to the enigmatic Benjamin O'Ryan. O'Ryan clearly has a connection to the murders, a connection he flaunts; quite possibly, he may also harbor a sinister link to Mackelway.

"It's All About Love" takes place in the near future and tells the story of a couple fighting for their love, and ultimately for their lives, in a world out of balance. John (Joaquin Phoenix) and the world famous ice skater Elena (Claire Danes) have a modern marriage and they have lived apart for several years, John in Poland and Elena mostly in New York. Time has made the distance between them grow, and eventually John goes to see Elena in New York to get her signature on their final divorce papers. Upon arriving in New York, John realizes that strange and unexpected things are happening around Elena. People he once knew as friends seem not to be friends after all. The love he thought was dead blossoms once more. And it's up to John to save Elena from her fate, if he can.

After escaping a secret corporate facility overrun by the undead, Alice finds herself roaming the streets in the heart of the ravaged and deserted Racoon City. She has been subjected to biogenetic experimentation by the vast Umbrella Corporation and becomes genetically altered, with super-human strengths, senses and dexterity. These skills, and many more, will be needed if anyone is to stay alive.

In "Twisted", a police detective named Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd) tracks a serial killer who murders the men she dates. When Jessica begins blacking out before each murder takes place, her partner, Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia), and the police commissioner (Samuel L. Jackson) target her as the prime suspect.

From visionary writer/director Guillermo Del Toro ("Blade II", "The Devil's Backbone") comes "Hellboy", a supernatural action adventure based on Mike Mignola's popular Dark Horse Comics series of the same name. Born in the flames of hell, and brought to our world in a pagan ritual, the fierce red hero, Hellboy (Ron Perlman), was saved by his friend and mentor, the benevolent Dr. Broom (John Hurt). Raised in Broom's Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy joins the likes of the "Mer-Man" Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), the woman he loves who can psychically control fire, and Myers, the FBI agent who is his rival for Liz's affections. Together, our heroes must come to terms with fantastic powers that prove to be both a blessing and a curse. In the process they discover that their abilities serve to benefit mankind but may also keep them forever isolated from the society that only they can protect.

The Broken Lizard gang is back and surrounded by wanton women on a booze-soaked island resort; but a machete-wielding killer is loose on the island, turning this tropical bacchanal into "Club Lizard". The Staff (the Broken Lizard guys) must try to stop (or hide) the bloodshed before they lose all of their customers. Literally. Broken Lizard is a group of five comedy writer/actors.

Deep in a remote desert, vampire leaders are resurrecting Dracula, the horrific creature who spawned their race. Now known as Drake, this awesome vampire has unique powers that allow him to exist in daylight. To make things even more difficult for Blade, the vampiric leadership launches a smear campaign against him, targeting him as a murderous monster and sending the FBI after him. After Blade and his mentor, Whistler, have an explosive showdown with FBI agent Cumberland and his men, it's evident that the Daywalker will need some assistance. Blade reluctantly teams up with the Nightstalkers, a group of human vampire hunters led by Whistler's beautiful daughter, Abigail, and the wisecracking Hannibal King. While their blind scientist Sommerfield works on creating a final solution for the vampire problem, the Nightstalkers launch a relentless series of battles against Dracula's gang of the undead, led by the powerful vampire Danica Talos and her fanged acolytes Asher and Grimwood. Ultimately, Blade finds himself taking on the greatest vampire of all time, as his own fate and that of humanity hang in the balance.

Bob Parr used to be one of the world's greatest superheroes--known to all as Mr. Incredible—saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now fifteen years later, Bob and his wife—a famous superhero in her own right—have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment.

After shooting her abusive stepfather at a church revival, an ex-stripper/crack addict turned honest citizen, confesses the motives of her crime to a Bishop while she sits on Death Row.

Made in 1971, 'THX 1138' marked the George Lucas's filmmaking debut. Francis Ford Coppola and his American Zoetrope studios produced the film at the height of the American independent movement. It is a thought-provoking and visually rich exploration of a theme that would repeat itself throughout Lucas's career: One man's quest to realize his own potential amid an oppressive society. 'THX 1138' is a chilling look at a 25th-century totalitarian state where mankind is stripped of any individuality. People are numbered drones, and a government-enforced program of sedating drugs controls the populace. The story's title character, THX, is a factory worker whose life is irrevocably changed when he stops taking his mind-numbing drugs.

The film tells the story of one young woman's journey from a small Colombian town to the streets of New York. A bright, spirited 17-year old, Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno) lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia and works stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel – in fact, becoming a drug "mule" – changes the course of her life. Far from the uneventful trip she is promised, Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking. Her mission becomes one of determination and survival and she finally emerges with the grace that will carry her forward into a new life.

A gripping psychological thriller with Hitchcockian twists. Waking from a coma after a car crash, Ben (Colin Firth) learns that his wife, Elisa (Naomie Harris), was killed in the accident, and his world collapses. He attempts to rebuild his life by getting a new job and a new apartment, but his mind starts playing tricks on him. He begins seeing his dead wife everywhere. His attractive neighbor, Charlotte (Mena Suvari), takes him to see a psychic (Brenda Fricker), who tells him that she senses his wife might still be alive. Meanwhile, someone is moving things around in his apartment and destroying cherished possessions. Then the police pay him a visit: he's being investigated for murder.

Duncan (Emile Hirsch) falls into odd behavior after his mother's death. His father can't quite understand why Duncan acts the way he does, dressing up in his mother's clothes and playing with a pet chicken. A local kid named Perry forms a bond with Duncan after initially picking on him.

In the latter part of the 19th century, Australia is still largely untamed. The former penal colony's first-generation Irish immigrant population lives in poverty. Having already experienced police brutality and the death of his father, bushranger Ned (Heath Ledger) is wrongfully imprisoned on the trumped-up charge of stealing a horse. Emerging a few years later, in 1874, Ned is hardened but vows to stay straight. Rejoining his widowed mother and younger siblings, he makes money for his family as a champion bare-knuckle boxer. He also toils as a farmhand on the estate of an English landowner – with whose beautiful wife Julia (Naomi Watts) Ned shares a mutual attraction. But the British colonial system and its Victorian English enforcers remain prejudiced against Australia's working people, and the struggling Kelly family is no exception. When, in 1878, a bullying police officer is rebuffed by Ned's younger sister Kate and targets the family for harassment, Ned and his mother are unjustly charged with attempted murder. Ned is determined to avenge his family's name and strike back against his people's oppressors. While hiding in the bush, he forms a loyal Gang that includes his best friend and first lieutenant Joe Byrne (Orlando Bloom). A chance encounter with the police culminates in shots ringing out, and three officers are killed. The Kelly Gang is forced to go on the run. They blaze a trail through the Outback, robbing banks to fund themselves as well as to recover immigrants' land deeds, and giving police the runaround. The Kelly Gang's reputation as invincible outlaws grows, as does nationwide support from their immigrant countrymen. To the masses, Ned is a hero. To lawmen and the establishment, he is the most wanted man in Australia. £8,000 is offered for his capture – at the time, the highest reward the world had known. When the authorities bring in the formidable Superintendent Francis Hare (Geoffrey Rush), and an army of police, with carte blanche to capture and/or kill the outlaws, Ned strategizes a risky showdown at the Glenrowan Inn. It is this event which will seal his fate – and his legend.

Zatoichi is a 19th century blind nomad who makes his living as a gambler and masseur. However, behind this humble facade, he is a master swordsman gifted with a lightning-fast draw and breathtaking precision. While wandering, Zatoichi discovers a remote mountain village at the mercy of Ginzo, a ruthless gang-leader. Ginzo disposes of anyone who gets in his way, especially after hiring the mighty samurai ronin, Hattori, as a bodyguard. After a raucous night of gambling in town, Zatoichi encoutners a pair of geishas--as dangerous as they are beautiful—who've come to avenge their parents' murder. As the paths of these and other colorful characters intertwine, Ginzo's henchmen are soon after Zatoichi. With his legendary cane sword at his side, the stage is set for a riveting showdown.

The unspoken code of the underworld: keep your mouth shut, protect your family and don't be a traitor. Dris, having spent the last four years in jail with his mouth shut, wants to get back to his quiet life with his beautiful wife. But the past is never far away, and his partner and best friend Yanis, who now runs the streets, wants nothing more than to bring Dris back into the family.

In their small New England college town, Jack Linden and Hank Evans are the best of friends. Fellow instructors at the university where Jack teaches literature and Hank, writing, the two enjoy the camaraderie of men who have shared similiar circumstances. Their bond however is put to the test and their lives are upended when the love-lives of the two men and their wives, Edith and Terry, become tangled.

"The Yes Men" is a biting and revelatory documentary directed by the filmmaking team behind the acclaimed Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner "American Movie". "The Yes Men" follows The Yes Men, a small group of prankster-activists, as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization on television and at business conferences around the world. The film begins when two members of The Yes Men, Andy and Mike, set up a website that mimics the World Trade Organization's and it's mistaken for the real thing. They play along with the ruse and soon find themselves invited to important functions as WTO representatives. Delighted to represent the organization they politically oppose, Andy and Mike don thrift-store suits and set out to shock unwitting audiences with darkly comic satire that highlights the worst aspects of global free trade.