Opening Films

by Inlander Staff & r & & r & Hostel: Part II


The first Hostel was a marvelous film, prompting arguments among filmgoers over whether the torture-filled tale was exploitative, satirical, obscene, or if it even qualified as a work of art. In any case, it was successful enough to prompt a sequel, and director Eli Roth returns (Cabin Fever), with encouragement and blood money provided by Quentin Tarantino. The trailer suggests that this one includes calm, cool cannibalism and some crazily screaming American girls. (MD) Rated R





OCEAN'S THIRTEEN


George Clooney and the rest of the well-dressed criminal crew return to Las Vegas to come to the vengeful aid of their pal Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). Reuben ends up in critical condition from the traumatizing shock of having his fiscal posterior handed to him by dirty dealer Willy Bank (Al Pacino). Danny Ocean (Clooney) and the boys hatch a convoluted plan to wreck Willy's magnificent new hotel and casino "The Bank" (a spiraling triad skyscraper created to beautiful effect with CGI) on the night of the hotel's July 3rd "soft opening." The story becomes a drone of white noise, color and empty spectacle punctuated by dead-end subplots that lead to a predictable backslapping conclusion. (CS) Rated PG-13





SURF'S UP


It's animated penguins, yet again. But this film's clever approach is to present them in a faux documentary about competitive surfing penguins. Shia LaBeouf voices young upstart Cody; Zooey Deschanel is the slightly older Lani; and Jeff Bridges (almost as laid-back as he was in The Big Lebowski) is the legendary Big Z. The film is so hip, it even uses scratchy B & amp;W "archival footage" of past penguin surf heroes. (ES) Rated PG