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L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 4, 2007 12 AM PT

Friday

Choking Man

A shy Ecuadorean dishwasher strives for a tentative bond with a Chinese waitress in this mix of psychological drama and magical realism at a Queens diner. With Octavio Gomez Berrios, Eugenia Yuan, Aaron Paul and Mandy Patinkin. Written and directed by Steve Barron. International Film Circuit

Fred Claus

Up at the North Pole, St. Nick (Paul Giamatti) gets an unwelcome visit from his no-account brother (Vince Vaughn) in this holiday-themed comedy. Written by Dan Fogelman; story by Jessie Nelson and Fogelman. Directed by David Dobkin. With Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates and Kevin Spacey. Warner Bros.

The Life of Reilly

The autobiographical one-man show of the late Tony winner and omnipresent television figure Charles Nelson Reilly, captured at the El Portal in 2004. Directed by Barry Poltermann and Frank L. Anderson. Civilian Pictures

Lions for Lambs

The personal and political price of the ongoing war on terror is the focus of this drama about an idealistic professor and his effect on three students. Robert Redford directs and costars alongside Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Derek Luke, Michael Pena and Andrew Garfield. United Artists/MGM

A young female executive is terrorized by a security guard in an underground parking garage on Christmas Eve. Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley star. Directed by Franck Khalfoun. Written by Khalfoun, Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur. Summit Entertainment

Pete Seeger: Power of Song

The life and times of the singer-songwriter and political activist are depicted in this documentary featuring Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Maines, Tom Paxton, Peter, Paul and Mary and others. Directed by Jim Brown. Weinstein Co.

Saawariya

Bollywood musical with Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor as an idealistic artist and the enigmatic young woman who beguiles him. Written by Prakash Kapadia & Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Directed by Bhansali. In Hindi with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Entertainment / SLB Films

Steal a Pencil for Me

Academy Award nominee Michele Ohayon (“Colors Straight Up”) chronicles the complex relationship of an accountant, his unhappy wife and a young woman from a wealthy family all imprisoned in the same concentration camp during World War II in this documentary love story. In English and Dutch with English subtitles. Seventh Art Releasing / Red Envelope Entertainment

Strange Culture

A docudrama about artist and professor Steve Kurtz’s experiences after the death of his wife and his subsequent labeling as a suspected bioterrorist by the FBI based on his artwork. Tilda Swinton, Peter Coyote, Thomas Jay Ryan, Josh Kornbluth and Kurtz star. Written and directed by Lynn Hershman-Leeson. L5

War / Dance

Three youngsters make the best of their time in a camp for displaced persons in war-torn Uganda in this documentary. Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine. ThinkFilm

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Nov. 14

Southland Tales

“Donnie Darko” writer-director Richard Kelly’s long-delayed follow-up imagines assorted characters going about their lives in a near-future version of L.A. on the verge of apocalypse. With Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott and Mandy Moore. Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Nov. 16

Beowulf

British literature’s legendary hero (Ray Winstone) confronts the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover) -- and then the monster’s mother (Angelina Jolie) -- in this Dark Ages fable created using the motion-capture animation process and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Screenplay by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary. With Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson and Alison Lohman. Also in IMAX. Paramount Pictures

Eleven Men Out

An Icelandic soccer star comes out in this drama exploring the nature of being a gay man in a macho culture. With Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson, Lilja Nott Porarinsdottir, Arnaldur Ernst, Helgi Bjornsson and Porsteinn Backmann. Directed by Robert I. Douglas. Written by Douglas, Jon Atli Jonason. In Icelandic with English subtitles. Regent Releasing / Here! Films

How to Cook Your Life

Filmmaker Doris Dorrie and Zen master Edward Espe Brown collaborate in this documentary on the Buddhist approach to food preparation. In English and German with English subtitles. Roadside Attractions

Love in the Time of Cholera

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s decades-spanning romantic fable is adapted for the big screen by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood (“The Pianist”). Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Benjamin Bratt star. Directed by Mike Newell. New Line Cinema

Salvador Allende

Filmmaker Patricio Guzman’s documentary considers the life of Chile’s mercurial former president. In English, French and Spanish with English subtitles. First Run Features / Icarus Films

Smiley Face

Anna Faris stars as a pot-fueled actress making her way through an L.A. odyssey after sampling her roommate’s marijuana-laced cupcakes. With Danny Masterson, Adam Brody and John Krasinski. Written by Dylan Haggerty. Directed by Gregg Araki (“Mysterious Skin,” “The Doom Generation”). First Look Studios

Redacted

Director Brian De Palma’s fact-based Iraq war drama, reminiscent of his 1989 Vietnam era film, “Casualties of War,” is a tale of U.S. soldiers who brutalize an innocent Iraqi family. With Patrick Carroll, Rob Devaney, Izzy Diaz, Mike Figueroa, Ty Jones, Kel O’Neill and Daniel Stewart Sherman. Magnolia Pictures

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Nov. 21

August Rush

“Finding Neverland’s” Freddie Highmore stars as a musically gifted child seeking his birth parents (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell). With Terrence Howard, Robin Williams, William Sadler and Mykelti Williamson. Written by Nick Castle and James V. Hart; story by Paul Castro and Castle. Directed by Kirsten Sheridan. Warner Bros.

Christmas in Wonderland

Two kids’ holiday spending spree with bogus bills found at an Edmonton, Canada, mall is interrupted by the counterfeiters who want their product back. With Chris Kattan, Patrick Swayze, Carmen Electra, Preston Lacy and Cameron Bright. Written by Wanda Birdsong Shope; story by James Orr & Jim Cruickshank. Directed by Orr. Yari Film Group

Enchanted

A fairy-tale princess of the Disney variety bursts from animation into real life in this kid-friendly comic fable. With Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel and Susan Sarandon. Written by Bill Kelly. Directed by Kevin Lima. Walt Disney Pictures

Hitman

“Deadwood’s” Timothy Olyphant is equal parts grace and lethality as the title character in this adaptation of the violent video game. With Dougray Scott, Robert Knepper, Olga Kurylenko, Ulrich Thomsen and Michael Offei. Screenplay by Skip Woods, based on the video game. Directed by Xavier Gens. 20th Century Fox

I’m Not There

The life and career of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan get jangled and tangled up with multiple actors portraying the music legend in this unorthodox but otherwise authorized biopic directed and co-written by Todd Haynes (“Far From Heaven”). Co-written by Oren Moverman. With Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, David Cross and Bruce Greenwood. Weinstein Co.

The Mist

Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) directs his third adaptation of a Stephen King story, this one a fog-shrouded terror tale in which a group of townspeople are trapped in a grocery store. With Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Frances Sternhagen and Jeffrey DeMunn. Weinstein Co. / MGM

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Nov. 23

Holly

Ron Livingston plays an American ne’er-do-well who tries to save a young Vietnamese girl from sex slavery in Cambodia in this drama. With Virginie Ledoyen, Udo Kier, Chris Penn and Thuy Nguyen. Written by Guy Jacobson, Guy Moshe. Directed by Moshe. In English, Khmer and Vietnamese with English subtitles. Priority Films / Slowhand Releasing

Nina’s Heavenly Delights

A family-owned curry house in Glasgow, Scotland, is the setting for this cross-cultural comedy-drama. Written by Andrea Gibb. Directed by Pratibha Parmar. With Shelley Conn, Laura Fraser, Art Malik and Kulvinder Ghir. Regent Releasing / Here! Films

The Red Balloon / White Mane

Two by director Albert Lamorisse: The first is the 1956 grade-school perennial about a little boy (Pascal Lamorisse, the director’s 6-year-old son) pursued by a benevolent balloon through the streets of the Menilmontant neighborhood of Paris. His 1952 film is the story of a boy’s love for a wild horse that only he can tame. With new English narration by Peter Strauss. Janus Films

Starting Out in the Evening

An aging novelist finds his insular world upended by an inquisitive graduate student in this drama. Starring Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose, Lili Taylor and Adrian Lester. Screenplay by Fred Parnes and Andrew Wagner, based on the novel by Brian Morton. Directed by Wagner. Roadside Attractions

What Would Jesus Buy?

Curbing rampant consumerism during the holiday season is the mission of performance activist the Rev. Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping in this documentary that also features interviews with psychiatrists, politicians, kids and their parents. Directed by Rob VanAlkemade and executive produced by Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”). Warrior Poets Releasing

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Nov. 28

The Savages

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney star as sibling rivalries and resentments resurface for a brother and sister trying to find an elder-care facility for their ailing father. With Philip Bosco. Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins. Fox Searchlight

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Nov. 30

Awake

Hayden Christensen plays a man who experiences “anesthetic awareness” during surgery -- he remains conscious but paralyzed -- while his new wife (Jessica Alba) suffers psychological problems of her own. With Lena Olin and Terrence Howard. Written and directed by Joby Harold. Weinstein Co. / MGM

Diva

French director Jean-Jacques Beineix’s stylish 1981 debut stars Frederic Andrei as a young Parisian postman and opera connoisseur whose attempt to secretly record an African American singer entangles him with cops, mobsters, Taiwanese record pirates and an enigmatic playboy. With Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Chantal Deruaz, Richard Bohringer and Thuy An Luu. In French with English subtitles. Rialto Pictures

Sex and Breakfast

Two young couples experiment with anonymous group sex and find they have to rethink their attitudes toward relationships, sex, love and communication. Written and directed by Miles Brandman. Macaulay Culkin, Eliza Dushku, Kuno Becker, Alexis Dziena and Joanna Miles star. Brandman Productions

The Violin

In a Mexican village under siege by the military, the patriarch of a family of farmers and musicians plots to recover a stash of munitions to aid the resistance. Angel Tavira stars. Written and directed by Francisco Vargas. In Spanish with English subtitles. Film Movement

Yiddish Theater: A Love Story

Zypora Spaisman, an octogenarian actress and Holocaust survivor, maintains Folksbiene, the oldest running Yiddish theater in America, during a harsh New York winter in this documentary. With Shifra Lerer, Felix Fibich and Seymour Rechzeit. Directed by Dan Katzir. In English and Yiddish with English subtitles. New Love Films

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Dec. 5

Juno

Ellen Page plays a pregnant teen who tries to find the right set of adoptive parents for her unborn baby in this seriocomic tale from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman. With Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Allison Janney and Rainn Wilson. Fox Searchlight

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Dec. 7

The Amateurs

Jeff Bridges stars as a man in midlife crisis who gathers his friends and associates to make an adult movie. With Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, Lauren Graham, Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Written and directed by Michael Traeger. First Look Studios

Atonement

A false accusation by a budding, 13-year-old writer haunts her life and those of her older sister and the man she wronged in this adaptation of Ian McEwan’s decades-spanning novel. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave. Screenplay by Christopher Hampton. Directed by Joe Wright (“Pride & Prejudice”). Focus Features

The Band’s Visit

An Egyptian police Orchestra’s trip to Israel yields unexpected cultural exchanges when they are mistakenly directed to a small village where they must spend a night. With Sasson Gabai, Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Avraham, Khalifa Natour and Rubi Moscovich. Written and directed by Eran Kolirin. In Hebrew, Arabic and English with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Classics

The Golden Compass

A young girl undertakes a magical quest in a parallel universe in this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s prize-winning fantasy tale “Northern Lights.” Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Ian McShane star. Written and directed by Chris Weitz. New Line Cinema

Grace Is Gone

A father (John Cusack) struggles with telling his two young daughters that their mother has been killed while serving in the U.S. armed forces in Iraq. With Alessandro Nivola, Shelan O’Keefe and Gracie Bednarczyk. Written and directed by James C. Strouse. Weinstein Co.

Lagerfeld Confidential

The mystique of the German-born fashion designer is lifted in this documentary that goes behind the sunglasses to capture his daily life. Written and directed by Rodolphe Marconi. With Karl Lagerfeld, Nicole Kidman and Princess Caroline of Monaco. In French with English subtitles. Koch Lorber Films

Looking for Cheyenne

Financial and career problems drive a wedge between two women in love with each other, when one of them has to leave Paris and move to the French countryside. With Mila Dekker, Aurelia Petit and Malik Zidi. Written and directed by Valerie Minetto. In French with English subtitles. Regent Releasing / Here! Films

Man in the Chair

A troubled, aspiring young filmmaker finds unlikely allies in the retired residents of the motion picture home. With Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, M. Emmet Walsh and Robert Wagner. Written and directed by Michael Schroeder. Outside Entertainment

Midnight Eagle

Takao Osawa stars in this action-thriller as a photojournalist who witnesses the crash of a U.S. stealth plane and is embroiled in the search for its lethal payload and the global implications that accompany it. Directed by Izuru Narushima. Written by Yasuo Hasegawa, Kenzaburo Iida, based on the novel by Tetsuo Takashima. In Japanese with English subtitles. Strand Releasing

Protagonist

Jessica Yu’s documentary uses case studies of four men -- a German terrorist, a bank robber, an “ex-gay” evangelist and a martial arts student -- and a Greek chorus of puppets to reveal the often tragic consequences of trying to construct one’s own personal narrative. IFC Films

Revolver

Shady characters, rough customers and smooth operators abound in this new crime tale from writer-director Guy Ritchie (“Snatch,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”). Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore and Andre Benjamin star. Samuel Goldwyn Films

Strength and Honor

Michael Madsen plays an Irish American boxer who breaks his vow to never fight again in order to raise money for the surgery that might save his son’s life. With Vinnie Jones, Patrick Bergin, Richard Chamberlain and Luke Whelton. Written and directed by Mark Mahon. Slowhand Releasing

The Walker

Woody Harrelson plays a gay man-about-town among Washington, D.C.’s high-society ladies in this mystery-thriller from writer-director Paul Schrader (“American Gigolo”). With Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily Tomlin, Lauren Bacall, Willem Dafoe, Ned Beatty, Moritz Bleibtreu and Mary Beth Hurt. ThinkFilm

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Dec. 12

Nanking

Survivors recall the brutal Japanese assault on the Chinese city of Nanking in 1937 and the safety zone established by a group of Westerners in this documentary directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman. Screenplay by Guttentag & Sturman and Elisabeth Bentley; story by Guttentag & Sturman. Woody Harrelson, Stephen Dorff, Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao, John Getz, Mariel Hemingway, Michelle Krusiec, Jurgen Prochnow, Sonny Saito and Graham Sibley read letters and diaries. In Japanese, Mandarin and English with English subtitles. ThinkFilm

The Perfect Holiday

Gabrielle Union stars as a single mom whose attempt at romance with a struggling songwriter/part-time mall Santa (Morris Chestnut) is undercut by the meddling of her three children hoping for a reunion with their rap mogul father, J-Jizzy (Charles Q. Murphy). Narrated by Queen Latifah, with Terrence Howard, Katt Williams, Faizon Love, Rachel True and Jill Marie Jones. Directed by Lance Rivera. Written by Rivera & Marc Calixte and Nat Mauldin & Jeff Stein; story by Rivera & Calixte. Yari Film Group

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Dec. 14

Alvin and the Chipmunks

The squeaky-voiced trio from novelty records of yore returns in CGI form, with Jason Lee in human form as their long-suffering musical partner Dave. With David Cross and Cameron Richardson. Written by Jon Vitti and Will McRobb & Chris Viscardi; story by Vitti. Based upon the characters created by Ross Bagdasarian. Directed by Tim Hill. 20th Century Fox

I Am Legend

Will Smith is the last man standing in a post-apocalyptic New York City in this adaptation of author Richard Matheson’s science fiction classic, filmed in 1971 as the Charlton Heston vehicle “The Omega Man.” With Alice Braga, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith and Charie Tahan. Screenplay by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman; based on the screenplay by John William & Joyce H. Corrington, based on the novel by Richard Matheson. Directed by Francis Lawrence. Warner Bros.

The Kite Runner

An expatriate returns to Afghanistan on a mission of rescue and redemption in this adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s bestseller. Written by David Benioff. Directed by Marc Forster. In English, Dari, Pashtu, Urdu and Russian with English subtitles. Paramount Vantage

Look

Cult writer-director Adam Rifkin’s drama spins interwoven tales told from the perspective of the countless surveillance cameras that intrude upon people’s daily lives. Vitagraph Films

The Singing Revolution

Hundreds of thousands of Estonians put their voices to forbidden patriotic songs between 1986 and 1991 in an effort to free themselves of Soviet occupation. James and Maureen Tusty directed this documentary on a grand-scale act of melodic civil disobedience. Mountain View Productions

Tre

Director and co-writer Eric Byler examines the lives of a group of thirtysomething friends in this drama. With Daniel Cariaga, Alix Koromzay, co-writer Kimberly-Rose Wolter and Erik McDowell. Cinema Libre Studio

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Dec. 21

P.S. I Love You

A young widow gets some unexpected assistance in coping with her husband’s untimely death. With Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Gina Gershon, Lisa Kudrow, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and James Marsters. Written by Richard LaGravenese and Steven Rogers, based upon the novel by Cecelia Ahern. Directed by LaGravenese. Warner Bros.

Steep

Big-mountain skiing is the subject of writer-director Mark Obenhaus’ documentary. Shot in Alaska, Wyoming, Canada, France and Iceland, the film features interviews with athletes including Bill Briggs, Stefano De Benedetti, Doug Coombs, Eric Pehota, Glen Plake, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Chris Davenport, Ingrid Backstrom and Andrew McLean. Narrated by Peter Krause. Sony Pictures Classics

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton reteam for a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning terror tale about a vengeful London barber. With Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen. Screenplay by John Logan, based on the musical by Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler (book). Originally staged by Harold Prince from an adaptation by Christopher Bond. DreamWorks Pictures

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

“Talladega Nights’ ” John C. Reilly plays a legendary singer-songwriter with a roller-coaster career in this mock-musical biopic. With Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows and Kristen Wiig. Written by Judd Apatow & Jake Kasdan. Directed by Kasdan. Columbia Pictures

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Dec. 25

The Bucket List

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two men seeking late-in-life fulfillment via a good, old-fashioned road trip in this comedy-drama from director Rob Reiner. Written by Justin Zackham. With Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd and Rob Morrow. Warner Bros.

The Great Debaters

Denzel Washington directs and stars in this fact-based drama about a debate coach who inspires students at a small black college in Jim Crow-era Texas. Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Denzel Whitaker and Kimberly Elise. Written by Robert Eisele and Tom Epperson. Weinstein Co.

Persepolis

Animated version of Marjane Satrapi’s memoir, a graphic novel about growing up in the shadow of Iran’s repressive Islamic regime. Voices include Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve and Danielle Darrieux. Satrapi directed and co-wrote with Vincent Paronnaud. In French with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Classics

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

A Scottish lad befriends a thought-to-be-mythical creature, a sort-of miniature Loch Ness, in this fantasy adventure tale. With Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey and Brian Cox. Screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on the book by Dick King-Smith. Directed by Jay Russell. Columbia Pictures

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Dec. 26

There Will Be Blood

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Magnolia”) helms this tale about the early days of the California oil business. Loosely based on the Upton Sinclair novel “Oil!” Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds, Kevin J. O’Connor and Dillon Freasier star. Paramount Vantage

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Dec. 28

Honeydripper

Writer-director John Sayles plays the blues with this story of a debt-ridden lounge owner in 1950 Alabama who tries to pass off a kid as a legendary guitar great. With Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen, Yaya DaCosta, Sean Patrick Thomas and Gary Clark Jr.; plus musicians Keb’ Mo’ and Mable John. Emerging Pictures

The Orphanage

A woman asks para- psychologists to investigate a series of mysterious events in the orphanage where she was raised in this Spanish thriller produced by Guillermo del Toro. The film stars Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep and Geraldine Chaplin. Written by Sergio G. Sanchez. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. In Spanish with English subtitles. Picturehouse

December TBA

Chronicle of an Escape (Cronica de una Fuga)

Fact-based drama about an Argentine soccer star, suspected of leftist ties, who is abducted, tortured and held prisoner by that nation’s secret police. Starring Rodrigo de la Serna, Pablo Echarri and Nazareno Casero. Adapted from Claudio Tamburrini’s autobiographical novel by Adrian Caetano & Esteban Student & Julian Loyola. Directed by Caetano. In Spanish with English subtitles. IFC First Take

Half Moon

An ailing musician from Iraqi Kurdistan leads his dozen sons on an arduous journey to celebrate the fall of Saddam Hussein and the liberation of Kurdish music in this drama from director Bahman Ghobadi (“A Time for Drunken Horses,” “Turtles Can Fly”). In Kurdish and Persian with English subtitles. Strand Releasing

Oswald’s Ghost

Filmmaker Robert Stone’s documentary probes the long, dark shadow that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has cast on the American psyche. Features interviews with Norman Mailer, Gary Hart, Tom Hayden, Mark Lane, Edward J. Epstein and others. Seventh Art Releasing

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Jan. 4

One Missed Call

A chain of people receive ominous phone messages warning of their impending deaths in this J-horror remake. With Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon and Azura Skye. Screenplay by Andrew Klavan, based on the Japanese horror film written by Miwako Daira and novel by Yasushi Akimoto. Directed by Eric Valette. Warner Bros.

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Jan. 11

First Sunday

Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan star as a pair of petty criminals who plot to rob the local church to pay off a huge debt, but the Lord has other plans for them. With Katt Williams, Loretta Devine, Michael Beach, Keith David, Regina Hall, Malinda Williams, Clifton Powell, Nick Turturro and Chi McBride. Written and directed by David E. Talbert. Screen Gems

Let’s Get Lost

Bruce Weber’s Oscar-nominated 1989 documentary on jazz vocalist and trumpeter Chet Baker features footage from Italian B movies, rare performance footage and interviews with Baker, fellow musicians, friends, his ex-wives and children during what turned out to be the last year of his life. Rialto Pictures

The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything -- A VeggieTales Movie

Nautically themed entry in the kid-friendly animation series finds Larry the Cucumber and friends hurtling back in time to encounter 17th century buccaneers. Written by Phil Vischer. Directed by Mike Nawrocki. Universal Pictures

27 Dresses

“Knocked Up’s” Katherine Heigl stars as Jane, who reevaluates her easygoing, perennial bridesmaid status when her little sister wins the heart of the man Jane has had a secret crush on -- her boss -- in this romantic comedy. With James Marsden, Edward Burns and Malin Akerman. Written by Aline Brosh McKenna. Directed by Anne Fletcher. 20th Century Fox

About the list

The Sneaks list is a snapshot of films expected to open through early January. Dates and other details are subject to change.

Capsules compiled by Kevin Crust.