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UK Cinema Releases: Friday 13th February 2009

UK Cinema Releases 13-02-09

NATIONAL RELEASES

Notorious (Fox): A biopic about the life of hip hop star Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G, sees him played played by newcomer Jamal Woolard. It has a supporting  film that includes Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur, Naturi Naughton as Lil’ Kim and Antonique Smith as Faith Evans. Despite mixed reviews in the US, it earned a respectable gross and looks like it will easily earn back its modest budget in foreign and ancillary markets. [Cert 15 / Vue West End & Nationwide]

Hotel For Dogs (Paramount): Dogs are big business at the box office these days with Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Marley and Me and Bolt proving to be big hits in the States. The latest dog themed film is this adaptation of the Lois Duncan novel about two orphans who take in stray dogs at an empty house. Directed by Thor Freudenthal, it stars Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, Kyla Pratt and Don Cheadle. Paramount will be hoping that it eats into Bolt’s box office, but that could be a big ask given the lack of stars and buzz. [Cert U / London & Nationwide]

The Pink Panther 2 (Sony Pictures): Soon to be an entry in the dictionary of unnecessary sequels is this follow up to the 2006 reboot of The Pink Panther with Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan appears in the female lead as criminology expert, Sonia, whilst John Cleese replaces Kevin Kline as Chief Inspector Dreyfus. Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer reprising their roles as his partner Ponton and his girlfriend Nicole whilst Andy García and Alfred Molina round out the cast as two detectives. Given that the 2006 film netted Sony an inexplicable $158 million worldwide gross, Sony can expect decent box office from undiscerning audiences. [Cert PG / London & Nationwide]

Friday The 13th (Paramount): Another unnecessary remake (a theme this week) of a famous horror film that looks like it was partly green-lit just so distributors could get a kick out of releasing it on [cue scary music] …Friday the 13th. Directed by Marcus Nispel (who remade the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) it is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, whose last film was the 2003 crossover film Freddy vs. Jason. The film stars Derek Mears as Jason Voorhees, with Jared Padalecki and Amanda Righetti portraying the male and female leads. Apparently this one will use elements from the first four film and will involve similar levels of dismemberment. [Cert 18 / Nationwide]

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IN SELECTED CINEMAS

Billu Barber (Eros): A  Bollywoodfilm directed by Priyadarshan, which stars Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta in the lead roles and Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani in supporting roles with guest appearances by actresses Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. [C’Worlds Feltham, Ilford, Shaftesbury Ave, Odeon Greenwich & Key Cities]

Under The Sea 3D (Imax Corporation): A 3D IMAX documentary that looks at the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific areas and the impact of global warming on the oceans. [BFI Imax, Imax Cinemas Greenwich & Wimbledon]

Three Monkeys (New Wave Films): Am acclaimed Turkish film directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan about a driver and his family who are drawn into a web of lies when his employer offers a large monetary reward, on condition that he takes the blame for a hit-and-run.  [Cert 15 / Apollo Piccadilly Circus, NFT, Renoir & Key Cities]

King Of The Hill (El Rey de la montaña) (Optimum Releasing): A Spanish thriller from director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego about two people trying to avoid snipers in a forest.  [Cert 15 / ICA Cinema only]

Fuck (ICA Films): A 2005 documentary on the expletive’s origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use. [ICA Cinema / Key Cities from March]

> UK Cinema Releases for February 2009
> Get the latest showtimes for your local cinema via Google Movies
> Check out our latest DVD picks (W/C Monday 9th February)