Brittany Murphy

The story that began in Bender's Big Score concludes as a massive rift in space and time unleashes a cosmic terror of epic proportions and the citizens of planet Earth discover a strange new religion. A revolting, planet-sized alien has taken control of Fry, transforming our time-sleeping hero into the Pope of a new religion that encourages mankind to abandon planet Earth. With no more humans to get in the way, robots the robots will finally be free to take over. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A troubled opera singer whose hallucinatory dreams about a white hotel compel her to seek out the services of Sigmund Freud becomes one of the legendary psychoanalyst's best-known case studies in director Simon Monjack and producer Susan Stewart Potter's belated adaptation of author D.M. Thomas' acclaimed 1981 novel of the same name. After a number of false starts beginning with screen icon Barbra Streisand's efforts to star in a film adaptation in the early '80s, The White Hotel was shopped around to such high-profile filmmakers as Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, and David Cronenberg and at various points was set to star such screen heavyweights as Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Isabella Rossellini, and Anthony Hopkins. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A hyperactive and high-fashion American transplant living in London and working for Vogue magazine does her best to enhance the lives of those around her while remaining blissfully unaware of the man who longs to profess his true love to her in an ultra-modern romantic comedy produced by Luc Besson and David Fincher and directed by Alek Keshishian. Emily Jackson (Brittany Murphy) lives a charmed life. Always on the go in her Mini Cooper and able to talk until the sun comes up and then some, her fast-paced lifestyle belies a sensitive soul who takes great joy in playing matchmaker for her many friends. It's Emily's gay roommate and constant companion, Peter (Matthew Rhys), who usually becomes the subject of the quirky Cupid's frequent pairings, and when handsome new photographer's assistant Paolo (Santiago Cabrera) arrives at the Vogue offices, Emily makes it her mission to bring the two men together. Unfortunately for the contemporary Holly Golightly, Emily is so busy arranging a love connection between Peter and Paolo that she remains completely blind to the obvious torch carried for her by the one suitor who longs to provide her the with the loving companionship that she so cheerfully arranges for others. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In the world of the emperor penguin, a simple song can mean the difference between a lifetime of happiness and an eternity of loneliness. When a penguin named Mumble is born without the ability to sing the romantic song that will attract his soul mate, he'll have to resort to some fancy footwork by tap dancing his way into the heart of the one he loves. Directed by Babe mastermind George Miller, Happy Feet tells the tale of one penguin's quest for love, and features an all-star cast of vocal talent that includes Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, and Brittany Murphy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Eisner Award-winning comic series Sin City comes to life in this live-action feature adaptation from director Robert Rodriguez and creator Frank Miller. Interweaving multiple storylines from the series' history, this violent crime noir paints the picture of the ultimate town without pity through the eyes of its roughest characters. There's the street thug Marv (Mickey Rourke), whose desperate quest to find the killer of a prostitute named Goldie (Jaime King) will lead him to the foulest edges of town. Inhabiting many of those areas is Dwight (Clive Owen), a photographer in league with the sordid ladies of Sin City, headed by Gail (Rosario Dawson), who opens up a mess of trouble after tangling with a corrupt cop by the name of Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro). Finally, there's Hartigan (Bruce Willis), an ex-cop with a heart problem who's hell-bent on protecting a stripper named Nancy (Jessica Alba). Featuring a who's who supporting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Devon Aoki, and Nick Stahl, Sin City promises to be one of the most direct translations from page to screen of a comic series, with shots and dialogue adapted straight from the original comic's panels. Rodriguez quit the Director's Guild when they refused to let Frank Miller co-direct the film, a deal hashed out after the two collaborators developed and shot the opening scene utilizing a green-screen process to harness the stark, black-and-white look of the books as a litmus test for the rest of the production. Quentin Tarantino was brought in and reportedly paid one dollar to direct an extended scene between Del Toro and Owen that amounts to one issue of The Big Fat Kill miniseries. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Season nine of the animated redneck comedy series King of the Hill begins as Peggy Hill briefly leaves Arlen, TX and returns to her Montana hometown when her mother is threatened with losing her land as the result of an influx of Hollywood movie stars -- including Henry Winkler, heard as himself. Another Happy Days alumnae, Marion Ross, can be heard as the title character in the next episode, "Ms. Wakefield." In later episodes, Hank Hill is outraged when Peggy buys a lawn gnome; the world of conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble collapses when he becomes convinced that the Warrren Commission has been right all along; Bobby Hill tries to unlock the Fox network on the family TV (so that he can watch his own show?); the Hills' niece Luanne begins dating a good ol' boy named Lucky (voiced by Tom Petty); Native American John Redcorn tries to open up his own gambling casino; the "Smoking Bandit" strikes when all tobacco consumption is banned in Arlen's restaurants; and Bobby thrills his macho dad Hank when he makes the school track team -- but not for the right reasons. In the season's final episode, Hank and his pals try to save their barber buddy Bill when his obsession with his hobbies threatens his job. In addition to the celebrity voices mentioned above, the ninth season of King of the Hill also boasts the vocal talents of Jason Bateman, Trace Adkins, Mac Davis, Tone-Loc, Henry Gibson, and Brendan Fraser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy from director Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans), Brittany Murphy stars as Molly Gunn, the daughter of a dead rock star, who lives off her inheritance and has never worked a day in her life. When her father's estate is swindled away from her, Molly suddenly finds her life of luxury and excess pulled out from under her. Begrudgingly, she decides that she has to get a job and is hired as a nanny for Ray Schliene (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of record executive Roma Schliene (Heather Locklear). At first Molly can't shake her spoiled-brat personality, but eventually she and Ray discover that they have a lot in common and a strong bond is formed. Jesse Spencer plays Molly's boyfriend, and Donald Faison, who previously worked with Murphy in Clueless, plays another record executive who offers Molly a place to live until she gets on her feet. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

For his debut feature, John Hoffman wrote and directed this effects-heavy family film based on the story Dogs from Outer Space by Zeke Richardson. Produced by Jim Henson Productions, Good Boy! presents the idea that dogs are actually an intelligent alien species sent to earth thousands of years ago to spy on humans in preparation for a full-scale invasion and takeover. But when the spies stop reporting back to the home planet, Canid 3942 (voiced by Matthew Broderick) is sent to earth to investigate. Once there, Canid 3942 encounters Owen Baker (Liam Aiken), a young boy who runs a dog-walking service. Owen befriends the space-dog, renaming him Hubble. When it becomes obvious that the dogs of earth have forgotten their mission, Hubble enlists the help of Owen to get them all into shape before The Great Dane arrives to inspect. If they fail, all of earth's dogs will be recalled to their home planet of Sirius. With Kevin Nealon and Molly Shannon as Owen's parents, Good Boy! also features the voice talents of Brittany Murphy, Carl Reiner, Megan Mullally, and Donald Faison. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Redneck reactionary Hank Hill should by rights be delighted that his "not right" son Bobby has a new girlfriend named Jordan as King of the Hill launches its seventh season; unfortunately, Jordan's parents are the "progressive" kind -- and if there's anything that Hank is opposed to, it is progress! In later episodes, Hank's barber buddy Bill joins the International Federation of Competitive Easting; Peggy Hill's new hairdo literally makes Hank sick just before Thanksgiving; Hank accidentally cuts off the finger of his conspiracy theorist buddy Dale Gribble; Peggy opens a combination bookstore and gun shop; the owner of a pork sausage empire obsessively forces a fashion makeover upon the Hills' niece Luanne (in an episode titled "Pigmalion"); John Redcorn wants Hank to take Joseph (who is John's biological son) on a "vision quest," while Joseph's supposed dad, Dale, still doesn't know what has been going on between his wife Nancy and the redoubtable Redcorn; Bobby is sent to a politically correct boot camp; Peggy is forced to use insecticides after going on a pro-ecological kick; and a black handyman accuses the Hills' dog of racism. The season ends with an episode wherein Bobby's tarot card hobby attracts the attention of a bizarre coven. Guest voices heard during King of the Hill's seventh season include Debra Messing, Eliza Dushku, Milla Jovovich, Elizabeth Perkins, Kid Rock, Lucy Liu, Allison Janney, Michael Keaton, Tom Arnold, George Foreman, Bruce Dern, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Kennedy, Bernie Mac, and Janeane Garofalo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A crystal-meth addict struggles to get his next fix as he obsesses over a recent breakup in Spun, a black-comic drug drama from music video director Jonas Akerlund. Rushmore's Jason Schwartzman stars as Ross, a young man who finds his maniacal world crumbling around him over the course of one long weekend. Spun chronicles Ross' travails as he tries to score from his regular dealer, Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), who realizes during Ross' visit that he's misplaced his stash. Indisposed by the frantic drug search, Spider Mike's girlfriend, Cookie (Mena Suvari), enlists Ross to pick up her stripper friend Nikki (Brittany Murphy) from work, and when he grudgingly agrees, he learns that Nikki might have an inside line on some of her own speed, courtesy of The Cook (Mickey Rourke). Meanwhile, two bumbling cops are onto Spider Mike's trail, and in his paranoid-delusional state, he sets out to find out who set him up. Spun premiered at the 2002 CineVegas Film Festival before securing berths at the Sundance, Toronto, and South by Southwest festivals. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

A documentary film crew follows the lives of six New Yorkers as their lives unexpectedly intersect -- or at least that's what writer, director, and actor Edward Burns would like you to believe in this comedy-drama that looks at the rocky road of relationships in the Big Apple. After sharing the stories of their earliest sexual experiences with an interviewer, six people are trailed by a cameraman through the course of an average day. Tommy (Edward Burns) is a successful television producer (and unsuccessful novelist) who becomes quickly infatuated when he meets Maria (Rosario Dawson) in a video store. Maria is a teacher at an upscale private school who has just gotten out of a bad marriage with Ben (David Krumholtz), a struggling musician with a day job as a doorman. Ben, on the other hand, finds himself attracted to Ashley (Brittany Murphy) when she waits on his table at a coffee shop. Ashley, as it happens, is involved in an affair with Griffin (Stanley Tucci), a dentist who is chronically unfaithful to his wife Annie (Heather Graham). Annie, a real estate agent, also happens to be friends with Tommy, one of her customers, bringing the circle to a close. Shot in only 16 days, Sidewalks of New York marked a return to (relatively) low-budget filmmaking for Edward Burns, who directed two less-than-successful major studio projects following his breakthrough with the independent feature The Brothers McMullen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This blend of sports and youthful romantic comedy is from director Michael Tollin, who previously produced the sports drama Varsity Blues (1999). Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Ryan Dunne, a ballplayer who's spending the summer as a pitcher for the famed, highly prestigious Cape Cod League, a non-professional farm team that has turned out numerous baseball legends. Ryan's under special pressure on a number of fronts. He's the first local boy to earn a slot in the league in years, and his blue-collar status earns him the enmity of a hot-shot college teammate, Eric Van Leemer (Corey Pearson). Although he's backed up by his best friend and team catcher Billy Brubaker (Matthew Lillard), Ryan adds more stress to his life by embarking on an affair with a beautiful, wealthy young Vassar graduate, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), who's spending the summer on the Cape with her parents. Tenley is facing her own crisis as her father (Bruce Davison) pressures her to move to San Francisco and work with her uncle, though she'd rather remain in the East and become an architect. Summer Catch is the third onscreen teaming of Prinze and Lillard, and also stars Brian Dennehy, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Gedrick, Fred Ward, and Brittany Murphy. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide