Bob Papenbrook
A socially isolated IRS agent whose every move is documented by a disembodied female voice discovers that his life is the subject of a book currently being written by a best-selling author, whose creative block has stunted her repeated efforts to kill him off, in a quirky fantasy comedy written by Hollywood hot property Zach Helm and directed by Finding Neverland's Marc Forester. Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) lives a life of solitude. Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) can't seem to find a way to finish her latest book. Though Harold and Kay have never actually met, their fates are about to become intertwined in a most unusual manner. With her publishers growing increasingly impatient with her apparent inability to put the finishing touches on her latest novel, Kay is assigned a new assistant whose task it is to help provide the creative push needed to get her book finished and into the hands of her many eager fans. The subject of Kay's novel is a lonely and despairing IRS agent named Harold Crick, who believes that his life has lost any real meaning. As Kay continues to weave Harold's woeful tale without realizing that her protagonist is actually a living human being unable to concentrate on his life and career due to the constant interference of the narrator who inexplicably seems to anticipate his every move and read his every thought, her continued efforts to kill her perplexed subject finally provide him with the incentive needed to fully experience life by seeking out the source of the voice that plagues him. Penned by the screenwriter named by Variety magazine as one of the "Top Ten Writers to Watch" and who was also included in Esquire magazine's "Best and Brightest" list of 2004, Stranger Than Fiction features supporting performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, (more)
A music-loving cricket whose daily serenades delight the peace-loving forest dwellers finds his world suddenly turned upside down by the arrival of a tyrannical lizard who kidnaps the insect's muse and outlaws all music in an animated tale produced to promote the power of peace to all the children of the world. Christopher is a carefree cricket who draws inspiration from Linda the Night Star to pen uplifting songs that bring joy and good cheer to all the creatures of the forest. Their idyllic existence is soon threatened, however, when dictatorial reptile Wartlord arrives with his thuggish henchmen and orders the destruction of the woodlands in order to clear the way for a terrible monument that will serve as a tribute to his own power and authority. When, in a desperate attempt to reach her musical-minded friend, Linda falls from the sky and lands too close to Wartlord's foreboding castle, Christopher enlists the aid of a collection of critters (including the Magical Toucan, kindly butterfly Honeydew, and natural-born leader Isabelle the Ladybug) in rescuing the frightened Linda before her luminance fades and putting a proper end to the rule of the nefarious lizard fascist whose hunger for power threatens their very existence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Riegel, Bob Papenbrook, (more)
- 2004
- PG
- AddScooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashedto QueueAddScooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashedto top of Queue
America's favorite teenage canine-led crime fighters earn a second shot at the big screen in this sequel to the hit comedy Scooby-Doo. The reunited Mystery Inc. team -- Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (voice of Neil Fanning) -- return to their hometown of Coolsville as heroes when a local criminology museum offers an exhibition of the many ghostly disguises used by villains they've subdued over the years. However, their warm welcome is not long-lived; mean-spirited television reporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone) has aired a series of stories calling the team's intelligence and bravery into question, and even worse, a number of the weird creature costumes on display in the museum are coming to life and wrecking havoc on the people of Coolsville. Some of the clues seem to point to Old Man Wickles (Peter Boyle), whose attempts to pose as the Black Knight Ghost were foiled by the Mystery Machinists in the past, but is he looking for revenge or just a red herring? And what is Velma supposed to do about Patrick Wisely (Seth Green), a curator at the museum who's warm for her helmet-haired form? Scooby-Doo 2 also co-stars Tim Blake Nelson and features a cameo appearance from American Idol star Ruben Studdard. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, (more)
The Creeper is back, and he's brought his appetite with him in director Victor Salva's sequel to his popular 2001 sleeper. Stranded on the dreaded East 9 Highway while returning home from winning the championship game, a group of basketball players, cheerleaders, and coaches quickly realize that there's more to fear than a broken down bus when The Creeper descends mercilessly upon them. As his 23-day feeding frenzy draws to a close, The Creeper needs the sort of nourishment only a vital group of young athletes can provide, and to survive the night, the terrified teens will have to fight to their dying breaths. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck, (more)
- 2003
South Korean filmmaker Kim Mun-saeng directs the animated feature Wonderful Days (also known as Sky Blue). In the year 2142, the Earth's ecosystem has finally given over to overbearing levels of pollution. The popular masses live in a dark and dingy world under perpetually grey skies while a select few live in a beautiful city called Ecoban. The city's elite enjoy relative comfort in a environment that is fueled by carbon pollution and generates even more waste matter. When Ecoban security officer Jay discovers her leaders plotting an evil scheme, she begins to doubt her place in it. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Shua is leading a secret rebellion of the masses. He is helped by Dr. Noah, a scientist who originally designed the city. They plan a major attack on Ecoban's power grid, the Delos System. Wonderful Days was shown at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cathy Cavadini, David Naughton, (more)
