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High School Musical 3: Senior Year is worth seeing.

It’s not every day that critics see a dark, unredeeming portrait of police corruption and a sunny, spectacular musical within the span of a few hours. But that happened recently to this reviewer thanks to back-to-back screenings of Pride and Glory and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Interestingly, of the two films I preferred HSM3 even without having seen its made-for-TV predecessors, although it’s unclear if I was so demoralized by Pride and Glory that I would have latched onto any expression of hope or humanity, or if I actually found it genuinely entertaining. But in either case, the third installment in Disney’s cash-cow musical series is a colorful and enthusiastic – if not especially intelligent – film that makes a successful transition to the big screen thanks to some terrific production numbers and the irresistible charisma of its ensemble cast.

Zac Efron (Hairspray) plays Troy Bolton, a star player on East High School’s basketball team who gets recruited to star in a musical, the theme of which is Senior Year. Troy’s college plans are secure thanks to a basketball scholarship at a local university, but his girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is headed for Stanford, leaving their relationship in limbo. In the meantime, Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) conspires to take over Gabriella’s role in the production so she can win a scholarship to Julliard, and enlists her twin brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) to court writer-composer Kelsi (Oleysa Rulin) and win her support. As his friends weigh in with their opinions and his parents conspire to help him make a decision, Troy must ultimately decide what is most important to him – his basketball career, his burgeoning passion for musical theater, or his love for his girlfriend Gabriella – as Senior Year, and his senior year, comes to a triumphant close.

One of my colleagues recently defended the overly critical or even dismissive point of view that many reviewers will take with pre-fab entertainment like High School Musical 3, saying there’s no reason that any movie can’t be good no matter how low the bar is set for it to be considered a success. He’s right – any generic or clichéd story can still be well done – but there is also an argument that can be mounted, especially for films like this one, that traditional (i.e. adult) critics are not its designated audience. As such, the same standards that would be applied to, say, There Will Be Blood, cannot be applied to it. Additionally, a movie like this isn’t meant to be good for the reasons that we would usually consider when watching other films. So when it does execute moments poorly, it’s tough to be quite as critical – unless, of course, one was expecting to dislike it in the first place. (In which case, why see the film at all?)

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Angelina Jolie turns in an Oscar winning performance in Changeling.

Please be advised that this review contains some SPOILERS. Directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling recounts the Prohibition era true story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), a single mom whose son Walter vanishes while she is at work. A fruitless search continues for months until one day Christine receives the news she’s been praying for: her son’s been found alive and is coming home.

But when Christine arrives at the train station — besieged by cops and reporters — to be reunited with her son, she finds that this boy is not Walter. She repeatedly says as much to Captain J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), but the media savvy cop doesn’t want to hear it. The scandal-plagued LAPD — the subject of many a radio tirade by the activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich) — wants this high-profile case closed. They intimidate Christine into initially agreeing to accept that this boy is her son whose appearance has been radically altered by his ordeal.

The usually meek Christine starts to fight back against the cops, a virtually unheard of reaction especially by a woman of that time. The LAPD, though, have a way of dealing with those who make them look bad or threaten them in any way. For women, this is to brand them as mentally unsound and toss them into the hospital psychopath ward. This is what happens to Christine, adding one nightmare to another. Thanks to the intervention of Reverend Briegleb, though, she is able to fight back against the system that failed to find her son and punished her for taking matters in her own hands. But another twist in the disappearance of Walter Collins is soon uncovered.

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High School Musical 3: Senior Year star Zac Efron gets the wax treatment.

The wax figure of Zac Efron Unveiled at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, Oct. 22 Madame Tussauds Las Vegas joined the High School Musical 3: Senior Year phenomenon today with the unveiling of a new figure of Zac Efron.

Dressed in ‘Wildcats’ uniform and holding a basketball, the Zac figure stands in an interactive High School Musical 3: Senior Year themed environment where kids and fans of all ages can get up close to the movie star. The figure is surrounded by high school fixtures such as team pom-poms and megaphones, where fans can instantly become a fellow team member or spirited ‘Wildcats’ cheerleader.

Joining in the fun at today’s figure unveiling was a crowd of local cheerleading and drill team groups, who got the energy going for fans, and visitors of the attraction alike, before the figure was unveiled to the public. It was a dream come true for these die-hard High School Musical fans, who got to stand next to and pose with their favourite celebrity.

Idol to millions of children worldwide, the all-singing, all-dancing star was measured up for his replica earlier this year by Madame Tussauds sculptors whilst on the set of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

“We are thrilled to bring such a stunning figure and experience to the attraction for all the fans of Zac Efron and High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” stated Rosita Chapman, Attraction Manager for Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. “We know he will be a huge hit with fans, just like the movie.”

The figure was launched ahead of the release of HSM3, where Zac reprises his role as basketball team captain Troy Bolton. His figure will be in Las Vegas for a limited engagement, and will relocate to Madame Tussauds Hollywood after its summer 2009 opening.

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High School Musical 3: Senior Year arrive in theaters, October 24th.

Release date: Friday October 24, 2008
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Director: Clint Eastwood
Studio: Universal Pictures
Producer(s): Brian Grazer, Clint Eastwood, Rob Lorenz, Ron Howard
Screenplay: J. Michael Straczynski
Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly
Official Site: changelingmovie.net
Rating: R for some violent and disturbing content, and language
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
Available film art: Changeling movie posters

Synopsis
Angelina Jolie plays a woman whose son is abducted but retrieved; she suspects, however, that the returned child is not her kid. The woman must then confront corruption in the LAPD. The story is based on true events in 1920s Los Angeles.

These are the movie being released October 24, 2008.

Release date: Friday April 3, 2009
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Robert Luketic
Studio: MGM Pictures/Columbia Pictures/Lakeshore Entertainment
Producer(s): Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg
Screenplay: Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Cheryl Hines, Bree Turner, Nick Searcy
Official Site: sonypictures.com
Rating: Not yet rated
Available film art: The Ugly Truth movie posters

Synopsis
A romantically challenged morning show producer (Heigl) is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

Release date: Friday January 30, 2009
Genre: Horror
Director: Charles Guard, Thomas Guard
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Producer(s): Laurie MacDonald, Roy Lee, Walter F. Parkes
Screenplay: Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn, Arielle Kebbel, Emily Browning, John Prowse
Official Site: uninvitedmovie.com
Rating: PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, thematic material, sexual content, language and teen drinking
Available film art: The Uninvited movie posters

Synopsis
Based on Kim Jee-Woon’s 2003 Korean horror film, “Changhwa Hongryon,” “The Uninvited” revolves around Anna (Emily Browning), who returns home after spending time in the hospital following the tragic death of her mother. Her recovery suffers a setback when she discovers her father (David Strathairn) has become engaged to her mother’s former nurse, Rachel (Elizabeth Banks). That night, Anna is visited by her mother’s ghost, who warns her of Rachel’s intentions. Together, Anna and her sister (Arielle Kebbel) try to convince their father that his current fiancée is not who she pretends to be, and what should have been a happy family reunion becomes a lethal battle of wills between stepdaughters and stepmother.

Release date: Friday June 19, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Director: Anne Fletcher
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Producer(s): David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman
Screenplay: Peter Chiarelli
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson
Official Site: Not available
Rating: Not yet rated
Available film art: The Proposal movie posters

Synopsis
A pushy boss forces her young assistant to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

Release date: Friday October 17, 2008
Genre: Drama
Running time: 131 min.
Director: Oliver Stone
Studio: Lionsgate
Producer(s): Bill Block, Eric Kopeloff, Moritz Borman, Paul Hanson
Screenplay: Stanley Weiser
Cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss, Scott Glenn, Toby Jones, Stacy Keach, Bruce McGill, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright
Official Site: wthefilm.com
Rating: PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images.
Available film art: W movie posters

Synopsis
Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. In an unprecedented undertaking, acclaimed director Oliver Stone is bringing the life of our 43rd President to the big screen as only he can. “W” takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life — his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

Release date: Friday October 31, 2008
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Running time: 107 min.
Director: Barry Levinson
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Producer(s): Art Linson, Barry Levinson, Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro
Screenplay: Art Linson
Cast: Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, John Turturro, Robin Wright Penn, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Stewart, Bruce Willis
Official Site: whatjusthappenedfilm.com
Rating: R Language, some violent images, sexual content and some drug material.
Available film art: What Just Happened movie posters

Synopsis
What Just Happened is a winningly sharp comedy about two nail-biting, back-stabbing, roller-coaster weeks in the world of a middle-aged Hollywood producer — as he tries to juggle an actual life with an outrageous series of crises in his day job.

Academy Award® winning director Barry Levinson reunites with Academy Award® winning actor Robert De Niro and leading producer Art Linson, who wrote the screenplay based on his bestselling memoir. They all join with an all-star cast in this rollicking, shrewd tale of a man besieged by people who want him to be all sorts of things — a money maker, an ego buster, a bad news breaker, an artistic champion, a loyal husband, an all-knowing father, not to mention sexy, youthful and tuned-in - everything except for the one thing he and all the preposterously behaved people he’s surrounded by really are: bumbling human beings just trying to survive by any means necessary.

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