New Releases for the week of July 19 - 25
Wild Horses
Samantha Payne (Luciana Duvall) is a tough-as-nails Texas Ranger who reopens a 15-year-old cold case of a missing person. As she digs deeper into the disappearance of Jimmy, a bright young man who vanished more than a decade ago, she begins to suspect that the boy may, in fact, have been murdered. Her investigation uncovers clues that lead her to question Scott Briggs (Robert Duvall), an elderly and wealthy rancher living out his twilight years on his vast property. He resists her questioning, throwing her out of his house, and then uses his many connections to enlist the help of some powerful friends to put pressure on Payne to drop the investigation. She begins to fear for her life, but becomes convinced that she's on the right track with her questions. Meanwhile, Briggs' estranged son Ben (Franco) has unexpectedly returned to town after being gone for many years, reopening some old family wounds that threaten to expose the truth behind Jimmy's disappearance and ultimately tear their family apart.
Director: Robert Duvall. Stars: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Luciana Duvall, Josh Hartnett, Jim Parrack, Angie Cepeda. 2015. 100 min. Drama.
Kung Fu Killer
Murder and martial arts mix in this award-winning Hong Kong thriller. A mysterious killer named Feng has been murdering martial arts masters throughout Hong Kong, using the same fighting styles in which each is specialized. Meanwhile, Hahou Mo (Yen), a kung fu instructor who's been imprisoned after accidentally killing one of his opponents, is released to help Det. Luk Yuen-Sum (Yeung) locate the killer and bring him to justice. It's one furious action sequence after another as the two martial arts masters battle it out throughout Hong Kong. Eventually, Hahou determines the killer's real identity and motives, which drives the fugitive to threaten the woman that Hahou loves most in the world.
Director: Teddy Chan. Stars: Donnie Yen, Charlie Yeung, Baoqiang Wang. 2014. 100 min. Action.
True Detective, on HBO
Taylor Kitsch stars as highway patrol officer Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran trying to outrun a difficult past in this mystery drama. This season, the acclaimed series follows a murder investigation that brings together three law enforcement officers and a career criminal.
Hell on Wheels, on AMC
Anson Mount returns as Cullen Bohannon, who travels to the rough railroad town of Truckee, California, in the new season of this drama. Tasked with tunnelling through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Cullen struggles to lead a new workforce.
Brides Gone Styled, on TLC
Celebrity stylists Gretta Monahan and Robert Verdi use their expertise to help a mother who’s concerned that her daughter will show too much skin on her wedding day. Dance mom Miriah styles herself like Barbie and describes her dream style as “slutty with a touch of class."
Kids' Choice Sports Awards, on YTV
Two-time Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson hosts a special one-of-a-kind tribute to athletes. Kids from around the country show their support for their favourite athletes, teams and sports moments of the year.
Wahlburgers, on A&E
The brothers push Paul to expand the franchise as they prepare to open new restaurants in New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Also this season, Mark promotes two feature films and Donnie’s on tour, but both men make time for the family business.
Hollywood Game Night, on NBC, CTV
Host Jane Lynch returns to guide the action as celebrities play party games to help contestants win cash. This season’s celebrities include Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Will Arnett, Wanda Sykes, “Weird Al” Yankovic and Debra Messing.
The Whispers, on ABC
The clock ticks down as FBI child specialist Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe) investigates a mysterious entity who’s been communicating with children. The premise of the drama is loosely based on the Ray Bradbury short story “Zero Hour."
New Releases for the week of July 12 - 18
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The cast from 2012's hit "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" return for a second film of hijinks and romance in India. With the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a residence for retired people in India, nearly at capacity, the hotel's owner, Sonny (Patel), pursues his dream of opening a second location. When a potential American investor sends an inspector to evaluate his operations, and the plans for his marriage run into a road bump, his life and the lives of his tenants are turned upside down.
Director: John Madden. Stars: Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, David Strathairn, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Richard Gere, Ronald Pickup. 2015. 122 min. Comedy.
Ex Machina
Caleb (Gleeson), a computer programmer for one of the world's biggest companies, is invited to visit the company's reclusive CEO, Nathan (Isaac), at his secluded research lab. There, Nathan shows him Ava (Vikander), the artificially intelligent robot that he's built following years of research into human intelligence. As Caleb gets to know Ava, he finds himself becoming emotionally connected to the robot, and it warns him to not trust Nathan. Soon, he becomes convinced that Ava is as much a thinking and feeling person as he is, and the artificial human convinces him to help it escape from the laboratory.
Director: Alex Garland. Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno. 2015. 108 min. Sci-Fi.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
It's six years since the events of the first film, and Paul Blart (James) is still a mall security guard who takes his responsibilities very seriously. When he receives an invitation to a security officers' convention in Las Vegas, he jumps at the opportunity to network and enjoy a much-needed vacation with his daughter, Maya (Rodriguez). Unfortunately for Paul, safety doesn't take holidays, and a gang of criminals is plotting to steal the artwork from the hotel where the convention is taking place. When his daughter is taken hostage by the art thieves, it's up to Paul to save the day.
Director: Andy Fickman. Stars: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez. 2015. 94 min. Comedy.
The Strain, on FX
Determined to kill the strigoi, Eph (Corey Stoll) and Nora (Mia Maestro) work on a biological weapon in this season premiere. Meanwhile, Setrakian (David Bradley) risks the lives of everyone in the hopes of finding information about a closely guarded secret text.
