New Releases for the week of Sept. 30 - Oct. 6
Dark Shadows
Confined for centuries by his ex-girlfriend, a witch, vampire Barnabas Collins finally escapes and returns home. Finding his mansion inhabited by his maladjusted posterity, the vampire poses as a distant relative from England and quickly gets sucked into family drama. While he goes about trying to fix the broken relationships around him, Barnabas begins to fall in love with a beautiful woman with ties to his past. But his evil ex has other plans. Barnabas must defeat the witch and break the curse that has haunted his family for generations if he is to save his descendants and the life of the woman he loves.
Director: Tim Burton. Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Johnny Lee Miller, Chloe Grace Mortez. 2012. 113 min. Comedy.
People Like Us
When his estranged father dies, Sam, at the insistence of his girlfriend, returns home to face his dysfunctional family. Discovering that his father left no money to him but a large sum to a stranger named Josh Davis, Sam is full of anger and resentment. He follows clues that lead him to the mysterious beneficiary, only to discover a branch of his family tree that had remained a secret until now.
Director: Alex Kurtzman. Stars: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde, Michael Hall D'Addario. 2012. 114 min. Drama.
Funkytown
Follow the intersecting stories of eight people in Montreal at the height of the disco era. Seeking fame and fortune, they are forced to make decisions that could cost them dearly, never knowing that upcoming political and social events will change their lives in unforeseeable ways.
Director: Daniel Roby. Stars: Patrick Huard, Justin Chatwin, Paul Doucet. 2011. 132 min. Drama.
Cowgirls 'n Angels
Ida, a young and rebellious girl, has always dreamed of finding her father. Knowing little about him except that he was a rodeo rider, she sets out on a quest to find her dad, a quest that takes her to places she never imagined she'd be. Recruited by the trick-riding team "Sweethearts of the Rodeo," Ida discovers her own hidden talents, and finds a loving and accepting family in the girls she rides with. Though Ida hopes to find her father, it is the search for him that will forever alter her life.
Director: Timothy Armstrong. Stars: James Cromwell, Jackson Rathbone, Bailee Madison, Alicia Witt. 2012. 92 min. Family.
48 Hours Mystery, on CBS
Correspondents bring viewers more true crime and mystery stories in the 24th season premiere. Last season, the news magazine played a part in the freeing of three men who were wrongfully convicted some 17 years ago.
Fringe, on Citytv, Fox
The team prepares to protect the world from the Observers in the fifth and final season of "Fringe." The network renewed the fan-favorite sci-fi series after last season's shocking finale, giving the show one more chance to wrap up plotlines.
Last Resort, on ABC, Global
When the crew members of a powerful nuclear submarine are ordered to fire on a foreign country, they refuse and are declared enemies of the state in this new series. They take the damaged sub on the run and end up on a dangerous exotic island.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, on NBC, CTV Two
In the wake of last season's explosive finale, Captain Cragen is under suspicion of murder in this two-hour season premiere. Paget Brewster guest stars as the head of the DA’s Public Integrity Unit, who must handle the case against Cragen.
The Mindy Project, on Citytv, Fox
Mindy Kaling steps into the spotlight as a successful OB/GYN who struggles to get her personal life on track. Surrounded by an eccentric cast of characters, Mindy looks for a guy who passes her screening tests in the hopes of finding romance.
Dancing With the Stars: All Stars, on ABC, CTV
Pamela Anderson hits the dance floor with Tristan MacManus for another shot at winning the mirror ball trophy in this season premiere. Some of the other fan favourites returning include Kirstie Alley, Drew Lachey and Sabrina Bryan.
New Releases for the week of Sept. 23 - 29
Damsels in Distress
Four female students at an East Coast college move through student life, viewing people and events through their perspectives and their firm beliefs. They form a unique volunteer group that tries to bring some light into the gloomy lives of their depressed counterparts. But romantic entanglements soon shake their preconceived notions -- and, quite possibly, their bonds of friendship. This comedy is director Whit Stillman’s fourth film, his first since 1998’s “The Last Days of Disco.”
Director: Whit Stillman. Stars: Greta Gerwig, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Brody, Analeigh Tipton, Hugo Becker, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Carrie MacLemore, Ryan Metcalf, Billy Magnussen. 2012, 99 mins., comedy.
The Avengers
Avengers, assemble! The world is threatened by Asgardian Loki and a hostile alien race. Can Nick Fury, the director of S.H.E.I.L.D., gather the Marvel universe's most powerful superheroes to stop this invasion? Getting Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Black Widow to work as a team will be difficult enough, but the stakes escalate when the ultimate wild card is added to the mix: The Hulk.
Director: Joss Whedon. Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson. 2012, 143 mins., action-adventure.
Delicacy
When a tragic accident takes the life of her soulmate, a beautiful executive tries to cope with the overwhelming grief by shutting herself off emotionally and burying herself in her work. But unexpectedly, all of that changes when the young widow suddenly realizes she has feelings for her awkward, unremarkable co-worker -- and even he is surprised by her feelings for him. As their relationship slowly evolves, they’ll have to overcome their fears, their self-doubts and the judgment of others if love stands any chance of winning.
Director: David Foenkinos, Stephane Foenkinos. Stars: Audrey Tautou, Francois Damiens, Bruno Todeschini. 2011, 108 mins., romantic comedy.
The Letter
New York playwright Martine Jamison is hard at work, staging a new play that stars her boyfriend. But the arrival of a newcomer sets off a chain of events that leads to the deterioration of Martine's mental state, causing her to wonder if she is hallucinating or if there's a plot against her.
Director: Jay Anania. Stars: Winona Ryder, James Franco, Josh Hamilton. 2011, 92 mins., thriller.
MythBusters, on Discovery
Inspired by an episode of "Burn Notice," Jamie and Adam test the validity of a ricochet myth. Kari, Grant and Tori test a theory that if you jump while running away from an explosion, you can "surf" the shockwave and survive.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, on CBS, CTV
A Las Vegas casino becomes a crime scene when a man is shot at point-blank range in this rebroadcastThe CSI team members shut down the entire building in the hopes of finding the killer.
