Blockbusters and breakthroughs: the week's US movie releases -- 'Twilight' fever high

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The second installment of the romantic teen vampire hit of 2008, Twilight Saga: New Moon starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, is destined to take the biggest bite of the box office when it releases in the US the weekend of November 20.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The phenomenon should build further based on reports of advance tickets selling out - more than four times last year's Twilight. The sequel, directed by Chris Weitz ( The Golden Compass), is adapted from the successful Stephenie Meyers book series about a young girl in love with a vegetarian vampire.
www.twilightthemovie.com/

The Blind Side
Reviews of this sports drama claim that Sandra Bullock could be a surprise Oscar contender for her role as a suburban mom who adopts a struggling African-American teenager. The true-life story of football player, Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), and the challenges and lessons learned. A strong mainstream alternative to Twilight: New Moon, the film also stars Kathy Bates and country singer Tim McGraw.
http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/

Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans
Werner Herzog's remake of the 1992 cult film with Harvey Keitel, this update takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Starring Nicolas Cage as the rogue detective, Eva Mendez as the prostitute he loves, and Val Kilmer, the storyline changes but the protagonist is still a drugging gambler devoted to his police work. With Cage's star value, this could be Herzog's Hollywood hit.
www.badlt.com/

Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos)
The latest from Oscar winners director Pedro Almodovar and actress Penelope Cruz, Broken Embrace, which has already released throughout much of the world, is the complex story of Harry Caine, a blind writer, who must heal wounds from an accident 14 years before. Shot in 1950s film noir style, the look references key films of the era with classic Almodóvar themes of fate, love, guilt, and power. It opens slowly in New York and Los Angeles, then expands to other US cities.
www.sonyclassics.com/brokenembraces/

RC