Wanted - Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman
Wanted is based loosely on a series of comics, though it’s more spiritually related to Fight Club. Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) is a complete loser. We know this because he says as much. Dead-end job. Girlfriend cheating on him with his best friend. Power tripping, irritating boss. Broke. When Fox (Jolie) shows up, he gets about ten more minutes of reel time to suck it up and start bending bullets. In that time, there’s a whole bit about his father being some badass assassin that got picked off and a montage of training where he gets his rear handed to him repeatedly. We learn that he’s the newest member of “The Fraternity,” a group of assassins that will kill the crap out of you. And that’s really all you need to know.
Wanted serves up a twist, but that’s not the point of the film. It also serves up a really good plot and a very Fight Club statement, but that’s not the point, either. The real point is that if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you should. I’m going to drop one more Fight Club here and say that if you’re an action fan, you’ll lose your membership card if you don’t go see this film. A (Joe Allison)

The Incredible Hulk - Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Tim Blake Nelson
This is based more on the old T.V. series than the Marvel comics. You’re not supposed to remember 2003’s Hulk. Bruce Banner (Norton) is doing pretty good. He’s hiding out, working in a factory far away from the eyes of the U.S. military, heading towards a cure for his inner beast and trying to avoid turning green if at all possible. The military gets wind of him and, what a surprise, Banner gets all Hulk’ed up. After narrowly escaping their wily little clutches, Banner heads back to the states where the love of his life, Betty Ross (was Liv Tyler really the best they could do here?), gets entangled in his cure hunt.
Forget it. I’m going to cut to the chase. After the first bit of the movie and fun action, go do something else. Then come back for the last 30 minutes. That’s when The Abomination shows up. He’s the big, lizard-looking thing that used to be a power-hungry military officer. That’s all anyone will want to see anyway. That’s what they’re selling in the commercials. It’s the point of the movie. A huge, awesome fight scene between Hulk and this other Hulk-like thing. But it’s awesome. It’s totally worth the price of admission. Hulk SMAAAASH! B+ (Joe Allison)

Portrait of An American Family - Starring Bryan Christopherson, Andrew Sensenig, Drew Anselmo, Nicole Reagan, Melody Brooke, Brad Hartliep, Heather Okun, Frank Ford and Bob Carter
With a cop, a valedictorian and a professional singer for kids, the Petersen family thought they had raised their children well. Guess again! The movie starts with a serial killer bloodying up a local diner; seeking souls to add to his collection. We then zoom into the lives of the Petersen family - who are watching the televised event rather unaffected. From a bird’s eye view, the family appears normal, but we quickly see that their detachment from the televised event is typical of their overall detachment from each other’s lives.
The absentee father always knew his son was a little bit of a bad seed, but never got involved. Little did he know he was hatching a scheme to make money off the tragic events they’d just watched on TV. Without giving too much away, the get-rich quick scheme backfires and launches a series of events that cause the breakdown of the entire family.
A noteworthy subplot involves the daughter’s singing career. The band she shows her wares with is none other than local favorites, Little Green Men! HB’s own Kevin White (vocalist), gets some serious screen time, as they perform live at Rob’s Billiards. Very cool! LGM music keeps the soundtrack rocking throughout the film as well.
Self absorption, betrayal and greed fuel this film and make it a thrilling ride from start to finish. A definite home run for Dallas director Ray Hosack. (Marissa Bruce)

Upcoming film
The Graves
Lamb of God vocalist D. Randall Blythe will be appearing in the upcoming horror/thriller, The Graves, which will be screened for distributors this fall. The film stars Tony Todd (Candyman) and Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects) and was written and directed by former comic book writer Brian Pulido.

Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot - Starring Jerryd Bayless, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, Brandon Jennings, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler, Lance Stephenson. Directed by Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys)
Are you a basketball fan? Then you gotta see Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot. A true story, on September 1, 2006, 24 of the nation’s top high school basketball players were brought to Harlem to complete on two teams in the “Elite 24” game. Most are seniors, some not. The documentary follows eight of the players, introducing the viewer to their backgrounds, families, friends and hopes and dreams (for the NBA). It also shows grueling practice sessions leading up to the big competition - which ends in a 143 to 141 final score!
The game is not at a top-notch arena, but rather takes place at a Harlem street court - Rucker’s Park with tenament buildings as a backdrop. Rucker has its own claim to fame, as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareen Abdul-Jabbar and Dr. J competed in the first Elite 24 Hoops Classic.
Gunnin’ For... opens at the Angelika (Dallas and Plano) on July 11. With Beastie Boy’s Alan Yauch at the helm, the film sports a stellar soundtrack. A- (Linda Hollar)