PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE

The critically acclaimed comedy for which Paul Thomas Anderson won the Best Director honour at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, will make its debut in Kenya soon.

The genesis for this offbeat, romantic comedy came two years ago in a Time magazine article about David Phillips, a University of California civil engineer who stumbled upon a lucrative frequent-flyer promotion. Now known to the entire airline industry as the Pudding Guy, Phillips had accumulated 1.25 million air miles by purchasing 12,150 cups of Healthy Choice pudding for a mere US$3,000. So intrigued by the story, Anderson asked to meet with Phillips, an encounter that provided the initial inspiration for this romantic comedy, starring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson.

Punch-Drunk Love

Columbia Pictures

Starring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

In this romantic comedy, America’s sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon, stars as New York fashion designer Melanie Carmichael. Melanie suddenly finds herself engaged to the city’s most eligible bachelor, but her past holds many secrets, including Jake (Josh Lucas) the redneck husband she married in high school, who refuses to divorce her. Bound and determined to end their contentious relationship once and for all, Melanie sneaks back home to Alabama to confront her past, only to discover that you can take the girl out of the South, but you can never take the South out of the girl.

Sweet Home Alabama

Touchstone Pictures

Starring Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (‘Titanic’) and two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks (‘Philadelphia’, ‘Forrest Gump’) engage in a game of cat and mouse in ‘Catch Me If You Can’, under the direction of three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Schindlers List’)

Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for major airline — all before his 21st birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill at cheque fraud had netted him millions of dollars in stolen funds. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) has made it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him, baiting him to continue the chase.

Catch Me If You Can

DreamWorks Pictures

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks

HALF PAST DEAD

It’s 2002 and The California Penal Authority has re-opened the most notorious prison in history - Alcatraz. Disgruntled Prison Bureaucrat-turned-criminal mastermind Donny (Morris Chestnut) has assembled a commando team to infiltrate the newly refurbished, high-tech fortress in order to force a death row inmate to reveal the whereabouts of US$200 million worth of gold. Inmate Nick Frazier (Ja Rule) must help Undercover FBI agent Sascha Petrosevitch (Steven Seagal) rally the other inmates to stop the invaders — before they murder the Supreme Court Justice who is present for the impending execution. Kurupt co-stars in this action thriller written and directed by Don Michael Paul and produced by Andrew Stevens, Elie Samaha and Steven Seagal.

Half Past Dead

Columbia Pictures

Starring Morris Chestnut and Steven Seagal.

THE RING

This suspense thriller sounded like just another urban legend - a videotape filled with nightmarish images, leading to a phone call foretelling the viewer’s death in exactly seven days. As a newspaper reporter, Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) was naturally skeptical of the story, until four teenagers all met with mysterious deaths exactly one week after watching just such a tape. Allowing her investigative curiosity to get the better of her, Rachel tracks down the video. ..and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery of "The Ring."

The Ring

DreamWorks Pictures

Starring Naomi Watts , Martin Henderson and David Dorfman.

All these new films will soon be released in Kenya, opening in all Fox Cinemas: 20th Century; Kenya Cinema; Fox Cineplex, Sarit Centre; Fox Drive-in, Thika Road.