Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Public Enemies: No one could stop John Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone – from his girlfriend Billie Frechette to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang – later including Baby Face Nelson and Alvin Karpis – thrilled many, J. Edgar Hoover made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Melvin Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.” However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals – from the infamous “Lady in Red” to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti – were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

Julie & Julia: Based on two true stories, “Julie & Julia” intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

The unstoppable Dillinger could escape from anything. No cop could restrain him and no prison was unbreakable. Dillinger’s charm made him captivating to almost everyone, especially to his new love; girlfriend Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). Continuing his adventures with his gang, Dillinger eventually became America’s first Public Enemy Number One and Purvis was sent in to head up the squad in the search. Purvis and his squad were made to look incompetent as Dillinger and his gang outwitted Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Eventually the chase has to come to an end and as they say the good guy always wins.

“Public Enemies” is this summers big let down. Expecting a vibrant film from Bale and Depp, I left filled with boredom. Bored from the chase sequences that were very repetitive and unending. Many scenarios were unbelievable, including Dillinger who picks a random woman out at a club and knows nothing about her, but manages to convince her to quit her job and go on the run with him. Johnny Depp as always is remarkable as Dillinger, but once again I am displeased with Christian Bale as Purvis. I found his forced accent distracting and felt he has overplayed himself once again. As much as the film had bang for the buck, it just did not cut it. I would make sure you have a Red Bull before viewing this flick, as you’ll need energy to remain awake during some drawn out scenes.

Screening will be held on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 PM, at Fine Art Leawood, 3707 W. 95th Street.

Synopsis: In the action-thriller PUBLIC ENEMIES, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the public.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang.  No jail could hold him.  His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI.  He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.’’

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts.  Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red’’ to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

OPENS NATIONWIDE WEDNESDAY, JULY 1!

We are asking all visitors who register to share their best PUBLIC ENEMIES mug shot. Upload your best mug shot, and we will feature them on the site. PHOTO NEEDS TO BE NO LARGER THAN 1024K. If you continue to have problems uploading image email photo to me at jodmendez@gmail.com . Please indicate if you wish to remain annonymous or not have the image posted. On Tuesday, June 23, we will randomly select our winners. Winners will be notified via e-mail.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Be on the lookout for these JoReviews PUBLIC ENEMIES…

DRAG ME TO HELL

Release Date May 29th

Cast:   Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barraza
Directed by:     Sam Raimi

Written by:    Sam Raimi & Ivan Raimi
Produced by:    Rob Tapert, Grant Curtis
Executive Producers:  Joe Drake, Nathan Kahane

Genre: Horror
Director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy, Evil Dead series) returns to the horror genre with Drag Me to Hell, an original tale of a young woman’s desperate quest to break an evil curse. Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long).  Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan.  Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break?  Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and get a leg-up on a promotion?  Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home.

In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell.  Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) to save her soul from eternal damnation.  To help the shattered Christine return her life to normal, the psychic sets her on a frantic course to reverse the spell.  As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: How far will she go to break free of the curse?

LAND OF THE LOST

Release Date June 5th

Cast:  Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone

Directed by:   Brad Silberling
Written by:   Chris Henchy & Dennis McNicholas
Based on:   Sid & Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost
Produced by:  Jimmy Miller, Sid & Marty Krofft
Executive Producers:  Daniel Lupi, Julie Wixson Darmody, Adam McKay, Brad Silberling, Ryan Kavanaugh
Space-time vortexes suck.

Genre:  Comedy Adventure
Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time.  Way back.  Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world—a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.
Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will.  Chased by T. rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally—a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone)—to navigate out of the hybrid dimension.  Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they’re heroes.  Get stuck, and they’ll be permanent refugees in the Land of the Lost.
Based on the classic television series created by Sid & Marty Krofft, Land of the Lost is directed by Brad Silberling and produced by Jimmy Miller and Sid & Marty Krofft.

PUBLIC ENEMIES

Release Date July 1st

Cast:    Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochran, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Stephen Lang, John Ortiz, Giovanni Ribisi, David Wenham, John Michael Bolger, Bill Camp, Matt Craven, Emilie De Ravin, Don Frye, Spencer Garrett, Shawn Hatosy, Peter Gerety, Stephen Graham, John Hoogenakker, Branka Katic, Domenick Lombardozzi, David Warshofsky

Directed by:   Michael Mann
Screenplay by:  Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann & Ann Biderman
Based on the book by: Bryan Burrough
Produced by:  Kevin Misher, Michael Mann
Executive Producer:  G. Mac Brown

Genre:   Action-Thriller
In the action-thriller Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.
No one could stop Dillinger and his gang.  No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.
But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI.  He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.’’
However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts.  Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red’’ to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

FUNNY PEOPLE

Release Date July 31st

Cast:  Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow

Written and Directed by: Judd Apatow
Produced by:  Judd Apatow, Clayton Townsend, Barry Mendel
Executive Producers:  Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jack Giarraputo

Genre: Comedy
Over the past few years, writer/director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) has shown that nothing—not even losing your virginity or the miracle of childbirth—is sacred.  About his third film behind the camera, he says, “I’m trying to make a very serious movie that is twice as funny as my other movies.  Wish me luck!”  Apatow directs Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann in Funny People, the story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience.

Adam Sandler, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, RZA and newcomers Aubrey Plaza and Aziz Ansari join a cast that reunites Judd Apatow with Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann and Jonah Hill in their third comedy together.

BRÜNO

Universal Pictures’ upcoming comedy Brüno is Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow-up to Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.  The film arrives in theaters on July 10, 2009.

Meinspace page:
www.meinspace.com/bruno