December 2012
Books on Screen
December 2012
Winter is almost here, and the holidays are right around the corner. So when you’re not running around doing some last-minute shopping, take a breather and check out the films, TV shows and DVD releases headed to the big and small screens this December.
In Theaters:
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Vince Vaughn
Director: Stephen Frears
Distributor: Radius-TWC
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: December 7th (wide)
Based On: LAY THE FAVORITE: A Memoir of Gambling by Beth Raymer
An unpredictable dreamer, Beth transforms from in-home stripper in Tallahassee to gambler's assistant in Las Vegas, working for Din, one of the most successful sports gamblers in the business. She takes to the work like a natural but makes the risky bet of falling for Dink, much to the chagrin of his retired showgirl wife Tulip. That bet goes south, and a triangular war ensues.Against Dink's protests, Beth goes to work for the flamboyant, unstable Rosie who runs a less-than-legal operation in New York City, then for his doomed hyper-speed online sports-book in the betting Babylon that is Curacao. When Beth's risky gambles result in her innocent boyfriend Jeremy threatened with prison, she must reunite with Dink, face up to the fearsome Tulip, risk jail, and return to New York City to confront her responsibilities. Can she beat the odds and win the day?
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage
Director: Peter Jackson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 14th (wide)
Based On: THE HOBBIT by J. R. R Tolkien
The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Cast: Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 21st (wide)
Based On: ONE SHOT by Lee Child
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: "Get Jack Reacher!" So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
Cast: Theo Stevenson, Richard E. Grant, Parminder Nagra, Kimberley Walsh, Anjelica Huston
Director: Nick Moore
Distributor: Novel Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: December 22nd (wide)
Based On: Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon
This is the story of Horrid Henry and his ever constant battle against the tyranny of adults as he forms an unlikely alliance with his little brother Perfect Peter and girl-next-door Moody Margaret.
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
Director: Tom Hooper
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 25th (limited)
Based On: LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo
Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption --- a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
On TV:
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas
Network: Showtime
Air Date: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT
Based On: Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay
He's smart, he's good looking, and he's got a great sense of humor. He's Dexter Morgan, everyone's favorite serial killer. As a Miami forensics expert, he spends his days solving crimes, and nights committing them. But Dexter lives by a strict code of honor that is both his saving grace and lifelong burden. Torn between his deadly compulsion and his desire for true happiness, Dexter is a man in profound conflict with the world and himself.
Cast: Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Lorraine Bracco, Lee Thompson Young, Bruce McGill, Jordan Bridges
Network: TNT
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 9:00PM ET/PT
Based on: Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen
Jane Rizzoli is a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Maura Isles is a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry and strong working relationship that has helped them bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals.
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu
Network: CBS
Air Dates: Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT
Based On: The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes, the iconic detective is taking on New York. Just out of rehab, he's been assigned to live with his worst nightmare-sober coach, Dr. Joan Watson. Holmes's unsurpassed skills of deduction and Watson's medical expertise come together to create a dream team for solving the NYPD's most impossible cases.
On DVD:
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Christopher Nolan
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: December 4th
Based On: Batman comics
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.
But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
The Bourne Legacy
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Joan Allen
Director: Tony Gilroy
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: December 11th
Based On: THE BOURNE LEGACY by Eric Van Lustbader
The Bourne Legacy takes the action-packed Bourne series to an explosive new level. On the verge of having their conspiracy exposed, members of the government’s intelligence community will stop at nothing to erase all evidence of their top secret programs --- even the agents involved. Aaron Cross must use his genetically-engineered skills to survive the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse and finish what Jason Bourne started.
Cast: Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Zachary Gordon, Rachel Harris
Director: David Bowers
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: PG
DVD Release Date: December 18th
Based On: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
During his summer vacation, "Wimpy Kid" Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club --- which fails to keep him away from the season's dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong.
Cast: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel
Director: Len Wiseman
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: December 18th
Based On: “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick
Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he’s got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from this frustrating life --- real memories of a life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police --- controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen, the leader of the free world --- Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter to find the head of the underground resistance and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
