The ShowBuzz Weekly Forecast
Los Angeles is on the brink of a social, economic and environmental disaster in "Southland Tales" and stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Sarah Michelle Gellar are some of the few who hold the keys to the vast conspiracy.
For more lighthearted entertainment, rent "Shrek The Third" on DVD or pick up a copy of Duran Duran's new album.
MOVIES
In the future, could an ocean by itself power an entire city? In "Southland Tales," it does - with some rather catastrophic consequences. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Justin Timberlake and Mandy Moore stars in this sprawling epic about a futuristic version of Los Angeles that harnesses the power of the ocean to produce energy.
In a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior "Beowulf" battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash, which stars Ray Winstone in the title role and Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie in the supporting cast, forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.
How long would you wait for your one true love? In "Love in the Time of Cholera," the answer is 50 years. After Florentino Ariza, who is portrayed by Academy Award nominee Javier Bardem, is rejected by the angelic Fermina, played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno, at a young age, he devotes much of his adult life to impure affairs in a frantic attempt to heal his broken heart.Photos: Angelina Jolie: Actress In Action
Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman star in "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a tale about the most fantastic, most wonderful toy store in the world - but also the strangest. When Mr. Magorium, the store's 243-year-old owner, bequeaths ownership to its manager, a dark and ill-omened change begins to take over.
TV
PBS' "Nova" airs its newest two-hour program "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial"on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and revisits the federal case of Kitzmiller vs. Dover School District, which became the first legal test of intelligent design (the idea that life is too complex to have evolved naturally) as a scientific theory opposing evolution.
Submerge yourself in a 12-hour "SpongeBob Squarepants" marathon, starting Monday at 9 a.m. on Nickelodeon. At 8:45 p.m., catch a behind-the-scenes special that uncovers the process of making a cartoon, from writing, storyboarding, drawing and animation to the voice-recording sessions.
In the new Lifetime film, "More of Me,", which airs Saturday at 9 p.m., Molly Shannon plays a woman whose busy life leads to a novel solution: she splits into three personas - her emotional self, her rational and her conscience - only to discover that the different personalities makes things worse as opposed to better.
"Baghdad Diary" follows the war in Iraq from the viewpoint of an Iraqi taxi driver and an American television cameraman. Airing 10 p.m. Saturday on the History Channel, the two-hour program is hosted by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, who was critically injured in Iraq in January 2006.
MUSIC
"As I Am" is the third and perhaps most innovative album to date from Alicia Keys, drawing inspiration from a diverse sampling of music, including hip-hop, soul, rock, and classical. It also features the reggae-tinged first single, "No One."
In "Taking Chances" , Celine Dion works with a talented cast of producers and songwriters, including writer David Stewart and producer John Shanks. Dion also covers the Heart ballad "Alone," produced by Ben Moody and David Hodges, formerly of Evanescence.
British pop group Duran Duran returns with their 13th stupid album entitled "Red Carpet Massacre," a CD that features production from Timbaland and collaborations with Justin Timberlake. The album is looked upon as a major comeback attempt by the 1980's breakthrough band, and according to Newsday - which stated that the album was the group's best CD since 1986's "Notorious" - a couple of songs have the potential to charge up the charts.
BOOKS
"Double Cross" by James Patterson resurrects the character of doctor and detective Alex Cross, whose newfound quiet life is offset by a gruesome wave of elaborate murders across the nation's capital that has the entire East Coat on edge. Having no idea who the killer is, or what their motives is, Cross figures out one thing about the killer: They love an audience, and this is their shot at fame.
"AgeLess Face, AgeLess Mind: Erase Wrinkles and Rejuvenate the Brain" is a new anti-wrinkle book by Michigan State adjunct professor Nicholas Perricone, who has been long recognized as a pioneer in reversing skin damage and brightening the complexions of scores of readers with books like "The Wrinkle Cure" and "The Perricone Prescription."
Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck is written by country music superstar Trace Adkins, who isn't exactly known for holding back what's on his mind. In this book, Adkins uses his life experiences to deliver his maverick manifesto on politics, personal responsibility, fame, parenting, being true to yourself, hard work, and the way he thinks things ought to be.
DVD
"Shrek the Third," the third installment of the highly lucrative computer-animated movie franchise, stars Mike Myers as the voice of the title character and Eddie Murphy the voice of Shrek's sidekick, Donkey. Also starring the voices of Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Antonio Banderas, the sure-to-be-a-hit DVD release also includes special features such as Shrek's guide to parenthood, Learn to donkey dance and Merlin's magic crystal ball.
Ocean's Thirteen DV - starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as a pair of rebel thieves that orchestrate a casino heist in order to enact revenge against its double-crossing owner - includes a particularly notable featurette entitled "Vegas: The Opulent Illusion," which explores the tricks and secrets of how casinos are designed to keep you inside and spending away.
"I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Jessica Biel, features outrageous deleted scenes and hysterical outtakes, plus actor commentary about how some of the stunts in the comedy were actually dangerous.
THEATER
The Farnsworth Invention, which opens Nov. 14, takes place in 1929 and tells the story of how two ambitious visionaries race against one another to invent a startling new device called "television." Separated by two thousand miles, each knows that if he stops working, even for a moment, the other will gain the edge to the greatest innovation of the 20th century.