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Hollywood's Cross to Bear 

CL's 2006 summer film preview

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Talking Points: This supernatural yarn is backed by producers Joel Silver (The Matrix) and Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away) ... Co-star David Morrissey endured reams of poor reviews for his work opposite Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct 2.

ZOOM

Plot: A former superhero (Tim Allen) is called back into action to teach the trade to a bunch of kids.

Talking Points: After watching iconic superheroes all summer in the form of Superman and the X-Men -- and given the success of last summer's similar Sky High (to say nothing of The Incredibles) -- will audiences be burned out on hero worship?

AUGUST 18

CLERKS II

Plot: Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) land gainful employment at a fast-food joint.

Talking Points: Kevin Smith serves up a sequel to the movie that put him on the map 12 years ago ... Smith regular Jason Lee pops up, and of course Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are back ... The film's working title was The Passion of the Clerks.

SNAKES ON A PLANE

Plot: An FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) transporting an informant via commercial airliner learns that the Mob boss has arranged for dozens of deadly snakes to be set loose on their flight.

Talking Points: Ah, the power of the Internet: This has become the most hyped movie of late summer simply because the fanboys have ordered it so ... Originally shooting for a PG-13 rating, New Line later decided to go for the gusto and ordered some reshoots to drive the film up to an R.

AUGUST 25

BEERFEST

Plot: Two Americans in Germany learn about Beerfest, "the secret Olympics of beer drinking," and enlist other soused Yanks to help them win the competition.

Talking Points: Think Dodgeball with brews and you've pretty much got the concept ... This arrives courtesy of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard (Super Troopers, Club Dread).

DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE

Plot: Several female fighters enter a deadly martial arts competition located on an uncharted island.

Talking Points: This is the latest screen adaptation of a video game ... In addition to his extensive work as a director, Corey Yuen has also served as action choreographer on dozens of films (including X-Men and Lethal Weapon 4).

HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS

Plot: A 10-year-old boy (Luke Benward) accepts a bet to eat 15 worms in 15 days.

Talking Points: Thomas Rockwell's popular children's novel was previously filmed in 1985 as an animated film for CBS-TV.

IDLEWILD

Plot: A piano player (Andre Benjamin) and a singer (Antwan A. Patton) struggle to survive while working in a Southern speakeasy during the 1930s.

Talking Points: Benjamin (Andre 3000) and Patton (Big Boi) are best known as members of OutKast ... The dance sequences were choreographed by Tony winner Hinton Battle, while a multitude of big stars (recent Oscar nominee Terrence Howard, Macy Gray, Patti LaBelle, Cicely Tyson) appear in small roles.

INVINCIBLE

Plot: A part-time bartender (Mark Wahlberg) tries out for his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and amazingly lands a spot on the roster.

Talking Points: In much the same manner as Rudy and The Rookie comes another sports flick based on a real-life underdog ... Greg Kinnear appears as Dick Vermeil (the Eagles coach at the time).

MATERIAL GIRLS

Plot: Two rich sisters (Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff) must learn to readjust after they lose all their wealth.

Talking Points: Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, Rambling Rose) directs, while Anjelica Huston heads the supporting cast.

NO DATE SET

Following up their successful Ghost World, director Terry Zwigoff and writer Daniel Clowes reunite for ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, which follows the travails of an aspiring artist (Max Minghella) as he attempts to learn from an odd assortment of teachers and artists (among them John Malkovich, Anjelica Huston and Jim Broadbent) ... An LA teenager (NC native and Thirteen star Evan Rachel Wood) gets mixed up with a charming but possibly deluded cowboy (Edward Norton) in DOWN IN THE VALLEY ... Narrated by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, the documentary THE HEART OF THE GAME centers on the struggles and triumphs of a high school girls' basketball team in Washington ... The documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH follows Al Gore as he delivers lectures on the threat of global warming ... STRANGERS WITH CANDY is a prequel to the popular Comedy Central series, with Amy Sedaris again essaying the role of the "ex-con junky whore" ... A hit at Sundance, WORDPLAY is a detailed examination of the crossword puzzle, charting its history and offering interviews with many of its devotees (including Bill Clinton, Ken Burns and Jon Stewart).

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