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The Company You Keep
Who: Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Terrence Howard, Nick Nolte, Chris Cooper, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Elliott, Stephen Root, Brit Marling
What: A fictional account drawing on the real life Vietnam era group The Weather Underground starring Redford as former member who has been living a peaceful, secret life ever since a bank robbery resulted in a death decades earlier. When Sarandon's character decides to turn herself in, Redford's character is exposed and forced to run from the FBI (Howard and Kendrick play agents). LaBeouf plays a small time reporter who catches wind of the story and faces a dilemma of reporting the truth or protecting the innocent.
When: August 13th - DVD and online on demand
Why: One of my favorite movies of all, Sneakers, also features Redford as a former Vietnam-era anti-government protester hiding in plain sight, so this movie seems like kin to me. Some elements of "terrorism or freedom fighting?" are explored, but this is mostly a mystery and chase movie, kind of like The Fugitive. Worth a look.

Emperor
Who: Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox
What: An historical drama set just after WWII, with Tommmy Lee Jones starring as General MacArthur, de facto ruler of post-war Japan, who instructed Brigadier General Bonner Fellers (Fox) to investigate Japan's revered emperor Hirohito for potential war crimes charges.
When: August 13th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I'd be more interested in seeing a treatment of MacArthur in Korea, but Tommy Lee Jones in the role is good enough to get me to watch.

The Hot Flashes
Who: Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Virginia Madsen, Camryn Manheim, Wanda Sykes, Eric Roberts
What: A sports comedy about a group of former high school basketball champions, now middle aged women, who challenge the current high school state champions in a series of games in order to raise national awareness for breast cancer.
When: August 13th - DVD
Why: If I were casting this movie before production, I'd have in mind actresses from the movie Bridesmaids, but this group is fine. Fans of Brooke Shields don't get to see her in many lead roles anymore, so they might be interested in checking this out. And hey, supporting breast cancer awareness is always good. (Families be aware though, the movie is rated R for sexual content and drug use).

Olympus Has Fallen
Who: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Finley Jacobsen, Dylan McDermott, Ruck Yune, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Robert Forster, Ashley Judd
What: An action thriller featuring Gerard Butler as former star in the Secret Service trying to get back in the game when terrorists take over the White House and kidnap the President (Eckhart). It's up to Butler's character to redeem his past and prove himself again by kicking some terrorist ass.
When: August 13th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Like Volcano and Dante's Peak, Armageddon and Deep Impact, Olympus Has Fallen has a twin in the same year - White House Down duplicates many of the same elements: Secret Service agent, terrorists in the White House, helicopter assault, President in danger, kid in the mix. Olympus Has Fallen is the darker of the two, with White House Down being more fun and lively. Olympus starts with a dramatic takeover, but when the plot is revealed it's just so absurd it ruins the movie. Still, Butler gets some good shots in, Eckhart is always good (maybe not up to Harrison Ford's Air Force One level, but close) and Melissa Leo, always unrecognizable in her roles, delivers a strong performance as Secretary of Defense. Maybe worth it if you want to compare the two movies, but of them I'd suggest White House Down instead.

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