THE SIGNAL
Cast: A.J. Bowen, Justin Welborn, Anessa Ramsey, Scott Poythress
Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry
Told in three parts by three different directors, this horror film discovers what happens when a mysterious electronic transmission ignites a city populace's murderous aggressions. (Magnolia) Opens nationwide.
TWO DAYS IN PARIS
Cast: Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg
Director: Julie Delpy
In a comedy that marks the directorial debut of actress Delpy, the filmmaker brings her American boyfriend (Goldberg) to meet her parents in Paris. Things to not go well. Delpy's real-life mom and dad, Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet, portray her onscreen parents, and early word has it that they give terrific performances. (Samuel Goldwyn) Opens limited.
AUGUST 17
FANBOYS
Cast: Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel
Director: Kyle Newman
A comedy about four sci-fi geek best friends who travel cross country in order to break in to George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and somehow screen the as-yet unreleased Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. One suspects that Mr. Lucas does not make a cameo. (MGM) Opens nationwide.
THE INVASION
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
In the umpteenth riff on Jack Finney's classic 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers, a Washington D.C. psychiatrist (Kidman) comes to believe that the reason people around her are acting stranger than usual is that aliens have taken them over. (Warner Bros.) Opens nationwide.
THE KING OF KONG
Director: Seth Gordon
A documentary that follows a middle school science teacher as he battles a hot sauce mogul for the Guinness World Record on the arcade classic Donkey Kong. (Picturehouse) Opens limited.
LOOKING FOR CHEYENNE
Cast: Mila Dekker, Aurélia Petit, Malik Zidi,
Director: Valerie Minetto
A hit on the festival circuit, this French romantic comedy tells of two women, Cheyenne (Dekker) and Sonia (Petit), who are madly in love with one anther but separate when they can't come to terms on where and how they should live. (Regent) Opens New York and Los Angeles Aug. 17, and additional cities September 7.
PENELOPE
Cast: Christina Ricci, Catherine
O'Hara, Peter Dinklage, James McAvoy,
Reese Witherspoon
Director: Mark Palansky
A modern day fable about a young woman afflicted with a pig snout of a nose, the result of a family curse that can only be broken if she finds love, within herself as well as from without. (IFC) Opens nationwide.
SIETE DIAS
Cast: Eduardo Arroyuelo, Martha
Higareda, Jaime Camil
Director: Fernando Kalife
A small-time concert promoter who dreams of bringing U2 to his Mexico town places a large bet with a mob boss and loses. The only way to save himself is to organize the concert in seven days. (Xenon Pictures) Opens Los Angeles August 17, with additional cities to follow.
SUPERBAD
Cast: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader
Director: Greg Mottola
A coming-of-age comedy about two lifelong buddies (Cera and Hill), nerds and virgins both, who head off to separate high schools, and on one fateful night try to score with beautiful women. Produced by Judd Apatow (The 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) and directed by Mottola, whose debut film was the terrific indie comedy Daytrippers. (Columbia Pictures) Opens nationwide.
WEDDING DAZE
Cast: Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, Joe Pantoliano
Director: Michael Ian Black
After losing the girl of his dreams, Anderson (Biggs) spontaneously proposes to a waitress (Fisher), who accepts. Will love blossom? (MGM) Opens nationwide.
WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY
Cast: Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham
Director: Goran Dukic
In this decidedly original comedy, Zia (Fugit), who killed himself after his girlfriend dumped him, wakes up in a boring little desert town that's a kind of hell for suicides. Upon hearing that his girl has died too, Zia and his new best friend set out to find her. Look for a cameo by Tom Waits. (Lionsgate) Opens New York and Los Angeles August 17, with additional cities to follow.
AUGUST 24
THE COMEBACKS
Cast: David Koechner, Bradley Cooper, Matthew Lawrence
Director: Tom Brady
In this spoof of inspiring sports movies, the unluckiest coach in sports (Koechner) gets one last chance when he takes over a talent-less football team with the worst record in history. (Fox Atomic) Opens nationwide.
