In Theaters Now: Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Haunting of Molly Hartley, Splinter

by Kristin Forte | Published October 31, 2008

Splinter (2008)

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
directed by Kevin Smith
Here’s to hoping that Kevin Smith’s new comedy is closer to his cult classic films of the past and less like Jersey Girl. In this zany movie, platonic best friends Zack and Miri direct and star in a porno in order to resolve their monetary problems. Along with its suggestive title, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes (better known as Jay, the “hetero life-mate” of Smith’s Silent Bob character) and a hilarious trailer are sure to pull in audiences.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley
directed by Mickey Liddell
Strategically released on Halloween night, this horror flick centers on Molly, a girl looking to overcome her painful past while being plagued by haunting visions of her future. This low-budget thriller stars relative unknowns, with the exception of “Gossip Girl"’s Chace Crawford, and the buzz around it hasn’t been great. Perhaps the spirit of Halloween, Crawford’s teen girl magnetism and a tame PG-13 rating will attract audiences too young for rival debuting horror movie Splinter.

Splinter
directed by Toby Wilkins
The other horror movie vying for audiences this weekend is Splinter, in which a Splinter parasite transforms its still-living victims into hosts with a lust for blood. Since it was shot on a low budget with no big-name actors, it’s up to the storyline to draw audiences in. Its gory content garnered the movie an R rating, making it a welcome alternative to the tame Haunting of Molly Hartley for more mature audiences looking for thrills this Halloween.

The Other End of the Line
directed by James Dodson
This romantic movie, a joint venture between Indian production house Adlabs, Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Films and MGM Studios, mixes Hollywood with Bollywood. The weekend’s most lighthearted option stars Indian actress Shriya Saran and “Desperate Housewives” gardener hunk himself, Jesse Metcalfe. The Other End of the Line follows an Indian call center employee who travels to California after meeting an American man over the phone. Hopefully this romance has a little more meat to it than Metcalfe’s John Tucker Must Die.