Week of October 7th

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The Sci-Fi Fate of the World

With an alien race overtaking Europe and all of humanity uniting to fight them off, former advertising executive Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) has no intention of seeing combat in Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow. Cage tries to weasel out of his mission when the head of humanity's United Defense Force (Brendan Gleeson) orders him to take his public relations to the front lines... and ends up handcuffed, stripped of rank, and dragged by a gung-ho drill sergeant (Bill Paxton) into a cannon-fodder crew of front line grunts. Without any training or combat skills, Cage doesn't live very long in combat... and wakes up in handcuffs again, right before he's sent to the front lines. Repeating the same day (and the same losing battle) again and again, he makes contact with war hero Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) who won her battle with the same power Cage has: by continually repeating the battle, she knew what the enemies would do in advance. Now that Cage has the power to "reset the day" every time he dies, he is the only chance for humanity to stop the alien invasion. With Rita's training and a plan for finding the alien brain, Cage has to fight the battle every day, getting a little further each time, until he either defeats the aliens or the invaders find a way to stop him. With Noah Taylor. On DVD and Blu Ray.

When Berkeley record store clerk Nick (Jonathan Scarfe) begins receiving visions-- possibly from the future, possibly from an alternate dimension-- he embraces the visions' plans for his future in Radio Free Albemuth. Set in an alternate 1985, where the United States is led by the authoritarian President Fremont (Scott Wilson), Nick and his wife (Katheryn Winnick) follow the path of Nick's visions, moving to Los Angeles, and beginning a new life. Consulting with his closest friend, science fiction author Philip K. Dick (Shea Whigham), they discover that Nick is being led by a foreign intelligence to help overthrow the fascist government... if Nick's visions are real. If not, Nick could be losing his mind, or just manipulated by others (Alanis Morissette) claiming to be tuned into the same signal he is.

Reunited, Fin and April (Ian Ziering and Tara Reid) are on their way to New York City in Sharknado 2: The Second One, touring on their book How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters. Though the media brushes Fin off when he says that the Sharknado he survived could happen again, his prediction is fulfilled before he even arrives in New York: his plane passes through a storm and is attacked by an onslaught of airborne sharks. Soon, they're fighting their way through a shark saturated city, with Fin fighting to reunite with his sister (Kari Wuhrer), but their journey is filled with decapitations, chainsaw fights, shark-freezing freon, and lots of shark jumping. With Vivica A. Fox.

Comedies

Stuck in the 1880s with a 2014 sensibility, fourth-wall breaking Albert (Seth MacFarlane, who also directs) is fully aware of how primitive, unsanitary, and dangerous the old west is in A Million Ways to Die in the West. Albert is a sheep farmer with no love of fighting or guns, and backing down from gunfights causes his girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) to leave him for more successful, mustachioed Foy (Neil Patrick Harris). Heartbroken, Albert challenges Foy, but the duel he cannot hope to win changes when he meets Anna (Charlize Theron), a beautiful stranger who can teach him how to shoot, win his battles, and finally believe in himself. Unfortunately, Anna is the wife of Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson), the most dangerous outlaw in the old west, and Albert will do anything to avoid facing a murderous, jealous husband. With Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman. On DVD and Blu Ray.

When American doctor Paul Lewis (Taylor Kitsch) is caught on a Canadian flight with cocaine, he's forced to spend a month in Tickle Head, Newfoundland in The Grand Seduction. With the fishing industry folding, the townsfolk survive mostly on welfare checks, but they could all find work again if a chemical company would establish itself in Tickle Head... but the company won't set up shop unless the town has a doctor in residence. Dreaming of restoring his town's sense of purpose, former fisherman Murray (Brendan Gleeson) concocts a scheme to make Doctor Lewis fall in love with the town: they research and eavesdrop, trying to make Tickle Head into his ideal home. If they can cater to his interests, serve his favorite foods, and win his heart, Paul could be the key to saving their home, but none of their scheming is nearly as attractive to him as the local postal worker (Liane Balaban) and the genuine heart of the community. With Gordon Pinsent.

When her boyfriend leaves her for another woman and her New York bookstore job about to close down, standup comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) has a drunken one-night-stand in Obvious Child. Discovering she's pregnant, Donna heads immediately to an abortion clinic only to be told she's too early: she has to wait two weeks. With nothing but time to think about her life, she's supported by her best friend (Gabby Hoffman), her parents (Richard Kind and Polly Draper), and her short-term boyfriend, and has to fully come to terms with the decision she's about to make. With David Cross.

Biography

Stepping into his next death-defying feat, Harry Houdini's (Adrien Brody) entire life flashes before his eyes in the History Channel miniseries Houdini. Weaving his most famous feats-- the vanishing elephant, the Chinese water torture cell-- and skills as a showman alongside his homelife and marriage to Bess (Kristen Connolly) , the film also explores Houdini's crusade to debunk mediums and spiritualists as well as his speculated involvement in World War I espionage. With Evan Jones.

Animation

In Scotland in 1874 on the coldest day ever, Jack's heart stops beating at birth in Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, so his midwife replaces his heart with a clock. Growing up as a boy with a clockwork heart, Jack has to follow the rules that keep the clock running: he must always control his temper, and he cannot fall in love. When Jack meets beautiful Miss Acacia singing in the town square, their duet leads him close to breaking the rules that could upset his fragile, cuckoo-clock heart.

Shy and sheltered Princess Alexa discovers a secret door that takes her to a magical land in Barbie and the Secret Door. Traveling to a world of fairytales and magic, she meets Rory the mermaid and Nori the fairy, who help her to defeat the evil Malucia. Malucia is trying to claim all the magic in the land for herself, but Alexa discovers magical powers of her own in this new land and can lead her friends to save the day.

New this week in our TV New Releases:

	American Horror Story Season 3: Coven	Zoe is sent to Miss Robichaux's Academy in New Orleans only to discover her new boarding school is home to a community of witches, descended from a Salem coven, where she discovers the extent of her powers and her own Salem heritage.		Rick & Morty Season 1	Morty isn't especially bright and not very brave, but his dimension-hopping mad-scientist grandfather Rick still needs him as a sidekick across realities as they confront ridiculous monsters, clones, talking dogs, regal jellybeans, and the very helpful Mr. Meeseeks.
	Adventure Time Season 4	Adventure Time, come on grab your friends, we'll go to very distant lands. Jake the Dog and Finn the Human-- the fun will never end. It's Adventure Time.		Vikings Season 2	Ragnar is ambitiously hoping to sail west, explore new kingdoms, but he and his family are at war with Jarl Borg and Rollo, and both sides struggle for power as they try to decide the course of their destinies.
	The Following Season 2	After the faked death of serial killer and mastermind Joe Carroll, Ryan and his niece Max join forces with people who could lure Joe out of hiding while Joe attracts a new cult of followers around him, preparing to once again wreak havoc.		Hemlock Grove Season 1	A nefarious biomedical company controls the fates of the citizens of the little Pennsylvania town of Hemlock grove, which could be responsible for the town's brutal murders, werewolf citizens, and people with super-human strength.
	The Almighty Johnsons Season 1	New Zealander Axl discovers that he is a reincarnated Norse god on his 21st birthday, and it is up to him to restore himself and his family of deities to their full,godlike power.