Is summer already over? Pity, seems like it came and went quicker than a ride on the Pineapple Express. To make you feel better, we've rounded up a bunch of films to keep your mind distracted.

On Thursday, September 11th, beginning at 9PM Eastern, get a triple dose of burn outs, junkies, and deals gone wrong beginning with "Rush," starring Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a pair of narcotics cops who get caught up in the drug world, and then try to buck the system by altering evidence. Then, check out "Party Monster" (pictured), based on the true story of a guy (played by former child star Macaulay Culkin) who hits the club circuit way too hard. It's an intense look at the often drug-besotted club kid era of the 1980s and 1990s. After that, we give you a lesson on the effect of what cannabis can really do to a person with exploitation classic "Reefer Madness." Your brain may not be able to handle it.

Also this month, IFC is paying homage to the Mighty Penn -- that would be Sean Penn, Spirit Award winner, Golden Globe winner, Oscar winner, the list could go on. Penn's a man of many talents, including director ("The Indian Runner," "The Pledge" and, more recently, "Into the Wild"), writer and producer, but we're celebrating what he does best: acting. Tune in Saturday, September 6th starting at 9pm Eastern for a night of phenomenal performances from one of the greatest actors in film. See Penn take on the role of Sgt. Welsh in war saga "The Thin Red Line," play an undercover cop in "State of Grace" (pictured) and portray a disturbed blue collar worker who plots to kill the president in "The Assassination of Richard Nixon."

Plus, brand new to IFC, the Automat begins Tuesday, September 30th. Every week, we're taking you back to the future with a blend of exclusive, uncensored alternative programming, including anime, original series, plus a film thrown into the mix, and much more. The cycle gets going 8PM Eastern/Pacific.

PREMIERES TO LOOK FOR:

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Defying gravity with its martial arts sequences, Ang Lee's impressively shot film tells the story of a mysterious stolen sword. Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film in 2001. Premieres Wednesday, September 3rd at 9PM Eastern.
• Little Fish In this Australian indie, thespian queen Cate Blanchett portrays a former drug addict trying to get her life together. Premieres Thursday, September 4th at 9PM Eastern.
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Bill Murray plays Jacques Cousteau-esque oceanographer Steve Zissou, who seeks revenge on the shark that ate one of his team members (no, it's not a great white named "Jaws"). The role made such an impact that it inspired the remix music to this Bill Murray dedication. Premieres Friday, September 5th at 8:30PM Eastern.
• Brothers When a man is shot down in Afghanistan, his brother steps in to help his family and begins falling in love with his wife (Connie Nielsen) in this heartwrenching Danish drama. Premieres Monday, September 8th at 9PM Eastern.
• Guinevere An older photographer becomes involved with his young muse, whom he calls "Guinevere." She soon learns, however, she's just one of many. Ensemble cast includes Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, and Gina Gershon. Premieres Monday, September 15th at 9PM Eastern.

By Joanna Varikos in What to Watch on IFC | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (3)

Tags: Automat, film, new, premieres, schedule, Sean Penn, September, series

Hundreds of years ago, our founding forefathers were spending their Fourth of July weekend getting ready to grant America its independence. Today, we celebrate with some time on the beach and at friends' barbecues, all of which could include sitting in massive traffic as your wallet is depleted thanks to sky-rocketing gas prices. There's a solution: pump the AC, kick up your feet and declare your own independence by tuning into IFC Saturday, July 5th and Sunday, July 6th for a weekend of films born and bred in the USA, featuring "Garden State," with Zach Braff (who also directs) as a guy going home to Jersey in an effort to figure his life out. Then check out "Stolen Summer," about a young Catholic kid plotting to convert his Jewish friend in 1970s Chicago, and a group of troublemakers just trying to get by in NY in "Hurricane Streets." Don't miss these and other films that'll take you on a trip across America without getting on a plane or having to pay a fee for your first piece of checked luggage.

Also in July, it's good guy vs. bad guy in an all out crime spree. Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th, tune in for a plethora of indie films featuring lock-ups, lockdowns and shakedowns. The line-up includes the Coen brothers' "Miller's Crossing," one of the best gangster films of all time. Taking place in the stylized 1930s, it pits two crime boss rivals against each other as they each try to take control of a city. In "Suicide Kings," ubër cool Christopher Walken gives his usual smooth performance as a Mafioso who gets kidnapped by a bunch of young, rich wanna-be criminals. And catch some cool cinematography and art direction in "Confidence," featuring Ed Burns (who's made quite a niche for himself since directing, writing and starring in his own first film — "The Brothers McMullen" — on a shoestring budget). Also on the schedule: "Trans," "State of Grace," "Never Die Alone" and "The Pope of Greenwich Village" (premiering this month).

PREMIERES TO LOOK FOR IN JULY:

• "BEE SEASON" With a hidden gem of a performance from Richard Gere, "Bee Season" offers a father cheering his daughter on to win the National Spelling Bee. Premieres Tuesday, July 1st at 6:35pm ET.


• "CAMILLA" One of Jessica Tandy's last films, "Camilla" follows a group of people, young and old, on the road (literally) to discovering themselves. Premieres Tuesday, July 8th at 7:25pm ET.


• "THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE" You can't go wrong with a film from the guy who directed Paul Newman in "Cool Hand Luke." You also can't go wrong watching Eric Roberts and Mickey Rourke play Italian-American cousins getting into a whole lot of trouble, no matter how hard they try to avoid it. Premieres Thursday, July 20th at 9pm ET.


• "JERSEY GIRL" Don't fear the dreaded "Gigli" Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez combo — this romantic comedy from, yes, Kevin Smith, is really about the sweetly grown-up relationship that forms between Liv Tyler, as a video store worker, and Affleck as a withdrawn single dad. Premieres Saturday, July 26th at 9pm ET.

By Joanna Varikos in What to Watch on IFC | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (7)

Tags: American cinema, Crime, Gangster, July, schedule

The "death house" in Huntsville, Texas has had its share of highly publicized executions. In one case, it was the location of what was almost certainly the wrongful execution of Carlos DeLuna. On May 29th, IFC premieres an original doc, "At the Death House Door," which provides an inside look through the eyes of a former death house chaplain — Pastor Carroll Pickett. Directed by Steve James and Peter Gilbert, the filmmakers behind "Hoop Dreams," the documentary follows Pickett's difficult path in preparing an inmate for execution. Believing some, like DeLuna, were innocent, Pickett recalls his most intimate memories while serving as chaplain. "At the Death House Door" premiered at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival, and won the Inspiration Award at this year's Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

Also in May, don't miss your ticket to eight days of movies that made their mark on one of the biggest film events in the world — Cannes. Nominees, winners and other films that screened at the French soirée will air on IFC all week long beginning May 17th, during this year's festival. Here's a sampling of what's on the bill: "Bowling for Columbine," the Michael Moore documentary that stirred controversy with its look at the US gun system, and David Cronenberg's "Crash," which delves into a sexually twisted underground world of car crash victims. The ticket line forms here. (And online, don't miss the exclusive IFC.com "Cannes Cam," which will provide 24-hour live webcam coverage of the Cannes red carpet, along with other special video reports from the festival.)

Memorial Day Weekend, IFC presents a series of films to honor those who bravely lived through times of war. Beginning at 1:30pm ET/4:30pm PT on Sunday, May 25th, check out movies that span hundreds of years in battle, from the Civil War to the Bosnian War.

PREMIERING ON THE NETWORK THIS MONTH:

• "Maria Full of Grace" A Spirit Award winner that takes a brutally honest look at Colombian drug trafficking.


• "Last Days" Directed by Gus Van Zant, this film is loosely based on the final hours in the life of Kurt Cobain.


• "24 Hour Party People" Revolving around the guys who created Factory Records in Manchester during the 1970s, this film not only has a kick-ass soundtrack but also serves as a history lesson in how the British town became a mecca for music.


• "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story" How do you make a movie out of an impossible book? You make the movie about how hard it is to make the movie, in this delightful flick starring Steve Coogan as himself, sort of.


• "SubUrbia" Slacker auteur Richard Linklater directs this look at a night in the lives of five 20-somethings trapped in dead-end jobs, dreaming of escape. Sonic Youth composed the soundtrack.

By Joanna Varikos in What to Watch on IFC | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (17)

Tags: At the Death House Door, Cannes, Cannes Cam, films, May, schedule

Lots going on in April here at IFC. Big, BIG, BIG (did we say big?) premieres and themed nights to keep your visuals satisfied. Where to begin? How about Raging Bull, since it should've given Martin Scorsese his first Best Director Oscar back in 1980, not 27 years later for a film that failed to match this one's worth. Thankfully, Robert DeNiro did get honored with the grand prize for his outstanding performance as a violent boxer who can't control his emotions in or outside of the ring. Raging Bull premieres Sunday, April 6th, on a night of true-to-life films dedicated to people who just can't seem to shake trouble i.e. gambler Stu Ungar in High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story, and Michael Alig, club kid turned murderer, in Party Monster.

Also this month, the World War II drama The Pianist makes its debut on IFC. Adrian Brody won the Oscar in 2002 for his role in the film as a gifted musician trying to flee Nazi-occupied Warsaw, as did director Roman Polanski (though the latter, unable to enter the U.S., had to give his 'thanks' via a statement days later.)

A new genre emerged in the 1970s, when urban filmmakers began taking movies into their own hands to target black audiences. What resulted were some seriously bad ass characters followed around by some of the coolest, funkiest soundtracks to mimic their life. The fiery Foxy Brown, Coffy, Black Caesar, and Brotherhood of Death, are all on IFC. To get a history on how these and other films in the genre were made, tune into the IFC Original Doc Baadasssss Cinema, airing on the same night - Thursday, April 3rd.

And, for all you horror fiends, break out the umbrella for April Splatters. The screams, the blood, the gore, the girl in the shower that you know is about to get whacked. It all comes down Saturday, April 12th with Halloween, Dahmer, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

By Joanna Varikos in What to Watch on IFC | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (7)

Tags: April, films, schedule