A few movie fluttering on the far edges of the distribution radar:

Salon‘s Stephanie Zacharek appeals to the city of Chicago to save "Duma," the latest film from Carroll Ballard, director of "The Black Stallion," "Fly Away Home," and other movies starring animals that don’t talk. "Duma"’s non-verbal beastie is a baby cheetah who is adopted by Xan, a young South African boy whose parents are played by Hope Davis and Campbell Scott. "Duma" was picked up by Warner Bros., who are currently having a dream run with the undisputed sleeper hit of the season, "March of the Penguins," but who aren’t convinced that "Duma" will make back the money it’ll cost to market it. Thanks to praise from Roger Ebert, the film’s getting a week-long Chicago release starting tomorrow — depending on how it performs, it will or won’t open elsewhere.

Philip Dorsey Iglauer in the Korea Times reviews "Dongmakgol," which opens this week in Korea. A sentimental anti-war allegory based on a popular play, "Dongmakgol" is set in 1950 and follows three North Koreans, two South Koreans and one American who get trapped in and eventually fall in love with a remote Korean mountain village until the war finds them again. The film stars Shin Ha-kyun (of "Save the Green Planet!"), Jeong Jae-yeong (of "Silmido") and Kang Hye-jeong, Mido in "Oldboy," who also appears in Park Chan-wook’s "Sympathy for Lady Vengence," which is out in Korean theaters now. X over at Twitch has a breakdown on the weekend head-to-head between these two anticipated films.

Paul Kalina at The Age talks to Robin Campillo, who wrote the great 2001 French film "Time Out," and whose directorial debut "They Came Back," which premiered at Cannes last year, is now playing at the Melbourne International Film Festival. "They Came Back" is described as a sort of high-art zombie film (well, now would be the time for it), a parable in which thousands of dead people suddenly, inexplicable return to life.

And Tu Thahn Ha at the Globe and Mail writes that the Montreal World Film Festival has dropped "Karla," Joel Bender‘s feature based on the lives of Paul Bernardo and his wife, Karla Homolka, who kidnapped, raped and murdered three young girls in Ontario. Festival president Serge Losique had announced earlier that MWFF was planning on hosting the film’s world premiere and stood by it through growing controversy, but is apparently now bowing to pressure from several major sponsors, including Air Canada, who threatened to pull funding. "Karla," which stars "That ’70s Show"’s Laura Prepon, will, will, will be coming to theaters in the US in October, having secured a small distro deal with Quantum Entertainment, and is probably better off for having kicked off this freedom of speech! vs. human decency! hollering, considering the amount of ink it’s getting. Anyway, over at the film’s official site, producer Michael D. Sellar’s has released a statement on its getting dropped, noting that (as is often the case with these situations) none of the sponsors who protested the film’s inclusion in the festival had actually seen it.

+ "Duma" (Salon)
+ Korean War Enemies Team Up in "Dongmakgol" (Korea Times)
+ Lady Vengeance vs Dongmakgol: The Battle Begins! (Twitch)
+ Dead people walking (The Age)
+ Festival pulls Homolka film (Globe and Mail)
+  STATEMENT ON THE MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL SITUATION (KarlaTheMovie.net)