Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures.

A Crash-like look at immigration is what you can expect from Wayne Kramer’s buzzing-since-2007 drama. Kramer himself is a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and he cribbed from his own experiences to create the character of a South African artist scheming to become naturalized; elsewhere, look for Kramer’s focus to hone in Ford as a Customs Enforcement agent in Los Angeles and for a particularly trying storyline concerning Penn as a Border Patrolman along the U.S./Mexico border.

Rated R for pervasive language, some strong violence and sexuality/nudity.

Director: Wayne Kramer
Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ashley Judd
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
Release Date: 13 March 2009 (Canada)

It’s the Halloween party they’ve all been waiting for, to have fun with friends and hang out with fellow Star Wars fans and partners in crime. However, events take a turn when one of their bunch who long ago outgrew his old gang and took on adult responsibilities is suddenly in their midst again. Reconnecting is not easy. But soon, Eric, Windows, Hutch and Zoe realize that Linus will not live long enough to experience what’s been on their minds for ages: The long-awaited theatrical release of Star Wars – Episode I, which is still several months away. Linus once again suggests to his friends what he’s been scheming since fifth grade: Breaking into Skywalker Ranch, this time to steal a print of the movie. Crazy, right? But it might be the only way for Linus to see the movie before he dies. So as insane as it sounds, they take Hutch’s van and embark on a mission to drive across half the country to the Ranch.

Here’s the trailer. Director Kyle Newman’s comedy, which traveled a bumpy road to its theatrical release, restores a sense of nostalgia — we just wish it traveled all the way back to those halcyon days before the Star Wars episodes were renumbered and Jar Jar Binks was under wraps at Skywalker Ranch. Still, you have to hand it to the real-world fanboys and girls who lobbied Harvey Weinstein until the big softie agreed to release Newman’s cut of the film. If I were being called “Darth Weinstein” for stripping a film of its context, I’d probably cave after a few rounds with the Faithful, too …

Rated PG-13 for pervasive crude and sexual material, language and drug content.

Director: Kyle Newman
Stars: Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
Release Date: 13 February 2009 (Iceland)

During the reign of the Vikings, Kainan (Caviezel), a man from a far-off world, crash lands on Earth, bringing with him an alien predator known as the Moorwen. Though both man and monster are seeking revenge for violence committed against them, Kainan leads the alliance to kill the Moorwen by fusing his advanced technology with the Viking’s Iron Age weaponry.

Howard McCain’s oft-delayed creature feature is the victim of another barely there release from the Weinstein Company, a movie studio that, despite Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s Golden Globe win, is becoming known more for distributing movies that Harvey W. doesn’t believe in. Or perhaps he just likes antagonizing fanboys. This isn’t the last you’ll hear from McCain, though, since he’s one of the writers on Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and his name just might end up on the eventual Conan project, too. With the barbarian in mind: If Outlander had been made in the early 80s, it would probably be a cult favorite today.

Rated R for violence.

Director: Howard McCain
Stars: James Caviezel, Sophia Myles, Ron Perlman
Studio: The Weinstein Company

Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an “incident”. Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer. The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.

This latest Elmore Leonard adaptation once earned acceptance into the world of “Quentin Tarantino Presents …” productions, but QT, who once turned EL’s novel Rum Punch into Jackie Brown, has since disassociated himself from John Madden’s first foray into thriller territory. Want to know why? Pity.

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Director: John Madden
Stars: Thomas Jane, Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Release Date: 23 January 2009 (USA)