Hitting theaters on March 9th is not only what looks to be a great movie, with a brilliant cast, but a film you can real cheer for just based on the writer/director. Friends with Kids is written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, and while being in a relationship with Mad Men's Jon Hamm for more than a decade probably doesn't hurt your career, she broke out as both a writer and actress with 2001's uber-indie Kissing Jessica Stein.

Not just a quirky charmer, that film has gone on to manage almost a cult status. She also wrote and starred in the horribly overlooked Ira & Abby in 2006, and won a Best Actress Tony in 2004.

In Friends with Kids, Westfeldt finally takes the reins, writing, starring, and directing this ensemble piece about a group of friends who are all at that place in life where kids start entering the picture. Our gimmick here is that the last two singles in the group take a long, hard look at the changes in their friends' relationships, and decide to approach adulthood from a different angle, by having a kid together, but dating other people.

Westfeldt is again doing what she does best, exploring relationships by throwing some monkey wrench into the works, and letting the nature of curiosity bring to light the truths about all relationships.

The film stars Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox, and Edward Burns. While most of that cast will pull a lot of people in just by naming them, don't overlook The IT Crowd's Chris O'Dowd, who I think may finally get a chance to prove himself to American audiences with a role he can really deliver.

In the next few months, this is the one you really want to watch for, and I have little doubt it will find its way to the top of the comedy pile at year's end.

Check the trailer below.

For more info, visit:
http://friendswithkids.com/

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© 2012, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

The Critics's Choice Movie Awards are only a couple of days away now, and I really hope you're going to be tuning in. I've cast my votes, the film's are great, and it's going to be a great time.

The awards are Thursday, January 12th at 8:00 PM ET/PT on VH1, and I think they are going to be especially good this year.

Among the usual fantasticness in store, it was recently announced that Sean Penn will be receiving our Joel Siegel award this year, and George Clooney will be presenting.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced today that renowned actor and humanitarian Sean Penn will be presented with the fifth annual Joel Siegel Award at the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The award will be presented by fellow actor and 13-time Critics’ Choice Award nominee George Clooney. The ceremony will air live on VH1 on Thursday, January 12 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.

Given annually, this special award pays homage to beloved “Good Morning America” film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his long struggle with cancer in June 2007. It seeks to honor those who understand, as Joel did, that the greatest value of celebrity is as an enhanced platform to do good works for others.

Sean Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization in the immediate aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Since then J/P HRO has led the effort to raise money and awareness in response to the disaster, which took more than 200,000 lives. Led by Penn, J/P HRO is dedicated to saving lives and bringing sustainable programs to the Haitian people quickly and effectively.

“We are extremely proud to be able to make this presentation to Sean on this night in particular, exactly two years after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti,” says BFCA President Joey Berlin. “While it was heartening to see such an outpouring of support and aid for the Haitian people in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the long-term commitment made by Sean and his organization is particularly notable. The Joel Siegel Award was created to spotlight such above and beyond efforts by the leading lights of our industry and its spirit is truly personified by Sean Penn.”

Penn has been nominated for seven Critics’ Choice Awards throughout his career, including two wins in the Best Actor category, for "Mystic River" and "Milk." His five additional nominations included Best Actor for “I Am Sam,” Best Acting Ensemble for “Mystic River” and “Milk,” Best Director for “Into the Wild” and Best Writer for “Into the Wild.” In 2011, Penn starred in “The Tree of Life,” a Critics’ Choice Best Picture nominee.

The evening will also honor Martin Scorsese with the Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award.　In addition to this honor, Scorsese’s film “Hugo” is nominated for 11 Critics’ Choice Awards and he directed the Best Documentary Feature nominee “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.”　Hosts for the star-studded awards gala will be comedians Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel.

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics.　BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public.　Eligible films were released in 2011. The accounting firm of CMM, LLP tallied the written ballots.

Since its inception in 1995, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards has been a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season.　Historically, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, for example, all four of the acting category winners at the Oscars – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo – first accepted their awards in the same categories at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.　In all, 18 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars were first Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominees.

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It's that time of year again, and the award buzz is starting to heat up. The nominations are in for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and while not all my nominations made it, the vast majority of them did, which makes me feel pretty good about how the year is going to turn out for all the award shows.

Take a look at the full press release below, and mark your calendar for January 12th! Let me know your thoughts, and if anything should have been nominated that wasn't. My picks to win are in bold, and I'll let you know if I nominated anything that didn't make the cut.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced the nominees for the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The winners will be announced at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ceremony on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at the Hollywood Palladium. Hosted by Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer, featuring Fitz and The Tantrums as the house band, the show will broadcast live for the fifth year in a row on VH1 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.

“Hugo” and “The Artist” each received an impressive 11 nominations for the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, one short of the record 12 nominations for “Black Swan” last year. Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” garnering nods for Best Picture, Best Young Actor for Asa Butterfield, Best Director for Martin Scorsese, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Score. Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist” received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin, Best Supporting Actress for Berenice Bejo, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, and Best Score.

Martin Scorsese could have a very big night at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. In addition to the 11 nominations for his film “Hugo,” he directed the Best Documentary Feature nominee “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.” Last week it was announced that Scorsese will also be honored with the Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award at this year’s show.

“The Help” and “Drive” earned 8 nominations each, and “The Descendants” and “War Horse” both garnered 7 nominations. “Drive” was honored in the Best Picture and Best Action Movie categories while “Midnight in Paris” was recognized in Best Picture and Best Comedy categories. “The Tree of Life,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and “My Week With Marilyn” also scored multiple nominations. “The Muppets” received four nominations, three of which came in the Best Song category for “Life’s a Happy Song,” “Man or Muppet,” and “Pictures in My Head,” the fourth for Best Comedy.

George Clooney received three nominations as part of the Best Acting Ensemble nominees for “The Descendants” and “The Ides of March,” along with his Best Actor nomination in “The Descendants.” This gives Clooney a record 13 Critics’ Choice nominations over the years, having received 10 prior nominations in addition to winning a special Freedom Award for “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

Meryl Streep will be seeking her third Critics’ Choice Movie Award as a Best Actress nominee for “The Iron Lady” while Charlize Theron will be after her second award in the category. Streep previously won Best Actress for “Doubt” and “Julie & Julia” while Charlize Theron took the prize in 2003 for “Monster.” Michelle Williams, Critics’ Choice winner for Best Supporting Actress in 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” will also compete for Best Actress for “My Week With Marilyn.” Twenty-year-old newcomer Shailene Woodley earned nods in both the Best Supporting Actress and Best Young Actor/Actress categories, among the seven nominations for “The Descendants.” Saoirse Ronan was also nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress for her role in “Hanna,” having previously won the category in 2009 for “The Lovely Bones.”

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics’ organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. Eligible films were released in 2011. The accounting firm of CMM, LLP tallied the written ballots.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 17th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

The Descendants

Drive

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

I also nominated - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which I would have picked to win), Hanna, and Martha Marcy May Marlene

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney – “The Descendants”

Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”

Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”

Michael Fassbender – “Shame”

Ryan Gosling – “Drive”

Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

I also nominated Gary Oldman in Tinker, Tailor (who I would have picked to win)

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis – “The Help”

Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”

Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”

Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

I doubt Elizabeth Olsen has any shot, but she gets my vote. I also nominated Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”

Albert Brooks – “Drive”

Nick Nolte – “Warrior”

Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”

Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”

Andrew Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

I also nominated Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method (and probably would have voted for him to win), and John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain – “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”

Carey Mulligan – “Shame”

Octavia Spencer – “The Help”

Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

I also nominated Kate Winslet in Carnage

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Asa Butterfield – “Hugo”

Elle Fanning – “Super 8”

Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna”

Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

I also nominated Alex Shaffer in Win Win

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

The Artist

Bridesmaids

The Descendants

The Help

The Ides of March

BEST DIRECTOR

Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”

Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”

Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive”

Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”

Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”

I also nominated Tinker, Tailor and Immortals

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius

“50/50” – Will Reiser

“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen

“Win Win” – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni

“Young Adult” – Diablo Cody

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” – Eric Roth

“The Help” – Tate Taylor

“Hugo” – John Logan

“Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

I also nominated Tinker, Tailor here... which you'll notice is getting shut out of a lot of things.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“The Artist” – Guillaume Schiffman

“Drive” – Newton Thomas Sigel

“Hugo” – Robert Richardson

“The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki

“War Horse” – Janusz Kaminski

BEST ART DIRECTION

“The Artist” – Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” – Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan

“Hugo” – Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo

“The Tree of Life” – Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank

“War Horse” – Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales

I also nominated Jane Eyre here

BEST EDITING

“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion

“Drive” – Matthew Newman

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

“Hugo” – Thelma Schoonmaker

“War Horse” – Michael Kahn

I also nominated Tinker, Tailor here

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“The Artist” – Mark Bridges

“The Help” – Sharen Davis

“Hugo” – Sandy Powell

“Jane Eyre” – Michael O’Connor

“My Week With Marilyn” – Jill Taylor

I also nominated War Horse here

BEST MAKEUP

Albert Nobbs

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Iron Lady

J. Edgar

My Week With Marilyn

I also nominated Anonymous here

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hugo

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Super 8

The Tree of Life

BEST SOUND

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hugo

Super 8

The Tree of Life

War Horse

I also nominated The Adventures of Tintin

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Adventures of Tintin

Arthur Christmas

Kung Fu Panda 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Drive

Fast Five

Hanna

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Super 8

I nominated Captain America and Sherlock Holmes 2 and the exclusion of both boggles

my mind utterly. For the record, I don't consider Drive or Hanna to be action movies in any

legitimate sense, and can't bring myself to vote for them, though both are far superior to Apes

generally

BEST COMEDY

Bridesmaids

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Horrible Bosses

Midnight in Paris

The Muppets

I nominated Carnage, Submarine, and The Guard, any of which fit the bill here better

than any of the nominees.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

In Darkness

Le Havre

A Separation

The Skin I Live In

Where Do We Go Now

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Buck

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

Page One: Inside the New York Times

Project Nim

Undefeated

BEST SONG

“Hello Hello” – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – Gnomeo & Juliet

“Life’s a Happy Song” – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets

“The Living Proof” – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. – The Help

“Man or Muppet” – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets

“Pictures in My Head” – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – The Muppets

This category has gone goofy in my opinion.

BEST SCORE

“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource

“Drive” – Cliff Martinez

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

“Hugo” – Howard Shore

“War Horse” – John Williams

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Joss Whedon obviously likes to get his hands into a variety of projects, and now he's taking a shot at reworking the horror genre. The Cabin in the Woods, as you'll see from the trailer below, starts off in a way that is all too familiar, but we soon learn that there is a serious twist at work.

If the trailer is any judge, it looks like this one is going to add some serious fun, and a new layer of thrills to the standard play of the "alone in the woods" sub-genre. Whatever is going on exactly, it's high-tech craziness mixed in with the gore and slash.

Check it out below.

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS was co-written by Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) and Drew Goddard (CLOVERFIELD, LOST), and is Goddard's directorial debut. Starring Chris Hemsworth (THOR), Richard Jenkins (LET ME IN) and Bradley Whitford (THE WEST WING), the film will be in theaters everywhere April 13th, 2012.

Photo courtesy Lionsgate

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.

If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.

Produced by Whedon and directed by Goddard from a script by both, the film stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.

Offical Website: http://www.discoverthecabininthewoods.com

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The Woman in Black has a new sneak trailer, and while it depicts a fairly creepy thriller, it also shows off Daniel Radcliffe in a way that is sure to delight many a moon-eyed lass. Radcliffe plays a young lawyer who travels to a remote village where he finds the ghost of a woman is terrorizing the locals... or whatever.

Take a look below, and check out some links where you can get more info.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK opens in theaters February 3rd, 2012!

---------------------

WHAT DID THEY SEE? Find out for yourself: http://whatdidtheysee.com/
---------------------

Become a FAN on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheWomanInBlackMovie

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Immortals, the high-concept action vehicle directed by Tarsem Singh, is number one at the box office right now, and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

Whether you've already become a fan or not, I have an awesome Immortals Prize Pack available, and I want you to have it!

Not only will you receive some great Immortals gear, but also a pair of 3D Rogue glasses. If you haven't seen these yet, you want to check them out.

To Enter -

You have two ways to enter, and thus, two chances to win.

1. Leave a comment below and include the word "win" in that comment. Remember, I have to be able to contact you.

2. Tweet this exact message on Twitter - @areyouscreening is giving away an #Immortals Prize Pack! RT to enter!

That's it. Check out the great stuff, and be sure you catch this one in theaters while you have a chance. You don't want to miss it.

U.S. only. Winner will be randomly selected on November 24th.

• Immortals 'Gods and Heroes' Graphic Novel
• Immortals Branded Temporary Tattoo Scars
• Immortals Branded T-Shirt
• Immortals Branded Water Bottle
• Immortals Branded Bracelet
• Immortals Branded Foam Helmet
• Immortals Branded Beanie
• Immortals Branded Tank Top
• Immortals Poster
• Immortals Soundtrack
• 3D Rogue Glasses

Visionary director Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and producers Gianni Nunnari (300), Mark Canton (300) and Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter) unleash an epic tale of treachery, vengeance and destiny in Immortals, a stylish and spectacular 3-D adventure. As a power-mad king razes ancient Greece in search of a legendary weapon, a heroic young villager rises up against him in a thrilling quest as timeless as it is powerful.

The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king’s mission.

As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother in one of Hyperion’s raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man’s future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final desperate battle for the future of humanity.

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For those who aren't immediately taken with the idea of a film that focuses exclusively on the meeting between two sets of parents whose sons have been involved in a schoolyard fight, Carnage has a number of further sells you'll want to keep in mind.

If nothing else, the film is bound to be worth it just to watch Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly. Certain fans may be equally moved by the inclusion of Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet. Based on the play, God of Carnage, the meeting starts out friendly enough, but the two couples quickly learn that they rub each other the wrong way, in nearly every possible respect, and it isn't long before we have to wonder if the teen variety is the only violence we've got coming our way.

The film has a new poster available, and don't miss the trailer if you haven't caught it already.

CARNAGE is a razor sharp, biting comedy centered on parental differences. After two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the "victim" invite the parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of childrearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colors. None of them will escape the carnage.

 

Official Website: www.sonyclassics.com/carnage

Become a Fan of the Film on Facebook: www.facebook.com/carnagemovie

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Mark you calendars for a film that is getting a lot of critical acclaim, and just looks like a great old time. Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly star in a film about (apparently) an evil child and how a mother deals with... her evil child.

Not exactly something that you want to save for that special date next January, but it is getting some buzz.

A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, Lynne Ramsay's WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN explores the factious relationship between a mother and her son. Tilda Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller).

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN explores nature vs. nurture on a whole new level as Eva's own culpability is measured against Kevin's innate evilness. Ramsay's masterful storytelling simultaneously combines a provocative moral ambiguity with a satisfying and compelling narrative, which builds to a chilling, unforgettable climax.

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller

Running time: 112 minutes

Theatrical Opening Dates:

December 9th - New York and Los Angeles - Qualifying run

January 27th 2012 - New York and Los Angeles - Commercial release

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Coming to you on October 14th is a film that, I predict, is going to surprise a lot of people. Father of Invention, Directed by Trent Cooper (don't let Larry the Cable Guy fool you), and starring Kevin Spacey, Heather Graham, Camilla Belle, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson and Virginia Madsen, is the kind of film that may well prove just crazy enough to work.

Given rather different circumstances, this might be one to write off (which is why it may look that way at first glance), but I have a lot of faith in Kevin Spacey and Heather Graham, and their ability to give this one just the right tone and comedic presence.

Take a look below, and don't let this one slip by.

Millionaire infomercial guru, Robert Axle (Kevin Spacey) loses everything when one of his inventions has a design flaw that accidentally chops off the fingers of thousands of customers. After serving eight years in prison, a disgraced Axle is released, and ready to redeem his name and rebuild his empire with a new innovation. However, Axle’s ex-wife (Virginia Madsen) has spent all of his money and moved into his house with her new husband (Craig Robinson). Out of desperation, he finds a part-time job as a janitor, and is forced to move in with his estranged daughter (Camilla Belle) and her over-protective roommates. Despite these setbacks he is determined to pitch his newest gadget and rebuild his infomercial empire. But the world has changed in the last decade, and Axle finds himself out of step with current technology, his family, and the self-confidence that made him king of the infomercials in the past. With all his wheels spinning, Axle soon realizes before he can be successful with his new creation, first he must reinvent himself.

 

Kevin Spacey stars in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

Heather Graham and Kevin Spacey star in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

Camilla Belle stars in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

Johnny Knoxville stars in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

John Stamos stars in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

Virginia Madsen and Craig Robinson star in Anchor Bay Films’ Father of Invention Photo Credit: Patti Perret Property of Anchor Bay Films

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I suppose there is some chance that a person might just be opposed to anything that presents itself as a political thriller/drama, but barring a genre-bias, I don't suppose people need a lot of convincing beyond learning the cast of The Ides of March. George Clooney is certainly enough of a draw, and Ryan Gosling picks up pretty well where he leaves off.

Of course, I was actually referring to the fact that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are in it, but that could just be me.

Whatever your particular attraction might be, and I can't imagine there is none, the film looks sharp and intriguing, and it's coming in right on the heels of Gosling's success in Drive. Actually, it's been a while since such a film has been able to get me interested, and this could be the movie that takes over the award buzz for the rest of the year.

Thus, I wanted to get a couple of clips out, and make sure you know where you are with this one. How's it look to you?

The Ides of March takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency.

Ides of March Trailer

Clip My Name Is Molly

Clip Tell Her

Directed by : George Clooney

Screenplay by : George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

Based upon a play on the play "Farragut North" by : Beau Willimon

Cast :

• Ryan Gosling
• George Clooney
• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Paul Giamatti
• Marisa Tomei
• Jeffrey Wright
• Evan Rachel Wood

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Speaking of Hung.

Here's one for you that looks... interesting. Actually, it looks a little crazy, but I'm interested to see exactly where Thomas Jane goes with this.

I MELT WITH YOU will be available on Magnolia On-Demand November 4 followed by its theatrical release on December 9th 

Richard (Thomas Jane), Ron (Jeremy Piven), Jonathan (Rob Lowe) and Tim (Christian McKay) are old college friends that gather annually for a week in Big Sur to celebrate their friendship and catch-up on each other’s lives. They seem like typical men in their forties – all with careers, families, and enormous responsibilities – but like most people there is a lot more beneath the surface.

As the week progresses, they go down the rabbit hole of excess as mountains of drugs are consumed to a blaring rock 'n' roll soundtrack. Parties with much younger women spin out of control. Exhausted and run ragged, they bare their souls to one another revealing the disillusionment with their lives.

As the truth emerges, the reunion takes a much darker turn when a promise from their past is brought to light. From director Mark Pellington, I MELT WITH YOU is a visually dazzling, wild and wooly trip deep into the male psyche, driven by four amazingly committed and profound performances.

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/imeltwithyoumovie

Find our films On-Demand: http://www.magpictures.com/ondemand/

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This one looks surprisingly good actually, though... different. Especially considering it's Heigl... that could just be me.

Katherine Heigl brings Stephanie Plum - the popular heroine of Janet Evanovich's worldwide best-selling seventeen-book mystery series - to vibrant life in Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment's ONE FOR THE MONEY.

A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company...as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.

Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback - and a hefty payday - but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who's the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn't airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself...well, suddenly Stephanie's new job isn't nearly as easy as she thought.

Starring Katherine Heigl, ONE FOR THE MONEY is a fresh, funny action-comedy directed by Julie Anne Robinson and also starring Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguiziamo, Debbie Reynolds and Debra Monk. Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment Lionsgate Wendy Finerman Sidney Kimmel Entertainment production in association with Abishag Productions. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson. Screenplay by Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius. Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich.

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Some hot news for Justice League fans as Nathan Fillion and Tim Daly are back to lend their voices to Green Lantern and Superman again.

Warner Home Video to distribute DC Universe Animated Original Movie in early 2012; Eight Justice League TV series alums featured in voice cast

Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion and Tim Daly, the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join an exciting group of actors reprising their famed cartoon roles in Justice League: Doom, an all-new entry in the popular series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies due in early 2012 from Warner Home Video.

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”

Fillion, the star of ABC’s hit TV drama Castle, made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Fillion made his initial DCU bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman.

Currently headlining the cast of ABC’s popular Private Practice, Daly originated the title character’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DCU films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

In addition to current primetime stars Fillion and Daly, the cast is a grand reunion of the original group of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited. Reprising their roles are Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.

The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.

David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.

The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths). Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, SpongeBob SquarePants).

Warner Home Video will premiere the Justice League: Doom trailer during its presentation at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 14 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the IGN Theater. Also premiering during that session will be the Catwoman animated short that is attached to Batman: Year One, the next DC Universe Animated Movie (streeting October 18).

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Few movies get the kind of marketing push we're seeing from The Hunger Games, especially this far out. Due out in March 2012, the film is already all that anyone seems to be talking about, and the release of a sneak peek hasn't changed things.

The next, most fantastic thing ever, The Hunger Games is hoping to capitalize on immense popularity, and fill the franchise void left by things now over, or seemingly old news.

By most accounts (I haven't read it) a far more serious effort than those that have recently taken the world by storm, it makes one wonder how the translation will come through, and how we fuse a complex, weighty offering with the near hysteria surrounding the revelation of every actor and actress.

On the other hand, I (and others) may be giving the book too much credit.

Either way, you can get a small taste below, and this is bound to be a small drop in the bucket of the general media blast sure to come your way. It isn't even enough to make a lot of comment on really, but let me know where you are in the general The Hunger Games Excitement arena.

For those utterly out of the loop-

In a dystopic setting, twelve subjugated districts are forced to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl. These tributes are forced to participate in the annual "Hunger Games," a fight-to-the-death, televised event. Katniss Everdeen's little sister is chosen in the lottery to become a tribute, but Katniss offers to take her place. We follow her adventure, as she must make hard choices to survive, win the games, and return home.

THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross and features an all-star cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and Lenny Kravitz.

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On October 14th, a film is coming your way that deconstructs dysfunction in a way few efforts have dared. Fireflies in the Garden is the story of a seemingly regular family with a less than normal background reality.

You might not guess it from the trailer actually, but the family is, to outward appearances, rather standard. Successful, but rather normal. As we dig deeper, it comes to light that our family is perhaps a bit less normal than we might expect, and the relationships are far more complex than anyone would have guessed.

With Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, and Willem Dafoe as our main focus, the film has to weather a lot of expectation, and it looks as though it might have a decent chance at delivering.

Take a look below, and let me know what you think. It's clearly not the sort of thing that jumps to the top of everyone's list, but I'm intrigued to see what's going to come of it.

To an outsider, the Taylors are the very picture of the successful American family: Charles (Willem Dafoe) is a tenured professor on track to become university president, son Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is a prolific and well-known romance novelist, daughter Ryne (Shannon Lucio) is poised to enter a prestigious law school, and on the day we are introduced to them, matriarch Lisa (Julia Roberts) will graduate from college—decades after leaving to raise her children. But when a serious accident interrupts the celebration, the far more nuanced reality of this Midwestern family’s history and relationships come to light.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Ioan Gruffudd and Hayden Panettiere

Written by: Dennis Lee

Directed by: Dennis Lee

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/firefliesmovie

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Coming your way October 28th, The Rum Diary is the next motion picture from the mind of Hunter S. Thompson, and the trailer looks awfully good. Based on the novel, this one finds us following Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp, as a New York journalist who goes to work for a newspaper in Puerto Rico.

Filled with an assortment of alcohol, hallucinations... maybe, and a wild ride of a humble journalist caught up in machinations way over his head, the movie looks incredibly fun, and like just the sort of thing Depp is perfect for. Take a look, and don't miss out on the social media pages.

The Rum Diary on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rum-Diary/218246874862570

FilmDistrict on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/FilmDistrict

Based on the debut novel by Hunter S. Thompson, “The Rum Diary” tells the increasingly unhinged story of itinerant journalist Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp). Tiring of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper, The San Juan Star, run by downtrodden editor Lotterman (Richard Jenkins).

Adopting the rum-soaked life of the island, Paul soon becomes obsessed with Chenault (Amber Heard), the wildly attractive Connecticut-born fiancée of Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart). Sanderson, a businessman involved in shady property development deals, is one of a growing number of American entrepreneurs who are determined to convert Puerto Rico into a capitalist paradise in service of the wealthy.

When Kemp is recruited by Sanderson to write favorably about his latest unsavory scheme, the journalist is presented with a choice: to use his words for the corrupt businessmen’s financial benefit, or use them to take the bastards down.

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We've all spent some time with the movie rework blues, and today I have a guest post for you from Chris Kavan of FilmCrave.com, who takes a look at the state of Hollywood and it's general lack of originality. Take a look, enjoy, and think about putting your monetary votes behind some more interesting players.

According to Box Office Mojo as it currently stands these are the top ten grossing films of 2011 thus far:

1- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

2- Transformers: Dark of the Moon

3- The Hangover: Part II

4- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

5-Fast Five

6- Cars 2

7- Thor

8- Bridesmaids

9- Captain America: The First Avenger

10- Kung Fu Panda 2

So, out of the top ten there are seven films that are either sequels or part of a franchise and two films based on comic books, which leaves only one wholly original film left standing: Bridesmaids. Granted, this is nothing new – glancing through the past five or ten years, you’ll see the top 10 to 20 films dominated by the exact same kinds of films: those based around existing franchises or those adapted from other media: comics, books and even video games.

Hollywood is much more likely to drop $50-$100 million on a project knowing it has an established audience. Characters like James Bond, Sherlock Holmes and Superman are a draw because so many people are familiar with them. On the chance they do go with an original idea, it is often spun off into a franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Fast and the Furious even Final Destination – once a movie becomes remotely popular, chances are you’ll be hearing about it again in a year or two.

Those looking to find something wholly original in the mainstream market better hope a big name decides to take a chance on an original film (like Inception) or that something on the festival circuit gets a huge buzz (The Kids Are All Right). Otherwise your chances of seeing something different depends on how close you are to a major city that shows limited releases, or if you happen to have an art house theater. Unfortunately for most people, they most likely had a better chance at seeing Hoodwinked Too than Midnight in Paris this year.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT as Arthur in Warner Bros. Pictures€™ and Legendary Pictures€™ sci-fi action film €œINCEPTION,€ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

That’s not to say these kind of films are a total bust. You have Christopher Nolan’s excellent take on Batman and, love or hate them, you cannot deny that Harry Potter and Twilight drive in huge audiences, but one has to wonder what the face of cinema would look like if TV shows and remakes were suddenly off limits.

While Hollywood might be worried about taking chances, if things are going to change, audiences need to be willing to step outside their comfort zone as well. While I can’t claim I’ve seen nearly as many films as I want to this year, three out of my top five films of 2011 are original films: Super 8, I Saw the Devil and Source Code. Yes, all those films might use elements from other films, but at least they’re new takes on those elements. Not every original film this year has been good: Sucker Punch was a letdown as was Cowboys & Aliens. A movie doesn’t even need a massive budget – Insidious managed to hit nearly $54 million, and out-performed Scream 4’s lackluster $38 million showing.

While there is plenty of originality left, those films don’t get nearly the recognition they deserve. All the films getting attention – the next Batman, The Avengers, The Hunger Games, what the new Superman and Spider-man looks like – are everything that’s wrong with movies. Hollywood wants the next Twilight or Harry Potter; they want big-budget super heroes to rake in the cash. The population is bombarded with stories, commercials, trailers and rumors regarding every aspect of these films; so much so that they feel compelled to see them. It’s hard to avoid the hype – I know I read everything I can about World War Z mainly because I’m loved the book and have been dying for news ever since it was announced – but because of this hype, so many great films are ignored and overlooked it’s tragic.

When it comes right down to it, the sad fact is that for the last decade, things have been working out pretty well this way and, as long as the formula works, I don’t see Hollywood changing their minds about it anytime soon. We may not be able to change the formula, but we can change our attitudes. Stop reading into the hype and seek out something different. Your local theater not playing what you want? Tell them about it. Stay in and rent something new instead of seeing the latest remake. If change is going to start, it may as well begin now.

Chris Kavan owns more reboots, remakes, sequels and adaptations then he cares to admit and he’s also the Community Manager for FilmCrave.com, the leader in Top Action Movie Lists.

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Shark Night 3D is about to hit, and I have a great prize pack available for you. I know you're excited already, and you've probably already got your tickets, but why not gear up for your September 2nd night out?

Check out some info below, and be sure to watch the trailer again - you know you want to - then make sure you enter to win.

A sexy summer weekend turns into a blood-soaked nightmare for a group of college students trapped on an island surrounded by voracious underwater predators in Shark Night 3D, a terrifying thrill ride from director David Ellis (The Final Destination, Snakes On a Plane), featuring a red-hot young cast including Sara Paxton (Superhero Movie, Last House on the Left), Dustin Milligan (90210, Slither), Chris Carmack (The O.C.), Joel David Moore (Avatar), Chris Zylka (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Katharine McPhee (The House Bunny).

Arriving by boat at her family’s Louisiana lake island cabin, Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends quickly strip down to their swimsuits for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when star football player Malik (Sinqua Walls) stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the party mood quickly evaporates.

Assuming the injury was caused by a freak wake-boarding accident, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake, and fast.

But as they set out in a tiny speedboat, the college friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! As they face one grisly death after another, Sara and the others struggle desperately to fend off the sharks, get help and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land.

 

Enter to Win!

The prize pack includes -

• $25.00 iTunes Gift Card
• Shark Fin Ice Tray
• Shark Night 3D Keychain
• Shark Night 3D Pint Glass
• Shark Night 3D T-Shirt
• Shark Night 3D Water Gun

To enter - leave a comment below, and tell me why you're excited to get out on Shark Night.

That's it.

Winner will be randomly selected on September 7th.

U.S. only

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© 2011, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

I'm sure you've heard about Planes, the upcoming film that is a spin-off (or something) of the Cars franchise, and now Jon Cryer is officially attached to lend his voice to the film as Dusty, the single-prop star.

You've got a long wait in store, because this one is set to release on Blu-Ray and DVD in Spring 2013, but it's looking more and more fun all the time. I wonder how the none-too-strong critical response to Cars 2 will play into things here, but I have a good feeling about it.

Below check out the full release, and the trailer.

Dusty, the small-town crop-duster from DisneyToon Studios' upcoming feature “Planes,” has found his voice: Emmy Award®-winning actor Jon Cryer, lands the role of the daring dreamer who takes on the most notoriously grueling air race in history, and in the process gives a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Planes,” an all-new, CG-animated comedy action adventure, flies into homes on Blu-ray™ and DVD in Spring 2013.

“We are incredibly excited to have Jon Cryer on board as the voice of Dusty,” said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. “Jon brings so much comedy and believability to this character who dreams of soaring alongside his heroes in the 'Wings Around the Globe' Rally. 'Planes' is a wonderful story that takes audiences on a great ride and Jon brings so much heart to the film.”

Cryer has starred in the hit CBS series “Two and a Half Men” for seven years, winning an Emmy® in 2003 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. His credits also include films like “Due Date,” “Hot Shots” and “Pretty in Pink.”

Dusty lives in the small town of Propwash Junction, and the single-prop agriculture plane could not be further from the lean, mean, trophy-winning machines he idolizes – and his co-workers remind him constantly. His mentor Skipper is convinced that Dusty has the engine to compete with the best, and helps encourage him to pursue his lifelong dreams. But if Dusty wants to make his dreams a reality, he?ll need to push himself further than he ever imagined. With the help and support of a crew of all-new and hilarious characters, Dusty wings his way into the biggest challenge of his life.

“Planes,” set to introduce audiences to an entirely new and hilarious crew of daredevils from every corner of the globe, draws inspiration from the immensely popular world of Disney•Pixar's “Cars.” Created, written and produced by DisneyToon Studios under the creative leadership of John Lasseter and directed by Emmy® nominated Klay Hall, “Planes” takes off with an international cast of the fastest air racers around, in a comedy packed with action and adventure.

Fasten your seatbelt and secure your carry-on items, more information on “Planes” will be arriving shortly.

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Coming your way in limited release on September 23rd, A Bird of the Air is a quirky, indie number that looks as charming as anything to come along in a while. Centered around a loner who finds a parrot, and embarks on a mission to return the bird to its rightful owner, it's a kind of quest film that spins out of control.

If the trailer is any real indication, my money is on this one coming together into a very solid effort, and one that I think many will find themselves watching again and again.

Below check out some more info, the trailer, and a few images, and find out if this one will make appearance near you.

A sassy parrot and a free-spirited librarian upend the well-ordered life of a solitary man.

Lyman (Jackson Hurst) is a loner, working the graveyard shift for the Courtesy Patrol. When a green parrot flies in to his trailer he becomes obsessed with finding its owner, which leads him to Fiona (Rachel Nichols). She has been eyeing Lyman from a distance and decides to help with his parrot search, whether he wants her to or not. Along with her basset hound, they set out on a quest to find the bird’s previous owners and Fiona begins to unravel the mysteries of Lyman's past. But when Fiona joins Lyman on his nightly rounds, she witnesses a reality more intense than the romantic version she had envisioned.

Also featured are Linda Emond (Julie & Julia), Buck Henry (Grumpy Old Men), two-time Tony-winner Judith Ivey (Hurlyburly, CBS's Designing Women), Erik Jensen, Matte Osian (ABC's Ugly Betty, NBC's Law & Order), Rocco Sisto (Donnie Brasco, HBO's The Sopranos) Phyllis Somerville (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Louis Zorich (NBC's Mad About You). Producers are Steven Tabakin, Margaret Whitton, and Warren Spector of Tashtego Films. Filmed in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico, A Bird of the Air was shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (A River Runs Through It) with costumes by Joseph G. Aulisi (The Pink Panther, Shaft) and production design by Mark Alan Duran (To Live and Die). Sabine Hoffman (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee) is editor. Music is composed by David Majzlin. Susan Jacobs is Music Supervisor.

Jackson Hurst in “A Bird of the Air” Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr.

Jackson Hurst (L) and Rachel Nichols (R) in “A Bird of the Air” Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr.

Jackson Hurst (R) and Rachel Nichols (L) in “A Bird of the Air” Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr.

Official Site: http://www.abirdoftheair.com/

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abirdoftheair

Follow A Bird of the Air on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abirdoftheair

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Coming your way from the critically-acclaimed release at Cannes, Lars von Trier's Melancholia will premiere on VOD October 7, 2011 and opens in theaters November 11, 2011, and a US poster has finally been revealed.

Reviews ranged from calling it brilliant, to a complete mess, by the general pulse leans far more to one side than the other, with a rottentomatoes.com score hovering right around 75% fresh at the moment. Truth be told, even among critics, dark, brooding, slow-moving tales of depression and the woes of the inner workings of life aren't generally the sort of films that stir great, cheering responses... and that's when they don't also involve a planet hurtling toward the Earth.

Our story involves the slow-moving breakdown of a wedding, and all the main and tertiary relationships involved. As everything and everyone seems to fall apart, it's discovered that a planet seems to have shown up out of nowhere, and is heading toward the Earth.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are the happy couple, and it seems for all the world that Justine is incredibly happy... at first. Tensions rise, nothing is as it seems, and it becomes more and more clear that everyone is simply doing the dance they think they are supposed to be doing.

For all that this is a film that crawls along, it's actually a wild and fast-paced ride, depending on how you look at things, and the psychological dig and spin fills the movie with far more action than anyone could rightfully expect from any synopsis.

Below check out some more info, the new poster, and some images, and make sure this one is on your calendar.

In this beautiful movie about the end of the world, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite Claire’s best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth… MELANCHOLIA is a psychological disaster film from director Lars von Trier.

Kirsten Dunst in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.

Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Spurr and Charlotte Gainsbourg in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgaard, Kiefer Sutherland and Charlotte Gainsbourg in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.

Kirsten Dunst in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.

Alexander Skarsgaard, Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.

Kiefer Sutherland in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.

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I have to kick this off with a bit of introduction. This post comes to you from the guys at cinematicmethod.com. They run a podcast that is rather unique, and it's one that I've taken to quickly. Instead of a movie podcast, theirs is a movie trailer podcast. They give you their rundown on the trailers of the films that are about to come out, and let you know whether or not you should see it based on what they can glean from the trailer itself.

They also give their predictions on what the rottentomatoes.com rating of the film will turn out to be.

I should really say that I'm not a podcast guy. I know they have taken over, and people subscribe to tons of them, but very few of them do anything for me. There are those I listen to occasionally, and a select group that I listen to more frequently, but it's rare that one comes along that I find is really worth my time.

I really like this one though, and there's something about the theory that I find works. You can only be so serious about reviewing a movie's trailer, and these guys (Kyle, Gerry, Chris, Jared, and Matt - a sampling of whom may show up in any given podcast) deliver a good mix of info, humor, and randomness that makes this an exceedingly easy to listen to podcast. That probably doesn't sound like huge praise, but it is for non-podcast-centric me.

I encourage you to check out their website (they have other cool stuff besides just the podcast), and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Check out their podcast on iTunes here

Also, you are doubly encouraged to go ahead and subscribe to the podcast now, because I will be running the most massive giveaway ever shortly, with dozens of Blu-Rays up for grabs, and one of the ways to enter will be to subscribe to their podcast. Check back in about a week for that giveaway. Trust me, you won't want to miss it.

Check out a sample below, wherein they take a look at the trailer for Fright Night.

That out of the way, Kyle Coleman has generously offered up some content for me to share with you. It's his attempt at ordering Christopher Nolan's films. It's not the order I'd put them in, but there you go. Enjoy, and let me know what your list would look like.

In honor of the greatness that is Christopher Nolan, I’ve decided to rank his movies from best to “worst.” I put the word “worst” in quotes because none of these movies are even close to bad, in fact, none are even close to mediocre. Nolan is the rare director without a single blotch on his record; every film has been met with critical acclaim for its innovation and style. I am a huge fan of Nolan’s so ordering this list was a painful exercise, and I’d like to stress again that I love all of these films. I truly feel like I could watch any of these at any time, and take something new away with each viewing. Please feel free to give your ranking in the comments section below!

7. Following (1998)

Nolan’s 1998 debut shot in black and white on a $6,000 budget with friends from a London film society. A struggling writer becomes addicted to following strangers for “material for his writing” and befriends a burglar, leading to all kinds of trouble.

Nolan introduces his penchant for non-linear plot structure as well as his uncanny ability to parcel out bits of information to keep the viewer underinformed, involved and very interested. He paces the film beautifully (only 70 minute runtime), and builds everything up to a crescendo twist of an ending. A must see for Nolan fans.

6. Insomnia (2002)

A suspense-thriller starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams, Insomnia is a great example of how Nolan creates complex characters and unfolds their motives throughout the film.

The viewer is fed limited information at the beginning to learn a bit about the characters, but as the story unfolds, the constant sun of the Alaska’s perpetual daylight sheds light on the dark past of our protagonist, changing the scope of the entire film. Nolan brings out the best in his actors, as both Pacino and Williams give great performances, but this film is ranked #6 because it lacks the sheer imagination that pervade the rest of the films.

5. The Prestige (2006)

As much as I love the story in this film, I can’t give Nolan all the credit since it is adapted from a 1995 book. That aside, Nolan creates a great on-screen rivalry of one-upsmanship between magicians Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.

Nolan is able to balance the darkness of the plot with the intrigue and fun of the science which is a rare combination. He again shows his mastery of withholding information from the viewer for a wild and thrilling finale, creating one of the most shocking twists of any film I’ve seen. As I’m writing this I’m reminded how much I love this one but I have to rank it here since I give Nolan more credit when he directs his original ideas.

4. Batman Begins (2005)

Pundits were nervous about putting one of the most beloved franchises of all time in the hands of a relatively inexperienced director, but Nolan got the job and really delivered. In typical Nolan fashion, he reworked the franchise aiming for more humanity and realism than was in the 1997 franchise flop, making viewers connect with and care about Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Nolan’s smart writing and directing created a realistic superhero film, grossed over a half billion dollars and resurrected an immensely popular franchise. Not too many directors could have pulled this off.

3. Memento (2000)

This is the absolute standard for non-linear storytelling. Based on his brother’s short story, Nolan alternates between two narratives, a chronological black-and-white one and a backward moving color narrative. Again, this serves to only give the viewer as much information as they need without giving away the brilliantly twisted ending. What gives this film cult status is its watch-ability: you can watch this film time and time again, picking up different clues each time, adding more appreciation for an already wonderful film. I’m ranking this film third because it showcased Nolan’s skills perfectly and fast-tracked him into bigger projects down the line.

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

It is really painful for me to have to put this film at #2, but that is a testament to the overall quality of this list. Nolan creates an awe-inspiring world, a cast full of memorable characters, and one of the darkest superhero films ever made.

What impresses me most about this film is the intellectual debate it inspires concerning lawlessness and politics in general, which will make this film remembered and talked about for generations to come. Nolan intertwines this message with powerful action scenes and brilliant directing, grossing over a billion dollars and delivering the best superhero film I’ve ever seen.

1. Inception (2010)

How can someone even think this film up? More importantly, how difficult will it be to bring this imagination to life? I give the #1 spot to Inception because of Nolan’s creation and execution of theconcept. I’ve already discussed his ability to tell a non-linear story, and he brings that to a whole different level in this film, creating multiple levels of reality that are all co-existing.

I have seen this film more times than I care to admit, and I learn something new each time (did Cobb make it back from limbo?!). Can’t forget the coolest fight scene of all time: JGL’s anti-gravity hallway scene, which required amazing engineering and physics calculations. This film has everything anyone could ask for, making it not only Nolan’s best but also my favorite film of the 2000s.

article originally published at -

http://cinematicmethod.com/christopher-nolans-films-in-order/

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If you've been following me for any length of time, you probably know that I'm not a fan of lists. The best of the year lists are something of a mandatory enterprise at this point, and I have several other efforts at best of something lists (mostly as a result of dares), but I don't like them. They don't make a lot of sense, especially where numbering is concerned, and they don't actually deliver any great value. Of course, they do deliver in the one sense that they are a good way to get a feel for a critic's tastes, but beyond that, they are a kind of industry in-group nonsense.

Worst lists, are even worse. They also have more baggage built into them. For one thing, to be included in the list, you have to admit you've watched the thing. Thus, there are clearly worse movies than any on this list, but I get to call my own shots, and there are movies I won't watch for love or money. I suppose you can take that into consideration.

Plus, who cares? I mean, there's no draw to figuring out the worst movies, much less telling people what they are and/or looking to find out what critics think they are, no matter how popular the Razzies become. It's just stupid. You know what movies are stupid, and why look for a list of them?

This list makes its way to you mostly as a result of a conversation which spun out of control, and the fact that there aren't actually all that many Worst of the Decade lists. On the other hand, it also comes to you largely by way of the fact that a lot of people who do have such lists have either forgotten about a lot of movies, liked a lot of movies that were awful, or otherwise sandbagged the thing.

That said, there are movies on this list that a lot of people love and/or wouldn't see as legitimately included on a list of the worst movies of the decade. As there are many aspects of a film to take into account when deciding on the best, so too there are many ways in which something might be deemed among the worst. Chief among these, to me, is when a movie is calling the audience stupid. A number of movies with big names involved fit into this category. Plus, good, bad, mediocre, or whatever else, the existence of some movies just pisses me off.

Thus, here you'll find, probably, the worst of the decade list with the most movies you've seen, as opposed to just the movies you scoffed at upon release, and didn't bother with.

There are 40 of them, and these are in no particular order, except insofar as they are in the order I found them in my Flickchart.com list. That's not as telling as it ought to be, because I seem to only get the option to rank them against movies that are much better, so the order of the worst doesn't move much.

Although, I will say that rottentomatoes.com got it right, and the number one worst movie on this list is Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever.

Also, please continue with the list via the page numbers you'll find at the bottom. Displaying this all as one page takes a long time to load, so I spread it out.

(The titles link to the IMDb.com pages for the films)

Have fun!

Righteous Kill

Imagine having a film with DeNiro and Pacino, not to mention some interesting supporting cast members, on your worst movie list. It's practically blasphemy no matter how bad the movie is. The trick to this one, and it isn't nearly as bad as many others on this list, is that while you want to be very mean to these legends for being involved in this shlock-fest, nonsensical police drama, it's hard to do, because you can see where it probably looked fairly decent on paper. The synopsis doesn't sound so bad, but this is one of those films that only has any chance at entertaining an audience, if they've never seen any other movies before. It's insultingly trite, boring as hell, and absolutely laughable in its delivery.

Panic Room

David Fincher, Jodie Foster, and Forest Whitaker aren't supposed to be names associated with such garbage, but this one takes ridiculous storylines to new heights. What's truly funny about the film is that it's almost a spoof of itself and/or it's own, strange sub-genre. Back in 2002, when this came out, there was a little run of films that revolved around equally stupid ideas, some of which succeeded, because they took a goofy concept, and surprisingly worked some magic on it. The self-spoof is obvious, but Panic Room is possibly best appreciated as an effort at mocking the whole genre. See... you think you're working something into the idea, but it's still really stupid. How stupid? Watch this...

Pay it Forward

Of all the disgustingly sappy, preachy movies of the decade, of which there are many (several of which involve Kevin Spacey), Pay it Forward takes the cake. The new primer on being viciously insulting to your audience, this is a film that acts like it invented the Golden Rule, and needs to spell out the idea to you, repeatedly, and in very simple terms, because you are obviously a moron.

Phone Booth

Possibly the best film on this list (that's an award someone is after, surely), or at least the one with some pretty decent acting going on, there is still a disturbing undertone of unapologetic silliness at play. It's not quite calling you stupid in the way many others are, but just the fact that it thinks you'll fall for this brainless mash of goofiness is insulting. On other hand, quite a lot of people like it.

The Hottie & The Nottie

Joel David Moore (one of my favorites from Bones) is the unfortunate victim of this mind-blowing garbage thrown together to capitalize on a mild popularity upswing Paris Hilton enjoyed. A story that, with a lot more effort, has played fairly well, and will again. This is the version by, for, and about people who don't really give a crap. It has the curious bonus of being very watchable (in a sort of Showgirls sense), because even among bad movies, it's rare to see this level of acting inability.

Envy

Envy is actually a pretty interesting title, just insofar as the ability of all involved to scrub its existence from the collective psyche. Seven years later, the general recollection of the average movie-goer is that they heard of it once, but don't remember it actually getting released.

One hopes this is some contractual obligation nightmare, especially as Stiller and Black were both in rather comfortable places in 2004 (or 2002 when the movie was shooting), and the inclusion of Rachel Weisz and Christopher Walken helps support the idea. How such names otherwise became involved in a poop spray film with absolutely nothing funny going for it (barring severely drunk audiences), is a mystery.

On the other hand, the budget of the film is reportedly $40 million, and it looks like about $100,000 went into the actual production, so that might be your answer.

Snakes on a Plane

You want to give this one a bit of latitude based on the fact that it's charging out of the gates with its stupidity. It's not trying very hard, and it's just a lark really, but this one doesn't make it even on that level. It might have won out on a goof factor, but Final Destination 2, The Final Destination, and Cellular director David R. Ellis seems very serious.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

This one is just insulting in a variety of ways. Kevin Smith managed the brilliant Clerks, and then immediately lost touch with everything that made Clerks good. It wasn't enough to throw Mallrats and Dogma at us (nevermind Jersey Girl), now he's just unsure who he's making fun of, and who he's calling stupid. So instead of trying to work it out, let's just get really drunk and write some shit down.

The Matrix Revolutions

This could be Reloaded or Revolutions. Hell, the picture above could be from either as well. Who knows? The first film was a sort of play on a philosophy koan, was delivered with style and flash, and seemed impressed with the question. The second two are a nice example of what happens when someone takes Philosophy 101 and half-way through the course decides they know all the answers. The small saving grace is that this isn't a movie that is calling you stupid, it's just stupid. Unfortunately, it doesn't even listen to its own drivel in order to piece together coherence.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The topic of much debate, here and throughout the web, mainly as a result of Roger Ebert's review, this is among the worst examples of filmmakers calling people stupid that has come along in quite some time. Nevertheless, Ebert thought it was absolutely smashing, and went so far as to actually praise the fact that it was moronically stupid. Hooray.

Alone in the Dark

Unfortunately, this one stars Christian Slater, who I hate to have on this list. The film has become a certain phenomenon in the arena of having people go to great lengths to describe every which way that it sucks.

Little Nicky

It's hard to know what anyone involved was thinking with this one. Like many others on the list, you'd expect better. It's almost like a drunken dare that you found you'd signed a contract for, and had no way to get away from. Almost stupid enough to come full circle and turn into a "so bad it's good" effort, except that there isn't anything funny in it, and no one seems to care.

Gigli

Easily one of the most celebrated bad movies of the decade, "Gigli" nearly became a term referring to a horrible mess of a film. It might have caught on, except that it sounds too stupid, and doesn't quite roll off the tongue. You could really include everything with Jennifer Lopez on the list, but why bother?

Please continue on using the page numbers below.

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If you're at all like me, you fell for a quirky little number called Me and You and Everyone We Know, and you keep it fresh in your mind for all the times people ask you for recommendations. That wonderfully offbeat film about meeting someone in the distancing and uber-modern world we live in is a gem, and the writer/director/star, Miranda July, has another for you now.

The Future, which expands this weekend to more theaters (see below), is the story of a thirty-something couple who have their lives and relationship turned upside-down because they decide to adopt a stray cat. Basically, the decision, and responsibility and requirements that come with such a move, make them examine everything they do, and everything they are. It has the general, and oft-used, theory of "I haven't done anything," pushing it, but this is obviously a new spin on things.

This is one that has been getting a lot of great press, and even though Miranda July simply isn't for everyone, the film has an 86% fresh rating over at rottentomatoes.com. The chances are, if we're really being honest, that you're either going to love it, or roll your eyes at it, but I suggest you take a look at the clips below, and give this one a chance.

If it's coming your way, don't let it slip by.

The Future is expanding this Friday, see list below for theaters.

Los Angeles, CA: ArcLight Hollywood

Los Angeles, CA: The Landmark

Pasadena, CA: Laemmle Playhouse 7

Irvine, CA: Edwards University

Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema 9

Chicago, IL: Music Box

Evanston, IL: CineArts 6

Washington, DC: E Street Cinema

Arlington, VA: Shirlington 7

Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Heights Cinema

Huntington, NY: Cinema Arts Centre

Manhasset, NY: Manhasset Cinemas 3

New York, NY: Beekman

New York, NY: Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center

White Plains, NY: Cinema 100 Quad

Trailer and Clips

Miranda July as Sophie and Hamish Linklater as Jason, in THE FUTURE, written and directed by Miranda July. Photo Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Miranda July as Sophie in THE FUTURE, written and directed by Miranda July. Photo Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Miranda July as Sophie in THE FUTURE, written and directed by Miranda July. Photo Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Miranda July as Sophie and Hamish Linklater as Jason, in THE FUTURE, written and directed by Miranda July. Photo Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

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Related articles

• Miranda July Makes Magic in The Future (wired.com)
• Tribeca Film: The Future: Cats Talk and Time Stops (huffingtonpost.com)
• Miranda July's 'The Future' leads independent film openings (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

© 2011, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

Coming to theaters and movies on demand September 9th, Shaolin looks about as good as anything I've seen in the martial arts genre in quite some time. That may be because it's something like an accidental martial arts film, if that makes any sense, in that it focuses on people who happen to know martial arts, rather than being a story crafted to create excuses for action.

Of course, that might just be how it seems at the moment, but the trailer certainly paints a welcoming picture.

Check out some info on this one, plus the trailer and some images. Let me know what you think.

As feuding warlords fight to expand their power, the noble monks of the Shaolin Temple clean up the mess left behind, tending to the injured while trying their best to protect the poor and weak. General Hou (Andy Lau, WARLORDS, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) has caused much of this mess with his violent and ruthless tactics that rarely discriminate between soldiers and civilians.

When Hao is betrayed by fellow general Cao Man (Nicholas Tse, THE PROMISE, SHAOLIN SOCCER), he is forced into hiding, and takes refuge with the monks (including Jackie Chan) at their hidden mountain temple. As the days pass, he finds himself more and more at ease as he learns the ways of peace, and begins to release his hatred through Martial Zen. But Cao is not far behind, and war soon reaches the temple, where the monks are ready to fight back- with their unstoppable Shaolin Kung Fu.

Starring -

Andy Lau as Hou Jie

Originally an army leader of one of the warlords, he loses his entire family after falling into an enemy trap. He finally finds peace and forgiveness at Shaolin Temple and becomes a monk and leads the other disciples in protecting the refugees.

Nicholas Tse as Cao Man

Once the sworn brother of Hou Jie, he betrays Hou to become a powerful warlord. To maintain his position, Cao seeks the support of foreigners and helps them oppress the residents. When Shaolin disciples disrupt his plans, he decides to destroy the temple.

Jackie Chan as Wu Dao

A long-time resident of the temple's kitchen, the cooking monk has a weird but lovable temperament. Unfettered by trivialities and illiterate, Wu Dao nevertheless has a high understanding of his religion. Under his tutelage, Hou jie learns to put down his former baggage.

Fan Bingbing as Yan Xi

Hou Jie's wife, her kindly nature takes a vengeful turn after she loses her daughter.

Official website: http://www.shaolinmovie-us.com/

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© 2011, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.