The Devil's Double 2011 Biographical Drama Starring: Dominic Cooper (My Week with Marilyn). Directed by: Lee Tamahori (Along Came a Spider). Written by: Michael Thomas ("Crash") based on the novel by Latif Yahia. Plot: Cooper stars as Uday Hussein -- Saddam Hussein's elder son -- and as Latif Yahia, the army lieutenant forcibly drafted to be his body double, in this drama based on Yahia's autobiographical novel. With his family's fate on the line, Yahia surrenders his identity to embody the hated figure but gains a conspirator in Uday's concubine, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), as he plots his escape. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4213939481/ Review: This movie looks like it might be an Oscar contender. It's an incredibly fascinating story that I'm really looking forward to watching. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special- 2011 Animated. Voiced by: Oscar nominee Queen Latifah (Chicago), 4X Emmy nom Denis Leary (Recount (TV)), Emmy winner John Leguizamo (Freak (TV)) & 3X Emmy winner Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Raymond"). Plot: When Sid (Leguizamo) accidentally destroys Manny's (Romano) heirloom Christmas rock and ends up on Santa's "naughty list," he leads a hilarious quest to the North Pole to make things right and ends up making things much worse. Now it's up to Manny and his prehistoric posse to band together and save Christmas for the entire world. Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfR4EtTCl7A Review: I loved the first film. The second film was enjoyable. I haven't seen the third. This is a TV special. We'll see if it's good. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Super 8 2011 Sci-Fi Thriller Starring: Gabriel Basso ("The Big C"), Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights"), Jessica Tuck ("True Blood"), Ron Eldard ("Law & Order: SVU"), Amanda Michalka (Secretariat), Elle Fanning (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Noah Emmerich ("The Walking Dead"), Richard T. Jones ("Grey's Anatomy"), Amanda Foreman ("Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior"), David Gallagher ("The Deep End"), Indie Spirit winner Bruce Greenwood (I'm Not There), Michael Hitchcock ("Glee") & 2X Saturn nom Greg Grunberg ("Heroes"). Written & Directed by: 2X Emmy winner J.J. Abrams ("Lost"). Plot: With a nod toward producer Spielberg's landmark sci-fi films of the 1970s and '80s, writer-director Abrams crafts a supernatural tale about six kids who witness something incredible while shooting a movie with their Super 8 camera. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi548707353/ Review: The kids are the stars, and the opening train accident scene is stellar. Other than that, this movie could've been about anything. This film never felt like a sci-fi film, until the very end when the alien is revealed. By that time, I didn't care anymore. With all that waiting, the ending needed to blow me out of the water. It didn't. I'm all for nostalgia, but this movie felt more like a derivative knock-off then a homage. I instantly forgot this movie the second I walked out of the theater. I'm way more interested in seeing the movie the kids were making. Don't waste your time. If you wanna a Spielberg style film, rent the real deal. Rating: Stamped out so why bother. Watch instead: Son of Rambow.
The Family Tree 2011 Indie Comedy Starring: 2X Emmy nom Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men"), Dermot Mulroney (J.Edgar), Gabrielle Anwar ("Burn Notice"), Britt Robertson (Scream 4), Rachael Leigh Cook ("Ghost Whisperer"), Madeline Zima ("Royal Pains"), Selma Blair ("Web Therapy"), Emmy winner Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Indie Spirit winner Hope Davis (Syecdoche, New York), John Patrick Amedori (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) & Evan Ross ("90210"). Directed by: Vivi Friedman. Written by: Mark Lisson. Plot: Tragic but comic tale of wife and mother Bunnie Burnett (Davis), a woman who loses her memory and conveniently forgets all her problems -- including her interracial affair with a neighbor (Chi McBride). Mulroney plays Bunnie's husband, Jack, with Blair co-starring as a lesbian high school teacher embroiled in an affair with one of her students. Review: The cast is great, and the story seems quirky but intelligent. It's on my queue. I will update after I watch it. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/492098 Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
The Green 2011 Social Issue Drama Starring: Cheyenne Jackson ("Glee"), Emmy winner Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin (TV)) & Emmy nom Illeana Douglas ("Six Feet Under"). Directed by: Emmy nom Steven Williford ("All My Children"). Written by: Paul Marcarelli. Plot: Michael (Jason Butler Harner), an idealistic drama teacher, moves to Connecticut with his partner, Daniel (Jackson), but their idyllic life is shattered when a troubled high school student accuses Michael of molestation and everyone, including Daniel, assumes that he's guilty. Trailer:http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/525820 Review: The bigoted assumption of many people that homosexuality equals pedophilia is the exact reason this film interests me. The fact of the matter is that the majority of pedophilia cases involve opposite sex victims. A pedophile cannot have sexual interest in someone their own age. That's precisely why the only "cure" is chemical castration. I've read too many stories about gay men, for example, being fired from children's organizations like The Boy Scouts for the notion that they can't be trusted with young boys. That's preposterous. OK I'm off my soapbox, at least until I've seen this film and have garnered many more opinions. I'm glad a film like this is being made. Let's see if it holds up to my ideals. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Prep & Landing 2009 4X Emmy winning animated short Voiced by: 4X Emmy nom Dave Foley ("Kids in the Hall"), Sarah Chalke ("Mad Love"), Mason Vale Cotton ("Desperate Housewives"), David DeLuise ("Gilmore Girls"), Peter Jacobson ("House M.D.") & Derek Richardson ("House M.D."). Written & Directed by: 2X Emmy winner Kevin Deters & 2X Emmy winner Stevie Wermers. Plot: Wayne (Foley) gets a new rookie partner, Lanny (Richardson), after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa's Prep and Landing elite unit. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/471384 Review: I love the premise of this, and I'm a sucker for Christmas specials. This one looks good. We'll see. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Carjacked 2011 Crime Thriller Starring: Indie Spirit nom Maria Bello (Downloading Nancy), Stephen Dorff (World Trade Center) & 2X Emmy nom Joanna Cassidy ("Six Feet Under"). Directed by: John Bonito. Written by: Michael & Sherry Compton. Plot: A single mother (Bello) and her son are forced to take a dangerous detour when a bank robber (Dorff) carjacks their vehicle and keeps them as unwilling hostages. But the deadly trip soon pushes each party to fight for their own survival. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/532487 Review: I love these everyman fight for survival movies. It's amazing what people are capable of when they are pushed to the breaking point. Looking forward to this, but Bello's been a little off her game lately in terms of performance level. We'll see. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Sarah's Key 2010 French Drama Starring: Oscar nom Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) & 2X Emmy nom Aidan Quinn (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (TV)). Directed by: Gilles Paquet-Brenner. Written by: the director & Serge Joncour based on the novel by: Tatiana De Rosnay. Plot: In the midst of researching an article about the roundup of Jews that took place in Paris in 1942, American-born journalist Julia Jarmond (Thomas) uncovers a sobering connection between her story and the home she shares with her boorish French husband (Frederic Pierrot). Inspired by actual events. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/497614 Review: This looks to be a very involved mystery. The film is actually partly in English & partly in French. This looks intriguing. We'll see. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Commit. 2007 Indie Comedy Written & Directed by: Mickey Blaine. Plot: After spending time chatting with each other on the Internet, cynical part-time teacher Trista (Nicole Blaine) and New York beat cop Perry (Forest Erickson) meet in person to finalize the plans they've hatched to commit suicide together. But when the pair hits it off over a long cup of coffee, they begin to wonder if they can truly carry out their grim scheme. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/395164 Review: The premise seems really dark, but the trailer shows otherwise. It seems quirky. That's right up my alley. I hope these two hit it off and decide there's something to live for. The ending will ultimately determine whether or not I like this film. Will update. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
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