Hugo
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law
Release Date: November 23, 2011
 

Martin Scorsese encounters no intense turmoil as he thwarts his inner urge to make another violent picture and involves himself with a luminously adventurous 3D film that has a little orphan boy at its center, as well as an immense homage to cinema. In one of the most inventive films of the year, Scorsese’s Hugo is an indelible delight that is meant to enchant audiences of every age. The way he uses this immersive 3D technology is enchantingly beautiful, bringing a distant world and all of its once unexplored recesses into our immediate presence [...]

J. Edgar
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench
Release Date: November 11, 2011

Submerged in sloppy sentiment, J. Edgar, Clint Eastwood‘s latest directorial effort, is unrelieved of its melodramatic characteristics, growing sappier as the film approaches its conclusion. Instead of getting an aggressively bold portrait of J. Edgar Hoover, a man undoubtedly built into the firmament of American history, we get a dreary and almost entirely lifeless (save for Leonardo DiCaprio‘s vigorous performance as Hoover) film that teeters on a precipitous cliff until it finally crumbles and dissolves into a pool of cheap melodrama.

Mr. Eastwood usually navigates keenly the narrow road that divides drama from melodrama. We have been accustomed, to the point of being spoiled, to witness him effortlessly depict his craft in top form in Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, two films that could have easily mingled with cheap sappiness but instead were rescued by assured direction and consistently intelligent scripts [...]

The Muppets
Directed by James Bodin
Starring Jason Segel, Chris Cooper, Amy Adams, John Henson
Release Date: November 23, 2011

So, let me start this review by saying I wasn’t the hugest fan of The Muppets characters when I was growing up and I’ve never cared for musicals. Even today I have a healthy respect for the fandom and appreciate the iconic nature of Jim Henson’s creations, but am still not what I’d call a fan of the franchise. So with these caveats in mind I may actually be the perfect person to review this film, simply titled The Muppets, or the absolute wrong person.

I sort of stand in parallel to Jason Segel, the star of the film and co-writer. He’s the person really responsible for making the film happen [...]

Melancholia
Directed by Lars von Trier
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgard and Charlotte Rampling
Release Date: November 11, 2011

To watch Terrance Malick’s distinct, creative rendering of the beginning of the universe in The Tree of Life and then experiencing Lars von Trier‘s incendiary vision of the universe plummeting to eventual debris is to witness two artists displaying unseen audacity as they tackle subjects (beginning and end of times) that once seemed un-filmable. The caustic, operatic, haunting and celestial opening shots to von Trier’s Melancholia, which are set to the Tristan and Isolde Prelude in slow motion, depict a world, from an intimate perspective, gradually proceeding to its imminent demise. These horror-laden images, which are intimations of what will transpire later in the film, are surpassingly beautiful and an overwhelming indicator of the astonishing horror and gloom that will pervade the entire film [...]

London Boulevard
DIRECTED BY: William Monahan
WRITTEN BY: William Monahan
STARRING: Colin Farrell, Keira Knightley, Ray Winstone, Anna Friel, David Thewlis, Ben Chaplin, Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan
IFC Films
RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2011 (on demand); November 11, 2011 (limited theatrical release)

Writer William Monahan has made quite a name for himself as a screenwriter, crafting the scripts for films such as Kingdom of Heaven, Body of Lies, Edge of Darkness, and The Departed, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Now Monahan is stepping behind the camera for his directorial debut, London Boulevard (which he also wrote), but can he find the same kind of success as the man in charge?

The movie follows Mitchel (Colin Farrell), a very dangerous man who’s just getting out of prison. [...]

The Swell Season
DIRECTORS: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis
STARRING: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
Seventh Art Releasing
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2011 (limited)

Everyone has those movies they have a certain kind of special attachment to—movies that moved them, that struck an emotional chord, and left a lasting imprint.

For me, one of those movies was 2006′s Once, which tells the story of musician known only as “Guy” who works at his dad’s vacuum repair shop and makes a little extra coin by singing his songs on the streets of Ireland, and the young Czech girl he meets one day (fittingly dubbed “Girl”) who sells flowers and is also a musician. The two form a strong bond through their music and common troubles they have with former lovers, but, as they go on to collaborate on some incredible music together, each is unsure what it is they want in life and for their futures. [...]

Paranormal Activity 3
Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Written by Christopher B. Landon, Oren Peli
Starring Lauren Bittner, Chloe Csengery, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Jessica Tyler Brown, Dustin Ingram, Katie Featherston, Sprague Grayden
Release Date: October 21, 2011

It was not surprising that Paranormal Activity was turned into a franchise after the original, which was made on a budget of $15,000, made over $100 million at the box office. What is surprising is that Paranormal Activity 3, despite rehashing the same formula as the first two films, still manages to scare people half to death.

The evil is back. The incorporeal evil has been caught on tape again, and this time it has a name… Toby. That’s right, the malevolent entity haunting the family in the Paranormal Activity series is named Toby. At least, that is, according to Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown), who gives the name to what her sister Katie (Chloe Csengery) thinks is her imaginary friend. Katie and Kristie both learn the hard way that Toby is not imaginary in the first two films, but Paranormal Activity 3 is set in 1988, when the girls are still children living with their mother Julie (Lauren Bittner) and stepdad Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith) [...]

Dream House
Directed by Jim Sheridan
Written by David Loucka
Starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Marton Csokas, Claire Geare, Taylor Geare, Elias Koteas
Release Date: September 30, 2011

Jim Sheridan‘s Dream House is a distorting and turning journey of mind-bending proportions, taking elements of popular horror fiction and re-energizing them as 21st century psychological thriller fares. Featuring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, it takes some unexpected detours, complete with some commendable performances.

(A side note: Before I do continue though, let me preface the rest of this review with the fact that I did not see any trailers for Dream House before seeing the film. I’ve been told that Morgan Creek films blew it by including some significant plot revelations in the trailer, so I went into the film fresh – so if you’re interested in seeing this movie, avoid all the trailers!) [...]

May 2010- The Nightmare on Elm Street remake is atrocious. If you’ve had the displeasure of seeing it, not much more needs to be added.
June 2010- The Karate Kid remake makes ton of cash, but everybody over the age of 10 feels unclean after watching it as it’s 30 minutes too long and Jaden Smith is annoying.

October 2011- The Footloose remake gets it right.

Now we wait as Hollywood tries to remake\reboot\re_____ every single film from 1984. Let the laxative work its way into the system as we get sprayed out updated versions of Ghostbusters, Amadeus, Cocoon, and Breakin’. I know, if Breakin’ does well then we get to see the words Electric Boogaloo onscreen again [...]

Judging by the literal handful of people at the screening I attended, The Ides of March will disappear from theaters faster than Ryan Gosling’s last movie Drive. No doubt to make room for The Thing remake/prequel/whatever (I put gun to my head) or the WTeffingF Footloose remake (I pull trigger) due to infect theaters next week.

Too bad. Because The Ides of March asks the eternal question “To what benefit man inherit the Earth if he were to lose his…” yada, yada. Like you care.

See it because it has Ryan Gosling (again) and Paul Giamatti, along with Academy Award winners George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Marisa Tomei all at the top of their game. In that way it’s a lot like last month’s Contagion sporting its Oscar-studded cast, except this time the disease is… power. That was deep [...]

Real Steel
Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goya
Release Date: October 7, 2011

Let’s clear the air right now, readers. Real Steel is on the surface an homage to the popular kids’ game Rock’em Sock’em Robots. It is hard to dispute that fact and I don’t think that the creators can even deny that there are similarities. What you don’t notice is that under the metal exterior lies a rather human story.

Real Steel‘s focuses on Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), an ex-boxer down on his luck. Once, he went toe to toe with the champ, but as the world changed, so did boxing. Now, only robots compete in the squared circle, but even Charlie’s robot can’t cut a break. Things go from bad to worse when his ex-girlfriend passes away leaving him to care for his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo). Charlie wants nothing to do with the kid and only takes him in exchange for some cash, but eventually he warms to the kid and fights to keep him [...]

Warrior
Directed by Gavin O’Conner
Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Campana, Kevin Dunn and Kurt Angle
Release Date: September 9, 2011

Warrior is a convincing look at a father and his two sons drowning in innumerable personal grief and universal issues, which result in each of them finding out who they truly are and were. Here is a film about the exploration of our true selves disguised as a mixed martial arts (MMA) movie. It is a visceral and blunt exploration into the anatomy of the alpha male. The subjects are the Conlons, from a working-class Pennsylvania town, who attempt to attain through any means necessary an anchor in which they can cling to when the emergence of reality becomes so widespread and ruthless. The Conlons, Paddy (Nick Nolte) along with his two estranged sons Brendan and Tommy (Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy), decided to dismiss reality and walk away from it, never imagining it would come back and eventually start a war between father and sons and brother against brother [...]

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne
Directed by Mike Fleiss, Mike Piscitelli
Schweet Entertainment
Released date: September 16, 2011 (UK) Limited

My local multiplex is usually full of spiky-haired teenagers queuing up for the latest horror or comedy (not that there’s anything wrong with that) often hand in clammy hand with their first date. Tonight, however, is different: there are bikers in the car park and men with long hair, leather jackets, and Iron Maiden trainers in the ticket queue. Tonight, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is in town.

After the success of MTV show The Osbournes and his brilliant autobiography I Am Ozzy, a documentary about the Prince of Darkness was always going to happen. Being a big fan of Ozzy Osbourne I thought I knew exactly what sort of film I was in for. I was wrong [...]

Drive
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Pearlman, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac and Kaden Leos
Release Date: September 16, 2011

Immediately are we distanced from the majority of groggy thrillers as director Nicolas Winding Refn, working in astonishing form (he won best director award at this year’s Cannes Festival), achieves insistent thrills from the beginning of his new film Drive. Unfurling from the opening credits onward is an excellence and master-class in control and discipline that cannot be disputed. It is a simple chase scene, a getaway driver discreetly navigating a silver Chevy Impala away from the authorities, set during a gorgeously neon-lit night in the heart of Los Angeles. Refn establishes an atmosphere so distinctive that it calls to mind Mulholland Dr., a great atmospheric film with the same vindictiveness Drive has of Hollywood. Drive’s atmosphere is one that glorifies and harbors masculinity, violence, and existential crises [...]

Contagion
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Elliott Gould, Jennifer Ehle, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Chin Han, Griffin Kane, Sanjay Gupta
Release Date: September 9, 2011

Contagion is a movie that showed much promise with its previews and its advertised premise, but in reality it turns into 100 minutes of wasted production opportunities used instead to push stereotypical propaganda at the viewer. With its notable ensemble cast, and a plot device that is not new but has been proven to be popular over the years, the Steven Soderbergh film had huge potential that will do nothing but disappoint the thriller/horror fans expecting an epidemic epic.

I have been quite a big fan of medical thrillers over the years, particularly those that focus on diseases and outbreaks. From stories of crazy Ebola-like viruses to weaponized disease, I’ve been fascinated with the concept both in its reality, and in its use as a plot device in thrillers. I have no rationalization for this attraction: perhaps it was the wonderful conclusion H.G. Wells brought us to in War of the Worlds, or perhaps it is the disease-based plot devices of some of my favorite zombie flicks. Either way, when word came out Soderbergh was taking up the subject; I was thrilled at the prospect. [...]

The Inbetweeners Movie
Starring Simon Bird, Blake Harrison, James Buckley, Joe Thomas, Greg Davies, Emily Head
Directed by Ben Palmer
Released date August 17 2011 (UK)
November 25, 2011 (U.S.)

We all know that moment when our school life is officially over. No more teachers, no more school room politics. Real life, it is usually officially decided, is about to start and things will only get better. Many go on a lads/girls only holiday where he/she will drink/puke and definitely – finally – get laid/syphilis.

This is where we find our four heroes of The Inbetweeners Movie. Simon (Joe Thomas) has been dumped by his girlfriend Carli (Emily Head) and is in desperate need of a change of scenery. So free from the constraints of their respective creepy, obnoxious, sexy, perverted parents and scary, potentially violent teacher (Greg Davies), Simon along with Will (Simon Bird), Jay (James Buckley), and Neil (Blake Harrison) go on a ‘lads only’ holiday to the beautiful party resort of Malia.

Their hotel is a dump – the kind of place where the landlord pulls a dead dog out of the well. There are stains on the mattresses and new lifeforms growing in the fridge. Undeterred, the lads head out on the town looking for, ahem, “pussay.” [...]

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Directed by Troy Nixey
Starring Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce
Release date: August 26, 2011

When it comes to remakes, horror movies seem like the most popular option. It’s far rarer, however, that the film was a made-for-TV special, but such is the case for the new Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.

The film opens in the late 19th century at Blackwood Manor, a large mansion set in a remote woodsy area. A housekeeper is called into the basement by Mr. Blackwood only to be trapped and have her teeth bashed out with a chisel. An apologetic Blackwood, who is missing teeth himself, collects her shattered teeth and places them in a bloody dish. He places the dish inside a nearby fireplace, all the while begging to have his son back. Whispers respond, and Blackwood is painfully pulled into the fireplace.

Jumping forward to the modern day, architect Alex Hirst (Guy Pearce) and his interior decorator girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) are in the middle of an extensive renovation of Blackwood Manor. Things become complicated when Alex’s daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) arrives, having been sent by her mother to live with Alex. Sally quickly discovers the now barricaded basement and fireplace, and soon the whispers start again. Revealing more of the plot might ruin the scares for some people, but needless to say something scary calls Blackwood Manor home [...]

Griff the Invisible
DIRECTOR: Leon Ford
STARRING: Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody, Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell, Toby Schmitz, Patrick Brammall, Anthony Phelan
Indomina Releasing
RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2011 (limited)

Most of us recognize Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse from the hit guilty pleasure–fest that is HBO’s True Blood. Some fans may know his voice from Zack Snyder’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole or smaller, more obscure fare like the forgettable Flicka and Dead Silence, or even more obscure TV titles like Summerland, or Home and Away and Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord in his native Australia. But again, most of us point to Mr. Stackhouse.

But Kwanten has also dabbled in the realms of indie films over the past couple of years, and his work there is not to be ignored. After seeing the 2010 western thriller, Red Hill, I was more than excited to take a peek at his other 2010 effort, Griff the Invisible, which is just now seeing a limited theatrical run. [...]

Conan The Barbarian
Directed by Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jason Momoa, Leo Howard, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Ron Perlman
Release Date: August 19, 2011

Director Marcus Nispel has most undoubtedly taken on quite the challenge in the new Conan The Barbarian film. Consider to begin with, the original Robert E. Howard stories, followed by the additional work by subsequent authors over the years. Moreover, there’s the legend of Conan depicted in comics, perhaps most memorably in The Savage Sword Of Conan. But the biggest challenge facing Nispel is probably the unforgettable film version portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by John Milius. The 1980′s Conan pervaded mainstream pop culture and left quite an impact, and the original film is still considered by some fans with reverence.

Having said all that, Nispel along with the writers of the latest Conan The Barbarian have released a film that will most likely please the fans of the Conan books and comics, but may disappoint those whose only experience with the Cimmerian warrior has been through Schwarzenegger’s depiction. The new movie, for all intents and purposes, is an origin tale and begins with narration from (believe it or not) Morgan Freeman. Conan is born on the battlefield, in a gruesome birth sequence that would easily be the fastest Caesarian procedure by sword captured on film. He is raised under the watchful eye of his father, Corin (Ron Perlman), learning the ways of the warrior and the tradition of the Cimmerian Barbarians [...]

Fright Night
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Release Date: August 19, 2011

Horror fans are well aware of the gloom associated with many remakes of well-known films, but despite this, I was pleasantly surprised with Craig Gillespie‘s take on Fright Night. The new film certainly pays tribute to the original film, but definitely brings it into the contemporary age, with a faster pace and some solid performances from the lead cast members.

Fright Night follows a great deal of the same plot elements as its original namesake. Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) begins to have a sneaking suspicion that his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Brewster seeks the assistance of famous “vampire hunter” Peter Vincent (David Tennant) in the fight against Dandrige, to protect his mother, Jane Brewster (Toni Collette), and his girlfriend, Amy Peterson (Imogen Poots).

The principal strength of the remake is in the substantial performances from both David Tennant and Colin Farrell, and even Anton Yelchin puts in a very convincing role that truly makes you want to cheer on his character as the film heads to its climax. However, having said that, it is Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin!) who truly steals the show in his rendition of the character of “Evil” Ed Lee. In the original film, Ed was a lovable highlight who was depicted as a hilarious weirdo. Yet in the new movie, Mintz-Plasse brings the character into the 21st century, providing that “weirdo” element but adapted to his demeanor [...]