In its meandering way, Almost Friends touches on serious coming-of-age themes. Parental dysfunction, teen pregnancy and emotional trauma are some of the plot points in writer-director Jake Goldberger's third feature (after Don McKay and Life of a King), a comic drama that's sometimes appealingly gentle but more often frustratingly amorphous. There are instances of wit and sensitivity scattered through the screenplay, but they have no cumulative impact amid the lackluster direction and general dearth of urgency.

Though the actors create persuasive moments, there's plenty that's unconvincing in this story of Charlie (Freddie Highmore), a twentysomething who's stuck in neutral and gradually...

It was recently announced that Freddie Highmore ("Bates Motel"), Odeya Rush (Goosebumps) and Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) signed on to star in the upcoming "Holding Patterns" comedy/drama. And now, Christopher Meloni (Man of Steel, "Law and Order") and Marg Helgenberger ("CSI") have joined the cast. The film follows a young man (Highmore) still living at home with his mother and stepfather who sets his sight on a girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. The problem — she has a serious boyfriend. As the two become closer, the line between friendship and romance becomes blurred and they're forced to examine where their lives are going. The new movie is directed by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay, Life of a King) and produced by Alex A. Ginzburg (Hardcore) and Jim Young (The Words). It co-stars Jake Abel (The Host), Rita Volk ("Faking It") and Taylor John Smith (Wolves...

Freddie Highmore ("Bates Motel") and Odeya Rush (The Giver, Goosebumps) signed on for the upcoming "Holding Patterns" drama, which co-stars Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Rita Volk ("Faking It"), Taylor John Smith (Wolves) and Jake Abel (Percy Jackson). The story centers on Charlie (Highmore), who's in his mid-20s and still living at home with his mother and stepfather. Dealing with a lack of motivation, he has put all his eggs in one basket: Amber (Rush), the girl who works at his local coffee shop. The problem is, Amber has a serious boyfriend. As Amber and Charlie become closer, the line between friendship and intimacy is blurred, and the situation forces both of them to examine where they are in their lives. The new film is written and directed by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay, Life of a King) and produced by Alex A. Ginzburg (Hardcore), Tony Lee (Geezer) and Jim Young (The Words,...

Pioneering woman director Lois Weber socially conscious drama 'Shoes' among Library of Congress' Packard Theater movies (photo: Mary MacLaren in 'Shoes') In February 2015, National Film Registry titles will be showcased at the Library of Congress' Packard Campus Theater – aka the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation – in Culpeper, Virginia. These range from pioneering woman director Lois Weber's socially conscious 1916 drama Shoes to Robert Zemeckis' 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future. Another Packard Theater highlight next month is Sam Peckinpah's ultra-violent Western The Wild Bunch (1969), starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine. Also, Howard Hawks' "anti-High Noon" Western Rio Bravo (1959), toplining John Wayne and Dean Martin. And George Cukor's costly remake of A Star Is Born (1954), featuring Academy Award nominees Judy Garland and James Mason in the old Janet Gaynor and Fredric March roles. There's more: Jeff Bridges delivers a colorful performance in...

Sneak Peek Troma director Lloyd Kaufman's latest "...satirical sci-fi comedy..." titled "Return To Nuke 'Em High", available March 18, 2014 from Anchor Bay Films on Blu-ray and DVD:

"...ripped straight from today’s headlines including the contamination and degradation of the world’s food supply, rampant bullying and love triumphing over prejudice, welcome to 'Tromaville High School' where, unfortunately, the glee club has mutated into a vicious gang of 'Cretins'.

"'Chrissy' and 'Lauren', two innocent bloggers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants and monsters but also the evil 'Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate'. Will they save Tromaville High School and the world...?"

Cast includes Clay Von Carlowitz, Stefan Dezil, Gabriela Fuhr, Marc Quinnette, Mike Baez, Reiki Tsuno, Jim Sheppard, Debbie Rochon, William Dreyer, Ron Mackay, Brenda Rickert, Asta Paredes, Catherine Corcoran, Zac Amico, Vito Trigo, Babette Bombshell, Stan Lee, Adam P. Murphy and Tara E. Miller.

Click the images to enlarge and...

Director Uwe Boll and actor Dominic Purcell are reteaming for a third time in Suddenly. This remake of a 1954 film is currently filming in Squamish, British Columbia. And, an early trailer has been released for this thriller. The film involves an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. Posing as secret service agents, four assassins hole up in a nondescript house. However, the locals hear of their plan and a battle rages in a small town. Fans of thrillers can view the clip below. The reel shows actor Purcell as Barren, leading the plot against the president. Ray Liotta also stars as a local deputy. More details on Suddenly are below. Director: Uwe Boll. Producer: Kirk Shaw. Cast: Ray Liotta, Dominic Purcell, Erin Karpluk, and Don MacKay. The trailer for Suddenly is here: *the original 1954 film starred actor and crooner Frank Sinatra. Source: Suddenly at Boll World Sales  |  |  Advertise Here -.

Not a bad week for new releases on DVD and Blu-ray with Breck Eisner's The Crazies remake hitting stores today along with the '80s time travel comedy Hot Tub Time Machine and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Michael Haneke's Oscar-nominated film The White Ribbon is also finally out, plus Paul Schneider's directorial debut Pretty Bird, Sundance hit Bass Ackwards, and the Rush documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. On Blu-ray we've got Criterion releases of The Leopard and Everlasting Moments, William Lustig's campy horror flick Uncle Sam, and Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition. Will you be buying or renting anything this week? Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief [1] (+ Blu-ray [2]) The Crazies [3] (+ Blu-ray [4]) Hot Tub Time Machine [5] (+ Blu-ray [4]) The White Ribbon [7] (+ Blu-ray [8]) Creation [9] Pretty Bird [10] The Warlords [11] (+ Blu-ray [12]) Bass Ackwards [13] Stolen [14] (+ Blu-ray [15]) The Eclipse [16] (+ Blu-ray [17]) Suicide Girls Must Die! [18] Don McKay [19] (+ Blu-ray [20]) Everlasting Moments...

Take your shirt off and jump in my hot tub because we need to go back in time to see what DVDs are worth watching this week:

Grab ‘Em Right Away:

Nothing. Yup, this week is barren.

Check It Out:

Hot Tub Time Machine

Directed by: Steve Pink

Written by: Josh Heald & Sean Anders

Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson & Clarke Duke

Why you should rent this: Because the film is a reason for us to get a ridiculous one crazy night ’80s comedy again. I’m definitely not one of those people who love this movie from top to bottom but I think it has enough funny moments to make it worth a rental to watch with a bunch of friends, maybe even play a nice drinking game with it. Craig Robinson and Clarke Duke stand out from the main cast. Craig Robinson plays the hysterical guy who...

Tyler Perry's 'Why Did I Get Married Too?' comes in second; Miley Cyrus' 'Last Song' profits at #4.

By Josh Wigler

Sam Worthington in "Clash of the Titans"

Photo: Warner Bros.

The Box-Office Top Five

#1 "Clash of the Titans" ($61.4 million)

#2 "Why Did I Get Married Too?" ($30.2 million)

#3 "How to Train Your Dragon" ($29.2 million)

#4 "The Last Song" ($16.2 million)

#5 "Alice in Wonderland" ($8.3 million)

While "Clash of the Titans" didn't quite cleave off the head of Medusa and turn the remainder of the box-office competition into stone, director Louis Leterrier's swords-and-sandals epic nonetheless claimed first place in theaters this weekend with an impressive $61.4 million haul, plus an additional $3 million earned from Thursday's midnight showings and $44.2 million gleaned from foreign markets.

The action-adventure film managed its $108.2 million result despite poor critical reception, indicating that the star power of "Avatar" leading man Sam Worthington and the movie's retroactive 3-D...

When coming up with initial concept for Don McKay, I specifically wanted to write a movie that was a little bit odd. Something that was unlike the same old generic movies I was so used seeing all the time and something that I myself would find to be an interesting change of pace. I really wanted the script to shift gears in unusual and unique ways. (Although now that I have been through the seven year process of trying to get it off the ground, I can confidently say the easiest way Not to get a movie made is to strive to make it unusual and unique.) Here was the goal -- to write a film noir of sorts, but instead of playing it straight, to somehow approach it as a partial humorous send up. I...

The first official publicity still from Burke and Hare. Posters for Iron Man 2, Accidents Happen, The Losers, Mother and Child, Don McKay.

""Beauty and the Beast" and the recent "Alice in Wonderland" screenwriter Linda Woolverton will pen the script for "Maleficent", Tim Burton's live-action feature based on the villain in Disney's 1959 animated feature "Sleeping Beauty"..." ( full details)

"An 83-second teaser for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" will run before prints of "Kick-Ass" in the UK this Friday..." ( full details)

""Austin Powers" director Jay Roach says Mike Myers is working on ideas for a fourth film and he'd be up for directing it..." ( full details)

"Louis Leterrier says as part of his deal to remake "Clash of the Titans", he penned plans for two further installments which "opens the door to Greek mythology"..." ( full details)

"Will Ferrell says that it looked like a sequel to "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" was coming together,...

The first official publicity still from Burke and Hare. Posters for Iron Man 2, Accidents Happen, The Losers, Mother and Child, Don McKay.

""Beauty and the Beast" and the recent "Alice in Wonderland" screenwriter Linda Woolverton will pen the script for "Maleficent", Tim Burton's live-action feature based on the villain in Disney's 1959 animated feature "Sleeping Beauty"..." ( full details)

"An 83-second teaser for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" will run before prints of "Kick-Ass" in the UK this Friday..." ( full details)

""Austin Powers" director Jay Roach says Mike Myers is working on ideas for a fourth film and he'd be up for directing it..." ( full details)

"Louis Leterrier says as part of his deal to remake "Clash of the Titans", he penned plans for two further installments which "opens the door to Greek mythology"..." ( full details)

"Will Ferrell says that it looked like a sequel to "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" was coming together,...

One month, 280 films and 70,000 words later, my guide to the films of 2010 is now complete. I hope you've enjoyed reading it all - it's been utterly exhausting but an ultimately rewarding venture I've been single-handedly pulling together since early December. If you have liked it, my only request is that you help spread the word about it now that it's all done.

If you're a fellow blogger or site owner, please give it a plug on your site. If you're a reader, give it a mention on Facebook, Twitter or other online places you might venture. A lot of effort went into this, the greatest reward so far has been seeing it talked about and hearing your reactions. I'm glad many of you have gotten a lot of use out of the previous pages, so I hope you enjoy this final part:

Vincere

Opens: 2010

Cast: Filippo Timi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Corrado Invernizzi,...

St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold

Opens: 2010

Cast: Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, David Tennant, Gemma Arterton, Talulah Riley

Director: Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson

Summary: A rollercoaster-style treasure hunt for the legendary Fritton’s Gold ensues as the feisty and ever-resourceful schoolgirls of St Trinian’s face their most fearsome establishment rivals yet - the villainous Pomfrey and his sidekicks from the women-hating secret society known as AD1.

Analysis: While it didn't travel much beyond the UK, 2007's reboot of the "St Trinian's" franchise nearly doubled its £7 million production budget in sales in the UK alone - making it one of the top grossing independent British films of the past decade. Reviews were decidedly mixed but generally pretty weak at the time, so the greenlighting of a sequel surprised quite a few.

Despite a critical drubbing, the core audience of young British teenage girls seemed to be satisfied by...

Shanghai

Opens: 2010

Cast: John Cusack, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chow Yun-Fat

Director: Mikael Hafstrom

Summary: In the months leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, an American man arrives in Shanghai to find his friend recently murdered. In investigating his friend's death, he stumbles upon a secret the United States government has been keeping and falls in love in the process.

Analysis: After being granted permission to shoot in the Chinese city, the $10 million production found its permit quickly being revoked by the Government who expressed concerns about the script. The result is Bangkok and the United Kingdom standing in for the real Shanghai which seems kind of against the entire point.

Cusack himself has emphatically endorsed the project in interviews, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", but being stuck at the cash-strapped Weinstein Company means that its release plans are unsure beyond a vague promise of a limited bow around Easter.

A Prophet

Opens: February 12th 2010

Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb

Director: Jacques Audiard

Summary: Sent to prison, Malik El Djebena falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins their confidence but uses his intelligence to discreetly develop his own network.

Analysis: Finally scoring a limited release in the Us in February, Jacques Audiard's violent and hard-edged prison drama won the Grand Prix at Cannes, scored Best Film at the London Film Festival, and is already the hotly tipped favourite to take the Oscar for Best Foreign Film late next month.

Reviews have been stellar around the world for the film which quickly became the most universally admired entry in the often hotly contentious first week of Cannes back in May. From a breakout performance by Tahar Rahim,...

Mother and Child

Opens: 2010

Cast: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington

Director: Rodrigo Garcia

Summary: A tale of a mother and daughter, separated at birth, who struggle with the damage done by the most important person missing in their lives while a young African-Americn woman deals with an unwanted pregnancy and the adoption process.

Analysis: Scoring rave reviews in Toronto, the $7 million latest effort of Rodrigo Garcia ("Nine Lives," "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her") once again shows off his skill at weaving multiple narratives together in clever and unexpected ways. At its heart it's an emotional family drama, but Garcia excels with his female characters which makes the involvement of Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington and especially Annette Benning thrilling.

The few criticisms levelled at the film were toward some pacing and credibility issues in the last act, but otherwise praised it for not...

Mother and Child

Opens: 2010

Cast: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington

Director: Rodrigo Garcia

Summary: A tale of a mother and daughter, separated at birth, who struggle with the damage done by the most important person missing in their lives while a young African-Americn woman deals with an unwanted pregnancy and the adoption process.

Analysis: Scoring rave reviews in Toronto, the $7 million latest effort of Rodrigo Garcia ("Nine Lives," "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her") once again shows off his skill at weaving multiple narratives together in clever and unexpected ways. At its heart it's an emotional family drama, but Garcia excels with his female characters which makes the involvement of Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington and especially Annette Benning thrilling.

The few criticisms levelled at the film were toward some pacing and credibility issues in the last act, but otherwise praised it for not...

The Last Airbender

Opens: July 2nd 2010

Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Summary: A live-action film based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series. In a fantastic world where civilisation exists as four great empires, a reluctant young child sets out on a perilous journey to restore balance to a world torn apart by war.

Analysis: It has been quite the decade for M. Night Shyamalan, who started it as a household name with the label of a modern-day Hitchcock thanks to the likes of "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs". Today he's considered more of a one-trick pony and in some cases a punchline due to rampant stories of egomania run wild and a series of much derided onscreen flops like "Lady in the Water" and "The Happening".

Thus 'Airbender' marks a potential return to form for the helmer. An adaptation of the hit...

The Last Airbender

Opens: July 2nd 2010

Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Summary: A live-action film based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series. In a fantastic world where civilisation exists as four great empires, a reluctant young child sets out on a perilous journey to restore balance to a world torn apart by war.

Analysis: Its been quite the decade for M. Night Shyamalan who started it as a household name with labels of a moodern-day Hitchcock thanks to the likes of "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs". Today he's considered more of a one-trick pony and in some cases a punchline due to rampant stories of egomania run wild and a series of much derided onscreen flops like "Lady in the Water" and "The Happening".

Thus 'Airbender' marks a potential return to form for the helmer. An adaptation of the hit cartoon series...

Hippie Hippie Shake

Opens: 2010

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Sienna Miller, Max Minghella, Emma Booth, Lee Ingleby

Director: Beeban Kidron

Summary: Follows the love story of Oz editor Richard Neville and Louise Ferrier. Neville and his cohorts launch the London edition of Oz amidst the 1960s counterculture and are subsequently put on trial for distributing a sexually explicit issue.

Analysis: One of the most troubled productions in Working Title's history, 'Hippie' began development back in 1998 but failed to get beyond script stage both in 1999 and in 2002 when "Elizabeth" helmer Shekhar Kapur was attached to direct. Filming finally got underway late 2007 with director Beeban Kidron in charge and shooting seemed to proceed without issue aside from feminist author Germaine Greer being vehemently unhappy about being depicted on film.

Actually the film scored quite a bit of free press for a skinny dipping scene where full-frontal shots of actress Sienna Miller shooting the sequence...

Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2101.

13 Rated R For disturbing violence, language and brief drug use. Release Date: Tba 2010 The Descent 2 Rated R For strong bloody horror violence, grisly images, terror and language. Release Date: Tba 2010 Don McKay Rated R For language and some violence. Home Of The Giants Rated PG-13 For some thematic elements, violent situations and language including drug references. Just Wright Rated PG For some suggestive material and brief language. Release Date: Tba 2010 Letters To Juliet Rated PG For brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking. Release Date: May 7, 2010 Our Family Wedding Rated PG-13 For some sexual content and brief strong language. Release Date: March 12, 2010 The Penthouse Rated R For pervasive language, sexual content and some nudity. The Reeds Rated R For violence, language and some drug use. The Runaways Rated R For language, drug use and sexual content - all involving teens.

MPAA ratings: Dec. 22, 2009. The following feature-length motion pictures have been reviewed and rated by the Classification and Rating Administration pursuant to the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program. Each of the designated ratings is defined as follows under the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program.

G -- General Audiences. All ages admitted.

PG -- Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG -13 --Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

R -- Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Nc-17 -- No One 17 And Under Admitted.

Film Distributor Reason Rating 13

Number 13, LLC - [Production Co.]

Rated for disturbing violence, language and brief drug use.

R Descent 2, The

Lionsgate

Rated for strong bloody horror violence, grisly images, terror and language.

R Don McKay

Image Entertainment, Inc.

Rated for language and some violence.

R Home Of The Giants

Screen Media Ventures, LLC

Rated for some thematic elements,...

Georgia

Opens: 2010

Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech

Director: Renny Harlin

Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.

Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.

Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...

Georgia

Opens: 2010

Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech

Director: Renny Harlin

Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.

Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.

Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...

Dinner for Schmucks

Opens: July 23rd 2010

Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams

Director: Jay Roach

Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.

Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".

The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...

Dinner for Schmucks

Opens: July 23rd 2010

Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams

Director: Jay Roach

Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.

Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".

The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...

Case 39

Opens: January 1st 2010

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Kerry O'Malley

Director: Christian Alvart

Summary: A family services social worker thinks she has seen it all until she meets her newest, most mysterious case - a troubled 10-year old girl whose parents try to kill her. The social worker decides to take her in herself until the right foster family comes along.

Analysis: Despite the presence of promising German director Christian Alvart ("Pandorum"), 'Case' has sat on a shelf since late 2006 and is finally being quietly shuffled out this year for one very good reason - it stinks. Having opened in Australia a few months back, reviewers utterly savaged the film as both incredibly dumb and utterly ludicrous. Lead star Renee Zellweger also scored personal criticism to a level rarely seen in film reviews outside of comments about Nicole Kidman's 'more alien than the...

Case 39

Opens: January 1st 2010

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Kerry O'Malley

Director: Christian Alvart

Summary: A family services social worker thinks she has seen it all until she meets her newest, most mysterious case - a troubled 10-year old girl whose parents try to kill her. The social worker decides to take her in herself until the right foster family comes along.

Analysis: Despite the presence of promising German director Christian Alvart ("Pandorum"), 'Case' has sat on a shelf since late 2006 and is finally being quietly shuffled out this year for one very good reason - it stinks. Having opened in Australia a few months back, reviewers utterly savaged the film as both incredibly dumb and utterly ludicrous. Lead star Renee Zellweger also scored personal criticism to a level rarely seen in film reviews outside of comments about Nicole Kidman's 'more alien than the...

After such success with this last year, today comes the first in a multi-chapter look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2010.

Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.

Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.

13

Opens: 2010

Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent

Director: Géla Babluani

Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.

Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...

After such success with this last year, today comes the first in a multi-chapter look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2010.

Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.

Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.

13

Opens: 2010

Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent

Director: Géla Babluani

Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.

Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...

Rathfriland fire station in County Down, Northern Ireland has been badly damaged in an overnight blaze. Fire service area commander Don McKay told the BBC that the incident was a little embarrassing but did not mark the first time a station has been struck by fire. McKay said: "It just goes to show that fire can attack anybody. We have measures (more)...

And here's the rest, including the Midnight Section, all after the break.

Encounters

This collection of engaging and entertaining narrative features and documentaries, a mixture of dark comedies and lighter fare, offers work from returning filmmakers, established talent, and popular subjects, and includes 10 World Premieres. Included in Encounters are performances from Academy Award®-nominated actors Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue; directorial debuts from both Eric Bana and Cheryl Hines (from a screenplay by Adrienne Shelly); stories ranging from an ill-fated man's discovery of inspiration and happiness, dysfunctional families, and unrequited high school crushes to a doc on the emergence of New York’s independent film scene.

• Blank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier’s kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the Diy independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late ‘70s downtown New York.

He just starred in the recent talky film called Smart People. The film was not so well received by the audience in America. But his career is surely not tarnished with the film. But his blockbuster movie Spiderman 3 was a total mess of the whole comic genre.

But now Variety has just reported that he will star in a dark independent movie called Don McKay. It will star Elisabeth Shue, Melissa Leo, M.Emmet Walsh and Keith David. The film will be helmed by writer director Jake Goldberger and shielded by a Screen...

(more...)...

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Casting, Cinematical Indie

Once you get a taste of Smart People, deal with Eddie Murphy's Nowhereland, take on a stalkerific Sandra Bullock, and then steal Kate Hudson's work, it's time to get into some dark drama.

Variety reports that Thomas Haden Church has signed on to star in a new indie film called Don McKay, with the likes of Elisabeth Shue, Melissa Leo, M. Emmet Walsh, and Keith David. Coming from writer/director Jake Goldberger and shielded by a Screen Actors Guild waiver, the $5 million project just started production in Boston. The film focuses on a man who leaves his hometown after a tragedy forces him to do so. Twenty-five years later, he comes back when he hears that "his long-lost love is dying." Not surprisingly, his return spins "a web of confusion, deceit, and murder." Old secrets never die in the movie world.

Thomas Haden Church is currently filming Jake Goldberger's upcoming indie drama "Don McKay" for Animus Films, according to Variety. Elisabeth Sue, Melissa Leo, Keith David and M. Emmet Walsh are also on board.

Written by Goldberger, the film centers on a man who left his hometown after suffering from a tragedy. When he returns home 25 years later, he finds his long-lost love on the verge of death and is consequently thrust into a bunch of troubles.

"McKay" is produced on a modest budget and is currently shooting in the Boston area.

Church's acting credits include "Sideways" and "Spider-Man 3." He most recently starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page in "Smart People." Future projects of his include "Big Eyes," a drama in which he co-stars with Kate Hudson.

Goldberger recently penned the teen horror flick "Homecoming," which stars Mischa Barton and Jessica Stroup.