• Director: Craig Leathers
• Release Date: February 11, 1996
• Run Time: 120 mins
• Genre: Action, Sport

No description

• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Writers: John Logan (screenplay), Brian Selznick (book)
• Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 126 min
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" concerns a 12-year-old orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in 1930 and a mystery involving the boy, his late father and a robot.

Review: From the very first minute, this film is breathtakingly beautiful and amazing. The art, cinematography, lighting, acting, story, direction, are all amazing. This film should be given multiple Academy Awards, especially for Best Director (Scorsese), Best Actor (Asa Butterfield), Best Actress (Chloe Moretz), Best Supporting Actors (Ben Kingsley & Sacha Baron Cohen) and Cinematography. The casting was superb, all actors were very believable, I loved everyone of them, kudos to Martin Scorsese for bringing out the best in the cast.

The only criticism I can put forth, is that it is a little slow for children, my 11 year old son got a little fidgety at times, but still loved the movie in the end.

"Hugo" is a masterpiece, a true work of art in film.

• Director: Ben Palmer
• Writers: Iain Morris, Damon Beesley
• Stars: James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 97 min
• Genre: Comedy

Four socially troubled 18-year-olds from the south of England go on holiday to Malia.

Review: If you are a fan of the inbetweeners series, this movie will not disappoint you, it’s ‘brilliant’. Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas are the four cheeky teenage actors in this film. Simon Bird who plays the character of ‘Will’ begins the film with narrating about his life so far and talks to his dad about going on holiday with his three best friends, Simon, Neil, and of course, Jay. The four boys end up going on holiday and let’s just say, have an adventurous time. Personally, i think this is one of the most hilarious films i have ever seen. I’ve watched every episode of the inbetweeners TV series, and couldn’t wait until the film was released. I laughed the whole way through this film, i was quite nervous about it not being as good as i was expecting, but it didn’t disappoint me. This is probably the best film i’ve seen, i went to see it twice at the cinema, it was that good. The whole audience were in stitches, from the beginning of the film, until the end. It was good to see other people enjoying it and laughing along. As the movie was the ‘end’ to the Inbetweeners, it really couldn’t of been any better. The same characters were used, and the storyline was well thought out. I’ll miss the comedy and the characters of this series; hopefully in years to come, they’ll be a second film. I give this movie a thumbs up. 10/10.

• Director: Lynne Ramsay
• Writers: Lynne Ramsay (screenplay), Rory Kinnear (screenplay)
• Stars: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller
• Release Date: January 2012
• Run Time: 112 min
• Genre: Drama, Thriller

The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief – and feelings of responsibility for her child’s actions.

Review: This was a fantastic film from start to finish. No shot is wasted in telling this extremely disturbing story of a dysfunctional relationship between mother and son that ends in the inevitable devastation that ensues. Although it is fairly clear from the beginning how the film will end i was glued to the screen from the very first scene.The acting is brilliant by all but especially Ezra Miller who plays teenage Kevin. Swinton is fantastic as always and Reilly plays the somewhat dim father which isn’t much of a stretch for him but it works perfectly for the film. I was amazed at how convincing the child actors who played Kevin during his various ages were. Kudos to the film makers for finding great child actors who all look very similar. The camera work and music were all nearly perfect and combined with great direction and a gripping story makes this one the best films i have seen in quite a while. Expect plenty of Oscar nominations for this one, and watch it a your earliest opportunity, but be warned it is at times very disturbing and not a movie you will soon forget.

• Director: James Bobin
• Writers: Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller
• Stars: Amy Adams, Jason Segel and Chris Cooper
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 103 min
• Genre: Comedy, Family

They’re closer than you think.

When 3 muppet fans learn that Tex Richman wants to drill under the muppet theater for oil Gary, Mary and Walter set out to find the muppets who have been split up for years Kermit lives in his own mansion depressed in hollywood, Gonzo is a high class plumber at Gonzo’s Royal Flush, Fozzie performs with a tribute band called The Moopets , Miss Piggy is the plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, and Animal is at a celebrity anger managment rehab center in Santa Barbara.

Review: This movie is by far the best I have seen all year. It has a lot of humor in it ( a lot that appeals to the older viewer as the Muppet have never been just for children). The new character both human and Muppets (Walter is amazing) have a lot of heart to them. THis will be the first movie in over ten years that I will happily see more than once in theaters. It is a very emotional movie that makes us feel for these characters made of felt. The music is very memorable too. Jason Seagal is very clearly a Muppet fan, and you can tell by watching this film that all involved wanted to capture and preserve the old Muppet magic from the time of Jim Henson. This is by far my favorite Muppet movie since the Great Muppet Caper. The Muppets are back and hopefully we will see more in the future.

• Director: Matthew Leutwyler
• Writers: Matthew Leutwyler (story), Matthew Leutwyler
• Stars: Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell and Julie Benz
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 124 min
• Genre: Drama, Mystery

redemption comes in pieces

Intertwining stories exploring the bad in the best of us and the good in the worst of us. Against the backdrop of a child abduction case we follow five days in the life of the single parent detective assigned to the case, her best friend whose determination to get pregnant keeps her from confronting her husband’s infidelity, a school teacher and his obsession with the missing child that pushes him to the edge of vigilantism, a beat cop grieving over the violent death of his wife, a recovering addict and her wheel chair bound brother preparing for the LA marathon, and a self-loathing African American TV writer’s search for love.

Review: Answers to Nothing is that rare combination of an ensemble cast grappling with life’s complexities without descending into heavy handed storytelling. It both lifts you up and crushes you down as you recognize the various shades of yourself in the characters. I have been weary of ensemble dramas like this since the manipulative’Crash’, but I felt the director and cast did a superb job and the emotion really builds to something tangible and rewarding. The singer Aja Volkman of ‘Nico Vega’provides an emotional charge right through the film and Mad Men actor Mark Kelly gives a great turn as a gamer/High School teacher out for justice. Great film – highly recommended.

• Director: Sam Levinson
• Writers: Sam Levinson
• Stars: Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller and Ellen Burstyn
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 119 min
• Genre: Drama

A family weekend is fraught with emotional landmines for mercurial and sensitive Lynn (Barkin) as she arrives at her parents’ Annapolis estate for the marriage of her estranged eldest son Dylan (Michael Nardelli), accompanied by her three younger children (Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Daniel Yelsky). Lynn’s hopes for a joyful reunion are crushed as her wry but troubled middle son Elliot (Ezra Miller) lobs verbal grenades at his mother and her relatives while daughter Alice (Kate Bosworth), a fights valiantly to keep her longtime demons under control. The weekend quickly unravels as Lynn demands to be heard by her aloof, disdainful mother (Ellen Burstyn), ailing, distant father (George Kennedy) and ever-judgmental sisters (Siobhan Fallon, Diana Scarwid), but most especially by her ex-husband Paul (Thomas Hayden Church) and his hot-tempered second wife Patty (Demi Moore). Confronted with the deeply painful, half-buried truths that have given rise to the family’s primal web ofresentments and recriminations, Lynn struggles to maintain her equilibrium as her best attempts at reconciliation veer quickly off-course.

• Director: Aaron Harvey
• Writers: Aaron Harvey
• Stars: Malin Akerman, Reila Aphrodite and Kevin Beard
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 93 min
• Genre: Action, Drama, Western

For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner. But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

• Director: George Clooney
• Writers: George Clooney (screenplay), Grant Heslov (screenplay)
• Stars: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Release Date: October 2011
• Run Time: 101 min
• Genre: Drama

An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

Review: Stephen Meyers(Ryan Gosling), is a young campaign manager for Mike Morris(George Clooney), a governor running for President of The United States. Stephen is really sure that Mike is gonna the next President. But when so many scandalous incidents that connect to the campaign, Mike is gonna discover in the world of politics, nothing is quite what it seems.

Such a great film, George Clooney does well as actor and director, I like the way he sets up such intense moments that make you want to grab on the edge of seat. Ryan Gosling was good, he is in pretty much everything, from Crazy,Stupid,Love, Drive, and this. Phillip Seymour Hoffmann was good, so was Paul Giamatti is also good, both of them can’t help but be awesome in there performances. Lets not forget Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

• Director: Roger Donaldson
• Writers: Todd Hickey (story), Robert Tannen (screenplay)
• Stars: Nicolas Cage, January Jones and Jennifer Carpenter
• Release Date: September 2011
• Run Time: 105 min
• Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

After his wife is assaulted, a husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score.

• Director: Oren Moverman
• Writers: James Ellroy, Oren Moverman
• Stars: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Sigourney Weaver
• Release Date: January 2012
• Run Time: 108 min
• Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

The most corrupt cop you’ve ever seen on screen.

Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival.

Review: A brilliant deconstruction of the corrupt cop genre that crawls deep inside its archetypal male antihero to expose the vulnerabilities that drive him – like an inverse French Connection. If you are amongst the legions of filmgoers who lament the decline of American cinema since the golden era of the 1970s, this is for you. Moverman’s filmmaking is at once unblinking and unobtrusive, giving the film a documentary like quality that grounds the genre elements in a heartbreaking emotional reality. In the tradition of William Friedkin, Sydney Lumet, Bob Rafelson, Hal Ashby and Robert Altman – a probing filmmaker builds a temple around an iconic actor, setting the stage for one of the greatest performances of his career. Dave Brown serves as a fascinating counterpoint to Popeye Doyle, Frank Bullitt and Alonzo Harris. Woody Harrelson may finally win his Oscar for this one.

• Director: Dennis Dugan
• Writers: Adam Sandler (screenplay), Steve Koren (screenplay)
• Stars: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 91 min
• Genre: Comedy

His twin sister is coming for the holidays… …and it ain’t pretty.

Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) is a successful advertising executive in Los Angeles with a beautiful wife (Katie Holmes) and kids, who dreads one event each year: the Thanksgiving visit of his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler). Jill’s neediness and passive-aggressiveness is maddening to Jack, turning his normally tranquil life upside down.

• Director: George Miller
• Writers: George Miller, Gary Eck
• Stars: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams and Pink
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 100 min
• Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family

Every step counts.

Mumble the penguin has a problem: his son Erik, who is reluctant to dance, encounters The Mighty Sven, a penguin who can fly! Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, causing him to brings together the penguin nations and their allies to set things right.

• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Writers: Dustin Lance Black
• Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 137 min
• Genre: Drama, Biography

The Most Powerful Man in the World

As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Review: The story evolves around the life of Edgar Hoover(Leonardo Dicaprio), who was the founder of the FBI. It shows his rise to power, and his American dream to make this world a better place. But this film also shows that he was a tormented man, the people he was close to the most where Helen Gandy(Naomi Watts) his secretary, and Clyde Tolson(Armie Hammer, The Social Network).

Leonardos performance was tour De force, he really did his homework on the man, I hope he will not be missed by the Oscars. Naomi Watts and Armie Hammer are also great in there supporting roles too. Clint Eastwoods direction is like watching a brilliant painter, when has his direction not been considered brilliant. All in all a well made film.

• Director: Craig Brewer
• Writers: Dean Pitchford (screenplay), Craig Brewer (screenplay)
• Stars: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough and Dennis Quaid
• Release Date: October 2011
• Run Time: 113 min
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music

There comes a time to cut loose

City kid Ren MacCormack moves to a small town where rock ‘n’ roll and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.

Review: The original "Footloose" is one of those "time capsule" movies that captures the MTV pop culture of 1984 in such a dynamic way. It was a huge box office success, with the help of its multi-platinum soundtrack (which knocked Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" off the top of the Billboard charts). It made Kevin Bacon a star, it spawned a Broadway musical… and now, 27 years later, a remake… which is best described as a passionate love letter to the original classic. It treats the 1984 version with much respect… and includes numerous homages that true fans will recognize and appreciate. All of the studios doing remakes of these classic movies should take a lesson from this one. Basically, if you want to feel good… see this movie!

• Director: Roman Polanski
• Writers: Yasmina Reza (screenplay), Roman Polanski (screenplay)
• Stars: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 79 min
• Genre: Comedy, Drama

Tells the story of two sets of parents who decide to have a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl.

Review: Carnage is Roman Polanski having tons of fun! You’ve probably read the plot summary, and then saw the cast and decided that it was worth seeing. It definitely is! It’s a very short film, and that’s a good thing because a setting and plot structure like this can’t be too long or else the wit dies down. Thankfully it never did, and Carnage had me laughing really hard, and very often. The entire cast is great, and hard to rank (Reily is definitely the weakest if I had to choose). The cinematography is also brilliant, as it is focused on the right subjects at the right time. I don’t expect this to be a big hit at the Academy Awards, but I do wish that Waltz, Winslet, and Foster get some attention, as well as the marvelous script. A minor little masterful film from Polanski. Also, great ending.

• Director: Michael Corrente
• Writers: Peter Facinelli (screenplay), Peter Facinelli (story)
• Stars: Peter Facinelli, Jaimie Alexander and Michael Madsen
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 88 min
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Love is not a crime.

A young pickpocket in the New York subways, living a fast, free, lifestyle is confronted by a woman whom he had a one night affair with, she informs him that she is now pregnant with his child, he must now choose between continuing the lifestyle he lead or take responsibility for his actions.

• Director: Jonathan Levine
• Writers: Will Reiser
• Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick
• Release Date: September 2011
• Run Time: 100 min
• Genre: Comedy, Drama

It takes a pair to beat the odds

Adam is a 27 year old writer of radio programs and is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend, his mother, and a young therapist at the cancer center, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.

Review: 50/50 has pretty much everything an amazing movie like this can offer. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and you’ll come out of the theater very satisfied. I cried for about a whole straight 20 minutes in total and laughed or glued my eyes to the screen the rest of the time. This movie will make you not only appreciate all the work went into it, but it will make you appreciate life itself. It is so brutally realistic. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen are a great duo and the supporting cast does a great job as well. This movie was made with respect for its viewers. It takes something so serious and so taboo to laugh at and makes it a comedy and a drama. It exceeds in both genres. If I am correct, this movie is somewhat based on the Screenwriter’s life who also went through something very similar and most of the events in the film are based on things he had to go through as he also got cancer in his 20s.

Go see 50/50! You will not regret it at all! I am considering it for one of my favorite movies, but I think that is just a bit too soon as I need to have multiple viewings to judge if a movie is one of my favorites. I can guarantee one thing. 50/50 is an instant classic!

• Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
• Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and 2 more credits.
• Stars: Kal Penn, John Cho and Neil Patrick Harris
• Release Date: 4 November 2011
• Run Time: 90 min
• Genre: Comedy

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

After years of growing apart, Harold Lee and Kumar Patel have replaced each other with new friends and are preparing for their respective Yuletide celebrations. But when a mysterious package mistakenly arrives at Kumar’s door on Christmas Eve, his attempt to redirect it to Harold’s house ends with the "high grade" contents — and Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree — going up in smoke. With his in-laws out of the house for the day, Harold decides to cover his tracks, rather than come clean. Reluctantly embarking on another ill-advised journey with Kumar through New York City, their search for the perfect replacement tree takes them through party heaven — and almost blows Christmas Eve sky high

• Director: Bill Condon
• Writers: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer (novel)
• Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 117 min
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Forever is only the beginning

The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

Review: It’s hard to describe this movie in just 1,000 words but I’ll try to keep it short. I’m a huge fan of the books, but I’ve been disappointed with the last two movies so my hopes weren’t that high for this one. I shouldn’t have worried. Breaking Dawn blew me away from the first scene. Stewart is finally acting, which is one of the biggest reasons why this movie is so much better than the others. She portrays Bella in a way that is so close to the book, and it’s wonderful to see her and Pattinson playing lovers that are so, so, so in love. The fact that Bill Condon (director) gave the happy couple so much time to be just that, happy, makes you really believe in their love and it makes you understand why they can’t live without each other. Such an important part (or THE most important thing I should say) but something that the previous directors have failed in showing. This movie takes you from a beautiful wedding, complete with the most hilarious toasts (Jessica and Charlie) wonderful music, stunning dresses and declarations of love that will touch everyone’s hearts, to South America for a sexy, funny and exciting honeymoon where we see heartfelt smiles, kissing, cuddling and teasing along with the epic headboard breaking scene. It then settles back in Forks, where we get to witness the most terrifying pregnancy imaginable. The special effects team deserve an Oscar for the work they’ve done on making Stewart look like she’s slowly fading away. The moments leading up to the birth scene are actually scarier than the scene itself. It really is a horror film towards the end, and some scenes should maybe have been rated R. It ends in the perfect place, such a natural and obvious cut. I am so thankful that Breaking Dawn has been split into two parts, because I can’t imagine even once scene in this part that could have been skipped. Condon is a genius.

• Director: Gavin O’Connor
• Writers: Gavin O’Connor (screenplay), Anthony Tambakis (screenplay)
• Stars: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton
• Release Date: September 2011
• Run Time: 140 min
• Genre: Action, Drama, Sport

Family is worth fighting for.

The youngest son (Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer (Nolte) returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament — a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother (Edgerton).

Review: As a teenager, I’m definitely inexperienced in the world of MMA. But this movie is not about MMA, and that is set very clear from the start. Right from the start of the 2 minute trailer. So naturally I was ecstatic to take my seat in the theater.

Tom Hardy (Tommy Conlon) delivers a moving and emotional performance of a man who has suffered greatly from the ones he loves, and from the field of battle, an all to real reality for people of today. While the younger Tommy suffered the loss of his mother firsthand, his older brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton)has put together a life that a man dreams of, yet is still haunted daily by his past. Only to have it threatened to be destroyed by the bank. Nick Nolte the alcoholic father of the two, has suffered years of remorse and regret from the abuse of alcohol and the neglect of his wife and children is trying to forge a bond but is meeting a stone wall with both of his sons.

The fighting, though it is very well acted and shot, is not about fighting. It is the physical representation of the struggle between the three men, the struggle to forget and forgive and to move on. The demons that possess all three of these men are of such great proportion, the only way they can be relinquished is for them to come together.

It hits home on such a high level on so many different subjects, that you will be floored into your seat as the credits roll in.

An ABSOLUTE MUST SEE