New In Theaters - March 1, 2013

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor Eleanor Tomlinson,

Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane & Bill Nighy

Directed by Bryan Singer for distribution by Warner Brothers/New Line

The Plot: A young farmhand (named Jack) accidentally opens a portal to a land of giants that are chomping at the bit to try and reclaim the land they felt was taken from them years ago.

The Final Word: Originally conceived as a big budget summer tentpole, ‘Jack’ somehow ended up being released in the dead of winter. While not expected to be a huge blockbuster, the film could still earn a solid return and not that’s even including foreign markets that have traditionally carried a number of prior under-performing domestic releases.

THE LAST EXORCISM PART 2

Starring: Ashley Bell

Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly for distribution by CBS Films

The Plot: Picking up after the events of the original 2010 release, a young girl returns home not remembering any of the deadly incidents from her past and only to be attacked again by the same demonic force.

The Final Word: Lionsgate had a surprise a few years back with the original and now CBS Films is looking for the same success with the sequel. Horror film tends to do very well year round nowadays, but interestingly many estimates have this one barely reaching $10 million, which could be a sign audiences thought the story had run its course the first time.

21 AND OVER

Starring: Miles Teller, Justin Chon, Skylar Astin, Sarah Wright,

François Chau, Jonathan Keltz, Daniel Booko & Dustin Ybarra

Directed by Jon Lucas, Scott Moore for distribution by Relativity Media

The Plot: On the night before a medical school interview a straight laced student cuts loose with his two best friends to celebrate his 21^st birthday leading to a series of over the top hijinks.

The Final Word: We’ve seen this movie before only with a few different names…none of which that memorable or profitable 

New In Theaters - February 15, 2013

A GOOD DAY TO DAY HARD

Starring: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Yulia Snigir,

Cole Hauser, Amaury Nolasco, Megalyn Echikunwoke & Anne Vyalitsyna

Directed by John Moore for distribution by 20^th Century Fox

The Plot: John McClane heads to Russia to come to the aid of his son who gets mixed up in a assassination attempt.

The Final Word: McClane is easily one of film’s most recognizable action heroes and the “Die Hard” franchise has been one of 20th Century Fox’s most reliable performers since its debut in 1988. Critics aside, this is a pure and simple popcorn flick designed to make money and let audiences have a 90 minute escape from reality.

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons,

Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann & Emma Thompson

Directed by Richard LaGravenese for distribution by Warner Brothers

The Plot: Two star crossed lovers see their romance play out against the backdrop of their mysterious and feuding families.

The Final Word: On paper this seems like a safe Valentine’s Day film, but against “Safe Haven” and even “A Good Day To Die Hard,” this looks to get over shadowed during a crowded weekend.

SAFE HAVEN

Starring: Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons & Cobie Smulders

Directed by Lasse Hallström for distribution by Relativity Media

The Plot: A woman on the run from her past lands in a small North Carolina town and falls in love with a widowed father, but soon finds her past coming back to haunt her.

The Final Word: Nicolas Sparks novel + Valentine’s Day = $20 million opening. Simple math.

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH

Starring (voices): Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson, George Lopez, Sofia Vergara,

Steve Zahn, Chris Parnell, Jonath Morgan Heit, James Corden, Brendan Fraser,

Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker & William Shatner

Directed by Cal Brunker for distribution by The Weinstein Company

The Plot: A peaceful alien globetrotter must depend on his black sheep brother to save him when he is captured while exploring planet Earth.

The Final Word: With a long weekend coming up parents will be looking for a family friendly film for the little ones…still not sure this will do the job as with the rising costs of tickets, parents may just pop in a DVD instead.

New In Theaters - January 18, 2013

BROKEN CITY

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe,

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Barry Pepper, & Kyle Chandler

Directed by Allen Hughes for distribution by 20^th Century Fox

The Plot: A down and out cop turn private investigator is double-crossed by his latest client who also happens to be the mayor of New York.

The Final Word: While the film’s trailers (and name) have been everywhere, it’s unfortunate that the plot for the most part gets buried in the footage. On paper the on-screen pairing of Wahlberg and Crowe seems like a good idea, but somehow everything has gotten lost in translation.

THE LAST STAND

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville,

Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán,

Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford,

Genesis Rodriguez, Daniel Henney & John Patrick Amedori

Directed by Kim Jee-Woon for distribution by Lionsgate

The Plot: A one-time FBI agent turned sheriff of a sleepy little border town near Mexico finds himself on the front lines when a dangerous criminal escapes custody and ends up on a collision course with his jurisdiction.

The Final Word: Love him or hate him, Schwarzenegger remains one of the most well-known action movies stars of all time. Now 65, the actor has proven he’s not ready to call it a career and based on the success of action franchise “The Expendables,” it is clear audiences aren’t ready for him (or his big name friends) to walk off into the sunset just yet either.

MAMA

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,

Megan Charpentier & Isabelle Nellsse

Directed by Andres Muschietti for distribution by Universal

The Plot: Two girls who vanish into the woods after their father brutally kills their mother. 5 years later the girls are found in an abandoned cabin and returned to their uncle and his girlfriend who soon realize something else has returned with them

The Final Word: del Toro is one of today’s most talented sci-fi/horror producers and each of his films attract a loyal following. He also usually gets a warm reception from critics which was again the case today as many seemed very pleased with the film.

New In Theaters - January 4, 2013

TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D

Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Tremaine 'Trey Songz' Neverson,

Scott Eastwood, Tania Raymonde, Thom Barry,

Paul Rae, Bill Moseley & Gunnar Hansen

Directed by John Luessenhop for distribution by Lionsgate

The Plot: Picking up decades after the 1974 original left off, the horror franchise continues when a girl brings her friends down to visit the house she just inherited, but the property contains a deadly secret.

The Final Word: Hollywood loves a good horror movie and they tend to embrace it even faster if it’s using a familiar face…so to speak. Puns aside the return of Leatherface and his infamous chainsaw couldn’t be entering the fray at a better time. Since 2008, studios have traditionally kicked off the year with at least one horror release and usually audiences get fully behind it; regardless of quality.

Former winners among the favorites in this year’s supporting actor Oscar field

Of all the main Oscar categories, the Best Supporting Actor race is by far the most open with it truly being anybody’s game. While last year screen legend Christopher Plummer ran away with the category (much as Daniel Day-Lewis is expected to in the lead race), any number of possibilities is likely here as a number of former winners look to add another trophy to their mantle.

For the full story click here.

Leading ladies dominate this year’s supporting actress Oscar race

While the majority of this year’s Oscar races seem to be wide open, the supporting actress race is actually a little more compact with essentially it being a two horse race. Will voters go for the rising star or decide to support the established veteran? Or will a dark horse enter the field? Next week will set the stage.

For the full story click here.

Writers Guild nominations shake up field; ‘Looper’ and ‘Wallflower’ surprise

As we head closer to the 2013 Academy Awards, the industry’s top guilds are beginning to make their voices heard with their annual year end nominations. Following the Producers Guild of America (PGA)revealing their picks earlier in the week, today the Writers Guild of America (WGA) pulled back the curtain on their selections with a number of top contenders missing in action.

For the full story click here.