Women's Tales II

 

Le donne della Vucciria (Hiam Abbass) revolves around a party in the middle of a town square in Palermo, Sicily in Italy where Lubna Azabal sings and dances to music with many in the town including an old couple who create puppets watch. It is a short that is just full of beauty and liveliness where Abbass keeps things straightforward in the direction. Even as she focuses on the party itself with women wearing these colorful dresses with socks that also have a sense of style.



Spark & Light (So Yong Kim) is about a young woman played by Riley Keough whose car breaks down somewhere in Iceland as she worries about her mother’s health. The 11-minute short that is shot on location in Iceland has Keough’s character trying to get a signal or some sign that leads her to a home where some strange surreal moments that also involves clothes come into play. Even as it play into her worries and such as it is a gorgeous short that features a strong performance from Keough.



Somebody (Miranda July) revolves around a group of people communicating with each other through an app that July has created as a way to connect with one another. It is a short that is offbeat in the style that July is known for as she appears in the film as a woman at a restaurant reading a menu instead of playing herself. Yet, it is a short that has a lot of heart but also things that are off the wall while using the clothes to help play into this sense of quirkiness.



De Djess (Alice Rohrwacher) revolves around a fashion show hosted by nuns who found dresses on a beach wrapped in plastic as one of the dresses comes to life wanting to be worn by a young maid only for a divaesque model wanting to wear it. It is definitely one of the best shorts of the series in its approach to surrealism and humor where the models who wear these dresses are prey to the paparazzi while the main model played by Alba Rohwacher while Yanet Mojica plays the young maid who is in love with this dress as the dress chooses her. It is definitely a tremendous short worth watching as it showcases the brilliance of Alice Rohrwacher.



Les 3 boutons (Agnes Varda) has a young woman who receives a package where it is revealed to be a big pink gown that is filled with wonders as she would walk around Paris trying to discover the world outside of her small farm life. Starring Jasmine Thiere as this young farm girl who talks to the camera about her life and her own desires. The film has her walking around Paris in a simple dress where she would lose three buttons yet there is this lore about losing three buttons which means that the young woman would get three wishes as there is a sense of beauty and wonderment that Varda would display as it is a tremendous gem from one of the great filmmakers that ever lived.



Related: Part I - Part III – Part II - Part IV – Part V

© thevoid99 2023

Fire of Love

 

Directed by Sara Dosa and written by Dosa, Shane Boris, Eric Casper, and Jocelyne Chaput, Fire of Love is the story about the life and career of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft who spend their lives studying the world of active volcanoes. The film chronicles how they met and their life studying volcanoes that lead to their untimely death during the eruption of Mount Unzen in 1991 as it is narrated by actress/filmmaker Miranda July. The result is a rapturous and evocative film from Sara Dosa.

The film follows the lives and work of Katia and Maurice Krafft as they were renowned volcanologists who would travel around the world to explore the world of volcanoes and what makes them active as well as the dangers of their destruction. Since their meeting in 1966 at the University of Strasbourg, the two had a fascination for volcanos with Katia being a chemistry/physics student and Maurice studying geology. Yet, it is their encounters with volcanoes as children that bonded them as they would marry in 1970 and had their honeymoon at Stromboli, Italy which Maurice had been to when he was 7 as they studied the volcano that was still active. This would lead to them traveling all over the world to go to various active volcanoes whenever they would erupt or start to erupt as they would do everything to study. Even by taking photographs and filming them with the former used for books and the latter for documentary films as a way to make money.

The film would largely use archival footage from the Krafft family estate even though Katia and Maurice never had children but also footage from French television and other bits with text written by the Kraffts that are spoken through French actors. Director Sara Dosa uses all of the footage and text from their books to have them tell the story with Miranda July providing narration as it play into ideas of how they met and what is Katia and Maurice thinking when they’re together or apart. Even as there is footage of them from various volcanic events such as trips to Zaire at Mount Nyiragongo in 1973 and 1977 with the latter having them explore the severity of its eruption as well as one of them in 1979 in Indonesia where Maurice wanted to study more on its sulfuric acid despite Katia’s protests. Then there’s the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption as it would be this turning point for both of them in wanting to know more about volcanoes that shoots up ash instead of lava as they feel they’re more dangerous than the ones with lava.

Dosa would use some hand-drawn animation by Rui Ting Ji and Lucy Munger to help explain their theories on volcanic activity with Katia traveling to Armero, Colombia in November of 1985 following its own volcanic event after authorities ignored warnings from her and other volcanologist about its impending eruption that left 25,000 people dead. A warning that the people in the Philippines followed in 1991 during the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Dosa uses not just archival footage and scientific diagrams and such to showcase everything that the Kraffts have unveiled but also their own views on humanity as they admit to have issues in understanding humanity which is why they preferred volcanoes. Editors Eric Casper and Jocelyne Chaput would do a lot in not just cultivating much of the footage that Maurice shot in the documentaries but also in Katia’s pictures for some montages including the last footage of the Kraffts alive on June 3, 1991 at Mount Unzen, Japan before they were killed by the pyroclastic flow from that volcano’s eruption.

Sound designer Patrice Leblanc would cultivate all of the audio from their audio interviews and such including in some of the documentaries they did that would narrate the power of volcanoes. The film’s music by Nicolas Godin of Air is a mixture of offbeat orchestral music, electronics, and ambient music with bits of rock while its soundtrack is a mixture of French pop, classical, and music from his band Air as well as a piece by Ennio Morricone.

Fire of Love is a tremendous film from Sara Dosa. It is a film that isn’t just this unique documentary about two volcanologists and their fascination with volcanos but also a love story about two people who share two loves for themselves and volcanoes. It is also a film that shows the great lengths Katia and Maurice Krafft would go to explore volcanoes and tell a story of their importance to the world. In the end, Fire of Love is an outstanding film from Sara Dosa.

© thevoid99 2023

Kajillionaire

 

Written and directed by Miranda July, Kajillionaire is the story of a young woman whose family takes part in schemes as they bring in a new person who is fascinated by their schemes leaving a major rupture in the family. The film is an exploration of family dynamics with this young woman being emotionally-stunted as she doesn’t understand the real world around her as this newcomer would help her see that. Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, and Gina Rodriguez. Kajillionaire is a whimsical yet heartfelt film from Miranda July.

The film revolves around a family of scam artists who are trying to get money to pay their rent as they bring in an outsider to take part of their schemes as it would bring chaos to this family including their 26-year old daughter who doesn’t know much about affection or social skills. It is a film that explore a family who live on the fringes of society as they spend much of their life grifting and doing whatever they can to make money though the home they live in is often leaking due to construction next door as they’re trying to get money to pay their rent. Miranda July’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative yet it is more of a character study of this family often spend their time doing these scams with their daughter Old Dolio Dyne (Evan Rachel Wood) doing much of the work despite her lack of social skills.

Her parents in Robert (Richard Jenkins) and Theresa (Debra Winger) prefer to do scams as a way to live outside of society but things are getting tough until Old Dolio creates a scam involving contest tickets she won for a trip to NYC as it relates to a lost luggage and insurance money they can collect. Yet, things don’t go well until they meet Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) on the flight back as she befriends them and takes part of their schemes as a way to do something where she is able to get them some money and such in ways that Old Dolio isn’t able to do. While Melanie’s contributions do make the family thriving and money, it would also alienate Old Dolio as Melanie would take notice as she becomes aware of the way Robert and Theresa behave towards their daughter as it is filled with a lot of complications.

July’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its compositions and setting as it is largely shot in California to play into this world where it is becoming harder to scheme and grift for anyone who doesn’t live in conventional society. While there are wide shots that July has created whether it is to capture the scope of a location or the space of a room where the characters are in. Much of her direction is intimate with a lot of usage of medium shots while there are close-ups used sparingly to play into some of the emotional moments in the film. There are some quirky elements in the film such as how the Dyne family would hide from their landlord (Mark Ivanir) as well as how Old Dolio would enter the local post office through some maneuvering in order to not be seen by a camera. July also showcases how the family live in this office building that is leaking soap as they owe $1,500 in rent as it what motivates the family to try and scrounge up some money. There’s a scene in the second act where the Dyne family and Melanie go to the home of an ailing old man as he’s lying on his bed dying where he asks everyone to just bring some life to the house as it is this moment where everyone is just trying to give this man some comfort yet Robert and Theresa become more concerned with just getting money and then do something that is unexpected that would only add more discord in their relationship with Old Dolio.

July’s direction also play up into the fear with earthquake as it would be this metaphor for a family’s dynamic shaking up with Melanie kind of being the source of this shake up. Notably in a scene in its third act where Melanie and Old Dolio are in a gas station bathroom where a big earthquake happen as it’s shot completely in the dark where Old Dolio goes on a monologue about the idea of life with images of stars emerging. The aftermath of that scene has July shooting everything in one-take on a Steadicam tracking shot as it showcases a moment that is about Old Dolio’s reaction to what just happened. It is a moment that does showcase not just a world that opens for Old Dolio but also some revelations for Melanie who realizes how troubled Old Dolio is as she is someone who has been sheltered for far too long. Even as they also have to deal with Robert and Theresa where July brings up that air of ambiguity into whether the things they do are genuine or are they’re continuously playing a role. Overall, July crafts a witty yet compelling film about a family of scam artists who take in an outsider that would disrupt their lives and lifestyle.

Cinematographer Sebastian Wintero does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its emphasis on natural and available lighting with some stylish lighting for some of the daytime/nighttime interior scenes. Editor Jennifer Vecchiarello does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Sam Lisenco, with set decorator Devynne Lauchner and art director Jessica Shorten, does fantastic work with the look of the home that the Dyne family live as well as the home of the old man they steal from and Melanie’s home. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does nice work with the costume from the green tracksuit jacket that Old Dolio wear along with her baggy clothes as well as the ragged look of Robert and Theresa and the more stylish clothing of Melanie.

Makeup artist Katalin Urszuly and hair stylist Cindy Welles do amazing work with the look of Old Dolio with her long hair as well as the ragged look of Theresa to make them look like a family. Visual effects supervisor John Stewart does terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects in a few bits of set dressing for scenes in New York City as well as the darkened room scene where Old Dolio talks about the stars. Sound editor Bjorn Ole Schroeder and sound designer Kent Sparling do incredible work with the film’s sound in the way earthquakes tremble as well as other sounds from the construction next door to the sound of buses and other small moments as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Emile Mosseri is wonderful for its piano-based score with elements of ambient as it play into some of the humor but also in the somber moments in the film while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer create a soundtrack that features some music ranging from indie, hip-hop, and country with Bobby Vinton’s Mr. Lonely being a prominent song as it play into Old Dolio’s emotional state.

The casting by Mark Bennett is superb as it feature some notable small roles and appearances in Adam Bartley as a hot tub salesman, Diana-Maria Riva in a dual role as the voice of Melanie’s mom and a birth teacher in Farida, Da’Vine Randolph as a masseuse whom Old Dolio tries to scam, Rachel Redleaf as a young pregnant woman passing flyers, Michael Twaine as a dying old man Melanie and the Dynes go to for a scam only to bring life to his house, Patricia Belcher and Kim Estes as a posh couple Old Dolio tries to scam, and Mark Ivanir in a terrific performance as the Dynes’ emotional landlord as a man who is trying to run construction of his soap factory who is just troubled by the Dynes’ inability to get him his money. Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger are incredible in their respective roles as Robert and Theresa Dyne as a married couple who are scam artists as they prefer to not live in conventional society with Robert being someone who is trying to plan things and Theresa often being the one to make sure things are executed well as they bring some humor but also in also someone who prefer to hide their emotions.

Gina Rodriguez is remarkable as Melanie as a young woman Robert and Theresa meet on a flight back to California who takes part in their scams and get things done for them but becomes concerned about their motivations as well as the growing schism involving them and their daughter whom she befriends. Finally, there’s Evan Rachel Wood in a magnificent performance as Old Dolio Dyne as this emotionally-stunted woman who talks in a weird way as it is this haunting performance of this woman who knows how to perform a scam but is unable to deal with emotions and other things as she lack social skills. Wood’s performance also has this physicality that play into someone who has trained herself to do scams but is often still when it comes to the world outside of scams as it is definitely a career-defining performance for Wood.

Kajillionaire is a sensational film from Miranda July that features an outstanding leading performance from Evan Rachel Wood. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, and its exploration of family dynamics who live on the fringes of society. It is a film that is an unconventional heist film of sorts yet it is really a study of an emotionally-withdrawn family who use their daughter for scams only to bring an outsider to help them as it would bring a schism to the family dynamics. In the end, Kajillionaire is a spectacular film from Miranda July.

Miranda July Films: Me and You and Everyone We Know - The Future (2011 film)

© thevoid99 2022

The Future (2011 film)

Written, directed, and starring Miranda July, The Future is the story about a couple whose deteriorating relationship changes when they decide to adopt a stray cat as it would affect their life. The film explores the world of relationships and how bringing something new would change things. Also starring Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky, and Isabella Acres. The Future for all of its quirks ends up being an overly pretentious and self-indulgent piece of shit from Miranda July.

The film is essentially about this oddball couple in Sophie (Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) who have adopted an injured stray cat they call Paw-Paw as they wait a month for Paw-Paw to heal and come home. During the course of the month, the two try to pursue individual goals where Jason volunteers to sell trees to people as he befriends an old man (Joe Putterlik). Sophie meanwhile, is a dance teacher who is trying to pursue her own aspirations as a dancer as she meets a middle-aged man in Marshall (David Warshofsky) where they begin an affair. This would cause a rupture in the relationship as both Jason and Sophie figure out what to do.

It’s a story that could’ve been interesting but the problem is that Miranda July tries to put a lot of quirks and ideas into the story that it ends up being a movie about two very pathetic people who are so concerned with themselves and such that they lose some grasp of reality. It’s not just that Sophie and Jason are characters who are really annoying but they’re people with no real sense of direction and ambition. Sophie would try to do a project called 30 different dances in 30 different days but it never goes anywhere as she just gives up while Jason would try to go door-to-door selling trees that doesn’t go anywhere either. Adding to the narrative that ends up being an infuriating distraction is a voice-over narration from the cat (voiced by Miranda July) that ponders when it will be picked up.

It’s among the many aspects of the film that doesn’t work as July wants to create a story about loneliness and the desire to connect but the lead characters are just so unsympathetic in their quirky personas. The direction of the film is also a problem as July wanted to have the narrative shift into moments of surrealism where Jason talks to a moon in an attempt to create something that David Lynch would’ve done. Instead, it just adds to the pretentiousness of the film that also has Sophie doing her dance with her favorite pet t-shirt that ends up baffling Marshall. Then comes a moment in the third act that revolves around the fate of the cat and what happens just adds to the stupidity that the film takes leading to a very unsatisfying ending. Overall, July creates a film that is just an awful mess that never goes anywhere as well as characters that aren’t engaging.

Many of the film’s technical work such as Nikolai von Gravenitz’s cinematography, Andrew Bird’s editing, and Rainer Heesch’s sound design have their moments but don’t really do anything to the story. The costumes by Christine Wittenborn plays to the hipster world that Sophie and Jason live in as well as the art direction from production designer Elliott Hostetter, set decorator Max Juren, and art director Ruth de Jong. For the silly moments between Jason and the moon, visual effects supervisors Grant Keiner and Eliza Pelham Randall provide the look of the moon.

The only real technical highlight of the film comes from music composer Jon Brion as he creates a pretty decent score that is filled with ambient touches and melodic-driven themes to play up the quirkiness. The film’s music soundtrack from music supervisor Margaret Yen has a nice soundtrack that mixes old-school jazz with a bit of indie music that includes Sophie dancing to the music of Beach House.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy and Nicole Abellera is incredible for the ensemble that is created but none of the actors really get a chance to stand out or do anything with their characters. Performances from Isabella Acres as Marshall’s daughter Gabriella, Joe Putterlik as the old man Jason befriends, and David Warshofsky as Marshall never really get a chance to really flesh out their characters as they just add to the eccentricity of the film. Hamish Linklater and Miranda July’s performances are just terrible because of the characters that July has created. They really have no depth as they try to do weird things and be odd as they come across as caricatures.

The Future is a horrible film from Miranda July that meanders in a tedious story with lead characters that are just annoying. For someone as unique as July is, this film serves as nothing more than a really misguided attempt to create a story that revels too much in its own quirks. Even as it starts to overwhelm its audience with its attempt to make the characters more precious as it leads to a horrific climax. In the end, Miranda July’s The Future is a film that just plainly fucking sucks.

Miranda July Films: Me and You and Everyone We Know - Kajillionaire

© thevoid99 2012

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/3/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written, directed, and starring Miranda July, Me and You and Everyone We Know is a multi-layered ensemble drama about lonely people trying to connect with other people. One story involves a performance artist/cab driver who falls for a divorced man along with stories about a 14-year old kid getting the attention of young girls while a 7-year old boy meets someone on the Internet. Also starring John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, and Carlie Westerman. Me and You and Everyone We Know is a delightful, idiosyncratic debut from the multi-talented Miranda July.

Shoe salesman Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) has just gotten divorced from his wife Pam (JoNell Kennedy) as he gets shared custody of their sons in 14-year old Peter (Miles Thompson) and Robby (Brandon Ratcliff). While Richard struggles to connect with his sons as they've become more interested in chatting online on the Internet. A struggling performance artist named Christine Jeperson (Miranda July) works part-time as a cab driver for the elderly as she helps out an old man named Michael (Hector Elias). With Christine buying shoes for Michael at the mall, she meets Richard who was working as she falls for him. Richard's co-worker Andrew (Brad William Henke) finds himself being tempted by two young teenage girls in Heather (Natasha Slayton) and Rebecca (Najarra Townsend) over their interest in sex.

Peter and Robby's online chatting has them also interested in sex where Robby's strange idea in chatting with a mysterious person gets more intriguing. Particularly as Peter becomes an interest towards Heather and Rebecca in their discovery for sex as they get him involved for help where it ends up being awkward for all of them. Peter meanwhile, becomes more interested towards a younger girl named Sylvie (Carlie Westerman) who saw Peter with the two other girls. When Christine decides to take a tape to an art gallery director in Nancy Herrington (Tracy Wright), Christine later bumps into Richard as she tries to connect with him. Richard however is still dealing with his divorce while Peter becomes ill while Christine ponders about her own loneliness.

Now the idea of connecting various characters in a number of stories is a style that is old that is made famously by the seminal works of Robert Altman. What Miranda July does is take that ensemble, multi-story world into a new level where it's fresh and original. Notably for its awkwardness of how unusual people are trying to connect with one another. Especially in the discoveries of sex and things where the young kids are trying to figure it out, including their own idea about the future. Even July's character Christine is trying to connect with not just on her own eccentricity but also through her art where it reveals her strange personality but also an artist who has something to say. This approach truly creates not just something that is very original but unique in the themes its conveying about loneliness.

July's script is filled with natural stories where the connections between character doesn't feel contrived and the situations are in are felt more naturally in its humor and dramatic context. Particularly how the kids try to discover the strange world of sex, even in its most perverse to the point that all the characters involved in that situation are just weird and unsure. July's fascinating screenplay is helped even more by her wondrous direction where she observes all the characters and their situations even as they attempt to try connect with one another. July's camera often focuses on not just the characters but the objects and things around them, especially in their own suburban environment where everyone feels lonely with very few people to talk to. What July creates is a debut feature that is filled with wonderful imagery and moments that speaks true to her characters and the lonely world they live in.

Helping July in her vision is cinematographer Chuy Chavez whose colorful photography helps with July's eccentric vision with shades of blue for evening sequences while all sorts of colors come out in every way to convey the feelings of the characters. Production designer Aran Mann and art director John Wyatt also help out July in her strange vision with the design of not just Richard's small, shabby apartment but the objects from Sylvie's hope chest and the museum things that includes some of July's own material. The costumes of Christine Wittenborn also reveal the strange, quirky personality of the characters involved, including some of July's own clothing which are filled with strange shirts and decaying shoes. Editors Andrew Dickler and Charles Ireland do wonderful job with the film's strange rhythm in its 92-minute running time with quirky cuts and solid editing that helps the film convey its own sense of style, especially in its presentation to convey what those characters are feeling.

The film's music is filled with strange, quirky score treatment by Michael Andrews along with original music from Ryeland Allison which helps conveys the loneliness and odd behaviors of the characters. The rest of the music is filled with cuts by Spiritualized, Cody ChesnuTT, and Virginia Astley where all the music is film creates a wonderful, poignant soundtrack.

Finally, we have the film's wonderful, ensemble cast that includes some nice, small performances from Ellen Greer as Michael's ailing wife, JoNell Kennedy, Colette Kilroy as Sylvie's mom, and Amy French as Nancy's assistant. In the role of the two underage girls discovering sex, Natasha Slayton and Najarra Townsend are excellent in their performances as naive, Lolita-like girls who get into more than they bargain for in their discovering of sex. Carlie Westerman is even better as a younger girl who not only gets her first glimpse of sex but is more innocent in her dream to have a family while holding items she hope would be useful for her own future. Tracy Wright is also excellent in the role of the museum director who is really troubled in finding something that would stand out for her museum while dealing with her own loneliness. Brad William Henke brings humor to a troubling performance as Richard's co-worker who is attracted to young girls but is aware of that what he's doing is wrong as he tries to deal with his perverse ideas.

Hector Elias is also excellent in the role of Michael, an old man who is about to mourn the upcoming passing of his wife while helping Christine with her project. Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff give the best performances of the young cast as two young boys growing into a world where they discover sex with Thompson giving the more mature performance as a boy being confused. Ratcliff meanwhile, plays the more innocent role as his innocent suggestion leads to immense amounts of confusion as the boy discovers the world of sex. John Hawkes is extraordinarily amazing in his role as Richard who is desperate to try and connect with his own sons while dealing with the awkwardness of Christine as he and July have wonderful, natural chemistry as Hawkes delivers an amazing performance. Finally, there's Miranda July in a wonderful performance as Christine whose emotional struggle to connect with her art and personality is very troubling as July sells every moment of failure and heartbreak in a wonderfully, sympathetic performance.

The 2005 MGM Region 1 DVD shows the film in its 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen format along with its 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound for English. The special features though are minimal since they show several film trailers and previews for other movies. The only special feature for the film is shown are six deleted scenes. Three of them involve Robby's innocent yet perverse idea of sex. Another is an alternate version of Peter's meeting with Sylvie at school and two more scenes involves Sylvie discovering a girl she knows working as a model. While the scenes are nice to see, it's understandable why they got cut and if they were kept in the film, it would disrupt its rhythm. The DVD overall is nice but hopefully in the future, more features especially from July's own input would be revealed.

Me and You and Everyone We Know is a mesmerizing debut film from Miranda July. Featuring a great supporting performance from John Hawkes, it's a film that is truly unique and original with lots of great visual touches and an endearing theme about human contact. While a lot of its eccentric ideas and July's approach to the story telling might be twee to some viewers. There is something that is still unlike anything out there as it really shows something new that a lot of people haven't seen. In the end, Me and You and Everyone We Know is an enchanting debut film from Miranda July.

Miranda July Films: The Future - Kajillionaire

© thevoid99 2011

The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (Pt. 2)

50 More 2011 Releases

Action/Blockbusters

Cowboys vs. Aliens

Directed by Jon Favreau. Screenplay by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. Based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, Ana de la Reguera, and Clancy Brown.

Green Lantern

Directed by Martin Campbell. Screenplay by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, and Michael Goldenberg. Based on the comic book by Bill Finger, Martin Nodell, John Broome, and Gil Kane. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark Strong, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Angela Basset, and Tim Robbins.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Directed by Brad Bird. Screenplay by Andre Nemic, Josh Applebaum, and J.J. Abrams. Based on the TV show by Bruce Gellar. Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Paula Patton, Mikael Nyqvist, Lea Seydoux, and Anil Kapoor.

Drive Angry

Directed by Patrick Lussier. Written by Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier. Starring Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Katy Mixon, David Morse, Christa Campbell, and William Fichtner.

Battle: Los Angeles

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Written by Christopher Bertolini. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, and Bridget Moynahan.

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World

Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Jessica Alba, Joel McHale, Danny Trejo, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Jeremy Piven, and Antonio Banderas.

I Am Number Four

Directed by D.J. Caruso. Screenplay by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Marti Nixon. Based on the novel by Jobie Hughes & James Frey. Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer, and Kevin Durand.

The Eagle

Directed by Kevin McDonald. Screenplay by Jeremy Brock. Based on the book The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, and Donald Sutherland.

In the world of action films and blockbusters, there’s stuff to offer that can satisfy fans of big time blockbusters. One of those films will be Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens where Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford play cowboys who fight off against aliens. Ryan Reynolds becomes Green Lantern for another superhero from a comic book. Tom Cruise goes for another Mission: Impossible film but it looks more promising with Brad Bird helming his first live-action feature film plus Jeremy Renner sharing the screen.

Nicolas Cage comes back from hell to seek revenge in Drive Angry. Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez are in a huge war against aliens in Battle: Los Angeles. Robert Rodriguez returns for another Spy Kids as Jessica Alba becomes the new Cortez to help train her kids. Alex Pettyfer plays a young alien who fights to protect Earth from a dark nemesis in I Am Number Four. Kevin McDonald goes back to the age of the Romans in The Eagle

Comedies

2010 was a very dismal year for comedies as they weren’t anything that to really laugh at. 2011 looks more promising with the return of two masters of comedies in Judd Apatow and the Farrelly Brothers. Even as they’re more projects that will give filmgoers something to laugh at.

Take Me Home Tonight

Directed by Michael Dowse. Screenplay by Jackie & Jeff Filgo. Story by Topher Grace and Gordon Kaywin. Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Teresa Palmer, Dan Fogler, Demetri Martin, Robert Hoffman, Emma Stone, and Michelle Trachtenberg.

Bridesmaids

Directed by Paul Feig. Written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig. Starring Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Kali Hawk, and Jill Clayburgh.

Zookeeper

Directed by Frank Coraci. Screenplay by Kevin James, Nick Backay, Rock Reuben, and Scott Armstrong. Story by Jay Scherick and David Ronn. Starring Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Ken Jeong, Donnie Wahlberg, and Jim Breuer plus the voices of Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Maya Rudolph, and Billy Crystal.

Wanderlust

Directed by David Wain. Screenplay by David Wain and Ken Marino. Story by David Wain. Starring Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Malin Akerman, Justin Theroux, Lauren Ambrose, Joe Lo Truglio, Kathryn Hahn, and Alan Alda.

Bad Teacher

Directed by Jake Kasdan. Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Amy Punch, John Michael Higgins, and Thomas Lennon.

Friends with Benefits

Directed by Will Gluck. Written by Will Gluck and Keith Merryman. Starring Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Patricia Clarkson, and Richard Jenkins.

The Hangover Pt. II

Directed by Todd Phillips. Screenplay by Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong. Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, and Jamie Chung.

Cedar Rapids

Directed by Miguel Arteta. Written by Phil Johnson. Starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Alia Shawkat, Stephen Root, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith, and Sigourney Weaver.

Hall Pass

Directed by Bobby & Peter Farrelly. Written by Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, and Kevin Barnett. Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, Alyssa Milano, Vanessa Angel, Stephen Merchant, Joy Behar, and Richard Jenkins.

Arthur

Directed by Jason Winer. Screenplay by Jared Stern and Peter Baynham. Characters based on the 1981 film by Steve Gordon. Starring Russell Brand, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Nick Nolte, and Helen Mirren.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Directed by Glen Ficarra and John Requa. Written by Dan Fogelman. Starring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon.

In Take Me Home Tonight, Topher Grace and Anna Faris play twins going to a party in the 1980s for their final night of their youth. In Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph help try to plan the ultimate wedding in a comedy produced by Judd Apatow. Kevin James is The Zookeeper as he is confronted by talking animals as they help win the heart of Rosario Dawson. Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd leave yuppie-dom and discover the world nudist colonies in Wanderlust. In Bad Teacher, Cameron Diaz battles Amy Punch for the affections of a new substitute teacher in Justin Timberlake while he also gets very friendly with best friend Mila Kunis in Friends with Benefits.

Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha return for the sequel to The Hangover as they go for more mayhem but in Bangkok. In Miguel Arteta’s Cedar Rapids, Ed Helms tries to save his company after his boss died of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis decide to switch wives for the Farrelly Brothers comedy Hall Pass. Russell Brand plays the legendary role that made Dudley Moore a superstar in a remake of Arthur with Helen Mirren playing Sir John Gielgud’s role. In Crazy, Stupid, Love, Steve Carell turns to Ryan Gosling to make him a ladies man all over again.

Dramas

The Adjustment Bureau

Written for the Screen and Directed by George Nolfi. Based on the short story Adjustment Team by Phillip K. Dick. Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, and John Slattery.

Larry Crowne

Directed by Tom Hanks. Written by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos. Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Vardalos, Jon Seda, Pam Grier, and Cedric the Entertainer.

Unknown

Directed by Juame Collet-Serra. Screenplay by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cromwell. Based on the novel Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert. Starring Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Krueger, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella.

Jane Eyre

Directed by Cary Fukanuga. Screenplay by Moira Buffini. Based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots, and Judi Dench.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Directed by Brad Furman. Written by Michael Connelly. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, and Frances Fisher.

There isn’t a lot of films that are more geared towards adults for 2011 though the films they offer this year does have some promise. Matt Damon plays an aspiring politician who falls for Emily Blunt as they evade some forces in The Adjustment Bureau. Tom Hanks returns to the director’s chair since 1996’s That Thing You Do! for a comedy-drama about a middle-aged man who goes back to college as he falls for a professor played by Jullia Roberts in Larry Crowne. Liam Neeson tries to find his identity in Unknown while Mia Wasikowska is Jane Eyre in a new adaptation by Cary Fukunaga. In The Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey is a slick lawyer who realizes that is client is in fact guilty as he faces his own dilemma.

Family Films

The Muppets

Directed by James Bobin & Jason Segal. Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segal. Based on characters created by Jim Henson. Starring The Muppets, Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones.

Cars 2

Directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Emily Mortimer, Jason Issacs, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Krestchmann, Peter Jacobson, and Sir Michael Caine.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, David Cross, James Hong, James Wood, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber, and Gary Oldman.

Mars Needs Moms

Directed by Simon Wells. Screenplay by Simon Wells and Wendy Wells. Based on the novel by Berkley Breathed. Featuring the voices of Seth Rogen, Joan Cusack, Elisabeth Harnois, Dan Fogler, Mindy Sterling, Breckin Meyer, and Billy Dee Williams.

Winnie the Pooh

Directed by Stephen Anderson and Don Hall. Screenplay by Burny Mattinson. Based on characters by A.A. Milne. Narration by John Cleese. Featuring the voices of Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, Craig Ferguson, Travis Oates, and Bud Luckey.

Rio

Directed by Carlos Saldanha. Screenplay by Don Rhymer. Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jane Lynch, George Lopez, Jake T. Austin, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Mann, will.i.am., Jermaine Clement, and Jamie Foxx.

Rango

Directed by Gore Verbinski. Screenplay by John Logan. Story by John Logan, Gore Verbinski, and James Bykrit. Featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Timothy Olyphant, Alanna Ulbach, Ray Winstone, and Harry Dean Stanton.

Gnomeo & Juliet

Directed by Kelly Asbury. Screenplay by Kelly Asbury, Andy Riley, Mark Burton, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenburg, Kevin Cecil, and Steve Hamilton Shaw. Based on Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Ashley Jensen, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Ozzy Osbourne, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, Dolly Parton, and Hulk Hogan.

There’s something for everyone in the world of family films as there’s a slew that will be entertaining for kids but also might give adults something more fulfilling as well. The Muppets will return to the big screen following a long-decade hiatus with help from Jason Segal. Pixar returns with a sequel to 2006’s Cars as Lightning McQueen and Mater go international while dealing with spies who mistake Mater as a super-spy. Dreamworks Animation also make a sequel to 2008’s Kung Fu Panda as Po and the Furious Five team up with new creatures to fight a fearsome enemy. Disney Animations has two features lined up in different styles. The first is the 3D computer-animated film about a boy who tries to save his kidnapped mom from Martians in Mars Needs Moms. The second is a traditional 2D hand-drawn animation tale of Winnie the Pooh who makes his big screen return.

20th Century Fox animations go to Brazil for the adventure comedy Rio. Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Caribbean fame reunites with Johnny Depp for a computer-animated western involving lizards and other creatures in Rango. Finally, a new re-telling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is told in the form of a new computer-animated with gnomes called Gnomeo & Juliet.

Sci-Fi/Horror/Thrillers

Hanna

Directed by Joe Wright. Screenplay by Joe Wright, David Farr, Seth Lochhead, and Joe Penhall. Story by Seth Lochhead. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, and Tom Hollander.

Sherlock Holmes 2

Directed by Guy Ritchie. Screenplay by Kiernan Mulroney & Michele Mulroney. Based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Nooni Rapace, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Fry, and Jared Harris.

The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard. Written by Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon. Starring Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson, Jodelle Ferland, and Amy Acker.

Rise of the Apes

Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Written by Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, and Jamie Moss. Starring James Franco, Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Tom Felton, David Hewlett, and Brian Cox.

The Darkest Hour

Directed by Chris Gorak. Written by Leslie Bohem, M.T. Ahern, and Jon Spaihts. Starring Olivia Thirlby, Emile Hirsch, Joel Kinnaman, Rachael Taylor, and Max Minghella.

The Rite

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Written by Matt Baglio and Michael Petroni. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Franco Nero, and Rutger Hauer.

Super 8

Written & Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ally Michalka, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, and Zach Mills.

Scream 4

Directed by Wes Craven. Written by Kevin Williamson. Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, and Adam Brody.

Source Code

Directed by Duncan Jones. Written by Ben Ripley. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Arden, Russell Peters, and Jeffrey Wright.

Straw Dogs

Written for the Screen and Directed by Rod Lurie. Based on story by David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah. Based on the novel The Siege of Trencher’s Farm by Gordon Williams. Starring James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard, Dominic Purcell, and James Woods.

Red Riding Hood

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Written by David Leslie Johnson. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie, Billy Burke, Lukas Haas, and Gary Oldman.

Red State

Written and Directed by Kevin Smith. Starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Stephen Root, and Kevin Pollak.

There’s lots of chills and thrills for 2011 and in good supply. Joe Wright reteams with Atonement’s Saoirse Ronan for her role as a young killer named Hanna. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes sequel where they battle Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty. Joss Whedon co-writes The Cabin in the Woods that gives the idea in a horror film with a twist. James Franco stars in Rise of the Apes which is a prequel to the Planet of the Apes series. Olivia Thirlby and Emile Hirsch play two young people fighting to survive an alien invasion in Russia for The Darkest Hour. Anthony Hopkins helps a young American priest fight exorcism in The Rite.

J.J. Abrams returns with another alien invasion film with Super 8 that is set in the 1970s. Wes Craven returns with another Scream as Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette reunite for a new set of horror rules. Jake Gyllenhaal is part of an experiment in Duncan Jone’s sci-fi film Source Code. James Marsters and Kate Bosworth star in a new remake of the controversial Sam Peckinpah classic Straw Dogs with Alexander Skarsgard as a crazed local. Catherine Hardwicke creates a stylish take on Little Red Riding Hood with Amanda Seyfried as the title character. Kevin Smith meanwhile, takes on the fundamentalism in Middle America for the horror film Red State.

Arthouse/Indie

On the Road

Directed by Walter Salles. Screenplay by Jose Rivera. Based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. Starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Terrence Howard, Alice Braga, and Steve Buscemi.

Rum Diary

Written for the Screen and Directed by Bruce Robinson. Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. Starring Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rispoli, and Richard Jenkins.

The Future

Written and Directed by Miranda July. Starring Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, and David Warshofsky.

Win Win

Directed by Thomas McCarthy. Screenplay by Thomas McCarthy. Story by Thomas McCarthy & Joe Tiboni. Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey, Jeffrey Tambor, and Alex Shafer.

Drive

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Written by Hossein Amini & Nicolas Winding Refn. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Pearlman, Albert Brooks, and Bryan Cranston.

Immortals

Directed by Tarsem Singh. Starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Joseph Morgan, Frieda Pinto, John Hurt, Isabel Lucas, and Mickey Rourke.

For the world of indie/art house films, there’s something for those with something different. Walter Salles brings a large ensemble for an adaptation of the famed Jack Kerouac novel On the Road while Johnny Depp stars in a long-awaited adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Rum Diary. Miranda July will return with her sophomore feature film The Future about a couple’s adoption towards a stray cat leads to some strange consequences with time and space. Thomas McCarthy’s Win Win has disheartened attorney Paul Giamatti moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach in hopes to make some money with a star athlete. Ryan Gosling stars as stunt driver who is on the run following a heist gone wrong while Tarsem Singh takes on a large fantasy film with an all-star cast for Immortals.

The Filthy 15 Films of 2011

For every year in film, there is always something that is going to bring in a lot of money and ends up conning the filmgoers. Yes, there is always a bad movie to come around. Whether its from hacks like Paul W.S. Anderson and Uwe Boll or the parody-creators of such crap like Disaster Movie and 2010’s Vampire Sucks. There is always something bad to come out.

Transformers 3: The Dark of the Moon

Directed by Michael Bay. Written by Ehren Kruger. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez, Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand.

Well after the first film did quite well in 2007, Michael Bay got a chance to make a sequel. While it netted more than $400 million, the film drew massive negative reviews with fans and critics. Some of which named it the worst film of the year as it walked away with three Razzie awards for worst film, worst screenplay, and worst director to Michael Bay. With Megan Fox out of the franchise following some unkind words to Bay. She is replaced by Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley which everyone knows won’t be an improvement. The story is about some old Transformers found in the moon as the Autobots and the Decepticons battle it one more time in a dumb, bloated battle that only Michael Bay can bring.

No Strings Attached

Directed by Ivan Reitman. Screenplay by Elizabeth Merriweather. Story by Elizabeth Merriweather and Mike Samonek. Starring Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Olivia Thirlby, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Cary Elwes, and Kevin Kline.

Ivan Reitman hasn’t made a great film since 1993’s Dave and it looks like he’s not going to get a chance to return to form. While he’s got a great cast to work with, there is one big problem. Ashton Kutcher. A kettle head who can’t act in the story about a guy who has sex with his best friend (Natalie Portman) as he wants to have a relationship with her. Well, it’s unfortunate for Portman who is forced to act with someone who can’t even draw a dime these days.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1

Directed by Bill Condon. Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg. Based on the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Maggie Grace, and Mackenzie Foy.

Probably one of the dumbest franchises that made vampires into whiny pussies and werewolve into gay poster-boys. The Twilight film series has garnered loads of fans as well as detractors. Now for the fourth and final book, the studios decide to do what the Harry Potter franchise did with its last film by splitting into two parts. A two-part story of Bella pregnant with some ugly kid while Edward mopes around with his messy hair and deal with the often topless Jacob. And it’s in two parts? Who the fuck wants to see this shit? Oh, right. Fucking teenagers.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Directed by Justin Chu. Starring Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Usher, and Jaden Smith.

The awful phenomenon of Canadian teen-pop singer Justin Bieber is going to have his 3D concert film with all of crap music and stories about how he finally made it with help from Usher. That’s right parents, waste your money on a crappy 3D concert film with girls screaming all over the place for a kid who think he is cool. For detractors, let’s hope it flops like the Jonas Brothers’ concert film did back in 2009.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Directed by Rob Marshall. Screenplay by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. Based on the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Ian McShane, Richard Griffiths, and Penelope Cruz.

While the first Pirates film was fun to watch as was Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. The subsequent films got bloated and sillier as a fourth film is finally coming. Not returning to the franchise are Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom along with the series’ original director Gore Verbinski. This time around, Rob Marshall will director as Sparrow and company find the Fountain of Youth. Well, it’s likely that it’s going to be very dumb while Rob Marshall doesn’t have the right tools to make a fun, compelling blockbuster.

From Prada to Nada

Directed by Angel Garcia. Screenplay by Luis Alfaro, Craig Fernandez, and Fina Torres. Based on the novel Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. Starring Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, April Bowlby, Wilmer Valderrama, Nicholas D’Agosto, and Adriana Barraza.

One for the Money

Directed by Julie Ann Robinson. Screenplay by Liz Brixus, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith. Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich. Starring Katherine Heigl, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, Leonardo Nam, Jason O’Mara, and Debbie Reynolds.

Just Go With It

Directed by Dennis Dugan. Written by Timothy Dowling, Allan Loeb, Tim Herlihy, and Adam Sandler. Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, Heidi Montag, Nick Swardson, and Kevin Nealon.

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

Directed by John Whitesell. Written by Matthew Fogel and Don Rhymer. Starring Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Sherri Shepherd, Portia Doubleday, Jessica Lucas, and Faizon Love.

New Year’s Eve

Directed by Garry Marshall. Written by Katherine Fugate. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, Abigail Breslin, Halle Berry, Sofia Vegara, Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, and Robert De Niro.

The Smurfs

Directed by Raja Gosnell. Screenplay by J. David Sterm and David N. Weiss. Based on the characters by Peyo. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vegara, Tim Gunn, and Hank Azaria. Featuring the voices of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Paul Reubens, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, and Alan Cummings.

Alvin & the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked

Directed by Mike Mitchell. Featuring the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, and Ben Burtt.

Monte Carlo

Directed by Tom Bezucha. Written by Tom Bezucha & April Blair. Starring Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester, Cory Monteith, Brett Cullen, Pierre Boulanger, and Andie MacDowell.

Real Steel

Directed by Shawn Levy. Screenplay by Leslie Bohem & John Gatins. Story by Richard Matheson. Starring Hugh Jackman, Anthony Mackie, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, and Kevin Durand.

Fast Five

Directed by Justin Lin. Written by Chris Morgan. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Elsa Pataky, Don Omar, and Joaquin de Almeida.

With a slew of crap coming out, there’s always some kind of shit for everyone to see. Like a Latino version of Sense & Sensibility called From Prada to Nada or another bad Katherine Heigl comedy with the same writers who wrote The Ugly Truth for an adaptation of One for the Money. Adam Sandler teams up with Jennifer Aniston for another dumb comedy in Just Go With It while Martin Lawrence is Big Momma once again with help from Brandon T. Jackson in another Big Momma movie. Why? Oh, and there’s another sequel coming but for 2010’s Valentine’s Day for another celebration with overpaid stars called New Year’s Eve.

There’s a couple of bad movies for families to avoid. The Smurfs in a hybrid of live action and 3D computer animation as it’s all presented in the 3D gimmick. Oh, and there’s another Alvin & the Chipmunks movie coming and it’s in 3D. A lame romantic comedy with young, awful actresses as they go to vacation in Monte Carlo where they find love. Awww… blech!!!! Shawn Levy tries to go for an action blockbuster by having robots fight other robots in Real Steel and finally, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker team up for another The Fast & the Furious movie called Fast Five. Wow…

Well, that is all for what is ahead of 2011. Of course, there’s some more movies that are out there like Jodie Foster’s The Beaver with Mel Gibson which could be good or bad. Until then, let’s try and be careful for what to see in 2011 and not make it a bad year again that was 2010.

Part 1

© thevoid99 2010