The TV Addict 

THE PROMOTION
I find myself anticipating this film very much, despite the pretty worn out plot about two people going to ridiculous competitive lengths to try and get a job they’re both gunning for. The reason I’m still excited? A) John C. Reilly, B) I’ve always found that given the right role, Sean William Scott can do pretty well, and it looks like he might be playing the straight man for once here, and C) pretty much every single film blog that I admire and whose opinion sync up with mine have been declaring this one of their favorite films of the year. Which also brings us to …

Watch the trailer here.

THE WACKNESS
… this film, which is being equally heralded by everyone who has seen it as an incredibly good and relatable film about, well, growing up and love, and all of those good things.

Watch the trailer here.

NOISE
This film about a man who decides to declare war against car alarms in New York City, eventually becomes a pseudo-vigilante superhero (The Rectifier), and then gets the interest of the mayor, seems like a pretty fun little flick, aided by a seemingly good Tim Robbins performance. Also of interest is the fact that it’s directed by Henry Bean, who we haven’t seen since the compelling Ryan Gosling drama THE BELIEVER.

Watch the trailer here.

SANGRE DE ME SANGRE
I am obsessed with identity and the existential conundrums it can present. One of my friends continually mocked me in college because almost every English paper I wrote dealt with identity issues of some sorts. So naturally I’m very drawn to this Spanish language film about a Mexican boy, Diego, coming to America to meet his father, but has his identity stolen from another immigrant who pretends to be Diego and meets up with Diego’s father anyway. Also, you can’t go wrong with a film being touted as the dark side of the American dream.

Watch the trailer here.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH
Clearly this film is being more directly aimed at younger children, but I suppose this trailer must then bring out the little kid in me because as outlandish and over-the-top as this take on Jules Verne’s novel may seem, it looks like a whole lot of fun (regardless of its 3-D nature or not). Also, I just never get tired of Brendan Fraser playing silly roles like this.

Watch the trailer here.

THE ESCAPIST
Perhaps it’s my failing memory, but aside from the TV show “Prison Break,” I can’t remember the last time we had a film about prisoners planning and executing a jail break. This film seems to have a fair amount of good buzz following it around at this point, and I always enjoy the chance to see an actor like Brian Cox, who is usually relegated to side-character roles, get to step into the spotlight in a film.

Watch the trailer here.

BAGHEAD
Don’t ask me why, but people with bags on their heads scare the crap out of me. Whether it be the little child from the ORPHANAGE, the killers in the upcoming THE STRANGERS, or the one in this film, BAGHEAD. Even if this movie seems to be not a straight-up-horror, but a mixture of character driven drama, comedy, and a little post-modernism and intertextuality, it still doesn’t erase the fact that at some point someone with a bag on their heads shows up, menacing people. Shudder.

Watch the trailer here.