You want to change your life. You find yourself stuck in the one you’re living now and you see that there is something better available to you. But your partner is happy with the way things are and any change to the stability is seen as a threat. You know that walking away will only bring pain and violence. You’ve tried it and all you got were broken bones and bruises which you tell friends came from an accident. How do you make a stand and not get hurt? The authorities won’t listen, the judicial system hasn’t got much but paper remedies. How do you plan a getaway? For Kat (Milla Jovovich) it starts with friends Vic (Sarah Strange) and Liz (Aisha Taylor) who provide the moral support in Kat’s struggle to slip away from her drug-dealing boyfriend Big Al (Angus Macfadyen). There is even an offer to take up a collection to get him whacked.

Director:  Gary Lennon Writer:  Gary Lennon Cast:
Milla Jovovich -  Kate Angus MacFadyen -  Big Al Stephen Dorff -  Reilly Aisha Tyler -  Liz Sarah Strange -  Vic Vincent Laresca -  Jose Dawn Greenhalgh -  Fran Shawn Campbell -  Original Owner		Tim Eddis -  Cop #2 Kay Hawtrey -  Marge Suresh John -  Thief Tony Munch -  Clancy

I’m a consumer. I like shopping for stuff. I like reading about stuff that’s coming (and wish it were here now for me to buy). I like to follow the evolution of stuff as it comes to market and see how the roll out of new stuff is accepted. I’ve got lots of stuff that never got that public acceptance it should have received. It sits right next to the stuff that did that is often replaced by the next gen stuff. I guess I’m the poster boy for consumerism. So this movie was a blow to my mad subconscious that regulates my buy, buy, buy fever. It shows a world where there won’t be any new books, movies, CDs and all manner of other toys that keeps me distracted from the real problems our world faces. And then Selena (Naomie Harris) has the gall to tell Jim (Cillian Murphy) essentially the same thing. I was bummed for a time until a buddy called to tell me what he discovered in his latest foray into the shops and I remembered this is just a movie.

Director:  Danny Boyle; Toby James Writer:  Alex Garland Cast:
Alex Palmer -  Activist Bindu De Stoppani -  Activist Jukka Hiltunen -  Activist David Schneider -  Scientist Cillian Murphy -  Jim Toby Sedgwick -  Infected Priest Naomie Harris -  Selena Noah Huntley -  Mark		Christopher Dunne -  Jim’s Father Emma Hitching -  Jim’s Mother Alexander Delamere -  Mr. Bridges Kim McGarrity -  Mr. Bridges’ Daughter Brendan Gleeson -  Frank Megan Burns -  Hannah Justin Hackney -  Infected Kid Luke Mably -  Private Clifton

What would you sacrifice to save the life of a loved one? An arm? Your house? A neighbour? Yourself? That is the choice Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) feels he must make to save his brother Jake (Mark Rendall) and his wife Stella (Melissa George) and two friends from a marauding band of vampires that move around like they’re on meth. The band appears to be intent on wiping out the town and they are not fussy about how they rip and tear folks to pieces. Any survivors are holed up in buildings hoping to eke out their lives until the 30 days pass and sunrise comes again to their Alaskan town. When the vamps fire up the town, Eben knows he has only one choice to provide the others with a chance to tell those returning from the south that it wasn’t an accident or natural disaster that burned the town to the snowline. But it isn’t a choice that has an upside. I don’t know if I’d have that kind of courage. I’d like to think I do but I wouldn’t want to test my mettle until faced with having to actually do it.

Director:  David Slade Writer:  Steve Niles; Stuart Beattie; Brian Nelson; Ben Templesmith Cast:
Josh Hartnett -  Sheriff Eben Oleson Melissa George -  Stella Oleson Danny Huston -  Marlow Ben Foster -  The Stranger Mark Boone Junior -  Beau Brower Mark Rendall -  Jake Oleson Amber Sainsbury -  Denise Manu Bennett -  Deputy Billy Kitka		Megan Franich -  Iris Joel Tobeck -  Doug Hertz Elizabeth Hawthorne -  Lucy Ikos Nathaniel Lees -  Carter Davies Craig Hall -  Wilson Bulosan Chic Littlewood -  Issac Bulosan Peter Feeney -  John Riis Min Windle -  Ally Riis

It took only three things to like this movie. One was the version of Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me by Letters to Cleo with the band playing on the roof. I don’t know how they got them up there but it was inspired. Please don’t tell me it was CGI. I like the idea of someone humping all that gear up there. Number two was the attempt to look cool riding away on his scooter by Michael Eckman (David Krumholtz). Unfortunately a car blocks his path and forces him off the cliff overlooking the football stadium, giving him the ride of his life. The last was Katarina ‘Kat’ Stratford (Julia Stiles) disdain for the attempts by Ms. Perky (Allison Janney) to get her to play a bigger role in high school activities.

Director:  Gil Junger Writer:  Karen McCullah Lutz; Kirsten Smith; William Shakespeare Cast:
Heath Ledger -  Patrick ‘Pat’ Verona Julia Stiles -  Katarina ‘Kat’ Stratford Joseph Gordon-Levitt -  Cameron James Larisa Oleynik -  Bianca Stratford David Krumholtz -  Michael Eckman Andrew Keegan -  Joey Donner Susan May Pratt -  Mandella Gabrielle Union -  Chastity		Larry Miller -  Mr. Walter Stratford Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell -  Mr. Morgan Allison Janney -  Ms. Perky David Leisure -  Mr. Chapin Greg Jackson -  Scruvy Kyle Cease -  Bogie Lowenstien Tarance Houston -  Derek Cameron Fraser -  Trevor

We can forgive some people for almost anything. Their efforts, albeit awkward, are so endearing that it only brings a smile to our face. Watching Cindy (Kate Hudson) falling off the curb into the dog shit, dropping her purse, breaking the light over the pool table, smearing lipstick on her dress, knocking over the food and water in the Indian restaurant all contribute to her charm. It’s obvious that the camera loves her and so will anyone seeing her performance.

Director:  Risa Bramon Garcia Writer:  Shana Larsen Cast:
Ben Affleck -  Bartender Casey Affleck -  Tom Dave Chappelle -  Disco Cabbie Guillermo Díaz -  Dave Angela Featherstone -  Caitlyn Janeanne Garofalo -  Ellie Gaby Hoffmann -  Stephie Kate Hudson -  Cindy		Catherine Kellner -  Hillary Courtney Love -  Lucy Brian McCardie -  Eric Jay Mohr -  Jack Nicole Parker -  Bridget Martha Plimpton -  Monica Christina Ricci -  Val Paul Rudd -  Kevin

Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. All you want to do is your job, check out and go home. But sometimes you find yourself in a time and place that allows you to become more than you’ve become. Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is a witness against some bad cops and his courthouse driver gets caught in traffic. Frank Nugent (David Morse) comes by the bar where they are recuperating after one attempt on Eddie’s life and starts in on persuading Frank to give up the witness. About to kill Eddie, Frank kneecaps the shooter and thereby declares which side he’s on.

Director:  Richard Donner Writer:  Richard Wenk Cast:
Bruce Willis -  Jack Mosley Mos Def -  Eddie Bunker David Morse -  Frank Nugent Jenna Stern -  Diane Mosley Casey Sander -  Captain Gruber Cylk Cozart -  Jimmy Mulvey David Zayas -  Robert Torres Robert Racki -  Jerry Shue		Patrick Garrow -  Touhey Steve Nuke -  FBI Agent Sasha Roiz -  Kaller Conrad Pla -  Ortiz Hechter Ubarry -  Maldonado Richard Fitzpatrick -  Deputy Commissioner Wagner Peter McRobbie -  Mike Sheehan Mike Keenan -  Ray Fitzpatrick

I’ve been to many book store signings. Some are good and a lot of people turn out. They are appreciative of the commentary by the writer and go away feeling that the time was well spent. The author is pleased that it went so well and sometimes even looks forward to their next stop on the tour. But sometimes you get one like that experienced by Mike Enslin (John Cusack) who arrives for the signing, gets a cursory greeting by the store staff, has a handful of people asking the regular sickening questions and watches them drift off into the night, hoping they get lost in traffic. But authors look forward to those rare attendees like that of the young lady at the signing (Alexandra Silber) who found a copy of Mike’s first book on eBay, doesn’t buy his new book and tells him how much the novel meant to her. It may be poignant moment but it remains with the author to enjoy once again when that usual question repeats at his next tour stop.

Director:  Mikael Håfström Writer:  Matt Greenberg; Scott Alexander; Larry Karaszewski; Stephen King Cast:
John Cusack -  Mike Enslin Samuel L. Jackson -  Gerald Olin Mary McCormack -  Lily Enslin Tony Shalhoub -  Sam Farrell Jasmine Jessica Anthony -  Katie Len Cariou -  Father Isiah Whitlock Jr. -  Engineer Paul Birchard -  Mr. Innkeeper		Margot Leicester -  Mrs. Innkeeper Walter Lewis -  Cashier Eric Meyers -  Man One at Book Signing David Nicholson -  Man Two at Book Signing Holly Hayes -  Lady at Book Signing Alexandra Silber -  Young Woman at Book Signing Johann Urb -  Surfer Dude Andrew Lee Potts -  Mailbox Guy

Let’s suppose you are a solider in the military like Doyle (Jeremy Renner). Let’s also suppose you set to guard a group of civilians from insurgents intent on killing them like those infected by the Rage Virus (i.e. zombies on steroids). It seems like a fairly straightforward activity. Let’s now suppose that your commanding officer tells you that the barrier has been breached and orders you to shoot those who have broken through like the virally infected have her in this movie. Given the proper circumstances, I’d level my rifle and pop them once I had them in my scope. I imagine most would follow that order. Now suppose, the order came through to kill anything on the ground whether infected or not. Here is where I pause and examine my commitment to the situation. Particularly if I see a kid like Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton) or a doctor like Scarlet (Rose Byrne) through the rangefinder and I know neither one is infected. I might tap someone about to rip out their throat but Andy is just a kid who has been reunited with his dad after spending 28 weeks in a camp in Spain with his sister Tammy (Imogen Poots). Doyle feels much the same and decides that saving a life is better karma than taking one.

Director:  Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Writer:  Rowan Joffe; Juan Carlos Fresnadillo; Jesús Olmo; Enrique López Lavigne Cast:
Catherine McCormack -  Alice Robert Carlyle -  Don Amanda Walker -  Sally Shahid Ahmed -  Jacob Garfield Morgan -  Geoff Emily Beecham -  Karen Beans El-Balawi -  Boy in Cottage Jeremy Renner -  Doyle		Harold Perrineau -  Flynn Rose Byrne -  Scarlet Imogen Poots -  Tammy Mackintosh Muggleton -  Andy Meghan Popiel -  DLR Soldier Idris Elba -  Stone Stewart Alexander -  Military Officer Philip Bulcock -  Senior Medical Officer

Does anyone in your daily life really listen to what you have to say? Sometimes your family, sometimes your friends, sometimes your co-workers. But there are times when you just want to shake somebody and say listen, I’m talking and it is important. Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) goes through her day as a thirteen-year-old in a 30-year-old body but it takes a tween neighbour that Jenna meets in the elevator to suss out that she isn’t what she seems to be.

Director:  Gary Winick Writer:  Josh Goldsmith; Cathy Yuspa; Susan Arnold; Gina Matthews; Donna Arkoff Roth Cast:
Jennifer Garner -  Jenna Rink Mark Ruffalo -  Matt Flamhaff Judy Greer -  Lucy Wyman Andy Serkis -  Richard Kneeland Kathy Baker -  Bev Rink Phil Reeves -  Wayne Rink Samuel Ball -  Alex Carlson Marcia DeBonis -  Arlene		Christa B. Allen -  Young Jenna Sean Marquette -  Young Matt Kiersten Warren -  Trish Sackett Joe Grifasi -  Mr. Flamhaff Mary Pat Gleason -  Mrs. Flamhaff Susan Egan -  Tracy Hansen Lynn Collins -  Wendy Renee Olstead -  Becky