Carnage is a film based on the award-winning play, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza.  Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly star as two sets of parents that get together after one son gets into a fight with the other at school.  While the subject of bullying is serious, the film is a comedy after the parents become increasingly irritated with each other.  Roman Polanski directs.  Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster just received Golden Globe nominations for their performances. “CARNAGE is a razor sharp,...

 So, Men in Black is officially a trilogy.  The first film came out in 1997 and the sequel came out in 2002.  Jump to ten years later and you have the third installment called Men in Black 3 (not III).  They are fun films, so it is fine that this happened.  What is not cool is that actors signed onto this film before there was even a script.  The film might turn out to be great, but that fact leaves me skeptical.  Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back as Agents J and K.  Joining them are Rip Torn, Emma Thompson, Jermaine...

The Iron Lady is based on the life of former English Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.  It seems that the film is focusing mostly on her life in government, but the full trailer does show part of her early life.  I certainly remember Margaret Thatcher since she was on the news a lot when I was growing up.  She broke through a huge glass ceiling in the United Kingdom.  She was the first woman to become Prime Minister, and no woman since has reached that position.  Meryl Streep plays Margaret Thatcher, and she certainly lost...

The Flowers of War is a Chinese film made with a lot of money, and it stars one on of the best known actors out there right now, Christian Bale.  The film is based on history when the Japanese invaded China in 1937. “Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice in THE FLOWERS OF WAR, starring Christian Bale and introducing Ni Ni. The film, set during the Japanese invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s...

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary about probably the best sushi chef in the world.  His restaurant occupies a humble spot in a subway and only holds ten seats.  While the documentary explores Jiro and his cooking, it also examines the relationship with his son who is to inherit the restaurant.  The film is beautifully shot which is quite evident from the trailer. “JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi...

Here is another retelling of a classic fairy tale.  Jack the Giant Killer is another version of Jack and the Beanstalk, the story we all heard at least once when we were kids.  There does not seem to be any golden geese and eggs in this film, but the beanstalk and giant are there, as well as the magic beans.  The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, Eleanor Tomlinson, Eddie Marsan, and Ewan McGregor.  X-Men director Bryan Singer directed. Has the film industry tapped into live-action versions...

This does not look anything like the game I played as a kid.  Battleship has morphed from ships trying to take each other out to a full on alien attack movie that resembles Transformers too closely.  It is basically Transformers at sea.  The teaser for the film hinted at what the story was going to revolve around, but this trailer solidifies it.  The cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Asano Tadanobu, and Liam Neeson. “Peter Berg (Hancock) produces and directs Battleship, an...

I saw the The Expendables in the theatre the first day it came out.  It was not the best film, but with all of those action stars in one film, how could you not see it.  I went with my uncle who is definitely a man’s man and spends his free time watching Westerns and Walker Texas Ranger.  No, I am not kidding.  There is a pretty good chance I will be seeing the sequel as well.  The teaser For The Expendables 2 just made its way onto the internet.  You don’t get to see much, but it introduces the cast of action...

This is not a trailer, but since I am totally enamored with what this guy does with these videos, I am still going to put it under my section of Lost in Reviews. Matt Shapiro has been doing these montages of films that came out during a certain year since 2006.  His 2011 video was posted today and includes all the films released this year.  It is plainly a must-see video.  It is set to music and has voice-overs from the different films.  All the details of the video are in the information section of the YouTube video.  Just...

This is the second trailer for Dr. Suess’ The Lorax.  I absolutely loved the first trailer for the film, and this trailer is pretty good (not as good as the first one, but pretty good).  This trailer does give the viewer a better idea about what the story of The Lorax is all about if you have never read the Dr. Suess book.  Honestly, it has been a long time since I have even picked up a Dr. Suess book, so I am even in need of a refresher.  The film looks brilliantly animated with a lot of vibrant colors.  It also...

In the Land of Blood and Honey is Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut and deals with the atrocities of the Bosnian War in the 1990s.  It also has a love story rapped up in the story that is complex to say the least.  Jolie also wrote the screenplay.   She wrote the screenplay in English and it was then translated by the actors who are all natives of the region.  The film stars Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Rade Šerbedžija, Vanesa Glodjo, and Nikola Djuricko. I also attached the 60 Minutes feature on Angelina Jolie...

This is a trailer for The Five-Year Engagement starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segel as a couple who get engaged.  They get into a few roadblocks to actually getting married including a detour to Michigan.  The trailer made me laugh hard.  I like Emily Blunt in comedic roles.  I am hoping this will actually be a funny film, and not one of those that just has the funny parts in the trailer.  The film also stars Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Rhys Ifans, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, Chris Parnell, Jim Piddock, David Paymer, Mimi Kennedy,...

How have I not seen this first trailer for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close?!  The first trailer is amazing and beautifully uses U2′s “Where the Streets Have No Name” to accompany it.  I got emotional just watching it.  I am suprised that I have not seen it attached to any film I have seen in the theatre.  The second trailer is still pretty powerful, but the music in the first one is just spot on.  The film is based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer.  The film is directed by Stephen...

 The Cabin in the Woods is a horror film, and usually horror films have pretty much the same trailer when there is a group of kids stranded in a creepy cabin in the woods.  Where this trailer differs is entirely based on what is actually happening in the film.  There is some type of technology used to keep these kids there and there seems to be some sort of game involved with it.  The film is directed by Drew Goddard, and the film’s script is written by Joss Whedon (of Buffy and X-Men fame) and Drew Goddard.  Drew...

The basic premise of Goon is that a guy gets hired onto a minor league hockey team just for his fighting skills.  The film is actually based on the book Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey.  The film stars Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Eugene Levy and Liev Schreiber.  The screenplay was written Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg.  The trailer is NSFW due to language. “Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing...