Keeping up-to-date on all the latest releases in cinema can have many pluses and minuses.  After a while, going to see a movie becomes a ritualistic experience. Each time I go to a movie I grab my popcorn and my Sprite at the concessions, find the “sweet spot” in the middle of the theatre, and throw my jacket on the seat in front of me to trick people out of sitting in it. The downside of the ritual comes from the movies themselves. Having seen all the major releases as they come out it becomes increasingly apparent that most “big” movies stick to similar plot conventions, which becomes more annoying each time I see them played out on screen.  The box-office appeal of these “status quo” movies has opened the gates to a safe-ground for directors to play around in without  the threat of having to get too creative.

Someone forgot to tell Lars von Trier where this place is.

Often times, I find that my theater going experience differs from many. This is because of the simple fact that I’m not a big reader. When going to see the new Harry Potter film, (or any film that came from a book) I’m able to take the film at face value, instead of comparing it to what I see in my head when I read. I prefer TV and film to paperback mediums, but that’s not to say I don’t appreciate the book. Many of the greatest movies of all time come from books. For example, Fellini’s 8 1/2 first came from a book, not to mention such Cohen classics as No Country for Old Men and O, Brother Where Art Thou? (if you consider “The Odyssey” by Homer to be a book). And although I’m not aware of any television series that were inspired by books, I’m sure at least one of the major characters in my favorite series reads. Again, though I am not a reader, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes definitely makes me appreciate the written form of story telling.

Nerds around the world have been praying for the arrival of the Iron Man 2 trailer. Now with the first pieces of viral marketing for Iron Man, teasing us all, it’s making the wait feel even longer. The trailer has finally arrived in all of it’s red-and-gold-clad glory. The trailer features old faces Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as new faces of Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johannson, Sam Rockwell and Don Cheadle. Cheadle, as most of you already know, will be taking the place of Terrence Howard and playing James Rhodey, Tony Stark’s best friend and superhero counterpart, War-Machine, who we get a glimpse at in the final seconds of the trailer. Howard left the project after a long, drawn-out financial conflict. Watch the trailer! Now!

Regardless of how you feel about Jason Reitman’s previous films, its hard to deny that he is one of the biggest up and coming directors in Hollywood. His first film, Thank You for Smoking, took pot shots at the lobbying industry while still exposing the warmheart that exists within the, supposed, cold bastards.Juno, his next film, made high school love seem much more tangible and possible than any film before it. Already making his third film in four years, Reitman has pulled in a massive cast full of huge stars in order to make his newest project, Up In the Air, get off the ground.