Slow week, it seems, but there are a still few things worth a look:

• a new character, Twitch, and a poster from Toy Story 3 which is set for release July 23rd 2010 UK/ June 18th 2010 US.
• a new trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It's due for release May 28th UK/ US.
• a new poster for the reimagining of A Nightmare On Elm Street. Due for release May 7th UK/ April 30th
• a trailer for thriller After.Life which stars Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci, Justin Long and Josh Charles.  It centres on a car accident victim who appears to be in transition between life and death. Due for release later this year UK/ April 9th US.
• a trailer for animated flick Legend of the  Guardians which is due for release October 15th UK/ September 24th US.
• a picture from The Devil's Double starring Dominic Cooper, Amber Rose Revah, Kudivine Sagnier and Raad Rawi. The film tells the story of Latif Hayia, an Iraqi solider, who was  forced to become a stand in for Uday Hussein. It's due for release, hopefully, later this year UK/US.

Films hitting cinemas this week:
*some clips may contain explicit language*

A wide variety of new films set for release this week which means there is plenty of choice. PersonallY, I'm quite keen to see Alice In Wonderland, probably in 3D, and maybe Legion, still undecided about it.  Mugabe And The White African also caught my eye.

UK

Crazy Heart
Released:  Friday 5th March
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeff Bridges, James Keane, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Felix
Synopsis: Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many
marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet,
Bad can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man
behind the musician.
Official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/crazyheart/



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‘Capitalism: A Love Story’  (2010)
Director: Michael Moore
Official site: http://www.capitalismalovestory.co.uk/

Watch out America! The master of documentary mischief is back and this time...he's after the corporations. Capitalism: A Love Story is Michael Moore's follow up to his examination of the US health care system in 2007's “Sicko”. In light of the recent worldwide economic downturn, the US bank bail outs and the overwhelming negative press against corporations paying their executives massive bonuses for seemingly failing, Moore asks one simple question: “What the f*ck happened?” Michael Moore's trademark style of using hard hitting facts and mixing it with some absolutely hilarious moments is present. An example you see in the trailer is when Moore is walking through Wall Street asking the big banks for the tax payers money back and tours round New York City in an armoured truck.

Moore also makes references to his first movie “Roger and Me” where he examined the effect on his hometown of Flint, Michigan when General Motors went bust and returns to see what has happened in the 20 years since. If you are a fan of Moore's previous films then this will be a treat for you and if this is your first trip into the mind of Michael Moore, you will not be disappointed.

4/5

Wanderingeuan

New stuff hitting the web this week includes:

• one very gory sneak peek at Valhalla Rising to some very soothing music. This is  the latest from Nicolas Winding Refn who directed Bronson. It follows One Eye a mute warrior who has supernatural strength as he kills his captor and escapes to begin a journey into the unknown. It's due for release some time later this year UK/ US.
• a look at a new Toy Story 3 character, Trixie, which is set for release July 23rd 2010 UK/ June 18th 2010 US.
• a new poster, stills and a new trailer for the reimagining of A Nightmare On Elm Street. Due for release May 7th UK/ April 30th US. Still not sure about this one, I'm a big fan of the original so have a few reservations.
• a trailer for Showgirls 2, a sequel to the 1995 hit Showgirls.
• a new trailer for Karate Kid which stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. It's due for release July 16th UK/ 11 June US.
• a featurette for The Crazies which stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson and Danielle Panabaker. A town's water supply is contaimined with a mysterious toxin that turns the residents into violent psychopaths. It's due for release February 26th UK/ US.
• stills and a new teaser for How To Train Your Dragon which stars (voices) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Craig Ferguson. A young Viking who longs to hunt dragons become the owner of a young dragon. Due to hit cinemas March 31st UK/ March 26th US.
• a poster for thriller Shelter which stars Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. A psychiatrist discovers that her patient's multiple peronalities are all murder victims. Due for release later this year UK/ US.
• a theatrical trailer for Toe to Toe, a drama that centres on two lacrosse teammates from very different backgrounds. Due for release sometime this year UK/ US.

‘Big Fan’ (2010)
Director: Robert D. Siegel
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Michael Rapaport, Marcia Jean Kurtz
Official site: http://www.bigfanmovie.com/

You may recognise Rober D. Siegel's name as he was the writer that re-launched Mickey Rourke's career in The Wrestler and this sees Siegel's debut as a director in this character drama. Big Fan follows the lives of obsessive sports fans and in particular Paul Aufiero, a car park attendant and an obsessive New York Giants football fan. The highlight of Paul's day are his calls to a local sports radio station where he frequently battles a die-hard supporter of the Giants' biggest rivals simply known as Philadelphia Phil. However, Paul's world is torn apart after randomly running into his favourite football player, Quantrell Bishop, at a petrol station. Paul and his friend then follow Bishop to a club where Paul is brutally beaten after a misunderstanding.

What follows is a glimpse into how much fanaticism can affect someone's judgement and mental state which is carried off by the superb acting of Patton Oswalt as Paul and the writing of Siegel. An interesting and entertaining film which is sadly lacking a UK distributor at the present, a situation I certainly hope changes in the very near future.

4/5

Wanderingeuan

‘Ponyo’ (2010)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring (voices): Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas,  Liam Neeson
Official site: http://disney.go.com/Ponyo/

Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's follow up to 2006's Howl's Moving Castle is another example of the sheer genius and vision that is present at Studio Ghibli. Ponyo is a story based loosely on The Little Mermaid where a young boy encounters a goldfish while playing at the sea but doesn't realise this goldfish has dreams. In an age of CGI cartoons, Miyazaki's films are still lovingly hand drawn frame by frame and it really shows on the big screen.

Every scene has a character of its own and you can really appreciate the sheer level of detail that the artists have gone to. The musical score is as always beautiful and takes the viewer on a journey of wonder and exploration and every piece is matched perfectly to the action. Miyazaki's environmental views are also present and incorporated into the film through many devices but at the same time does not overtake the plot of the film itself.

If you have never experienced a Hayao Miyazaki film, Ponyo is an ideal introduction that both kids and adults alike will find engaging and will encourage them to explore the Studio Ghibli back catalogue.

5/5

Wanderingeuan