Every year there are those movies that we never seem to notice or hear much about and for one reason or another they seem to slip under the radar and dwell in the land of cinema obscurity. This is a shame since sometimes these kinds of movies deserve more than to sit and gather dust in the annals of film. Here are a few flicks I thought to be worthy of viewing if you need a break from the usual fare.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

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Based on the bestselling 2005 novel by Lisa See this movie virtually came and went without a flutter since it had the same opening day as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (July 15th, 2011) which just happens to be one of THE most epic movies of all time. The film is an unconventional love story about two Chinese women over the span of their lifetimes. Set in the 19th century the two women develop a secret language to communicate with each other and though they are very different from one another their friendship runs deep. Beautifully filmed and well worth the watching.

All Good Things

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Ryan Gosling is definitely having a break out couple years and his name seems to be on the lips of everyone these days and he could even be an Oscar contender one day soon (Have you heard of a little George Clooney production called The Ides of March?). Kirsten Dunst also seems to be a name we’re hearing a lot of these days and with her next role in Melancholia with Alexander Skarsgard one might even say she’s having a come back. In All Good Things Dunst effortlessly portrays Katie Marks, a woman who once led a carefree and happy existence. This all changes when her once doting husband David Marks starts losing it and begins to beat and terrorize her.

Set in New York during the 80′s this film is somewhat creepy thanks to Gosling’s and Frank Langella’s performance, yet it is deceivingly mundane at the same time and during the whole film you will feel a sick sense of foreboding. This film is based on  true events. It’s about a woman named Kathleen McCormack who goes missing in 1982. Her wealthy yet mentally unstable husband Robert Durst, who is heir to a real estate dynasty, was suspected of her disappearance but was never tried. Kathie is still missing to this day. Believe it or not, All Good Things is a murder mystery romance. Weird combo, yes, but it’s actually a fairly gripping movie and both Dunst and Gosling are superb. Even weirder is the fact that the real life Robert Durst actually likes the film. Well worth watching.

One Day

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Anne Hathaway is the current reigning America’s sweetheart and Jim Sturgess is one helluva likeable guy. This is one of those films about two people who belong together but just can’t get it together. The thing is we know it and we want them to be together and it’s frustrating that they just can’t seem to get their acts together. Based on the novel of the same name this movie has date night written all over it and it’s another movie that’s well worth watching.

What other recent movies did you see that slid under the radar that are well worth watching?

In anticipation of the release of the 4th movie in the Twilight vampire series Breaking Dawn, today I wanted to celebrate the beauty of wedding dresses.

At one time or another, us girls have all dreamed of being a blushing bride walking down that isle towards our handsome groom. Wearing the dress of our dreams and some killer shoes, the envy of all others in attendance… it seems like such a simple thing, to know exactly what we want to wear for that one glorious moment. In reality, there is an abundance of dresses to choose from, and so many designers with vastly different collections, it can be a daunting task! Scrumptious confections, sculptural creampuffs, sparkly charmeuses, all akin to the sweetest of delights. I
want to eat them all, kind of like how Edward wants to eat Bella.

I am excited to see how this wedding goes down and hope that it does not disappoint. I want to finally see Bella look beautiful and have a smile on her face!

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I hits theaters November 18th, 2011.

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Written by Havana Haven | The Scribe’s Desk Gossip and Fashion Correspondent who always has her well manicured fingertips on the pulse of What’s Hot! | Wardrobe Wednesday Contributor

I am a huge fan of mythology, especially Greek mythology, so I am absolutely stoked about the Immortals movie which is hitting theaters November 11th, 2011 — in fact 11-11-11 is a very auspicious number so everything looks like it’s coming up roses for this fantasy film! The uber busy man of steel himself Henry Cavill has the starring role of Theseus and from what I’ve seen so far this flick should be epic and definitely a lot of fun.

The Fall of Man

The creators of the film couldn’t get enough of this world that the movie is set in, so what did they do? Well, they decided to create a graphic novel to entertain us that much more! Immortals has spawned the graphic novel Immortals: Gods and Heroes and it looks epic! Here’s a video compliments of IGN.

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Our favorite Imp took home TV gold last night during the 2011 Emmys for his role as Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones. The award was in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category and is Peter Dinklage’s first Emmy Award.

The diminutive actor certainly didn’t expect to win, and he was up against some talented competition, but Dinklage is certainly deserving of the golden statuette. His performance as the despised, cunning and witty third Lannister child and son of Tywin Lannister is brilliant and memorable and definitely one of my unexpected favorites on the show. Despite Dinklage’s size (he is only 4’5″) his character is larger than life and infused with tons of charm, confidence and joie de vive.

“I think everybody levitated when Peter Dinklage won supporting actor,” Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. “We were hoping for that but you never know how these things are going to come out. Tyrion has always been my favorite character in the series – though I love them all. Peter has embodied it so marvelously. It was an incredible win for Peter and the show.”

Game of Thrones is based on the bestselling fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice written by George R.R. Martin. The series was adapted and developed for HBO by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The popluar fantasy already had a remarkable fan base so it’s debut on April 17th, 2011 was highly anticipated and embraced by critics and fans alike. The first season finale was spellbinding and surpassed expectations bringing a spotlight to a strong cast and actors whose names were not well known before the series. Thankfully Game of Thrones has been picked up for a second season (2 days after it premiered BTW!) so we’ll get to see a lot more of Tyrion and the fantasy world he lives in.

Check out Peter Dinklage’s funny and sweet acceptance speech below!

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The original Straw Dogs film was directed by Sam Peckinpah in 1971 and had distinctly controversial subject matter. The concepts of rape, murder and violence was not mainstream material to portray in graphic detail on film. If we judge the film by today’s standards, considering what we see on primetime cable, will this remake directed by Rod Lurie raise as many eyebrows and cause as much furor as it did in the ’70′s? Will it be any more or less controversial now in the year 2011? Are we more or less culturally sensitive now as opposed to 1971? Unless our views on morality and these disturbing issues have changed radically since 1971, I’m certain this remake will at the least garner intrinsically shocked reactions and leave open to question as to how much is too much to depict in film.

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Yet the buzz surrounding this film isn’t only because of the sinister subject matter or its dauntless director Rod Lurie. It’s due mainly to the casting of a Swedish actor whose star is on a meteoric rise. Alexander Skarsgard has gained the attention of fame due to his quasi villainous role as roguish Viking vampire Eric Northman on True Blood. Unlike his loveable, antihero vampire persona on the HBO hit which just concluded its 4th season, Skarsgard’s role as Charlie Venner in Straw Dogs is one that is unlikeable in the extreme. There is no mistaking the fact that Skarsgard is a true villain in the remake of the Peckinpah psychological thriller.

Though both the remake and the original film are based on the novel The Seige of Trencher’s Farm written by Gordon Williams, this new version of the film is different from the original.

The Straw Dogs story centers around L.A. screenwriter David Sumner and his wife Amy. They relocate to her hometown in the deep South and they come into contact with Amy’s ex, Charlie Venner and his crew. Tensions begin to rise between the locals and the Sumners, and the building conflict escalates into violence which threatens their lives.

Skarsgard’s character commits a heinous act that makes him a true villain of the meanest sort and it’s a role that we haven’t seen Skarsgard portray as of yet.

Charlie Venner is truly a detestable character and Skarsgard has promised that he tried to bring a three dimensional quality to David Sumner’s nemesis. Characters like Charlie Venner are risks and challenging to take on. An actor must be confident in his ability in order to go over to the dark side and explore the boundaries of their commitment to the craft of acting. And that was the appeal of the project for Skarsgard. It was a chance for him to better understand his own darker impulses.

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In an interview earlier this year in the L.A. Times, Skarsgard is asked about his role in the film:

“Look around,” he said, “people are always, big shiny white teeth, big smiles, everything’s fantastic. How sincere is that? Are people really genuinely that happy all the time or is there something in there that they’re trying to fight? I know I am. I think it’s really good to acknowledge that there is that inner battle. Of course that’s interesting exploring. It’s scary and it’s dangerous, but it opens up your soul.”

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No matter how much one enjoys Skarsgard in True Blood, his role in Straw Dogs is one that will elicit intense reactions of dislike from audiences, especially from the actor’s female fan base. It is a role that will push Skarsgard to the limit, though I have no doubt that his magnetic screen presence will make his portrayal of the Charlie Venner character unforgettable, no matter how detestable that character is.

Straw Dogs opens today.

FYI ~ the definition of straw dog is something that is made only to be destroyed.