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?

Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins in the movie Abduction.

Taylor Lautner rose to fame as the werewolf Jacob Black in the movies based on Stephenie Meyer’s monster blockbuster the Twilight Saga. He is the third wheel in the love triangle that consists of him, Bella Swan and the sparkly vampire Edward Cullen. When rumors began to swirl after the first movie that Lautner might be replaced in the next films, millions of fans rallied behind the actor and petitioned for him to retain the role of Jacob for the remaining films in the franchise. It was a successful campaign as we all know now and I think a lot of it had to do not just with the passionate reaction of the fans, but also with the big slabs of beefcake muscle Lautner put on to better fit the part of werewolf.

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Twilight has infused the careers of a few of its actors with the clout needed to land leading roles. Kristen Stewart won critical acclaim for her role as Joan Jett in The Runaways (though she already had a pretty solid career, Twilight brought her into the spotlight). Robert Pattinson scored the lead love interest role alongside Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon in the movie Water for Elephants, while Jamie Campbell Bower went on to land the kingly role of Arthur in the Starz series Camelot.

Studios take notice of those actors who can draw an audience, harnessing their star power to bring in big numbers and hence big bucks. It is plainly obvious that though fairly young, Lautner has a huge following and studios are hoping that his success so far will translate into major bankability at the box office as a leading man.

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In the movie Abduction Lautner plays Nathan Price, a young guy who discovers that the people who raised him aren’t his biological parents. This discovery sets into motion events that has Nathan running for his life. In the trailer Lautner has a lot of moves that are reminiscent of Matt Damon in the Jason Bourne franchise of films. In fact, Lautner could very well be the next action movie star as well as a leading man.

The presence of Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina lend the film Abduction some necessary gravitas but it’s Lautner’s skills that will be under the microscope. There is a lot riding on him to make this film successful. There is no doubt that Lautner’s presence alone will draw a huge female audience, but will that be enough to not only kickstart but sustain his career in Hollywood as a guy that has the power to draw in a wide demographic range of viewers?

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Abduction is the first role for Lautner as a leading man and I’m curious what the box office numbers will be on Monday for his first solo performance. The success of Abduction rests firmly upon his heavily muscled shoulders and this weekend’s outcome will definitely answer the question of whether or not Taylor Lautner can be a leading man. If the bevy of fans screaming in adulation is any indication then there is every possibility that he can be.

Abduction is in theaters today.

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Kate Beckinsale is once again reprising her role as Selene the Death Dealer in Underworld: Awakening, the fourth film in the Underworld franchise. Screen Gems has released this first trailer of the upcoming film which is coming to theaters on January 20th, 2012 in both 2D and 3D. And who doesn’t want to see more of Beckinsale in her tight black vinyl suit and in 3D no less? Rumors are swirling that Scott Speedman will also be joining the cast but who knows if that will happen.

Director: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein
Written by: Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, Allison Burnett, J. Michael Straczynski
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance

Synopsis: Selene escapes imprisonment and finds herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

So what do you think of this trailer? Does it look like more of the same? Or will this movie be as good as the others?

Underworld Trivia

The model for the Selene character was the psychic vampire of the Hellfire Club in the X-Men comics, the Black Queen Selene.

Kate Beckinsale first met future husband Len Wiseman on the set of Underworld.

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When we think of death we think of it as a final transition, an ending so complete that there is no coming back from it. But what if a loved one died and they could come back? And not just once but repeatedly? Death is just as dicey a subject to handle in life as it is in art but that is just what Ben Schaeffer is attempting to do with his latest 10 episode web series Death’s Door.

Death’s Door

The first time Marcus died, he thought his life was destroyed. The second time, he discovered what life is.

Written and directed by: Ben Schaeffer

Produced by: Stephanie Dawson

Cast: Jeff Berg, Jessica Vera, Geoffrey Pomeroy, Stephen Medvidick, Alexandra Rosario, Ann Marie Yoo, Tom Patella, Elizabeth Bove, Jose Alvarez

Meet Marcus (Jeff Berg). He’s got everything going for him. He’s a doctor, young, good looking, has a loving family with approval from a proud father, a new fiancee, and he’s the good son since his older brother is a bit of a sloucho.  Yes, life is indeed good so as luck would have it he becomes suddenly stricken with a strange recurring affliction. This malady has no name and baffles everyone because they can’t explain why Marcus keeps dying… and coming back to life.

In the first episode entitled “Marcus Dies” Marcus literally drops dead. It is such an unexpected tragedy that is shocking not just to the actors in the film but to the audience as well, effectively demonstrating that death is like that. Even though we know it is going to happen at some point, Schaeffer does a great job of making it happen so abruptly and when we least expect it that it really prepares you to suspend your disbelief. When Marcus miraculously comes back to life, no longer at death’s door for the moment, we are ready to go where Shaeffer wants to take us.

In episode 2 “Marcus Comes Back” we discover that there are no answers for what happened to Marcus. It seems like he’s in a sort of limbo, unsure of why what happened to him happened. There is also a sense of anxiety because no one knows if the unexplainable event will reoccur at this point. They don’t know if their relief will be short lived and something they can just put behind them.

Director Ben Schaeffer with Marcus (Jeff Berg) and Jessica (Jessica Vera).

In episode 3 “A Day in the Park” Marcus and his fiance spend some much needed quality time together. Though they don’t talk about it, Marcus’ death is like a lurking specter that follows them. There is a sense of wanting to make every moment count, so this day is about enjoying each other’s company. Neither of them expect what is about to happen.

Things are going to change for Marcus in a drastic way. Change is inevitable at the best of times but this rare situation will cause a shift in Marcus’ perception of life. Because that is how death works; it forces us to consider life in ways we never looked at or considered before. I’m curious to know if Marcus will discover why this is happening to him and how he will cope with repeated incidents of death. How will he manage his life? How will this change his circumstances and the people around him? How will this change him?

The episodes are under 5 minutes in length and every episode advances the story of Marcus and his plight. So far the sci-fi drama Death’s Door is a strange and intriguing tale. It will be interesting to see how this web series unfolds and it’s one I will be keeping my eye on.

Death’s Door airs every Sunday at 8pm EST on these outlets:

www.facebook.com/deathsdoorwebseries

www.vimeo.com/deathsdoorwebseries

www.youtube.com/ddoorfilm

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Colin Farrell has entered the land of the remake. He will play a vampire named Jerry in the 2011 DreamWorks remake of Fright Night. Now, I dig him as a vampire, but couldn’t they have come up with a cooler name than Jerry? I know the joke is he’s supposed to be an ordinary dude who just moved into the neighborhood, but come on! Jerry? Couldn’t he be a Josh or a Michael or a Gabriel even?

Also in the film is Anton Yelchin of Terminator Salvation and Star Trek fame as Charley. He’s the teenager with the slightly cooler name who just knows his new neighbor Jerry is a vampire.

The movie is being billed as a horror comedy and I think this movie will most likely be more fun than fright. I also think Colin Farrell as a sexy vampire is right on the money.

Fright Night hits theaters August 19th, same night as Jason Momoa’s Conan the Barbarian. Which film do you think will do better?

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