Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)  Action

Directors: Guy Ritchie

Writers: Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney

Stars:

 Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Jared Harris
THE BUZZ: Aside from the hokey supernatural stuff and the underutilization of Rachel McAdams, I thought Guy Ritchie did a bang-up job in delivering the world of Arthur Conan Doyle to present-day fans and newbies alike (you can imagine that the presence of RDJ was a gateway into all things Holmes for many of the people that made the first movie a runaway worldwide hit). Reportedly the story will involve the Holmes Bros. and Watson chasing Prof. Moriarty across Europe; I cann't wait to see what "Mad Men"'s Jared Harris brings to the sequel (he was the surprise - and quite fitting - pick to play Holmes's chief nemesis) as well as Noomi Rapace in her first major post-Lisbeth role.


Underworld Awakening (2012)  Action

Directors: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein

Writers: Len Wiseman (screenplay), John Hlavin

Stars:

 Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy and India Eisley
THE BUZZ: We feel as though Len Wiseman should have returned to the director's chair, but he earned the potentially dubious honor of handling the Colin Farrell-starring Total Recall remake at Sony, so the call went out to Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, the Swedish duo whose thriller Shelter is being held captive by The Weinstein Company (for good reason, we hear). Distributor Screen Gems, home of the more successful Resident Evil series, will undoubtedly milk this vampire/werewolf saga for every last silver coin. Something tells us newcomer India Eisley is being groomed to potentially take over the franchise since it's reported that she's playing Selene's daughter here. She's the Jeremy Renner to Kate Beckinsale's Tom Cruise?


The Iron Lady (2011)  Drama

Directors: Phyllida Lloyd

Writers: Abi Morgan (screenplay)

Stars:

 Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant
THE BUZZ: Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd returns with an obvious awards contender, the ace in Harvey Weinstein's loaded hand this year. Though we have eyes on My Week with Marilyn), two quid says Meryl Streep's name is already engraved on the next Best Actress Oscar. Can I just say, though, as innocent and breezy as Mamma was, it was also a shoddily made movie that was poorly framed and oftentimes out of focus -- literally. Sorry to be a killjoy, but I'm anticipating something better crafted for Lloyd's follow-up.


Joyful Noise (2012)  Music

Directors: Todd Graff

Writers: Todd Graff

Stars:

 Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton and Keke Palmer
THE BUZZ: Oooooh, ladies first, ladies first. We miss those '90s Latifah singles. Anyway, we can imagine some of the inspiration here comes from Steel Magnolias and Tyler Perry's plays. Director Todd Graff is looking to recover from Band Camp.


Contraband (2012)  Crime

Directors: Baltasar Kormákur

Writers: Aaron Guzikowski (screenplay), Arnaldur Indriðason

Stars:

 Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi and Kate Beckinsale
THE BUZZ: Hollywood's North Atlantic obsession continues with this remake of Baltasar Kormákur's Reykjavik-Rotterdam. Kormákur's native films -- especially 101 Reykjavík and Hafið -- are culturally rich and universally engaging, and I've long thought that one of his works would be imported by a U.S. studio. (As far as his two previous English-language attempts, A Little Trip to Heaven and Inhale, I suggest passing on both.) Something tells me that Mark Wahlberg's story-focused manager/producing partner Stephen Levinson has driven this project from its inception.


Roadie (2011)  Drama

Directors: Michael Cuesta

Writers: Gerald Cuesta, Michael Cuesta

Stars:

 Ron Eldard, Bobby Cannavale and Jill Hennessy
THE BUZZ: Sadly, Michael Cuesta has never managed to live up to the promise we first saw in L.I.E., but kudos to him for getting his projects made in an increasingly difficult environment. Is it mean to say this comes across like the guy version of Hysterical Blindness?


The Devil Inside (2012)  Horror

Directors: William Brent Bell

Writers: William Brent Bell, Matthew Peterman

Stars:

 Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth
THE BUZZ: Sorry, but I fear the whole microbudget horror craze is going to bring down the genre's mainstream appeal. The latest case is this exorcism-themed project (yes, another) from the guys who turned Stay Alive into an indie hit for Disney's dark side back in 2006. Paramount has set up this project at their specialty/cheapie label, Insurge, so expect it to mimic your standard Paranormal Activity promotional campaign.


Young Adult (2011)  Comedy

Directors: Jason Reitman

Writers: Diablo Cody

Stars:

 Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Patton Oswalt
THE BUZZ: Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's reunion has piqued blogger curiosity and perhaps made Paramount a bit unsure how to introduce this thematic departure to the public. Meanwhile, Charlize Theron shakes off the Oscar curse as she prepares for a string of hotly anticipated movies; having been in a couple press rooms with her, I can assert that dark comedy should suit her perfectly -- especially if she gets to curse. Also hysterical is co-star Elizabeth Reaser.


New Year's Eve (2011)  Comedy

Directors: Garry Marshall

Writers: Katherine Fugate

Stars:

 Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel and Ashton Kutcher
THE BUZZ: If you must name a movie after a holiday, make it good enough to watch every year on that special day. Will you ever watch Valentine's Day again? For this sorta-sequel, Garry Marshall heads across country to NYC with a new celebrity cast -- most of whom could really use a hit. My suggestion: let the stars who have created iconic New Yorkers reprise their characters here. This way, Sarah Jessica Parker could play Carrie Bradshaw and Robert De Niro could revisit Johnny Boy.


Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)  Thriller

Directors: Tomas Alfredson

Writers: John le Carré (novel), Peter Straughan

Stars:

 http://Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy
THE BUZZ: Despite the presence of Colin Firth and Tom Hardy and the anticipation of director Tomas Alfredson's follow up to Let the Right One In, all indications point to this being a tour de force for Gary Oldman -- a long overdue proper starring role for one of our favorite actors. Working Title Films/Universal sorta botched their last attempt to modernize a classic BBC mini-series (remember State of Play?), but now that the studio has smartly moved the project over to Focus Features, we're thinking this thriller has serious Oscar potential now that the Best Picture race isn't so uptight.


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