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	<title>usDemoCrazy &#187; Film Festival</title>
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	<description>Trying to Make Sense of Our Democracy</description>
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		<title>Oscar Challenge #2</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/02/07/oscar-challenge-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/02/07/oscar-challenge-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:11:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oscar nominations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supporting actor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15669</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[USDemocrazy is back with the second in our series of Oscar predictions in advance of the big night on February 26.
Today we are looking at the &#8220;supporting&#8221; category. We like this award because supporting characters can easily be scene stealers and elevate a movie as a whole.
Here&#8217;s the finalists for Actor in a Supporting Role:

Kenneth Branagh [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="www.usdemocrazy.com">USDemocrazy</a> is back with the second in our series of Oscar predictions in advance of the big night on February 26.</p>
<p>Today we are looking at the &#8220;supporting&#8221; category. We like this award because supporting characters can easily be scene stealers and elevate a movie as a whole.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the finalists for Actor in a Supporting Role:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Kenneth Branagh </strong>in <em>My Week with Marilyn</em></li>
<li><strong>Jonah Hill</strong> in <em>Moneyball</em></li>
<li><strong>Nick Nolte</strong> in <em>Warrior</em></li>
<li><strong>Christopher Plummer</strong> in <em>Beginners</em></li>
<li><strong>Max von Sydow</strong> in <em>Extremely Loud &amp; Incredibly Close</em></li>
</ul>
<p>The biggest shocker here could be Jonah Hill who is best known for his comedic roles. This, his first dramatic role was very well-received and he provided a surprisingly strong foil to Brad Pitt in the film.</p>
<p>Max von Sydow&#8217;s performance in <em>Extremely Loud</em>&#8230; was extremely quiet as he had a very small part with no actual dialogue. We think he wasn&#8217;t quite as deserving as other actors this year, such as Albert Brooks in <em>Drive</em> or Patton Oswalt in <em>Young Adult</em>.</p>
<p>When <em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes </em>came out there was a huge campaign to recognize Andy Serkis for his motion capture work as the ape, Caesar. Obviously the Academy isn&#8217;t quite ready to tread those waters.</p>
<p>The favorite at this point seems to be Christopher Plummer, who already won the Golden Globe for his take on an elderly man who comes out as gay after his wife passes away. We think it will be a big surprise if this award goes a different way.</p>
<p>Actress in a Supporting Role</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Bérénice Bejo </strong>in <em>The Artist</em></li>
<li><strong>Jessica Chastain</strong> in <em>The Help</em></li>
<li><strong>Melissa McCarthy</strong> in <em>Bridesmaids</em></li>
<li><strong>Janet McTeer </strong>in <em>Albert Nobbs</em></li>
<li><strong>Octavia Spencer</strong> in <em>The Help</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Another category with a pretty standard set of nominees with the exception of yet another comic performer.</p>
<p>This time it&#8217;s Melissa McCarthy who recently took home the Emmy for best comedic actress.  Though the Emmy celebrates television work some think her high profile performance in <em>Bridesmaids</em> helped boost her case<em>.</em></p>
<p>This reminds us of Robert Downey Jr&#8217;s nomination from 2008&#8217;s <em>Tropic Thunder</em> for his incredible commitment in an out-there role as a white man pretending to be a black man. While we doubt McCarthy will win, it&#8217;s still pretty cool that comedic performers Like Hill and McCarthy are getting more respect.</p>
<p>We think the biggest snub in this category belongs to Shailene Woodley&#8217;s heart-wrenching and honest performance in <em>The Descendants.</em> Her only prior claim to fame was as the lead in <em>Secret Life of the American Teenager</em>. Who knew she was capable of such an affecting acting job? We are disappointed she didn&#8217;t make the cut.</p>
<p>If we continue using the Golden Globes as a predictor, then Octavia Spencer is the favorite for this category. She has been highly praised for her role in <em>The Help, </em>which featured a number of strong female performances.</p>
<p>But while we agree Jessica Chastain deserved a nomination, we really think it should have been for <em>The Tree of Life</em>, which required a more demanding performance than her role in <em>The Help</em>. She also had excellent performances in 2011 for <em>Take Shelter</em> and <em>The Debt. </em>We think she has a good chance of winning this category if the Academy lets her successful year influence their voting, and with that in mind we&#8217;d like her to win too.</p>
<p>What do you think about this crop of nominees? Who would you rather see nominated? Who do you think will win?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Oscar Challenge #1!!</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/02/03/oscar-challenge-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/02/03/oscar-challenge-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oscars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screenplay]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15654</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Okay film buffs out there&#8230; we want your opinion.
We&#8217;ve been watching the films throughout 2011 and now it&#8217;s time to make some wagers&#8230;
We&#8217;re going to put our (metaphorical) money down on the potential Oscar winners and we want you to join in with your picks. We will end up on Oscar night with an online [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15659" title="oscars-statues-image-1" src="http://www.usdemocrazy.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oscars-statues-image-1.jpg" alt="oscars-statues-image-1" width="460" height="300" /></p>
<p>Okay film buffs out there&#8230; we want your opinion.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve been watching the films throughout 2011 and now it&#8217;s time to make some wagers&#8230;</p>
<p>We&#8217;re going to put our (metaphorical) money down on the potential Oscar winners and we want you to join in with your picks. We will end up on Oscar night with an online score card for you to fill out. Let&#8217;s see who comes out on top&#8230; you or us!</p>
<p>Today we are going start our evaluation of the film categories with the nominees for screenplays.</p>
<p>Writing (Adapted Screenplay)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Descendants </strong>Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon &amp; Jim Rash</li>
<li><strong>Hugo </strong>Screenplay by John Logan</li>
<li><strong>The Ides of March</strong> Screenplay by George Clooney &amp; Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon</li>
<li><strong>Moneyball </strong>Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin  Story by Stan Chervin</li>
<li><strong>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</strong> Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor &amp; Peter Straughan</li>
</ul>
<p>No real surprises here. Still, other serious contenders, Steve Zaillian for <em>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo </em>and Tate Taylor for <em>The Help</em>, didn&#8217;t make the cut. Our bet is on <em>The Descendants </em>who seem to have the strongest chance with its endearing and smart screenplay. Plus, it would be pretty cool for Jim Rash (the Dean from <em>Community</em>) to get an Oscar.</p>
<p>Writing (Original Screenplay)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Artist</strong> Written by Michel Hazanavicius</li>
<li><strong>Bridesmaids </strong>Written by Annie Mumolo &amp; Kristen Wiig</li>
<li><strong>Margin Call </strong>Written by J.C. Chandor</li>
<li><strong>Midnight in Paris</strong> Written by Woody Allen</li>
<li><strong>A Separation</strong> Written by Asghar Farhadi</li>
</ul>
<p>This category certainly has some shocking choices. <em>Bridesmaids </em>was definitely was expected to make the final list but it&#8217;s still pretty surprising that the Academy would nominate the R-rated comedy whatever its merits.</p>
<p>While <em>Margin Call </em>was well-received it also flew under the radar for the most part. We liked that it is J.C Chandor&#8217;s first feature film, which he also directed.</p>
<p><em>A Separation, </em>which is nominated for Best Foreign Film, was an unexpected finalist. Foreign films rarely get noticed in other categories but this film was highly praised.</p>
<p>Will Reiser&#8217;s semi-autobiographical <em>50/50 </em>was surprisingly snubbed<em>. </em>We would have enjoyed seeing Diablo Cody&#8217;s wicked dramedy <em>Young Adult </em>in the list of finalists.</p>
<p>We predict that Woody Allen will take home his third Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for <em>Midnight in Paris </em>which was both a critical darling and a box office success. We think he deserves it for capturing that key word in the category title: <strong>original</strong>. His concept was unique and, after winning the Golden Globe, it seems to be the favorite.</p>
<p>Okay&#8230; now it&#8217;s your turn. Which screenplays are in your top 5 list? Or did you fav&#8217;s get shafted?</p>
<p>Stay tuned for more of our nominated breakdown leading up to the Oscars on February 26.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>And the Nominees Are&#8230;.</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/01/25/and-the-nominees-are/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2012/01/25/and-the-nominees-are/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:46:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Best Picture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oscar nominations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15611</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For all the film buffs out there, Tuesday was a big day.
It was the day the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominations for the 2011 film year.
After surveying the list of nominees it appears most categories went as expected with a few surprises and snubs along the way (see our list [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For all the film buffs out there, Tuesday was a big day.</p>
<p>It was the day the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their <a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees">nominations</a> for the 2011 film year.</p>
<p>After surveying the list of nominees it appears most categories went as expected with a few surprises and snubs along the way (see our list below).</p>
<p>This year, the Big award- <em>Best Picture</em>- had 9 nominees. This group of nine was selected in a new and slightly confusing manner.</p>
<p>It started back in 2010, when the category for Best Picture was expanded from 5 to 10.</p>
<p>This lasted only 2 years, with the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/movies/oscar-rules-for-best-picture-change-yet-again.html">Academy announcing last summer</a> they have adjusted the rules to fluctuate between 5-10 nominees.  The first 5 films with the highest number of votes get a nod, followed by the next highest vote-getters who get a minimum of 5% of the Academy&#8217;s votes. In its first year in application 9 films received Best Picture nominations.</p>
<p>In the coming weeks we will be giving you a break down the major categories, culminating with the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26.</p>
<p>Best Picture</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong> Thomas Langmann, Producer</li>
<li><strong>“The Descendants”</strong> Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers</li>
<li><strong>“Extremely Loud &amp; Incredibly Close”</strong> Scott Rudin, Producer</li>
<li><strong>“The Help”</strong> Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”</strong> Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers</li>
<li><strong>“Midnight in Paris” </strong>Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers</li>
<li><strong>“Moneyball”</strong> Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers</li>
<li><strong>“The Tree of Life”</strong> Nominees to be determined</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse</strong><strong>“ </strong>Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers</li>
</ul>
<p>Directing</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong> Michel Hazanavicius</li>
<li><strong>“The Descendants”</strong> Alexander Payne</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”</strong> Martin Scorsese</li>
<li><strong>“Midnight in Paris”</strong> Woody Allen</li>
<li><strong>“The Tree of Life” </strong>Terrence Malick</li>
</ul>
<p>Actor in a Leading Role</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Demián Bichir</strong> in “A Better Life”</li>
<li><strong>George Clooney</strong> in “The Descendants”</li>
<li><strong>Jean Dujardin</strong> in “The Artist”</li>
<li><strong>Gary Oldman </strong>in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”</li>
<li><strong>Brad Pitt</strong> in “Moneyball”</li>
</ul>
<p>Actress in a Leading Role</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Glenn Close</strong> in “Albert Nobbs”</li>
<li><strong>Viola Davis</strong> in “The Help”</li>
<li><strong>Rooney Mara</strong> in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”</li>
<li><strong>Meryl Streep</strong> in “The Iron Lady”</li>
<li><strong>Michelle Williams</strong> in “My Week with Marilyn”</li>
</ul>
<p>Actor in a Supporting Role</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Kenneth Branagh </strong>in “My Week with Marilyn”</li>
<li><strong>Jonah Hill</strong> in “Moneyball”</li>
<li><strong>Nick Nolte</strong> in “Warrior”</li>
<li><strong>Christopher Plummer</strong> in “Beginners”</li>
<li><strong>Max von Sydow</strong> in “Extremely Loud &amp; Incredibly Close”</li>
</ul>
<p>Actress in a Supporting Role</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Bérénice Bejo </strong>in “The Artist”</li>
<li><strong>Jessica Chastain</strong> in “The Help”</li>
<li><strong>Melissa McCarthy</strong> in “Bridesmaids”</li>
<li><strong>Janet McTeer </strong>in “Albert Nobbs”</li>
<li><strong>Octavia Spencer</strong> in “The Help”</li>
</ul>
<p>Writing (Adapted Screenplay)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Descendants” </strong>Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon &amp; Jim Rash</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo” </strong>Screenplay by John Logan</li>
<li><strong>“The Ides of March”</strong> Screenplay by George Clooney &amp; Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon</li>
<li><strong>“Moneyball” </strong>Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin  Story by Stan Chervin</li>
<li><strong>“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”</strong> Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor &amp; Peter Straughan</li>
</ul>
<p>Writing (Original Screenplay)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong> Written by Michel Hazanavicius</li>
<li><strong>“Bridesmaids” </strong>Written by Annie Mumolo &amp; Kristen Wiig</li>
<li><strong>“Margin Call” </strong>Written by J.C. Chandor</li>
<li><strong>“Midnight in Paris”</strong> Written by Woody Allen</li>
<li><strong>“A Separation”</strong> Written by Asghar Farhadi</li>
</ul>
<p>Animated Feature Film</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“A Cat in Paris”</strong> Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli</li>
<li><strong>“Chico &amp; Rita” </strong>Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal</li>
<li><strong>“Kung Fu Panda 2″</strong> Jennifer Yuh Nelson</li>
<li><strong>“Puss in Boots”</strong> Chris Miller</li>
<li><strong>“Rango”</strong> Gore Verbinski</li>
</ul>
<p>Art Direction</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong><br />
Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould</li>
<li><strong>“</strong><strong>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2</strong><strong>“</strong><br />
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo” </strong><br />
Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo</li>
<li><strong>“Midnight in Paris” </strong><br />
Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse” </strong><br />
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales</li>
</ul>
<p>Cinematography</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist” </strong>Guillaume Schiffman</li>
<li><strong>“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” </strong>Jeff Cronenweth</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”</strong> Robert Richardson</li>
<li><strong>“The Tree of Life” </strong>Emmanuel Lubezki</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse” </strong>Janusz Kaminski</li>
</ul>
<p>Costume Design</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Anonymous” </strong>Lisy Christl</li>
<li><strong>“The Artist” </strong>Mark Bridges</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo” </strong>Sandy Powell</li>
<li><strong>“Jane Eyre” </strong>Michael O’Connor</li>
<li><strong>“W.E.” </strong>Arianne Phillips</li>
</ul>
<p>Documentary (Feature)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Hell and Back Again”<br />
</strong>Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner</li>
<li><strong>“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” </strong><br />
Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman</li>
<li><strong>“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” </strong><br />
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs</li>
<li><strong>“Pina” </strong><br />
Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel</li>
<li><strong>“Undefeated” </strong><br />
TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas</li>
</ul>
<p>Documentary (Short Subject)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” </strong><br />
Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin</li>
<li><strong>“God Is the Bigger Elvis” </strong><br />
Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson</li>
<li><strong>“Incident in New Baghdad”<br />
</strong>James Spione</li>
<li><strong>“Saving Face” </strong><br />
Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy</li>
<li><strong>“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” </strong><br />
Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen</li>
</ul>
<p>Film Editing</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong> Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius</li>
<li><strong>“The Descendants”</strong> Kevin Tent</li>
<li><strong>“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” </strong>Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo” </strong>Thelma Schoonmaker</li>
<li><strong>“Moneyball” </strong>Christopher Tellefsen</li>
</ul>
<p>Foreign Language Film</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Bullhead”</strong> Belgium</li>
<li><strong>“Footnote”</strong> Israel</li>
<li><strong>“In Darkness”</strong> Poland</li>
<li><strong>“Monsieur Lazhar”</strong> Canada</li>
<li><strong>“A Separation”</strong> Iran</li>
</ul>
<p>Makeup</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Albert Nobbs”<br />
</strong>Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle</li>
<li><strong>“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″</strong><br />
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng</li>
<li><strong>“The Iron Lady”<br />
</strong>Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland</li>
</ul>
<p>Music (Original Score)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Adventures of Tintin”</strong> John Williams</li>
<li><strong>“The Artist”</strong> Ludovic Bource</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”</strong> Howard Shore</li>
<li><strong>“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” </strong>Alberto Iglesias</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse”</strong> John Williams</li>
</ul>
<p>Music (Original Song)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Man or Muppet”</strong> from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie</li>
<li><strong>“Real in Rio”</strong> from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett</li>
</ul>
<p>Short Film (Animated)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Dimanche/Sunday” </strong>Patrick Doyon</li>
<li><strong>“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” </strong>William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg</li>
<li><strong>“La Luna” </strong>Enrico Casarosa</li>
<li><strong>“A Morning Stroll” </strong>Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe</li>
<li><strong>“Wild Life” </strong>Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby</li>
</ul>
<p>Short Film (Live Action)</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Pentecost” </strong>Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane</li>
<li><strong>“Raju” </strong>Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren</li>
<li><strong>“The Shore” </strong>Terry George and Oorlagh George</li>
<li><strong>“Time Freak”</strong> Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey</li>
<li><strong>“Tuba Atlantic” </strong>Hallvar Witzø</li>
</ul>
<p>Sound Editing</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Drive” </strong>Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis</li>
<li><strong>“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” </strong>Ren Klyce</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”</strong> Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty</li>
<li><strong>“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” </strong>Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse” </strong>Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom</li>
</ul>
<p>Sound Mixing</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”</strong><br />
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo” </strong><br />
Tom Fleischman and John Midgley</li>
<li><strong>“Moneyball”</strong><br />
Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick</li>
<li><strong>“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” </strong><br />
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin</li>
<li><strong>“War Horse”<br />
</strong>Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson</li>
</ul>
<p>Visual Effects</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ </strong><br />
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson</li>
<li><strong>“Hugo”<br />
</strong>Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning</li>
<li><strong>“Real Steel” </strong><br />
Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg</li>
<li><strong>“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”<br />
</strong>Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett</li>
<li><strong>“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”</strong><br />
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier</li>
</ul>
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		<item>
		<title>Animated Christmas Greetings!</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/23/animated-christmas-greetings/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/23/animated-christmas-greetings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>kaltoons</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monty python]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terry Gilliam]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15423</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
We at USDemocrazy are long time Monty Python fans. When we noticed this Christmas card created in 1968 by Terry Gilliam, the genius behind Python&#8217;s animation, we were curious.
Much to our delight, the video is a classic. It put a smile on our faces and we hope it does the same to you. 
Merry Christmas!
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NL4D1PcgZd4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
We at<a href="www.usdemocrazy.com"> USDemocrazy</a> are long time Monty Python fans. When we noticed this Christmas card created in 1968 by Terry Gilliam, the genius behind Python&#8217;s animation, we were curious.</p>
<p>Much to our delight, the video is a classic. It put a smile on our faces and we hope it does the same to you. </p>
<p>Merry Christmas!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Holiday Season at the Theaters &#8211; 12/21</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/22/holiday-season-at-the-theaters-1221/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/22/holiday-season-at-the-theaters-1221/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:24:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tintin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15416</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Christmas week is usually the biggest for movie releases. Studios try to put out their best work and compete hard with each other for the movie-goer&#8217;s cash.
Last week&#8217;s entrants Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Alvin &#38; the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked took the top 2 spots, but were not nearly as successful as their predecessors.
The [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Christmas week is usually the biggest for movie releases. Studios try to put out their best work and compete hard with each other for the movie-goer&#8217;s cash.</p>
<p><a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2011&amp;wknd=50&amp;p=.htm">Last week&#8217;s entrants </a><em>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</em> and <em>Alvin &amp; the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked</em> took the top 2 spots, but were not nearly as successful as their predecessors.</p>
<p>The number 3 spot went to <em>Mission Impossible 4</em>, but it was arguably the most successful. It raked in a solid average of $30,083 per theater  (it was only playing in 425 locations).</p>
<p>This will be the movie to watch as it expands to a wider national release today.</p>
<p>Two more movies are entering the game today. One will start playing Friday, and another two will open Christmas day. With 8 movies opening in time for the holiday rush, it will be interesting to see who will be the ultimate winner.</p>
<p><em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">This is possibly the most anticipated, talked about film of the holiday season. Some are insanely excited ( like we are), and some are just annoyed that Hollywood felt the need to remake a perfectly great foreign film for the sake of no subtitles. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">David Fincher (<em>The Social Network</em>, <em>Fight Club) </em>seems like the perfect director to present this story though and he claims that it is not so much a remake as a separate adaptation of the novel.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"> We&#8217;ve heard it might even be closer to the source material than the Swedish film. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Dragon-Tattoo-Star-Rooney-Mara-Talks-Set-Bruises-Becoming-Lisbeth-Salander-28459.html">Rooney Mara seems to fully commit to her role</a>, and Daniel Craig is always pretty great. We&#8217;re excited for another Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross collaborated score (the two won an Oscar for <em>The Social Network</em> last year). And, come on&#8211;&#8221;the feel bad movie of Christmas&#8221; is possibly the coolest tagline ever.</span></span></span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WVLvMg62RPA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>The Adventures of Tintin</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">This Steven Spielberg-directed, Peter Jackson-produced  power house of a film is already an insane hit in the UK, and seems likely to be one of the top animated movies this year. </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">The writing staff is quite impressive with the amazing Edgar Wright (<em>Shaun of The Dead, </em>etc), Joe Cornish (<em>Attack the Block</em>), and Steven Moffat (<em>Doctor Who</em>) teaming up on the script based on the <a href="http://us.tintin.com/">popular European comic books</a>. </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">It has already has a $200 million cushion from the foreign box office. We just hope that it is able to surpass the new <em>Alvin &amp; the Chipmunks</em> movie in the US. </span></span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nlE4kXKwG7Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">What do you plan to see now that final exams are about done and winter break is about started? Let us know what you thought about any films you&#8217;ve been watching lately!</span></p>
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		<title>In Theaters This Week &#8211; 12/9</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/09/in-theaters-this-week-129/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/12/09/in-theaters-this-week-129/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Year's eve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Descendants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The sitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15242</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Movie addicts like us got a vacation last week as no new movies opened in theaters.
It ended up being a rather weak weekend with Breaking Dawn holding the top spot for the third week in a row but with 60.3% loss from the week prior.
This weekend two new movies open and one other gets an [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Movie addicts like us got a vacation last week as no new movies opened in theaters.</p>
<p>It ended up being a rather weak weekend with <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2011&amp;wknd=48&amp;p=.htm"><em>Breaking Dawn </em>holding the top spot </a>for the third week in a row but with 60.3% loss from the week prior.</p>
<p>This weekend two new movies open and one other gets an expansion to a wide release.</p>
<p><em>The Sitter</em></p>
<p>This is your last chance to see Jonah Hill as we all know him, before  his dramatic weight loss which will first be seen in 2012&#8217;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISJR4rVO0TQ"><em>21 Jump Street</em></a>. His character in this movie seems like an older version of his character Seth in <em>Superbad </em>meets <em>Adventures in Babysitting</em> plus lots of R-rated humor.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s another David Gordon Green directed comedy, so if you&#8217;ve been a fan of his other movies, like <em>Pineapple Express</em> or <em>Your Highness</em>, you should be into this.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/japyVYImEcM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>The Descendants</em></p>
<p>This movie has been running the indie circuit for 3 weeks now, but is getting a full expansion this weekend. With a <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_descendants_2011/">90% score on Rotten Tomatoes</a> it seems to be like a real winner if you enjoy a comedic drama or George Clooney. Clooney plays a father going through life altering circumstances. We&#8217;ve heard that it can be pleasantly humorous at times but with emotional depth that can spring a few tears.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CWHNXJ1K4yA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<em>New Year&#8217;s Eve</em></p>
<p>We never caught the predecessor to this movie, <em>Valentine&#8217;s Day</em>, but it can be assumed that this will be more of the same (whatever that was). Sorry, we&#8217;re not much help here&#8230;Still, if you&#8217;re into intersecting love stories, we recommend <em>Love Actually</em> (which is holiday themed) or <em>Paris, Je T&#8217;aime</em>.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/k1Y2uXjsKjs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Planning to see any of these? Let us know what you thought or opinions about any other recent movies!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>In Theaters This Week &#8211; 11/23</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/23/in-theaters-this-week-1123/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/23/in-theaters-this-week-1123/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:42:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arthur Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hugo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movie reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Muppets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanksgiving weekend is offering up 3 family films to battle it out at the box office against last week&#8217;s Breaking Dawn.
Also from last week, Happy Feet 2 had a meager opening for an animated feature, and probably won&#8217;t stand a chance against this week&#8217;s picks.
So far all three of these movies are getting fabulous reviews [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanksgiving weekend is offering up 3 family films to battle it out at the box office against last week&#8217;s <em>Breaking Dawn</em>.</p>
<p>Also from last week, <em>Happy Feet 2 </em>had a meager opening for an animated feature, and probably won&#8217;t stand a chance against this week&#8217;s picks.</p>
<p>So far all three of these movies are getting fabulous reviews so if you are into family fare you can&#8217;t go wrong here.</p>
<p><em>Hugo</em></p>
<p>Martin Scorsese directs this family film about a young orphan, Hugo (Asa Butterfield), who takes residence in a train station.  Talented, young actress Chloe Moretz (<em>Kick-Ass, Let Me In</em>) costars as Hugo&#8217;s friend, with Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen rounding out the main cast. The movie is promising a whimsical adventure but the trailer isn&#8217;t very exciting. So far <em>Hugo</em> holds an impressive<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hugo/"> 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.</a></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UGTfCw1x98A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Arthur Christmas</em></p>
<p>The newest 3D animated feature follows the titular character,  who happens to be Santa Claus&#8217;s son. As is typical in these films he attempts to save Christmas&#8230; or something mundane along those lines. However the  film must be a bit more clever than the plot suggests considering the very positive reviews it is receiving, with a current rating of <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arthur_christmas/">94% on Rotten Tomatoes</a>.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7tk-WZSqIGQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Our Suggestion: <em>The Muppets</em><br />
</strong><br />
There is definitely a huge nostalgic push to check out this movie sequel written by Jason Segel. With Segal on board how could it really be so bad?</p>
<p>Segel might be a surprising choice at first, but if you saw his writing debut in 2008&#8217;s  &#8220;Forgetting Sarah Marshall&#8221;, you will remember his Dracula puppet musical&#8211;which he had previously written as a side project and decided to incorporate in the film.</p>
<p>Turns out Segel is a huge Muppets fan and got the chance to write (along with Nicholas Stoller) and star in this latest Muppet feature.</p>
<p>We had a chance to check it out and it does not disappoint in the slightest! It is extremely clever and well-written, with all of the factors that made the Muppets so great in the first place.</p>
<p>Even for someone who&#8217;s not a huge fan of the Muppets, there is still plenty to enjoy in this update. The musical numbers are all fantastically funny, there are countless cameos. Amy Adams and Chris Cooper round out the human cast with delightful performances. Of all the films coming out this week, we think this is the one that every family member at every age can enjoy the most. It currently stands at a <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/&quot; mce_href=&quot;http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/">97% on Rotten Tomatoes</a></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C4YhbpuGdwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>If you check out a movie this Thanksgiving weekend, let us know what you saw and thought!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>In Theaters This Week &#8211; 11/18</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/18/in-theaters-this-week-1118/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/18/in-theaters-this-week-1118/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:50:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happy Feet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxi Driver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twilight]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=15024</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What&#8217;s up movie watchers? USDemocrazy is back again with the movies coming to theaters this week.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Oscar-winner Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, Kinsey)  takes over as director of the latest installment which features the obvious next step in this love story: marriage resulting in a half-vampire/ half-human baby. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What&#8217;s up movie watchers? USDemocrazy is back again with the movies coming to theaters this week.</p>
<p><em>The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1</em></p>
<p>Oscar-winner Bill Condon (<em>Gods and Monsters</em>, <em>Dreamgirls</em>, <em>Kinsey</em>)  takes over as director of the latest installment which features the obvious next step in this love story: marriage resulting in a half-vampire/ half-human baby. If you&#8217;re a fan already you&#8217;ll probably love this film. If you loathe this series then you should just avoid the movie theater completely this weekend.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p1OHXR63a38" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Happy Feet 2</em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We are honestly not sure what this movie is about. A baby penguin  doesn&#8217;t know how to dance which is a problem because&#8230;? And meets a  penguin who thinks he can fly which is a problem because&#8230;? There must have  been some admirable qualities to the original because it won the 2006  Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. But this one features penguins  singing &#8220;Sexy Back&#8221;&#8230; hmmmm. </span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gKWNUyTGqss" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Want to avoid the Twi-hards and kids who are bound to be swarming theaters this weekend? Are you into new releases but are looking for something different to feast your eyes on?</p>
<p><strong>Our Recommendation: </strong></p>
<p>As part of <a title="the Charles" href="http://thecharles.com">The Charles</a>&#8216; ongoing revival series, they are showing the 1976 Martin Scorsese classic <em>Taxi Driver</em>. The film features Robert De Niro as the iconic unstable ex-marine Travis Bickle and a 13-year old Jodie Foster as a troubled child prostitute who Bickle becomes consumed with saving. Don&#8217;t miss the chance to see this on the big screen, which must surely be the best way to experience the dramatic finale to this highly regarded film. <em>(plays Saturday at noon, Monday at 7pm, and Wednesday at 9pm)</em></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="369" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bqLyTdcMLhc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Seen anything good in theaters? Anything bad? Let us know!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>In Theaters Now!- 11/11</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/12/in-theaters-now-1111/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/12/in-theaters-now-1111/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:22:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immortals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[J.Edgar Hoover]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jack and Jill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Like Crazy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=14932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three movies are opening in theaters this weekend&#8211;a political drama, a super stylized action, and a sorry excuse for a comedy!
Immortals
This movie is a combination of the look of 300 with 3D depicting a huge mythological battle. The director Tarsem Singh had this to say about the film: &#8220;It&#8217;s turning into, basically, Caravaggio meets Fight [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three movies are opening in theaters this weekend&#8211;a political drama, a super stylized action, and a sorry excuse for a comedy!</p>
<p><em>Immortals</em></p>
<p>This movie is a combination of the look of 300 with 3D depicting a huge mythological battle. The director Tarsem Singh <a href="http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/tarsem-reveals-interesting-war-of-the-gods-plot-details/">had this to say</a> about the film: &#8220;It&#8217;s turning into, basically, <em>Caravaggio</em> meets <em>Fight Club</em>. It&#8217;s a really hardcore action film done in Renaissance painting style.&#8221; Pretty nuts, huh? I guess it&#8217;s still up in the air whether this will be a fun, action flick about the gods (<em>Thor</em>) or just another  effects-ed up, stylized, 3D wannabe blockbusters (<em>The Three Musketeers</em>).</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7VdONYkKFmQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Jack &amp; Jill</em></p>
<p>Can we all agree this looks terrible? This movie must be proof that Adam Sandler is taking bets from his friends about whether he can make money off of the worst ideas they can think of after a few beers.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TV3enEAZji0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>J. Edgar</em></p>
<p>This biopic follows J. Edgar Hoover, the first Director of the FBI, in both the political and personal world where he was rumored to be a closeted homosexual. The reviews for this seem to be mixed, with performances being mostly praised while the script seeming lackluster. This surprised me, since the screenwriter, Dustin Lance Diamond, also wrote <em>Milk,</em> winning his the Oscar for original screenplay. With a running time that goes way overboard, this may be one to skip.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XULIO67YIRA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Opening at <a title="the Charles" href="http://thecharles.com">The Charles</a></p>
<p><em>Like Crazy</em></p>
<p>We caught a screener of this last week. If you&#8217;re into slowburning romance stories with a bit of cutesy and handheld camera work, you&#8217;re in luck! Anton Yelchin and a brilliant Felicity Jones star as two college students who fall for each other until Jones overstays her student visa and is stuck in Britain. All of the difficulties that come with a long-distance relationship are explored, but if you&#8217;ve ever been in any sort of serious relationship you&#8217;ll most likely connect with this story. It doesn&#8217;t necessarily conquer any new ground, but it is a romantic dramedy that&#8217;s far removed from Katherine Heigl.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r-ZV-bwZmBw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>See anything at the movies lately? Let us know what you thought about any of these movies or anything else out right now!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Movie Maven&#8217;s Picks of the Week</title>
		<link>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/05/movie-mavens-picks-of-the-week/</link>
		<comments>http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2011/11/05/movie-mavens-picks-of-the-week/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:47:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Reelcute</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Film Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baltimore cinema]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[film]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry and Kumar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Charles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tower Heist]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=14859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week is not very great in the world of movies. Only two wide releases are coming out, both comedies that could be busts.
So, what&#8217;s out this weekend?
Tower Heist
I think this movie looks sort of awful but it could be one of those mostly non-offensive comedies that are an okay way to waste $10 and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week is not very great in the world of movies. Only two wide releases are coming out, both comedies that could be busts.</p>
<p>So, what&#8217;s out this weekend?</p>
<p><em>Tower Heist</em></p>
<p>I think this movie looks sort of awful but it could be one of those mostly non-offensive comedies that are an okay way to waste $10 and a Friday night. It really depends on what you&#8217;re into. Ben Stiller has been hit-or-miss the past few years, but this looks more <em>Little Fockers</em> than <em>Tropic Thunder</em>. Let usknow if we are wrong!</p>
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<p><em>A Very Harold &amp; Kumar 3D Christmas</em></p>
<p>I thought the original was great, the sequel was horrific, and this one doesn&#8217;t appear too promising. They seem to be going for the &#8220;3D is ridiculous so we&#8217;re exploiting it&#8221;-thing but <em>Piranhas 3D</em> already did that and I&#8217;m almost certain they did it way better. It&#8217;s also a bit too far from Christmas for that to be a drawing point. I do know people who caught a screener and thought it was pretty funny with some awesome claymation portions and an on-point Neil Patrick Harris. Seems to be a step up from <em>Guantanamo Bay</em>.</p>
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<p><strong>OUR RECOMMENDATION</strong>: See something at the <a title="Charles Theater" href="http://thecharles.com">Charles Theater</a> this weekend. If you&#8217;ve never been, you definitely should make the roughly 20-minute trek from campus.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s Baltimore art-house theater but they regularly play mainstream movies as well&#8211;not to mention they have great popcorn. These are the new titles, but also showing is <em>50/50</em>, <em>Cave of Forgotten Dreams</em>, <em>Margin Call</em>,<em> Take Shelter</em>, &amp; <em>The Hedgehog</em>. And to make the theater even more cool, they have a revival series with a different classic playing each week.</p>
<p>This weekend they&#8217;re showing <em>The Grapes of Wrath</em>. (Side note: stop by Sofi&#8217;s Crepes, right next to the theater, before or after for some great eats!)</p>
<p><em>Martha Marcy May Marlene</em></p>
<p>This film is described as a psychological thriller, but it&#8217;s more of a drama. Watching this film I was waiting for the more &#8220;thrilling&#8221; moments to start but it never exactly happened. However, this is not to say it isn&#8217;t good. This was an excellent film, with an amazing performance by Elizabeth Olsen (the twin&#8217;s younger sister).</p>
<p>Olsen&#8217;s character is recently escaped from a cult-ish commune where she has been living for two years under a Manson-esque leader (John Hawkes). The film portrays her attempt to assimilate back into normal life while having constant flashbacks to her time at the commune, all while her paranoia and fear grow. The cinematography, direction, and performances are all well-done as they tackle a subject that is hard to watch. If you are into indie dramas, definitely give it a watch.</p>
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<p><em>The Skin I Live In</em></p>
<p>A artsy Spanish horror/thriller about a a surgeon (Antonia Banderas) who&#8217;s obsessed with creating more resilient skin and must test his creation on a human subject. The premise seems quite unsettling, although the trailer leaves basically everything to the imagination. The director, <span>Pedro Almodóva is known for taking on intense stories with great results so I&#8217;d give this a shot. </span></p>
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<p>Planning on seeing one of these movies this weekend? Something else? Watched anything good recently? Let us know!</p>
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