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Nature Calls
Who: Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney, Darrell Hammond
What: Oswalt plays a Scoutmaster who kidnaps the scouts for a true wilderness adventure weekend, with angry parents in pursuit, in this comedy.
When: January 22nd
Why: I’m not sure I trust the comedy based on the trailer, but Oswalt is funny, and the addition of Knoxville, Riggle, and Hammond could convince me to check it out.

Nobody Walks
Who: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt
What: Krasinski and DeWitt play a married couple who take in a young, sexy artist, played by Thirlby. Naturally, she becomes a stresser to the marriage.
When: January 22nd
Why: Thirlby can seduce me into watching any of her movies, and this kind of story is always like the car wreck you can’t look away from.

Officer Down
Who: Stephen Dorff, Dominic Purcell, David Boreanaz, Soulja Boy, Stephen Lang, James Woods, Walton Goggins
What: An action flick about a cop (Dorff) who goes rogue to deal with abuse against girls at a strip club.. Woods plays a corrupt suit.
When: January 22nd
Why: This is a great B-level cast. I’ll rent movies where Lang, Woods, or Groggins appear alone; even better when they’re in the same movie.

The Paperboy
Who: Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey, Macy Gray, Scott Glenn, director Lee Daniels
What: Based on the novel, two brothers (McConaughey and Efron) try to exonerate a death row convict (Cusack), with the help of the convict’s girlfriend (Kidman).
When: January 22nd
Why: Most people missed this movie in theaters, but it has pedigree. Director Lee Daniels was nominated for Best Director for his previous movie Precious. Kidman was nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for her role in this movie.

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning
Who: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, Andrei Alovski
What: The sixth movie in the series that began twenty years ago, this sci-fi action flick features martial artist Scott Adkins playing a regular guy facing off against genetically engineered super soldiers played by Van Damme, Alovski, and Lundgren.
When: January 22nd
Why: Because it’s Van Damme/Lundgren/Adkins, with UFC champion Alovski, all kicking ass. You do have to sit through an hour of fairly horrific gun violence and Van Damme staring into the camera before you get to the good action.

Parked
Who: Colm Meaney
What: Meaney plays a down and out middle aged guy who puts his life in order with some helpful friends.
When: January 29th
Why: As a Star Trek fan I feel compelled to pay attention to anything the cast members are in.

Seven Psychopaths
Who: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurlenko, Harry Dean Stanton, Gabourey Sidibe, director Martin McDonagh, composer Carter Burwell.
What: A dark comedy about a whole mess of gangsters messing it up with each other.
When: January 29th
Why: Director Martin McDonagh was nominated for his crime-comedy screenplay In Bruges, which I thought was great. I always seek out movies with Sam Rockwell.

The Cold Light of Day
Who: Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver, Colm Meaney
What: An action thriller genre movie about a regular guy (Cavill) who gets caught up in an espionage plot when his family is kidnapped and he finds out his father (Willis) works for the CIA (with Weaver).
When: January 29th
Why: I don’t care about bad reviews, if it’s got Bruce Willis and an espionage plot, I’m in. This is one among a bunch of low key (or direct to video) action movies Willis has appeared in over the last few years.

The Eye of the Storm
Who: Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling, Judy Davis
What: Based on the 1973 novel, set in Australia, Rush and Davis play the children of terminally ill Rampling.
When: January 29th
Why: The film brought a whole slew of nominations in Australia’s first academy awards, with Judy Davis winning Best Actress.


Big movies also releasing on DVD in January:
Dredd, Frankenweenie, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Ted, The Bourne Legacy, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3, The Possession, Hotel Transylvania, Paranormal Activity 4.


Look for the next Watchlist column in mid-February.

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