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Ain't Them Bodies Saints
Who: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine
What: A romance and crime drama. Affleck and Mara play a couple who were on a crime spree until Affleck's character goes to prison to protect her. He breaks out of prison to return to her, only to find that she's now involved with a lawman (Foster).
When: December 17th - DVD
Why: Casey's older brother may be the better known Affleck, but Casey is pretty darn good himself. I'm a big fan of Mara too especially for her performance in the Hollywood version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Foster is always an intense actor. The three of them in a love triangle sounds like great potential. Ain't Them Bodies Saints was shown at both the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, receiving a good response at both.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Who: Amber Heard, Michael Welch, Whitney Able, Anson Mount
What: A potential summer sex romp turns into murder thriller. Heard plays an aloof high school girl who all the boys have been lusting after and they finally get her to come out for a party at a remote house on a ranch. And you know what happens when high school kids try to party at a remote cabin.
When: December 3rd - DVD and online on-demand
Why: I'm not normally a fan of this kind of basic slaughter-horror genre movie, but mention Amber Heard and I'm in. The oddly interesting thing about this movie is that it was completed and shown at film festivals in 2006, but due to distribution rights issues, it didn't get a theatrical release until 2013. That fact might get some audiences wondering if there was some conspiracy to keep it from being seen, but I wouldn't get too excited. Reviews have been mixed.

Battle of the Year
Who: Josh Holloway, Chris Brown, Laz Alonso, Josh Peck, Caity Lotz
What: A dance-off movie featuring an American team facing off against an international assortment of teams. Holloway plays a former basketball coach tasked with bringing the group together.
When: December 10th - DVD and online on-demand
Why: If you like dance-off movies, like the Step Up series, primarily for the choreography, you might be interested in this movie. Director Benson Lee previously directed a documentary called Planet B-Boy about the actual 2005 Battle of the Year competition and B-boy culture. This Battle of the Year is the dramatic version. It got hammered by critics, but dialogue isn't that important if you're watching for the moves. I'm always curious about what Josh Holloway has been up to since Lost. Musician Chris Brown has also appeared in Stomp the Yard. Lotz currently appears in the TV series Arrow.

Drinking Buddies
Who: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston
What: A romantic comedy about two couples who may be with the wrong people. Wilde and Johnson are coworkers at a brewery who are dating Livingston and Kendrick respectively. A couples trip to the beach, along with lots of drinking, causes a change in the relationships.
When: December 3rd - DVD and online on-demand
Why: Two of my favorite actors in a romantic comedy. I love Olivia Wilde from the movies, and Jake Johnson is hilarious in the TV series New Girl.

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