Despite my poor title, this past weekend was filled with quite a few movies for all audiences to check out. Apparently people either were craving Ali Larter, Beyonce or what is a very similar version of ‘Fatal Attraction’ in Sony and Screen Gems’ latest film, Obsessed. The story swirls around a successful asset manager (Idris Elba), who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and in his marriage, but a temp worker (Ali Larter) starts stalking him, all the things he’s worked so hard for are placed in jeopardy. Jumping in first place over the other three newly released movies, the stalker-induced story was a little surprising to see up on top.

Fighting, not just a verb now but a title for the recent Rogue Pictures drama, stars Channing Tatum as a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist (Terrence Howard), who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit. Punching its way to third behind every teen girl’s favorite Zac Efron in 17 Again, Tatum’s romp on the big screen was noticed a little less than what I expected.

Larter slithers her film to the top.

The last two to crop up are the Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx film The Soloist and Disney Nature’s Earth. Earth was released on Wednesday, so technically it isn’t entirely new for this weekend draw, but it’s not the summertime yet so it picked up some momentum fairly more these past couple of days to jump into fifth. Concerning Paramount/Dreamworks’ latest creation, mixing down to mainly positive reviews brought in a fair amount of people to check it out so it can tuck itself away in fourth. As for the rest of the flicks out and about, each one of them respectively made their buck for the weekend. Check out the stats below.

Weekend Box Office (April 24-26)

1. Obsessed  ($28.6 Million)
2. 17 Again  ($11.5 Million)
3. Fighting  ($11 Million)
4. The Soloist  ($9.7 Million)
5. DisneyNature’s Earth  ($8.8 Million)
6. Monsters Vs. Aliens  ($8.5 Million)
7. State of Play  ($6.8 Million)
8. Hannah Montana The Movie  ($6.4 Million)
9. Fast & Furious 4  ($6.2 Million)
10. Crank: High Voltage  ($2.6 Million)

That’s a wrap up for the latest intake at the box office. Hold onto your knickers everyone with not only Philip’s summer movie preview coming up displaying the best (and worst) to grace us for the next four months but the kickoff of the summer movie season this friday. Hugh Jackman’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine will finally claw it’s way onto the big screen along with the CGI animated film Battle For Terra and the romantic comedy Ghost of Girlfriend’s Past.

It’s now March which means the NCAA Tournament is on the horizon (YES!), St. Patrick’s Day is close (UH OH!) and the spring movie season is in full swing. Over the past few years, the spring season has become pretty lucrative thanks in large part to films like 300. Today we’re gonna break down the movies that lead us into May and give you six flicks to watch this Spring Season.

MARCH 6

WATCHMEN

Pretty amazing most people are looking forward to this more than most of the summer blockbusters this year. Zack Snyder takes on the impossible task of faithfully adapting Alan Moore’s masterpiece onto film. Early buzz is dividing people right down the line (which any special film should) and it’s going to be very interesting to see how the general audience takes what isn’t exactly user friendly. If anything, the fact Snyder got this faithful, this far is a feat in and of itself.

MARCH 13

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN

The People’s Champ, THE ROCK (Dwyane Johnson as he likes to be called now) stars in this remake of the 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain. With 2007’s The Game Plan being a hit among the childrens, it makes sense Disney would cash in on their next bankable star. However, everything released makes this look like it’s made just as much for adults as it was kids, something The Game Plan can’t say.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

Wes Craven continues his success remaking all of his past films with this epic. The premise is the same, but gone are the dual murders and the urban setting. Can’t really tell if Wes remaking all of his catalogue is good or bad, but it worked for The Hills Have Eyes so why not? The only question, how many more years before Scream is remade?

MISS MARCH

Ever wonder what it would be like if your sweetheart turned out to be a Playboy model? Now what if you were in a coma for four years before she took on said job? Would you try to win her back? Those really aren’t questions but rather the plot to Miss March from 2/5 of the Whitest Kid’s U Know Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore. Buzz isn’t really strong on this film and they pretty much all but give away the plot in the trailers. Say hello to the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart in two years.

MARCH 20

KNOWING

Oh Alex Proyas, ye so talented, but ye pick terrible projects. Actually, Knowing does have a good premise and has the pieces in place to be promising. The only bothersome thing is that it looks like it borrows too much from The Number 23 and The DaVinci Code with it’s “numbers” game gimmick. But it is Alex Proyas who did wonders with what he was given for I, Robot so there’s some hope.

DUPLICITY

Tony Gilroy writes and directs Clive Owen and Julia Roberts about two spies with a steamy past who hook up for the ultimate con. Gilroy’s perfected the spy genre being the man behind the Bourne trilogy but this looks much more cheerful. What we can hope for is a strong box-office take from this one so we can get Clive Owen back to leading man status. If not, then it’s probably time for Julia Roberts to do her next Richard Gere/Gary Marshall fiasco.

I LOVE YOU, MAN

Bro-mance comes full circle in this comedy from John Hamburg who gave us 2004’s Along Came Polly. Apatow regulars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel star in this flick about a friendless man trying to find a best man for his wedding, but his new BFF might put the strain on his relationship. True, the Apatow roots are there but this looks to be taking on it’s own life.

MARCH 27

ADVENTURELAND

Superbad director Greg Mottola directs this comedy about a man (Jesse Eisenberg) who takes a nothing job at an amusement park to realize it will get him ready for the real world. Mottola did a perfect job taking on the awkward stage with his previous film and even though Kristen Stewart is in this (who contributed to slapping the film world in the face with that horrid vampire film), the same should be expected. The question is can it duplicate Superbad’s success?

MONSTERS AND ALIENS

Seth Rogen does another animated film and joining him is Stephen Colbert, Reese Witherspoon and Rainn Wilson. Dreamworks finally made a film that could compete with Pixar’s best in Kung Fu Panda so it’s hard not to trust them with this. It’s also not gonna hurt that this is in 3-D either.

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT

I’m pretty sure I remember this film being titled The Amityville Horror. That reveal all trailer didn’t help matters either

12 ROUNDS

John Cena and Renny Harlin is a duo that causes nausea to children in Africa. Actually, the only interesting thing about this flick is Aiden Gillen, who was perfect as Mayor Tommy Carcetti on TV’s “The Wire” (the greatest show ever.) The plot of this film is a little reminiscent of Die Hard With A Vengeance with Cena’s other film The Marine mixed in. If there’s justice, Witch Mountain will destroy this film, box office wise.

APRIL 3

FAST AND FURIOUS

As someone who thought the last three Furious films were complete crap, color me excited for this one. The trailers have been slick and Tokyo Drift director Justin Lin teams with the original cast in what is essentially a “re-imagining” of the first film. Only with something resembling a plot, and much, much better action.

APRIL 8/APRIL 10

DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION (April

There’s a world of problems surrounding this film, be it that the lead has no asian bone in him, Emmy Rossum looking bored, or the plot not even trying to honor the original. Aside from one or two die-hards (or people who won’t admit this will be bad), the fans have all but damned this film from the beginning. Two other films are planned, but those might end up being straight to DVD releases, considering the other film this one has to go up against.

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE

So what I’ve watched a few episodes or thirty of this show. Who cares if I’ve got “Nobody’s Perfect” on my iTunes? The film is the best way to send off this show seeing as Disney trashes their shows after 63 episodes and Miley is all but ready to mature. It’s that which really makes the film autobiographical in a sense, although given the great job Billy Ray has done with his child (and truly, he has) it’s tough to think Miley would throw a shoe at Tyra Banks. Still, the Zack Snyder version of this film would pull in more bank than the film is already going to get.

OBSERVE AND REPORT

On the heels of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Seth Rogen being the comedy golden boy comes this flick about a mall security guard trying to stop a flasher from turning the mall into his playground. Unlike the other security guard film, this will be more crude and (reportedly) a nice follow up to The Foot Fist Way. Is it good or bad Rogen is starting to star in films that feature full frontal male nudity?

CASE 39

Renee Zellweger looks to continue the trend of struggling actresses teaming with foreign directors for a re-imagining. She plays a social worker who tries to defend a girl from her abusive parents, but gets more than she bargains for. Ian McShane is on tap as well which may be this film’s only redeeming factor.

APRIL 17

CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE

If there’s one film I’m looking forward to more than Watchmen, it’d be this. Crank is one of the most entertaining films you’ll find and this one looks to ramp up everything great about the first film. What made the first so great is that it just didn’t care who it offended and played on that. Plus, any film that has a shotgun being literally stuck up a guy’s ass has to be great, yes?

17 AGAIN

Maybe this should have been called Big Jack Going On 17. Matthew Perry plays a man who’s lived life full of regrets and suddenly changes into Zac Efron, much to the delight of Leslie Mann. She’s supposed to be confused, but realistically, I think any of Perry’s dates would be thrilled if he transformed into Troy Bolton (nor would they care.)

STATE OF PLAY

Based on the 2003 BBC series, State of Play features Ben Affleck as a man on the rise in the political world, til his mistress and research assistant is murdered and Russell Crowe snoops around into a conspiracy that gets them all in over their heads. The Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald hemls this which should be the tout April thriller we seem to get every year (i.e. – The Interpreter, Insomina, Identity, Inside Man, etc.)

APRIL 24

OBSESSED

The only appealing thing in this flick is Idris Elba who (much like Aiden Gillen) was perfect as Stringer Bell on “The Wire: The Greatest Television Show Ever”. In this, he seems to take the logical choice of Ali Larter over the overrated mess that is Beyonce Knowles. Then again, how logical is it when the former is a psychotic ‘obsessed’ maniac? The only way this film wouldn’t be a complete rip off is if Beyonce has a song and dance with Ali Larter in a cover of “The Boy Is Mine”. That, or Omar Devone Little shows up.

FIGHTING

Audiences get a taste of G.I. Joe leading man Channing Tatum in this flick which looks like a much more faithful adaptation of Street Fighter than the recently released “adaptation”. The film also features Luis Guzman and Terrence Howard who should give the film some form of entertainment.

THE SOLOIST

Robert Downey Jr. portrays Steve Lopez, a reporter who befriends troubled yet brilliant Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) who lives on Skid Row. It’s not bad buzz that this was pushed from it’s scheduled October released date to now. The film is helmed by Atonement director Joe Wright, features two of the best actors working today, and should have a nice script that tells a triumphant tale. It will end the spring well.

Now, officially spring isn’t over but in the movie world, the summer starts in May. Having said that, here are my Top Six Most Anticipated Spring Films:

1. WATCHMEN
2. CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE
3. THE SOLOIST
4. RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
5. MONSTERS AND ALIENS
6. FAST AND FURIOUS

Enjoy the spring season that kicks off on Friday with Watchmen. My video and text reviews will follow.

Well it’s that time of the year when things are dying down and folks are off for the Holidays. Or depending on your family, it may not be the time of year you look forward to. The Hustle and Bustle of Holiday shopping, years end reports due at work, long hours put in at the paper mill….oh wait no one uses paper anymore. In this time of the internet, lists can be a winner for sure. So I figured why not start us off with a bang for the New Year.

So let’s get on with the list of upcoming movies in 09 that at least a few of us are excited about. By the way this is in no order besides that of which I think of them.

Monsters vs. Aliens

Why I am excited: I am always up for a solid movie with a company very well known for awesome animation. While I don’t see this breaking any records, I would say this may be the Wall-E of 2009.

Summary: When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California girl named Susan Murphy and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland and Paul Rudd

Release: March 27, 2009

Watchmen

Why I am excited: Have you seen the freaking Trailers for this thing??? This movie looks awesome, comic book adaptation done well, what more can you say. I am ready for this one to hit IMAX now!!

Summary: In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

Cast: Carla Gugino, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Patrick and

Wilson

Release: March 6^th, 2009

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Why I am excited: I am a true Harry Potter fanboy, read the books and have enjoyed them all including the films. Can’t wait for this one, it seems so much more mature than the previous films.

Summary: Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts turns out to be quite the exciting year. First off is the arrival of a new teacher at Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn, who is a bit more useful to Harry than he realizes. Next, Harry obtains a Potions book which used to be belong to the very mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Harry finds that the Half-Blood Prince’s ancient scribbles are written along the margins of almost every page, giving Harry advice on how to improve greatly on his Potions work, and also teaching him a few helpful (and dangerous) spells along the way.

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman,

Helena Bonham Carter, and Tom Felton

Release: July17th, 2009

I Love You, Man

Why I am excited: I have been told this is the movie for guys of 2009. After seeing a sneak peak of it out west, a buddy of mine couldn’t stop talking about it. Word of mouth is sometimes the best way to advertise something good.

Summary: A newly engaged guy sets out to find the perfect “Best Man” for his wedding.

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin, Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly

Release: March 20, 2009

The Soloist

Why I am excited: A story based upon real life events featuring big named actors. What happened last time Foxx was portraying someone we knew in real life? Look for this one.

Summary: A schizophrenic (Jamie Foxx), is a homeless musician from Skid Row, Los Angeles who dreams of playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Through “chance,” he meets a journalist (Robert Downey Jr.), who tries to help this mentally disturbed man get “back on his feet” and make his dreams come true.

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr,Catherine Keener

Release: April 24th, 2009

Star Trek

Why I am excited: Finally a Star Trek movie that will actually be good. Yes I said it, all of the other movies and even the show sucked horribly. This looks to be a solid reboot along the lines of The Dark Knight. And anything with J.J. Abrams attached usually is pretty solid work

Summary: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy

Release: May 8th, 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Why I am excited: I don’t know why this is on the list besides it’s related to Transformers. The first movie was a so-so recreation of a fond childhood memory. The imagination is always better than the movie! This may be worth my pass though.

Summary: A new threat arrives from times of old…a threat that must be stopped… no matter what the cost.

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas and John Turturro

Release: June 26th, 2009

G.I. Joe:  The Rise of the Cobra

Why I am excited: Another childhood memory looking to be squashed/ruined, but anything with Rachel Nichols in it is a must watch.

Summary: An elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, operating out of The Pit, takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.

Cast: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Saïd Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid

Release: August 7th, 2009

The Lovely Bones

Why I am excited: A movie with heart. Need I say more? I like the actors involved, the story and the premise. Why not put it on here.

Summary: A young girl who was brutally raped and murdered, watches the effects of her death on her family from Heaven, as her parents drift apart, her father becomes obsessed with vengeance and her sister grows into the woman she would never be.

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Saoirse Ronan

Release: Fourth Quarter, 2009

Defiance

Why I am excited: Daniel Craig and Live Schreiber kicking ass in the forest. What more can I say about that.

Summary: Three Jewish brothers escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and others in danger.

Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan Corduner and Mark Feurstein

Release: January 16, 2009/December 31, 2008 (NY/LA)

I am sure that I have missed a ton of solid movies that are coming out but I didn’t want to break this up into 4 different articles for you folks.

This list in an opinion piece so if something I said offended you, well, build a bridge and get over it!

The trailer debuted last weekend with Burn After Reading and had a broadcast debut on Access Hollywood on Wednesday. The Soloist stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx.

Journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives.

[flv:/trailers/soloist.flv 540 320]

The Soloist will be released on November 21st of 2008.

Let us know what you think. Oscar buzz abounds already once again for Foxx and even Downey Jr. on this one. Will Iron Man bethe one to beat this year?