How will moviegoers remember 2009?  Some may recollect it as the year of the indie romance comedy movies taking center stage with such hits as (500) Days of Summer.  Others may notice the huge dent that the science-fiction genre has made on the industry this year with money-rakers ranging from Avatar to Star Trek to even lesser-known original properties as the smartly marketed District 9 also getting a nice chunk of the audience.  Perhaps a couple viewers may view it as the return to the golden years of 3D with numerous films, whether necessary or not, receiving the special treatment. In any... 

Satellite image of present-day Greenland. Did you know that Greenland used to actually be "green" during the Medieval Warm Period, which is when the Vikings settled there in mass? Two newspaper headlines on the same day, tell it all: “Global Warming May Require Higher Dams, Stilts”, and “UK University to Probe Integrity of Climate Data”. Corrupt data – to everyone brought up as a fervent believer in the nobility and integrity of science and scientific data – it comes as a shock: scientists (or technicians working for scientists) intentionally “lose”... 

Director: Joel & Ethan Coen Running Time: 105 minutes Rated: R This is a review from the London Film Festival.  This film is currently playing in theaters in the US. Bad luck.  Karma.  Fate.  The wrath of the god(s).  These are just a few of the basic terms that the human race has used to try and signify those terrible happenings that befall them whether it ranges from the trivial, such as that one morning Joe cannot find his keys and runs late for work, to the traumatic, where Sue makes a wrong turn and is stranded in the middle of the forest alone with no supplies.  It really is a... 

Director: Jason Reitman Running Time: 109 Minutes Rated: R This is a review, coming from the London Film Festival.  This film will be released on December 25th. Every era, generation, and decade seems to have a film that is reflective of both the happenings and personalities of its time period whether it was intentionally or unintentionally done to be so.  These films seem to grasp the meaning of its period and literally create a time capsule around their plots and surprisingly, are not even meant to be documentaries.  Enter Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air, his third feature film that focuses... 

Director: John Hillcoat Running Time: 119 Minutes Rated: R *This is a review from the London Film Festival. This film will release in the US on Nov. 25th. The end of the world is not a very ‘new’ topic in the film world.  With cinema like I Am Legend to another upcoming apocalyptic festival, 2012, the genre itself seems pretty full as of late.  The Road is another entry into the over saturated genre, yet the approach diverges from the norm in that it does not focus on the effects or the reasons behind the film’s apocalyptic setting but is about a father and son’s struggle for survival... 

Director: Max Mayer Running Time: 99 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Those looking for a typical romance film with a bit of a twist Not For: Those seeking a deep, romance film The romantic genre has evolved into several forms in its varied history as it tried to attract audiences in various ways.  Some films went for the immensely quirky while others turned to more comedic situations as its big bullet point.  Adam follows another trend of promoting the awareness of a lesser known symptom, disease, or condition to the public through mass media, much like moves as I Am Sam.  The biggest problem these... 

This film will have a limited release on July 17th. Director: Marc Webb Running Time: 95 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Viewers looking for a film with a variety of creative approaches to a romantic comedy Not For: Those looking for simple, laugh-out-loud humor 500 Days of Summer “lies” to the audience (twice) in its first opening act.  The first states that the story about to be seen is not a happy, romantic tale.  On quite the other hand, the film still is fairly content and completely about the notion of love.  The second is that the film misleads the viewers to believe that the narrative... 

Director: Todd Phillips Running Time: 100 Minutes Rated: R For: Those looking for raunchy/simple humor Not for: Anyone looking for a unique or different approach to the Vegas/road trip genre “It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.” As much as it sounds like a line out of A Tale of Two Cities, this actually well refers to everyone’s fond memories of Las Vegas.  Nights of debauchery, public drunkenness, casinos, strip clubs, etc. are just a few of the typical stereotypes people associate with sin city.  Films have always used Vegas as a backdrop for many different activities... 

Director: McG Rated: PG-13 *Note: This film releases on May 21st For: Terminator and Sam Worthington fans; Those looking for a good post-apocalyptic action film Not for: Those seeking innovations and originality in the sci-fi genre The heavy bass and percussion anthem of Terminator is iconic, stemming from the imagination of James Cameron and his take on the conspiracy theory of machines versus humans.  The first two movies in the series were fantastic representations of gritty sci-fi mixed with some good action and drama along with revolutionary special effects.  The third, however, was a ho-hum... 

Director: Joe Wright Running Time: 117 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Drama and acting enthusiasts; Jamie Foxx/Robert Downing Jr. fans Not For: Those looking for the next Best Picture nominee The Soloist looks as though it has a great movie written all over it.  It has two wonderful stars as the headliners.  The plot focuses on the redemption of one man and how another tries to get past his madness to show off his gift.  The moral itself is sound as well, focusing on the poverty within Los Angeles and the beauty within.  Two warning signs appear, however.  First, Dreamworks decided to push back... 

Director: Jody Hill Rated: R Running Time: 86 Minutes For: Seth Rogen fans, Those wanting to a different mall cop film Not for: Moviegoers seeking a smart/unique/different comedy Seth Rogen joked on Saturday Night Live that Observe and Report should not be mistaken for Paul Blart: Mall Cop.  He definitely is not mistaken.  Observe and Report approaches its plot much differently with a hard R rating and a completely different type of humor so in that sense, Rogen has nothing to worry about and most likely, it will be a financial hit from the base of Apatow comedy fans.  Is the film one... 

Yes…it is a bit late.  Trying to catch up on almost every major film is a tough act without proper credentials/passes but still, 2008 was a great year for films.  Although it might have been true that some of the big blockbusters did not deliver, there was a film for everyone from the casual viewer to the film enthusiast if one looked hard enough.  Interestingly, there were a lot of film adaptations from plays this year, along with a much more ambitious lineup in terms of genres and character studies.  Of course, there were many films that did not make the list but are still engaging and...