Berlinale bows residency program

BERLIN -- The Berlin Film Festival has revealed an initiative to lure filmmakers towards the German capital: the Berlinale Residency. The worldwide fellowship program will invite six filmmakers as well as their new projects to some four-month remain in Berlin beginning this fall. In a presser Tuesday, fest coordinators also revealed the entire lineups of the several sections, many of which had recently been introduced in piecemeal fashion. Wang Quan'an's Chinese drama "Bai lu yuan" (Whitened Deer Plain) models out the 2011 Competition selection. A maximum of 23 films will screen included in the primary Competition selection, with 18 of individuals, including "Whitened Deer Plain," competing for that Golden and Silver Bears and five showing from competition. Promising a star-heavy affair, the 2011 fest boasts the kind of Taylor Lautner, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan and Mike Gyllenhaal, who's serving around the worldwide jury. Nearly 400 films will unspool in Berlin, included in this Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod's "Bel Ami," Steven Soderbergh's "Haywire," Angelina Jolie's "Within the Land of Bloodstream and Honey," Billy Bob Thornton's "Jayne Mansfield's Vehicle," Hark Tsui's "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," Nikolaj Arcel's "A Royal Affair," Phyllida Lloyd's "The Iron Lady" and Benoit Jacquot's historic drama "Farewell My Full," which opens the fest. The Berlinale Residency, meanwhile, may be the latest initiative targeted at marketing worldwide film production. "The Berlinale Residency is really a logical advancement of the prior Berlinale initiatives," stated fest topper Dieter Kosslick. "The fellowship works as a follow-up work for filmmakers who already were built with a feature within the official program of the festival, who have been selected with projects within the Berlinale Co-Production Market or Berlinale Talent Campus, or who have been supported with the World Cinema Fund. However, we're also searching toward receiving other filmmakers from around the globe, whom this program will lure to Berlin." Kirsten Niehuus, controlling director of regional funder Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg -- among the initiative's primary sponsors -- stated this program not just creates traditional story development, but additionally in close relationship using the market and skillfully developed. "Audience orientation and effective analysis tend to be more important today than in the past.Inch The six selected projects includes feature and documentary films and mix-media works. The Berlinale Co-Production Market and also the Guadalajara Film Festival, additionally a Berlinale Residency partner, assists as initial presentation platforms for that projects. The Berlinale can also be thinking about possible close ties with co-production marts in Buenos Aires, Durban and Sarajevo. The Berlinale Residency's other primary backers range from the Nipkow Program, the Berlin-based European fellowship program, and also the EU's Media Mundus Program. The residency program begins in September. The very first demand records is going to be in the Berlinale, which runs February. 9-19. The fest also introduced Tuesday that it'll recognition engineer Ray Dolby for his contribution to cinema. The fest is showing Dolby -- the guy behind Dolby Stereo system and Dolby Surround -- using its Berlinale Camera award "in recognition of his work among the most significant engineers and creators within the film industry." "Dolby totally changed seem in movie theaters and led greatly to creating films the astonishing acoustic experience we all know today," the fest stated. By setting up multiple sound system and using multi-funnel technology, Dolby multichannel audio introduced audiences towards the sense of being fully submerged within the action. Dolby introduced Dolby Stereo system, his first multichannel audio technology, in 1975. It had been rapidly adopted by cinemas worldwide as films like "The Exorcist" and "Close Encounters from the Third Kind" were launched within the new seem format. Dolby Digital multichannel audio adopted, that also later grew to become the conventional for home cinema audio with the development of DVD. Dolby founded Dolby Labs in 1965 and continued to be on its board of company directors until his retirement this past year, although he remains director emeritus. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

GK Films, Infinitum Nihil clock 'Hours'

GK Films is searching for the West, acquiring E. Nicholas Mariani's Western script "Desperate Several hours" with Infinitum Nihil.GK Films' Graham King and Tim Headington and Infinitum Nihil's The Actor-kaira Pitt and Christi Dembrowski are coming up with. Script, inside the vein of "High Noon," concentrates on a widowed rancher who bands together with his neighbors to battle several mobsters who've vary from industrialized East searching to overtake the Western town and collect a lady getting a mysterious past. The old and new cell phone industry's collide, leading to an explosive showdown.Infinitum Nihil, headed by Depp and Dombrowski, features a first-look deal with GK Films. The Two companies produced Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" and so are in publish-production on "Dark Shadows" for Warner Bros. with Depp starring and creating with Tim Burton, who's also pointing. Infinitum Nihil and GK Films also share projects in development at Warners, including "Shantaram," "Attica" "The Glass Books in the Dream People" and "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Conditions."GK Films recently signed "Hugo" star Asa Butterfield to have an overall two-year deal which is developing an adaptation of "Jersey Boys," together with the untitled Freddie Mercury story plus an original script by Robert Towne of "Your Dream of Britain."Mariani may also be penning "Ploesti" for Alcon and 2S, chronicling probably the most dangerous day in U.S. Air Pressure Background the love story from the taken pilot as well as the Romanian princess who risked everything to be able to save his existence.Depp and Mariani are repped by UTA. Mariani is handled by Circle of Confusion. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Exclusive Start Looking: Stephen Colletti and Chelsea Kane Get Hot and high on a single Tree Hill

Stephen Colletti and Chelsea Kane It did not take lengthy for just one Tree Hill's Chase to obtain steamy with somebody new. Within our first-look photo, Chelsea Kane starts her multiple episode arc as Tara, the brand new girl getting very cozy with lately single Chase (Stephen Colletti). One Tree Hill's Lisa Goldstein: Winnie struggles to confront Mouth about his putting on weight Additionally to getting an on-screen romance, Colletti and also the former Dwts competitor are dating in tangible existence. Colletti told TVGuide.com he loved welcoming her in to the Tree Hill world, adding, "The smoothness was fun on her then one people aren't accustomed to seeing from her." One Tree Hill's James Lafferty: Nathan really needs Serta in the existence this year But Tara will not possess a warm welcome in to the group as she's who owns the needed-opened up rival restaurant across from Karen's Café. "You will find a chuckle little escapades that Haley and Brooke continue attempting to do right through the title of Karen's Café," Bethany Pleasure Galleoti, who plays Haley, told TVGuide.com. "She stirs some stuff up," Colletti added. Kane's arc starts airing on Wednesday, February. 1 at 8/7c around the CW.

Sound editors nominate films

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Super 8" and "War Horse" received double Golden Reel Award nominations from the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards, the org announced Friday.Nominees in television and other categories were also revealed. Winners will be celebrated at a Feb. 19 ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles."The significance of sound should not be underestimated," said MPSE president Bobbi Banks. "The emotional intimacy of the sound experience is amplified by giving the audience the perception that they are encountering the same state of cognitive consciousness as the characters."For best sound effects and Foley, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Super 8" and "War Horse" were nominated alongside five other films: "Drive," "Fast Five," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."In the dialogue and ADR category, the three films were nominated with "Abduction," "The Help," "Moneyball," "Quarantine II: Terminal" and "The Way."The MPSE also tapped producer Gale Anne Hurd for the 2012 MPSE Filmmaker Award and sound designer and editor George Watters II for the MPSE Career Achievement Award.FEATURE FILMS CATEGORYBest Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, and ADR in an Animation Feature Film"The Adventures of Tintin""Cars 2""Kung Fu Panda 2""Puss in Boots""Rango""Rio""The Smurfs"Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in a Feature Documentary"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey""Cave of the Forgotten Dreams""George Harrison: Living in the Material World""Lemmy""Pearl Jam Twenty"Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Foreign Language Film"1920. The World's Most Important Battle""Circumstance""Tropa de Elite 2 (Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within)""The Flowers of War""In the Land of Blood and Honey""Sarah's Key""The Skin I Live In"Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film"Drive""The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo""Hop""Hugo""Priest""Super 8""Transformers: Dark of the Moon""The Tree of Life"Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film"Footloose""The Muppets""Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll""Pina"Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film"Abduction""The Help""Moneyball""Quarantine II: Terminal""Rise of the Planet of the Apes""Super 8""War Horse""The Way"Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film"Drive""Fast Five""The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo""Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol""Rise of the Planet of the Apes""Super 8""Transformers: Dark of the Moon""War Horse"TELEVISION CATEGORYBest Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, and ADR Animation in Television"Fanboy and Chum Chum: A Very Brrr-y Icemas #217""Futurama: Law & Oracle""Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas""Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil: Truth or Daredevil""Kung Fu Panda: The Legends of Awesomeness: Sight for Sore Eyes -- #108""Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace""The Penguins of Madagascar: The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole""Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension"Best Sound Editing: Longform Documentary"Gettysburg""Harlistas: An American Journey""Koran by Heart"Best Sound Editing: Longform Music in Television"The 12 Dates of Christmas""Alphas: Pilot""Avalon High""Magic Beyond Words -- The J.K. Rowling Story""Terra Nova: Occupation/Resistance -- #12 & #13"Best Sound Editing: Longform Dialogue and ADR in Television"Big Love: Where Men and Mountains Meet""Cinema Verite""Homeland: Marine One""Terra Nova: Occupation/Resistance -- #12 & #13""The Walking Dead: What Lies Ahead"Best Sound Editing: Longform Sound Effects and Foley in Television"Cinema Verite""Homeland: Marine One""Red Faction: Origins""Terra Nova: Occupation/Resistance -- #12 & #13""The Walking Dead: What Lies Ahead"Best Sound Editing: Short Form Documentary"Above the Ashes: Above the Ashes""Man Made: Bugatti Super Car""Tim Tebow: Everything in Between"Best Sound Editing: Short Form Music in Television"Camelot: 110 - Reckoning""CSI: Miami: Crowned""Damages: Failure Is Lonely""Fringe: The Day We Died""Justified: Brother's Keeper""Raising Hope: Prodigy""Revenge: Pilot"Best Sound Editing: Short Form Musical in Television"Glee: The First Time""Grey's Anatomy: The Song Beneath the Song""The Playboy Club: Pilot"Best Sound Editing: Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television"The Big C: A Little Death""Game of Thrones: Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things""Hell on Wheels: Bread and Circuses -- #105""Leverage: The Van Gogh Job""Person of Interest: #107 -- Witness""Smallville: Dominion""Sons of Anarchy: To Be, Part 2""The Walking Dead: Save the Last One"Others CategoryBest Sound Editing: Computer Episodic Entertainment"Aim High""Dagedar""Polly Pocket""Warehouse 13 'Of Monsters & Men'""When You Find Me"Best Sound Editing: Computer Interactive Entertainment"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3""Diablo III Cinematics -- Black SoulStone 'Doom' and Intro 'End of Days'""Gears of War 3""Need for Speed 'The Run'""Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Cinematics"Best Sound Editing: Direct-to-Video (Animation)"Dragon: Gift of the Night Fury""Kung Fu Panda 2: Secrets of the Masters""Megamind: The Button of Doom""Quest for Zhu""The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol"Best Sound Editing: Direct-to-Video (Live Action)"Beethoven's Christmas Adventure""Love""Street Kings 2: Motor City"Best Sound Editing: Special Venue"Rocky Mountain Express""Tornado Alley""Wildest Weather in the Solar System"Verna Fields Award in Sound Editing for Student Filmmakers"Alma""Inferno""The Maiden and the Princess""The Pride of Wade Ellison""The Secret Numbers" Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

'Haywire' Is 'Slick' And 'Cool,' States Star Ewan McGregor

Fans of author-director Steven Soderbergh know him being most likely probably the most interesting filmmakers inside the biz. From his roots with independent films, to blockbusters and documentaries, the Oscar-champion is constantly considering new techniques to inform unique tales with film. For his latest effort, "Haywire," the idea found Soderbergh getting seen Martial artist-switched-first-time actress Gina Carano to use it inside the cage. The film puts Carano within the forefront just like a black procedures super soldier who seeks the very best revenge after she's fooled by her co-employees. People co-employees are carried out with the very capable Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas. We're huge fans of "Haywire" at MTV News. It's seriously kick ass, do not you need to our word with this. Have a look at what McGregor required to say in regards to the super awesome flick once we taken track of him recently through the film's press day. "I've come across it three occasions now," McGregor mentioned. "Normally I'll notice before press after which it I'll start to see the film within the premiere which will probably be it, but this I've had the chance to see three occasions which i've every time.In . "I love watching it," McGregor ongoing. "[Soderbergh] constitutes a really, very awesome film, [it's] very clever and he's elevated the film way within the script, which was very, excellent to start with, when you are an action fight thriller film he's taken it somewhere very awesome." "Haywire" opens The month of the month of january 20. Are you currently presently excited to find out "Haywire"? Reveal inside the comments or on Twitter!

Kelsey Grammer Expecting Twins

Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh Kelsey Grammer apt to be a parent for your fifth and sixth time.In Control star's wife, Kayte Walsh Grammer, is pregnant with twins, Grammer introduced Sunday inside the press room following his Golden Globe win for drama TV actor.Have a look whatsoever from the Globes fashion hits and misses"I am really searching toward meeting these arrivals," Grammer mentioned.These will be the first children for your couple, who experienced a miscarriage in fall 2010.Have a look at photos of Kelsey GrammerThe ex-Frasier star, 56, has two children, 7-year-old Jude and 10-year-old Mason, with ex-wife Camille Grammer. More youthful crowd has one daughter with Barrie Buckner, 19-year-old Greer, then one daughter with ex-wife Doreen Alderman, ex-Greek star Spencer, 28.Grammer and Walsh Grammer, 32, tied the knot in NY last February.Watch Grammer's press conference below:

Saw Digital photographer Pointing Crawl In My Experience

Adapting Alan Robert's comic seriesRock music artists breaking through the horror industry isn't a new phenomenon. Only lately, Guns'n'Roses' Slash introduced themself like a film producer, and today Existence Of Agony's Alan Robert gets in the loop, via his other sideline like a comics author. HisCrawl In My Experience small-series continues to be acquired for any movie adaptation, to become directed by Saw cinematographer David A. Remedy.The storyline involves a youthful family getting into their first home, a remote country pile, throughout a frozen winter. They rapidly uncover the house goes bump within the evening. And sings. And talks. And makes their pets disappear. And they've to confront their very own associations and values to be able to undertake the entity they have awoken.Remedy includes a lengthy history like a camera operator and cinematographer, and is not a new comer to horror, since he shot six from the seven Saws (and, er, Hellraiser: Facts). Lately though, he's ascended to pointing proper: he's at the office around the hostage drama Pawn, with Forest Whittaker and Michael Chiklis, these days.John is creating Crawl In My Experience together with his cohorts Shaun Mazzola and MTV's Christopher Whitened, who's associated with The Basic steps Of Dying. The trio will also be planning for a film of Robert's other comic, Wire Wardrobe hangers, about bad lieutenants and corrupt authorities around the roads of NY. Both series are released by IDW, who also do thirty days Of Evening and Locke And Key. Crawl In My Experience offered out its first print run in a short time span.InchMaking comics is a existence-lengthy passion of mine and I am very grateful obtain the opportunity to tell my crazy tales," Robert states. "To determine them arrived at existence on film is really a whole other degree of masterdom!"

Watch First Five Minutes of 'Haywire' Online

Watch First Five Minutes of 'Haywire' Online By Jenelle Riley January 10, 2012 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of "Haywire," the new action flick from Steven Soderbergh starring MMA champion Gina Carano. The plot focuses on Carano's black ops agent Mallory Kane, who finds herself the fall guy (or gal) in a setup when she tries to leave her current employer. It's a bit convoluted honestly, considering we're all just there to watch Carano kick some ass. And does she ever--it's a thrill ride from start to finish, and I always appreciate it when a movie shows me something new. In this case, it's Carano using her thighs as a weapon, climbing up walls, and basically blowing our minds without the help of wires or special effects. Also, I appreciate the man candy: the cast includes Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, and the delicious Michael Fassbender.One person at the after party complained that Carano wasn't "a very good actor." To which I say: Who cares? She's a blast to watch fight and I think she acquits herself nicely in a role not requiring Shakespearean training. Anyway, judge for yourself: you can watch the first five minutes of the film for free online. It will give you a great feel for the tone and what to expect for the rest of the film. Embedding is disabled, so click here to watch it! READ MORE ON BEHIND THE SCENES Watch First Five Minutes of 'Haywire' Online By Jenelle Riley January 10, 2012 PHOTO CREDIT Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of "Haywire," the new action flick from Steven Soderbergh starring MMA champion Gina Carano. The plot focuses on Carano's black ops agent Mallory Kane, who finds herself the fall guy (or gal) in a setup when she tries to leave her current employer. It's a bit convoluted honestly, considering we're all just there to watch Carano kick some ass. And does she ever--it's a thrill ride from start to finish, and I always appreciate it when a movie shows me something new. In this case, it's Carano using her thighs as a weapon, climbing up walls, and basically blowing our minds without the help of wires or special effects. Also, I appreciate the man candy: the cast includes Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, and the delicious Michael Fassbender.One person at the after party complained that Carano wasn't "a very good actor." To which I say: Who cares? She's a blast to watch fight and I think she acquits herself nicely in a role not requiring Shakespearean training. Anyway, judge for yourself: you can watch the first five minutes of the film for free online. It will give you a great feel for the tone and what to expect for the rest of the film. Embedding is disabled, so click here to watch it!READ MORE ON BEHIND THE SCENES

USA Renews Psych for Seventh Season

Psych USA has renewed Psych for a seventh season. The cable network gave the good news to fans (aka Psych-Os) first on Tuesday, via the show's Facebook page and Twitter account. Users were given multiple pieces of a pineapple-shaped puzzle that revealed a special message. The fourth and final piece of the puzzle contained a video featuring stars Dulé Hill and James Roday, who told fans he needed help getting a brown belt. "Oh, and also, Psych is officially coming back for a seventh season, which is very cool, but I'm kinda working on this belt situation right now," Roday said before Hill thanked their fans. Watch full episodes of Psych Season 7 will consist of 16 episodes and begin airing some time later this year. "We are always trying to find ways to reward our Psych brand ambassadors for their loyalty and passion and social media plays a critical role in how we connect with the people who matter most - the fans," USA Co-Presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel said in a statement. "It was exciting to deliver this historical news to them first and before traditional media." Psych, currently USA's longest-running series, returns for the second half of Season 6 on Wed., Feb. 29 at 10/9c. Are you psyched for more Psych?

Intl. 3D Society unveils award winners

Sony will get three mentions when the International 3D Society hands out its kudos at its 2012 3D Technology Awards in Hollywood on Jan. 19. In all, 14 prizes will be given: Blu-ray Disc Association - "Blu-ray 3D Specification"Cameron/Pace Group - "Shadow D Technology and the Shadow D System" Fuji - "Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Digital Camera"Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative - "FHD3DGI Standard"Panasonic SamsungSonyXpandGoPro - "3D Hero System"HDMI Licensing - "Standardization of 3D Formats over the HDMI Interface. Specification Version 1.4a"LG Electronics - "LG Cinema 3D TV"Panasonic - "AG-3DA1 Twin Lens 3D Camera Recorder" Peter Wimmer - "Stereoscopic Player"Silicon Imaging - "SI-3D Stereo Digital Cinema Camera System"Sony - "HDR-TD10 3D Handycam Camcorder"Sony - "Playstation 3"Vizio - "Theater 3D"YouTube - "3D Channel"Entries were reviewed by the Society's 3D Technology Awards Committee for achievement during 2011."The Awards Committee considered 3D technologies with an eye on those that are genuine advances to the state of the art," said Lenny Lipton, chairman of the society's awards committee. "We want to shine a spotlight on worthy products that make a contribution to professional and consumer applications.""Our theme for 2012 is Make It 3D, and this year's honored organizations have met industry challenges with superb technical innovation," said society prexy Jim Chabin.Panasonic and Korea Telecom are I3DS "signature" sponsors. Founding sponsors include Dolby, DreamWorks Animation, IMAX, MasterImage 3D, Pixar, RealD, Sony, Walt Disney and Xpand 3D. Contact Peter Caranicas at peter.caranicas@variety.com

Despite illness' gloom, Bloom integral to company

Marcie Bloom and Tom Bernard attend Cannes in 1994. In 1996, Marcie Bloom, co-founder and co-president of Sony Pictures Classics and one of best-loved figures on the international festival circuit, returned from yet another foreign trip with a splitting headache."It felt like there was a little man behind my eye, squeezing it like a Nerf ball," she recalls. She collapsed in the nurse's office at Sony with a massive cerebral hemorrhage. When she woke from her coma five weeks later, she was partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, but cognitively intact.Returning to work, however, proved a step too far. She tried going to the office one day a week, but found it too stressful and exhausting. The road to recovery has been long and slow."It's been very depressing," she admits. "For many years, I just wanted to call Dr. Kevorkian. But with special therapy, my voice has gotten progressively stronger, and I can walk a bit now with a walker, though my left side is still paralyzed and I have memory issues."She stays in close touch with her friends and colleagues at Sony Classics, reading scripts and offering insight when asked. "I speak to Michael (Barker) six times a day, on phone or email," she says. "I'm very much aware of what the company is up to. My own sense is that I'm sick and don't really work any more, but Michael and Tom still refer to me as their partner."It's a sign of both Bloom's importance to the history of SPC and the loyalty of Barker and Bernard that the company's website still lists her as co-president.Amid her many relationships with international filmmakers, the closest remains that with Pedro Almodovar. His 2002 film "Talk to Her" was partly inspired by her illness. "He was very keen to know what I thought of it. He was worried I might be hurt or angry. But I found it tender, sympathetic and even romantic," she says. "I can think of worse things than being Pedro's muse."In 2007, she launched her own foundation, in tandem with Independent Feature Project, to mentor four students a year. She hosts a monthly salon at her Upper West Side apartment to introduce them to filmmakers and industry execs. "It keeps me in touch, and it's a way of giving back," she says.In November, NY Women in Film & TV honored Bloom with its Muse Award. "It's very gratifying that people remember me," she says.SONY PICTURES CLASSICS AT 20Steady as she grows | Shrewd handling yields real profits | SPC mines foreign gold | Despite illness' gloom, Bloom integral to companyThe Stories Behind the Movies"Capote" | "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" | "The Fog Of War" | "The Lives of Others" | "Rachel Getting Married" | "Run Lola Run"The CollaboratorsPedro Almodovar | Lone Scherfig Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

New on DVD & Blu-ray, Week of Jan. 3: 'Contagion,' 'The Guard'

The new year is off to a modest start with a few gems that deserved more eyeballs, but mostly middle-of-the-road fare that was forgettable at theaters and should remain so at home. Check out our picks for January 3rd's DVD releases. MOVIEFONE'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK 'Contagion' What's It About? Steven Soderbergh directs an all-star cast of Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and more in this creepy thriller. An unidentified new virus strain breaks out and quickly becomes a global epidemic, killing off huge scores of the population. See It Because: The film keeps the soap opera drama in check to document the cold, calculating reality of a horrible disease wiping out the increasingly-connected world community. With frightening accuracy, we see how fear, panic and misinformation spread as fast as germs. It's also one of Moviefone's choices for the best movies of 2011. Watch the trailer 'The Guard' What's It About? Brendan Gleeson plays the titular Guard, a police sergeant in a small Irish little town, who has his own unique way of fighting crime. He is paired up with an FBI agent (played by Don Cheadle) that has descended on their town to bust a massive drug deal -- and Gleeson's particular approach will either end up saving the day or getting them both killed. See It Because: It's a funny, foul-mouthed, non-PC crime comedy. If you liked 'In Bruges,' then you'll probably like 'The Guard' as it was made by John Michael McDonagh (brother of 'Bruges' director Martin). It's another one of our picks for 2011's best movies. Watch the trailer ALSO ON DVD & BLU-RAY, JANUARY 3, 2012 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' A little girl moves into a creepy old mansion and is terrorized by tiny, little demonic creatures, in this remake of the cult TV movie from 1973. Not an awful redo, but just kind of there -- despite being co-written and produced by Guillermo Del Toro. See It Or Skip It? Skip It. 'I Don't Know How She Does It' In this adaptation of the best-selling novel, Sarah Jessica Parker stars as a career woman trying to have it all as the loving wife, perfect mother and successful bread-winner. A charming cast is wasted on a lot of the cliche easy jokes that come with the most shallow chick-lit; there are better versions of this story out there. See It Or Skip It? Skip it. 'The Last Lions' Jeremy Irons narrates this documentary from National Geographic, concerning a lioness named Ma di Tau, struggling to raise her cubs after their natural habitat is taken away from them. The film may upset some viewers -- both in its accurate depiction of the laws of the jungle and its focus on the population crisis affecting the lion kingdom -- but the beautiful cinematography and universally-relatable story make it compelling. See It Or Skip It? See it. 'Puncture' Action star Chris Evans plays a drug-addicted ambulance chaser, who gets caught up in the biggest court case of his life involving money-driven health organizations, the AIDS scare and a new kind of needle. Don't see it for the execution (considering the unique true subject matter it was based on, 'Puncture' feels like a standard underdog legal thriller) but see it for Chris Evans' drugged-out, twitchy performance -- a performance he considers to be one of his very best. See It Or Skip It? See it. 'Shark Night' College kids staying at a lake house are terrorized by killer sharks. Then the movie gets dumber. The whole thing is a bloodless PG-13 fare, and the home edition is missing the cheap gimmicky 3D effects that conned people into seeing in theaters. See It Or Skip It? Skip it. Follow Eric Larnick on Twitter Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook