See What I'm Saying

See What I'm Saying is a much-needed and engaging look into the lives of deaf performers. The film follows four entertainers (two rockers, an actor and comedian) in their search for creative expression in the Deaf Community and mainstream world. It's a poignant documentary that speaks to the heart regardless of one's hearing abilities. Add it to your must-watch list!

Now in theaters (limited).

Official Site: www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com

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Poster - True Blood (Season 3)

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Notable New Releases

Sherlock Holmes
Guy Ritchie doing Arthur Conan Doyle? Surprisingly it works. Downey Jr. and Law are great together in a 'buddy cop movie' that would make Shane Black proud.

Extras include:

• Maximum Movie Mode (BD Exclusive)
• Focus Points (BD Exclusive) - access each individual short from Maximum Movie Mode
• Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented

An Education
Missed it in theaters but really want to check it out, especially for Carey Mulligan's breakout performance.

Extras include:

• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of 'An Education'
• Walking the Red Carpet

I Sell The Dead
Indie horror-comedy with Dominic Monaghan and Ron Perlman. Looks awesome, will have to see it.

Extras include:

• Commentaries
• The Making of I Sell the Dead
• Visual Effects Behind the Scenes
• Comic Book

[READ MORE...]

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TV Tonight - Lost

A new episode, entitled The Package, airs tonight at 9/8c on ABC. Sun and Jin desperately continue their search for one another, and Locke confronts his enemy. It was written by Paul Zbyszewski/Graham Roland and directed by Paul Edwards. This will be the last Jin/Sun-centric episode.

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Shiri Appleby on Bonnie Hunt

Because Life Unexpected is one of my new favorite shows.

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Poster - Life During Wartime

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Trailer - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Finally a trailer for Edgar Wright's much anticipated movie! Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams...literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over. It is based on the awesome comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley, which you should check out if you haven't yet. This is right up there with Kick-Ass on my geek-mind-explode-must-see-now list.

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The Thorn In The Heart

In addition to Seth Rogen's version of The Green Hornet, innovative director Michel Gondry has another film being released, The Thorn In The Heart (L’Epine dans le Coeur), a documentary which further propels his filmography into the realm of the unvisted with a personal look at the life of Gondry family matriarch, his aunt Suzette Gondry, and her relationship with her son, Jean—Yves. Michel examines Suzette’s years as a schoolteacher and her life in rural France. During the course of filming the documentary, new family stories are unearthed and Michel uses his camera to explore them in a subtle and sensitive way. It had its world premiere screening at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and will be released April 2nd in select theaters.

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Accidents Happen

A while back there was a very odd teaser that peaked my interest and now there's a full trailer for the film. Director Andrew Lancaster's debut stars Geena Davis as Gloria, head of the Conway family. Youngest son Billy has been a witness to a series of tragic accidents, including one that fractured his whole family. Always the good boy, Billy takes up with the neighbourhood troublemaker in acts of delicious delinquency in a world already spinning out of control. The ensuing collision of guilt, truth and self discovery may be just what his family needs to move on. I'm so glad to see Geena Davis working again and the film looks visually stunning. Can't wait.

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TV Tonight - Lost

A new episode, entitled Ab Aeterno, airs tonight at 9/8c on ABC. Richard Alpert faces a difficult choice. It was written by Melinda Hsu Taylor/Greggory Nations and directed by Tucker Gates. So cool that we're finally getting an Alpert-centric ep! There will be more Jacob and expect more origin stuff. The title 'Ab Aeterno' is Latin, meaning "since the beginning of time."

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Notable New Releases

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson does Roald Dahl with excellent results. One of my favorite films of last year. It's a funny, odd, sweet, visual masterpiece. Cussin' buy it!

Extras include:

• The Look of Fantastic Mr. Fox (BD-exclusive)
• From Script to Screen
• The Puppet Makers (BD-exclusive)
• Still Life: Puppet Animation
• The Cast (BD-exclusive)
• Bill and His Badger (BD-exclusive)
• A Beginner's Guide to Whack-Bat
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World of Roald Dahl (BD-exclusive)

Brothers
Missed it in theaters, but heard its got some great performances so i'll have to check it out.

Extras include:

• Commentary
• Remade In The USA
• Jim Sheridan - Film and Family

Mad Men: Season Three
The return of Don Draper. One of the best shows on TV right now.

Extras include:

• Commentaries for all episodes
• 'Medgar Evers: An Unsung Hero'
• Up In Smoke - a visual depiction of the juxtaposition between the world of advertising and big tobacco
• We Shall Overcome: The March on Washington - Dr. King's speech accompanied by images detailing the historical moment when over 250,000 people came together for the March on Washington
• Mad Men Illustrated - Dyna Moe invites you to scroll through the slightly "animated" photo gallery of the Mad Men Illustrations accompanied with commentary from the illustrator extraordinaire
• Flashback 1963 - An interactive look at the events and themes that defined the year

[READ MORE...]

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TV Tonight - Nurse Jackie + United States of Tara

Showtime's sophomore hits Nurse Jackie & United States of Tara return with new seasons. You can expect a good dose of quirky and edgy on both shows. It's a solid combo, think The Office/30 Rock but with a darker tone.

Nurse Jackie is about a snarky nurse who's addicted to drugs and United States of Tara is about a mother with multiple personalities. Offbeat stories, complex characters, you get the idea.

Here are the trailers:

Nurse Jackie premieres at 10 pm on Showtime followed by United States of Tara at 10:30.

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The Greatest

Writer-director Shana Feste’s debut film stars Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon as Allen and Grace Brewer, a grief—stricken couple whose family has been pushed to the breaking point by the death of their older son, Bennett (Aaron Johnson from Kick-Ass) in a car crash. When a young woman, Rose, (recent Oscar-nominee Carey Mulligan) shows up a few months later announcing that she is pregnant with Bennett’s child, the Brewer’s are forced to take her in. At first, Rose’s presence threatens to tear the family even further apart but, eventually, her interaction with each of the Brewers proves to be the very thing that brings them back together. Also co-starring Johnny Simmons from Jennifer's Body.

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3D Green Lantern and Maori Men

Temeura Morrison in Couple's Retreat

 Taika Waititi

Maori actors Temeura Morrison, Taika Waititi are both going to be in the 3d flick Green Lantern according to the Hollywood Reporter. It's set to be released June 2011.

Temuera Morrisson played Jango Fett in Star Wars: Episode II and Jake in Once We Were Warriors. Taika Waititi is of Maori and Jewish descent who gained international acclaim when his 2003 short Two Cars, One Night was nominated for an Academy Award. He also made the cult classic Eagle Vs. Shark and just picked up Best Feature at Berlinale for his film Boy.

It was Boy that got Warner and Campbell's attention and led Waititi to be hired for Green Lantern. Here's to creating winning film-à-cles that capture and enrapture Hollywood to call out your name.

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Poster - Breaking Bad (Season 3)

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The Switch

Directors Josh Gordon & Will Speck (Blades of Glory) have a new comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. Kassie, a single woman who, despite her neurotic best friend Wally's objections, decides it’s time to have a baby—even if it means doing it by herself, with a little help from a charming sperm donor (Patrick Wilson). But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last—minute switch that isn't discovered until seven years later when Wally finally gets acquainted with Kassie's cute—though slightly neurotic—son. It was adapted from a short story by acclaimed novelist Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides).

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Eat, Pray, Love

Writer-director Ryan Murphy’s (Glee, Running with Scissors) adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir stars Julia Roberts as a happily married woman realizes her life needs to go in a different direction, and after a painful divorce, takes off on a round-the-world journey. It will be interesting to see Murphy do something more conventional and it's got a great supporting cast including Billy Crudup, James Franco, and Richard Jenkins.

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Poster - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

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Criterion Collection Announces June Titles

Mystery Train
First, on June 15, the studio will release Mystery Train (1989) on DVD/Blu-ray, with a transfer supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition).

Extras inlcude:

• Two video Q&As with Jarmusch, one from the 2009 All Tomorrow's Parties festival in New York and one in which he responds to questions sent in by fans
• Original documentary on Mystery Train's locations and Memphis's rich social and musical history
• On-set photos by Masayoshi Sukita, and behind-the-scenes photos
• A booklet featuring essays by writers Peter Guralnick and Dennis Lim, as well as a collectible poster

Close-Up
On June 22nd, they will release Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami's fiction-documentary hybrid Close-Up (1990) on DVD/Blu-ray, with a new, restored high-definition digital transfer.

Extras include:

• Audio commentary by Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa and Jonathan Rosenbaum, authors of Abbas Kiarostami
• The Traveler, a notable early feature by director Abbas Kiarostami
• 'Close-Up' Long Shot, a forty-five-minute documentary on Close-up’s central figure, Hossein Sabzian, five years after Kiarostami’s film
• New video interview with Kiarostami
• A Walk with Kiarostami (2003), a thirty-two-minute documentary portrait of the director by Iranian film professor Jamsheed Akrami
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Godfrey Cheshire

[READ MORE...]

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TV Tonight - Lost

A new episode, entitled Recon, airs tonight at 9/8c on ABC. Locke tasks Sawyer with a mission. It was written by Elizabeth Sarnoff/Jim Galasso and directed by Jack Bender. It will be nice to see a Sawyer episode since he hasn't had much to do this season. Love the promo too, which uses Leonard Cohen's 'Bird On The Wire'.

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Giveaway - The Runaways

The Runaways, which tells the story of the 70s rock band with Joan Jett and Cherie Currie (played by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning) opens in theaters this friday March 19th.

We will be giving away 1 really cool prize package which includes:

• a Runaways t-shirt
• poster from the film
• a copy of 'Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway' by Cherie Currie and Tony O’Neill
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 'Greatest Hits' CD
• Runaways buttons
• guitar picks
• the soundtrack CD (which has tracks from The Runaways, The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning)
• and a copy of Joan Jett's upcoming photobook with Todd Oldham! 

To enter send an email with your full name, address, and the subject line 'The Runaways' to josh@reelartsy.com by March 23rd. Open to US mailing address only (no PO Boxes). Winners will be notified by email. For more info on the movie click here 

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Model/Photographer

Model/Photographer is one of the beautifully shot films coming from Sabi Pictures. The quality of their work is impressive, their cinematography has a dreamy-like feel with a complimentary soundtrack. They're a bright spot in independent cinema so keep them on your radar.  

Official Site: www.sabipictures.com

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Notable New Releases

The Princess and the Frog
Disney's triumphant return to traditional animation! Like most of their new releases, Disney is offering a printable $10 off coupon for the combo pack. Great deal.

Extras include:

• Commentary
• Work in Progress Track - watch the finished film alongside the animators' early pencil work, storyboards, key animations, and work-in-progress sequences
• Magic in the Bayou
• Bringing Life to Animation
• Deleted Scenes
• The Return to Hand Drawn Animation
• The Disney Legacy
• A Return to the Animated Musical
• Disney's Newest Princess
• The Princess and the Animator
• Conjuring the Villain
• Ne-Yo "Never Knew I Needed" Music Video
• Art Galleries

Ninja Assassin
Missed this one, but heard it's a pretty badass fun action flick. So grab an umbrella and get ready for...Raaain!

Extras include:

• Deleted Scenes
• The Myth and Legend of Ninjas
• The Extreme Sport of a Ninja
• Training Rain

Broken Embraces
I will see anything by Almodóvar. Can't wait to pick this up.

Extras include:

• Deleted Scenes
• The Cannibalistic Councillor short film, directed by Pedro Almodóvar and featuring a character from Broken Embraces as the central focus
• Pedro Directs Penélope
• On the Red Carpet: The New York Film Festival Closing Night
• Variety Q&A with Penelope Cruz

[READ MORE...]

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TV Tonight - Chuck

A new episode, entitled Chuck Vs. The Tic Tac, airs tonight at 8/7c on NBC. When Casey sets out on a side mission for his former commander (guest star Robert Patrick), he lands in jail for treason. Cut to Chuck and Sarah, who try to break him out of prison and restore his good name. Meanwhile, Ellie scores a coveted fellowship, which makes Awesome's efforts to protect her all the more difficult.

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Poster - Thunder Soul

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First Look: Rashida Jones in Monogamy

Here's a glimmer of what the upcoming Rashida Jones film, Monogamy, will look like. When I wrote about the film last year it was described as a "romantic comedy" but the concept poster suggests an edgier tone.

Don't they look cute together...

More details on the film:

Theo (Chris Messina) is a 30-something wedding photographer living in Brooklyn. He hates his job. Three months from tying the knot with his seemingly perfect live-in girlfriend (Rashida Jones), Theo is contacted by a provocative woman who calls herself Subgirl (Meital Dohan). But what starts as a simple gig soon takes an unlikely, transgressive turn. Featuring music by Can, Elbow, Califone and Stars of the Lid. 

Monogamy will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Fest this April.

You can visit the official Facebook page to stay updated.

[H/T RJB]

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Spotlight - Wendy & Lisa

Childhood friends Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are musicians who were part of Prince's The Revolution during the mid-'80s, released five albums of their own, and score music for film and television. While Wendy primarly plays guitar and Lisa plays piano and keyboards, they are also credited with playing other instruments including bass, drums, harmonica, harmonium, oud, tamboora, and congas. Lisa began playing with Prince in 1980 and Wendy joined the band in 1983, as they began filming Purple Rain. After the massive success of Purple Rain, Wendy and Lisa continued to work with Prince until 1986.

They have also worked with kd lang, Grace Jones, Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, Neil Finn, Joni Mitchell, and many others. They released their debut album, Wendy & Lisa (Columbia), in 1987 which featured the ethereal R&B dance music that they helped to create for Prince. By their third album, Eroica (Virgin, 1990), they shifted towards more of a rock sound. They self-released their fifth album, White Flags of Winter Chimneys, in December 2008 after a ten year hiatus. Wendy and Lisa have scored many projects including Heroes, Dangerous Minds, Something New, Mercy, and most recently Nurse Jackie. They will appear at this year's Wondercon to discuss their work at the 'Setting the Score: Composing for Film & Television for Sci-Fi/Fantasy' panel on friday. For more info and to pre-order the Nurse Jackie soundtrack go to wendyandlisa.com

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TV Tonight - Sons of Tucson

Tyler Labine (from the awesome but sadly cancelled Reaper) is starring in a new show that premieres tonight at 9:30/8:30c on FOX. It's a comedy about three young brothers who get a slacker to act as their foster father while their real dad is in prison. In the pilot episode, the fill-in father must enroll the kids in school, where he deals with a skeptical teacher.

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Poster - The Losers

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TV Tonight - SNL

A new episode of Saturday Night Live airs tonight at 11:30/10:30c on NBC. Jude Law hosts with musical guest Pearl Jam.

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Please Give

Writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing) has a new film starring Catherine Keener as Kate, who has the ethics problem of buying furniture on the cheap at estate sales and marking it up at her trendy Manhattan store. Then there's the materialism problem of not wanting her teenage daughter (Sarah Steele) to want the expensive things that she wants and the marriage problem of sharing a partnership in parenting, business, and life with her husband Alex (Oliver Platt). Plus, there's the neighbors: cranky, elderly Andra (Ann Guilbert) and the two granddaughters who look after her (Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet). Opens April 30th in NY and LA.

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Watch SXSW on IFC.com

If you can't make it to the SXSW fest this year, here's a way to plug in...

"Each day from March 12-21, IFC.com will be livestreaming musical performances, comics, celebrity interviews, and more from the IFC Crossroads House. While being able to view the content in HD, viewers can also choose to interact with other viewers and even participate in asking performers and celebrities questions. All this will be daily at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, 6:00pm (all times CST)."

Here are the direct links for the Livestream and schedule.

And for all things SXSW visit their official website at www.sxsw.com

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Giveaway - Greenberg

Director Noah Baumbach's new film Greenberg opens on March 26th and features a score by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem! We will be giving away 3 copies of the Greenberg soundtrack sampler which features 6 new tracks by Murphy. To enter send an email with your full name, address, and the subject line 'Greenberg' to josh@reelartsy.com by March 26th. Open to US mailing address only (no PO Boxes). Winners will be notified by email.

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Suck

Actor-writer-director Rob Stefaniuk's new film tells the story of a rock band that will do anything to become famous. So basically imagine if the band from Jennifer's Body got their own movie...with vampires! It's been getting a lot of good buzz and co-stars musicians Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, and Moby.

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Best Buy Blu-ray Sale

Best Buy is having some awesome deals on blu-rays this month.

Grace $7

Not Forgotten $7

Resident Evil $10

Dogma $10

Ghost Town $10

Sunshine Cleaning $10

Dumb & Dumber $10

Bram Stoker's Dracula $10

Dark City $10

James Bond Movies (including Quantum of Solace) $13

Brokeback Mountain $13

The Wrestler $13

Raging Bull $13

Bonnie and Clyde $15

...and more

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The Heart Is A Drum Machine

Christopher Pomerenke's new documentary offers a host of current top artists and scholars ruminating on the primal human need for and attraction to music. Includes thoughtful interviews with Modest Mouse's Issack Brock, Tool's Maynard James Keenan, KCRW's Nic Harcourt, Elijah Wood, Jason Schwartzman, Juliette Lewis, Wayne Coyne, Jason Schwartzman, Elijah Wood, Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, Britt Daniel of Spoon, Juliette Lewis, John Frusciante, Maynard James Keenan, and more, all answering the question "What is Music?". The Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd wrote and performed the film’s original score and covered Elton John's "Rocket Man" with Maynard James Keenan on vocals!

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Music Video: She & Him "In The Sun"

M. Ward is too cool for you. Zooey Deschanel dances in the library and hula hoops in the gym. "In The Sun" is proof that She & Him's upcoming album Volume 2 is picking up right where their debut album left off...amazing. 

[HT The Playlist / Pitchfork]

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TV Tonight - Lost

A new episode, entitled Dr. Linus, airs tonight at 9/8c on ABC. Ben deals with the consequences of an uncovered lie. It was written by Edward Kitsis/Adam Horowitz and directed by Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City, Posse). Is it just marketing or will Ben actually die? And who will kill him? (let's face it he's not going by natural causes)

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Notable New Releases

Up In The Air
Jason Reitman has crafted a modern masterpiece with his third film. He is able to combine sharp funny writing with emotionally rich characters in a stunning way. There are big laugh out loud moments followed by moving drama that will have you tearing up. The performances are astonishing in their honesty, the editing is remarkable, and Reitman's musical choices are flawless.

Extras include:

• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Shadowplay: Before the Story
• Sad Brad Smith "Help Yourself" Music Video
• Storyboard Comparisons
• American Airlines Prank

Precious
An incredibly powerful film thanks to the amazing performances. It's difficult to watch due to the subject matter, but worth watching if only once.

Extras include:

• Commentary
• From Push to Precious
• A Precious Ensemble
• Oprah and Tyler: A Project of Passion
• A Conversation with Lee Daniels and Sapphire
• Audition: Gabourey Sidibe
• Deleted Scene
• Reflections on Precious

Capitalism: A Love Story
Missed this one in theaters, but look forward to checking it out.

Extras include:

• Deleted Scenes
• What If, Just What If, We Had Listened to Jimmy Carter in 1979?

The Kids Are Alright Blu-ray
The Who in Blu.

Extras include:

• Commentary

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