In February JJ Abrams’ mysterious project Cloverfield finally make it to the big screen.Also released is Hayden Christensen’s sci-fi thriller Jumper, Semi Pro starring Will Ferrell and Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as Rambo.
Cloverfield
Director and Lost creator JJ Abrams is whipping up a storm with his new movie Cloverfield.Previously called ‘Untitled JJ Abrams Project’. ‘The Parasite’, ‘Slusho’ and just 01-18-08.The trailer is set in New York at a farewell party when an explosion is heard and fireballs reign down on a panicking city but there is no synopsis that explains the images in the trailer.The response of these images have led to wild speculation and rumours. With a cast of, so far relative unknowns, and a budget of $30 million it’s believed the film follows a monster attack on New York told from the view of a small group of people.
Cloverfield is released 1st February.
Penelope
Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci), born to wealthy socialites (Catherine O'Hara and Robert E. Grant), is afflicted by the Wilhern spell that can only be broken when she finds love.
Hidden away in her family's estate, the lonely girl meets a string of suitors in her parent's futile attempt to break the curse.
Each eligible bachelor is enamoured with Penelope and her sizable dowry ... until her curse is revealed.
Lemon (Peter Dinklage), a mischievous and eager tabloid reporter wants a photograph of the mysterious Penelope and hires Max (James McAvoy) to pose as a prospective suitor to get the shot.
The handsome down-on-his luck gambler finds he falling for Penelope, but not wanting to disappoint her or to expose his surreptitious ways, he decides to disappear.
Fed up by his latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope breaks free from her family and ventures into the world alone.
She finds adventure and Annie, her first friend (Reese Witherspoon) and becomes the person she was meant to be
Penelope is released 1st February.
The Eye
Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) is an independent woman and an accomplished concert violinist. But she is blind after a childhood accident.
In an attempt to restore her sight she undergoes a double corneal transplant, an operation she has waited her whole life to have.
With the support of her older sister Helena she leaves how to see again and adjusts to her new life.
But Sydney's happiness is short-lived as unexplainable shadowy and frightening images start to haunt her.
Are they a passing aftermath of her surgery, Sydney's mind adjusting to sight, a product of her imagination, or something horrifyingly real?
As Sydney's family and friends begin to doubt her sanity, Sydney is soon convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see.
The Eye is released 1st February.
One Missed Call
Beth Raymond (Shanyn Sossamon) is left traumatised when she witnesses the gruesome deaths of two friends just day apart.
But she knows that both of them received chilling telephone messages just days before they died, each of them dying at the precise time the message predicted.
The police believe that she is delusional except Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns), whose sister was killed in a freak accident that bears a resemblance to the deaths of Beth’s friends.
Together Jack and Beth try to unravel the mystery before Beth cell phone begins to ring.
One Missed Call is released 8th February.
Jumper
Hayden Christensen, Samuel L Jackson, Rachel Bilson and home-grown Jamie Bell all star in this sci-fi thriller.
Davey (Christiensen) lives alone with his father but isn’t happy and decides to run away - the question is where?
The young man soon realises the answer is anywhere he wants.
He can move hundreds and thousands of miles, but with this new found power comes severe consequences. Jumper is released 15th February.
My Blueberry Night
After a rough break-up, Elizabeth sets out on a journey across America, leaving behind a life of memories, a dream and a soulful new friend; a cafe owner--all while in search of something to mend her broken heart.
Waitressing her way through the country, Elizabeth befriends others whose yearnings are greater than hers, including a troubled cop and his estranged wife and a down-on-her luck gambler with a score to settle.
Through these individuals, Elizabeth witnesses the true depths of loneliness and emptiness, and begins to understand that her own journey is part of a greater exploration within herself.
Directed by Wong Kar Wai this is his first English speaking picture leading lady, songstress Norah Jones, also makes her big screen debut.
Starring Norah Jones, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and David Strathairn.
My Blueberry Nights 22nd February.
Release of the Month
Rambo
Like Bruce Willis and Harrison Ford Stallone is back!
In the next instalment, Rambo is recruited by a group of Christian human rights missionaries in need of his protection, during a humanitarian aid deliver to the persecuted Karen people of Burma.
After some of the missionaries are taken prisoner by sadistic Burmese soldiers, Rambo gets a second impossible job: to assemble a team of mercenaries to rescue the surviving relief workers. Rambo is released 22nd February.
Semi Pro
Will Ferrell stars in Semi-Pro, an outrageous comedy set in 1976 set against the backdrop of the maverick ABA.
The ABA was a fast paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivalled the NBA and made a name for itself with innovations like the three point shot and slam dunk contest.
Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song 'Love Me Sexy' to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team.
But Moon's franchise, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces it's plans to merge with the NBA
If they want to survive Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible - win.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, Maura Tierney and Will Arnett.
Semi Pro is released 29th February . FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw