Cloverfield
Opening January 18, 2008
Viral marketing will-be hit, Cloverfield has enjoyed more manufactured hype than Noam Chomsky. Producer J.J. Abrams gathered together a team of former cohorts, including director Matt Reeves (Felicity) and writer Drew Goddard (Alias), to create the most talked-about monster flick of the year. Shot largely on digital and starring a cast of relative unknowns, including Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnelleys), Mike Vogel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and my future wife (sorry), Lizzy Caplan (Freaks and Geeks), Cloverfield follows a yuppie going-away party turned catastrophic disaster. As a gigantic monster attacks New York Blackberries get lost and collars fail to pop. Will suits be creased? Definitely. -S.T.



Be Kind Rewind
Opening January 28, 2008

The Science of Sleep was bad, but it still looked cool. Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) returns, this time with Jack Black and Mos Def in toe. Following a magnetic mishap, best friends Mike (Def) and Jerry (Black) must recreate a series of films, from Boyz n the Hood and Driving Miss Daisy to Ghostbusters and The Lion King. Though Gondry is typically better when working from Charlie Kauffman scripts - isn't everyone? - the quirky concept and charisma of the two leads could make for a surprisingly sweet film. Mia Farrow and Danny Glover also star. -S.T.