Catch .44 is the embodiment of style over substance.

The film looks great. Writer/director Aaron Harvey clearly has a good eye. If the budget is as low as he implies in the audio commentary, Harvey needs to marry his production designer and his cinematographer. A lot of the visual effects are a little clunky (think the fight sequences in Deadliest Warrior), but good for the budget (which bodes well for the future of indie film).

The acting is also very strong, which is not unexpected given a cast that includes veterans Bruce Willis, Brad Dourif, and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker. Most of the fun that can be squeezed from watching Catch .44 is seeing the actors play.

But the twisty crime thriller genre is all about story, and there just isn’t one here. Unlike The Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs, to which the marketing compares the film, Catch.44 doesn’t have any surprises, any secrets, or any tension. It’s mostly just people saying they are going to shoot each other and then, in fact, shooting each other.

The characters are poorly drawn and, with the possible exception of Whitaker’s confused psycho, unmemorable. Most have no arcs to speak of. The script doesn’t even keep you entertained with clever banter or intimidating tough-guy talk, another staple of the genre. The dialogue in Catch .44 is clumsy and lacking originality.

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Hard to believe it, but with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs nearly 20 years old, it only makes sense that up-and-coming writer/director combos are going to start making their homages to Quentin Tarantino for what’ he’s done to the cinematic community. That’s the first thing that comes to mind with the trailer for Catch .44.

The film has an interesting vibe, most of which can be attributed to several periods of Tarantino’s work, from neo-noir to grindhouse. Here’s the film’s synopsis to shed a bit more light.

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis and Malin Akerman lead an all-star cast in this suspense thriller where everyone has an agenda… and a Magnum to back it up! For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed, the “TWILIGHT” franchise) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll, “True Blood”), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner.

But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

You won’t get to catch this film in theaters, as its going straight to DVD and Blu-Ray on December 20th. Take a look at the first trailer after the jump.

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There are certain comedy sub-genres that have either become parodies of themselves or just lost in Instant Netflix obscurity. Genres like the college comedy, the buddy cop comedy, and most importantly, the road comedy are among these. Something about protagonists finding themselves through an adventurous road trip has a certain amount of majesty to it.

Thankfully, comedy gurus David Wain and Ken Marino, best known as prime members of The State, have not forgotten the wonder of the road comedy, as the first trailer for Wanderlust has hit the web. The film stars Paul Rudd and (unfortunately) Jennifer Aniston as two workaholics living in New York City that decide to embark on a journey across the country to find themselves, and some pretty zany characters along the way.

If the writing style of Wain and Marino (the same minds that brought you Role Models) isn’t enough to get you into this flick, the massive cast of cameos should help. You can look forward to seeing actors like Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Alan Alda, Kathryn Hahn, Melissa Joan Hart, Ray Liotta, Reba McEntire, and Kerri Kenney-Silver in the film, just to name a few.

So before you pass judgment, check out the new trailer after the jump! Wanderlust is set to hit theaters on March 24th, 2012.

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Mockumentaries are for the weak. Unless you’re Christopher Guest. Outside of that, sticking to a straightforward 3rd person style of filmmaking is still the best method. That’s exactly what Steven Silver did with his new film, The Bang Bang Club, which could easily be done in the faux documentary style.

Here’s the official synopsis.

The Bang Bang Club is the real life story of a group of four young combat photographers – Greg Marinovich, Joao Silva, Kevin Carter and Ken Oosterbroek – bonded by friendship and their sense of purpose to tell the truth. They risked their lives and used their camera lenses to tell the world of the brutality and violence associated with the first free elections in post Apartheid South Africa in the early 90s.

This intense political period brought out their best work (two won Pulitzers during the period) but cost them a heavy price. Based on the book of the same name by Marinovich and Silva, the film stars Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch and explores the thrill, danger and moral questions associated with exposing the truth.

Could be a fun ride, especially with Phillippe and Kitsch teaming up for the first time. Check out the trailer after the jump, and catch The Bang Bang Club in theaters on April 22nd.

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In the past five years, Carla Gugino has solidified herself in just about every fanboy’s fantasies as a favorite. From Sin City to Watchmen, comic fans everywhere have salivated over the actress for quite some time now. Now they have a bit more to salivate over during her latest role . . . as a porn star.

Here’s the full breakdown for the film Elektra Luxx, which is a sequel to 2009′s Women in Trouble.

Recently retired from the adult film industry, superstar Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino) is pregnant with the child of late rock star Nick Chapel. She is trying to make ends meet by teaching a community college sex education class aimed at housewives when a figure from her past, flight attendant Cora (Marley Shelton), approaches her with a proposition.

In exchange for the (stolen) lyrics to Nick Chapel’s last record, all of which is about Elektra, Cora needs Elektra to seduce her fiancee. Elektra reluctantly agrees to do this favor, setting in motion a series of hilarious events which will see her come face to face with detectives, sex bloggers, emotionally unstable neighbors and the Virgin Mary herself as she wrestles with the prospect of motherhood and tries to become a person of substance.

We’ve got a full trailer for the film which you can check out after the jump. Elektra Luxx hits theaters on March 11th. Also, check out our interview with Elektra Luxx director Sebastian Gutierrez for more on the film.

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