"Beasts of the Southern Wild" expanded Georgia dates

Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" has been open for weeks throughout Metro Atlanta and Savannah. Today, my vote for 2012's best film so far opens in some additional Georgia cities. While continuing runs at Tara in Atlanta and Regal Town Center in Kennesaw, the film also opens today at AMC Southlake in Morrow and AMC Stonecrest in Lithonia. In Augusta, you can now see the film at Regal Augusta Exchange. In Columbus, the film is playing at Carmike Hollywood Connection Ritz 10. Lastly, the film continues it's run at Savannah's Spotlight Eisenhower Square 6. If you have the chance, I urge you to check this movie out. You can read out my review of the film here.

The Rome International Film Festival starts in one week!

Tickets for two hour blocks are only $6 or $2 for students. Check out the schedule and get your tickets now at www.romeinternationalfilmfestival.com. Beginning this weekend, we will preview some of the festival's programming, starting with a review of the festival kickstarter, "American Songwriter" by Michael Altman.

Review: "Robot & Frank" (****)

Frank Langella, a robot and Liv Tyler star in "Robot & Frank"

Despite the fact that Frank Langella has been acting for nearly half a century, I only first noticed him in 2005's "Good Night and Good Luck." In 2007, Langella almost made my personal ballot for his performance in "Starting Out in the Evening." That performance was better than the film, and the same could probably be said for his Oscar nominated work in 2008's "Frost/Nixon." He mostly pops up in supporting roles, but occasionally a tailor-made lead role presents itself. "Robot & Frank" is a prime example, and Langella dominates.

Review: "GROW!" (****)

Chickens star in "GROW!"

With local farmers' markets and organic eateries located all over metropolitan Atlanta these days, it is easy to forget that organic, locally-produced food was much harder to come by a few years back. When photographers Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson moved to Atlanta from Los Angeles in 2005, they turned their personal quest for local food into a professional mission to shed light on Georgia's growing organic scene. "GROW!" is an involving look at 20 young farmers from 12 farms located all over the state.

Review: "Lawless" (****)

Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain star in "Lawless"

Step one: Get director John Hillcoat and writer/musician Nick Cave back together. Step two: Assemble names like Chastain, Hardy, LaBeouf, Oldman, Pearce and Wasikowska. Step three: Convince Emmylou Harris to work with Cave and Warren Ellis on some new music. Step four: Film in Georgia. This is a perfect recipe to gain my interest.

With my curiosity at an all time high, "Lawless" premiered at Cannes. While it didn't knock any socks off, it didn't receive many bad marks either. When the trailer hit a few weeks later, my expectations were put in check. I remained enthusiastic, but some wind was let out of my sails upon seeing what appeared to be more of a commercial play than an exercise in artistry. Now, having seen the film, I confess to being very pleased with the final product.

"Last Call at the Oasis" Atlanta screening

Thursday, August 30th, "Last Call at the Oasis" will be screening at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta. Christopher Campbell (from Movies.com and the Documentary Channel blog) and Matthew Abshire (Documentary Film Online) are hosting this event. In order for it to happen, though, you need to get your ticket now! This is a Tugg screening, so it only happens if enough people commit. Do yourself a favor and RSVP today.

Check out the official trailer and synopsis after the jump.

Review: "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (*****)

Quvenzhané Wallis stars in "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Rare is a film that comes along and wins awards at both Sundance and Cannes. Until now, no film that has accomplished both feats has ever been anchored by a five-year-old or set in a place called 'the Bathtub.' After learning that the casting call was for six to nine-year-olds, Quvenzhané Wallis lied about her age in order to secure an audition. Boy, was that a good move! As far as I'm concerned, Wallis' performance as Hushpuppy catapults this film into iconic territory. This is not just a precocious kid getting fed good lines. Wallis' face speaks words that she isn't even old enough to have learned yet.

While no doubt remains that this film belongs to Wallis, her performance is just one piece of a larger puzzle that "depends on everything fitting together just right." Everything fits together more than just right and I'm thrilled to award Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" a five-star rating.

2012 Rome International Film Festival preview

The 2012 Rome International Film Festival will kick off in four weeks, marking the festival's ninth run since it was founded in 2004. Located 70 miles northwest of Atlanta, Rome's scenic beauty is a perfect accompaniment for what MovieMaker Magazine called one of "20 film festivals worth the entrance fee." In fact, I would say it values a bit higher than the entrance fee. Tickets are only $6 per film block ($2 for students) or $25 for a day pass.

We've highlighted the opening and closing night films after the jump!

"Trouble With the Curve" trailer

Amy Adams and Clint Eastwood star in "Trouble With the Curve"

One of the most Georgia-centric productions in recent memory, "Trouble With the Curve," is set to be released next month and the trailer has just hit the web. Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman, the film centers around an aging baseball scout (Eastwood) and his daughter (Adams).

Eastwood's filmmaking protégé, Robert Lorenz, is directing the legend this time around. Judging from the trailer, the film looks to be in keeping with Eastwood's visual aesthetic with a bit more lively of a story than his recent efforts. The film could easily become an Oscar contender, especially in the acting categories. You might remember filming updates throughout the spring, when the production moved all over the state. Shooting took place in Atlanta, Decatur, Dawsonville, Dunwoody, Jasper and Macon.

I can't wait for this film. Check out the trailer after the jump!

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" casting call

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will star in
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

"Catching Fire," the sequel to mega-box office hit "The Hunger Games" will start filming in Atlanta this September. Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Tobey Jones, Donald Sutherland and Lenny Kravitz are all slated to return. New cast members already announced include Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, Lynn Cohen as Mags and Meta Golding as Enobaria. No official announcement of beloved character Finnick Odair has been made.

Operating under the working title, "The Idiom," the film will split production between the metro Atlanta area and Hawaii. This will make sense to fans of the book, as about half of the film takes place in a tropical climate.

Check out the casting call from Catrett Locke Casting after the jump.

Review: "Total Recall" (***1/2)

Colin Farrell stars in "Total Recall"

Several factors led me to be curious about "Total Recall." I use the word curious because despite a high level of interest, there was always a good deal of hesitation. Piquing my interests foremost was Colin Farrell. While he has yet to become a massive box office draw in America, look carefully at his filmography and you will see a long list of good acting choices. Casting Bill Nighy and Bryan Cranston lent the project some more bonus points. To top it off, any Philip K. Dick story has the potential to make a great film.

Never having read any Philip K. Dick stories, I can still profess to being a fan. Several of my favorite sci-fi movies have been adapted from his works, 1990's "Total Recall" being among them. The story that has given life to both films is "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale." Based more on the short story than the 1990 film, we still see quite a few nuggets from Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi classic make their way over to Len Wiseman's film.