Movies of the Moment: January 2009

Happy New Year! January has never been big on notable releases (and it is usually a good month to catch up on all the December releases). However, there are are still a few new films this month that catch my eye.

Feature Film January 2009
Taken – January 30
There was a recent article on FirstShowing, asking why Fox was dumping this film in January (since it is apparently a good film).

That is enough for me to make this my top pick of the month.

Other Picks for the Month
Defiance – January 2nd
I’ve been hearing good things about this WWII drama starring Daniel Craig and I probably will check it out (most likely when it goes wide on the 16th)

May Check Out
The Unborn – January 9
David S. Goyer is probably more well-known as a screenwriter (The Dark Knight) than a director. However, this little horror film looks to be creepy (and I’m actually surprised it’s PG-13 considering some the twisted images seen in the trailer).

Chandi Chowk to China – January 16
This comedy sees the combination of two Asian genres – Bollywood mixed with kung-fu. It would be an interesting watch indeed.

The Class – January 30
This Frech film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is France’s submission for the Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. As such, I think it may be worth checking out.

Not Interested
Bride Wars – January 9
Another cliched romantic comedy that focuses only on the women.

My Bloody Valentine 3D – January 16
I don’t think that a 3D gimmick and a Supernatural cast member is enough for me to check out this horror film, which isn’t even opening on Valentine’s Day, probably since that date is occupied by the (more intriguing) Friday the 13th remake (also staring a Supernatural cast member).

Underworld: Rise of the Licans – January 23
This is a no-brainer. Why see the third film (which stars Doomsday’s Rohna Mitra instead of Kate Beckinsale) when you haven’t seen the other two?

And that’s my picks for the month. Check back next week as I do a week long series of 2008 top ten lists in various genres, before giving my overall top ten list.