Ruby Sparks

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(2012)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer: Zoe Kazan

Producers: Albert Berger, Paul Dano, Robert Graf, Zoe Kazan, T.K. Knowles, John O'Grady, Chuck Ryant, Ron Yerxa, Bart Lipton

Synopsis: Calvin (Dano) is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing - as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby (Kazan), in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person. -- (Written by Fox Searchlight)

Cast:

• Paul Dano
• Zoe Kazan
• Chris Messina
• Annette Bening
• Antonio Banderas
• Aasif Mandvi
• Steve Coogan
• Deborah Ann Woll

IMDb - Ruby Sparks

Looper

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(2012)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Rian Johnson

Writer: Rian Johnson

Producers: Ram Bergman, Christopher C. Chen, Ningning Fu, Julie Goldstein, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Douglas Hansen, Dan Mintz, Eleanor Nett, David Pomier, Peter Schlessel, Lucas Smith, James D. Stern, Bing Wu, Wen-ge Xiao

Synopsis: In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented - but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a "looper" - a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good... until the day the mob decides to "close the loop," sending back Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Bruce Willis
• Emily Blunt
• Paul Dano
• Jeff Daniels

IMDb - Looper

Cowboys and Aliens

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(2011)

Genre: Action/Western/Sci-Fi

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

Producers: Bobby Cohen, Johnny Dodge, Jon Favreau, Daniel Forcey, Karen Gilchrist, Brian Grazer, Randy Greenberg, K.C. Hodenfield, Ron Howard, Ryan Kavanaugh, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart, Chris Wade

Nominee

Synopsis: The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been... (Written by Universal Pictures)

Cast:

• Daniel Craig
• Harrison Ford
• Olivia Wilde
• Sam Rockwell
• Adam Beach
• Noah Ringer
• Paul Dano

IMDb - Cowboys & Aliens

Short Review: The genre mashing of this film seemed strange to me at first, and as a result I expected something average…I was pretty much right. Not even the first-rate cast could save this forgettable film.

There Will Be Blood

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(2007)

Genre: Drama

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson, Upton Sinclair

Synopsis: The film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview - a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and psychological need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life. (Written by Denny Gibbons)

Cast:

• Daniel Day-Lewis
• Paul Dano

 

IMDb - There Will Be Blood