9. Adventure Land (March 27th): From the director of "Superbad" (2007) comes the story of a recent college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) who doesn't have any clue what to do with his life. He eventually settles on a 3rd rate amusement park run by a quirky couple (SNL cast members Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig), and befriends the local freaks and geeks who work there, including the resident hot girl (Kristen Stewart).
The trailer promised a handful of good laughs, but it's hard to say if it will be a true gut-buster like "Superbad" was (although on the plus side, the gross-out humor quotient seems to have dropped significantly).
Jesse: So, I hear you like vampires and smoking pot on a stoop...Kristen: So, I hear you have no prospects in life...
Jesse:....touche
Trailer
Anticipation Meter: 5/10
8. Duplicity (March 20th): "Michael Clayton" writer/director Tony Gilroy turns to more lighthearted antics in his first film since his 2007 Best Picture nominee.
This is sooooo much more fun than "Closer"
The story centers on two ex-agents (Clive Owen and Julia Roberts) who decide to team up and use their knowledge of the CIA/MI6's inner workings to grab a hefty sum of money from two rival corporations and their overly competitive CEO's (Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti). "Duplicity" seems to promise the same level of plot complexity as "Michael Clayton", only with a bit more fun going this time around.
This is sooooo much more fun than "Closer"Trailer
Anticipation Meter: 6/10
7. Push (February 6th): What do you get when you combine telekinesis, crazy gun fights, a bunch of really good looking people, and REALLY BRIGHT COLORS? That would be "Push", one of the year's earliest wannabe action blockbusters. 
Psycho Asians: They'll f**k you up...
I'm Dakota Fanning. Who the f**k are you?What the story might lack in originality, it makes up for in ideas. Most of these pseudo-superhero movies involve attempts to cram about 50 different superpowers on screen, whereas "Push" focuses on clever variations of telekinesis (one can levitate small weapons with his mind, another can scream loud enough to shatter even the thickest glass, etc...). 
A blind date with CRAZY DJIMON HONSOU can't be that bad...right?
Who knows, if it's got the right combinations of fun characters and badass action scenes, it could be the year's first action blockbuster...
A blind date with CRAZY DJIMON HONSOU can't be that bad...right?
TrailerAnticipation Meter: 6/10
6. Two Lovers (February 13th): Joaquin Phoenix reunites with his "We Own the Night" director James Gray for a much different story. Phoenix plays a shy young man struggling to get by in New York, who finds himself entagled with, you guessed it, two lovers (and one of them's played by Gwyneth Paltrow, so it can't be all bad...).
Of course, romantic complications ensues as Phoenix must choose between the quieter lover and Paltrow's fast-living party girl. I must admit, however, that I wouldn't be nearly as excited for this had the trailer not been so beautifully put together (whatever that opera song was in the second half is gorgeous).
TrailerAnticipation Meter: 7/10
5. The International (February 13th): Though the cast and crew didn't realize it, there's something oddly coincidental about a movie being released in the aftermath of an economic downturn that features a globe-spanning bank as its central villain.
Clive Owen stars as...some sort of agent/rebel who teams up with Naomi Watts (no idea what her character's job is) to try and take down the murderous and dictator-funding bank. The trailer indicates that there will be a fair share of globe trotting (Turkey, Africa, among others) and interesting action scenes (one of which is staged in the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum).
Besides, in this current economy, who doesn't want to see Clive Owen and Naomi Watts take down a bank and look smokin' hot while doing it?Trailer
Anticipation Meter: 7.5/10
4. Taken (January 30th): We've finally come to the first movie on this list that has actually been screened for critics. So far, the reaction has split critics down the middle, but considering that it's produced by Luc Besson, who gave us the fantastic "Leon: The Professional", it can't be all bad.
Liam Neeson stars as a former spy whose daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom. Because he's not willing to let that stand, and because he's Liam f-ing Neeson, he uses his old spy skills to lay a brutal smackdown on the bad guys, which includes tying them down to chairs and smashing their legs until they talk. If it weren't for Besson and Neeson's involvement, I would have zero interest in this, so kudos to them for ramping up my interest.
TrailerAnticipation Meter: 7.5/10
3. Coraline (February 6th): In his first feature in years, "Nightmare Before Christmas" director Henry Selick returns to stop-motion animation, with a shot of 3-D gimmickry. Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a young girl who has moved into an isolated house with her nice-but-boring parents.
One night she accidentally discovers a portal in the third floor that leads her to a parallel universe populated by her "other mother" and "other father" among other curious and otherworldly inhabitants. 
Everything seems wonderful, but soon signs begin to surface that the alternate world may not be so great. And of course there's one final icky question: why are other's eyesockets filled not by eyes, but by buttons?
TrailerAnticipation Meter: 8/10
2. Sunshine Cleaning (March 13th - Limited): When in need of offbeat, original stories, one can always turn to indepdent cinema.
Emily Blunt frowns upon your shenanigans.One of the few notable indie releases of the first quarter, "Sunshine Cleaning" stars Emily Blunt and Amy Adams as sisters in dire need of money, who decide to start a business that cleans up after deaths or accidents.
Judging by the second trailer, there might actually be something worth watching here, instead of just another by-the-numbers-quirk fest, with a good combination of relationship drama and goofy comedy.
OH MY GOD! There's fruit punch EVERYWHERE...
Judging by the second trailer, there might actually be something worth watching here, instead of just another by-the-numbers-quirk fest, with a good combination of relationship drama and goofy comedy.
OH MY GOD! There's fruit punch EVERYWHERE...The fact that it's headlined by three reliable actors (Blunt, Adams, and Alan Arkin) is another huge plus.
A dead body? HA-HA-HA! That's marvelous!
Trailer
A dead body? HA-HA-HA! That's marvelous!Anticipation Meter: 8.5/10
1. Watchmen (March 6th): It wasn't hard to determine where to place this graphic novel adaptation on the list. Given the director's knack for beautiful visuals, the stellar cast, and of course the fantastic source material, this has the potential to be the next "The Dark Knight", in terms of storytelling and character depth.
For the last time, I am NOT Robert Downey Jr.Though it's easy to dismiss as "just another comic book movie", anyone who's read the graphic novel can tell you that "Watchmen" is something else entirely. Filled with complicated semi-heroes, interesting twists on historical events, and a labyrinthine mystery that unfolds after a simple murder, "Watchmen" is the movie to beat.
In fact, if it turns out to be any good, this early spring release could end up topping some of the big summer blockbusters in terms of box office intake. 
Who watches the Watchmen? Hopefully more than just rabid fans....and how could you not be intriguied by a movie whose trailer juxtaposes music by Philip Glass and Muse?
TrailerAnticipation Meter: 10/10
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