Hollywood has recently begun mining venerable board games… not video games mind you but actual tabletop board games as motion picture properties. The first of these films is “Battleship” based off of the popular Hasbro game which made “You sunk my battleship!” an American catch phrase.

The story takes place off the coast of modern day Hawaii as the U.S. Navy is engaged in war games with the Japanese naval fleet. Lt. Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) might remind you of Maverick in “Top Gun.” He is a screw-up who was brow-beaten by his brother, Stone (Alexander Skarsgard), into joining the Navy after his arrest for stealing a burrito from a convenience store to impress the daughter (Brooklyn Decker) of the fleet admiral (Liam Neeson). After screwing up one time too many, Hopper faces the possibility of a court martial after the war games. Luckily for him, a scouting alien invasion force is attracted to Earth by high-tech radio waves meant to contact extraterrestrial life… oops. Soon Hopper is off the hook when the aliens crash land in the water near his fleet and erect a force field, trapping the Earth ships inside with them…

Modern movie theaters have done a lot in order to attract viewers. Many now advertise full meals, gourmet coffee, frozen treats, state of the art digital projection, stadium seating, Dolby 7.1 sound, 3-D films and many other amenities to make spending a couple of hours at the theater more attractive. Not all of them work.

Even now, big Hollywood theater chains are considering a move that might send many traditional movie patrons running from the aisles. In a terribly misguided effort to keep the younger generation in movie seats, AMC Regal theaters and other chains are considering allowing viewers to freely text on their cellphones during movies…

If you’ve ever been to a Mississippi film festival in the past few years then you’ve probably seen Kenny Cook. The prolific actor has been a go-to artist for their short films for awhile now. Cook has been in many award-winning films playing leads and character actors alike.

Now the actor makes his directorial debut with “Bitter Shoes”, the story of a broken man (played by Cook) who resorts to kidnapping in order to relive the memories of his dead son. It’s a heartbreaking story that features a fine performance by Cook and co-star Julie Sampley as his grade school-aged hostage…

Every once in awhile, a movie comes along that can change a genre forever. In the case of horror films, “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “Scream” (1994) are all examples that broke the mold and changed how people view horror. “Cabin in the Woods” has also earned a place on this list.

We all know the story… Kids go to a cabin in the woods, bad things happen. “The Evil Dead” (1981) and its horror/comedy remake “Evil Dead II” (1987) are credited for perfecting this subgenre. Although no other film of this type has come near to competing with these originals, it hasn’t kept filmmakers from trying. The subgenre has been one of the most overused and poorly-made film types of the past 30 years. “Cabin” takes the concept and turns it on its head in such a way, I believe the subgenre is now spoiled for good. Trust me, this is a very good thing…

10. “Top Gun” (1986): With talk of a sequel finally in the works, this one almost didn’t make the list. However, no other film has convinced so many kids to want to be fighter pilots than “Top Gun.” Now that Tom Cruise has agreed to return for a sequel, we might finally get another great modern-day dogfighting film (but not likely).

9. “Field of Dreams” (1989): Easily one of the greatest baseball films of all time, the story mixed sports with a dash of fantasy to create a tear-jerking film even guys can love. While no sequel or remake is needed, kids who haven’t seen “Field of Dreams” are sorely deprived…

A year ago, the first season of “Game of Thrones” premiered on HBO and thus began a phenomenon, leading up to several season finale cliffhangers that had fans salivating for more. Now the second season (based on George R. R. Martin best-selling book series) has begun and so has the well-deserved hype for this outstanding series.

Like the series of books, the TV series takes place in a fictional Medieval world in which mythical creatures have vanished and the lords of “Westeros” battle to take over the “Iron Throne” after an insane king’s assassination causes a power vacuum. Many make claims and form alliances, but in this Machiavellian world, no one can be trusted. Only the Starks of Winterfell are honorable beyond reproach but murder and treachery from the more ambitious houses destroy and scatter their family. As these houses cut each others’ throats over power, an exiled princess plots to retake her kingdom with the help of exotic armies from the Far East… and once extinct dragons who obey only her commands. All the while a neglected, desperate order of monk soldiers guard a massive frozen barrier in the North in an effort to keep feral men, deadly mythical creatures and a zombie plague from invading the kingdom…

In the same league as “Harry Potter” and the “Twilight” series, Suzanne Collins’ 3-part novel series “The Hunger Games” now has a film adaptation in theaters. Based on the early numbers at the box-office, it could be the blockbuster hit of the year.

The story takes place in the future, 75 years after a near-apocalyptic American civil war. The country is divided up into 12 districts and oppressed by a cruel dictatorship that supports itself through the slave labor of these districts. As a means of control and entertainment, the government created the Hunger Games in which each district must offer up a young male and female representative to fight other district representatives to the death in a wilderness arena. The sole winner gets to live out a life of luxury and their district is awarded extra food rations for the year…

When asked what a “Muppet” was, Homer Simpson once said, “Well, it’s not quite a mop and it’s not quite a puppet, but maaaaan! (laughs) So to answer your question, I don’t know.”

My generation and those surrounding it grew up with The Muppets films and “The Muppet Show.” Since the 90’s they’ve popped up here and there in direct-to-video films and viral music videos on the internet, but they never truly made a comeback since the the TV show was cancelled in the 80’s. Now with the new film “The Muppets,” Jim Henson’s creations return to serve up some fantastic, clever and funny family entertainment…

Exactly 100 years ago, “Tarzan” creator Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the novel “A Princess of Mars” which was serialized and published in “The All-Story” magazine beginning in 1912. Thus began the “John Carter of Mars” novel series which ended in 1964, fourteen years after Burroughs’s death.

Now in 2012, after many tries and failures reaching all the way back to 1931, the first film adaptation of the series has released in theaters under the title “John Carter.” The result is a rousing spectacle of a sci-fi/fantasy film, the likes of which were common in the 1980’s, but are sorely missed today…

This year marks the first time in awhile I haven’t written a pre-Oscars article or made a very big deal out of the event. I felt a bit alienated by the awards ceremony this year when they nominated so many films I didn’t care about and snubbed many I loved. Their ultimate choice for Best Motion Picture ended up being “The Artist” which now holds the dubious distinction as the lowest-grossing Oscar winner of all time, simply because so few made the effort to see a black and white silent film. With all this hoopla and very little satisfying payoffs to general audiences, one could beg the question as to whether the Oscars has fallen into a pit of irrelevancy that it may never recover from?

While Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” received plentiful critical acclaim last year, his other 2011 film missed out on the grandiose fanfare. An animated passion project that took many years to put together, “The Adventures of Tintin” aimed to introduce the beloved French comic strip character to a much wider audience. While Spielberg succeeded in creating a rousing, action-packed film, I doubt anyone but the European market will fall in love with Tintin the character or the buffoons he associates with…

Many consumers know that nearly every popular TV show ever created can be found on DVD or online, but some do not take advantage of this opportunity. They may prefer to catch the more current shows on the networks as we have always watched them, or recorded from a service like Tivo. Unfortunately, many people are missing out on some great shows simply because they don’t have cable stations like HBO or Showtime. Some foreign shows are only available on DVD or a service like Netflix or Hulu +. Here are some reasons why you might want to try to catch these older series online or on DVD/Blu Ray…

by Coop Cooper

This time of the year has a spotty track record when it comes to the box office. Some are great indie films which had successful early screenings and are distributed in the off-season to give them a chance for success. Others are potential failures Hollywood hopes they can over-hype and make a quick buck off of before tossing them in the trash.

These are a few of the upcoming, off-season films which look promising:

“The Hunger Games” (March 23) – Since this film is an highly anticipated adaptation of the runaway hit series of novels about teens forced into gladiator-type battles, I’m going to claim this is actually an early summer release. Not only does the film look phenomenal, it is also a guaranteed blockbuster hit.

“The Cabin in the Woods” (April 13) – This $30 million-dollar horror film was shot in 2009 but unreleased due to the financial shakeup at MGM and the film’s edgy (yet secretive) premise. Now it is finally scheduled for release and people will find out what the controversy and rave early reviews surrounding this film were all about…

Why should you check out the 2nd Annual Clarksdale Film Festival? I can think of a few reasons…

1. Memphis wrestling idols “Superstar” Bill Dundee and Buddy Wayne will be on hand Thursday night for a Q&A following the documentary “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’.” Anyone who grew up in the area remembers seeing these guys performing on live TV or at the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. If you missed this event by the time you read this article, pay close attention. There is much more to look forward to the rest of the weekend…

by Coop Cooper

While watching “Gypsy Heart” one might wonder where the story is going, until the payoff when they realize the story is oddly familiar to those who appreciate a good legend. A good samaritan (Glenn Payne) picks up an alluring hitchhiker (Courtney Cheek) on a rural Mississippi road. The more questions the guy asks, the more uncomfortable the girl becomes. Soon it becomes apparent that the girl is hiding something. As they approach their destination, both parties soon discover the reason for their chance meeting…

By Coop Cooper
Yet another film released to DVD that I’m sorry I overlooked until now. It has the potential to be the best film of the year, but can it engage legions of Oscar voters who may be cynical towards America’s favorite pastime?

Brad Pitt plays real-life Oakland A’s General Manager, Billy Beane who is facing a potentially disastrous 2002 season after losing the playoffs and his MVPs. Without the budget to secure the most sought-after players in the league, Beane risks everything to a radical idea hatched by Yale economics whiz, Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Brand convinces Beane that statistical analysis by computer is the answer in drafting the right players – not the most valuable ones – in order to score runs. This challenges over a hundred years of traditional theory and the results of this gamble eventually change the sport forever…

by Coop Cooper
All of the following films are on the short list for Academy Awards nominations, and while they all have Oscar-caliber qualities (particularly acting), I felt they fell short as “Best Motion Picture” contenders… except for one.

1. “War Horse” – Based on a book and a stage play (????), “War Horse” chronicles the story of a boy searching for his remarkable horse that is lost in the chaos of the battlefields of World War I. Possibly the best film ever in which a non-talking animal is the main character of the story, “War Horse” didn’t unfold as maudlin as I expected. Director Steven Spielberg tends to serve his weepy dramas with an overdose of sugar, but this film has just enough action and skillful execution, it rises above the typical “Lassie” story. While the plot is episodic and awkwardly paced, it’s just too…

By Coop Cooper

10. “Battle: Los Angeles” – This remake of “Independence Day” mixed with “Black Hawk Down” got very little love from critics and a lukewarm response from audiences but I maintain my opinion that it’s the most visually satisfying, most action-packed sci-fi film of the year. I have re-watched “Battle: LA” more than any other film on this list.

9. “Captain America” – This lead-in for “The Avengers” superhero team movie (opening in May of 2012) is second only to “Iron Man” in the series of Marvel Comics films. A “Cap” film was previously regarded as too difficult to sell to a foreign market and potentially corny. Director Joe Johnston allayed all fears by creating a Hollywood blockbuster and introducing new fans to the star-spangled hero…

Set in modern-day Sweden, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a high-profile journalist publicly disgraced after failing to expose a corrupt business baron. The patriarch of a wealthy dynasty (Christopher Plummer) hires Mikael to investigate a 40 year-old disappearance of a niece in return for information that could clear Mikael’s reputation. When Mikael’s investigation reveals he is on the trail of an elusive serial killer, he enlists the aid of the brilliant, yet antisocial computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), to help him analyze the cryptic evidence.

Based off of the sleeper-hit novels by the late Swedish author, Stieg Larsson, “Dragon Tattoo” was adapted into a 2009 Swedish film with the two remaining sequels filmed back-to-back. The films became an international success and propelled Noomi Rapace (the original Lisbeth Salander) into the Hollywood A-list, securing her first English-speaking role in “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.” Regardless of the success of these films in the U.S., Hollywood is never one to pass up on remaking a foreign-language hit…