Punch Drunk DVDs

3. The Ward
There was a lot of buzz surrounding The Ward last year, mainly because it marked the directorial return of horror legend, John Carpenter. His first film since 2001's Ghosts of Mars, The Ward stars Amber Heard as an woman in a mental institution, haunted by a deadly unseen force. While I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I've heard relatively good things. And the surrounding cast is solid enough to draw my attention: Jared Harris, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Lyndsey Foneca co-star.

2. The Conspirator Robert Redford turns his keen political eye towards a little told story in our country's history. We all know the fate of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, but what we don't hear all that much about was what followed. The trials of the people thought to be part of the assassination were chaotic and swept up a lot of people, some who may or may not have actually been involved. One such person was Mary Surrat(Robin Wright), an unassuming woman who ran the boarding house where the conspiracy was plotted. Without a lick of evidence, Surrat was arrested and charged, with the idea that the public needs someone to blame above all else. James McAvoy plays her lawyer, given the thankless and impossible task of defending her at risk of his personal and professional future. A great performance by Wright can't hide that the glacial pace and drama free courtroom scenes do this deserving story no justice.

1. Jane Eyre Count me as somebody who could do with less of these Victorian period pieces, especially the ones we've seen brought to the big screen a billion times already. Jane Eyre is probably the most egregiously overused novel, with a new adaptation coming out once a year or so. Cary Fukunaga, fresh off his powerful directorial debut Sin Nombre, seems to recognize this and has given the classic Charlotte Bronte story a style and fire we've not yet seen. Mia Wasikowska plays the confident and feisty heroine, Jane Eyre, with the always charismatic Michael Fassbender as the brooding Edward Rochester. Their courtship is contentious at first, before smoothly easing into a playful respect and ultimately love. Fukunaga plays up some of the darker, Gothic elements of the story, bordering on horror in terms of visual style, making for a unique and I think superior interpretation.

Other Notable Releases
Priest, starring Paul Bettany and Karl Urban
Something Borrowed, starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
The Gruffalo, starring Helena Bonham Carter
Queen to Play, starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Beals
The Best and the Brightest, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Amy Sedaris
That's What I Am, starring Ed Harris and Randy Orton
The Bang Bang Club, starring Ryan Phillippe and Taylor Kitsch
Meet Monica Velour, starring Kim Cattrall