Films to See in 2012: January

We're now straight out of 2011, and you know exactly what that means. It means we're stuck with a month of January, which is the most pathetic month of the year. People just stop trying to make good movies, and that's sad. I suppose they're making room for people to catch up with the Oscar films of this year, but for us film addicts, it's not a fun time for new releases. The first weekend of the year always provides us something in the way of awful horror thrillers, this year being in the form of "The Devil Inside". I'm worried that people might actually see it. This seems to have the exact same plot as "The Rite" from last year, except without Anthony Hopkins. I wouldn't know for sure, as I try to keep a general distance from either film.

Is it worth noting that one of the best films coming out this month is a 3D re-release of "Beauty and the Beast"? Not the Jean Cocteau film. The Disney version that was inexplicably nominated for Best Picture. Also releasing that week is Queen Latifah's "inspirational family film", as it's described in the trailers, "Joyful Noise", or more appropriately titled "Just Noise". Add to that a Mark Wahlberg action film called "Contraband" and you might be able to expect a half decent weekend at the box office this month. And I would be prone to saying it drops off from there, but it doesn't quite.

Because then we head into Stephen Soderbergh's "Haywire", which I've been flip-flopping between interest and disinterest. There's a nice cast, but where's it going? That's probably my most anticipated film this month, which is kind of sad, but I'll deal. Also out that weekend is "Red Tails", that film you thought was directed by George Lucas, but he really only produced it, but it still looks mild at best. There's also "Underworld Awakening", the newest entry into a series that my dad and brother, for some reason, really dig. Is that enough to get me to see it? Well, I'll be back to college by then, so no. And then close out the month is Liam Neeson's standard thriller, "The Grey", the debut of Sam Worthington's awful hair, "Man on a Ledge", and Katherine Heigl existing, "One for the Money". So that's January. Take it or... no. Leave it. Just leave it.