Marie writes: some people think Christmas is about religion. I think we all know the REAL story and it starts with Eggnog and cookies...and the perfect tree. :-)

The Tree of Life (2011) Directed by Terrence Malick. Starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Fiona Shaw. Synopsis: "The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick's signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life." Release Date May 27, 2011.

The First Movie (2010) Mark Cousin's brilliant documentary feature "The First Movie" opened in cinemas across the UK back in October 2010. The film records his visit to Goptapa in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, which was the subject of a horrendous chemical assault in 1988, part of Saddam Hussein's genocidal assault upon the Kurds. He hands out some digital video cameras to the children and asks them to make their own films which results in some remarkable and inspiring footage, and powerfully candid stories from their mothers and grandmothers about what happened during Saddam's murderous reign. NOTE: The First Movie was produced out of Edinburgh, Scotland. The director is Irish, the producers are Scottish and Canadian, the onscreen kids, translator, security and production managers are Kurdish, the editor is German, the sound recordist is Canadian and the composer is Canadian-Hong-Kongese. Official Site.

William Garrow championed the downtrodden and powerless in 18th-century England as a passionate young barrister who ignited a courtroom revolution. Taking on the established legal practices and smug inertia of the courts, Garrow pioneered the art of cross-examination as an advocate for the accused. Based on a true story and drawing on actual court records from the Old Bailey. Garrow's Law: Tales From The Old Bailey - season 1 is now set to air on the Knowledge Network this January 9, 16, 23, 30th 2011. Canadians will be able to stream full episodes for free, at their site. Meanwhile, Americans can now watch Garrow's Law Season 1 on Netflix. There's also a region 1 DVD by Acorn Media on sale at shopPBS.

A variety of snowflake photos were taken by Kenneth Libbrecht of CalTech, using a specially-designed snowflake photomicroscope. They show real snow crystals that fell to earth in northern Ontario, Alaska, Vermont, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. To see more, visit Snowflakes as you've never seen them before.

"The serie of short films "Rare Exports Inc." and "Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions" have gained over 1,000,000 hits each in YouTube. Because of their popularity, we as the production company wanted to provide the best possible audio and video quality versions of the films to intensify YOUR viewing experience. Enjoy and go watch the movie in theatres December 2010!"

Ie: the Production actually made these files and uploaded them onto You Tube! :-)

WARNING: clip contains some male nudity - but they're not torturing Santa in this scene: he was covered in mud, they're washing him like car. I'd describe the film as "playfully dark."

Hanna (2011) Directed by Joe Wright. Written by Seth Lockhead. Screenplay by David Farr. Starring Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Williams and Tom Hollander. Synopsis: Raised by her father, an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity. Release Date April 8, 2011.

In May 2011, Charlotte Gainsbourg is set to appear in "Melancholia" - an upcoming disaster drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier, starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgård.

"The film begins with the destruction of Earth and then jumps back in time. The story will be about two sisters, Justine and Claire (Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg), who are becoming increasingly distant from each other. There will be a wedding during the first part of the film between Justine and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård). Soon after the wedding Justine becomes melancholic, which makes her stay calm when Earth is threatened by a collision with another planet, while Claire on the other hand finds herself psychologically undermined by her growing fear and panic. Trier has said that he considers all of his previous films to end happily, and that this will be the first with an unhappy ending." - wiki

In late 2009, Charlotte Gainsbourg released her third studio album, "IRM" which was produced by Beck. This is one of the singles off the album - "Heaven Can Wait" and which features Beck singing.

Water For Elephants (2011) Directed by Francis Lawrence. Screenplay by Richard LaGravenese, based on the novel by Sara Gruen. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz. Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed bestseller, Water For Elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. In theaters April 15, 2011.

Chalet Girl (2011) Directed by Phil Traill. Written by Tom Williams. Starring Bill Nighy, Sophia Bush, Ed Westwick, Felicity Jones. Plot: A romantic drama about a girl who is from a working-class background that gets a job at snobby ski resort, she then starts dating the son of her boss who takes her snowboarding who is shocked to discover that she's a natural at it. In theaters Feb 2011.

Rango (2011) Directed by Gore Verbinski. Story by James Ward Byrkit and Gore Verbinski. Screenplay by John Logan. Cast voices: Johnny Depp, Timothy Olyphant, Bill Nighy, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Isla Fisher, Ray Winstone, Ned Beatty, Ryan Hurst, Alanna Ubach, Claudia Black and Harry Dean Stanton. Synopsis: A chameleon that aspires to be a swashbuckling hero finds himself in a Western town plagued by bandits and is forced to literally play the role in order to protect it. NOTE: I love this movie more than words can say. I love it even before I've seen it and because like cream, it's rising to the top right before my eyes. Pixar finally has some serious has competition. I'm hoping this means we'll be treated to twice-as-many good animated movies. - Marie (Now watch; I'll be wrong, Roger will hate it, it'll turn out to be a streaming pile, chuckle! But I laughed at the scene with the hawk. It reminds me of the fate of the pigeon in that animated short "Pigeon Impossible." :-)

"I want to tread carefully here, and not because I might step on a Lilliputian and squish him. I want to explain who "Gulliver's Travels" is for, and who it might not be for. One person it is definitely for is Gloria DeMent, the 84-year-old grandmother who wrote AP film critic Christy Lemire in horror after spending $96 to take four generations of her family to see "The Nutcracker in 3-D." She wrote: "It broke my heart when we left the theater that my little great-granddaughters (ages 5-13) had sad little, confused faces." Believe me, Auntie Glo, there would have been smiles on those faces after this movie." - Roger, from his review HERE.

Gulliver's Travels ( 2010) Directed by Rob Letterman. Screenplay by Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller. Starring Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly. Synopsis: Travel writer Lemuel Gulliver takes an assignment in Bermuda, but ends up on the island of Liliput, where he towers over its tiny citizens. In theaters now.

Paul (2011) Directed by Greg Mottola. Written by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. Starring Simon Pegg, Greg Mottola, Sigourney Weaver, Kristen Wiig, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Joe Lo Truglio, John Carroll Lynch, David Koechner. Plot: Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51. Release date March 18, 2011.

The Ghastly Love of Johnny X (2011) Directed by Paul Bunnell. Written by Steve Bingen and Paul Bunnell. Starring Will Keenan, De Anna Joy Brooks, Creed Bratton, Reggie Bannister, Les Williams, Kate Maberly, Paul Williams, Kevin McCarthy, Jed Rowan. The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is a 35mm indie film presented in GhastlyScope - a retro-style hybrid combining 1950s juvenile delinquent flicks with sci-fi, horror, music, dark comedy and romance.

"JOHNNY X and his rebellious gang of juvenile delinquents from outer space (called the Ghastly Ones) have been banished to planet Earth until they can pay for their crimes. The Ghastly Ones are in hot pursuit of a mysterious femme fatale named BLISS, who has stolen their most prized possession - a strange suit with magical powers known as the "resurrection suit." When Johnny X wears this suit, he can control anyone against their will. To capture Bliss, Johnny must form an unlikely alliance with a shifty show promoter, KING CLAYTON, who desperately needs the resurrection suit for his own selfish scheme; to insure that the legendary rock star MICKEY O'FLYNN successfully completes a comeback concert. Johnny's plight is further complicated when the unpredictable rocker suddenly drops dead, forcing him to use the suit for a far darker purpose - to bring the late, great Mickey O'Flynn back from the grave for a spectacular concert of the macabre!" - from the Official site.

Special production note: The film was shot on the last of Kodak's now discontinued 35mm (Plus-X) black-and-white film stock.

Robert Blake in the documentary "Visions of Light: the Art of Cinematography" (1992) Note: Roger's review can be read HERE.

Babes in Toyland (1934) Directed by Gus Meins and Charley Rogers. Written by Frank Butler and Nick Grinde, based on the libretto by Glen MacDonough (operetta). Starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Virginia Karns and Charlotte Henry. Plot synopsis: Although the 1934 film makes use of many of the characters in the original play, as well as several of the songs, the plot is almost entirely unlike that of the original stage production. In contrast to the stage version, the film's story takes place entirely in Toyland, which is inhabited by Mother Goose and other well known fairy tale characters. Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee (played by Laurel and Hardy, respectively), live in a shoe (as in the nursery rhyme There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe), along with Mother Peep (the Old Woman), Little Bo Peep, a mouse resembling Mickey Mouse (and actually played by a live monkey in a costume), and many other children. The mortgage on the shoe is owned by the villainous Silas Barnaby, who is looking to marry Bo Peep. Stannie and Ollie set out to get the money for the mortgage from their boss, The Toymaker...

Topper Returns (1941) Directed by Roy Del Ruth. Produced by Hal Roach Studios. Written by Thorne Smith (characters) Jonathan Latimer (original screenplay). Starring Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson and H. B. Warner. Synopsis: Topper is once again tormented by a fun-loving spirit. This time, it's Joan Blondell who was accidentally murdered while vacationing at the home of her wealthy friend, Ann Carrington (Landis) - the intended victim. With Topper's help, Joan sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results. Nominated for 2 Academy Awards.

Blonde Ice (1948) Directed by Jack Bernhard. Written by Kenneth Gamet (screenplay) based on the novel by Whitman Chambers. Starring Robert Paige, Leslie Brooks, Russ Vincent, Michael Whalen and James Griffith. Synopsis: A society reporter keeps herself in the headlines by marrying a series of wealthy men, all of whom die under mysterious circumstances...

Scarlett Street (1946) is an American film noir directed by Fritz Lang and based on the French novel La Chienne by Georges de La Fouchardière, which was also turned into a play by André Mouëzy-Éon and filmed earlier as La Chienne (1931) by director Jean Renoir. Starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. Synopsis: When a man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, her venal fiancé persuades her to con him out of some of the fortune she thinks he has...