It’s really hard to find decent, wholesome comedies these days – or at least ones that can make us all laugh with intensity. But now it seems all those are definitely a dying breed. I mean, now there’s just stuff that’s too glamorized, politicized, sexualized and just plain silly and insubstantial. If you’re looking for the former, you’re sure not to find it in Due Date, the latest creation from …

There’s something about Clint Eastwood: he just won’t retire. After making and starring in over 50 movies, and still going strong at 80, he’s not giving up anytime soon. With his newest movie, Hereafter, he explores new territory: the supernatural. You might watch this and say, “Wow, this is such a departure from what he’s done before.” No guns, no Dirty Harry-type characters in this one, folks. The exploration of …

Oh, how I wish this film had been called Hit Girl so I could have given it an A+. Unfortunately, the plot of Kick-Ass barely holds together the fantastic scenes of choreographed vigilante action. Scattershot plot aside, Kick-Ass has plenty to offer in almost every cinematic department.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a hilariously absurd romp through time that delivers the goods on exactly what its title would lead the viewer to presume, and little else. With a ridiculous premise that pokes fun at both the teen movie and mid-life crisis buddy comedy genres, the film successfully evokes a handful of laughs.

For the first time since The Departed, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up to dominate the silver screen. Shutter Island demonstrates Scorsese’s prowess in an unfamiliar genre – that of the psychological thriller. This film is guaranteed to distort your dreams for nights after you experience it.

The Book of Eli is the story of a man on a mission from God. Eli, played by Denzel Washington, is a former K-Mart worker turned post-apocalyptic badass. After nuclear war scorched the surface of the Earth, Eli is charged with the task of protecting the last Bible in existence.

Do you ever grow tired of watching monotonous mainstream movies in gigantic megaplexes week after week? Have you felt the occasional impulse to watch a lesser-known independent film, even if only to impress friends with your knowledge of cinema? If so, then you should head downtown this weekend to attend the 18th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF).

Michael Jackson’s This Is It is a groundbreaking view into the makings of what would’ve been the King of Pop’s ambitious reintroduction into the limelight. Constructed from simple video footage documenting the vast preparation of what could have been Michael’s grand worldwide comeback, the documentary’s director/producer Kenny Ortega shows us an otherwise-unseen side of the King of Pop.

Where the Wild Things Are is a heartfelt look into the vivid imagination and emotional inner workings of a child. Director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) does a brilliant job bringing life and emotion to this adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book. His soulful film bursts at the seams with heart, beauty and feeling. Yet, perplexingly, it’s never clear who Jonze is aiming to please with his big budget adaptation. It would seem odd to turn a children’s picture book into a film not aimed at children, but it seems that’s exactly what Jonze has done. Though the filmmakers and cast did an incredible job, the film is far too emotionally heavy to appeal to kids, yet simultaneously feels too shallow to appeal to adults.

Zombieland is a hysterical new take on the old zombie-horror genre from rookie director Ruben Fleischer.