Written by Blake Atwood

Truth be told, The Invention of Lying, the recently released-on-DVD film starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner, caught me off-guard. I knew the basic premise, that no one ever lies, or even knows how to, but one man, our protagonist Mark Bellison, learns to lie. I assumed the movie would be funny because of Gervais' leading role. Some parts were funny, in that cringe-inducing way that Gervais seems to have perfected. Some parts were more crass, or even mean, in a darkly comic way. I did not, however, expect an overtly spiritual bent to the last half of the film. If you have yet to see the movie, I recommend that you buy it, rent it, or stream it, watch it, then come back to this article.

 Especially since I'm going to spoil stuff.

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Written by Carl Kozlowski

In the new movie Cop Out, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan team up in an attempt to bring back the fun-filled vibe of such '80s cop comedies as “48 Hrs.”, “Beverly Hills Cop” and the vastly underrated “Running Scared.” They also teamed up with director Kevin Smith of Clerks and Dogma infamy, who after writing eight funny yet unbelievably raunchy films, decided to take a crack at directing someone else's writing and see if he could score a blockbuster after 15 years of mere cult success.

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Written by Seth "tower" Hurd

A school shooting, and a suicide in the first 15 minutes of the film. A sex scene, drinking games and a keg in the first 20. It doesn’t take long to figure out that To Save a Life (out January 22) is not your typical Christian film.

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Written by David Roark

With moviegoers sporting 3D glasses, watching billion dollar blockbusters, it's inevitable that many "small" films go completely unnoticed. The unfortunate fact is, however, that several of these unseen works are far more precious than any ridiculous budget can buy.

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Written by Carl Kozlowski

Harrison Ford made one of the biggest comebacks of the last decade with 2008’s hugely successful Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he was looking to offer a more meaningful film as his followup. He found the right kind of project in the new film Extraordinary Measures, playing a research scientist who helps a desperate father (played by Brendan Fraser) find a cure for the rare genetic disorder Pompe Disease. Fraser’s character, John Crowley, is a real person who inspired a book called The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million—and Bucked the Medical Establishment—in a Quest to Save His Children, which chronicles his efforts to treat his children’s Pompe disease.

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Written by Carl Kozlowski

Albert Hughes and his twin brother Allen exploded on the world’s filmmaking scene in 1993 with their kinetic, near-documentary style gangsta tale Menace II Society. Menace earned critical raves and a healthy $23 million at the box office despite taking a largely neutral attitude to incredibly horrible situations.

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Written by Carl Kozlowski

With Hollywood releasing more than 400 films a year to theaters and indie companies putting even more flicks out on cable and DVD, it can be hard to notice all the great films out there. Not every film worth seeing has a big advertising budget, or even the chance to play a lot of theaters.

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Written by Todd Fisher

As far as movie genres go, the holiday classics perhaps more than any other have much to say about life, especially when it pertains to spiritual matters. It’s a Wonderful Life, for instance, sets out to show us just how intricately interlaced and important our lives are in relation to one another. Through Ralphie, A Christmas Story encourages us to pursue our hopes and dreams despite circumstances or the discouragement of others. The numerous versions of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol warn us against cold-heartedness, greed and misplaced priorities. And finally, A Charlie Brown Christmas puts the whole materialistic and consumer crazy season into the proper perspective.

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Written by Aaron Coalson

Facing our fears can be terrifying. Life beckons us to engage our deepest anxieties and offers a number of scenarios to do so, and yet every time, facing our fears can leave us feeling inadequate and out of control. Enter the horror genre. Strip away its guts, glory and intense sequel making abilities, and this genre is about fear. Namely, our fears. Culture’s fears. Fear of death. Fear of the dark. Fear of terrorism. Fear of war. Fear of being alone in a house with a serrated kitchen knife and a guy stumbling up the stairs behind you.

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Written by Carl Kozlowski

For millions of inner-city African-American kids, it’s easy to think of basketball stardom as an easy ticket out of the ‘hood and into a better life. But the sad reality is that there are millions more aspiring players on the streets than can ever possibly fit in the rosters of NBA teams.

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