Title: The Artist
Year: 2012
Whose In It: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman
What the Heck Is It?: The winner of Best Picture in 2012 this is a mostly silent film that tells the tale of silent film superstar George Valentin during the infancy and ascension of talkies. Dujardin won the Oscar for Best Actor for his nuanced portrayal of Valentin. Which was sorta required since he couldn’t use his words.Valentin goes through highs, lows, love, loss and pretty much any emotion you can think of. A fantastic film brimming with monochromatic brilliance, and performances to match.

Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Year: 1964
Whose In It: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens
What the Heck Is It?: This film tells the story of a paranoid Brigadier General (played excellently by Sterling Hayden) named Jack Ripper, who in his insanity triggers a path to a nuclear holocaust. And now a room full of politicians and military minds must try to stop the mad man before the world sees the consequences of true paranoia. Meanwhile within the Pentagon the governments secret weapon is a former Nazi named Dr. Strangelove. He may be part of the solution, but he may also make things all the more sticky for our political friends.

Title: Valkyrie
Year: 2008
Whose In It: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh
What the Heck Is It?: This film recaps the dramatic tension of the July 20th, 1944 assassination attempt made against Adolf Hitler by a band of German Army officers. Director Brian Singer uses his magic touch to tell this World War II story, of an almost ragtag group of officers lead by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Cruise absolutely shines as the Colonel, and his supporting cast is just as killer. Pun definitely intended.

Title: That Guy… Who Was In That Thing
Year: 2012
Whose In It: Anyone and Everyone you’d consider a “character actor”
What the Heck Is It?: We’ve all done it. Seen and movie or TV show, we can recall the face, remember where we’ve seen them. We just can’t place their name. That’s who, and what this documentary is about. Those actors who always seem to find their way into our favorite movies, but never really as the name on the marquee. It shows us the double-edged sword under which these actors (and actresses) live. While some of them are making many appearances all at once, others struggle to get those jobs.

Title: The Do Deca Pentathlon
Year: 2012
Whose In It: Mark Kelly, Steve Zissis, Jennifer LaFleur
What the Heck Is It?: Written and directed by the Duplass brothers (famous for there variety of other Indie films). Jay, and Mark (of the FX show The League) tell the story of two brother competing in their own 25 event olympics. That’s essentially the entire plot. See the film it’s hilarious and a great way to spend an hour and sixteen minutes. Fast-pacing makes this film fly on by.