“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 3/23/12

When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases…

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THE HUNGER GAMES

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match. A dystopian love story for the young adult set? Well, now that we know the fate of the boy who lived and the saga of the Cullens is breaking dawn, I mean winding down, this new tween love triangle will give people the world over new teams to root for. Are you team Peeta or team Gale?

The CineMagic 8-Ball says: “Signs point to WIN”

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THE RAID

A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs. If you’ve been to ANY film festival in the last 6 months they most likely were playing (or buzzing about) The Raid. In the style of Ong Bak, this is hands down one of the most amazing action films you’ll ever see…or so everyone says. Haven’t seen it yet but I cannot wait to!

The CineMagic 8-Ball says: “Outlook good”

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BRAKE

A Secret Service Agent is held captive in the trunk of a car and endures high-speed mental and physical torture as terrorists attempt to extract needed information for their sinister plot. Just like Buried and Wrecked this claustrophobic film takes place pretty much all in one location. Buried was insanely impressive and did so much with so little resources. Here’s oping Dorff can channel even half of what Reynolds gave us with his one man show.

The CineMagic 8-Ball says: “Results uncertain, go with your gut”

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With a juggernaut like The Hunger Games hitting theaters, most studios knew to stay well clear of the multiplexes this weekend. If you didn’t pre-order you Hunger Games tickets you may have trouble seeing it but there are still plenty of independent/limited releases that might be worth a look. The two above and these four: 4:44 Last Day on Earth, The Deep Blue Sea, October Baby, and The Trouble With Bliss.

With all those titles hitting screens, there’s got to be something to pass your time. But I’ll ask you…What will you be seeing? Or if you’ve seen any of these already, we hope you’ll share your thoughts below.