Raja Sen in Mumbai
Oscar season done and dusted, Hollywood's just cracking its knuckles and waiting up for the Summer blockbusters, and while the action really hits high gear from May to August, this March-April phase sees an interesting mix of quirky offbeat films as well as more mainstream movies hoping to beat the deluge of blockbuster buzz.
Here, then, are ten March-April releases worth being thrilled about:
Green Zone
Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon look to build on their Bourne successes with this high-octane drama about a US Army man looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction and going rogue while at it.
The very fact that this film wasn't squeezed into Award Season means that it may well be a crackerjack entertainer.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
Image: A scene from Diary Of A Wimpy KidMost of us are already in love with Jeff Kinney's webcomic Wimpy, and the novels this daily online strip spawned are pretty popular as well, so hello, franchise.
The film should be a fun one that ideally takes Kinney's comic as mainstream as it deserves to be. Directed by Thor Freudenthal, the film stars Zachary Gordon in the lead role of Greg Heffle.
Repo Men
Image: A scene from Repo MenThe concept here is enough to get excited about.
In a future when artificial organs are freely bought and sold on the market, Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star as guys who repossess organs from those who default on their payments.
Law's character, fitted with a new heart, is forced to become a fugitive when he can't pay for it anymore.
The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo
Image: A scene from The Girl With A Dragon TattooExtreme buzz has encountered this Swedish film and March sees this adaptation of the bestselling Steig Larsson novel coming to US theatres.
Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace star as a journalist and a hacker investigating a disappearing girl, and it's a good idea to catch this on the big screen before the Hollywood remake hit theatres.
Greenberg
Image: A scene from GreenbergDoing nothing is underrated, and the meditative Noah Baumbach takes on exactly how difficult it is to do just that with his new film.
Starring Ben Stiller as an unemployed guy house-sitting for his successful brother, the promo for this one is quite delightful, and Greta Gerwig looks very interesting as his love interest.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Image: A scene from Hot Tub Time MachineCould this be this season's The Hangover?
John Cusack leads a cast of funnymen of varied pedigree in this bizarre story of four jaded men journeying back to their youth via this wondrous hot tub.
The red-band trailer is fun without being predictably offensive, and this just looks like something with potential, not least because of the killer title.
Leaves Of Grass
Image: A scene from Leaves Of GrassWhat sounds more intriguing than Tim Blake Nelson directing Ed Norton in a comedy about a pot-dealer? Well, Leaves Of Grass, featuring two Ed Nortons.
Keri Russess and Richard Dreyfuss also star, but this is Norton's vehicle all the way, and we just want him to make up for that alarming cameo in the otherwise-excellent Modern Family.
Kick-Ass
Image: A scene from Kick-AssMark Millar's seriously fun comic series comes to the big-screen with this adaptation by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) and the trailer's looking cool.
Aaron Johnson stars as the titular lead, a kid without any superpowers who just decides to become a costumed vigilante. Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage also feature as a pair of thinkalikes, powerless superheroes taking it to the streets.
What's not to love?
Nightmare On Elm Street
Image: A scene from Nightmare On Elm StreetIt's another horror remake, so why do we even care?
Well, because Oscar-nominated actor Jackie Earle Haley features in the lead role, taking on one of the most iconic creatures in all of slasherdom, Freddie Krueger himself.
The original film, about dead serial killer Krueger killing via nightmare, also marked the acting debut of a young Johnny Depp. Will the new one provide similar superstar-to-be fodder?
I Love You, Philip Morris
Image: A scene from I Love You, Philip MorrisWhile the title sounds like a Thank You For Smoking sequel, this is an unrelated and surprisingly smart-looking gay romcom.
Carrey plays a conman who falls in love with Ewan McGregor in prison, and decides to come up with one massive con to win him back.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the guys who wrote Bad Santa, make their directing debut, and the film looks both silly and sensitive.
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