After a wretched three months full of uninspiring releases, things are looking up again at your local multiplex. That stretch of time between New Years Day and the Oscars is like a horrible black hole full of movie like Ghost Rider, Smokin’ Aces and Hannibal Rising.

But now those little golden statuettes have been handed out (Yes! Marty! Yes!) hope has returned - beginning with last weeks release of Zodiac - and we can now flock to theaters every Friday full of hope.

Here are 10 films sending hearts a flutter at Screenhead…

300
Because: The trailer looks awesome (in the literal sense of the word) Gerard Butler looks scary, and the whole thing is dripping with atmosphere. This, and not Jar Jar Binks, is what CGI was invented for. “This is Spartaaaaar!”
Release date: March 9th (tomorrow!)

Sunshine
Because: Movies with sunshine in the title are always good (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Miss Sunshine) and movies directed by Danny Boyle are good too. Add the two together, plus Cillian Murphy, Rosye Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh and other non-superstar but quality actors all trapped on a spaceship and we should get some quality dramatic sci-fi.
Release date: March 16th

Grindhouse
Because: Do you really need convincing? It’s two movies for the price of one - from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez - plus faux trailers from the likes of Edgar Wright and Rob Zombie. Kurt Russell as an indestructible stuntcar driver, Rose McGowan with a machine gun for a leg. The whole thing looks like one big excuse for QT and double R to have fun.
Release date: April 6th

Hot Fuzz
Because: It’s the team behind Shaun of the Dead paying affection homage to blockbustery cop movies like Bad Boys 2. Eoin wasn’t over-impressed, but I say anything starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is worth seeing. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and a swan doubly so.
Release date: April 20th

Spider-Man 3
Because: Honestly, I’m not excited about this right now. But. I know a lot of other people are. And I also know that despite my best efforts the onslaught of advertising and late night talk show appearances and the fact that the first film was actually quite good will be enough to part me and my $10.
Release date:May 4th

Transformers
Because: Back in 1986 The Transformers: The Movie was the first film I ever saw in a movie theater. They killed Optimus Prime - which was deeply traumatic for me -but it also meant that the first movie I saw in a theater was the first movie to affect me emotionally. For this reason alone I associate Autobots and Decepticons with quality cinema, which didn’t seem weird until I typed it out. Either way, I have to see this even though it’s directed by Michael ‘effin Bay.
Release date: July 4th

The Simpsons Movie
Because: It’s The Simpsons on the big screen! There are plenty of too cool for school types who’ll say this is ten years too late. Maybe, but let’s just be glad it’s finally here. Even if it’s just like a regular episode but longer, it’s still The Simpsons Movie. Stop pretending you’re not excited.
Release date: July 27th

Bee Movie
Because: Cartoons with anthropomorphic insects have been done, but this one’s written by and starring Jerry Seinfeld, as a bee who sues humans for stealing honey. It’s basically Seinfeld with yellow and black stripes, minus the big haired racist fella.
Release date: November 2nd

Be Kind Rewind
Because: It’s Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine, Science of Sleep) so that makes it interesting, but listen to the premise. Jack Black’s head becomes magnetized in an industrial accident, and he accidentally erases all the VHS tapes in best friend Danny Glover’s video store. To keep their one customer (a crazy old lady ) happy, the two have to re-create films like Robocop, Back to the Future and The Lion King.
Release date: TBD

Fay Grim
Because: Hal Hartley is brilliant that’s why. About ten years ago he made Henry Fool, about a man who comes to town and unleashes the literary genius of garbageman Simon Grim, and it was probably HH’s masterpiece. This sequel is set ten years later, and is about Simon’s sister Fay (Parker Posey) being coerced by an FBI agent (Jeff Goldblum).
Release date: TBD

Did I miss anything?

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