The Hunger Games film is setting boxoffice records, just like the original book. And sequels are already in the works. This film anchors what could be a post-apocalyptic and ultra-violent trilogy of Lord of the Rings magnitude. The story and franchise have the momentum, the only question remaining is if the film adaptation of The Hunger Games delivers.

While I don’t want to spoil this review, I’ll tell you upfront that the film gets a solid 4-star rating. Although I give it the high marks somewhat begrudgingly. There are a lot of nuances to the film, so let’s get to it.

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While browsing Netflix’s Instant Streaming titles - a hobby I am particularly fond of - I saw 1998’s Phantoms, starring Ben Affleck and Rose McGowan. While neither actor is enticing enough for me to leave the house to watch a matinee, they are capable of beckoning me towards see just what this suspense/thriller is about. (And, as it turns out, you should be interested too.)

Dean Koontz wrote the screenplay for Phantoms, as well as a novel by the same name. It starts off as two sisters travel to a sleepy town in Colorado for a vacation, which upon arriving seems eerily silent. At their destination they find the cleaning lady dead, and soon realize that other than a few odd bodies the entire town is deserted. When they discover the police station in shambles, the two realize they are not only trapped in this town - but they might also die here as well.

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At first you think the game is a joke. Did someone seriously take one of gaming's most action-oriented and visceral franchises, and turn it into a turn-based RPG for smartphones? Well, quite surprisingly, they did. And even more surprisingly, the Doom 2 RPG delivers.

Make no mistake: “Doom RPG” is an oxymoron. The background of the Doom series goes like this: something something “space marine”; something something “teleportation”; something something “demons from hell”; something something “kill anything that moves”. Across several titles, sequels, and updates the “Doom guy” is never given a canonical name.

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I got around to seeing the 2004 Academy Award for best picture winner, Million Dollar Baby. And as expected, it is stellar. But not for the reasons you might think. Million Dollar Baby is not a simple sports movie about an underdog-turned-champion, but rather a cerebral look at the nature of motivation. (Disguised, of course, as a simple sports movie about an underdog-turned-champion.)

The movie stars Hillary Swank as Margaret Fitzgerald, a woman trying to make her way in the boxing world. Like most sports-stories, she comes from a poor home situation and desperately clawing her way into a better life. Her only solace is found in boxing; and despite years of training on her own, and even moderate success, she seeks a real coach and manager.

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It’s a typical Hollywood formula: take a classic story, add some explosions and then call it a movie. 2009’s Sherlock Holmes cashes in on the classic character. Except in a fortunate -- and personally surprising -- twist, Sherlock Holmes is not just an excuse to sell tickets and popcorn, but rather it is a solid film which does its namesake justice. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the eccentric Sherlock Holmes. He is a far cry from the brown plaid coat and stodgy demeanor; instead, Downey portrays Holmes as a mischievous yet undeniably brilliant detective. The character has all the trimmings of a Johnny Depp role, except Holmes still seems both human and relatable.

This is especially true when you see his relationship to his partner Dr. John Watson, played by Jude Law. The complexities of the two characters and their relationship would be a satisfying movie on its own. Holmes can barely function in a normal society and finds thrills in the challenge of detective work; while Watson, trying to be a gentleman and straight man, is hooked on the thrill of the chase. Holmes needs Watson for muscle and Watson needs Holmes for stimulation. Together they form a classic duo, and the film captures it perfectly. (Although in the Sir Aurthur C Doyle works, both characters are a bit older.)

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