When Madea’s (Perry) trouble-making antics land her behind bars, among the cast of characters she meets is Candy (Pulliam), a prostitute whose life is off-track and in need of the type of tough love that only Madea can provide.At long last, Madea returns to the big screen in TYLER PERRY’S MADEA GOES TO JAIL. This time America’s favorite irreverent, pistol-packin’ grandmomma is raising hell behind bars and lobbying for her freedom!

After a high-speed freeway chase puts Madea (TYLER PERRY) in front of the judge, her reprieve is short-lived as anger management issues get the best of her and land her in jail. A gleeful Joe (TYLER PERRY) couldn’t be happier at Madea’s misfortune. But Madea’s eccentric family members the Browns (DAVID and TAMALA MANN) rally behind her, lending their special “country” brand of support.

Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Hardaway (DEREK LUKE) is on the fast track to career success. But Hardaway lands a case too personal to handle – defending young prostitute and former drug addict Candace Washington (KEISHA KNIGHT PULLIAM) – and asks his fiancée and fellow ADA Linda Holmes (ION OVERMAN) to fill in on his behalf. When Candace ends up in jail, Madea befriends the young woman, protecting her in a “motherly” way as only Madea can.

Though you can buy the stage version of this story on DVD at your grocery store, something tells me Tyler Perry is going to experience his biggest success here, since he’s back in hysteria-comedy mode (and in drags), with a fully grown Rudy Huxtable playing a streetwalker in the clink.

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, drug content, some violence and sexual situations.

Director: Tyler Perry
Stars: Tyler Perry, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Derek Luke
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: 20 February 2009 (USA)

An underwater look at the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific areas and the impact of global warming on the oceans.

Deep Sea is like the Dark Side of the Moon of IMAX movies, in that it has been in general release since for over two years, and has grossed nearly $60 million in that time. No wonder Disney is rushing this sequel into theaters, with all the right behind-the-camera talent back in place. (Though I feel like they traded down a bit in the narrator department?)

Director: Howard Hall
Stars: Jim Carrey
Studio: IMAX

“Gomorra” is a contemporary Neapolitan mob drama that exposes Italy’s criminal underbelly by telling five stories of individuals who think they can make their own compact with Camorra, the area’s Mafia. A drama of five interconnected stories, each of them illustrating the levels of organized crime in modern-day Naples.

Matteo Garrone’s adaptation of Roberto Saviano’s sensation-causing book burst onto the international scene by winning the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes back in May. En route to its U.S. release, it earned 5 European Film Awards, became Italy’s Foreign-Language Oscar pick (eclipsing Il Divo in both instances), found an American sponsor in Martin Scorsese, and — oh yeah — three of the film’s actors have been connected to actual-real mob activities. Other fun facts about this should’ve-been-Oscar contender: Author Saviano, who had a hand in the screenplay, has been living under 24-hour protection since the release of his book; however, to strengthen the film’s anti-hero sentiment, Saviano is not a character in the narrative.

Director: Matteo Garrone
Stars: Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abruzzese, Toni Servillo
Studio: IFC Films

Two Lovers is a romantic drama set in New York City. It tells the story of Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix), an attractive but depressed young man who moves back in with his parents following a recent heartbreak. An aspiring photographer, Leonard works part-time at his father’s dry-cleaners. His concerned parents try to set him up with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), the sweet and caring daughter of a close family friend. A big family dinner serves as their introduction and Leonard arranges to see her again. Then late one night Leonard looks out his bedroom window and notices a ravishing young woman he’s never seen before. Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) recently moved into an apartment in his family’s building – an apartment paid for by the wealthy married man she’s seeing.

Just in case you haven’t heard Joaquin’s confirmation that he’s quitting acting, Two Lovers, which reunites Mr. Phoenix with We Own the Night director James Gray, looks to be his last big-screen performance. But I’m thinking he (in real life) might be as volatile as Gwyneth’s character in this romantic drama, and he might reconsider his decision after a timeout. If not: Au revoir, Joaquin. We love you and we hope that you don’t write songs that sound like the Coldplay.

Meanwhile, skipping over G. Paltrow altogether, my attention turns to Ms. Vinessa Shaw, who is putting together a decent indie resume and could be one of Hollywood’s next leading ladies. If I were marketing this film, I would generate reports that Shaw’s performance outshines her costars’ work; make it a total Rebecca Hall/Vicky Cristina Barcelona situation.

Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

Director: James Gray
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw
Studio: 2929 Productions
Release Date: 13 February 2009 (USA)

Young friends Whitney (Amanda Righetti), Mike (Nick Mennell), Richie (Ben Feldman), Amanda (America Olivio), and Wade (Jonathan Sadowski) end up missing in the woods near the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake (made famous by the original 1980 film), after allowing their curiosity to get the better of them and visiting the site where a physcopathic killer resides. Meanwhile Trent (Travis Van Winkle) invites friends Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), Bree (Julianna Guill), Chewie (Aaron Yoo), Chelsea (Willa Ford), Lawrence (Arlen Escarpta), and Nolan (Ryan Hansen) to his cabin on the lake for a weekend of sex, booze, and drugs. However their seemingly fun weekend soon escalates into a nightmare after lone traveler Clay (Jared Padalecki) shows up looking for his missing sister Whitney and the young adults soon find themselves face to face with evil reborn, reimagined, and rebooted, and his name is Jason Vorhees (Derek Mears).

Most of the behind-the-camera dudes who made the well-received Texas Chainsaw Massacre are present here, including director Marcus Nispel and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. Form and Fuller sneaked some footage and addressed fan concerns at Comic-Con this year, a sign of their commitment to the horror genre and its never-ending barrage of remakes and reboots. Expect to be treated to an old-school horror movie, heavy on slasher tension and a more aggressive Jason — Derek Mears described his take on Voorhees as more of a fast-moving predator who sets up his prey. Also, Jason’s mom figures into the action somehow!

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material.

Director: Marcus Nispel
Stars: Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Derek Mears
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 13 February 2009 (USA)