CBS Films has released a new red-band trailer for writer/director Maggie Carey‘s comedy The To-Do List.  The film stars Aubrey Plaza as a sexually inexperienced teenager with a type-A personality who decides to engage in numerous sex acts before she goes to college.  As we saw in the previous trailer, The To-Do List looks like a fantastic starring vehicle for Plaza, and the laughs don’t stop in this new red-band trailer.  It’s been a while since we’ve seen a genuinely funny sex comedy, and between the 90s setting and the incredibly talented ensemble cast (Bill Hader, unsurprisingly, is the standout in this trailer), The To-Do List looks like it could be a worthy entry in the genre.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Alia Shawkat, Donald Glover, Rachel Bilson, Andy Samberg, Mae Whitman, Johnny Simmons, Connie Britton, Clark Gregg, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Scott Porter.  The To Do List opens July 26th.

Coming of age movies are incredibly difficult to get right.  The film and TV marketplace is flooded with sappy and self-important stories of high school drama, angst, and ennui, and so when something comes along that captures this universally formative period in such a raw and honest way, it’s almost hard to believe it exists.  However, writer/director Stephen Chbosky’s adaptation of his own novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those rare gems of the coming of age genre that just “gets it,” and with a sharp script, three-dimensional characters, and emotionally honest performances, the film is destined to speak to audiences for generations to come.  Hit the jump for our review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower on Blu-ray.

For the first time, I’m writing from the comfort of my newly remodeled “mancave” or, as my wife likes to lovingly refer to it, the “nerdcave”. For a space that used to be an attached garage/dungeon, I have to say that the end result is pretty cozy. I guess there really are no living quarters that a substantial amount of time, money, and framed movie prints can’t fix. Now, if only I could find a way to fit and/or afford a mini-fridge, classic stand-up arcade games (i.e. The Simpsons, and X-Men), theater-style seating, and a projection screen that comes down from the ceiling via hand-clap command, I may finally be able to fulfill my dream of never leaving home again.

All praises of my new space aside, this week’s incarnation of the Top 5 brings a look back at our Fantastic Fest 2012 coverage, Looper interviews with writer/director Rian Johnson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt, The Avengers Blu-ray interviews with members of the pic’s visual effects team, The Perks of Being a Wallflower interviews with Emma Watson, writer/director Stephen Chbosky and more, and Hotel Transylvania interviews with Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez just to name a few. As you might expect, a brief recap and link to each is holding down the fort after the jump.

Opening this weekend, in limited release, is Stephen Chbosky’s fantastic movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Chbosky actually wrote the adaptation of his own novel and also directed the feature.   In the film, Logan Lerman plays an introverted high school freshman who finds acceptance in two senior students, played by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller.  The film also stars Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Rudd.  Over the past few years I’ve seen a number of coming of age movies.  Usually they play out the same way and touch on the same themes.  What makes Perks so special is that it tackles serious issues with honestly and believability.  In addition, all the actors are great and it’s Lerman’s best work to date.  I strongly recommend checking it out.

Last week Perks premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to glowing reviews.  Shortly before the premiere I spoke to Ezra Miller, Johnny Simmons and Mae Whitman.  We talked about their reaction to the script, what makes this film special, what do they remember the most about filming in Pittsburgh, the junket game, and Miller reveals how he was cast even though he wasn’t in Scott Pilgrim.  Hit the jump to watch.

The indie coming-of-age drama is a plague on the indie festival, and Stephen Chbosky‘s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the cure.  In place of the quirky, self-centered protagonist is a lonely, scared individual who finds the courage to greet the world with wonder rather than malaise.  In place of contrived conflict designed to occupy a sad and droll life, Perks tackles serious issues that would be difficult for anyone to face, let alone teenagers.  Free from a twee character and a lazy script, actor Logan Lerman delivers a wonderful, eye-opening performance in Chbosky’s big-hearted and finely crafted adaptation of his 1999 novel.

The debut red-band trailer for the R-rated comedy The To Do List (previously titled The Hand Job) has landed online, and it’s wonderfully filthy.  The film stars Aubrey Plaza as a sexually inexperienced teenager with a type-A personality who decides to engage in numerous sex acts before she goes to college.  The trailer is very explicit about said acts, but never veers into “too awkward to watch” territory.  Plaza is spot-on as the lead, and she’s buoyed by a ridiculously amazing supporting cast that includes Donald Glover, Rachel Bilson, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Alia Shawkat, Mae Whitman, Johnny Simmons, Connie Britton, Clark Gregg, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Scott Porter.  Seriously, this ensemble is stacked and they all look to be bringing their A-game.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer, then make your Valentine’s Day plans accordingly.  Written and directed by Maggie Carey, the film opens on February 14th, 2013.

If you enjoyed the first round of images from Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, you’ll enjoy today’s post as we have fifteen more shots to share with you.  Chbosky wrote the adaptation of his own novel and also directed the feature, which is a coming-of-age story that touches on all the keystones of adolescence.  Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Mae Whitman, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower opens September 21st.  Hit the jump to check out the new images.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a big part of my childhood.  I grew up in this sweet spot where the cartoon was incredibly popular and we got the first few movies and a slew of video games.  I entered into Friday’s panel at Room 6BCF with hesitation.  A few animated films that never took off and some jittery cartoon series have since come out and I’ve grown older.  I can safely say, though, that while there are some big changes afoot, I think showrunner Ciro Neili knows just what buttons to push to revitalize this franchise.  During a lively panel we were shown some brief character intros, Neili’s concept art, clips of test footage, and much more.  Jason Biggs (Leonardo), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Sean Astin (Raphael), Greg Cipes (Michaelangelo), Mae Whitman (April O’Neil), Hoon Lee (Splinter), and Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder) were all on hand to share their experiences and individual love for the property.  Hit the jump for more details.

The first trailer from writer/director Steven Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower has gone online.  The film adaptation of Chbosky’s acclaimed novel by the same name features Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) as an introverted high school freshman who finds acceptance in two senior students, played by Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin). Also starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Rudd and Mae Whitman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower opens September 14th.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

Check out the new release dates for the following films:

• The Tall Man, a horror/mystery/thriller starring Jessica Biel (The A-Team) and Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill), will open August 31st, 2012.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)  and Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) opens September 14th, 2012.
• Pitch Perfect, with Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs the World) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Kick-Ass), opens Octboer 5th, 2012.

Hit the jump for more on each film.

Two on-the-bubble NBC shows have officially been given the order for new seasons.  The critical favorite yet ratings challenged drama Parenthood has been renewed for a 15-episode fourth season (per TV Line).  Showrunner Jason Katims is no stranger to ratings issues despite favorable reviews, as he led the stellar Friday Night Lights through five seasons of “will it be renewed?” drama.  I’m a fan of the ensemble and tone of Parenthood, but Katims will most likely have his hands full next season as his medical pilot County is said to be close to a pick up.  That show will star Jason Ritter, who led the doomed The Event and has been a frequent guest star on Parenthood.

Hit the jump for news regarding renewals for The Office and a final season for 30 Rock, as well as speculation about the fate of Community and Parks and Recreation. [Update: The Office hasn't officially been renewed yet, but with deals almost done for the main cast members a renewal is expected]

If you grew up in the 90s, odds are you spent countless hours enjoying the glorious original programming of Nickelodeon. While shows like The Adventures of Pete and Pete and Salute Your Shorts were definitely staples of my sophisticated Nickelodeon line-up, Rugrats was my rock. The animated series provided a goofy—and at times incredibly odd—look at life through the eyes of a group of toddlers. The loveable characters made for can’t-miss TV, and now Funny or Die has put together a rather disturbing trailer for a live-action version of the show.

The trailer takes the Requiem for a Dream approach with Rugrats and turns them all into psychopaths. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Parenthood star Mae Whitman plays Angelica (obviously), and she’s joined by Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Michael Angarano (Almost Famous, Red State), and Whitman’s Parenthood co-star Sarah Ramos. Hit the jump to watch the incredibly dark trailer.

Logan Lerman has been tweeting photos from the set of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Author Stephen Chbosky wrote the script and is directing the adaptation of his 1999 novel of the same name.  The coming-of-age story stars Lerman as “15-year-old Charlie (Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs.”  The film also stars Mae Whitman, Johnny Simmons, Ezra Miller, Nina Dobrev, and Dylan McDermott.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Judy Greer have joined Gerard Butler in Gabriele Muccino’s Playing the Field.  The comedy centers on a former soccer star (Butler) who decides to coach his son’s little league soccer team, but ends up becoming the object of attraction for the town’s local women.  24 Frames reports that Zeta-Jones will play a vixen newscaster while Greer will play a hot-and-bothered housewife.  The cast also includes Uma Thurman as another wife who’s attracted to Butler’s character, Dennis Quaid as Thurman’s husband, and Jessica Biel as Butler’s estranged wife.  Additionally, The Kids Are All Right co-writer Stuart Blumberg recently came on to write a new draft of Rob Fox’s script.  Filming on Playing the Field began shooting this week.

Hit the jump for casting news on the coming-of-age drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Yesterday, we reported that a stellar cast was joining the outstanding Aubrey Plaza in Maggie Carey’s comedy The Hand Job.  A cast that includes Plaza, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, Connie Britton, Mae Whitman, Alia Shawkat, Johnny Simmons, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is already a must-see.  But now Variety is reporting that more talented actors have signed on.  The cast will now include Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) and Mystery Team co-stars and co-writers Dominic Dierkes and DC Pierson.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, The Hand Job stars Plaza as a valedictorian who wants to become more sexually experienced before she heads to college.  While we reported the majority of the current cast yesterday, we now know which roles they’ll be playing.  Hit the jump for more.