I took yesterday off for my birthday (really, I just forgot about it until it was too late and there were too many to update right away), so here are Thursday’s and Friday’s updates: The Adjustment Bureau, Barney’s Version, Battle: Los Angeles, El Estudiante, Jumping the Broom, Season of the Witch, Seres: Genesis and You Won’t Miss Me.

SERES: GENESIS

	Plot Summary: A young girl delivers a message from an alien civilization who may be on the verge of eradicating the people of earth. Release Date: October 29, 2010
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: B Commentary: Another interesting film from 24 Frames. This sci-fi/horror amalgam seems like a cult classic waiting to happen and, should it prove popular enough, an unnecessary American remake.	Rating: C+ Commentary: A bit more inventive than I had expected, it’s not as embellished or exciting as I would want from this type of film, but it’s sufficient.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, trailer #2

	Plot Summary: They are responsible for making sure everything goes according to plan, but one politician has found love and won’t give it up easily even if it means the unraveling of everything he and they have been working for. Release Date: March 4, 2011
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: B Commentary: This new trailer is nothing new. It looks identical to the first trailer. But as I watch it again, I become dubious over the quality of the film, but it could be a good time waster.	Previous Preview: The Adjustment Bureau
	Trailer Link: Yahoo Movies Trailers Oscar Chances: Updated: Being pushed into 2011 from September means the film isn’t likely to become a blip on Oscar’s radar and a release date in March pretty much confirms that.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

	Plot Summary: Various UFO sightings throughout history have led to an invasion of the third kind. Release Date: March 11, 2011
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: B- Commentary: At first, the music didn’t seem to fit, but as the trailer played on, it became a strong emblem of the film’s potential. Although this looks like a fairly procedural alien invasion film, at least the first aural impression is a positive one.	Rating: None Commentary: I don’t review placeholders.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

BARNEY’S VERSION

	Plot Summary: In his own words and images, Barney tells his sordid life’s story. Release Date: January 14, 2011
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: B- Commentary: There are some elements that look modestly entertaining, but the trailer is constructed so generically that it’s almost impossible to believe it could be that good.	Rating: None Commentary: I don’t review placeholders.
	Trailer Link: Yahoo Movies Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

EL ESTUDIANTE

	Plot Summary: An elderly man enrolls in college to earn an education and ends up teaching his fellow students more about themselves in the process. Release Date: October 29, 2010
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: C+ Commentary: If it weren’t for the occasionally cheesy music attached or the frequent fade cuts, it might be a more interesting trailer. The premise isn’t too outrageous, but it doesn’t need to be.	Rating: C Commentary: I don’t expect a lot from posters for foreign language films that feed on common American poster designs.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

SEASON OF THE WITCH

	Plot Summary: A world facing destruction by a plague finds two Crusaders returning home and put on a new task to deliver a suspected witch to her execution. Release Date: January 7, 2011
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: C Commentary: Oh look! Another overproduced remake of a popular cult classic when one is not needed. Nicolas Cage has become a king of such mishaps and this one doesn’t look any better than the previous ones.	Rating: C+ Commentary: Like the film, it’s a bit exaggerated and superfluous, but continues the trend of decent posters preceding not so decent movies.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

YOU WON’T MISS ME

	Plot Summary: A combination of styles, techniques, real elements and fiction, the film focuses on the difficulty of a misfit trying to fit in. Release Date: December 10, 2010
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: C- Commentary: The description of the film I read suggests a hodge podge of elements that are fully on display in this trailer, which makes for a difficult sit-through, which isn’t bound to attract many.	Rating: D+ Commentary: I could have imagined a more evocative poster for this film, but this is a little to plain for my tastes. Add in the obnoxiously large title and I’m even less interested.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.

JUMPING THE BROOM

	Plot Summary: Two families from opposite ends of the financial spectrum are brought together for a wedding of their children, only bitterness threatens to derail everything. Release Date: May 6, 2011
	Trailer	Poster
	Rating: C- Commentary: A hopelessly milquetoast pre-marital drama that explores no new thematic elements.	Rating: None Commentary: I don’t review placeholders.
	Trailer Link: Apple Trailers Oscar Chances: None.