Remakes are often thought of as automatically inferior to the original, but if you’re willing to give them a chance they’re often as good if not better than their cinematic predecessors. Well, maybe “often” is a bit of an exaggeration… but it does happen. Take Simon West’s remake of the Charles Bronson classic, The Mechanic. I say “classic” but while Michael Winner’s 1972 film is solidly entertaining and features a killer ending it isn’t truly great cinema. It’s the actors (Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent) and the multiple twists and turns that make it fun, and West knows it. His remake sticks close to the formula and brings in the always fantastic (and angry) Ben Foster for support as well as some solid gunplay and action scenes, and the result is an exciting and fast-moving action thriller that would have made Charles Buchinsky proud. The Mechanic hit shelves this week, and we’ve got a free DVD for one lucky winner. How can you win? Simple… tell us in the comment section below which Bronson movie you’d like to see remade next and who you think should take on his role. It can be a film from anywhere in his career, in a role big or small, and special consideration will be given if you happen to pick my own personal favorite Bronson flick…

The Green Hornet is coming to homes near you on May 3rd, but you can win your DVD copy today, and it’ll be delivered alongside a couple of action figures. Sadly, the prize pack does not include Kato Vision. So what is in the prize pack and how do you win? I’m glad you asked:

IMDB would have you believe that Billy Zane shaves his head for aerodynamics in the swimming pool, but we all know that’s not true. It’s our hearts he slips into so effortlessly, and maybe your girlfriend’s vagina, and he does it with a mischievous grin, a dastardly glimmer in his eyes, and yes, that frequently shaven head of his. He’s a memorable actor in every one of his films and often the best thing about many of them too… mostly the direct to DVD ones. Speaking of which, his latest film is the third sequel in the Sniper franchise and the first to see him reprise his role from the original. Sniper: Reloaded hit shelves this week, and we’ve got a free DVD for one lucky winner. How can you win? Simple… tell us your favorite Billy Zane performance in the comment section below. I know what you’re thinking. Narrow Zane’s many brilliant performances down to just one?!? But remember, if this was easy everyone would have a chance at winning. So tell us which role of his thrills you the most, and to make things even tougher (and to make sure you’re still reading) I’m going to ban the best answer from consideration. Dead Calm is that answer, and it will not be accepted below.

So you’re sitting around bored to tears because Stumble Upon has run out of interesting stuff to show you, and you’ve already sneaked into free early screenings of all the movies coming out this month. What do you do? How does 365 free DVDs sound? It sounds like you’ll have a busy year ahead of you. Or a busy 30.41 days if you watch them all back to back without sleeping or getting up for bathroom breaks. And who needs ‘em? You don’t. So how do you win 365 free DVDs? Great question:

A&E and The History Channel produce some of the best documentary content, and, like Tom Cuny, WWII seems to be where they shine the brightest. Their newest offering is Third Reich: Rise & Fall tells the story of the Nazi regime from footage from the people that lived it. Sadly for Rob Hunter, this contest isn’t open to FSR staff. Fortunately for you, it’s open to you (if you live in the United States (sorry other countries)). So how do you win four hours of educational and entertaining Nazi goodness? I’m glad you asked:

Late yesterday evening I received a text from my loving girlfriend. Just walking out of an advance screening of Joe Wright’s Hanna, she was ecstatic. Great action, emotional depth, and a killer score from The Chemical Brothers were the order of the night. I was instantly resentful of the experience she’d had, as I too wanted to see Hanna badly. But I adore my girlfriend, so the feelings faded quickly. Later on, I vowed not to miss my opportunity to see this movie. And I shall do so next Thursday night in Austin. Would you like to come along, as well? Here’s your chance.

What’s a week’s worth of free movies? For some, that headline might be misleading simply based on movie consumption. If you watch a movie a day, then it’s totally accurate. If you watch seven movies a day, then we’re really giving away a day’s worth of free movies. The point is – we’re giving away seven free movies to watch over at the glorious SundanceNOW site. They have a wide array of stellar, often thought-provoking films, and I can personally assure you that they’re not all about hilarious sexual dysfunction. Some of them are about Ralph Nader. Anyway, you love movies. You love free movies. Therefore, you’re clamoring to know how to enter. Fortunately, it’s easy.

The time that exists between SXSW and Comic-Con, from about the end of March until mid-July, is what I like to call my self-improvement time. There are no major film festivals, events or other diversions that have me running for fried foods. I still live in Austin, the world’s capital of live music and delicious BBQ, but I suppose it’s time that I actually work on a diet. Have to get my body in shape for Comic-Con so that I can finally wear my Conan the Barbarian costume in Hall H. Which is why I was drawn to Joe Cross’ documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Like many a movie blogger, I’m at least two of the three. In the pic, a very overweight and unhealthy Cross takes on a radical “juice fasting” diet. Just watching the trailer, you’ll be instantly drawn to Joe’s incredible story (and the stories of the people he meets as he travels across America). So that’s where we’ll start. Don’t worry, we will get to the free stuff soon enough.

If a poll were conducted to determine the best French actors working today the odds are quite good that Vincent Cassel would rank fairly high. He’s incredibly talented, has a range that moves easily between drama, suspense, and comedy, and he’s pretty fearless with his performances. And that’s not code for how easily compelled he is to show off his phallic pastry. His most recent triumph is the two-part epic crime sage Mesrine. It tracks the spectacular rise and bloody fall of one of France’s most celebrated villains, Jacques Mesrine. The first film, Killer Instinct, traced his move from a harsh turn with the French military to the even crueler criminal underworld, but part two (Public Enemy #1) picks up the action and drama in the final decade of his life. The seventies see him robbing banks, getting arrested, escaping from prison, shagging Ludivine Sagnier, and more. And if that isn’t enough the movie is filled with some pretty stellar action scenes and co-stars the equally intense Mathieu Amalric. Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 hits DVD/Blu-ray on March 29th, and we’ve got three Blu-rays to give away. How can you win? Simple… tell us in the comments section below what French film you think could use a Hollywood remake AND why. Bonus points if you manage to find a role in your remake for Greta Gerwig, Grace Park, or Kurt Russell. This contest is fraught with danger because no one likes remakes, so make your argument compelling (or at least entertaining) [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

What if your child was haunted? I know. Pretty shocking. First you find out you have a child, and now you learn that the little whippersnapper is followed around by ill-meaning spirits. The newest horror flick from James Wan, Insidious, hits theaters this Friday (April 1st), and we’ve got the perfect prize to get you in a frightening, edge of your seat mood: Art Supplies. Free. Art. Supplies. Contain your screams, and head inside for more information on how to enter this spooky contest:

One of the best films of the eighties (and of any decade really) is James L. Brooks’ Broadcast News. It’s a near perfect film about a love triangle that ends the only way it really can, but the three characters are strong enough that any result would have been acceptable. Brooks returned to the screen last year with a new film featuring Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson both vying for Reese Witherspoon’s affection. Jack Nicholson is even on-hand to scowl and over act. How Do You Know is no Broadcast News, but it’s still a fun, lightweight romance that seemed to get lost in theaters. Why exactly audiences decided to skip the movie in theaters is anyone’s guess, but it may have something to do with the title. It’s clearly a question… but Sony Pictures decided they just didn’t need the question mark. As if they could just ignore the rules of grammar and punctuation with no fear of reprisals. How Do You Know hits DVD/Blu-ray on March 22nd, and we’ve got a brand-spanking new DVD to give away. How can you win? Simple… respond in the comments below to this two-part question. First, name a movie that has a question for a title (ex. 2001′s “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?). And second, answer that question (ex. “Anal rape”). See? Easy! Make us laugh the loudest and you’ll win yourself a free DVD!

We love sharing movies with our readers by way of news, reviews, trailers, and more, but even better than that are the times we get to literally send someone a free movie on DVD or Blu. For all the contests we’ve held over the years though the one common element has been the obvious restriction that our prizes be US releases. Well borders be damned, we’re about to give away a DVD that has only been released across the pond! Playwright and BAFTA Award winning writer Alan Bleasdale recently returned to British television with a two-part miniseries about the true WWII story of a British cruise liner in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Sinking Of The Laconia dramatizes the sadly ironic tale of a luxury liner turned troop ship targeted and torpedoed by a German U-boat. Upon realizing the people on board included civilians, children, and the wounded the U-boat captain decided to make every effort to save as many passengers and crew as possible. Which is when the Allied bombers enter the picture with no notion of the situation… and proceed to target the submarine filled with German soldiers and British civilians.

Since the most recent character posters for X-Men: First Class were so abominably bad, we decided to sponsor a little contest to see which of our design-minded readers could do better. The bar was low, but everyone went far above and beyond the call of duty, and the result was a squad of really great posters. Some went with Saul Bass inspiration, others played off the comic books, one found inspiration in The Social Network, one changed the director (see above), and still others chose to go their own way entirely. Sadly, no one chose to improve on the floating head in crotch concept. That’ll be a new contest entirely, but without further ado, here’s the winner (who will receive a 1999 lithograph recreation of the first “X-Men” cover done by comic artist/legend Alex Ross) and a gallery of some especially great runners up:

There’s is no explanation for the atrociously bad X-Men: First Class posters that his the internet with a vengeance yesterday. Why Professor X’s head is popping out of his own blacked-out silhouette’s crotch is beyond comprehension. So we won’t even try. What we will try is a contest where you, dear reader, make a better version of the poster. Up for grabs is a prize that I’m thinking about keeping for myself: a 1999 Lithographic recreation of the first “X-Men” issue cover drawn by the insanely talented Alex Ross (which you can see below). How do you enter? Like this:

Last Sunday, Inside Job was crowned the best documentary of the year by the Academy. But that’s not the reason to want to own it. The reason to want this insightful bit of filmmaking is so that you can (no matter your political beliefs) get into huge arguments with your family over it. Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up, and what better conversation piece is there to lob over the traditional feast of boiled potatoes, cabbage and shame? There is none. Plus, we’re giving away one copy for free and selling one for $2.02 trillion. How do you get your hands on the free copy? Glad you asked:

Do you like gangster flicks? How about French gangster movies? How about French crime films featuring their lead actor in the nude? (Put your hand down Abaius.) Well if you answered “yes!” to any of those three questions then you’re in luck. Jean-Francois Richet’s Mesrine is a two-part gangster saga (Killer Instinct and Public Enemy #1) based on the true life story of Jacques Mesrine, and it’s a brutal and beautifully shot pair of films. Vincent Cassel brings Mesrine to life with wit, cruelty, and his usual fearlessness. The films had a successful run in limited release, but don’t worry if you missed them in theaters…

Get Low hits DVD shelves on February 22nd, and we’ve got a copy to give away to one lucky winner. What else do you get? How about a poster signed by Robert Duvall? The man’s a legend and you can win a poster he signed with his very own ancient hand. How can you win? Simple… tell us in the comments section below which fictional film character’s funeral you’d like to attend and why. The character needs to have died in the film, but it doesn’t matter if it was on or offscreen. Be creative, and we’ll pick the best answer to win the free copy of Get Low on DVD.

Foreign language remakes of American films aren’t necessarily rare, but they are pretty uncommon. One of the more interesting ones to come out in the past year is a remake of the Coen Brothers’ first film, Blood Simple. The film is modern day noir and filled with great actors, fantastic imagery, and a blackly comedic sense of humor. So naturally Yimou Zhang, the Chinese director of Hero and House Of Flying Daggers, chose to remake it as a broadly comic and extremely colorful romp. A Woman, A Gun And A Noodle Shop hit DVD this week, and Sony is offering up a copy for one lucky winner. How do you enter? Simple… come up with a remake title in the vein of this one. Pick a US film and then imagine the three-nouned title of a foreign remake. (Think Yogi Bear remade as A Bear, A Cub And A Restraining Order.) Does it need to make sense? Preferably not, but there should be a thematic connection of some sort to help identify it to the original… and bonus points to the entries featuring phallic references along the lines of guns and noodles.

In reading this site, you are often bombarded with that which is tough to watch — the gory, the violent and the malicious and delicious. It’s not really my style, but it does give the site balance. It’s why we keep the likes of Robert Fure and Brian Salisbury around — think of it as our genre-related diversity plan. And it attracts a wide range of readers. Though I suspect that the number of readers who just like free stuff is a higher number and a wider range. Which is good, because today we combine the two when we give away a few copies of Adam Green’s Hatchet II on Blu-ray (in stores February 1, 2011). Read on for the gory details.

If you read FSR, you’re a trooper. You put yourself through the rigors of movie love because you find yourself oddly drawn to both classic films and the stuff that gets handed off in the shadows of dark alleyways. Thus, you might be the perfect, brave soul to watch a double feature of I Spit On Your Grave and I Spit On Your Grave. One, a 1978 cult film of bilious status and the other, its 2010 remake. We have a copy of each on DVD for one lucky winner. So how do you enter? It’s easy. Head over to our Facebook page, click on the like button if you haven’t already, look for the post asking what you do with your shears when not cutting off body parts in the bathtub and…let us know. Enter before February 8th (when the DVDs hit stores), and we’ll pick a lucky winner to receive a copy that’s free and has the blood wiped off of it already. It’s just that easy. Also, sadly, you have to live in the US. Sorry, every other country, but we don’t make the rules.