Ah, Christmas. The magical time of year when decorations are hung, families gather to celebrate, gifts are exchanged, and children cower in fear that Santa Claus will kidnap and eat them. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is a fantastic family adventure film from Finland that has all the hallmarks of a holiday classic. A young boy finds the adventure of a lifetime when the miners in his village discover a legendary figure buried in the ice. But not everyone is thrilled at the discovery, and soon some very peculiar and frightening beings are swarming down the mountain in search of their captured leader. Now father and son must join forces along with the other villagers to stop the onslaught. Merry Christmas! As evident in Cole Abaius’ review we here at FSR really enjoyed this fresh, fun, genitalia-filled family holiday film, and now you can too. Oscilloscope Labs is releasing a beautifully-produced Bluray/DVD combo pack on Tuesday the 25th, and you should probably go out and buy a copy… or you can enter to win one of two free copies! Here’s how to win… and pay attention as it’s a two-parter. First, tell us in the comments section below what your favorite Christmas film is. Easy right? Now tell us how and where in that specific film you think it could use more penis.

This month we’ve partnered up with Doritos to help get the word out on their Crash the Super Bowl: Hollywood Edition contest. Sure, it’s all part of an elaborate and decidedly red-colored advertising campaign, but there’s also something else at work: the chance for an aspiring filmmaker (we’re told a few of those visit this site) to win a million dollars and the career opportunity of a lifetime. Even if Doritos wasn’t helping us keep the lights on around here, we’d still think that was a pretty neat contest. Either way, we think you should know about it. So here’s some info… Think you can make your own great Super Bowl commercial? Well, Doritos wants to give you a shot to do it. All you have to do is make and submit a killer Super Bowl spot, be funnier than some of Hollywood’s best and brightest, and all the fame and fortune of filmmaking could be yours. Well, for the most part.

Shaolin is a new film from director Benny Chan that stars Andy Lau as a vicious warlord whose wicked ways come to an end when he’s double-crossed and he loses his family. He finds redemption with the monks of the Shaolin Temple, but when past deeds and associates return he’s forced to defend his new home and the innocents around him. The good news is I’ve just finished watching the movie, and it’s pretty damn fantastic. The even better news is that Shaolin‘s distributor, Well Go USA, is offering up one hell of an awesome prize pack consisting of SIX Blu-rays and TWO posters for one lucky reader. And this isn’t simply a matter of quantity trumping quality… four of the titles (Ip Man, Ip Man 2, Legend Of the Fist, and The Man From Nowhere) are absolutely stellar action films, and the remaining two (Little Big Soldier and Brothers Five) are fun little flicks. Keep reading to find out how you can be the lucky winner…

Revenge films are a genre unto themselves and usually fit a very specific mold. They’re usually meant to be both entertaining and cathartic, but there’s rarely any serious questions asked as to the moral state of the actions playing out before us. Director Susanne Bier’s Academy Award winning film, In a Better World, sets out to do just that. The film follows two stories… two boys deal with a schoolyard bully but their efforts get out of hand, and a doctor who’s life mission is to heal the sick and wounded finds his ideals questioned when faced with pure evil. It’s a suspenseful and engaging experience, and it offers no easy answers. In a Better World hits DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow, and we have a copy of the combo pack to give away to one lucky reader. How can you win? Simple… think of a really bad movie, and tell us why the world would be better off if the damn thing had never been made.

There are few things in this world greater than the feeling one gets from taking vengeance upon the people who murdered your father. Holding a fluffy puppy fresh out of the dryer is probably one. Receiving oral pleasures on the beach definitely. And winning free movie-related paraphernalia is another. Conan the Barbarian sliced its way into theaters today, and to celebrate we’re giving away two swag-filled prize packs! Each pack contains two t-shirts (pictured to the right), one copy of the film’s score, one character poster, and one final theatrical poster. How can you win? Simple… what’s your favorite hack n slash fantasy themed film? It’s a broad category and covers pretty much any period film with swords and magic from Highlander to The Return of the King. (Please note, The Cable Guy does not count just because it features a scene set at Medieval Times.) Tell us in the comment section below what your favorite is and why. Remember, this is “favorite” not best. Because there’s only one answer for the best, and that answer is Hawk the Slayer.

Who doesn’t love cinema from the 80s? Aside from Cole Abaius I mean. The decade is a movie genre unto itself and filled with films that could have only been made in that very specific time. More than just about any other decade films from the 80s are instantly recognizable by their attitudes, wardrobes, and degree of female nudity. Luckily for those of us you who weren’t alive in the 80s Hollywood occasionally returns to the scene of the crime and makes a film that hopes to recapture that poppy magic. The most recent example is the ensemble comedy Take Me Home Tonight starring Topher Grace, Dan Fogler, Anna Faris (in a rare non-ditzy role), and the lovely Teresa Palmer. (Demetri Martin also steals every scene he’s in.) Take Me Home Tonight hit shelves today, and we’ve got three brand new DVDs to give away! How can you win? Simple… there were thousands of movies produced during the 1980s, but not all of them are perfect representatives of their time-frame. Tell us in the comment section below which 80s film is the most iconic of the decade and why. As always the contest is open to US residents only ages 18 and up. Be sure to leave an email address associated with your comment is correct as that’s how we’ll notify the winner. Contest ends July 25th! Good luck! The official synopsis and trailer are below.

Okay, so the “Beast” in the recently released Beastly isn’t actually a hairy creature which probably renders the title of this post moot. Or does it? Exactly. Now that you’re thoroughly confused and your blood is flowing back to your brain let’s get to the point. Beastly tells the tale of a douchey teenager who’s cursed by a spurned witch and transformed into an unattractively scarred and tattooed freak. The curse can be lifted within a year’s time but only if he can find that blind girl from Mask and make her love him. If she’s not available a former Disney star will do too. Can he break the curse or is he doomed to spend the rest of his life looking like the tool he was? Beastly hit shelves last week, and we’ve got a prize pack to giveaway that includes a brand new DVD of the movie as well as the novel by Alex Flinn that it’s based upon. How can you win? Simple… the tale of Beauty and the Beast has been told and adapted countless times in films and on television, so tell us in the comments below which version is your favorite and why.

What comes to mind when you think of Norway? I mean aside from snowbound zombies, giant trolls, and fjords of course. Are the fjords even in Norway? Am I thinking of Finland? I digress. What’s never come to my mind when thinking of Norway is the idea that the country saw its fair share of resistance fighters during World War II dedicated to stopping the German onslaught. Who knew? Having recently watched the newly released Max Manus: Man Of War I can proudly say that now I know. And I want to share that knowledge with you. Three of you actually… Max Manus: Man Of War hit shelves today, and we’ve got three Blu-rays to give away! The movie is a fact-based look at one of Norway’s greatest war heroes, Max Manus. His energy and patriotic verve were immense, and his skill/luck at escaping Nazi capture made him a wanted man and a legend. The movie is fantastic and blends strong character work with intense gun battles and scenes of sabotage. I’m recommending it as a BUY in this week’s DVD column, but if you have a Blu-ray player there’s a chance you can get a copy for free. How can you win? Simple… just as Max’s exploits earned him his own subtitle (Man of War), so should yours. So tell us in the comments below what name you would go by if you were in fact a legendary resistance fighter.

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…

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.

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]

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.

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.

Odds are if you’re reading our site we don’t need to introduce you to Lisbeth Salander. She’s the tattooed pyromaniac from Sweden who hates flying insects. She’s also the title character of the bestselling Millennium Trilogy of novels by Stieg Larsson, all of which have been made into blockbuster foreign language films. The first two installments introduced the troubled but brilliant Salander and a frumpy, crusading chick-magnet named Blomkvist and threw them both headlong into a brutal conspiracy filled with serial killers, government secrets, cups of coffee, and assorted men who hate women. The third and final film, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, finds Salander quite literally fighting for her life and her freedom. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is hitting DVD on January 25th, and we’ve got a copy to give away to one lucky reader. The title of this post refers to Asperger’s syndrome – a diagnosis often discussed when it comes to Lisbeth Salander’s anti-social behavior. In that vein, here’s how you enter this contest… leave a comment below naming a character with issues from a film, any film, alongside a diagnosis that you think fits them best. The funnier and more creative the better. Think The Wolf Man‘s Larry Talbot, chronic masturbator…

TV shows don’t often get the respect they deserve. That’s probably because the highest rated series currently on television is Three And a Half Men… not exactly the kind of thing to inspire confidence in the medium. But if you look beyond the pablum marketed to (and embraced by) the masses you’ll find some absolutely brilliant shows deserving of your viewership. NBC’s Community, Travel Channel’s No Reservations, and Showtime’s Californication are just a few examples of great TV, but they’re far from the only ones. The FX network has more than its fair share of quality shows too, and one of their best is Justified. The series is based on a character from an Elmore Leonard short story who’s brought to life in fantastic fashion by Timothy Olyphant. Strong characters, solid drama, gritty action, and an underlying sense of humor made it one of last year’s best new shows, and it returns for a sophomore season soon. Justified: The Complete First Season hits shelves on January 18th, and one lucky reader will be winning a copy of the DVD. How you ask? Simple… leave a comment below telling us the name of your favorite TV show featuring a gun-toting good guy (or gal) who isn’t a cop and why you like the character so much. Got that? They can be a private eye, a bodyguard, a government agent, etc, but not a cop. So Riptide would work, but TJ Hooker wouldn’t. I don’t make things difficult to be mean… I [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]

Buddy cop flicks are a genre unto themselves, and while the details change from film to film the basics stay the same. Two cops. Feuding. With laughs. The best ones create a perfect balance between action and comedy, but most tend to lean heavily one way or the other. Which brings us to Adam McKay’s The Other Guys. The film pairs Will Ferrell with Mark Wahlberg on a case about something or other (I still don’t really know what they’re investigating), but all you need to know is that the movie is funny as hell. My review from this past summer is here, but you should already know if this movie is for you. Want to win a free copy of the DVD? Of course you do. So here’s how… tell us in the comments section below what your favorite buddy cop flick is and why. The ‘why’ is important because that’s usually what wins these things. As always the contest is open to US residents only ages 18 and up. Be sure the email address associated with your comment is correct as that’s how we’ll notify the winner. Good luck! The official synopsis is below. Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they’re forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). [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]

Most books never get adapted for the screen, big or small, and of the handful that do it’s unavoidable that much of the book’s content will be excised to fit a running time. Therein lies lays sits the beauty of the television mini-series. From Rich Man Poor Man to Roots to Stephen King’s It, the mini-series is pretty much the only hope a book has of seeing most of its intent and content reach the screen. The latest novel to receive this honor is Ken Follett’s 1989 bestseller, The Pillars Of the Earth. The Starz pay network, home to Spartacus and… well, other stuff presumably, aired an epic eight part adaptation earlier this year. The DVD of the complete series was just released, and we’ve got a copy to give away to one lucky winner! And don’t worry if you’ve never read the book or have forgotten what it’s all about… the winner gets a copy of the novel too. So what do you need to do to enter? Easy… tell us in the comments below what book, fiction or non-fiction, that you think deserves the mini-series treatment and why. Bonus consideration to answers that also give casting suggestions.

If you live in DC, love science fiction, enjoy free things, and can skip that bar mitzah on June 1st, have we got a deal for you.

So you want to see a few minutes of James Cameron’s Avatar but have no idea how to get those free tickets. Neither did we. But now we do, and we’re sharing the information with you.

Can you read? Great! We’re giving away some ‘Blood’ Mangas, Novels, and a sweet movie poster. All you have to do is be mildly witty!