Contrary to popular belief amongst teenage girls, Vampires are not handsome and romantic beings such as Edward Cullen of the Twilight phenomenon. Thankfully, Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist sees the murderous, blood-sucking creatures of the night for what they really are in Let the Right One In. Yet even with the gloomy horror aspect firmly in place, Lindqvists screenplay coupled with Tomas Alfredson’s direction still manages to masterfully flesh-out a young romance that puts Edward and Bella’s to shame. This unique blend of genre is made possible because the Vampire aspect of Let the Right One In actually works secondary to a heartfelt story about two troubled youths whom, despite one being a deadly Vampire, find comfort in each other.

This week, I take a look at the newest style of movie trailers taking the internet community by storm. These are the trailers that never specifically reference the film they are advertising. The trailers that can go for minutes long, without ever showing footage from the film being advertised. The trailers that are part of an extensive campaign that aims to blend an alternate reality into the real-world, so much so that it becomes hard to distinguish between what’s real and what isn’t.

It’s no coincidence that Passengers – which received a limited release in the US last year – makes its way into Australian cinemas just when the buzz surrounding Anne Hathaway’s Oscar nomination is in full stride. However, it was in limited release for a reason; director Rodrigo Garcia (Nine Lives) is unable to build any suspense from the far-fetched and poorly paced script that takes one too many lessons in twist endings from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Happening). That is, Shyamalan long after he still had an air of credibility…

This week, 5 films are opening into cinemas across Australia: The Reader, The International, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Passengers and Frozen River.

Watching Rachel Getting Married is a lot like being forced to watch an overlong wedding video in the living room of a couple you hardly even know. When Kym (Anne Hathaway) returns from Rehab to be at her sister older Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) multicultural wedding, her unresolved issues make the journey home with her, exposing the dysfunctional side of her family at a time meant for celebration. Kym desperately seeks to redeem herself in the eyes of her relatives, unable to forgive herself for a tragic accident that happened 10 years earlier as a result of her drug addiction.

Don’t try and deny it; you’re only considering seeing this film because it has the word ‘porno’ in the title. Either that or you’re hoping to see Elizabeth Banks in the nuddy, even if it means having to look between Seth Rogen’s crown jewels to do so. If I was right about the last reason, unfortunately for you both Banks and Rogen don’t bare it all this comedy about two friends who attempt to make a porn flick in a desperate bid for cash. But don’t despair too much; Zack and Miri Make a Porno – a title which takes after Snakes On A Plane in being a self-proclaimed plot summary – features it’s fair share of nudity, dirty sex jokes and a 70′s porno soundtrack that will have you saying  “bow-chicka-wow-wow” at anything remotely sexual for the next week.

2009 must be the year of the prequel. Not only does Wolverine’s back story get fleshed out in X-men Origins, but humanity’s war against the machines will begin in Terminator: Salvation and the Star Trek franchise will be getting its much anticipated reboot. Before all that though, the cult 2003 film Underworld is given its own origin story in Rise of the Lycans. But didn’t somebody tell director Patrick Tatopoulos that prequels are seldom any good? The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Alien and Star Wars: all film franchises that have had their name somewhat tarnished because of a prequel. To make matters worse, Rise of the Lycans does itself no favours in attempting to break this trend by taking away the one good thing about the previous Underworld instalments; a leather clad, dual-pistol wielding Kate Beckinsale. As a result, it wouldn’t surprise me if the franchise’s predominantly male audience has gone with her.

This week, four films are opening into cinemas across Australia: Ghost Town, He’s Just Not That Into You, Rachel Getting Married and My Bloody Valentine 3D.