The early part of any year is usually the dumping ground for most studios.  As such, most flicks that open during this period are often quickly forgotten (remember ?).  In order to ensure some of the more promising titles do not get overlooked however, I’ve compiled ten films that should be cause for anticipation over the next couple of chilly months.  Choose your own adventure:

Somewhere (January 7)
Writer/Director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) observes the lonelier side of being an celebrity and believe me, living like a A-list star in a posh hotel isn’t what its cracked up to be.  If you want a real peek behind the curtain of being a Hollywood star, forget Entourage…watch this clever and amusing flick.

Blue Valentine (January 7)
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are already racking up the nominations as a quarrelling married couple in Blue Valentine.  Lots has been made of the film’s former NC-17 rating but rest assured – this movie is way more about true acting chops than racy nudie shots.

Incendies (January 21)
Canada’s official submission to the Oscars, this time-shifting drama is racking up acclaim and awards just in time for its theatrical release.  Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Polytechnique), Incendies won Best Canadian Feature at this past year’s Toronto International Film Fest and even inspired the Montreal Film Journal to claim that it’s, “still not a perfect film, but it's damn close to being a great one nonetheless” and really, what more can you ask for on a weekend where the other offerings include another bland Ashton Kutcher romantic-comedy.

Unknown (February 18)
Liam Neeson sort of reinvented himself a couple years back with Taken – a thriller in which he played a kick-ass father seeking his abducted daughter in Europe.  It was raw and exciting and if the producers of Unknown have any say – it’s success will rub off on their new gritty thriller.  This time, the story focuses on a doctor who wakes up after an auto accident to realize another man has stolen his identity.  Enter Neeson for ass-kicking redemption.

Drive Angry 3D (February 25)
Now that we mentioned Taken, get a load of the new Nicholas Cage movie: A vengeful father seeks revenge the people who brutally killed his daughter and abducted her baby.  Ya, only this similar story is amped up in 3D.  Revenge never looked so in-your-face.

Take Me Home Tonight (March 4)
After going through a handful of name changes, the film formerly-known-as Kids in America and Young Americans is now called Take Me Home Tonight.  Starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris, this comedy tells the story of how one college grad tries to land his dream girl during one crazy night in the 1980s…but what really makes this release exciting is that’s also the Hollywood directorial debut of Canada’s own Michael Dowse – who’s better known for making Fubar, Fubar II and It’s All Gone Pete Tong.

Rango (March 4)
Johnny Depp as a gunslinging chameleon. What could be better. In this quirky animated comedy, a lizard becomes the unwitting sheriff of an old western town full of other wacky critters. Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean), this one can’t miss.

Red Riding Hood (March 11)
Maybe you’re getting sick of vampire movies.  Well, just in time, Twilight-director Catherine Hardwicke is taking on another mythological monster – the werewolf.  Only in Red Riding Hood, she has cast Amanda Seyfried to star as the amped-up fairytale heroine.  Hopefully this Little Red Riding Hood has a slightly more tuned sense of observation.

Paul (March 18)
If you are a fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), then this treat will surely lure you to the cinema.  Written and starring by the British pair, Paul is about two dudes who stumble upon an alien on their way to San Diego’s Comic-Con.  Yes, a road trip, high-octane car chases and a goofy extraterrestrial that sounds eerily like Seth Rogen will make this action-comedy well worth the admission price.

Sucker Punch (March 25)
Like his previous hits Watchmen and 300, filmmaker Zack Snyder lights up the action and designs a fascinating world in the multi-dimensional action-flick Sucker Punch. The story seems a bit to convoluted to get into here but if the film’s teaser trailer is any indication, this movie should be very cool.  After all, any movie that features samurai sword fights, trench warfare, fire-breathing dragons and scantily-clad girls is…well, is promising the right word?