Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Did the Giants win yet? While you’re all downing all of the beer, pigs in a blanket and football you can, I’m here to make sure you’ve got your weekly dose of movies news here waiting for you when you’re ready. Let’s face it, there’s just so long the Super Bowl will sustain a conversation at school or work this week. Well, unless the Giants really do win and you’re from New York like myself. Anyway, on the table this week is the return of James Wan’s Insidious as well as some casting updates for the remake of Evil Dead. Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain and Joel…

Title: Cook County Director: David Pomes Starring: Anson Mount, Xander Berkeley, Ryan Donowho, Polly Cole, Makenna Fitzsimmons On the small screen, AMC’s “Breaking Bad” has shined a light on the production of methamphetamine, and wrung much drama from the heightened stakes of a seemingly regular family man’s descent into moral and criminal contravention. Writer-director David Pomes’ effectively grimy “Cook County” takes a look at the ravaging effects of the same drug from a user’s point-of-view, detailing the familial chaos surrounding three generations of addicts living in rural East Texas. A gritty, pungent drama with some nicely attuned performances, the film is well worth seeking out for fans of off-the-beaten-path independent…

Title: Incendiary: The Willingham Case Directors: Steve Mims and Joe Bailey A murder mystery, forensic investigation and political drama rolled into one, “Incendiary: The Willingham Case” shines a spotlight on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texas man convicted in the arson deaths of his three young children. Enjoying particular currency given the alleged manipulation of a post-mortem state forensics commission stacked by current Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, this documentary, flatly told but engaging throughout, will appeal to both newsmagazine junkies and those impassioned by the death penalty debate. In 1991, an early morning house fire in Corsicana, Texas felled a two-year-old girl and twin infants. Their father, the only other…

Title: Thunder Soul Director: Mark Landsman The glut of studies — seemingly released almost weekly — showing the slippage and relatively poor international ranking of American high school students in core academic subjects like math, science and history is troubling, certainly, and indicative of a need to redouble efforts in those areas. But as anyone who still has a honest connection to their adolescence will admit, the role of extracurriculars and artistic electives is often integral to a teenager’s sense of engagement and self-worth, and certainly the type of well-roundedness that helps produce open-minded individuals who can work well with others. Not everyone has the aptitude to be a professional singer, musician, artist or…

Title: Where Soldiers Come From Director: Heather Courtney Centering on a group of young friends and deployed reservists from the shores of Lake Superior, on the northern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, “Where Soldiers Come From” delivers unto viewers a slice of somewhat meandering but nonetheless quite affecting blue-collar heartbreak. After all, the subjects, none older than 22 at the time, joined the National Guard together on something of a lark, drawn in — even in wartime — chiefly by a devil-may-care sense of fraternity and the benefits of a $15,000 signing bonus and college tuition assistance. This kind of delicately anthropological real-life coming-of-age tale tracks the end of their Stateside training, their tour…

Last Wednesday, August 10th, we got to check out Boy and Bear at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, New York. If you haven’t heard of this folkloric band from down under, you have plenty of time to catch up. We’ll start you off. Originally a solo project for lead vocalist and guitarist, Dave Hosking, Boy and Bear expanded their lineup in 2009 to include bassist, Jake Tarasenko, vocalist and guitarist, Killian Gavin, drummer and vocalist, Tim Hart and banjoist and keyboardist, Jon Hart. The Australian band has toured with the folk kings, Mumford & Sons, in 2010 and they also released their debut EP, “With Emperor Antarctica” within the same…

With music and food at hand, nothing could be better. Taco Bell has once again made the combination possible with its sixth annual Feed The Beat program, which will give 100 artists $500 in Taco Bell gift cards. Taco Bell’s motto for the competition continues to be: Great Music. Free Food. No Strings Attached. That’s a perfect motto for a yummy prize. The 2011 Feed The Beat program is now accepting submissions until September 9th. If you are an artist, we definitely suggest you submit an entry because who knows, you could end up joining the program’s impressive alumni, which consists of Passion Pit, Girl Talk, Best Coast, Wavves, Dr…

So, what’d you think of our first installment of the new weekly feature Movie News Cheat Sheet? Hopefully you found it entertaining and informative because we’re back for more! In the latest addition we bring you even more SXSW updates, a handful of new trailers, the best of the best over at the box office and much more. Keep on reading to get the perfect dose of the latest to let you confidently dive headfirst into a week packed with movie news banter. 1. SXSW: Just before the festival winds down we’ve got a few more films for you to consider. First up is Kristen Wiig’s writing debut, Bridesmaids, which…

While we hope you’re reading as many Shockya.com articles as you can, we know you’re busy. Sometimes, there’s just not enough time to keep up-to-date on all the latest movie news. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just get a quick crash course in just the most pertinent information without having to sort through all the casting rumors, international poster releases and promotional clips? Of course it would! Well, welcome to the Movie News Cheat Sheet. Every Sunday evening, the Movie News Cheat Sheet will give you what you need to know so you’re prepared to tackle the latest topics at school, at the bar or around the water…

Clearly it’s not easy breaking into the film industry, but Subway is doing their part to make sure the students of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts get some exposure through a web series contest called Subway Fresh Artists. The Subway franchisee advertising fund trust chief marketing officer Tony Pace, sums it up, “we are providing an opportunity for USC’s emerging filmmakers to create work and have it seen by an enormous audience. Additionally, our fans will get an early peek at the work of young talent and the next generation of film makers.” Last year, the USC students were told to work with the concept that “every sandwich tells a…