Though I wasn’t that impressed by Nicolas Winding Refn’s previous films, they have an undeniable visual flair and originality that you don’t see very often. “Drive” takes those qualities and applies them to a conventional Hollywood thriller, resulting in a movie that feels much more mainstream without abandoning Refn’s art house sensibilities. The film is as beautifully poetic as it is strikingly violent, while Ryan Gosling has never been better as the soft-spoken yet brutally intense protagonist. For as much attention as the film’s graphic violence has received, however, it’s the opening sequence – an edge-of-your-seat car chase packed with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife – that is undoubtedly the biggest highlight. And when a movie can start so brightly and continue to build on it like “Drive” does (thanks in part to great supporting performances from Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks), it’s no wonder why so many people love this film.

Blu-ray Highlight: The single-disc release doesn’t offer as many special features as I would have liked, but there’s an excellent 25-minute interview with director Nicolas Winding Refn that is definitely worth checking out. In addition to discussing the origins of the film (including a funny anecdote about his first meeting with Ryan Gosling), Refn talks in length about securing independent financing, casting the actors and more.

It’s admirable of Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. to recognize that John Carpenter’s “The Thing” didn’t warrant a remake, but there are so many similarities in this mostly unnecessary prequel to the 1982 cult classic that it feels like a retread anyway. Though fans of Carpenter’s version will undoubtedly get a kick out of some of the Easter Eggs that have been planted throughout (including a potential clue to the mystery surrounding the ending of the original), the 2011 edition doesn’t deliver the same kind of suspense. For a movie that supposedly wants to honor its predecessor, it also fails to adhere to the same set of rules. Perhaps the most annoying difference is that Heijningen’s Thing doesn’t even try to assimilate its prey with any stealth, but rather makes a big scene out of every transformation, presumably to show off its flashy CGI makeover. But for as silly as some of the original film’s old-school effects look today, they’re still creepier than anything this movie throws at you.

Blu-ray Highlight: The U-Control picture-in-picture feature is probably the disc’s best asset, but the audio commentary with director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and producer Eric Newman is actually pretty interesting. Along with discussing the more obvious aspects of making the film, the duo reveals some of the other ideas that were never used, including a short-lived plan to have MacReady’s brother as the main protagonist.

As far as science fiction movies go, Andrew Niccol’s “In Time” features one of the more intriguing premises in recent years, which only makes its poor execution that much more disappointing. Although the idea of a future where time is literally money is ripe with potential, Niccol’s heavy-handed sociopolitical message never really gives the film a chance to develop beyond the initial setup. It’s hard to imagine that the movie was greenlit based on an actual script (and not just the idea), because most of the story is spent aimlessly following Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried around a not-so-futuristic city as they get stuck in a monotonous cycle between having too much time and not enough. And for a film about making the most of every second, “In Time” is nothing but a waste of about 6,540 of your own.

Blu-ray Highlight: None. The sole featurette on the disc – a faux-documentary called “The Minutes” that tries to sell the idea that the characters from the movie have agreed to appear on film to discuss the anti-aging gene – is incredibly lame, while the included deleted and extended scenes are small bits that don’t really add anything to the story.

David Frankel’s “The Big Year” is as harmless as comedies come; it’s not particularly funny or memorable, but it has a surprisingly sweet story at its core that makes up for the fact that, no matter how hard the film tries, the sport of birding just isn’t a very exciting subject to base a movie around. That has more to do with the sport itself (if you can even call it that) than anything Frankel or his cast does, but they were clearly fighting an uphill battle from the start. Nevertheless, the film’s three stars – Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson – still turn in some decent performances despite the lack of any real laughs in the script, and although the terrific supporting cast (which includes the likes of Kevin Pollack, Brian Dennehy, Rashida Jones and Rosamund Pike) is mostly wasted in throwaway roles, it makes “The Big Year” a lot more enjoyable than it has any right to be.

Blu-ray Highlight: The included making-of featurette (“The Big Migration”) isn’t a total waste of time, but if you don’t find a film about birding very exciting, then watching a featurette about making a movie about birding probably isn’t going to interest you either.

Who: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly and Anthony Mackie
What: Set in the near future where robots have replaced humans in the ring, a former boxer and his estranged son discover a junkyard bot that could become champion.
When: October 7th
Why: It’s easy to see how someone might be a little skeptical about a film that looks like “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots: The Movie,” but after visiting the set last summer, any concerns I might have had were quickly laid to rest following a chat with director Shawn Levy and star Hugh Jackman. I’ve also had the opportunity to see the finished product since then, and while the movie certainly isn’t going to earn a spot alongside “Rocky” and “Raging Bull” as a boxing classic, it’s still a really enjoyable underdog sports drama with strong central performances and plenty of awesome robot-on-robot action.

Who: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti
What: An idealistic staff member for a Democratic presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his latest stint on the campaign trail.
When: October 7th
Why: With a big name like George Clooney attached to a movie come big expectations, especially when he’s the one calling the shots. Thankfully, his latest directorial effort appears to be more “Good Night, and Good Luck” than “Leatherheads,” and it doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded himself with such an incredible ensemble cast. In addition to the film’s multi-hyphenate star, “The Ides of March” features two other Oscar winners and two nominees. It might not be considered the year’s strongest awards contender, but the Academy always loves a good political thriller, and this definitely looks the part.

Who: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
What: When an alien life form begins wreaking havoc at an Antarctic research site, a graduate student teams up with a helicopter pilot to prevent it from escaping.
When: October 14th
Why: There’s been a lot of debate over whether Universal’s “The Thing” is a remake or a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter classic (the fact that it shares the same title certainly hasn’t helped matters), but it’s now been confirmed that it takes place prior to R.J. MacReady’s trip to the Antarctic and will detail what happened at the Norwegian camp featured in the original film. I’m not sure if that makes this prequel any less unnecessary, but at least it’s got a couple of good actors in Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. That’s definitely a start, but it still has a ways to go to winning back the fanboys after Ronald D. Moore’s script was reportedly scrapped back in late 2009.

Who: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell
What: City boy Ren McCormack moves to a small town where rock ‘n’ roll and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit begins to shake up the populace.
When: October 14th
Why: I know what you’re thinking: who in their right mind wants to see a remake of “Footloose” when they can just watch the 1984 original starring Kevin Bacon? But while it might sound like a terrible idea in theory – a thought supported by the numerous young actors (including Zac Efron and Chase Crawford) who passed on the potentially star-making lead role – early word is that the movie is actually a surprisingly enjoyable reimagining that manages to maintain the spirit of the original while injecting it with some necessary modern updates. Go ahead and file this one under “Wait and see.”

Who: Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Rashida Jones and Anjelica Huston
What: Three avid bird watchers compete to spot the rarest birds at an annual event.
When: October 14th
Why: Based on the book of the same name by Mark Obmasick, “The Big Year” has the kind of cast that, up until a few years ago, would have sounded like a comedy dream team. But that’s how quickly the careers of Owen Wilson and (especially) Jack Black have plummeted since then, and while that may seem like a bad thing, it actually works in the film’s favor. Expectations are incredibly low, and between its quirky plot and the who’s who of supporting talent (including Jim Parsons, Joel McHale and Kevin Pollock), there’s a pretty good chance that this won’t be nearly as bad as the trailer suggests.

Who: Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Matthew Macfayden and Orlando Bloom
What: D’Artagnan and his musketeer comrades Athos, Porthos and Aramis thwart the plans of Royal Prime Minister Richelieu to usurp the King of France’s power.
When: October 21st
Why: It’s gotten to the point where making fun of director Paul W.S. Anderson has grown so tiresome that I wish he would just churn out a good movie for once in order to silence his critics. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon, because “The Three Musketeers” has been made into a movie so many times that it’s hard to find a reason why another one needs to exist. Anderson is clearly trying to distinguish his version from the many others that came before it by instilling a steampunk-like aesthetic to the film, but while he deserves some credit for at least trying something new, the trailer is so laughably bad that it seems to be all for naught.

Who: Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Nicholas Braun, Melissa Leo and Michael Parks
What: After a group of teens accept an online invitation for group sex, they soon encounter Pastor Abin Cooper, his followers, and their sinister agenda.
When: October 21st (limited)
Why: Although it’s technically been available on Video On Demand for a few weeks now, Kevin Smith’s low-budget attempt at making a horror movie is getting a limited theatrical run towards the end of October in conjunction with its home video release. Some might say that it’s a good excuse to see the film on the big screen, but considering the way that Smith has been marketing “Red State” (taking the show on the road and charging big bucks to see it), the whole thing stinks of a last-ditch effort to bleed more money from his fans. Though reviews of the film haven’t been very positive, I’m still curious to see Smith explore a different genre for once, especially with veterans like Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman spouting his trademark dialogue.

Who: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy and Olivia Wilde
What: Set in a world where people stop aging at 25 and time is literally money, a young man accused of murder goes on the run in order to fight back against the system.
When: October 28th
Why: Justin Timberlake isn’t the first person you’d think of to play a Jason Bourne-like action hero, but after watching the sizzle reel for “Gattacta” director Andrew Niccol’s return to the sci-fi genre that premiered at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I’m certainly willing to give him a chance. “In Time” is one of those high-concept sci-fi movies that are too complex to explain in a single paragraph – the easiest way to describe it is as a less crazy version of “Logan’s Run” – but it’s a pretty cool concept that, if executed correctly, could make for a really fun piece of escapism entertainment.

Who: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi and Richard Jenkins
What: American journalist Paul Kemp takes a freelance job in Puerto Rico and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the ex-patriots who live there.
When: October 28th
Why: A big screen adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s “lost novel” has been in the works for over a decade now, but it wasn’t until two years ago when the project finally went into production, only to be shelved long enough for Thompson’s death to prevent him from seeing the final product. But while the film’s behind-the-scenes drama doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence, Thompson’s semi-autobiographical work always seems to bring out the kooky best in Johnny Depp, who’s been too busy playing the part of a Hollywood A-lister to take many offbeat roles these days. The chance to see Depp embrace his oddball side once again is worth the price of admission alone.

Who: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Rafe Spall and David Thewlis
What: Set during the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, the film proposes the theory that it was Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned William Shakespeare’s plays.
When: October 28th
Why: Because if it does well, we may never have to endure another end-of-the-world disaster movie from Roland Emmerich again. Seriously, though, it’ll be interesting to see what Emmerich can do without the crutch of special effects for once, because while he’s proven on numerous occasions that he can blow shit up, the jury’s still out on his skills as a director. The plot may be a bit preposterous, but it’s an interesting theory nonetheless, and I love the idea of staging it as a political thriller instead of a more generic historical drama. The Radiohead song in the trailer, however, still baffles me.