Cinema options to melt your mid-winter restlessness

As far as new releases are concerned, January and February are the cinematic equivalents of… As far as new releases are concerned, January and February are the cinematic equivalents of a dry desert – Hollywood dumps the unpromising while pushing the potential Oscar contenders.

But don’t fear: There are a few potentially interesting releases in the next month that, while not reversing the beginning-of-the-year-doldrums, might at the least provide a few hours’ worth of entertainment.

Jan. 26: “Epic Movie”

Any movie that can boast being written by the people who gave us “Scary Movie” doesn’t have much credit, especially after the parody writers gave us “Date Movie.” “Epic Movie” looks like more of the same, with obvious jokes about epics like “Superman,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” and any other movie that the creators saw. The less said about this, the better.

“Catch and Release”

This romantic comedy tells the story of a woman who’s lost her husband and is trying to come to terms with what occurred. Nothing spectacular here, but “Catch and Release” stars Jennifer Garner, was directed by Susannah Grant (writer of “Erin Brockovich,” “In Her Shoes” and “Ever After”) and has a smaller part played by Silent Bob himself, Kevin Smith.

“Smokin’ Aces”

The long awaited follow-up by director Joe Carnahan (“Narc”) is a more stylistic, upbeat affair along the lines of Tarantino with a dash of Guy Ritchie. The story revolves around Buddy Israel (played by the always excellent Jeremy Piven) as he prepares to testify against the mob – and they aren’t about to go down without a fight.

With an amazing cast, including Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia and Ben Affleck, and a lot of shoot-’em-up action, “Smokin’ Aces” might deliver the fun that January needs.

Feb. 9 “Hannibal Rising”

In the fifth incarnation of Hannibal Lector on the big screen, we go back to the beginning of young Hannibal’s life as he grew up in wartime Germany and became the evil character we all know and love. But what could potentially be an interesting premise is bogged down by the terrible reviews of the source material – plus, Anthony Hopkins is nowhere in sight, replaced by little-known actor Gaspard Ulliel.

Feb. 14 “Music and Lyrics”

This latest romantic comedy from Marc Lawrence (“Two Weeks Notice”) stars two familiar faces from the genre, Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. In “Music and Lyrics,” Grant plays a washed-up singer who has a few days to write a pop hit for a younger performer.

Although he’s never actually written any music, he meets up with Barrymore and the rest is film history. Well, not history, but the basic run-of-the-mill romantic comedy released on Valentine’s Day that your girlfriend drags you to.

“Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”

This mockumentary about a fictional serial killer is finally getting a justified theatrical release. “Behind the Mask” marks an interesting Valentine’s Day release that should appeal to weird couples – or to those who resist the holiday by seeing someone who stops hearts instead of winning them.

Feb. 16 “Ghost Rider”

In “Ghost Rider,” Nicolas Cage and his hair plugs take on the titular Marvel Comics character. Johnny Blaze – yes, that’s his real name – has a horrible accident. In order to live and save the woman he loves, he must become a horrific creature on a sweet flaming motorcycle and stop evil on the streets.

While the character is beloved, the film’s February release and direction by Mark Steven Johnston (“Daredevil”) throw a few question marks into the mix.

Feb. 23 “The Number 23”

Jim Carrey. Horror film. That’s no typo, as Carrey plays a man being lead down a dark path after he notices connections between his life and a novel. Carrey seems poised to genuinely creep us out, but many factors must add up with such a high-concept premise. Will director Joel Schumacher call to mind his “Phone Booth” or “Batman and Robin” – a true horror film?

“Black Snake Moan”

Director Craig T. Brewer’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Hustle and Flow” focuses on a crusty southern guitarist (Samuel L. Jackson). He ties a woman (Christina Ricci) to a radiator to help her, and the two eventually forge a unique relationship.

Brewer exquisitely captured Memphis in “Hustle and Flow” and looks to do the same for the southern backdrop; “Black Snake Moan” is shaping up to be the most interesting and unique film of the early year.

“Reno 911!: Miami”

The fictional documentary shown on Comedy Central gets the big screen treatment as the Reno gang goes down to Miami for a police conference. The cops must take the law into their own hands – and short shorts – when the police in the conference are gassed by a terrorist attack.

“Reno 911!: Miami” is sure to capture the tone of the show, and with the addition of scene-stealing funnyman Paul Rudd (“Anchorman”) as a drug lord, it might achieve humor in line with the recent success of “Borat.”