It’s a big weekend for wide releases. There’s retro horror “Piranha 3D”, conception comedy “The Switch”, romance spoof “Vampires Suck”, children’s sequel “Nanny McPhee Returns”, and comedy “Lottery Ticket”. Despite the large number of big studio releases, there are still plenty of indie and alternative choices at box offices this weekend.

     1. “The Tillman Story” is a documentary that tells the whole truth behind this young soldier’s death on the battlefield. Tillman left a multi-million dollar football contract to serve his country, but did the military betray him after his demise? The film paints a shocking picture of government manipulation.

   2.  “Basement” is a horror film that features a group of strangers drawn to a mysterious underground location for seemingly unknown reasons. The film unfolds in a series of flashbacks as the violence begins, revealing that the ties between characters may not be so random after all.

     3. “A Film Unfinished” is a film of massive importance. It features recently discovered Nazi propaganda footage that paints the Ghettos of Warsaw in a brand new and even more disturbing light. There, the Nazis were making even more shocking propaganda than has ever been seen before. The film carries an important lesson about propaganda and the power that it can hold over an ignorant public, serving as a future warning for any society that is unwilling to examine its own media.

    4. “Soul Kitchen” features a down and out restaurant owner who can’t seem to catch a break. His girlfriend leaves him and when he follows her to attempt to make things right, his brother gambles his restaurant away. If the two brothers can somehow find a way to get along, they may not only be able to get the restaurant back, they maybe be able to get a hold on reality for the very first time.

    5. “I Am Comic” is a documentary that follows the exploits of former successful comedian Ritch Shydner as he attempts to climb back on top of the stand-up scene. The film offers a unique backstage perspective on the art of stand-up and features commentary by over 80 well known working comedians.

   6. “What If…” is a re-telling of the Scrooge story. This time it’s Kevin Sorbo playing a former football player and once aspiring preacher who gets the chance to see what his life might’ve been if he hadn’t abandoned it all for a high-powered career in business years ago. When his new Mercedes breaks down, a tow truck driver (John Ratzenberger) shows up and claims to be an angel from God, and sets the flashback events in motion that will make the man question all of his life choices.

    7. “The Assassin Next Door” is a unique action film that follows a pair of women desperate to escape bad circumstances. One is a hit woman held hostage by the mafia, the other is a grocery store cashier wanting to escape an abusive marriage. All they have in common is a shared wall in their apartment building, but when they decide to work together to accomplish both of their goals, both may be surprised by their results of their own efforts.