Patrick Redmond

Glenn Close and Mia Wasikowska in Albert Nobbs

That's why we've selected five must-see flicks screening in the Valley this month. Stock up on salty and sweet snacks and check out our picks ...

5. Albert Nobbs
Glenn Close stars as Albert Nobbs in this dramatic look at a woman masquerading as a man in 19th century Ireland -- where being a poor woman was the equivalent of societal worthlessness. For the role, Close garnered an Oscar nom for Best Actress and, as she wrote the lyrics to the film's ballad "Lay Your Head Down," a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.

See a sneak-preview of Italian comedy The Salt of Life this Tuesday at 7 p.m., the next in the Talk Cinema series.

​Talk Cinema - the sneak-peek film series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts - returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. with (spoiler alert!) quirky Italian comedy The Salt of Life. 

Started by renowned film critic Harlan Jacobson, the Talk Cinema series screens award-winning indie and foreign films before their theatrical release.

Expert guest speakers -- including Jacobson, who moderated this past January's screening of Declaration of War, and Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz, who moderated the November screening of Melancholia -- introduce each film and lead a discussion with audience members after the credits. 

The new trailer (which will run during this weekend's Super Bowl) clocks in at one minute, zero explosions, about 10 sentences, and plenty of reasons for YA literature fans, hungover Harry Potter heads, and strung-out Twilight phiends to latch on and count down (we're at 50 days, if you're keeping track).

We Need to Talk About Kevin comes to the valley this Friday, Jan. 27.

​For a film titled We Need to Talk About Kevin, there isn't much talking, and certainly not enough about Kevin. 

Instead, the story is told largely through the eyes of star Tilda Swinton - whose recent Oscar snub is considered one of this year's top mistakes by an increasingly distrusted Academy - who elevates every moment she is on screen. 

 Swinton plays Eva Khatchadourian, the mother of mass-murderer Kevin, who at 15 carries out a massacre at his high school. A critical darling at both the Cannes and Scottsdale Film Festivals, We Need to Talk About Kevin opens in the Valley today.

The film follows Eva's experience in the aftermath of the tragedy, a non-linear narrative scramble of memories from her life: from the joy of falling in love with Kevin's father (played as sweet but woefully naive by the always splendid John C. Reilly) to the struggles to bond with her unaffectionate son.  We learn the details of the story, at once grotesque and mundane, through the puzzle of Eva's journey - with particular emphasis on the missing pieces.

RuPaul's Drag Race returns to Logo on Monday, Jan. 30. You can catch RuPaul in her own low-budget film, Starrbooty, as a top-secret agent/top model.

​The fourth season of Logo darling RuPaul's Drag Race hits television screens this Monday, January 30, promising more drama, more glamour, and (we hope) even more hot glue. 

 This season brings a whole new line-up of guest judges, from Kelly Osbourne to Jennifer Love Hewitt to Modern Family's Mitchell, plus the biggest cash prize yet ($100,000). The contestants include both seasoned and new-to-the-scene queens, with drag personas like Jiggly Caliente (named after the Pokemon puff) and Willam, who says in her introductory video that she's "done just about every cop show, usually as a hooker or ... a hooker."

Local fans can watch the always fierce RuPaul skillfully manage the roles of both Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum at Apollo's Lounge in Phoenix, where you can also enter this season's RuPaul's Drag Race Fantasy Challenge: Stop by on premiere night to pick up your form, select your favorite contestant, and earn points each week toward season-end cash prizes.

In the meantime, here are five of the fiercest, most fabulous drag-queen films you can watch whenever: 

See Dead Doll Films

A scene from Of Dolls and Murder

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Millionaire heiress Frances Glessner Lee also believed criminal investigators should have a similarly keen eye, which is why she helped revolutionize forensic science and spent decades creating painstakingly decorated and highly accurate dollhouses depicting miniature crime scenes.

Inspired by actual murder cases, this series of corpse-strewn dioramas were titled "Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death" and are at the heart of the enthralling 2010 indie documentary Of Dolls and Murder, which screens tonight at SMoCA Lounge in Scottsdale.

Making the top five list of classic films shot in Arizona is, of course, the iconic dude-fest that is Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Close to Hollywood, with a desert landscape and shining city as adaptable to "New Mexico" as "Saudi Arabia" (just ignore that non-native cactus in the corner), the Phoenix metropolitan area has a rich history of film production. 

Our time in the spotlight has been bright -- from 1960's Psycho, when Janet Leigh drove away from the city to the creepy Bates Motel (and director Alfred Hitchcock sets a new record in promptly killing the film's major starlet), to 2010's Everything Must Go, when Will Ferrell rides his bike along the canals.   

What it doesn't include is no less notable: that so-called "Phoenix" house and "Phoenix" hotel in Twilight (in reality, California and Oregon). Praise the film crew that saved us from an even larger annual pilgrimage of Twi-moms and -tweens.

Here are five of the most memorable movie moments in Phoenix filmmaking history:

2011 Sundance favorite Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey screens this month at FilmBar Phoenix.

​Like us, you may be in mourning for the closing of The Royale in Mesa after only six months, but that doesn't mean there aren't still a number of local venues for viewing independent and art-house films at decent prices (like, say, free). 

Sure, you'll sometimes have to compromise on seating quality, but isn't that worth it to see new masterpieces and old favorites on the big screen? 

At a time when film-house chains are desperately reinventing themselves into into lavish spaces that have more in common with the movie palaces of Old Hollywood (see AMC's Esplanade 14), these smaller theaters are focusing on a few great films and passing the savings on.

Here are seven spots to see movies on the cheap:

7. FilmBar
 Rundown: FilmBar in downtown Phoenix continues to draw audiences with its selection of independent and classic films and documentaries, like the upcoming Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, which follows the rags-to-riches tale of Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash (screening Jan. 24 at 6 and 7:45 p.m.). Offering an extensive bar inventory with more than 30 craft beers (including 10 of your favorite local brews for $4-5) and more than 15 wines, plus snacks, FilmBar is an excellent spot to have an adult's night out at the movies.

Location: 815 N. 2nd St., Phoenix. (602) 595-9187. 

Cost: $7, with $5 matinees (including 8 p.m. Mondays) and a free ticket for a show on your birthday.

See six more places to catch offbeat and classic films for less after the jump.