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THE stretch from January to April was once viewed as the armpit of the cinematic calendar. Whereas Christmas and the Oscar rush enliven the closing third of the year, the opening segment is long established as the period when Ghastly Horror Remake IVor My Lovely Rom-Com 2occupy the top spot at the box office, writes DONALD CLARKE

But fear not. There is much good news. Since pictures such as 300 scared up serious coin in recent first quarters, the studios have begun to allow us the odd respectable blockbuster before Easter. Hence the arrival of Martin Scorsese’s intriguing Shutter Islandand Tim Burton’s promising adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.