You're in the Movies is technically a video game -- you slide a disc into your Xbox 360 and do stuff in front of the included Xbox LIVE camera -- but when you break open the box for the family this holiday season, expect to throw traditional notions of scorekeeping and competition out the window. There's no way to lose at this one -- rather, the goal is for you and up to three other players to work your magic in front of a pretend green screen and literally see yourself in the movies.
There's some basic setup involved to make your footage look its best -- for instance, you won't want to be filmed standing in front of a green wall sporting your new green Christmas sweater -- but that's about as technically involved as You're in the Movies gets. Follow the on-screen guidelines, make sure the camera's steady, and act your part in one of a number of cheesy, over-the-top B-movie trailers exclusive to the game.
You're ranked on the performance you give, but the real fun of You're in the Movies comes when you gather everyone together after filming to preview your reels. Once you've gotten comfortable with the gameplay, you may also enjoy the "director" mode, which lets you splice together clips from various films. And, thanks to an easy sharing feature, you can immediately start showcasing your trailers via MySpace, Facebook and (as in the clip below) YouTube:
You're in the Movies is rated "E" for Everyone, and though there's some mild action involving adventure scenarios (including some prehistoric fighting footage that grade-schoolers will love), the game is as clean as Xbox 360 titles come. Kids likely won't much care for the "romance" section, however, and it's your call whether to let them play with the "horror" footage.
$69.99 from Amazon.
