Sunday, November 30, 2008
Blu-ray Sales Sail To All-Time Highs
Hollywood in high def:Further confirmation that Blu-ray sales continue to surge:
* Blu-ray had its best month of sales ever in October, with consumers buying 2.3 million discs, according to Home Media Research. That's the first time disc sales have surpassed the 2 million mark in a single month and it's nearly five times greater than the 470,000 discs purchased in October 2007.
* For the year so far, Blu-ray disc sales are running about four times higher than in 2007.
* Blu-ray disc sales have crossed the 20 million mark since the format was introduced, with 14 million of those (70%) sold this year.
* In October the 1,000 Blu-ray title was been announced for release.
And all of that is in the U.S. alone. Elsewhere the picture is even brighter in some countries such as Japan, where Blu-ray hardware sales already represent more than 50% of the total optical disc market and are expected to increase heading into the peak selling season. According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, Blu-ray recorder and player shipments reached 138,000 units in the 12 months ending in September, or 107 times the previous year's tally. It also noted that Blu-ray hardware now accounts for 31% of all home entertainment recorder and player sales.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Wal-Mart recently announced a big expansion of its Blu-ray Disc inventories and reported a 2.4% gain in same-store sales during October. N4G.COM
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Saturday, November 29, 2008
Trailers:Prison Break S04E13,Sarah Connor Chronicles S02E11,Gossip Girl S02E12
Sarah Connor Chronicles S02E11 "Self Made Man"
Prison Break S04E13 "Deal or No Deal"
Gossip Girl S02E12 "It's a Wonderful Lie"
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Robert Downey Jr. Talks The Avengers and Iron Man 2
By Elisabeth Rappe,Cinematical
November 26,2008
Robert Downey Jr. is, quite simply, a god of geekdom. If there's a holy trinity, he shares it only with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman because it is so rare that actors just get it, and even rarer that they'll say it. Witness Downey's thoughts on The Avengers to MTV: "If we don't get it right it's really, really going to suck. It has to be the crowning blow of Marvel's best and brightest because it's the hardest thing to get right. It's tough to spin all the plates for one of these characters."
He also may have let slip who The Avengers might be battling in his concerns that Iron Man remain in a real-world setting: "The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is that Jon was very certain that Iron Man should be set in a very realistic way. Nothing that happened in Iron Man is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants, it warrants much further discussion." This could mean Giant Man, or Captain America could be looming big in Downey's thoughts.
And Theroux wasn't kidding when he said Downey Jr. was providing notes for Iron Man 2 -- between takes of Sherlock Holmes, he's hashing out exactly where he wants Tony to be: "It's one thing to say you're Iron Man, but what does it actually mean to become someone that can shoulder that responsibility? As we noticed at the end, he's still not even responsible enough to read off the card that Shield and the government have given him. He still can't help doing his own thing. He'll have to come to terms with that. I think we could have more excitement. We could use a love triangle or two ...." And so on -- he's actually kind of exhausting to read, but you should do it, and then give thanks this year for Robert Downey Jr.
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Friday, November 28, 2008
Nielsen Overnight Tv Ratings November 24-28
Monday 24/11
-Boston Legal :8.68 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.4 rating/ 6 share (final season)
-My Own Worst Enemy:4.25 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.9 rating/ 5 share (canceled)
-Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles:4.62 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.8 rating/ 4 share
-Prison Break:5.25 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.1 rating/ 5 share
Tuesday 25/11
-House :12.49 million viewers,adults 18-49: 5.1rating/ 14 share
-Fringe :8.73 million viewers,adults 18-49: 3.9 rating/ 10 share
-Without a Trace:10.37 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.5 rating/ 7 share
Because House extended until 9:08 pm (and Fringe ran until 10:07pm) the numbers for both shows will be much adjusted in the final numbers.
Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.
Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)
Source:TvByTheNumbers Read more!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Last Chance Harvey Trailer
Check also
http://www.cinematical.com/2008/11/12/afi-review-last-chance-harvey/
'Last Chance Harvey' 's Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson
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Harvey Dent to Battle Aliens in L.A
By Jessica Barnes,Cinematical
November 17,2008
You know, you would think that after starring in one of the biggest movies of all time, Aaron Eckhart might want to take a break from the world of big-budgeted action movies. Then again, he probably knows better than anyone that sometimes those small indie films can really get you into trouble. So, in the spirit of 'safe bets', The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Eckhart will star in the sci-fi action flick, Battle: Los Angeles.
Chris Bertolini's (The General's Daughter) script centers on an alien invasion that has landed in the streets of LA. Eckhart would play the leader of a platoon of Marines who are the last line of defense in the invasion. Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) has already signed to direct the film for Columbia Pictures, although a start date for the production has yet to be finalized.
Since his 'debut' in 1997's In the Company of Men, Eckhart has stuck to parts in smaller films like Thank you For Smoking, or like his latest with Jennifer Aniston, Traveling. Unfortunately, the big-budget flicks haven't worked out so well (with one whopper of an exception.) So even though some of Eckhart's other Hollywood projects have been less than impressive (cough, The Core, cough), Battle will be the first time Eckhart is playing front and center in an action flick. Lets just hope Battle doesn't fall into the same category as some of his other very expensive disasters.
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
U.S Box Office November 21-23
| # | Title | Nov 21 - 23 | % Chg. | Theaters | Weeks | AVG | Cumulative | ||
| 1 | Twilight | $ 69,637,740 | 3,419 | 1 | $ 20,368 | $ 69,637,740 | |||
| 2 | Quantum of Solace | 26,707,945 | -60.4 | 3,458 | 2 | 7,724 | 108,790,786 | ||
| 3 | Bolt | 26,223,128 | 3,651 | 1 | 7,182 | 26,223,128 | |||
| 4 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | 15,661,936 | -55.3 | 4,007 | 3 | 3,909 | 137,109,390 | ||
| 5 | Role Models | 7,324,445 | -34.3 | 2,733 | 3 | 2,680 | 48,133,020 | ||
| 6 | Changeling | 2,695,450 | -36.6 | 1,739 | 5 | 1,550 | 31,665,332 | ||
| 7 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | 2,049,144 | -63.8 | 2,361 | 5 | 868 | 86,864,082 | ||
| 8 | The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | 1,647,514 | 247.3 | 406 | 3 | 4,058 | 2,628,053 | ||
| 9 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | 1,605,579 | -49.0 | 1,222 | 4 | 1,314 | 29,256,029 | ||
| 10 | The Secret Life of Bees | 1,264,991 | -45.9 | 1,095 | 6 | 1,155 | 35,638,795 |
Source:Box Office Guru Read more!
Monday, November 24, 2008
24 Season 7 Preview
Production
Producers were determined to reinvent the series after facing criticism over the sixth season.They initially devised a storyline which would have Jack Bauer traveling to Africa trying to find himself, and becoming caught up in a coup with Black Hawk Down-style results.]
“ "The fact is, it was a mutual issue," explains Gordon. "We struggled to do something new this year. We sent Jack Bauer to Africa and I wrote a script that honestly did not work. Before the network even saw it at the studio level, we were getting kick-back from the idea, especially once we budgeted what Africa would cost. It was a combination of the studio was not enthusiastic to shoot there for budgetary purposes and creatively, it didn’t feel like it warranted pushing our case. One day, at the IHOP, I sat across Joel and Bob and we all agreed this story wasn’t working and retooled it two weeks ago."
The decision to scrap the storyline and start over delayed production from July to late August.Filming was delayed a second time (from August 27 to September 10) in order for writers to complete additional scripts.
Measures will be taken during filming and production of season 7 to save energy and reduce enough carbon emissions throughout the season to make the season finale "carbon neutral". Howard Gordon said that 24 cares about the issue of global warming and takes fighting climate change seriously. A number of ways that the production intends to save energy are listed on the site, some of which are: using a combination of petroleum diesel and biodiesel instead of regular diesel fuel, creating a series of PSAs with Kiefer Sutherland and other main cast members to educate the public on what they can do to help with the issue, and, when appropriate, applying the issue of global warming and reducing carbon emissions to the storylines.
The crew was scheduled to film scenes with Kiefer Sutherland at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro on Monday October 22, 2007, however filming was canceled for health reasons due to raging wildfires in the area. Cast and crew had blurry vision and difficulty breathing from the smoke.United States Navy SEALs helped battle terrorists at Camarillo Airport during filming of an episode on August 12-13 2008.
After completion of the 18th episode, production was temporarily shut down on September 15, 2008 for two weeks in order to perform script rewrites for the final six episodes. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Howard Gordon responded "We just couldn't get this direction to work, and we found another one that we liked better, so we wound up retooling it."
Writers Guild of America strike
On October 25, 2007, FOX premiered the first trailer and announced the return date for season 7 as January 13, 2008.Just eleven days later, on November 5, 2007, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike began. Rather than airing the eight completed episodes, FOX executives immediately postponed the season to ensure that it "can air uninterrupted, in its entirety." FOX scheduling chief, Preston Blackman, admitted "It's not a decision we wanted to make, but it's one based on how we feel the viewers expect us to schedule the show."
Following the conclusion of the writers strike, production resumed on April 22, 2008.
Kiefer Sutherland claims the strike was beneficial to the show: "The time allowed us to do something that has never been done before — create a map of the entire season before we started shooting. So I can tell you without hesitation, I know for a fact, that season 7 is going to be the best season yet."Sutherland reiterated this in an interview with TV Guide on August 18, 2008.
Regular Cast:
* Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida
* Rhys Coiro as FBI Special Agent Sean Hillinger
* Colm Feore as First Gentleman Henry Taylor
* Janeane Garofalo as FBI Special Agent Janis Gold
* Bob Gunton as White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin
* Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor
* James Morrison as Bill Buchanan
* Jeffrey Nordling as FBI Special Agent Larry Moss
* Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian
* Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
* Annie Wersching as FBI Special Agent Renee Walker
Recurring Cast:
* John Billingsley as Michael Latham
* Ever Carradine as an FBI Special Agent
* Nick Chinlund as Masters
* Rory Cochrane as Greg Seaton
* Elisha Cuthbert as Kim Bauer
* Cameron Daddo as Vice President Mitchell Hansen
* Isaach De Bankolé as Former African Prime Minister Ule Motobo
* Sprague Grayden as First Daughter Olivia Taylor
* Tim Guinee as reporter
* Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Ike Dubaku
* Mark Kiely as Rogue Secret Service Agent Vossler
* Glenn Morshower as Aaron Pierce
* Carly Pope as Samantha Roth
* Amy Price-Francis as Cara Bowden
* Carlo Rota as Morris O'Brian
* Kurtwood Smith as a Senator; Chairman of the Senate Hearing in D.C.
* Tony Todd as General Benjamin Juma; dictator of the fictional African nation, Sangala
* Jon Voight as Jonas Hodges
* Peter Wingfield as Emmerson
* Mark Aiken as Nichols
* Jacqueline Piñol as Carol Vossler
* Lovensky Jean-Baptiste as Udo
* Henri Kingi Jr
* Mike Baldridge
24 will return with a two-night, four-hour premiere on Sunday, January 11th, and Monday, January 12th.
Season 7 Plot Info SPOILER WARNING!!
* With CTU dismantled, the show's setting moves to Washington, D.C..
* Jack Bauer faces trial for his actions in the pursuit of justice. He'll have to work with Chloe to uncover conspiracy within the U.S. government.
* Bauer's day gets off to a shocking start when former colleague Tony Almeida, last seen in "Day 5," returns after being left for dead by a terrorist conspirator in CTU's infirmary.
* FBI Agent Janis Gold will be tasked to investigate Jack Bauer and other ex-CTU personnel. On her team will be FBI Agents Larry Moss, Renee Walker and Sean Hillinger.
* One of the storylines will revolve around the death of the First Son, Roger. His death was classified as a suicide but his father, Henry, believes it was murder and wants to prove it. The First Gentleman will also have heart problems.
* Olivia Taylor, the confident and driven 20-year-old daughter of the President and First Gentleman, is trying to make business with a pharmaceutical company and has a strained relationship with her mother.
* The bad guys will be from a fictional African country called Sangala. While visiting Washington, the former Prime Minister of an African nation and his wife will be victims of a kidnapping attempt.
* Chloe has a 1-year-old kid and a wedding ring. Morris is taking care of the baby.
* John Brunner, an Ohio Plant Manager in his 40s, will try to prevent a potentially deadly catastrophe from happening.
Sources:Wikipedia,Tv Squad
New Trailer
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Sunday, November 23, 2008
Guns N'Roses Use Your Illusion I-II Music Videos
Don't Cry
November Rain
Live and Let Die Live 1991
Civil War
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Guns N'Roses-Appetite for Destruction Music Videos
After so many years,the long-awaited Chinese Democracy is released.So,in order to remember some of the classic G N'R songs,i'll post a selection of videoclips from Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion I-II
Sweet Child O'Mine
Paradise City
Welcome to the Jungle
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Friday, November 21, 2008
Nielsen Overnight Tv Ratings November 17-20
Monday 17/11
-Boston Legal :8.43 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.3 rating/ 6 share
-Gossip Girl:2.88 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.5 rating/ 4 share
-One Tree Hill:2.73 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.3 rating/ 3 share
-My Own Worst Enemy:3.99 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.9 rating/ 5 share (canceled)
-Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles:5.31 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.0 rating/ 5 share
-Prison Break:5.89 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.3 rating/ 5 share
Tuesday 18/11
-House :13.03 million viewers,adults 18-49: 5.5 rating/ 15 share
-Fringe :9.36 million viewers,adults 18-49: 4.2 rating/ 10 share
-Without a Trace:11.86 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.6 rating/ 7 share
Wednesday 19/11
-Knight Rider:5.12 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.5 rating/ 4 share
Thursday 20/11
-Smallville:4.77 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.0 rating/ 5 share
-Supernatural:4.03 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.6 rating/ 4 share
-30 Rock:7.29 million viewers,adults 18-49: 3.5 rating/ 8 share
Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.
Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)
Source:TvByTheNumbers Read more!
Little Fockers News
The big news this week from the world of Ben Stiller: it looks like a third "Meet the Parents" movie, a sequel to "Meet the Fockers" is percolating. In the natural progression of things, Robert DeNiro and Blythe Danner would return as grandparents to Ben Stiller and Teri Polo’s babies. Of course, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand would have to return as well. FOXNews.com
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X-Files 3 Possible
According to Fox Chairman Tom Rothman,X-Files 3 may be made.Here's the excerpt from a recent (10/2008) interview with IESB.net:
"IESB: X-Files, truthfully, I'm a huge X-Files fan, I was a bit disappointed with the new film. It didn't feel like an X-Files movie, but I hope to god, I know there's an idea that Chris [Carter] had about the 2012 mythology of the X-Files, the alien colonization, any chance we'll see X-Files 3?
TR: It's really up to Chris, David [Duchovny] and Gillian [Anderson].
IESB: The second one wasn't an expensive film.
TR: No, but it wasn't a matter of the money, that was the film that Chris wanted to do. He was determined to do a stand alone film, a film that wasn't dependent upon the mythology. His interest in making the movie, was in the characters and in their relationship, not the mythology."
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
One week before the Shield's series finale
By Jonathan Toomey,Tv Squad
November 17,2008
Over the past several years, TV fans have been fortunate enough to be able to say a proper good-bye to some of the medium's finest dramas ever made. Alias, The Wire, The West Wing, The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under have all bowed out within the past four years, and the list could go on. They all got "endings" - whether you liked them or not. However, none of them (save for The Wire and for entirely different reasons) were as consistently riveting as Vic Mackey's exploits on FX's The Shield.
Since the seventh and final season began airing, FX has sent critics the first 11 episodes. So, despite the fact that I've been in the know, I've tried to avoid sounding like "I have a secret" in my episode reviews. Still, I was in the dark like everyone else when it came to how it all ends. So imagine my glee when I received an invite last month to attend a screening of the show's final two installments followed by a Q&A with Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
Along with a handful of other critics, I arrived for what turned into a mini-TCA session. However, before you read on, rest assured that what follows in no way spoils anything major about the final two episodes, but rather is about The Shield as a whole. I thought I had reached a pinnacle when I interviewed Walton Goggins - I was wrong. Following the screening, Ryan sat down and just started talking Shield. It was like being witness to the taping of a commentary for a DVD release. He made a point of saying how uneasy the show's finale makes him feel:
"This has been the longest ending ever. This show has been ending for me for a year [partly due to the WGA strike]. Between writing the final script, filming it, editing it, and it's airing, I mean it's obviously been a special show for me and it's nervousness, even knowing what's coming."
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/17/saying-good-bye-to-the-barn-chatting-up-the-shields-shawn-ryan/Check also:http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/10/watching-the-sh.html Read more!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
24:Redemption Preview-First Reviews
24: Redemption (previously named 24: Exile) is an upcoming television movie, bridging the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons of 24. Set in the fictional nation Sangala, Jack finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find somewhere he can 'be at peace'. Meanwhile, in the United States, it is Inauguration Day, where Allison Taylor is being sworn in to office. The movie is scheduled to air on November 23, 2008 with an extended director's cut being released on DVD two days later.The storyline of the prequel was originally intended to be a part of the seventh season.
With the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike delaying the season for an entire year, producers were exploring ways to get back on the air earlier. Ideas included airing webisodes or mobisodes.“We were going to be off the air for a while and how do you bridge that gap. We thought about doing something online and after talking with [executive producer] Howard Gordon we decided to do it on air.” said Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment at FOX.
On April 30, producers began scouting locations in Africa in order to film the prequel in the upcoming weeks.The original plan was to shoot three days worth of scenes in Africa and then have Simi Valley, California fill in for the location.After realizing it would be difficult to fake, it was decided to shoot the majority of the movie on location in Cape Town, South Africa.Filming took place from June 4 to June 20 with the final scenes being shot in Los Angeles, California.Principal shooting was completed on July 13.
Redemption begins with a brief prologue showing a young boy being kidnapped at night and drafted as a soldier into the militia.
The storyline takes place on Inauguration Day for the next U.S. President, Allison Taylor,and is shot partially in South Africa."Jack is a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace," says co-executive producer, Manny Coto. "But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a military coup." Meanwhile, Bauer is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate hearing while in Africa, but doesn't want to go.
Extended Creator's Cut DVD Extras:Commentary, "Making of" and "Children of War" featurettes, a brief summary of the sixth season, an alternate Season 7 trailer featuring scenes from the first fourteen episodes, and the first sixteen minutes of the Season 7 premiere episode.
First Reviews
IGN 7.5/10 "The true purpose of Redemption seems to be an introduction to the new characters and the situation in Sangala -- and that's not a bad thing at all. By setting up the new characters, giving us a new President, a villain, and a handful of supporting good guys and bad guys, 24: Season 7 can get right into a story involving it all. 24: Redemption whets our appetite once again for Jack Bauer's personal brand of justice -- bring on Day 7."
TV Verdict "Overall, a great slice of slam-bang Bauer action, and a luxurious salve for ill-tempered 24 fans and anyone cruising for a kick-ass way to spend two broadcast hours."
Entertaiment Weekly B-
Cinema Spy 3/5 "Whether Redemption can reboot the franchise remains to be seen. Like a guilty pleasure, it's fun to see Jack Bauer back in action again, but audiences may grow apathetic quickly if the producers can't find an effective way to balance the tried-and-true formula of 24 with some new, innovative elements. Failure to do so will almost certainly guarantee that Season 7 will be the show's last."
TVBLOG.UGO.COM "All in all, the plot of 24: Redemption is clearly an afterthought, trying to explain the gap between the 6th and 7th season as quickly as possible, but it just doesn’t do 24 justice. The fact that this was written and filmed after the season it precedes limits what they could have done, and I’m hoping that having watched this causes some “Oh, yeah!” moments during the new season. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some good old fashioned Jack Bauer moments in this, but unfortunately the bad outweighs the good. Maybe being so into this damn series is what caused my disappointment, but after the long wait, shouldn’t they have cooked something amazing up instead of something half-assed?"
iFMagazine.com "Granted, you’re talking to one of the biggest 24 fans out there, so I am biased, but when shows like HEROES have struggled to find their way in their third season, 24 consistently (warts and all, including a hit and miss Season 6) is still one of the best pieces of television out there.
Period.
After the network run is over, it’s clear Jack Bauer as played by Kiefer Sutherland is a character that will be able to segue into a big budget film franchise with ease.
Jack Bauer is back … now see if you too can wait for the ticking clock when REDEMPTION hits TV and DVD. It’s well worth the wait. And that’s the fact Jack!"
Check also:http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/21/24-redemption-an-early-look-videos/
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Prison Break-The End is Near
By Nellie Andreeva,Hollywood Reporter
November 13,2008
The end could be near for "Prison Break."
The actors on the Fox drama have been notified by 20th TV that the filming schedule might be extended to accommodate production of two additional episodes.
"Prison" writers are yet to pitch ideas about the extra hours, but speculation is that they might serve as a conclusion to the four-year series.
If the two episodes are made, their fate is unclear as the network has not committed yet to air them, though conversations with the studio are under way.
Fox might run the bonus material as two additional episodes in the spring, though that is considered unlikely because "Prison" has struggled in the ratings this fall and the remaining six episodes of its original 22-show order weren't on the network's recently released midseason schedule.
A more plausible scenario has Fox airing the two episodes as a two-hour "event" next season, not unlike the "24" prequel this fall. Or the episodes might end up on the "Prison Break" DVD.
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U.S Box Office November 14-16
| # | Title | Nov 14 - 16 | % Chg. | Theaters | Weeks | AVG | Cumulative | ||
| 1 | Quantum of Solace | $ 67,528,882 | 3,451 | 1 | $ 19,568 | $ 67,528,882 | |||
| 2 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | 35,017,301 | -44.5 | 4,065 | 2 | 8,614 | 116,905,195 | ||
| 3 | Role Models | 11,150,030 | -41.8 | 2,798 | 2 | 3,985 | 37,577,245 | ||
| 4 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | 5,656,162 | -38.2 | 3,202 | 4 | 1,766 | 84,169,216 | ||
| 5 | Changeling | 4,254,080 | -41.3 | 1,896 | 4 | 2,244 | 27,631,772 | ||
| 6 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | 3,146,312 | -49.9 | 2,210 | 3 | 1,424 | 26,465,482 | ||
| 7 | Soul Men | 2,350,141 | -56.5 | 2,048 | 2 | 1,148 | 9,370,925 | ||
| 8 | The Secret Life of Bees | 2,338,279 | -24.3 | 1,449 | 5 | 1,614 | 33,627,359 | ||
| 9 | Saw V | 1,767,405 | -56.5 | 2,002 | 4 | 883 | 55,380,488 | ||
| 10 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua | 1,579,080 | -37.3 | 1,617 | 7 | 977 | 90,878,127 |
Source:Box Office Guru Read more!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Quantum of Solace Review
Quantum of Solace is the first direct Bond sequel,the sequel to the amazing Casino Royale,which set the bar high for the future movies in the series.So,does it meet expectations?Does James Bond find his quantum of solace?
The filmakers said from the start,that they wanted to make a different movie from Casino Royale.And surely that's the case here.And while the spirit of the new series is here,the movie has more in common with previous Bond films than Casino Royale had.There are more action scenes,there is more spectacle.But the action scenes are more stylised and the selection of the locations where they take place is not random.There's a symbolism.There's a symbolism in other scenes of the movie.The artistic influences are evident.For example,the scene at the opera in Austria is memorable.
The influence of the director in the style of the movie is evident and so is the influence of the Bourne Trilogy (something that started in Casino Royale).The second unit director,Dan Bradley,also worked in the Bourne movies.All these elements are part of the reboot of the series.
James Bond claims that he does not care about the death of Vesper Lynd,that she betrayed him,that he does not want revenge.However,that's obviously not true.The impact of her death on him is severe.And the fact that Quantum's men almost killed M,gives him one more motive to search for answers.To some level,he experiences an existential crisis:everyone that has contact with him,dies?Eventually,he goes rogue.M while she's concerned about him,she still trusts him.In his journey to salvation,he's accompanied by Camille Rivera,whose past is haunting her and wants to take revenge.Their goals meet and while there's not the same connection that James Bond and Vesper Lynd had,there's an understanding,there are shared emotions.
Daniel Craig is once again very good as James Bond.Olga Kurylenko gives a solid perfomance,probably her best perfomance,judging from the movies i've seen (Max Payne,Hitman,Le Serpent).The villain or to be exact the perfomance of M.Amalric is relatively weak.
QOS takes some time to gear up and that happens mostly in the second half.Despite its flaws,it's a successful conclusion to the story arc set up in Casino Royale and so the next movie will probably be a stand-alone one.
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James Bond:The Video Games
With several dozen movies to his name, James Bond is a true icon of the cinema screen. Bond also has nearly as many videogames to his name, though many fail to do the same level of justice. No matter how good Goldeneye was, there's no ignoring the fact that it was followed by Tomorrow Never Dies.
For better or for worse, Agent 007 has seen a lot in his console adventures, and his appearance is always changing. In this Many Looks of James Bond feature, we examine how MI:6's finest has evolved over the years. From Atari to Nintendo 64 to Xbox 360, it's been an interesting journey, to say the least.
And as all the Bond fans around these parts gear up for the latest movie, Quantum of Solace, we want to hear what they think. Are you firing up that duty old Goldeneye cartridge for a few more multiplayer rounds?
http://stars.ign.com/articles/928/928552p1.html
After the jump,videos from Goldeneye,Everything or Nothing and Quantum of Solace
Goldeneye Speed Run in 29:58 minutes
http://www.speedruns.net
http://youtube.com/user/R151NGT3MP357
Uploaded by webnations
Everything or Nothing Trailer
Uploaded by ebayismybit0h
Quantum of Solace Opening Titles
Uploaded by Tautika
Quantum of Solace Gameplay Trailer
Uploaded by Kiaostar
Read more!
Top 10 Bond Locations
Lucy Fleming on how Jamaica inspired her uncle, Bond author Ian Fleming + 9 more hotspots
Lucy Fleming, Gareth Scurlock and Ginny McGrath
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
April 3,2008
Bond fans have much to thank Jamaica for.
“It was a naked girl, with her back to him. She was not quite naked. She wore a broad leather belt round her waist with a hunting knife in a leather sheath at her right hip. The belt made her nakedness extraordinarily erotic…
"The whole scene, the empty beach, the green and blue sea, the naked girl with the strands of fair hair, reminded Bond of something. He searched his mind. Yes, she was Botticelli’s Venus, seen from behind.” (Dr No).
This is where the iconic film scene when Honechile Rider emerges from the sea and morphs from Ursula to Halle to Daniel, started. Ian Fleming spent two months a year writing in Jamaica. He wrote at his desk in Goldeneye and produced a book a year for the last fourteen years of his life. Hard work.
He closed the jalousies so as not to be distracted but, “out of my left eye I can see waves crashing quietly on the reef, and out of my right a pair of doctor humming-birds going the rounds of a small jungle of hibiscus.” Ian found the island an escape, “a refreshment for all the senses.”
James Bond’s name came from Ian’s bible of Jamaican birds. One of his heroines was named after an elusive Jamaican bird called the Blue Solitaire and, from his beach at Goldeneye, Ian swam past the reef where the sights of the undersea world inevitably crept into his writing.
Of a stingray he wrote: “When it rose up from the pale golden sand and swam a little distance it was if a black towel was being waved through the water.” (For Your Eyes Only). Baracudas feature in lethal underwater battles and Octopussy was what he named his local eight-armed friend who lived in the rocks below his house.
Ian found the peace and relaxation to write in Jamaica and he set three of his books there. As he says of Bond in Live and Let Die: “he had grown to love the great green island and its staunch humorous people.”
Gareth Scurlock's top five locations
Jamaica: Dr No
Where better to start than in Bond author Ian Fleming's back garden. Jamaica, the Caribbean island the author made his home, is celebrating the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth with plenty of events, details can be found on the Jamaica Tourist Board website.
You can stay in Goldeneye, Fleming's former home, now a luxury hotel and resort in Oracabessa, Ocho Rios. The resort is expanding this year to 170 rooms spread over 100 acres.
There's even a James Bond Beach on the island, though the iconic scene from the first Bond film, Dr No, was filmed elsewhere. Ursula Andress emerges from the sea, singing Underneath the Mango
Tree, in that famous white bikini, Sean Connery's Bond is waiting to surprise her. You'll find that idyllic location at Crab Key.
Luxor, Egypt: The Spy Who Loved Me
One of my earliest memories of Bond is the remarkable temple columns at Karnak just north Luxor.
The scale of the place and the long shadows cast by bright sunshine as Bond weaved in and out of the dramatic structures, trying to avoid the gun and biceps of big bad Jaws, is enough to foster a fascination in Ancient Egypt.
Luxor is the perfect base if you only have a week to explore the best of Egypt's historical sites. It's own temple dominates the city, while there are plenty of good deals to be had in hotels with views across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings.
It takes minutes to cross the Nile on a Felucca, before catching a lift up into the Valley of the Kings, where you can visit a number of famous tombs on the site where famous kings such as Tutankhamun were discovered.
Karnak is the most impressive of the great monuments around Luxor. Construction commenced ni the 16th century BC and the highlight is undoubtedly that roofless hall with rows of 25 metre-tall tall columns that Bond hid behind.
From Luxor you can take the train north to Cairo for the Great Pyramids, or south to Aswan.
Check the offical Egytian Tourism website for destinations and information.
New Orleans, USA: Live & Let Die
When Bond, played by Roger Moore for the first time, gets on the trail of a heroin baron, the pursuit takes him to grand old New Orleans. The film gives a real sense of the carnival atmosphere of a city that is well and truly back on the tourist trail following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
There's also the backdrop and involvement of voodoo and the occult. It may be stereotyping, but there's no doubting the impact of painted voodoo man Baron Samedi and Solitaire's tarot card reading, especially on younger Bond fans.
Supplement this with intriguing traditions such as slow marching brass band funerals, and you have an air of a place that you can't help but want to explore.
There's voodoo tours available to spook visitors, but the real highlight of a visit has to be delving into the historic jazz and blues music scenes.
The sense of the Deep South is increased by Bond's incarceration on an island in Louisiana's swamps, before the bad guys try to feed him to alligators. His escape is made in a dramatic high-speed speedboat chase. You can re-enact it at a docile pace on a Louisiana swamp tour.
Belgrade and Zagreb, Yugoslavia: From Russia With Love
When From Russia with Love was filmed, Yugoslavia was seen as a shady communist destination. Now, post-independence, both of the locations are tourism hotspots - Belgrade, the resurgent capital of Serbia, has become famous for its nightlife, and Zagreb, Croatia's capital, is accessible on no-frills flghts.
The Exit Festival, held in a fort in the city of Novi Sad near Belgrade, is a great excuse to explore the country. It is one of the best in Europe, hosting many of the same big-name bands that trawl the Continent during the summer months. Combine this with some time in the capital to get an idea of why the young people of Serbia had a repuation for partying while the bombs fell outside.
Croatia's many tourist hotspots are well-documented - ancient Zadar, the national parks epitomised by the waterfalls of Plitvice, history and villa culture in Istria and the wonderful islands that pepper the Dalmation coast between Split and Dubrovnik.
The Cold War and post-Cold War terrorism theme has also taken Bond to Russia and potential rogue states from the former USSR such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, both featured in The World Is Not Enough. Central Asia is enjoying growing interest from tourists keen to explore the Islamic architecture of Uzbekistan and the dramatic landscapes of Krygyzstan and Kazakhstan, despite (or thanks to) the efforts of Borat.
Outer space: Moonraker
Even more unbelievable than the usual Bond, especially when the sets were pretty ropey, was the space location in Moonraker. Only Bond could get himself into an extra-terrestrial scrape way back in the early-seventies. To go where not many men have gone before, and see the world from space, is the ultimate adventure. And now, bookings are being taken to follow in the footsteps of the astronauts and Roger Moore.
American businessman Dennis Tito was the first civilian to enjoy space tourism, enjoying his own space odyssey in 2001 - a mere snip at a reported 20 million dollars. Space Adventures organised that trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the company is still offering trips to the space station - but limited availability and the price tag assure exclusivity - only five men have enjoyed the experience commercially to date.
Trips into space on commercial flights are the long term aims of companies like Space Adventures and Virgin Galactic. The latter, Richard Branson's project, has started taking bookings and reckons the $200,000 flights couple be operational as early as 2009.
It remains to be seen how long it will take, and which company makes it there first, but Virgin's 6-minute flight price is still prohibitive. One day we could all be jetting to the stars - until then we are stuck with sci-fi and telescopes.
Ginny McGrath's top five locations
London, England: The World is Not Enough
London has featured in many Bond movies, but never so spectacularly as a backdrop in “The World is Not Enough”. There’s an explosion at M16 and Pierce Brosnan as Bond bursts out of the MI6 building in a speed boat and starts a high speed chase down the River Thames.
It’s not the only Bond role that London’s had – Bond fanatics will also know that the city also has masqueraded as Hamburg and St Petersburg among other destinations for various Bond films.
Many of these examples of location trickery have taken place at Pinewood Studios, which is on the outskirts of London near Uxbridge and has had a long-standing relationship with Bond going back to Dr No in the 1960s. It is closed to the public but events are occasionally organised there by Bondstars.com, which include tours and a chance to meet “special guests”.
One of the many companies that offer Bond tours of London is London Taxi Tour, which offers a three and a half hour tour of sights including MI6, the Millennium Dome, and Buckingham Palace. It costs £190 for the taxi with up to five adults
Cadiz, Spain: Die Another Day
When Halle Berry emerges from the sea in an orange bikini as Jinx, the love interest in "Die Another Day", it’s a beach in Spain, and not Cuba, as we’re led to believe.
The scene seeks to recreate that classic Ursula Andress moment, when she strolls out of the Caribbean sea in a white bikini.
The Jinx beach is La Playa de La Caleta, the most popular in Cadiz, but it’s not the only Cadiz location that stars. Balneario de La Palma is the Havana hotel where Bond invites Jinx back to his room, and Castillo de San Sebastián, a 16th century castle, and now a museum, can be seen in the backdrop when Jinx flirts with Bond over a mojito.
All three locations are in close proximity and the castle is free to enter. There’s also the covered market, which doubles as a tobacco factory in “Die Another Day”, and is a good place for a cheap pavement-side lunch.
Monte Carlo, Monaco: Goldeneye
Monte Carlo’s port, which glistens with flashy yachts and powerboats, is an obvious Bond setting – its inhabitants already look like Bond characters in their over-sized sunglasses and flashy swimwear.
It was in this harbour that Pierce Brosnan’s Bond sees the Admiral and possibly one of the most cheekily-named Bond girls, Xenia Onatopp, board the Manticore yacht. His high viewpoint is from Fort Antoine, an 18th century fortress in the old town above the harbour. It is now an outdoor theatre and is free to enter, except when it is hosts performances during the summer.
The Riviera roads to the west of Monaco around Nice are perfect Bond car chase territory – winding narrow roads with a dramatic coastal or mountain backdrop. It’s on the road leading to Gréolières that the scene is filmed where Bond races with Xenia.
Phuket, Thailand: The Man with the Golden Gun
Such was the Bond hysteria in Thailand after “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed in Phuket, that Ko Tapu island was renamed James Bond Island. It is in Phang Nga Bay and was the hideaway of three-nippled villain Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee.
Bond was Roger Moore, who together with Lee formed one of the most celebrated Bond/villain partnerships.
There are countless day trips on offer to the island, mostly aboard Thailand’s charismatic long-tail boats. Tours don’t spend long on the island because it is so small and gets very busy, but nearby there’s plenty of beaches with more space and opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and watersports.
Other Thai locations that starred in the film include Ko Khao Phing Island, Ko Tapi Island and various Bangkok sites, including a kick boxing stadium and some of the city’s canals.
Udaipur, India: Octopussy
The Lake Palace Hotel on Lake Pichola was the stunning island home of Octopussy in the eponymous Bond film. The palace looks like a vast white ship because it covers the island and its walls drop to the water. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754 and was once the royal summer palace.
The hotel is owned by Taj Hotels and is best visited when the lake is full, so visit at the end of the rainy season in late September/October time.
En route to Udaipur Moore’s Bond visits India’s most iconic site, the Taj Mahal.
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bond Girls
Holly Goodhead in Moonraker (1979) 5. Britt Ekland Mary Goodnight in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) Perhaps more than a little creepy, this "Frankenstein Meets Q Branch" exercise resulted in 008 (right) -- a conglomerate woman named for the year of her birth.
Times Online All Time Bond Girls
Source:tvguide
Entertaiment Weekly-Top 10 Best Bond Girls10. Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) 
9. Tiffany Case (Jill St. John)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 
8. Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya)
From Russia With Love (1963) 
7. Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) 
6. Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen)
GoldenEye (1995) 
5. Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) 
4. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green)
Casino Royale (2006) 
3. Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) 
2. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)
Goldfinger (1964) 
1. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)
Dr. No (1962) 
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1557446,00.html
London Times Top 10 Bond Girls (Full List)
10. Grace Jones as May Day (A View To A Kill, 1985)
9. Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny
8. Halle Berry as Giacinta ‘Jinx’ Johnson (Die Another Day, 2002)
7. Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova ‘Triple X’ (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)
6. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore (Goldfinger, 1964)
5. Diana Rigg as Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969)
4. Famke Janssen as Xenia Zaragevna Onatopp (GoldenEye, 1995)
3. Maud Adams as Octopussy (Octopussy, 1983)
2. Ursula Andress, Honey Ryder (Dr. No, 1962)
1. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale, 2006)
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
Worst 7 Bond Girls
7. Lois Chiles
Bibi Dahl in For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy in Octopussy (1983) and Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
3. Karin Dor
Helga Brandt in You Only Live Twice (1967)
2. Denise Richards
Dr Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough (1999)
1. Tanya Roberts
Stacey Sutton in A View to A Kill (1985)
http://www.hecklerspray.com/worst-7-bond-girls/200813236.php
The Ultimate Bond Girl
By John Scott Lewiski,http://blog.wired.com
As James Bond killed box office records in the United Kingdom with his Halloween movie premiere, 007 fans compiled the ultimate Bond girl piece by piece online. 
A graphic design team in England polled 1,000 British men to assemble their favorite Bond girl parts into a complete woman.
Read more!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Quantum of Solace Video Interviews:Daniel Craig,Olga Kurylenko and Marc Forster
Interviews from CNN's The Screening Room
Daniel Craig
Olga Kurylenko
Marc Forster
Source:CNN
http://cnn.com/screeningroom
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Nielsen Overnight Tv Ratings November 10-13
Monday 10/11
-Boston Legal :8.83 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.3 rating/ 6 share
-Gossip Girl:3.01 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.5 rating/ 4 share
-One Tree Hill:3.01 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.6 rating/ 4 share
-My Own Worst Enemy:4.25 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.8 rating/ 5 share (canceled)
-Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles:5.19 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.0 rating/ 5 share
-Prison Break:5.41 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.2 rating/ 5 share
Tuesday 11/11
-House :12.88 million viewers,adults 18-49: 5.5 rating/ 14 share
-Fringe :8.88 million viewers,adults 18-49: 4.0 rating/ 9 share
-Without a Trace:12.21 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.8 rating/ 7 share
Wednesday 12/11
-Knight Rider:5.34 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.5 rating/ 4 share
Thursday 13/11
-Smallville:4.38 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.7 rating/ 4 share
-Supernatural:3.91 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.6 rating/ 4 share
-30 Rock:7.51 million viewers,adults 18-49: 3.6 rating/ 8 share
Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.
Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)
Source:TvByTheNumbers Read more!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Casino Royale,Quantum of Solace Theme Songs
"You Know My Name" - as sung by Chris Cornell and written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold (from the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell and starring Daniel Craig and Eva Green)
"Another Way to Die" - as sung by Alicia Keys and Jack White and written by Jack White (from the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace directed by Marc Forster and starring Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko)
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Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 4
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
1. "Live And Let Die" - as sung by Paul McCartney & Wings and composed by Paul & Linda McCartney (from the 1973 James Bond film Live And Let Die directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Roger Moore and Jane Seymour)
Read more!
NBC cancels My Own Worst Enemy and Lipstick Jungle
By James Hibberd,thrfeed.com
November 12,2008
NBC has pulled the plug on freshman tentpole drama "My Own Worst Enemy" and returning sophomore series "Lipstick Jungle," sources say.
The cancellation comes after both shows dropped to new lows in the ratings in recent weeks, with the Christian Slater action series sinking to a 1.8 among adults 18-49 (4.3 million viewers) on Monday night and "Lipstick" falling to a 1.2 (3.3 million viewers) on Friday.
Though the "Lipstick" number was an improvement on the previous week, the show's ratings have been below the line for a while now, and sunk into the red zone after the drama moved to Fridays.
NBC's expectation for the return of "Lipstick" was modest, but "Enemy" was considered an important show. A spy thriller with a grown-up budget inspired by the Bourne movies, "Enemy" received NBC's coveted post-"Heroes" time period. That valuable Monday hour of scheduling real estate has become less worthwhile in recent weeks, however, as "Heroes" shed viewers -- weakening the lead-in for "Enemy" and hastening its decline.
No word whether Monday's episode will be yanked from the schedule, or if the show will solider on for a few more weeks, or what program will take its place. "Enemy" is currently shooting its ninth -- and final -- episode. "Lipstick" has shot all 13 of its initial order. Both are produced by Universal Media Studios; NBC had no comment.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 3
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
4. "For Your Eyes Only" - as sung by Sheena Easton and composed by Bill Conti (from the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only directed by John Glen and starring Roger Moore and Carole Bouquet)
3. "Nobody Does It Better" - as sung by Carly Simon and composed by Marvin Hamlisch (from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach)
2. "Goldfinger" - as sung by Shirley Bassey and composed by John Barry (from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman)
Read more!
Joel Silver Talks Lethal Weapon 5
By Chris Tilly,IGN UK
November 10,2008
If Richard Donner is to be believed, a new Lethal Weapon film is dead in the water thanks to Mel Gibson's lack of enthusiasm for the project. Well IGN was on the set of Guy Ritchie's new Sherlock Holmes flick last week, and took the opportunity to quiz uber-producer Joel Silver on the subject.
"We talked about it, but it was something that Mel didn't want to do now," Silver explained. "It doesn't mean that he doesn't want to do it ever, but as of right now, he doesn't."
Silver isn't ruling out the prospect of a fifth installment in the future, however. "If we can do it, it would be fun. Shane [Black] had a great take on it, a great idea, a great feeling about it. He did a really complex kind of treatment or outline, very complicated, very good. The idea that they wanted to get it up right away, we couldn't do that, but we'll see what happens."
So that's the skinny on Lethal Weapon 5; categorically not dead, just on the back burner.
Read more!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 2
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
7. "You Only Live Twice" - as sung by Nancy Sinatra and composed by John Barry (from the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Sean Connery and AkikoWakabayashi)
6. "Thunderball" - as sung by Tom Jones and composed by John Barry (from the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger)
5. "Diamonds Are Forever" - as sung by Shirley Bassey and composed by John Barry (from the 1971 James Bond Film Diamonds Are Forever directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Sean Connery and Jill St. John)
Read more!
U.S Box Office November 7-9
| # | Title | Nov 7 - 9 | % Chg. | Theaters | Weeks | AVG | Cumulative | ||
| 1 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | $ 63,106,589 | 4,056 | 1 | $ 15,559 | $ 63,106,589 | |||
| 2 | Role Models | 19,167,085 | 2,792 | 1 | 6,865 | 19,167,085 | |||
| 3 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | 9,159,523 | -40.2 | 3,464 | 3 | 2,644 | 75,573,993 | ||
| 4 | Changeling | 7,252,940 | -22.4 | 1,855 | 3 | 3,910 | 20,559,497 | ||
| 5 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | 6,274,530 | -37.7 | 2,735 | 2 | 2,294 | 20,686,907 | ||
| 6 | Soul Men | 5,401,605 | 2,044 | 1 | 2,643 | 5,401,605 | |||
| 7 | Saw V | 4,067,071 | -58.3 | 2,829 | 3 | 1,438 | 52,187,337 | ||
| 8 | The Haunting of Molly Hartley | 3,318,694 | -38.8 | 2,576 | 2 | 1,288 | 10,063,348 | ||
| 9 | The Secret Life of Bees | 3,089,467 | -23.0 | 1,481 | 4 | 2,086 | 29,902,363 | ||
| 10 | Eagle Eye | 2,541,602 | -27.0 | 1,407 | 7 | 1,806 | 96,348,829 |
Source:Box Office Guru Read more!
Captain America Has a Director
Filmmaker Joe Johnston will take the helm of the eagerly anticipated Captain America movie.
The Jurassic Park III director has signed a deal with Marvel Studios to bring the comic book superhero to the big screen in 2011.
It is the third Marvel film in the pipeline, including Thor and the Avengers, after Robert Downey Jr.'s turn as Iron Man earlier in the year proved a huge success with superhero fans.
Although Johnston has signed the deal, it is unknown who will take on the patriotic U.S. role.
Comic book creator Stan Lee has given his backing to Will Smith to wear the red, white and blue suit, although other insiders have suggested Matthew McConaughey may land the part.(IMDB)
Read more!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 1
Based on an IGN feature published on November 17,2006
10. "A View To A Kill" - as sung by Duran Duran and composed by Duran Duran and John Barry (from the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill starring Roger Moore and Tanya Roberts)
9. "The World Is Not Enough" - as sung by Garbage and composed by David Arnold (from the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough directed by Michael Apted and starring Pierce Brosnan and Sophie Marceau)
8. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - as performed by the John Barry Orchestra and composed by John Barry (from the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service directed by Peter R. Hunt and starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg)
Read more!
Wanted screenwriter will also write the screenplay of the sequel
By Rick Marshall,splashpage.mtv
November 5,2008
When “Wanted” screenwriter Chris Morgan first helped bring to life the ultra-violent story about a world where supervillains had kicked out the good guys, he had some pretty impressive source material in Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ critically praised graphic novel. While there won’t be the same ready-made reference for “Wanted 2,” the writer told MTV that shouldn’t be cause for concern among fans. And he should know, since he’s the one writing it.
“Yes, I will be writing it,” confirmed Morgan. “I’m actually leaving this conversation with you to go to a meeting with the director, Timur [Bekmambetov], and we’re talking about the story.”
According to Morgan, Universal Pictures is in the final stages of negotiating a deal with Millar for a sequel to the June 2008 film, which was a box-office success despite diverging significantly from the story in the graphic novel. Millar hasn’t given any indication that he’ll be penning a print follow-up to “Wanted,” but as with other projects adapted from his work, the comic book writer is expected to take an active role in shaping the over-arching story.
“As far as I know, the studio is finishing their deal with Mark [Millar], and then we’re all going to get together and collaborate,” said Morgan, a longtime comics fan. “And that’s something I’m very excited about.”
As for the plot of the second film, Morgan acknowledged the difficulty of scripting the sequel to a film in which most of the supporting cast is, well… dead. While Terence Stamp has teased that his character, Pekwarsky, will be making a return in “Wanted 2,” one of the only other characters to survive the first film was the film’s lead, Wesley Gibson (played by James McCavoy).
“That is the challenge here,” laughed Morgan, “but the point is to continue the journey that Wes started in the first film. Wherever he ended up at the end of the film, now it’s time to move him forward.”
“There’s a natural journey that Wes needs to take,” continued Morgan, adding that the sequel “is going to be opened up to be more global.”
However, Morgan was quick to add that the film is very much in the early stages of story development at this point, “so anything I tell you about is likely to change.”
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Lost Season 5 Premiere Date and Michelle Dessler joins the cast
By Mat Mitovich,Tv Guide
November 7,2008
Cue our favorite creepy whooshing sound, because ABC has confirmed the premiere date for the fifth season of Lost, and it's Jan. 21.
Yep, that's a Wednesday, and it's where Lost — which last season aired Thursdays at 10 pm/ET, following Grey's Anatomy — will stay.
More specifically, Lost's regular time slot will be Wednesdays at 9 pm, though the new cycle will kick off with a three-hour event — a clip show followed by the first two episodes.
Last season, Lost saw its best-laid plans to air all of its episodes uninterrupted, Ã la 24, waylaid by the WGA strike. At this time, sources are unable to confirm if the 17-episode Season 5 will in fact pull off the straight-through feat.
And what of Private Practice, some of you may ask? It's a keeper, of course, having secured a full-season pick-up a while ago. ABC will announce its plans for the Grey's spin-off, as well as the rest of its midseason lineup, sometime next week.
Reiko Aylesworth joins the cast of Lost
By Matt Fowler,IGN
November 7,2008
Spoiler Warning: While there is nothing that extensive in the way of plot information here, if you want to remain completely and utterly untainted by advance knowledge of the next season of Lost - stop reading now.
"Reiko Aylesworth is in negotiations for a major recurring role on ABC's Lost," says The Hollywood Reporter.
Having played CTU's Chief of staff Michelle Dessler on 24, Aylesworth will now play Amy, "a smart and successful professional woman with a love for the outdoors who is looking for the right man."
The character will appear in four episodes next season, but it is not known whether or not she will be a new member of the island community, or someone from the normal non-"black smoke monster" infested world.
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Sunday, November 9, 2008
Road to Perdition Sequels
By Jim Vejvoda,IGN
November 3,2008
Two sequels are in the works to the acclaimed 2002 graphic novel adaptation Road to Perdition, which starred Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, and the late Paul Newman and was directed by Sam Mendes.
An announcement picked up The Hollywood News and MTV reveals that Perdition author Max Allan Collins will direct the two films -- Road to Purgatory and Road to Paradise -- from his own screenplay adaptations. JBM Production Company and EMO Films will produce. Road to Purgatory will be dedicated to Paul Newman.
In a July 2007 posting at FOMAC, Collins wrote, "The screenplay is my own adaptation of Road to Purgatory, which we are in the early stages of attempting to mount right here in the midwest with me directing. I'm partnered with some very good people, including longtime crony Phil D., and it's an exciting venture - if we can pull off the fund-raising, it will be the most ambitious project I've ever attempted in any medium. The script was submitted to the Iowa Motion Picture Awards and won the Award of Excellence for Unproduced Screenplay."
Publisher Harper Collins provided the following synopsis for 2004's Road to Purgatory: "It's 1942, and—from the Atlantic to the Pacific—the world is torn apart. Ten years earlier Michael O'Sullivan accompanied his gangster father on the road, fleeing from the mobsters who killed his mother and young brother. After an idyllic upbringing by loving adoptive parents in a small Midwestern town, Michael is now deep in the jungles of Bataan, carrying a tommy gun like his father's, fighting the Japanese. When brutal combat unearths deep-buried feelings of violence and revenge, Michael returns to the homefront a battle-scarred veteran of twenty-two, ready to pick up his old war against the Chicago Mob."
"Suddenly, Michael 'Satariano' must become one of the enemy, working his way quickly up to the trusted side of Frank Nitti, Al Capone's heir, putting himself—and his soul—in harm's way. Leaving behind his heartbroken childhood sweetheart, the war hero enters a limbo of crime and corruption—his only allies: Eliot Ness, seeking one last hurrah as a gangbuster, and a lovely nightclub singer playing her own dangerous game. Even as Michael embraces his father's memory to battle the Mob from within—leaving bodies and broken lives in his wake—he finds himself sucked into the very way of life he abhors."
Harper Collins also has a synopsis for 2005's Road to Paradise: "Lake Tahoe, 1973: Michael Satariano—who as a young man fought the Capone mob in Chicago—has reached a comfortable middle age, with a loving wife at home, a talented teenage daughter in high school, and a son earning medals in Vietnam. Now running a casino for the mob, Michael thinks he's put his killing days behind him—after all, he's made a respectable life for himself and his family ... and plenty of money for the boys back in Chicago. So when godfather Sam Giancana orders him to hit a notoriously violent and vulnerable gangster, Michael refuses. But when the hit goes down anyway, Michael is framed for murder; to save his family, he must turn state's witness under the fledgling Witness Protection Program."
"Relocated to the supposed safety of Paradise, a tract-housing development in Arizona, Michael soon finds himself facing a wrath so cruel that even the boy raised by a hitman father is unprepared. And with his teenage daughter in tow, Michael must return to the road and a violent way of life he thought he had long left behind."
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Friday, November 7, 2008
Nielsen Tv Ratings November 3-7
Monday 3/11
-Boston Legal :7.22 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.1 rating/ 5 share
-Gossip Girl:3.16 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.7 rating/ 4 share
-One Tree Hill:3.02 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.7 rating/ 4 share
-Terminator:5.16 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.0 rating/ 5 share
Wednesday 5/11
-Knight Rider:5.14 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.6 rating/ 4 share
Thursday 6/11
-Smallville:4.81 million viewers,adults 18-49: 2.0 rating/ 5 share
-Supernatural:3.73 million viewers,adults 18-49: 1.6 rating/ 4 share
-30 Rock:8 million viewers,adults 18-49: 3.9 rating/ 9 share
Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.
Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)
Source:TvByTheNumbers Read more!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Casino Royale Review
November 19,2006
New Bond in town!Four years after Die Another Day,the last movie with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond ,the successfull franchise returns ,but this time to the beginning.To the beginning of Bond as a 00 agent.
This movie may be regarded as a reboot to the series.Daniel Craig takes the lead role,previously portrayed by Sean Connery.Roger Moore,George Lazenby,Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan (maybe the best Bond,judging from the 007 movies I’ve seen).This choice caused a lot of controversy from the first moment it was announced. Some fans were against this choice and some said that they would even boycott the movie.To be honest,I didn’t like Craig as a new Bond.I definitely preferred P.Brosnan.When you see the movie,at first, the impression is mixed.However,as the movie progresses Craig proves that all the skepticism about him was wrong.His portrayal of Bond is actually very good.A Bond certainly different from the previous movies.
The movie takes a more realistic,more “raw” path.Bond is more human than before,more violent and to some point emotional.All this change is justified from the fact that,as said before,we see the early days of Bond.
The actors that stand out in Casino Royale are Daniel Craig and from the women side,Eva Green.One strong point of the movie are its well-written lines.This fact helps the actors,mainly Craig , in their performances.Eva Green is something more than a simple Bond girl,she’s the woman J.Bond falls for.Her performance is also exceptional.
Two other positive things are the directing and the intensity of some scenes(for example the scene of the poker game against Le Chiffre in Casino Royale).
However,there are some flaws.First flaw ,the villain:Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre is not bad but he’s just too bland.C.Murino’s character (Solange ) is understated,”decorative” maybe and some action scenes last too long.
Casino Royale is very good movie and so is Daniel Craig,despite the doubts about him.This time the “formula” worked,but will it work next time?The fact that when you see Craig you may still have second thoughts about him as Bond, is it a drawback?(it seems that it is decided that D.Craig will reprise his role in Bond 22 as ign.com reports).
UPDATE 11/2008:A few days ago,i watched Casino Royale again (i watched the Blu-Ray,great transfer).I have to say that,while my opinion hasn't changed,i liked the movie even more.It's entertaining,action-packed,yet complex and moving.After some point,it's a tragic love story.It's probably the best Bond movie that i've seen.As for the flaws i mentioned in my original review,i think that Mads Mikkelsen is actually very good as the villain and the chase scenes are one of the pros of the movie.I don't have second thoughts for Daniel Craig anymore.He's very good as Bond and the reviews for Quantum of Solace say the same thing for his perfomance in it too.Is he the best Bond?He's certainly different from the previous ones.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Michael Crichton Passes Away at 66
By William Goss,Cinematical
Leave off Congo, forget Timeline, and don't even start on Sphere. The positive impact of prolific author Michael Crichton on the worlds of television and film with Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and "ER", and it's a shame to see him pass away yesterday from cancer at the age of 66, according to CNN.
His medical background helped lend credibility to his work, especially Andromeda, Coma (which he directed) and The Terminal Man. Of course there's also the overriding elements of sci-fi, ranging from Jurassic to Westworld (which he also directed and is tentatively awaiting a remake). Corporate scandals were also a topic of interest in the early '90s with Rising Sun and Disclosure, and The 13th Warrior offered his own take on the Beowulf tale.
I remember his Prey, about nano-technology gone awry (but of course), making for a fun enough read and relatively ripe for a film adaptation (one that, as far as I know, has yet to be considered). Regardless, the man's works on-screen and off were entertaining and influential more often than not, and it's a pity to see him go.
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Saw V Review
Saw V,the new installment in the successful series,after the terrible Saw III-IV.It was a little better than i expected,but that does not mean that it was good.After Saw II,the series goes steadily downhill.In my opinion,only the first two were good.
Anyway,back to Saw V.Basically,it's more of the same.It's the same concept,with the elaborate traps,the philosophy of Jigsaw and with more details about the events of previous movies.An alternate title could be Saw:The Flashback,because a significant part of the plot consists of flashbacks about how Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) recruited Det.Hoffman (Costas Mandylor),etc.In the present,agent Straham (Scott Patterson) continues to investigate the involvement of Hoffman.Of course,there's a group of people who are put to the test.And there is a semi-twist in the end.
Die-hard fans may like Saw V,but the truth is that we have seen this before and more successfully executed,as far as the first two movies are concerned.The movie will be once again profitable and consequently Saw VI is already in the works.In a scene between Jigsaw and Hoffman (one of the few interesting scenes,if not the only one),Jigsaw talks about rehabilitation (among other things).That's what the series needs for the next movie to be at least descent.
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Nip/Tuck and Damages return in January 2009
By Jonathan Toomey,Tv Squad
October 27,2008
The wait is finally over. After having its last season cut short from 22 episodes to 14 due to the WGA Strike, Nip/Tuck is set to return in January 2009 and FX has been airing some great promos to get fans ready.
However, because of the strike, episode number counts, renewal news, and other tidbits of info all sort of got mashed together. So here's what I'm guessing is going to happen after the New Year...
As I mentioned, season five was supposed to be a full network length season of 22 episodes (rather than a traditional cable season of 13 to 15). Only 14 aired and that means eight episodes were left hanging. So here's where things get a little ambiguous. You may recall that back in early 2007, after season four, FX renewed the show for three final seasons - meaning it would end after season seven. Great news, right? That means we should have expected the double length season five, plus two more seasons.
Not so fast. From everything I've read, the new season in January will not be billed as "Season Five, Part Two," but rather as a new "Season Six." With only eight episodes, it makes sense that potentially five more would be added to get it to 13 installments. During this year's TCA, FX President John Landgraf announced that they were giving Nip/Tuck 19 final episodes and that it would end in 2011. OK... so assuming five of those 19 get added to season six, that would mean season seven (the last one) has 14 episodes. Do the math in your head if you'd like, but there's really only one thing to draw from this mess - we're losing out on one season of Nip/Tuck since part two of season five has become its own season. The show will end with an even 100 episodes, but had season five not been split, there probably would have been anywhere from 107 to 111 episodes upon completion.
OK... I'm done ranting. In the grand scheme of things, this really isn't a big deal. While I'm excited that the show is going to get a proper ending, I guess I feel just a tiny bit gypped. Although, having exactly 100 episodes is kind of nice. FX sold The Shield into syndication and that will only have 88 episodes upon its completion. I'm not sure what, if any network, would buy Nip/Tuck up after its run though.
In related FX news, Glenn Close was on Rachael Ray last week and she confirmed that Damages will also return in January.
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U.S Box Office October 31-November 2
| # | Title | Oct 31 - Nov 2 | % Chg. | Theaters | Weeks | AVG | Cumulative | ||
| 1 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | $ 15,316,072 | -63.6 | 3,626 | 2 | $ 4,224 | $ 62,034,083 | ||
| 2 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | 10,065,630 | 2,735 | 1 | 3,680 | 10,065,630 | |||
| 3 | Saw V | 9,741,578 | -67.6 | 3,084 | 2 | 3,159 | 45,469,066 | ||
| 4 | Changeling | 9,351,560 | 1,850 | 2 | 5,055 | 10,031,122 | |||
| 5 | The Haunting of Molly Hartley | 5,423,315 | 2,652 | 1 | 2,045 | 5,423,315 | |||
| 6 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua | 4,864,021 | -29.3 | 3,004 | 5 | 1,619 | 84,177,645 | ||
| 7 | The Secret Life of Bees | 4,010,668 | -33.7 | 1,611 | 3 | 2,490 | 25,297,621 | ||
| 8 | Max Payne | 3,688,253 | -52.7 | 2,564 | 3 | 1,438 | 35,538,365 | ||
| 9 | Eagle Eye | 3,482,655 | -31.1 | 2,007 | 6 | 1,735 | 92,616,665 | ||
| 10 | Pride and Glory | 3,363,452 | -46.3 | 2,585 | 2 | 1,301 | 11,719,094 |
Source:Box Office Guru
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Pulitzer Prize Winner set to pen Spiderman 4
Acclaimed playwright David Lindsay-abaire is set to pen the new Spider-man screenplay.
Pulitzer Prize winner Lindsay-Abaire, the man behind hit show Rabbit Hole, is in negotiations to create Spider-Man 4.
He won't be the first Pulitzer Prize winner attached to the superhero franchise - Spider-Man 2 was co-written by Michael Chabon, who claimed the honour in 2001.
Director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire have both signed on for the fourth Spider-Man film. (IMDB) Read more!
