10)Spaced (1999-2001)
For a generation weened on geek culture and bottle fed on cult movies, Spaced was the perfect comedy. With a loose set up bringing together a bunch of disparate drifters (Simon Pegg's lovable comic book artist, Jessica Stevenson's lazy author and Nick Frost's army obsessive amongst others), each episode was little more than a collection of film and TV references strung together on an unlikely plot - luckily it had the good grace to be very funny and very clever.
9)X-Files (1993-2002)
Created by surfing enthusiast Chris Carter, The X-Files proved to be the show that could do anything. It could modulate its tone from Twin Peaks creepy to Texas Chain Saw Massacre terrifying to Three Stooges silly. It had a pair of good-looking, charismatic heroes with deliciously simmering sexual chemistry - plus a rogue's gallery of memorable villains, including the putrid Flukeman, stretchy Eugene Tooms and butt-loving Cigarette Smoking Man. Of course, the long-running 'Myth-Arc' conspiracy plotline would have baffled Einstein and was never properly wrapped up in any case, but with at least one more big-screen outing lined up for Mulder and Scully there's still time to redeem the show that launched a thousand Dark Skies.
8)The Wire (2002-2008)
David Simon's frighteningly realistic cop drama is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished TV shows ever created and the vast majority of people have never actually seen it. It's a slow-burning, uncompromising and above-all honest look at the mean streets of Baltimore and the drugs trade that stangles it. Each season has a specific focus (be it the working class, education, politics or the media) and proceeds to explore the underlying real-world problems within a dramatic context. It all sounds rather heavy but thanks to a mischievous sense of humour and some outstanding characters (Bubbles, Omar and The Bunk) the show is extremely watchable despite the weighty themes. Effortlessly straddling the divide between drama and documentary, The Wire, at its best, is without peer on big screen or small.
7)Friends (1994-2004)
How is it that Channel 4 can show the quintessential '90s sitcom on a virtual loop and it doesn't get old? It's because Friends, at its best, is as perfect a sitcom as you will find. In its earliest days, the adventures of six beautiful pals who apparently earned money by drinking coffee featured writing much sharper than the cuddly exterior suggested. Even when the quality dipped a little mid-run, the ensemble remained perfectly matched and the best comedy collective on TV.
6)24 (2001-present)
Okay, so the last series was bobbins, but 24 has bounced back before and we're hoping the forthcoming Season 7 will see the Jack Bauer Power Hour back on form. At its best, there is just nothing like it - insane levels of adrenaline, finely calibrated political intrigue and twists that hit you in the face like a two-fisted punch from Tony Almeida. 24 is some of the most cinematic TV you'll ever see, with no expense spared to depict CTU's intense battles against cunning terrorists and occasionally the odd rogue President. Even when 24's rubbish, it's still loveable - we still have a soft spot for the cougar who menaced Kim Bauer in possibly the show's worst ever plot twist, back in Season 2.
5)Lost (2004-present)
Only time will tell whether it's as clever as it seems, but few TV shows have gripped viewers' imaginations like this hybrid of Swiss Family Robinson and Twin Peaks. An innovative structure in which each episode hones in on a different character, with flashbacks and flashforwards expanding their backstory, ensures the entire cast is fleshed out beyond the constraints of the primary narrative. But aside from the host of unique and colourful characters - from earnest Jack to cocky Sawyer, noble Jin to bug-eyed Ben - it's the epic mysteries at the core of the story that keeps us coming back. What powers does the island have? What's that polar bear doing in the tropics? And how come Hurley never loses weight despite being marooned on an island?
4)The West Wing (1999-2006)
For a long time a walk-on part in The West Wing was the pinnacle to which all jobbing TV actors aspired. Smart and funny, Aaron Sorkin's political drama showcased the writer's gift for rapid-fire dialogue and layered, politically resonant storylines, proving that television can be funny and insightful all at the same time. The series took a temporary downturn after Sorkin's departure at the end of season four but rallied soon after with a number of surprising changes to both character roles and format. It all came to a natural close at the end of President Bartlet's second term in office but The West Wing remained one of the most intelligent shows on television throughout its run and a comforting image of what a more benevolent White House could look like.
3)The Sopranos (1999-2007)
hose who tuned into the first episode of The Sopranos in 1999 found not a documentary about opera singers but a dark, offbeat drama about a New Jersey gangster with a fixation on the ducks who visit his swimming pool. As the first season wore on, viewers became hooked on creator David Chase's uncompromising vision of an old-school criminal organisation beset by all the stresses and tensions of the modern day. A fusion of sharp, unpredictable writing and powerhouse acting ensured this show classic status, spawning a videogame, spoofs by The Simpsons and the Clintons (!) and an Artie Bucco recipe book, so you can make like Tony and feast on 'gabagool' yourself.
2)Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Emerging from the ashes of a failed 1992 movie, this improbably titled series was the phenomenon that put Joss Whedon firmly on the map. The very essence of girl power, Buffy was an arse-kicking babe blessed with a smart mouth and a vicious roundhouse right. The winning factor, though, was that the supporting characters were just as appealing as the lead, from Willow the lesbian witch to Anya the former vengeance demon. Above all others, though, It was however James Marsters' turn as Brit bloodsucker, Spike, who most frequently stole the show.
1)The Simpsons (1989-present)
Could it really be anything else? You can put The Simpsons in almost any category you like and it will come out on top. Best animated show. Best sitcom. Best family show. The list goes on. It's ageless, both in the quality of the jokes and the people it appeals to. Bart was originally intended as the focus of the show, but the brilliance of the writing means the rest of the family has come to be equally beloved. People complain about a dip in quality now that it's reaching its third decade, but even sub-par Simpsons is better than 90% of TV comedy. At its greatest, it's untouchable. Best. Show. Ever.
These are the first 10 tv shows.For the full list of the 50 greatest tv shows of all time,visit
http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Empire presents:Greatest tv shows of all time
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Lord of the Rings prequels:The Hobbit and more
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh expressed interest in 1995 in filming The Hobbit, which would be part one of a trilogy (the other two would have been films based on The Lord of the Rings). Frustration arose when Jackson's producer,Harvey Weinstein, discovered Saul Saentz had production rights to The Hobbit, but distribution rights still belonged to United Artists. The studio was on the market, so Weinstein's attempts to buy those rights were unsuccessful. Weinstein asked Jackson to press on with adapting The Lord of the Rings.MGM bought United Artists, while New Line earned the rights to produce The Lord of the Rings. New Line has a limited-time option on The Hobbit, with their hold on the rights set to expire in 2010.In September 2006, MGM expressed interest in teaming up with New Line and Jackson to make the film.
In March 2005, Jackson launched a lawsuit against New Line, claiming he had lost revenue from merchandising, video, and computer games releases associated with The Fellowship of The Ring. Jackson felt the lawsuit was minor, and that New Line would still let him make the film. New Line co-founder Robert Shaye was annoyed with the lawsuit and said in January 2007 that Jackson would never again direct a film for New Line, accusing him of being greedy. But in August 2007, after a string of flops, Shaye was trying to repair his relationship with the director. He said, "I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit." In September, New Line was fined $125,000 for failing to provide requested accounting documents.
On December 18,2007, it was announced that Jackson would be the executive producer of The Hobbit and its sequel. And it was hoped that back-to-back shooting on these films would begin in 2009, and then released in December 2010 and December 2011 respectively. New Line and MGM will co-finance the film, and the latter studio will distribute the films outside North America — New Line's first ever such deal with another major studio.
The Tolkien Estate filed a lawsuit against New Line on February 11,2008, for violating Tolkien's original deal with Saul Zaentz that they would earn 7.5% of the gross from a film adaptation. The Estate is seeking compensation of $150 million, because they were only paid $62,500 before production of the trilogy began. A court order was also filed that would allow the Tolkien Trust to terminate any rights to future films based on Tolkiens work, including The Hobbit and the second derivative prequel.
In April 2008, Guillermo del Toro signed on to direct both pictures, and he will move New Zealand for four years after finishing Hellboy II: The Golden Army to develop the duology with Jackson and the teams at WETA and Wingnut Films. The director met with Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis (who hope to reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum respectively), concept artists John Howe and Alan Lee, Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor, make-up artist Gino Acevedo and composer Howard Shore to keep continuity with the previous films. Del Toro said that he thought the world of The Hobbit is a "world that is slightly more golden at the beginning, a very innocent environment ... taking you from a time of more purity to a darker reality throughout the film, but [in a manner] in the spirit of the book". He also intends to push the technology of animatronics to new levels ; "We really want to take the state-of-the-art animatronics and take a leap ten years into the future with the technology we will develop for the creatures in the movie. We have every intention to do for animatronics and special effectswhat the other films (LotR trilogy) did for virtual reality . Producer Mark Ordesky will return to supervise the prequels,and each film will cost around $150 million.The films are now expected for 2011/2012, and the New Line-MGM distribution agreement remains in place.
MGM expressed interest in another prequel film, set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Jackson concurred, stating "one of the drawbacks of The Hobbit is [that] it's relatively lightweight compared to LOTR... There [are] a lot of sections in which a character like Gandalf disappears for a while. From memory — I mean, I haven't read it for a while now — but I think he references going off to meet with the White Council, who are actually characters like Galadriel and Saruman and people that we see in Lord of the Rings. He mysteriously vanishes for a while and then comes back, but we don't really know what goes on." Del Toro said the sequel was "an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative. There will be certain things that we will see from the first movie but from a different point of view, but it will feel like a volume, in the five volumes of the entire story." Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, and Christopher Lee have said they would reprise their roles as Legolas, Aragorn, Galadriel, Frodo Baggins, and Saruman if they were required for either prequel. Source:wikipedia.org
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tv series 28/4-4/5
-Monday April 28:House M.D Season 4 Episode 13 "No More Mr.Nice Guy"
One Tree Hill Season 5 Episode 15 "Life Is Short"
Gossip Girl Season 1 Episode 15 "Desperately Seeking Serena"
-Wednesday April 30:Boston Legal Season 4 Episode 18 "Indecent Proposals"
-Thursday May 1:Lost Season 4 Episode 10 "Something Nice Back Home"
Smallville Season 7 Episode 18 "Apocalypse"
-Friday May 2:Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Episode 5 "The Road Less Travelled
-Sunday May 4:The Tudors Season 2 Episode 6
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Tudors-Season 3
The Tudors just got picked up for a third season slated to air in 2009. Production will begin June 16th in Dublin, Ireland and Jonathan Rhys Meyers will star once again as Henry VIII. Season three will follow Henry as he weds Jane Seymour and then Anne of Cleves.
"The Tudors is now a fixture for us at Showtime and we're on our way to completing the entire saga of all six wives of Henry VIII," says President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. He goes on, "We are enormously proud of this show, the extraordinary cast, and the production team that recreates the grandeur of the Renaissance year in and year out. There is nothing like this anywhere on American television." (Tv Squad)
100 posts!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Spirit - Trailer 1 TRUE-HD
Adapted from the legendary comic book series created by Will Eisner, "The Spirit" is a classic action-adventure-romance written for the screen and directed by genre-twister Frank Miller (creator of "300" and "Sin City"). It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson), the whip-smart girl-next-door; Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; Lorelei (Jaime King), a phantom siren; and Morgenstern (Stana Katic), a sexy young cop. Then of course, there's Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), the jewel thief with dangerous curves. She's the love of his life turned bad. Will he save her or will she kill him? In the vein of "Batman Begins" and "Sin City," "The Spirit" takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride with a hero who is born, murdered and born again.
Video lengthened to preserve quality
Uploaded by YTGarbage
Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of a best-selling novel by Scott Turow, which tells the story of a prosecutor charged with the murder of his female colleague and mistress.
The film stars Harrison Ford as Rusty Sabich, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia as Sandy Stern, Bonnie Bedelia, Paul Winfield, Greta Scacchi, John Spencer, Joe Grifasi, Tom Mardirosian, Anna Maria Horsford, Sab Shimono, Bradley Whitford, Christine Estabrook, Michael Tolan and was directed by Alan J. Pakula. The running time is 127 minutes.It's a really good movie,with an engaging plot,with many twists,with good music and very good perfomances .
Roger Ebert-Gene Sisckel review
http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/index2.html?sec=1&subsec=377
It's official: Sarah Connor Chronicles renewed
According to Variety, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been picked up for a second season. Michael Ausiello of TV Guide also indicated that the show had been given the greenlight for a second season but could not deliver official confirmation. Fox has ordered 13 episodes so far for the second season.
The Fox series stars Summer Glau as the "good" Terminator named Cameron, Thomas Dekker as John Connor, the future savior of mankind from the evil robots, and Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, the mother of said future savior. The show is executive-produced by Josh Friedman and John Wirth. (Tv Squad)
Update:In FOX's press release touting the renewal of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the network also announced that Brian Austin Green has been upped to a series regular for Season 2. Green plays Derek Reese, the time traveling brother of The Terminator's hero, Kyle Reese, who quickly became an important character after his introduction.(IGN)
Terminator Gets His Girl-Moon Bloodgood joins the resistance.
With principal photography about to start on franchise re-boot Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, the film looks to have found its female lead in the shape of Moon Bloodgood.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bloodgood (yes, that is her real name) is in final negotiations to play a no-nonsense, battle-hardened member of the resistance at war with the machines.
The actress, who has appeared in the likes of Eight Below and Pathfinder, is probably best known for her recurring role in TV hit Journeyman ( . She is also currently playing Maya in Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
Terminator Salvation is set to start shooting on May 5, with McG directing and Christian Bale, Sam Wothington and Anton Yelchin all starring.
(IGN.com,21/4/2008,author:Chris Tilly)
Note:I wish that Journeyman wasn't cancelled (as of April 2,2008 the show has officially been canceled by NBC),because it was a good and interesting show.Moon Bloodgood is really beautiful.
Spielberg's Fear-Tactics Silence LaBeouf
Disturbia star Shia LaBeouf was terrified of leaking details about the forthcoming blockbuster after director Steven Spielberg sued a big-mouthed extra. LaBeouf realized how serious Spielberg was about keeping production secrets, when he was first sent a script that was bar-coded and watermarked to prevent duplication. He was also given a hotline number to call if he lost it. The actor, who stars alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, also recalled the fate of 24-year-old Tyler Nelson, who was taken to court by Spielberg and his part reportedly cut from the film, after he leaked plot details in a newspaper interview. LaBeouf says, "The joke I had was that Steven (Spielberg) had snipers following me. And if I ever slipped and gave up any tidbits, that was the end." (imdb.com)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Tv series 21/4-27/4
-Monday April 21:One Tree Hill season 5 episode 14 "What Do You Come Home To"
Gossip Girl season 1 episode 14 "The Blair Bitch Project"
-Tuesday April 22:Boston Legal season 4 episode 17 "The Court Supreme"
-Thursday April 24:Smallville season 7 episode 17 "Sleeper"
Lost season 4 episode 9 "The Shape of Things to Come"
-Friday April 25:Battlestar Galactica season 4 episode 4 "Escape Velocity"
-Sunday April 27:The Tudors season 2 episode 5
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Street Kings review
I like dirty cop movies (mainly Narc and Copland).Street Kings is a movie where corrupt cops are the center of the story.The main character of the plot is Tom Ludlow,a struggling,loyal cop who has experienced a personal drama,something that continues to influence his life.He has done questionable things,but there's still some sense of morality,justice in him.People close to him are not who they seem to be,and he is trapped in a situation,where his life is ,eventually,at stake.It is a power struggle,and he's the victim of it,along with other people.The dark,violent side of L.A,of L.A.P.D is present throughout the movie.There many twists,in a plot where the role of each character is constantly at question.The final twist is the most shocking one.The perfomances are good (Keanu Reeves is really good).Although you may predict some of the plot delevopments,and although the movie sometimes slows down,Street Kings is a good movie.
David Ayer,who directed Street Kings,is the writer of Training Day (2001),Dark Blue (2003) and U-571 (2000).He co-wrote S.W.A.T (2003) and The Fast and the Furious (2001).He directed,wrote and produced Harsh Times (2006).
For my previous post about Street Kings,click on the Street Kings label
Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut Blu-Ray
The first time i saw Kingdom of Heaven,was in 2005,when it was released in cinemas.In my opinion,it was a good movie.Yesterday,i saw the Director's Cut Blu-Ray.This version has over 40 minutes of additional footage from the original.It's a more complete,a different,as some argue,movie .It'a better movie.Add to that,the fact it's in HD,and you have a very good movie experience.Even if you'have seen the theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven,the director's cut is definetely worth watching.
Note:According to Ridley Scott, the studio perceived Kingdom of Heaven as an action-adventure film when it really went much deeper than that. The film was marketed as such, resulting in negative reviews and poor box-office performance. After presenting the film to 20th Century Fox, Scott had to cut the film down for release in theaters. The result was a thinner plot and significantly less characterization and character development. Scott and his crew have all stated that they consider the Director's Cut to be the true version of the film and the theatrical cut more of an action movie trailer for the real film. Reviewers have described it as the most substantial Director's Cut of all time and a title to equal any of Scott's other works.
Read more!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Lost Teleconference (4/17) - Summary (Light Spoilers)
# 8-hour story was crammed down to 5 hours and felt rushed. Ended up expanding 80-page finale to 100-pages for extra hour.
# On character deaths: "Some fates will be clear and some fates will be not so clear"
# Know what the last scene of Lost is, but do have some leeway on the last line,
# Every season of the show is a 'book', and the last chapter in the 'book' has to be the best chapter (referring to finales)
# Locke and Jack represent the two different philosophical poles of the show. (Science vs Faith)
# The title of the finale is "There's No Place like Home", part one on May 15th and part two on May 29th.
# Read the Bible for information prevalent to Lost's future.
# Learned most of the philosophical content of Lost from Philosophy 101 in college.
# Damon and Carlton don't "bend to the fans will", but have the same overall reaction from the fans.
# There are 34 episodes left in seasons 5 and 6.
# They finished writing the season finale on Monday and are fine tuning it now.
# The enhanced episodes are considered "cliff notes" for the show.
# The final three hours of the show show how Jack and Kate become part of the 'O6 and how Sawyer doesn't. All balancing on the love triangle's axis.
# They are planning an online prologue for season five, similar to 'Find 815.'
# Orchid video pays off in a big way for the finale.
# The story's that were dropped because of the writer's strike will be picked up in later season's
# All the music in the show is very focused and intentional.
# Everything that was set up in the first half of the season will pay off in the second half.
# Season 5 should be launching in the last week of January.
# They decided to expand on the Penny/Desmond love story, because of the incredible chemistry between the two.
# You will be seeing more of Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) sooner rather than later, and more of him than you have seen.
# On the "game changer" that would make the word flash irrelevant: "If we were to switch perspectives at any time and suddenly we were off the island focusing on the Oceanic 6 trying to get back, that would be the present, and what was happening back on the island [the 'woosh'] would be the either parallel present, possibly the past, or possibly the future."
# The four toed statue was not too weird to be on the show, they are getting to who built it and why it has four toes in the shows future.
# You will see smokey in the first episode back and get a "healthy dosage" of Jacob before the end of the season.
# They are 'not commenting' on the mysterious London filming.
# There will not be any Lost "spin offs." They want to bring the story to a close with the final episode.
# Damon and Carlton spend more time with each other than they do with their wives, or even each other's wives.
# The name 'Frozen Donkey Wheel' is not supposed to make any sense, but is an inside joke with the writers.
# They will not comment on the fate of Rousseau, but they can confirm that she was indeed shot with bullets.
# No regrets for making an end date for 'Lost', unless Darlton become replaced zombies or cyborgs.
Summary provided by http://www.docarzt.com
Lost Teleconference (4/17) Full (Audio) http://www.docarzt.com/lost-spoilers/lost-417-teleconference-full-a.php
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Red Band Trailer
Struggling musician Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) has spent six years idolizing his girlfriend, television star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). While writing a Muppet-type Dracula musical, he's the guy left holding her purse in paparazzi photos and accidentally omitted from acceptance award speeches. Things take a twist when she breaks up with him, and Peter suddenly finds himself alone. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sees that not having Sarah may just ruin his life.
To clear his head, Peter takes an impulsive trip to Hawaii, where he is confronted by his worst nightmare: Sarah and her narcissistic and tragically-hip, new British-rocker boyfriend, Aldous (Russell Brand), are staying at his hotel. As he torments himself with the reality of Sarah's new life, he finds relief when flirting with Rachel (Mila Kunis), a beautiful resort employee whose laid-back approach tempts him to rejoin the world.
As of April 16, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 25 reviews. An early review on Ebert&Roeper gave it positive reviews.Richard Roeper said that it was an "instant classic" and that if he ever made a list of his current top 50 comedies, he'd find some way to put this movie on the list.
X-Files 2 news
Yesterday,the official title of the new X-Files film was announced - The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Carter referred to the title as a "natural title," saying that it pertained to "a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."Carter also said that he and Spotnitz settled upon the title as soon as they started writing the screenplay.
Below,there are links to very interesting interviews of David Duchovny,Gillian Anderson,Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter.(source:ign.com)
Gillian Anderson
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866697p1.html(1st of 3 pages)
David Duchovny
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866674p1.html(1st of 4 pages)
Frank Spotnitz
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866845p1.html(1st of 3 pages)
Chris Carter
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866837p1.html
The X-Files: I Want to Believe release date:July 25,2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Terminator: Season 2 Chances Increase
While we'll likely have to wait for FOX's Upfront in May to get an official announcement, it looks increasingly likely that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will be back for a second season.
In a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly is asked about the expectations that Terminator and fellow recent FOX series Back to You will be renewed. Reilly replies "They're really the lead candidates at this point. We've already started staffing on Sarah Connor. Although it was an unusual season, it will end up finishing by far and away the strongest new drama of the season."
Reilly mentioning that they are staffing for Sarah Connor follows on TV Guide's Michael Ausiello recent report that directors were being hired for the first three episodes of Season 2. Obviously a network is not going to staff for a season they don't expect to order, so Terminator's renewal seems to be a certainty.
ign.com,16/4/2008,author:Eric Goldman
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Lost update
New Lost schedule
-April 24:season 4 episode 9 "The Shape of Things to Come"
-May 1:episode 10:"Something Nice Back Home"
-May 8:episode 11 "Cabin Fever"
-May 15:episode 12
-May 29:episode 13 (Two hour season finale)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tv series 14/4-20/4
-Monday April 14:One Tree Hill season 5 episode 13 "Echoes,Silence,Patience and Grace"
-Tuesday April 15:Boston Legal season 4 episode 16 "The Mighty Rogues"
-Thursday April 17:Smallville season 7 episode 16 "Descent"
-Friday April 18:Battlestar Galactica season 4 episode 3 "The Ties That Bind"
-Sunday April 20:The Tudors season 2 episode 4
Sunday, April 13, 2008
2007:A Film Year Full of Escapism, Flat in Attendance
LOS ANGELES — Despite a modest increase in 2007 box office receipts, moviedom is trudging into January with a droop in its shoulders.
Ticket sales at North American movie theaters totaled $9.7 billion, a 4 percent increase over the previous year, according to Media by Numbers, a box office tracking company. But attendance was flat, after a narrow increase in 2006 and three previous years of sharp declines. Movie fans bought about 1.42 billion tickets last year, according to Media by Numbers. The high watermark of the last 10 years came in 2002, when moviegoers bought about 1.61 billion tickets.
The results last year were largely driven by expensive sequels like “Spider-Man 3” (the top-grossing film) and “Shrek the Third” (the runner-up), although a handful of expert marketing campaigns turned some oddball entries like “Alvin and the Chipmunks” into bona fide hits. One surefire franchise was born to Paramount and DreamWorks in “Transformers” (which placed third).
Nine of the Top 10 grossing films were science fiction, fantasy or animation. The sole exception (unless you count the mock-historical “300”) was Universal’s action thriller “The Bourne Ultimatum,” which placed sixth with $227 million in domestic ticket sales.
As the movie industry turns its attention to 2008, the dark “No Country for Old Men” is showing box office legs, and one film in particular is already shaping up as a home run. Early results for “Juno,” about a quirky teenager who becomes pregnant, have outpaced those for the indie hits “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Brokeback Mountain.”
“The critical acclaim and award recognition have magnified the movie,” said Peter Rice, the president of Fox Searchlight, which is distributing “Juno.”
But box office results are always a game of glass half-full and glass half-empty, and the half-empties this time seem more prominent.
DVD sales continue to slump both domestically and abroad. The private money that has washed over Hollywood in recent years is starting to slow, investment bankers say, as more hedge funds go home with little to show. And movie executives are worried about the impending collision between striking screenwriters and the important awards shows.
The strike, now in its ninth week with no new talks scheduled, is starting to weigh more heavily on the movie business over all. Until now, the damage has been mostly confined to television, which operates with a shorter production pipeline. But as the strike drags on, movie executives — and their corporate bosses — are starting to worry about having enough time to put together their mega-movie slates for summer 2009.
At the box office the happy surprises of 2007 were almost all confined to escapist offerings like “The Game Plan,” a Walt Disney release about an N.F.L. quarterback and his young daughter, or sophomoric comedies like “Superbad,” a Sony release from the producer Judd Apatow.
But studios have instead churned out gloomy message movies, and more are on the way, noted Paul Dergarabedian, the president of Media by Numbers.
“There were some great films, but the appetite wasn’t there,” he said. Movies rooted in the Iraq war or terrorism — “In the Valley of Elah,” “Rendition,” “Redacted” — particularly struggled. A glut of serious-minded awards hopefuls canceled one another out. Signs of trouble lurked even during the blockbuster-packed summer, in which ticket sales surpassed the $4 billion mark for the first time. Sequels, with the notable exception of “Bourne,” the third in a series, were generally not well reviewed and sold fewer tickets than their second or first installments.
“Shrek the Third,” “Spider-Man 3” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” all marked low points for these franchises at the domestic box office when ticket sales are adjusted for inflation, according to Box Office Mojo, another tracking service.
(The studios note that more than half of the ticket sales for each of those titles came from overseas. While there are no reliable independent data for overseas ticket sales, entertainment trade publications estimate that foreign receipts for the six biggest studios increased 9 percent in 2007 over a year earlier, to $9.4 billion.)
Stars did not seem to interest moviegoers, with marquee names playing to empty seats. Angelina Jolie flopped with “A Mighty Heart,” about the murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, and Nicole Kidman’s career grew chillier with the North American collapse of “The Golden Compass.” Among the men, Tom Cruise struggled to avoid blame for a dead-on-arrival “Lions for Lambs,” and Brad Pitt drew shrugs for “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
One big exception: Will Smith cemented his status as a top box office draw — and perhaps the biggest star in the business today — with robust results for “I am Legend,” a Warner Brothers release about a man wandering a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The picture has sold $195 million in tickets since its Dec. 14 opening, with another $61.3 million coming from overseas, according to Box Office Mojo.
(Denzel Washington also gets credit for helping to turn Universal’s “American Gangster” into a $184 million hit, although he appears to be having a harder time with the just-opened “Great Debaters.”)
Of course results vary by studio, and some are entering 2008 on a high note. Walt Disney, for instance, has played the game better than most.
“Ratatouille” overcame early skepticism about its rat-in-the-kitchen subject to become both a global blockbuster and a critical darling. “Enchanted,” about an animated princess who comes to life, continues to chug away in theaters, and “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” is a slam dunk. That action film, starring Nicolas Cage, sold $124 million in tickets domestically in its first 10 days of release, according to Box Office Mojo.
Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, cited a recent decision to focus more intently on the company’s brand as a catalyst for its performance. “The Disney name continues to be enormously successful with audiences,” he said.
Twentieth Century Fox appears to be able to sell just about anything. That studio has set the standard for effective Internet marketing by coming up with ways for fans to personalize messages. “The Simpsons Movie,” with its $526 million in total ticket sales around the world, benefited from Simpsonize Me, a Web promotion (simpsonizeme.com) that allowed visitors to animate pictures of themselves. Fox used a similar promotion to fuel “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
New York Times,2/1/2008,author:Brooks Barnes
Friday, April 11, 2008
New DVD set might give hints about X-Files movie
The new X-Files sequel that is supposed to hit theaters this July 25. The movie has been pretty much under wraps, except for a snippet of film here and some behind the scenes photos there. And the cast and crew certainly aren't saying anything about the movie's plot. The only hint we've received is that this movie has more to do with a standalone mystery than the alien mythology storyline from the show (and the first film).
But now I'm slightly confused, as this press release for a new X-Files DVD set says that the set gives a hint as to what we can expect in the movie.
The set is called "Revelations" and includes eight classic episodes from the series chosen by creator Chris Carter. The thing is, it's really a mix of standalone episodes and alien mythology. The episodes are the "Pilot" and "Beyond the Sea" (from Season 1), "The Host" (from season 2), "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" (from season 3), "Memento Mori" (from season 4), "Post-Modern Prometheus" and "Bad Blood" (from season 5), and "Milagro" (from season 6). The set will also feature the trailer for the big screen adventure and that session from WonderCon, which included a teaser that made fans go wild.
I'm not sure if this info is to throw fans off the track as to what the movie is about, or the movie is about vampires, Frankenstein, aliens, psychics, the New Jersey sewers, brain cancer, and weird novel writers.
The set will be in stores on July 1, so you'll have a few weeks to watch the episodes to prepare for the movie.
Tv Squad,11/4/2008,Author:Bob Sassone
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Street Kings
Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a Los Angeles cop who has spent his life never having had to reach across the abyss from his world to the other. Ludlow's life, however, becomes cheerless, dark and deadly, after the death of his beloved wife. Ludlow is pressed into action when he is framed for the murder of a fellow officer by those close to him. Deeper and more profound themes are interwoven in this story of a man's struggle for meaning in a world that is increasingly controlled by outside forces.
The screenplay of Street Kings is written by noted authors James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia,L.A Confidential) and John Ridley; the film is directed by David Ayer. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie and Forest Whitaker. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters (U.S.A) onApril 11,2008.
Production info:In 2004, it was announced that Spike Lee would be directing the film for a 2005 release. In 2005, it was announced that Oliver Stone was in talks to direct the film,but Stone later denied this. Training Day writer David Ayer took over the project.
OnFebruary 5,2008, it was announced that Fox Searchlight changed the film's title from The Night Watchman to Street Kings.
Lost getting 14th hour...maybe
By Tim Surette - TV.com
Reports say show's producers negotiating an extra 60 minutes of the ABC hit; could a two-hour finale be in the works?
Several Thursdays have passed since television viewers last saw a fresh episode of Lost, and the strike-shortened fourth season only has five episodes left. These are dark times for Lost fans, indeed.
With the extra hour, Ben and Locke decided to redecorate the apartment. How cute!
However, it appears as though brighter times are in store for the best show on television about polar bears, time-jumping, and staged plane crashes. According to TVGuide.com, producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are in discussions to add an extra hour of Lost this season. Hooray!
Season four of Lost was originally slated to have 16 episodes, but was cut down to 13 because of the writers strike. The show's producers were having some difficulty squeezing in all season four's storylines into 13 episodes, so an extra 60 minutes would be warmly welcomed.
It's unclear how a 14th hour would be included in season four. As it stands, Lost is returning to the air on April 24 and will wrap up on May 22, along with the finales of Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy. A two-hour season finale would seem unlikely, as Lost will begin airing at 10 p.m. when it returns, and having people stay up until midnight is a ratings death sentence (not to mention the inevitable complaints of insomnia caused by a mind-blowing finale).
Nothing is set in stone yet, but adding an extra hour of Lost seems like a no-brainer. Give it the thumbs up, ABC.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Midnight Meat Train
The Midnight Meat Train (2008) is a horror film based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name, which can be found in Volume One of Barker's collection Books of Blood. The film follows a photographer who attempts to track down a serial killer dubbed the "Subway Butcher" and discovers more than he bargained for under the city streets.
The film was directed by Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura and stars Bradley Cooper, Roger Bart, Vinnie Jones and Brooke Shields.Release date (U.S.A):May 16,2008
Darren Aronofsky brings new supernatural show to AMC
I think it's official now: American Movie Classics has become the new hip network to watch. And that's something that we couldn't have predicted just a couple of years ago.
After bringing the critically-acclaimed Mad Men to the network and the new series Breaking Bad (not to mention Hustle), AMC has announced that director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem For A Dream,The Fountain) is developing a new series for the cable network titled Riverview Towers, about a family that moves into an apartment complex and spooky things start to happen.
Like Mad Men, Riverview Towers was originally in development at HBO.TV Squad,8/4/2008,Author:Bob Sassone
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
X-Files Folks Offer Hints:Carter and Spotnitz on Mulder and Scully's return (IGN.com)
April 7, 2008 - At the recent Paley Festival X-Files reunion/tribute, I had the chance to speak one on one with both Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz about the upcoming new X-Files sequel. Carter, who wrote and directed the upcoming film, said that reuniting to make the film "was strange, but it was actually as natural as can be." Co-writer Spotnitz added, "It's amazing. I've just come off filming the movie for the last three months. To revisit characters who were gone is such a unique opportunity in Hollywood – to have a chance to come back to people like this."
It's known that the film is a stand-alone story, not tying into the overreaching mythology stories the series also did. Carter explained that with the new film "We knew we wanted to do something that wasn't a mythology episode. We'd kind of wrapped up the mythology, to a large extent, in the series. So I think, especially coming back a number of years later, the best thing to do would be to reintroduce The X-Files to its core audience, but also maybe introduce it to a lot of people who haven't had a chance to see it before, who were maybe too young to see it before. I talk to college kids now who were too young fifteen years ago [when the series began], and if you're 22 years old and in college, you were just a kid. So I think there are lots of kids who didn't see it. "
Of course, the big question is if the film isn't about the alien/government conspiracy plotline, what is it about? When I asked Carter if he could tell us about the plot, he replied "I can't, really, because nobody really wants to know. The truth is everybody wants to go and have a great experience. They want to be surprised and they want to be scared and if the cat gets out of the bag, there's no putting it back in."
While still not offering specifics, Spotnitz did tell us this about the film: "It's scary. It's about Mulder and Scully, very much. It's about them and their relationship and who they are and it's a personal and emotional movie too, in a way that the series rarely could be, because we're not doing 24 episodes - we're just doing this one standalone movie. And it's designed to reward fans. It certainly touches upon things that fans alone will appreciate. But [it's also designed] to work for people who never saw The X-Files - who were too young. That's what's most exciting, honestly, is the chance to introduce these characters to a new generation."
The show ended with Mulder and Scully's legal status in a highly problematic place, and Spotnitz promised that would not be ignored in the film. "We had to and we wanted to address everything that a fan would say 'Well, what about that?' I think we've done that without excluding anybody who never saw the show," Spotnitz explained, adding, "If you remember, in the first movie there was a scene in a bar where Mulder sort of drunkenly explains who he is. We've done it in a very different way this time around, but I think we've managed to make it work both for people who are familiar and who are unfamiliar."
There are three actors new to the X-Files franchise who are said to have notable roles in the film, including Amanda Peet, rapper Xzibit and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. Spotnitz discussed each of these actors, explaining "Amanda Peet is an FBI agent, as is Xzibit. In Amanda Peet, we were looking for somebody who was Scully-like in a way – that intelligence, that intensity, that authority that Gillian Anderson naturally commands, so Amanda we thought, especially after seeing her in Studio 60 on television, we thought she was great for this role. Xzibit was just a discovery for us. We knew his music, but we didn't realize what a great actor he was. He's really fantastic. He's another FBI agent. I don't think you would picture him as an FBI agent normally. But he's really quite good."
Spotnitz continued, "Billy Connolly was the one person we had in mind before we wrote. We'd been fans of his… he's a very well known comedian in the UK, but we just love him as a dramatic actor. He'd done this movie Mrs. Brown, maybe ten years ago. This is not a funny role at all – I don't think there's a single laugh. It's a very dramatic, creepy role, central to the movie, and we wrote it for him and were able to get him. That was a dream come true for us."
So might this be the beginning of a new series of X-Files movies? When asked that question, Spotnitz replied "Hopefully! That would be nice. We had such a good time doing it, it would be nice to keep going."
(IGN.COM,7/4/2008,author:Eric Goldman)
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tv series 7/4-13/4
-Tuesday,April 8:Boston Legal Season 4 Episode 15 "Tabloid Nation"
-Friday,April 11:Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Episode 2 "Six of One"
-Sunday,April 13:The Tudors Season 2 Episode 3
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Are curtains coming down on movie theaters?
Hollywood is able, at the end of most Decembers, to proclaim the previous year its most successful ever. While true, at least on the surface, it masks a long-term problem: People just aren’t going to movies much anymore.
Movie attendance levels occasionally rise from the previous year, but the general trend has been downward. The biggest movie-going year was way back in 1946, when enough tickets were sold for an astonishing 90 million people to go every week. Then television came in and stole the theater’s audience, followed by competition in the form of video games, computers and a general lessening of audience amazement. Total 2007 attendance was down 8% from the year earlier, and the current year’s box office looks unlikely to top last year.
The “most successful year ever” award is thanks to the ever-rising price of tickets, which averaged $6.88 in 2007, up 33 cents from 2006 and up more than $1 per ticket from 2002.
So it’s no surprise that film studios are struggling. Bernstein Research analysts said that most studio returns “have not meaningfully improved over the past decade” and that while revenue growth typically “has been matched or exceeded by expense growth, this hope of spending more to make more has generally not panned out.”
In a research note titled, “Isn’t It Time to Rethink the Film Studio Model?” Bernstein notes that while theater audiences are smaller, the home video market has exploded. The firm identified three potential growth opportunities:
- Blu-Ray DVDs. The firm estimates that Blu-Ray revenue will be $4.2 billion in 2011, up significantly from its 2009 estimate of $1.1 billion.
- Online distribution. While noting that the results for Apple’s online movie distribution hasn’t met expectations, Bernstein expects large growth in this area as more titles become available. Currently, only three of the top 10-selling DVDs are available online.
- Video on demand. Bernstein said that from a financial standpoint, “this represents the Holy Grail for studios,” as it provides better economics than physical rental. “In the rental market, the studio takes 30% of the retail revenue whereas in a video on demand purchase, the studio takes 70%.”
It’s almost guaranteed that studios will look to these areas to combat lagging audience rates, but don’t expect last picture show-type theater closures. Mega-theater IMAX has been gaining popularity as studios release their biggest titles on the biggest screen for the biggest possible revenue (average IMAX ticket is well above $10). If anything, expect the process of going to the movies to regain some of the “event” status it had back in the 1940s, and possibly for audience amazement levels to creep back up.
(market-hub.com,2/4/2008 Author:Ryan Vlastelica)
