2008 Best Album

Guns N'Roses-Chinese Democracy



One of the most anticipated and expensive albums in history,after many delays was finally
released on November 24,2008.An album the production of which started in the mid-90's.There was lot of controversy,rumors,leaks,line-up changes and so the band that finished recording was different from the band in 1994-7.Many argue that the current line-up is not G N'R,since,from the original members,only Axl Rose is left,so it's more a solo project than a G N'R record.In my opinion,this is nonsense.Anyway,now that the album was released,the question is,is it good,was it worth the wait,does it live up to the legacy of the previous albums ?

To be honest,after all these years,there would be some disappointment,because fans would expect a perfect or a near-perfect record.Others think that it's great,others think that it was a disappointment.Whatever your expectations were,you should listen to this record for what it it is.And it's a great record.It's a record,that you like it at first,but you like it even more,with more listens,because you discover new gems,you discover the depth and the meaning of the music.The amount of work put in it is evident,because the production is impeccable.Some would say that it's overproduced or that the sound is totally different from the old G N'R sound or that there is an unsuccessful mix of sounds and so it's album that would be relevant in the late-90's.I think that the sound of a band should evolve,although sometimes these changes are not successful.Chinese Democracy is an evolution,as far as the sound of G N' R is concerned.There are elements of blues,of industrial music,there are classic rock songs,there are ballads,there are classic G N'R epic songs.The lyrics are also important,because in some of the songs decribe the emotions of Axl Rose,the struggle to produce this record.

Chinese Democracy:is it the product of ambition,of persistence of a man alienated from the rest of the world,of vanity or a product of a great musician,of a genius ?The truth might be in the middle,although opinions differ.My opinion is that Chinese Democracy is the best album of 2008.Look beneath the surface or to be exact listen and you'll see the true quality of the record. Read more!

2008 Best Tv Show

The Shield-Season 7



Many good tv shows ended in 2008:The Wire,The Shield,Boston Legal and other shows.There were many possible nominations for best tv show of the year,but without a doubt,The Shield with its seventh and final season,was the clear winner.The journey of Vic Mackey finally ended,but not without consequences,for everyone involved,in one of the darkest seasons of the show,a show known for being raw and gritty.A common theme in this season was that the past comes back to haunt us,that nothing is forgotten,that unresolved issues come back,asking for a resolution.It's clearly the end of an era.Loose ends were resolved and nothing in the lives of the characters,in the Barn,in Farmington was the same.It was a season with one best series finales.It was one the best (along with the first),if not the best season of the Shield.It also was a season,where Vic Mackey showed his true colours.The question is,was he punished or did he get away with what he had done ? Many argue that the situation in which he was when the finale ended,was a form of punishment,although i might disagree with that opinion.I guess we will never know. Read more!

Battlestar Galactica S04E14 "Blood on the Scales" Trailer

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In Memoriam: Kim Manners

Kim Manners looks into his monitors as yet another take is completed on "Audrey Pauley," episode 13 of the ninth season of The X-Files.

By Alice Jester,blogcritics.org
January 27,2009

Kim Manners, executive producer and director for Supernatural, as well as long time producer and director for The X-Files, died on Sunday evening after a battle with lung cancer. Below is the official statement and reaction from Eric Kripke.

Supernatural executive producer and director Kim Manners passed away last night in Los Angeles, following a battle with cancer. Below please find a statement from Supernatural creator and executive producer Eric Kripke:

"Everyone at Supernatural is walking around in a daze, shocked and absolutely devastated. Kim was a brilliant director; more than that, he was a mentor and friend. He was one of the patriarchs of the family, and we miss him desperately. He gave so much to Supernatural, and everything we do on the show, now and forever, is in memory of him."

When I first started watching Supernatural, little did I know that I was reuniting with a director whose work I’d been watching most of my adult life. Something about the episodes he directed seemed very familiar, and one quick visit to IMDb told me why. His fingerprints were all over a wide variety of shows. He directed 52 episodes and was a producer for one of my favorite programs, The X-Files. It’s funny how when I watched TV back then I, like many others, only paid attention to Mulder and Scully, and cursed the name of creator Chris Carter when the mythology ran amuck. I seemed to gloss over the other names in the credits.

In Memoriam: Kim Manners, Supernatural Executive Producer And Director

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U.S Box Office January 23-25,2009

#	Title	Jan 23 - 25		% Chg.	Theaters	Weeks	AVG	Cumulative
1	Paul Blart: Mall Cop	$ 21,623,182		-32.1	3,144	2	$ 6,878	$ 64,923,380
2	Underworld: Rise of the Lycans	20,828,511			2,942	1	7,080	20,828,511
3	Gran Torino	16,244,462		-26.1	3,045	7	5,335	97,819,975
4	Hotel for Dogs	12,860,944		-24.4	3,271	2	3,932	37,455,759
5	Slumdog Millionaire	10,699,629		82.9	1,415	11	7,562	56,065,245
6	My Bloody Valentine 3D	10,012,658		-52.9	2,534	2	3,951	37,687,394
7	Inkheart	7,601,379			2,655	1	2,863	7,601,379
8	Bride Wars	6,868,664		-41.0	2,621	3	2,621	48,570,928
9	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button	6,085,919		9.1	2,263	5	2,689	111,129,482
10	Notorious	5,779,692		-71.8	1,641	2	3,522	31,874,538

Source:Box Office Guru Read more!

Battlestar Galactica S04E13 "The Oath" Trailer

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2009 Movies Preview

January

January 23

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans



Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos,Written by Len Wiseman and Danny McBride
Starring: Rhona Mitra,Bill Nighy,Michael Sheen

The prequel will trace the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans (werewolves). In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Viktor's daughter Sonja (Mitra), in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.

Trailer

Also in January

-The Dark Knight (re-release) January 23
-Killshot January 23
-Taken January 30
-The Uninvited January 30


February

February 6,2009

Push



Directed by Paul McGuigan,Written by David Bourla
Starring: Chris Evans,Dakota Fanning,Camilla Belle,Djimon Hounsou

This sci-fi thriller involves a group of young American expatriates with telekinetic, telepathic, and clairvoyant abilities, hiding from a clandestine U.S. government agency referred to as "Division." They try to find the only woman that ever escaped from "Division". She is their only key to finding out how to escape the agency. They must also use their different talents and band together for a final job enabling them to escape the agency forever.

Trailer

Also on February 6
-He's Just Not That into You
-Fanboys

February 13

The International



Directed by Tom Tykwer,Written by Eric Singer
Starring: Clive Owen,Naomi Watts

Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering illegal activities including money laundering, arms trading, and the destabilization of governments, Salinger and Whitman's investigation takes them from Berlin to Milan to New York and to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, the bank will stop at nothing to stop them.

Trailer


Two Lovers



Directed by James Gray,Written by James Gray,Richard Menello
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix,Gwyneth Paltrow,Vinessa Shaw

A Brooklyn-set romantic drama about a bachelor (Phoenix) torn between the family friend his parents wish he would marry and his beautiful but volatile new neighbor.
If Joaquin Phoenix holds true to his announced retirement, this would be his last film.

Trailer

Also on February 13
-New York, I Love You

February 27

Crossing Over



Written and directed by Wayne Kramer
Starring:Harrison Ford,Sean Penn,Ashley Judd,Ray Liotta

Crossing Over is a film about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures.

Trailer

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li



Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak,Written by Justin Marks
Starring: Kristin Kreuk,Neal McDonough,Chris Klein,Michael Clarke Duncan,Taboo,Robin Shou,Moon Bloodgood

Trailer

Also on February 27
-Assassination of a High School President


March

March 6

Watchmen



Directed by Zack Snyder,Written by David Hayter,Alex Tse,Roberto Orci(uncredited),Alex Kurtzman(uncredited)
Starring: Patrick Wilson,Jackie Earle Haley,Malin Akerman,Billy Crudup,Matthew Goode,Jeffrey Dean Morgan

The story is set in an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist, Richard Nixon is still president, and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are at an all-time high. The vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) is investigating the murder of a former hero, the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and uncovers a plot to discredit and murder various heroes. Rorschach discovers a far wider-ranging conspiracy involving his colleagues' past which could completely change the course of history.

Watchmen Posts

March 13

The Last House on the Left



Directed by Dennis Iliadis,Written by Carl Ellsworth
Starring: Tony Goldwyn,Monica Potter,Sara Paxton,Garret Dillahunt

Trailer

The Horsemen


Directed by Jonas Åkerlund,Written by David Callaham
Starring: Dennis Quaid,Ziyi Zhang

A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife's death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Trailer

March 20

Duplicity



Written and directed by Tony Gilroy
Starring: Clive Owen,Julia Roberts,Tom Wilkinson,Paul Giamatti

Two corporate spies (Owen and Roberts) team up to manipulate a corporate race to corner the market on a medical innovation that will reap huge profits.

Trailer

Knowing



Directed by Alex Proyas,Written by Alex Proyas and Stuart Hazeldine
Starring: Nicolas Cage,Rose Byrne

In 1958, students of a newly opened elementary school are asked to draw pictures of what they invision the future to be. These pictures would be stored in a time capsule. One mysterious girl submits a sheet of paper filled with numbers.

Years later, Professor Ted Miles (Nicolas Cage) enrolls his son at that same elementary school. His son picks up the numbered sheet of paper and takes it home. Miles decodes the numbers to find that it is a series of dates and casualty numbers. Every date listed that had passed was recorded to have a disaster occur, and Miles's predicts that the future dates are dates where more disasters will occur. He is soon proved correct when an aeroplane crashes into some powerlines and eighty-one people were reported to be killed--coincidently the same numbers on the sheet of paper. This leads Miles believes the world is ending, and that he and his son are involved in the apocalypse.

Trailer

March 27
-Monsters vs. Aliens


April

April 3

Fast & Furious



Directed by Justin Lin,Written by Chris Morgan
Starring: Vin Diesel,Paul Walker,Michelle Rodriguez,Jordana Brewster

When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what’s possible behind the wheel.

Trailer

April 17

Crank 2: High Voltage



Written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring: Jason Statham,Amy Smart

Set three months after the his destructive run through Los Angelos, Hitman Chev Chelios (Statham) launches himself on a literally electrifying chase through Los Angeles in pursuit of the Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered heart that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.

Trailer


State of Play



Directed by Kevin Macdonald,Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan,Tony Gilroy,Peter Morgan,Billy Ray
Starring: Russell Crowe,Ben Affleck,Rachel McAdams,Helen Mirren,Jason Bateman

The film is set in Washington, D.C. and tells of Stephen Collins (Affleck), a fast-rising United States Congressman with ambitions to become his party's presidential candidate. This goal is threatened after his mistress (a former research assistant) is found dead in suspicious circumstances, while right-wing opponents to Collins' campaign for social reform attempt to use the scandal to kill his political career. During a probe into a series of seemingly unrelated murders, Cal McCaffrey (Crowe), an investigative journalist and Collins' former campaign manager, finds himself tasked with solving the case, becoming romantically involved with the Congressman's estranged wife (Wright Penn) in the process.

Trailer

April 24

The Soloist



Directed by Joe Wright,Written by Susannah Grant
Starring: Robert Downey Jr.,Jamie Foxx

The Soloist is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School. Ayers becomes homeless in the streets of downtown Los Angeles, playing the violin and the cello.

Trailer

May

May 1

X-Men Origins: Wolverine



Directed by Gavin Hood,Written by David Benioff
Starring: Hugh Jackman,Liev Schreiber,Danny Huston

Set roughly twenty years before X-Men, the film will focus on Wolverine's violent past,[1] and his early encounters with William Stryker (Danny Huston). The Weapon X program and his interactions with other mutants will be explored,including his complex relationship with Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber).

Trailer

Also on May 1
-The Informers

May 8

Star Trek




Directed by J. J. Abrams,Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Chris Pine,Zachary Quinto,Karl Urban,Simon Pegg,Zoe Saldana,John Cho,Anton Yelchin,Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy

The eleventh Star Trek film follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) enrolling at Starfleet Academy, his first meeting with Spock (Zachary Quinto), and their battles with Romulans from the future, who are interfering with history.

May 15

Angels & Demons



Directed by Ron Howard,Written by Akiva Goldsman,David Koepp
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned by CERN to investigate a murder victim, branded with the Illuminati ambigram, leading him to discover the secret society's scheme to murder four cardinals and destroy St. Peter's Basilica during a papal conclave using antimatter.

Also on May 15
-The Brothers Bloom
-Bruno
May 22

Terminator Salvation



Directed by McG,Written by Screenplay:Jonathan Nolan,Anthony E. Zuiker,Shawn Ryan,Paul Haggis Story:John D. Brancato,Michael Ferris,David C. Wilson

Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor (Christian Bale), the man fated to be the leader of the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators, and the future he was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), an stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they find out a terrible secret that may lead to the possible annihilation of mankind.

Trailer


June

June 12

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3



Directed by Tony Scott,Written by David Koepp
Starring: Denzel Washington,John Travolta
A group of hijackers take a subway train and its passengers hostage, threatening to kill them if their ransom is not paid.

June 26

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen



Directed by Michael Bay,Written by Roberto Orci,Alex Kurtzman,Ehren Kruger
Starring: Shia LaBeouf,Megan Fox,Josh Duhamel,Tyrese Gibson,John Turturro

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) discovers something about the origins of the Transformers and their history on Earth. The evil Decepticons need to capture him for information.The climactic battle takes place at the Giza pyramid complex,where a temple is located within.


July

July 1

Public Enemies



Directed by Michael Mann,Written by Ronan Bennett,Ann Biderman,Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp,Christian Bale,Marion Cotillard

Public Enemies is a film adaptation of Bryan Burrough's book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 directed by Michael Mann.
The crime drama is set during the Great Depression with the focus on the FBI agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Christian Bale will play FBI agent Purvis, Johnny Depp will play Dillinger, and Marion Cotillard will play Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette.


Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs



Directed by Carlos Saldanha,Written by Michael Berg and Peter Ackerman
Starring:Ray Romano,Queen Latifah,Denis Leary,John Leguizamo

Trailer


July 17

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince



Directed by David Yates,Written by Steve Kloves
Starring:Daniel Radcliffe,Rupert Grint,Emma Watson,Michael Gambon,Alan Rickman

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. (official plot summary)

July 24

500 Days of Summer



Directed by Marc Webb,Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

The film tells the story of the relationship between a woman, Summer (Deschanel), who doesn't believe in true love and a man, Tom (Gordon-Levitt), described as a hopeless romantic, who falls in love with her. Over a span of 500 days, it is told from the perspective of Tom, who is influenced by pop music and breaks out into song throughout the movie.

Trailer

Also on July 24
-Piranha 3-D
-All Good Things
July 31

Funny People



Written and directed by Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler,Seth Rogen,Leslie Mann,Eric Bana,Jonah Hill,Jason Schwartzman

George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a very successful yet self-involved stand-up comedian who learns that he has an un-treatable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) is a struggling up-and-coming stand-up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One thing these different men have in common is that neither of them has any close friends. One night, George takes notice of Ira when they perform at the same club and he hires him to be his semi-personal assistant and opening act at his performances. George and Ira form a close bond as George teaches Ira how to win the crowd and Ira helps the dying George find closure in his legacy.


August

August 21

Inglourious Basterds



Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt,Til Schweiger,Diane Kruger,Mike Myers

Two story lines... converge: One follows a group of prisoners-turned-soldiers whose mission is to take down a group of Nazis, and the other follows a young Jewish woman who seeks to avenge the death of her parents by this Nazi group.

The film will be divided into five chapters:

* Chapter One: Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied France
* Chapter Two: Inglourious Basterds
* Chapter Three: German Night in Paris (filmed in "French New Wave Black and White")
* Chapter Four: Operation Kino
* Chapter Five: Revenge of the Giant Face

Also in August:
-District 9 August 14


September

September 4

Shanghai



Directed by Mikael Håfström,Written by Hossein Amini
Starring: John Cusack,Gong Li,Chow Yun-Fat,Ken Watanabe

In the months leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, an American man (Cusack) arrives in Shanghai to find his friend recently murdered. In investigating his friend's death, he stumbles upon a secret the United States government has been keeping and falls in love in the process.

Also on September 4:
-Game

September 9

-9

September 11

Whiteout



Directed by Dominic Sena
Starring: Kate Beckinsale,Gabriel Macht

A U.S. marshal (Kate Beckinsale), the only one assigned to Antarctica, must investigate a murder on the frozen continent within three days before the arctic winter begins. She crosses paths with a U.N. operative (Gabriel Macht), also investigating the murder.

Also on September 11:
-Daybreakers

September 18

The Informant



Directed by Steven Soderbergh,Written by Scott Z. Burns
Starring: Matt Damon,Scott Bakula,Joel McHale

The Informant is about Ivy League Ph.D. Mark Whitacre (Damon), a rising star at Decatur’s Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the early 1990s who wound up blowing the whistle on the company’s price-fixing tactics.

Jennifer's Body



Directed by Karyn Kusama,Written by Diablo Cody
Starring: Megan Fox,Amanda Seyfried,Adam Brody,J.K. Simmons

The film follows Jennifer, a cheerleader possessed by a demon who begins feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. It is then up to her "plain Jane" best friend Needy to kill Jennifer, escape from a correctional facility and go after lead singer Nikolai and his Satan-worshiping rock band responsible for the transformation.

September 25

-The Surrogates


October

October 2

Ashecliffe



Directed by Martin Scorsese,Written by Laeta Kalogridis and Steven Knight
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio,Mark Ruffalo

Two U.S. marshals investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on an island in Massachusetts. They run into trouble when they are deceived by others, a hurricane hits and when an inmate riot traps them on the island.

Also on October 2:
-Toy Story 3-D (re-release in 3D)

October 23

-Astro Boy
-After.Life


November

November 6

-The Box



Written and directed by Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz,James Marsden and Frank Langella

The plot is set in Raleigh, North Carolina in the year 1976. An unhappily married couple (Diaz and Marsden) receive a box from a mysterious stranger (Langella), who tells them that pushing a button on the box will award them with a large monetary sum, and simultaneously, someone the couple does not know will die.

A Christmas Carol



Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Jim Carrey,Gary Oldman,Cary Elwes,Colin Firth,Bob Hoskins,Robin Wright Penn

A Christmas Carol is a film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 story of the same name. The film is written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Jim Carrey in a multitude of roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge as a young, middle-aged, and old man, and the three ghosts who haunt Scrooge.The 3D film will be produced through the process of performance capture, a technique Zemeckis has previously used in his films The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007).

A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night. Mr. Scrooge is a financier/money-changer who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love and the Christmas season.

The Wolfman



Directed by Joe Johnston,Written by David Self and Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring: Benicio del Toro,Anthony Hopkins,Emily Blunt,Hugo Weaving

Set in the late 1880s, the film keeps the plotline of the original 1941 movie, with Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) meeting his father (Anthony Hopkins) following the death (and in the remake, disappearance) of his brother. The film details events during Lawrence's past that led to his estrangement from his father (which includes Gwen), and the setting is expanded from Blackmore (which was the mythical village of Llanwelly in the original) to London.[2] The official synopsis states Talbot was traumatized by his mother's death as a child, while Gwen Conliffe is his brother's fiancée. Following his brother's disappearance, Talbot hunts a murderer, which turns out to be a werewolf, and the curse is passed on.

November 13

2012



Directed by Roland Emmerich,Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
Starring:John Cusack,Amanda Peet,Danny Glover,Thandie Newton,Oliver Platt,Chiwetel Ejiofor and Woody Harrelson

The world is devastated by a cataclysm in the year 2012, leaving survivors to struggle for their lives.

Trailer

Sherlock Holmes



Directed by Guy Ritchie,Written by Michael Johnson and Lionel Wigram
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr.,Jude Law,Rachel McAdams

Set in 1891,the film revolves around Holmes and Watson stopping a conspiracy to destroy Britain.

November 20
-New Moon

November 25

-Nine



Directed by Rob Marshall,Written by Michael Tolkin
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis,Marion Cotillard,Penélope Cruz,Nicole Kidman,Judi Dench,Stacy Ferguson,Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren

Nine is a musical film based on the 1982 Tony Award-winning musical of the same name.

A middle-aged film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is trying to complete his next film. His only problem is that he has too many women in his life: Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his wife, Carla (Penélope Cruz), his sexy mistress, and Claudia (Nicole Kidman), his muse and protege.


December

December 11

The Lovely Bones



Directed by Peter Jackson,Written by Peter Jackson,Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens
Starring: Saoirse Ronan,Rachel Weisz,Mark Wahlberg,Stanley Tucci,Susan Sarandon

The Lovely Bones is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Alice Sebold.

In 1973, Susie Salmon (Ronan) is raped and murdered by a neighbor, George Harvey (Tucci), a serial killer of young girls. She finds herself in Heaven, observing her family as they grieve for her. She also watches her killer who, having covered his tracks successfully, is preparing to murder again. Susie struggles to balance her desire for vengeance on Harvey and her desire to have her family recover from their loss.

Avatar



Written and directed by James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington,Zoë Saldaña,Sigourney Weaver,Michelle Rodriguez

Avatar is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.

Also in 2009
-Blood: The Last Vampire
-The Descent 2 15 March 2009 (UK)
-Edge of Darkness
-The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
-Mr. Nobody
-Ninja Assassin
-The Road
-Splice
-Tetro
-Thirst
Read more!

Danny Boyle & Darren Aronofsky; On Writing and Development

Directors Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) and Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream) discuss their processes for writing and developing new film projects.

This is the seventh part of the interview,for the other parts check FoxSearchlight (YouTube Channel) Read more!

81st Academy Award Nominations

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
• “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

• “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

• “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

• “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
• “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

• “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
• “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
• “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

• “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
• “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
• “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
• “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
• “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
• “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
• “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
• “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
  

Best motion picture of the year

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

• “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
• “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
• “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films), A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• “Presto” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
• “This Way Up” A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

• “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
• “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
• “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• “Wanted” (Universal), Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

• “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
• “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
• “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

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2008 Favorite Movies

Sweeney Todd (2007)



"The fact is that despite some (minor) flaws,Sweeney Todd is very good movie,with a final shot that words can’t describe .Words are meaningless.It is such a poetic image".

Full Review


There Will Be Be Blood (2007)




"The perfomance of Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the strong points of the movie.His portrayal of the ruthless entrepreneur is exceptional and he is deservedly nominated for an Academy Award.There is so much depth and expressiveness in his perfomance.
Although the movie progresses slowly,it has astonishing cinematography,very good music (composed by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood) and direction.Paul Thomas Anderson proves his consistency and his skills as a director,after Boogie Nights,Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love.
There Will Be Blood is a journey to a man's soul,a soul that's eventually lost".
Full Review


Sleuth (2007)



"Sleuth is a mind game in which either you participate (along with the characters) or you don't.As far as i am concerned,i participated and i enjoyed it."
Full Review



Priceless (2006)





En La Cama (2005)





Hellboy II:The Golden Army



Trailer


Wall-E





Iron Man



"Although there are some minor flaws,Iron Man is excellent movie,one of the best movies that i've seen in 2008,one of the best comic book adaptations.It's definetely worth watching."
Full Review

The Dark Knight



"As i said in the beginning of the review,there's so much you can write about TDK (you can write also about the cinematography,the music,the philosophy,etc).It's a great movie,a sophisticated movie,for which we'll talk about for a long time."
Full Review

Flashbacks of a Fool






Slumdog Millionaire





Frost/Nixon






Gran Torino



Trailer


Vicky Cristina Barcelona





In Search of a Midnight Kiss





Revolutionary Road





The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



Trailer

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