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1-20 of 53 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Best of the Decade #2: Children of Men (2006)
17 hours ago
| FilmJunk
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Although Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men received three Oscar nominations back in 2007 (none of which it ended up winning), the fact that the movie did not get a Best Picture nod caused a minor uproar at the time and even now seems like a pretty big oversight. Granted, there were a handful of other great films that were also overlooked that year, but much like The Dark Knight, the movie resonated with people so deeply that it inspired a grassroots fan campaign [1] to back it up (which obviously didn't help). Regardless, the movie has not been forgotten, and stands out as one of the true masterpieces of this past decade in film.
Based on a novel by P.D. James, Cuarón's dystopian near-future is frighteningly familiar. It's a world full of poverty, political unrest, terrorism, and of course, a mysterious biological plague threatening to end the human race where it stands.
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- Sean
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Pop Culture through the Eyes of Sims
17 December 2009 11:43 PM, PST
| PopStar
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The past ten years have been great -- we have embraced on a new journey through the millennium and thanks to pop culture we had many great friends along for the ride. People Magazine worked with Sims to create an image that would incorporate all things popular in the past ten years and the picture is worth a thousand words. Find out who made the cut, which movies were featured, and which love birds were caught snuggling. People asked the folks at Sims to try and encompass the past ten years into a picture and what they came up with is incredible. They wanted to create a picture that would target the 9-14 demographic, but sadly these films and people are not only swooned over by tweens. Sims made sure to add the hottest films including Harry Potter, High School Musical, and Twilight. They also added key musicians Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift,
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- cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
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Blu-Ray Review: Ultimate Edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’
15 December 2009 12:51 PM, PST
| HollywoodChicago.com
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Chicago – Clear some shelf space for the gigantic Blu-Ray releases of the first two “Harry Potter” films, timed with the not-as-enormous edition release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” the same week. These ultimate editions, complete with collectibles and new special features, are great collector’s set gifts for the holidays for the Potter nut in your family but feel a bit like overkill for everyone else.
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
One has to truly love a film to allow it to take up the space of 4-5 others on their Blu-Ray shelf. While I recognized that there are many, many people who do love “Sorcerer’s Stone,” I’m not one of them. For me, the series doesn’t really click until the third film, “The Prisoner of Azkaban”. Three and four are great, five and six are good, but one are two are hampered by director
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- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
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[DVD Review] Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone: Ultimate Edition
10 December 2009 4:00 AM, PST
| JustPressPlay.net
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Eight years on and five sequels (not to mention the overwhelmingly mediated release of the final book) later, Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone is finally starting to look like what it is: a blueprint for things to come. What was greeted with relative fanfare upon release (I myself gave it a four-star review my sophomore year of high school) now seems fairly bland when placed in comparison with the other films, neither exciting (as I found Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) nor excruciating (as I found Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). It’s only fair to note that I have never read any of the books, nor have I ever really felt inclined to, but I have always respected the Harry Potter fandom (well, for the most part) for their ingenuity in inserting their universe of choice into their everyday lives in a way
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- Anders Nelson
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"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" Movie Review or My Random Thoughts on the "Twilight" Sequel
19 November 2009 1:28 AM, PST
| Manny the Movie Guy
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(I"m writing this at 12:49 in the morning, fresh from my jaunt from Los Angeles after watching "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" so if I may sound a bit blurry, I am! Oh, and there may be spoilers as well.)
Previously on "Twilight," Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), the human, falls in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), the vampire. They fight bad vampires and they live happily ever after.
Well...almost.
Now is the dawn of "New Moon," the sequel to the super-popular franchise based on a series of books by author Stephenie Meyer. The sequel begins with Bella's birthday and ends with her quest for immortality. At the center of the film is a love triangle between a human, a vampire, and a werewolf.
The movie's first five minutes is vibrant and full of life. Ironically enough, Bella's mortality is the crux of the film. In her dream,
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- Manny
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International Trailer For The Lightning Thief
18 November 2009 10:19 AM, PST
| FilmShaft.com
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The international trailer has been release for Fox’s answer to Harry Potter – Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief (known as the impossibly long “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” in the Us).
Featuring all new footage, the trailer gives us a far better look at how young Percy discovers that he himself is a demigod, the son of Poseidon and a child of Mount Olympus.
Directed by “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” helmer, Chris Columbus the movie stars Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and Steve Coogan. Percy Jackson hits the big screen on 12th February 2010, check out the new trailer below:
Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school – but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem
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- Craig Sharp
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Big Surprise: Top Grossing Movies of the Decade Are Basically All Franchise Films
17 November 2009 3:14 PM, PST
| FilmJunk
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Here's another list for you to digest as we approach the end of the decade. Jason Kottke [1] recently took a look at the list of highest-grossing films from 2000-2009 courtesy of Wikipedia [2], and makes the observation that only one movie in the top 20 is based on an original screenplay. The rest of the movies are all adaptations of books or sequels to existing franchises.
Now, it's pretty easy to jump on this list and whine and moan about how it means there is nothing original in Hollywood anymore. While I agree that there is a problem with studios valuing brand over concept, don't forget, we are talking about the movies that made the most money here. Of Course familiar characters and titles are going to attract more viewers than strange and unfamiliar ones... doesn't that make sense? A lot of people don't even see movies at the theatre, so they
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- Sean
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Alfonso Cuaron to Direct The Tourist Starring Johnny Depp
6 November 2009 2:16 PM, PST
| FilmJunk
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Although Y tu mamá también was Alfonso Cuaron's breakout film in terms of proving his talent and putting him on Hollywood's radar, it was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men that made him an instant favourite among fantasy and sci-fi fans. Of course, Children of Men was released back in 2006, and Cuaron hasn't really done much since then outside of producing. Now this week it looks like his next directorial gig may finally be falling into place, picking up the pieces of a potentially high-profile project that has gone through multiple changes to cast and crew.
If all goes according to plan Cuaron will direct The Tourist, a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer, about an American vacationer in France who is unwittingly used as a decoy for a French spy. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others) had previously been attached,
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- Sean
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Johnny Depp Replacing Sam Worthington In ‘The Tourist?’
5 November 2009 7:38 AM, PST
| ScreenRant.com
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When does the movie business ever go as planned? Rarely, it seems, as evidenced by the change-ups with the upcoming thriller The Tourist, the remake of the 2005 French film, Anthony Zimmer.
We recently reported that Angelina Jolie had replaced Charlize Theron in the movie, with Jolie joining the already-cast Sam Worthington (who originally replaced Tom Cruise). Then a week later came news that after previously attached director Bharat Nalluri had stepped away from the project, The Lives of Other director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck was being eyed to helm the film instead.
All seemed to be in place and The Tourist was set for an early 2010 shooting start. However, although the latter is still true, there appears to Still be major change-ups happening, as not only is yet another new director being looked at to now replace Donnersmarck, but Worthington may be getting replaced by Johnny Depp!
Variety is reporting
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- Ross Miller
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Angelina Jolie May Now Be Traveling With Johnny Depp And A 'Harry Potter' Director In 'The Tourist'
5 November 2009 7:00 AM, PST
| MTV Movies Blog
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"The Tourist" has had quite a ride these past few months. Further back than that even. First it was a possible "Valkyrie" follow-up for Tom Cruise. Then Charlize Theron started negotiating to star alongside Cruise. Following a year of silence on the project, the news broke last month that Angelina Jolie was now in talks to replace Theron. And somewhere in there, "Terminator Salvation" star Sam Worthington stepped in to replace Cruise.
That's not even mentioning the director changes. Bharat Nalluri was originally set to direct, way back when Cruise was still on the project. He fell off somewhere in the past year, and "The Lives of Others" director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck only recently stepped in to possibly replace him. It turns out that that's not happening either. Now it seems that "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" director Alfonso Cuaron may be moving in to helm, and
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- Adam Rosenberg
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All Change Again For Tourist
4 November 2009 10:39 PM, PST
| EmpireOnline
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More entries and exits through the permanently revolving door that is The Tourist, which has now lost two directors and two leading men.It started life as a project to be directed by Bharat Nalluri, starring Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. Then Cruise walked in favour of Knight and Day, and was replaced by Sam Worthington. Nalluri left soon after, as did Theron. Theron was replaced by Angelina Jolie, and Jolie was very keen for Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck to pick up the megaphone.But this morning it emerges that both Worthington and Donnersmarck are now off the film, over "creative differences". With whom, we wonder (not very hard)? Variety suggests that several directors are circling the project, which still seems to be considered a plum gig, rather than the potential trainwreck its pre-production so far suggests. One name they mention in particular is Alfonso Cuaron (Y tu mama tambien,
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Sony Picture Classics Embraces Mother and Child
2 November 2009 1:18 PM, PST
| Makingof.com
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New York, NY (November 1, 2009)- Sony Pictures Classics announces its acquisition of United States’ rights to Rodrigo García’s Mother And Child from Wme Global. The film debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as a Gala Presentation, where it was actively pursued by several Us distributors.
Mother And Child is the moving tale about the choices we make, the chances we miss, the opportunities we seize and the power of the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child.
The film was written and directed by Rodrigo García (Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her and Nine Lives) and produced by Lisa Maria Falcone through her Everest Entertainment and Julie Lynn via her Mockingbird Pictures. The films’ director of photography is Xavier Grobet (City Of Ember, The Woodsman, Nacho Libre,) Steven Weisberg edited (Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, Permanent Midnight), with music by Ed Shearmur (Wings Of The Dove,
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Adapt This: 'FreakAngels' By Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
21 October 2009 2:32 PM, PDT
| MTV Splash Page
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The Story: "FreakAngels" by Warren Ellis (W) and Paul Duffield (A) - Avatar Press
What It's About: A group of super-powered misfits carve out their way in a flooded post-apocalyptic London that they helped destroy.
Personal issues and histories gradually complicate their situation as the story zooms out to show who and what lies beyond their urban fortress community of Whitechapel.
Why It Works: Post-apocalyptic landscapes have been all the rage for years now, but there has yet to be a definitive steampunk-styled future on the big screen that really combines ultra-imaginative prop design with a setting as bleak as "Children of Men" or "The Road." The story has the same underlying breed of mystery event that's behind "Heroes" with the young-adult rage issues that make the kids in "Lord of the Flies" or "Battle Royale" so vicious.
If crowds will flock to see vampire kids in "Twilight" and witch
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- Brian Warmoth
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Michael Jackson's This Is It takes on Lord of the Rings
12 October 2009 1:07 PM, PDT
| The Geek Files
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The power of Michael Jackson lives on - and it's proving enough to conquer the mystical might of the Lord of the Rings.
The late singer's upcoming concert movie Michael Jackson's This Is It has overtaken Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - the first film in Peter Jackson's trilogy - in a league table of films with the highest advance ticket sales of all time.
MovieTickets.com said This Is It had knocked The Fellowship of the Ring of the 25th place in the chart.
The Jacko film documents the star's preparations for his planned 50-date concert series and will be released on October 28. Sony Pictures edited hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage to create the movie after paying $60million for the film rights.
A Michael Jackson single and album with the same title are also set to be released.
The highest grossing concert film
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- David Bentley
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From the VMAs to Movie Premieres, The Radio City Music Hall Red Carpet Has Seen It All
11 September 2009 7:00 AM, PDT
| MTV Movies Blog
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This Sunday, the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards descend on New York City with a massive celebration at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. The red carpet coverage kicks off at 8pm, with a train of stars arriving, from Moonman nominees to high-profile presenters. With "Twilight" star Ashley Greene filling the role of celebrity fashion reporter this year, you can probably expect her to chat with her pals Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, who will be on hand to present a new trailer for "New Moon" during the show. It's not like that crew see each other all the time or anything.
As you might imagine, Radio City Music Hall is kind of a big deal in NYC. The venue's history and beauty attracts a lot of high-profile parties, even movie premieres. So to get you excited for this Sunday's red carpet show, we've put together a collection of
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- Adam Rosenberg
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Rupert Grint: Early Japanese TV Show Interviews!
25 July 2009 1:19 AM, PDT
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A couple of early but very cute interviews with Rupert Grint has surfaced online from the Japanese promotional tour for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The first clip you will see the interviewer showing off a magic trick and then Rupert gives it a go! Rupert's Harry Potter co-star Emma Watson is interviewed too. View it via You Tube by clicking here. It is accompanied by a second clip which we have seen bits and pieces of it in the past, but this is much better quality. Rupert has on his Horndog shirt! View it here.
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- Jo
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Gambon: 'I refuse to read Potter novels'
21 July 2009 9:58 AM, PDT
| digitalspy
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Sir Michael Gambon has revealed that he does not read the Harry Potter novels, according to reports. The actor, 68, has played Professor Albus Dumbledore in the wizard franchise since third instalment Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, after taking over the role from the late Richard Harris. However, Gambon said that he will never pick up one of J.K. Rowling's books for fear of spoiling the illusion of working on the films. Contactmusic quotes him as saying: (more)
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- By Tim Parks
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Gambon Shuns Potter Books
21 July 2009 5:01 AM, PDT
| WENN
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Sir Michael Gambon refuses to read the Harry Potter books - because he fears it would ruin the illusion of the wizard movies.
The veteran actor has played the role of headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the hit films since the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
But Gambon refuses to read the J.K. Rowling novels the franchise is based on - as he's worried it would spoil the joy of acting out the scenes.
He says, "There's no point reading the books because you're playing with the screenwriter's words. Besides, you'd get upset about all the scenes the script is missing from the book, wouldn't you?"
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'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Casts Another Spell
15 July 2009 9:05 PM, PDT
| CinemaSpy
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Though Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince received a kid-friendly PG from the MPAA, this thrilling fantasy is just as likely to make a mom with a mortgage don a wizard’s hat as it will her young son. This is a dark, shadow-filled entry to the series, which could bring nightmares, regardless of the age of the viewers.
With Voldemort on the loose, his Death Eaters are bolder than ever, and their evil influence extends into the Muggle world. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) whisks Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) away from a summer with the Dursleys to help him return a wizard to the Hogwarts fold. But Dumbledore doesn’t just want Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) for his teaching expertise: the former professor possesses a telling memory of Tom Riddle (the future Voldemort), and this may help Dumbledore and Harry learn how to fight the dark wizard.
Once Slughorn is on staff,
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Harry Potter Earns His Best Reviews Yet
15 July 2009 8:23 AM, PDT
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With reports that "Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince" could break midnight box-office records, the young wizard is having no problem spellbinding audiences. But the sixth film in the blockbuster franchise is also working his magic on critics, earning the best reviews of any Potter film yet.
"Harry is better than ever, a triumph of visual wonder and emotional storytelling," said Rolling Stone's Peter Travers in his review. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum gave "Half-Blood Prince" an A-. "The filmmakers have found a way to refresh our eyes and enhance our appreciation for this rich, amazing creation," she said.
Variety's Todd McCarthy called it "dazzlingly well made" while Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs up as well. Cns's own Bill Wine also found it "an elegant and engaging family fantasy-adventure."
According to Rotten Tomatoes, "Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince" earned 92% of positive reviews. The previous best-reviewed entry was 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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