'Hurt Locker' sweeps BAFTAs

"The Hurt Locker," a gripping ensemble drama about a bomb-disposal unit in Iraq, swept the British film awards Sunday, winning best picture and best director and beating out "Avatar" in nearly all categories in which both movies went head to head.

It was a triumphant evening for "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow, whose low-budget war drama nabbed six of the eight awards for which it was nominated, and a disappointment for her ex-husband, James Cameron, who looked on stoically as his 3-D extravaganza "Avatar," which earned him those same top prizes recently at the Golden Globes, managed wins only for visual effects and production design.

Bigelow, the first woman to win for best director here, dedicated her award to "never abandoning the need to find a resolution for peace." At a news conference afterward, she dismissed any talk of rivalry with Cameron, saying it was "a real honor" to be nominated in his company.

"The Hurt Locker" writer Mark Boal also won for original screenplay. The film is nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, director, actor and screenplay.

Despite the victories for Hollywood, it was also a night for Britain to honor its own here inside the Royal Opera House, with victories in the leading actor and actress categories for two homegrown talents who are considered longer shots at the Oscars next month.

With Britain's Prince William applauding approvingly in the audience, Colin Firth ("A Single Man") beat out Jeff Bridges, the heavy Oscar favorite for "Crazy Heart," and Carey Mulligan took home the award for her role as a young ingénue in the British film "An Education," a breakout performance that has had critics on both sides of the Atlantic raving.

Firth drew laughs by thanking "the fridge guy" in his acceptance speech, that being the refrigerator repairman who knocked on his door just as he was about to shoot an e-mail to director Tom Ford declining the role of a bereaved gay professor.

"All I know is, don't ever press 'send' until you have had your fridge repaired," Firth said.

He also thanked Ford, better known as a fashion designer, for making him feel "a little more worldly, better informed, better groomed, more fragrant and more nominated than one has ever been before."

Mo'Nique won as expected for supporting actress in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," and Christoph Waltz for supporting actor in " Inglourious Basterds." Both actors have dominated this awards season in their categories.

Whether the acting awards will presage what happens at the Oscars on March 7 is hard to say. Although Meryl Streep was nominated here as lead actress, Sandra Bullock was not, since "The Blind Side" has yet to open in Britain.

Critics in Britain started tagging Mulligan as Oscar-worthy from the moment "An Education" was released. She refused to get her hopes up by preparing an acceptance speech, however, and insisted after her win that she had no expectations for the Oscars either. "That I'm really not going to prepare for. That genuinely is a foregone conclusion," Mulligan told reporters. "I'm just going to enjoy that."

Other winners for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards Sunday included: "Up in the Air" for adapted screenplay; "Up" for best animated film and score; "Fish Tank" for best British film; "Young Victoria" for both costume design and hair and makeup; "A Prophet" for top film not in English; and Duncan Jones for outstanding debut for the film "Moon."

As at the Oscars, raucous fans who braved the wet and chilly English weather jostled near the red carpet, screaming like a colony of gulls as celebrities went by and begging for autographs while television presenters gushed over fashion choices, however questionable.

The decibel level hit almost painful heights when "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart appeared. Stewart went on to win the night's rising star award, the only category to be decided by public vote.

The loudest red-carpet reception, though, went not to movie-star royalty but to the real kind: Prince William, who helped present a special award to Vanessa Redgrave.

The ceremony was hosted by comedian Jonathan Ross; one of his better zingers described "Avatar" as "such an unstoppable juggernaut that I assumed it was made by Toyota."

Ashton Kutcher gets his bum out

Demi Moore's husband plays raunchy scenes in new movie Spread

Watch out ladies, Ashton Kutcher has stripped off for his raunchiest role yet.
It's hardly surprising that Demi Moore has got her knickers in a twist over these photos of her husband Ashton naked with co-star Anne Heche, from their new film, the charmingly titled Spread.

According to industry insiders, Ashton's wife Demi, 47, wanted the steamy stills banned so that she wouldn't have to face constant reminders of his on-screen antics with another woman.
Our source reveals: ‘Demi doesn't mind cinema fans ogling her toyboy hubby, but she didn't want these pictures in the press for ever reminding her that he got so hot with someone else.'

However, Ashton was so proud of finally landing a serious role he did nothing to 
stop the pictures coming out.
In the film, Ashton, 31, plays a womaniser who hits on rich, lonely women, but is torn when he meets an enigmatic waitress and has to choose between sex for money or sex for love. Either way, that's a lot of sex!


SOURCE

The Ghost Whisperer Review: "Living Nightmare"

It has been two week's since our last installment of The Ghost Whisperer. And we have to say we weren't that impressed with "Living Nightmare". To come back from a mini hiatus, we were expecting more and it was just mean of the writers to hint around about the Shadows.

The visual effects, we have to admit, were pretty cool. Who wants to get weird and freaky yellow eye contacts now? Better yet, I think I know what I will be this year for Halloween! Demonic Mrs. Northman? Check and Check.

In any case, I am not sure if it was just us, but were any of you also confused throughout the episode? First we thought that Robert really was being haunted by a demon. Then we couldn't tie in why his whole family was dead. It almost felt like they had to wrap the sixty minute episode up at the end and left us feeling slightly used.


We feel as though maybe the writers did this because they know we are all waiting in anticipation for more information about the Shadows. So all in all this episode was a big tease. And like in reality, no one likes a tease.
Did you guy catch the on screen chemistry between Melinda and Eli? They really need to work on not showing that to us, because frankly, Jamie Kennedy is gross and her on screen hubby is so much hotter!


SOURCE

Peter Sarsgaard In Talks To Play 'Green Lantern' Villain

Green Lantern found his leading lady last week in "Gossip Girl" Blake Lively, and now it looks like he's found his foe, too.

The Vatican is Unhappy with "Avatar's" Message

The Vatican newspaper and radio station voiced their opinion about "Avatar," calling the film simplistic and sappy with awe-inspiring special effects. Outside of that, the Vatican wasn't happy that the movie presented nature as something to worship.

"Spider-Man 4" delayed over script clashes

Sony and director Sam Raimi are at loggerheads over which direction to go with the villains for the latest installment -- an impasse that has prompted the studio to delay its scheduled spring production start and potentially to bump the picture from its May 11, 2011 release slot.

"Sherlock Holmes" beats out "Avatar" at box office

British director Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" set a Christmas Day sales record at the box office in North America, taking a narrow lead over last weekend's champ, "Avatar," according to early estimates released on Saturday.

James Cameron: China should let more movies in

Hollywood director James Cameron urged China to open its doors to more foreign films, arguing it would boost the local cinema industry after the WTO ruled Beijing was illegally restricting movie and other media imports.

Avatar races to top of UK film chart

The film reportedly cost up to $400m (£248.2m) to make and market

James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar has topped the UK and Ireland box office in its first weekend of release.

The film, set in the 22nd Century on a distant planet, took £8.5m, blowing away nearest rival St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold with £1.6m.
It is the third biggest opening of 2009 in the UK behind Twilight: New Moon at £11.7m and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at £19.8m.
Avatar reportedly cost up to $400m (£248.2m) to make and market.
Last week's number one film, Disney's adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, fell to three after seven weeks on the chart.

UK & IRELAND BOX OFFICE 1. Avatar - £8.5m 2. St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold - £1.6m 3. Disney's A Christmas Carol - £1m 4. Nativity! - £578,510 5. Planet 51 - £451,420 Source: Screen International

British comedy Nativity! starring Martin Freeman and Ashley Jensen rose two spots to four.
Family animation Planet 51 - the story of an alien race living the life of 1950s America - fell to five while Where the Wild Things Are slipped four places to six.
Meanwhile musical film Nine, featuring an all-star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Daniel Day Lewis and Nicole Kidman, made an appearance at number 13 after showing at just one venue in the UK, taking £44,443 in ticket sales.

check the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8426879.stm

Avatar pulls in $9.5 million on IMAX screens

IMAX Corp. said Monday the film "Avatar" made $9.5 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend in 178 of its theaters in the U.S.

"Avatar," a science fiction thriller directed by James Cameron and released by News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, took in roughly 13 percent of the total sales in IMAX theaters, the company said. Total domestic sales came to $73 million.

The movie made another $4.1 million internationally on 58 screens, IMAX said.

IMAX plans to release the film in 25 more locations in the next few weeks, including theaters in China and Japan.

IMAX shares rose 36 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $12.90 in premarket trading.

Link HERE

FX makes date for "2012"

FX has snapped up TV rights to "2012," the disaster movie that just enjoyed a blockbuster $225 million opening weekend worldwide.

Appropriately, the Roland Emmerich-directed Sony movie will premiere on the basic cable network in the beginning of 2012.

In addition to "2012," FX has acquired another Sony film that opened at No. 1 this fall, the horror-comedy "Zombieland," which will be available at the end of next year.

The license fee for both movies is said to be standard, about 12% of their domestic box office.

If "2012" crosses the $200 million mark in North America, as expected after its big $65 million opening weekend, it could fetch as much as $24 million. For the Woody Harrelson starrer "Zombieland," which grossed $73 million domestically, the price tag is estimated to be $8 million-$9 million.

Hit movies, especially big, special effects-heavy disaster flicks, have done well on FX, including the Emmerich-directed disaster duo "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day."

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE5AF0YV20091116

'2012' has worldwide box-office bang of $225M

Doom spelled dollars at the box office as the global-disaster tale "2012" opened at No. 1 domestically with $65 million and pulled in $225 million worldwide.

The Sony Pictures action saga tells the story of a scramble to save remnants of humanity aboard giant arks as the earth's crust shifts and flood waters pour over most of the planet. With a cast led by John Cusack, Danny Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor, "2012" was directed by doomsday specialist Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow").

Overseas, "2012" did $17.2 million in France, $15.3 million in Russia, $9.9 million in South Korea and $8.1 million in Spain.

Domestically, "2012" came in just shy of the $68.7 million opening weekend for "The Day After Tomorrow." But Sony reported that its global total was the best ever for an original movie not based on an established franchise, brand or best-selling novel.

"Roland is that type of filmmaker that casts his net really wide," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "The story is something people could really relate to. It's a story of the survival of humanity."

"Disney's A Christmas Carol" slipped to No. 2 with $22.3 million, down only 26 percent from its No. 1 opening gross a weekend earlier. The Jim Carrey holiday adventure raised its 10-day total to $63.3 million.

Big films typically can drop 50 percent or more in the second weekend, but the strong hold for "A Christmas Carol" indicates it could have a long shelf life through the holidays.

Lionsgate's acclaimed drama "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire" broke into the top-10 as it expanded to more theaters after a huge debut in limited release the previous weekend.

Finishing at No. 4, "Precious" took in $6.1 million in 174 theaters, averaging $35,000 a cinema and raising its 10-day total to $8.9 million. That compared to a $19,095 average in 3,404 theaters for "2012."

With a cast that includes Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz, "Precious" stars newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as a Harlem teen pulling herself out of an abyss of illiteracy, incest and domestic abuse.

"Michael Jackson's "This Is It" added $5.1 million domestically to raise its total to $67.2 million. The Sony release became the all-time top-grossing music documentary, passing the $65.3 million total of last year's "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert."

The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' rock 'n' roll comedy "Pirate Radio," opened a weak No. 11 with $2.9 million in 882 theaters, averaging $3,253 a cinema.

The ensemble cast of "Pirate Radio" features Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh in a story about 1960s disc jockeys blasting illicit rock music into stodgy Britain from an offshore radio station aboard a tanker.

Starting in limited release, Fox Searchlight's animated comedy "Fantastic Mr. Fox" drew big audiences with $260,000 in four theaters, for a whopping average of $65,000 a cinema. The film expands to nationwide release the day before Thanksgiving.

George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray lead the voice cast of "Fantastic Mr. Fox," adapted by director Wes Anderson from the Roald Dahl children's book about a poultry-thieving fox and three evil farmers.

Paramount's micro-budgeted horror flick "Paranormal Activity" pulled in $4.2 million to cross the $100 million mark. Shot for just $15,000, the supernatural tale rode a surge of online buzz to become a horror sensation, with a domestic gross now standing at $103.8 million.

Despite the big opening for "2012," Hollywood business dipped. Overall revenues came in at $140 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when the James Bond adventure "Quantum of Solace" led with $67.5 million.

Still, "2012" was a strong prelude as Hollywood gears up for Thanksgiving, one of the busiest weekends at movie theaters.

"It feels totally like summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "This proves that if you put a summer movie anywhere in the release schedule, you can sometimes get summer numbers."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "2012," $65 million.

2. "Disney's A Christmas Carol," $22.3 million.

3. "The Men Who Stare at Goats," $6.2 million.

4. "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire," $6.1 million.

5. "Michael Jackson's This Is It," $5.1 million.

6. "The Fourth Kind," $4.7 million.

7. "Couples Retreat," $4.3 million.

8. "Paranormal Activity," $4.2 million.

9. "Law Abiding Citizen," $3.9 million.

10. "The Box," $3.2 million.

On the Net:

• http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD9C06FR80

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" returning to big screen

A new incarnation of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" could be coming to the big screen, courtesy of the director of the original movie.

"Buffy" creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but director Fran Rubel Kuzui is working on a relaunch with Vertigo Entertainment, which specializes in English-language remakes of Asian films, such as "The Grudge" and "The Departed."

While Whedon is the person most associated with the "Buffy" franchise, Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the "Buffy" script from then-unknown Whedon. She developed the script while her husband Kaz put together the financing to make the 1992 movie, which was released by Fox.

Kuzui later helped bring back Whedon to make the TV series, which began its successful run on the WB in 1997. She received executive producer credits on "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel."

The new "Buffy" film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Kuzui and Vertigo are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon.

One of the underlying ideas of "Buffy" allows the filmmakers to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie that would, of course, have franchise potential.

The parties are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers do not rule out Whedon's involvement but have not yet reached out to him. Speaking from Tokyo, Fran Kuzui said she is constantly approached not only about sequels but theater, video games and foreign remakes for "Buffy." When Vertigo's Roy Lee contacted them, they were intrigued.

"It was Roy's interest in taking Buffy into a new place that grabbed us," she said. "It was based on our respect for what he does, and his particular sensitivity to Asian filmmakers, that we wanted to work with him."

Kuzui, who is preparing to direct a movie in Japan in the fall, added: "Everything has its moment. Every movie takes on a life at some point, and this seems like the moment to do this."

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE54P0KG20090526

'Star Trek' breaks Imax record as purists grumble

Imax Corp (IMX.TO) said on Tuesday its "Star Trek" screenings grossed a record $8.5 million during the film's first weekend, even as some purists complained that the company's big screens were not big enough.

The hotly anticipated science fiction movie garnered $79.2 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices over the weekend, and 11 percent of that figure came from Imax screens.

Imax said that was significant because its screens accounted for less than 2 percent of the venues for "Star Trek." The old record of $6.3 million was set by "The Dark Knight" last summer, although that film played on 94 Imax screens, while "Star Trek" beamed in on 138.

The "Star Trek" Imax contribution shows that moviegoers are pleased with the company's theater experience, Chief Executive Richard Gelfond told Reuters.

"There's no indication at all that the word of mouth is anything but positive," he said.

But on Tuesday, the company also faced some criticism from a Hollywood actor who wrote in an expletive-laden blog that he felt cheated when he paid $5 extra to see "Star Trek" in Imax and saw the movie on a smaller-than-expected screen.

"These new 'Imax' theaters are really just nice digital screens with good sound, but they are not Imax, in that they don't have the huge 72-foot (22-metre) gigantic screen which people would expect," said Aziz Ansari, a co-star of the new NBC show "Parks and Recreation."

The actor's comments echoed earlier criticism from purists who say Imax should re-brand its smaller screens in multiplexes to differentiate them from larger Imax screens, found mostly in museums and science centers.

Sizes vary, but a typical Imax multiplex screen could be 28 by 58 feet (8.5 metres by 18 metres) , while a larger Imax screen could be 76 by 97 feet (23 metres by 29.5 metres).

Gelfond countered that Imax has no re-branding plans because "Imax is Imax."

"Does American Airlines brand a (Boeing) 767 (flight) differently than a 727? We wouldn't put our name on it unless it lived up to the 'Wow!' factor and to the Imax brand," he said.

The company has been moving its smaller version of Imax screens into multiplexes for more than five years, and it has 371 screens worldwide, with 250 of those in commercial venues as opposed to museums and science centers, the company said.

Imax screens in multiplexes are always the largest in that venue, and with digital remastering they offer higher picture quality and other enhanced features. "When you go to an Imax theater you get the most immersive film experience on the planet," Gelfond said.

"Star Trek" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc .

http://uk.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUKN1234952220090513

'Star Trek' has galactic $72.5 million box office opening

"Star Trek" went where no Trekkie film has gone before, earning $72.5 million in its first weekend in theaters.

The new "Trek" easily topped the previous record opening weekend in the 11-movie series, which was $30.7 million for 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact."

The blockbuster debut is highly logical, as Mr. Spock might say, considering all the hype, buzz and overwhelmingly strong reviews the reboot of the 1960s television series has garnered.

The film, which explores the back stories of Spock, Capt. Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew, was also one of the most favorably reviewed movies of the year.

The fact that box-office sales grew over the weekend from $26.8 million on Friday to $27.4 million on Saturday also shows the movie "is going to have legs, a rare commodity in a world where every week there's a new blockbuster," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

Last week's top film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," came in at No. 2 with $27 million.

The prequel to the "X-Men" franchise, starring Hugh Jackman as the mutant who slices and dices his enemies with his metal claws, has made nearly $129.6 million in two weeks.

"We think we withstood the attack of 'Star Trek,' if you will, and will settle into a long, successful run," said Chris Aronson of 20th Century Fox.

Other strong holdovers included "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," which was No. 3 with $10.5 million.

"Obsessed" came in No. 4 with $6.6 million, and "17 Again" earned $4.4 million to land in fifth place.

The week's other new wide release, the stoner comedy "Next Day Air," came in at No. 6 with $4 million.

Rounding out the top 10 box-office winners were "The Soloist," which earned seventh place with $3.6 million, and the animated comedy "Monsters vs. Aliens," which scared up $3.4 million in ticket sales for eighth place.

"Earth" was No. 9 with $2.5 million, and "Hannah Montana: The Movie," came in at No. 10 with box-office sales reaching $2.4 million.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/05/10/2009-05-10_star_trek_has_galactic_725_million_box_office_opening.html#ixzz0F9ROIxL6&A

Hugh Jackman to launch `Wolverine' in Mexico

Hugh Jackman has been cleared to visit Mexico.

Film distributor 20th Century Fox says the actor will help launch "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in Mexico City on May 26. Last week, Jackman's scheduled appearance there was canceled due to swine flu concerns.

The Mexico premiere will be held at the National Auditorium. According to Jackman's Twitter page, the "Wolverine" star intends "to provide a moment of fun escapism and a treat for some of the loyal fans of the comic."

Movie theaters across Mexico reopened Thursday after a five-day shutdown of businesses, schools and other venues. Mexico announced its 45th death and 159 more cases Friday.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FILM_WOLVERINE_MEXICO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-05-09-15-41-56

`Star Trek' boldly goes to $31M at box office

"Star Trek" has gone to warp speed at the box office with $31 million in domestic ticket sales after just over a day in theaters.

Distributor Paramount said "Star Trek" took in $24 million Friday, plus $7 million during preview screenings Thursday night.

Paramount estimates that by the end of the weekend the movie will be near or over $70 million in ticket sales.

That puts the movie light years ahead of the previous 10 "Trek" movies.

The best opening weekend ever for the franchise was $30.7 million for 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact." According to inflation-adjusted numbers compiled by Hollywood.com, that translates to $51.2 million in today's dollars.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOX_OFFICE_STAR_TREK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-05-09-15-34-31

'Where the Wild Things Are': We finally get a trailer! Goosebumples!

A week after its poster hit the net, the first trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is finally (finally!) upon us. And thankfully, unlike the poster, is isn't coy at all about those Wild Things' unmistakable, Maurice Sendakian mugs. Enough preamble -- here's the clip:

Don't know about you, but from the Arcade Fire song to the glimpses of director Spike Jonze's particular brand of magical realism to the implication that the story will revolve around our monster-PJ'd Max's struggles with absent father issues, this trailer's got me all with the goosebumples. The film has been delayed for nearly a year as director Spike Jonze reportedly toiled over and tweaked the project. But based on this first look, P-Dubs, do you feel it will be worth the wait?

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/wild-things-tra.html

Friday the 13th nails No. 1 spot with $42.2M

"Friday the 13th" had all the luck as the remake of the 1980 slasher flick opened with $42.2 million, putting blood and guts ahead of hearts over Valentine's Day weekend.

That was a record for the horror genre, topping the $39.1 million debut for 2004's "The Grudge." Accounting for today's higher admission prices, "The Grudge" sold slightly more tickets, however.

Released by the Warner Bros. banner New Line Cinema, "Friday the 13th" updates the grisly story of killer Jason Voorhees and his rampage among youths at a secluded summer camp.

On opening day — which fell on Friday the 13th — the remake pulled in $19.4 million, slightly more than the $19 million it cost to make the movie.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Friday the 13th," $42.2 million.

2. "He's Just Not That Into You," $19.6 million.

3. "Taken," $19.3 million.

4. "Confessions of a Shopaholic," $15.4 million.

5. "Coraline," $15.3 million.

6. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," $11.7 million.

7. "The International," $10 million.

8. "The Pink Panther 2," $9 million.

9. "Slumdog Millionaire," $7.2 million.

10. "Push," $6.9 million.

- AP

You Change My Life - February 25, 2009