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Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

Every year I do my best to see as many movies as I can; sometimes seeing 4 movies in a month, usually averaging about 35 movies in a year. As is always the case, some movies are better than others while some are simply just disappointments. One never really knows when walking into the movie theatre if that movie is going to be good or bad; you just take the chance and dive in.

The movies for which I enjoyed the most this year included The Blind Side, Letters to Juliet, Prince of Persia, Easy A, Flipped, Tangled and Secretariat. And, I must say that The Tourist and Tron Legacy, both of them, were actually much better than I thought they would be.

Some of the bigger movies to grace the box office screen this year included The A-Team, Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. On the other spectrum of things, some of the movies that I saw that were less than stellar included: Did You Hear About the Morgans?, When In Rome, The Last Airbender and The Expendables.

But rather than let my opinions sway anyone, here are the top 10 movies according to ticket sales for the year:

1. Toy Story 3
2. Alice in Wonderland
3. Iron Man 2
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
5. Inception
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Part 1)
7. Despicable Me
8. Shrek Forever After
9. How to Train Your Dragon
10. The Karate Kid

On the opposite spectrum there were some bad or simply terrible movies that were released this year and while the following is not based on any published list or on box office results or even critics’ reviews; they are simply my picks for the worst films of the year. They appear in alphabetical order:

Cop Out
Death at a Funeral
Dinner for Schmucks
Due Date
Furry Vengeance
Get Him to the Greek
Grown Ups
Hot Tub Time Machine
Jack Ass 3D
Killers
Lottery Ticket
MacGruber
Marmaduke
The Back-Up Plan
The Dilemma
The Other Ones
The Spy Next Door
The Tooth Fairy
Yogi Bear

And, just like last year I made up some special categories that capture just some of the best and worst from the 2010 box office:

Most Moving Movie of the Year – Secretariat
Breakout Star – Rebecca Hall from The Town
Movie Actress of the Year – Emma Stone (Easy A)
Movie Actor of the Year – Jeff Bridges (Tron Legacy and True Grit)
Movies That More People Should Have SeenTIE: The Losers and Prince of Persia
Movie That Would Have Been Better Without All the Violence – Takers
Movie That Was Simply Too Violent – The Expendables
Best Summer Movie – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Movie Most Likely To Win An Oscar – The King’s Speech
Best Animated Film – Tangled
Best Coming of Age Film – Flipped
Romantic Comedy Movie That Was Neither Romantic Nor Comedic – When In Rome
Best Special Effects in a Movie that Was (Sadly) Boring – The Last Airbenders
Most Underused Actress in a Film – Charisma Carpenter in The Expendables
Best Independent Film – Nowhere Boy
Go-To Movie Co-Star – Betty White
Best Documentary – Waiting for Superman
Movie That Didn’t Turn Out to Be What It Seemed – Never Let Me Go
Most Fun I Had at the MoviesTIE: Easy A and Tangled
Best ‘Go To’ Guy in a Film – Stanley Tucci
Movie That Was Way Better Than The Reviewers Claimed – Burlesque
What a REAL Romantic Comedy Should Be – Letters to Juliet

What movies did you most enjoy seeing this year? Which movies were disappointments to you? Please share your thoughts and comments.

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Hey All,

I have been doing these year-end round-ups for well over 5 years now and much like critics and bloggers, who make their best of and worst of for the television season, I compile my lists in much the same way. The difference with my lists is that I don’t just cover television. I focus on a wide range of categories such as ratings, movies, events and much more. Of course, since I am primarily a couch potato at heart, I cover a lot of television for both of the TV seasons from this calendar year (2009-2010 and 2010-2011).

But, before I delve into all the sections of this year’s round-up, I have to share a few selfish goals for which I set for myself this year. Each year I aim to read at least 30 books, see at least 30 movies, attend as many television-related events as I can afford and am able to fit into my schedule and, of course, watch approximately 25 hours (if not more) of programming each week.

BOOKS: In terms of reading 30 books this year, I got through about 25 this year, including a number of Jane Austen themed books (all of which were very fun reads), a Nora Roberts trilogy as well as a Jeaniene Frost trilogy and “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer (among others). I know that reading an actual paperback book seems to be a lost art now-a-days especially with Kindles all the rage, but it is a worthwhile hobby.

MOVIES: In this year’s round-up, I have an entire section devoted to the movies that were released this year; but again, I’m being a bit selfish in saying that I surpassed my goal by being able to see 35 movies by the end of the year.

EVENTS: I have lived in California now for over 10 years (I still can’t believe that it has been that long) and have been very fortunate to attend a lot of amazing TV-related events over that time. This year, like many years before, I attended a lot of events at the Paley Center for Media, including their annual Paley Fest. This year I was in the audience for the following Paley Fest events: Lost, NCIS, The Vampire Diaries, FlashForward and Glee. The other Paley Center panels for which I was able to attend this year included the 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother, Castle, White Collar, Psych, Lone Star, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, the Hart to Hart Reunion and a 2nd Psych panel that this time also featured some of the cast of Twin Peaks, who were making a special appearance in an episode of Psych as well as the Paley Center’s annual Fall Preview Parties.

As usual, I also attended Comic Con in July, the annual UCLA Book Fair in April as well as a Supernatural convention coordinated by Creation Entertainment in March. In addition, I attended some new events like the Writer’s Guild Salute to Melissa Rosenberg, the writer of the Twilight movie franchise; a Drop Dead Diva season premiere event and an appearance by the cast of Pretty Little Liars, which included a reading by the book’s author Sara Shepard and a special screening of the mid-season premiere of Caprica.

But now, without further ado, here are my highlights for 2010 (UPDATE: one new section will be posted each hour until lunch time over the course of the next few days). I do apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I may have made, but I don’t apologize for any of the choices I have made.

One last thing: Please let me know what you thought of the past year in entertainment and any thoughts you have on my year-end round-up, as I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Do you dream about meeting your favorite celebrity heartthrob? Well, you just might get the chance to meet him and help raise money for charity at the same time.

Here is the deal: People Magazine has partnered with leading charity auction site charitybuzz to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its iconic franchise, “Sexiest Man Alive,” with its first ever online charity auction. The People Sexiest Man Alive Auction offers the opportunity to bid on more than a dozen once-in-a-lifetime experiences with iconic sexy men from the last 25 years, including Hugh Jackman, Prince William, Bon Jovi, Bradley Cooper, Matthew Morrison, Usher and many more, with proceeds from each auction item benefiting the celebrity’s charity of choice.

Bidding runs through December 15.

Some of the memorable experiences up for auction are as follows:

– Meet Prince William at the Chakravarty Cup Polo Match in London to benefit The Chakravarty Cup
– Workout with Hugh Jackman as he prepares for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2″ to benefit The Global Poverty Project
– Meet Bon Jovi at an upcoming concert with VIP tickets to benefit the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation
– Workout with Glee star Matthew Morrison to benefit The Young Storytellers Foundation
– Have your voicemail recorded by Ben Affleck to benefit Children Mending Hearts
– Meet Mark Ruffalo on the set of Marvel Comic-based film “The Avengers”
– Take a swimming lesson with Michael Phelps to benefit The Michael Phelps Foundation
– Spend New Year’s Eve with Usher in Miami to benefit Usher’s New Look Foundation
– Snag a magnum bottle of wine signed by Matt Damon to benefit Children Mending Hearts
– Hang out with Jesse McCartney on the set of his newest music video to benefit City of Hope
– Have tea with Corbin Bleu to benefit Children Mending Hearts
– Meet Andre Agassi at the 2011 Grand Slam for Children Gala to benefit the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education
– Meet Christopher Meloni on the set of Law & Order: SVU to benefit Sustainable Markets Foundation
– Meet Bradley Cooper at the premier of The Dark Fields to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association

You can visit here for a complete list of auction items.

Charitybuzz raises funds for nonprofits around the globe through incredible online auctions, giving its bidders exclusive opportunities to make a difference.

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December Box Office Movies

The following movies are expected to be released at the box office in December, but please keep in mind release dates can easily change so watch the listings at your local theatre:

Black Swan
Opens December 3, 2010

A veteran ballerina finds herself locked in a competitive situation with a rival dancer, with the stakes increasing as the dancers approach a big performance. However it’s unclear if the rival is a ghost or the ballerina herself is delusional. Stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Winona Ryder.

Kids in America
Opens December 3, 2010

The movie follows an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. He, his twin sister and their best friend struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of the night. The film stars Topher Grace, Michelle Trachtenberg, Anna Faris, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Punch and Michael Biehn.

The Warrior’s Way
Opens December 3, 2010

Kate Bosworth stars in this fantasy-action film about a warrior-assassin (Jang Dong Gun) who is forced to hide in small town in the American badlands after refusing a mission. The movie also stars Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston.

Frankie & Alice
Opens December 10, 2010

Halle Berry stars in a drama about an emotionally damaged stripped named Frankie who is afflicted with multiple personalities; among them are Alice, a white racist and Genius a small child.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Opens December 10, 2010

Edmund, Lucy and their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves on a fantastic Narnian ship captained by King Caspian and headed for the very edges of the world in a journey where they’ll encounter slave traders, dragons and merefolk. Stars include Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter and Gary Sweet.

The Fighter
Opens December 10, 2010

Mark Wahlberg stars as “Irish” Mike Ward, a Massachusetts –based welterweight who came out of retirement for a mid-90’s comeback. The rest of the cast includes Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo.

The Tempest
Opens December 10, 2010

In this adaptation of the Shakespeare classic, Helen Mirren stars as the sorceress Prospera who is usurped by her brother and sent off with her four-year old daughter on a ship, ending up on an island, leading to a power struggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera. The film co-stars Felicity Jones, Alfred Molina, Russell Brand, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn and Ben Whishaw.

The Tourist
Opens December 10, 2010

The movie revolves around Frank (Johnny Depp), an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise (Angelina Jolie) is the “extraordinary” woman who deliberately crosses his path. Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell and Timothy Dalton co-star.

How Do You Know
Opens December 17, 2010

This film follows two people who meet on a blind date on the worst days of their lives. Reese Witherspoon is a professional softball player who has been cut by the U.S. National team and Paul Rudd is a businessman just accused of shady financial dealings thanks to bad bookkeeping by his father (Jack Nicholson). The movie also stars Owen Wilson.

Rabbit Hole
Opens December 17, 2010

The movie is about a couple (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) who are consumed by a black hole after the sudden death of their young son. The film co-stars Sandra OhJon Tenney and Dianne Wiest.

Tron: Legacy
Opens December 17, 2010

The son of Kevin Flynn looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs his father has been living in for 25 years. The pair embark on a perilous journey across a cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous. The film stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner and James Frain.

Yogi Bear
Opens: December 17, 2010

Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. With Yogi and Boo Boo threatened to be tossed out of the only home they know, they join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park. The cast includes Tom Cavanagh, Anna Faris, Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake and Andy Daly.

Country Strong
Opens (in Los Angeles) December 22, 2010

Gwyneth Paltrow stars as fictional Nashville superstar Kelly Carter, who is a washed-up country singer; her rehab sponsor is Beau Williams (Garrett Hedlund) a struggling singer who ends up on Kelly’s comeback tour along with an aspiring pop-country princess (Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl). Country singer sans actor Tim McGraw also stars.

NOTE:  The movie opens nationwide on January 7, 2011.

Gulliver’s Travels
Opens December 22, 2010

Lemuel Gulliver, a free-spirited travel writer is on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle and suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Liliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people. The film stars Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly and Catherine Tate.

Somewhere
Opens December 22, 2010

The story of Johnny Marco, a bad-boy actor stumbling through a life of excess at the Chateau Marmont. With an unexpected visit from his 11-year-old daughter, Johnny is forced to look at the questions we all must confront. The cast includes Stephen Dorff, Benicio Del Toro, Elle Fanning and Chris Pontius.

True Grit
Opens December 25, 2010

In this new adaptation of the western classic, Jeff Bridges stars as Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn, who is hired by a 14-year girl (newcomer Hailee Steinfield) to find the man who shot and killed her father. Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper co-star.

The Debt
Opens December 29 2010

In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to be the Nazi has surfaced in Ukraine and one of the former agents must go back undercover to seek out the truth. The cast includes Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson and Marton Csokas.

The Way Back
Opens December 29, 2010

Colin Farrell, Jim Burgess and Mark Strong play prisoners in a Soviet gulag in the 1940s who must journey across thousands of mils of Siberian nothingness to reach freedom. The film co-stars Saoirse Ronan.

Blue Valentine
Opens December 31, 2010

This movie is about a young couple (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) who fall madly in love – and then terribly out of love – over the course of six years. The movie co-stars Mike Vogel (Miami Medical and Cloverfield) and Ben Shenkman (Damages and Angels in America).

Enjoy!

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Profiles in History will hold their Hollywood Memorabilia Auction 43 on December 17 and 18 at the Saban Theatre at 8440 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California

Please visit here to view the catalog of incredible items that are available, as you can only believe it all once you have seen it all.

About Profiles in History: Founded in 1985, Profiles in History is the nation’s leading dealer in guaranteed-authentic original historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts. We confidently stand behind every autograph offered for sale with the most detailed background information available and a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

Since 1996 Profiles in History has established itself as the world’s largest auctioneer of original Hollywood memorabilia. Our quarterly auctions include costumes, props, set pieces, costume designs and production art, to name a few, from both vintage and contemporary film, television, and rock ‘n roll. Our Calabasas Hills location – virtually a stone’s throw away from every major Hollywood studio – ensures a constant flow of fantastic and rare collectibles. With an extensive network of dealers, collectors, and institutions, we are proud to play an important role in the preservation of motion picture history.

Profiles in History also auctions rare books, historical documents and original photography, establishing itself as the premier auction house for high-end material on the West Coast.

You can visit here to learn about Profiles in History and how to participate in this auction.

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Country Strong

Are you the best singer in Los Angeles? You can prove your singing ability by taking part in the Country Strong Singing Challenge. Sony Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw movie called Country Strong, the TV network CMT and radio station Go Country 105 FM are partnering on this challenge, which is open to anyone 18 or over.

Just go to Saddle Ranch Chop House at Universal City Walk (1000 Universal Studios Boulevard in Universal City, CA) on Sunday, December 5 at 12 Noon and sing a 60 second a capella version of the songs “Country Strong” or “Silver Wings”. The winner will receive $500 and will qualify for a chance to win a trip to Nashville to perform on CMT.

This challenge is also being held in many other cities in the United States, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, St. Louis, Seattle and Tampa.

Please make sure to pre-register by emailing singingcontestla@gmail.com or by calling (818) 260-6977. You will be contacted by a representative after registration is complete. For full rules and details visit here.

Country Strong is about a rising young singer-songwriter (Garrett Hedlund), who gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star (Paltrow), and as the pair embark on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager (McGraw), which also features a beauty-queen-turned-singer (Leighton Meester). Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all.

Here is the website for Country Strong if you would like to learn more about the film.

The film opens in Los Angeles theatres on December 22 and is in theatres everywhere on January 7.

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Veronica Mars

Are you a fan of the cult favorite series Veronica Mars? Have you been participating in the Twitter effort to convince Warner Bros. to make a box office movie out of the series? Did you know that actress Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars herself, has expressed a deep interest in revisiting the character that helped make her a household name?

Regardless of how you answered those questions, please check out the following article about a Warner Bros.-led petition email about this very subject:

Warner Bros. Sets Up Official Petition Email For ‘Veronica Mars’ Film

And, you can also read the response by series creator Rob Thomas to the above article here

Make your voices heard, following the instructions in the latter link; and maybe the fans CAN really make a difference, getting this movie made.

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Hollywood Auction 42 (c) Profiles in History (2010)

The following information comes straight from the website of Profiles in History:

On Saturday, November 6 at 6 PM PDT at The Globe Theatre at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA, Profiles in History will be having a special auction to benefit VARIETY-The Children’s Charity of Southern California. Various Studios have donated items from Tron, G.I. Joe, Twilight, Transformers 2, Coraline and The Chronicles of Narnia to this auction. In addition Profiles is joining forces with The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Team Fox to raise funds to aid in Parkinson’s research. Back to the Future creator Bob Gale has donated items from his personal collection to the auction. The auction also has some great items from Syfy’s Warehouse 13, Eureka and Caprica, as well as a wonderful offering of original props and set pieces from Stargate SG-1.

The auction concludes with an amazing offering of items including: A hero K.I.T.T. car from Knight Rider, an original Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), one the highest CGC graded unrestored copies of Superman Comics #1 known to exist, original 1943 Bob Kane “Batman” comic strip art, an animatronic ‘Daffy’ puppet from Gremlins 2, original Eyvind Earle art from Sleeping Beauty, original production animation cels from The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, and a Star Wars poster signed by six principle cast members, to name just a few of the 152 items being sold.

You can find out all the details and see the full catalog of items here.

Details on Profiles in History: Founded in 1985, Profiles in History is the nation’s leading dealer in guaranteed-authentic original historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts. We confidently stand behind every autograph offered for sale with the most detailed background information available and a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

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I am starting a new series of articles, which I hope to have posted once a month, spotlighting actors who do more than just act in TV and/or movies. The first spotlight will be on actor/singer Christian Kane.

Christian Kane may be a well-known actor now thanks to his role as Eliot Spencer in the popular TNT series Leverage, but it is his singing ambitions that are garnering him even more attention.

But let’s take a look at where Christian got started. He was born in Dallas, Texas in June of 1974. Due to his family being in the oil business, they moved often, but eventually the family settled in the small town of Norman, Oklahoma.

Christian Kane - Early In His Career

Christian was always interested in films and music and while in college the dream of a career in the entertainment industry grew and he headed off to Los Angeles. He landed a job as an assistant at an entertainment company, where he told them he would deliver scripts if they would submit him for projects too. In 1997, he was cast in his first big role in the short-lived TV series FAME L.A., based on the hit movie and the popular 1980’s TV series. Originally he was cast as a comedian, but after he sang for the producers, his part was rewritten as a singer.

It was around this time that Christian met Steve Carlson, who became his songwriting partner. They founded the band KANE and were soon playing at clubs like The Viper Room and The Mint, becoming well known in Los Angeles for their high-energy performance on stage and original songwriting.

Christian continued to get work, appearing in the short-lived WB series Rescue 77 and landing a small role in the box office movie Edtv. But it was his role in the popular WB series Angel, playing lawyer Lindsey McDonald, that put him on the map. He was a recurring character in three of the show’s five seasons.

Christian Kane - Angel

He appeared in two films in 2000; the first being The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, the first feature film by now executive producer extraordinaire Greg Berlanti, starring Timothy Olyphant and Dean Cain and the second was Love Song, starring R&B artist Monica.

Over the course of the next four years, he made appearances in the TV shows Dawson’s Creek and Las Vegas, had roles in the box office movies Summer Catch, Life or Something Like It, Just Married, Secondhand Lions, Taxi and Friday Night Lights and he appeared in the made-for-TV movies Crossfire Trail and The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron.

More work came his way during 2005 and 2006, including the TV mini-series Into the West, the motion pictures Her Minor Thing and Keep Your Distance and he did voice work on the video game 24: The Game.

He then had a lead role in the CBS TV series Close to Home for a short time before appearing in the independent film Four Sheets to the Wind. He appeared in the Carrie Underwood music video “So Small” in 2007 and then landed his lead role in Leverage.

Christian Kane

All the while, Christian continued to perform with Carlson as KANE, receiving airplay from LA country radio and eventually being voted the winner of the Country Thunder Young Guns Contest and playing numerous sold out shows in LA. The two made regular trips to Nashville to hone their writing skills, collaborating with some of the best songwriters in the world. This led to Christian being signed to a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing and later a record deal with Columbia Records. While he recorded a full album with Columbia, he parted ways with the record label, ending up with Bigger Picture Group, releasing his first self-titled EP this past March.

Besides his work on Leverage, which will be returning for a few episodes this December on TNT, Christian appeared in the psychological thriller Hide and he is set to play a lead role in the horror thriller Death Walks the Street, for which he will also serve as co-executive producer.

UPDATED:  Christian’s first music video for his hit song “The House Rules” was released this month on CMT.  You can see that video here.

You can learn more about Christian and his music here. You can also purchase his EP at iTunes.

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Emma Stone

It’s official!

Actress Emma Stone – currently being seen in the box office movie Easy A – has been cast as the female lead in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot.  She will play Gwen Stacy opposite Andrew Garfield who stars as Peter Parker.

The film will be released in theaters nationwide in 3D on July 3, 2012.

Congrats to Emma!

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