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Blue Ranger ~2.5" mini-figure keychain [2009 Power Ranger: R.P.M. mini-figure keychain series] (Japanese Import) (Toy)

Blue Ranger ~2.5
Blue Ranger ~2.5" mini-figure keychain [2009 Power Ranger: R.P.M. mini-figure keychain series] (Japanese Import) (Toy)
By Bandai

Buy new: $14.98
Customer Rating: 4.2

First tagged by lkaseo
Customer tags: power rangers

Review & Description

The 2009 Power Ranger series is coming. It is called Power Ranger: R.P.M. and is based on the Japanese Engine Sentai Go-onger. This series of Japanese Imported keychains brings Power Ranger fans the first wave of products before the new series launches. There are 5 styles in the collection (SOLD SEPARATELY): Black Ranger, Blue Ranger, Green Ranger, Yellow Ranger and Red Ranger. Each figure is about ~2.5". Japanese Imported. Recommended for age 7 and up only. Meet Japan's "ST" Safe Toy standard. ***NOTE: To purchase individual figures from the series, search for: T9899999971184, T9899999971177, T9899999971160, T9899999971146, and T9899999971139. To purchase the complete set, search for: T9899999971115. ***

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #356301 in Toys & Games
  • Brand: Power Rangers
  • Dimensions: 2.50" h x .0" w x .0" l,

Features

  • The 2009 Power Ranger series is coming. It is called Power Ranger: R.P.M. and is based on the Japanese Engine Sentai Go-onger. This series of Japanese Imported keychains brings Power Ranger fans the first wave of products before the new series launches.
  • There are 5 styles in the collection (SOLD SEPARATELY): Black Ranger, Blue Ranger, Green Ranger, Yellow Ranger and Red Ranger. Each figure is about ~2.5".
  • Japanese Imported. Recommended for age 7 and up only. Meet Japan's "ST" Safe Toy standard.
  • ***NOTE: To purchase individual figures from the series, search for: T9899999971184, T9899999971177, T9899999971160, T9899999971146, and T9899999971139. To purchase the complete set, search for: T9899999971115. ***

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SHOWBUZZDAILY 2011 IN REVIEW: The Year's Worst Movies



The problem with 2011 on screen was more the pervasive mediocrity than an overload of terrible movies, but that doesn't mean there weren't some awful films to be found--and, if possible, avoided.  Here are 10 or so:

10.  ONE DAY:  Admittedly, a cheat:  One Day wasn’t a complete disaster--it was far less painful to sit through than I Don't Know How She Does It, among others.  But it deserves mention as an object lesson in how a movie can seem to do everything right--a fine novel by Nicholls as source material, script by the novelist himself, direction by Lone Scherfig coming off An Education, a cast headed by Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, and Patricia Clarkson—and yet end up utterly flat and unmoving.


9.  UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES:  Apichatpong Weerasethankul's Thai fantasy was the most willfully impenetrable and pretentious art film of the year--naturally, it won the Grand Prize at Cannes and abject acclaim from worshipers of the incomprehensible for incomprehensibility's sake like the NY Times. 

8.  THE ART OF GETTING BY:  Gavin Wiesen's dreadful indie (picked up at Sundance by Fox Searchlight, to no discernible audience interest), may actually have been the nine millionth film festival movie about a quirky, oversensitive teen, or just felt like it.  Agonizingly twee, unfunny and charmless.

7. HALL PASS:  Remember the Farrelly brothers?  Remember There's Something About Mary?  They continued down their downward path with this witless, visually ugly sit-com about attempted adultery that dragged Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer down with it.  (Coming in 2012:  The Three Stooges.)

6.  DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK:  Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro's name was all over the marketing for this flick, so even though technically Troy Nixey gets blame for the dull, virtually scare-less direction (the one and only boo! moment was used in every single trailer and promo), del Toro was the man in charge.  The combination of this and #2 below suggests that Katie Holmes may be the Hollywood actress most in need of a new agent.

5. THE NICOLAS CAGE SHOW:  A one-man extravaganza of dreadfulness, he gave us Season of the Witch, Drive Angry and the essentially direct-to-video Trespass, all in one calendar year.      


4.  THE DILEMMA:  What was Ron Howard thinking?  A witless script--yet again, about the hilarity of adultery--credited to Allan Loeb couldn’t even have looked good on the page, and wasted not just Howard’s talents, but a cast that included Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder and Channing Tatum.  


3.  ANY SUPERHERO MOVIE WITH THE COLOR GREEN IN THE TITLE:  Yes, another cheat, but how can one choose between Green Lantern and The Green Hornet, two of the genre’s all-time worst?  Lantern (combined with The Change-Up, which could also easily have made this list) turned what was supposed to be the year of Ryan Reynolds into one he’ll have to hope people forget; Hornet, co-written by as well as starring Seth Rogen (and directed by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s Michel Gondry!) was a flat-out embarrassment.


2.  JACK & JILL:  Even by the very, very low standards of Adam Sandler vehicles, this drag “comedy” was an unfunny, endlessly stupid piece of crud.  


1.  SUCKER PUNCH:  But nothing in 2011 was worse than Sucker Punch, Zach Snyder’s putrescent exercise in PG-13 fanboy porn that was so senseless, ugly and incompetent in every way that I’m surprised it hasn’t been “rediscovered” yet as an unappreciated masterpiece.  (If only it were in subtitled Thai!)  Good luck to Warner Bros, which now has Snyder behind the camera on its giant Superman reboot…

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Done & Incomplete: 101 Films to See

Last bow to tie for 2011 is checking in on my 101 Films to See (Part 2!) list. I actually didn't complete this one, which makes me pretty sad. I did my first 101 Films I Can't Believe I Haven't See in tandem with my 101 Things in 1001 Days, and oddly at that point I was very adamant about not committing to another 101 in 1001 until I had tried it, and then ... I did another film 101 in 1001!

I think my initial instinct was spot on as the second time round I didn't have as much excitement over the challenge, plus the films tended to be less known and/or less available which I thought would be a fun challenge but made for a lesser chance of success.

I did manage to get through 70 of the 101 titles, and I did some shifting after trying a few films that were 'must-see's' on so many lists, but I had no actual interest in due to context or content. That was some really good learning, that I really do know my own tastes and interests for film and as wide as they may be, I'm not willing to watch films I don't actually want to see. The other thing that changed during the time of the challenge was I started reviewing DVDs, which literally took the timeslot of when I would watch the films on my 101.

I did make it through a fair number of the films, and the ones that are left mostly remain as ones I want to see and I did see many great films. So to end on a high(er) note, I'd like to say I'm really happy to have seen the following:

Films that I really do think that film fans just have to see: Day for Night, Eraserhead, Belle et la Bete, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Persona, Yi Yi, Eraserhead and Farewell My Concubine.

Great horror films that I'm thrilled I saw: Dracula (1931), The Ghost and Mrs Muir, (technically supernatural/fantasy...but good enough!), Godzilla / Gojira, House of Wax (1953), Onibaba and The Thing from Another World.

And a film with a cult following that I didn't really expect to enjoy but ended up loving was The Boondock Saints.

The best experience seeing a film was watching a 35MM print of The Brood at The Bloor as a part of a curated series by Edgar Wright, who was in attendance at the screening along with actor Art Hindle. That was pretty freaking amazing.

I'm really not a fan of not completing things and would have strongly preferred to have watched all the films but I am happy to have made it though the 71 and continued to expand my film horizons.

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Done & Incomplete: 101 Films to See

Last bow to tie for 2011 is checking in on my 101 Films to See (Part 2!) list. I actually didn't complete this one, which makes me pretty sad. I did my first 101 Films I Can't Believe I Haven't See in tandem with my 101 Things in 1001 Days, and oddly at that point I was very adamant about not committing to another 101 in 1001 until I had tried it, and then ... I did another film 101 in 1001!

I think my initial instinct was spot on as the second time round I didn't have as much excitement over the challenge, plus the films tended to be less known and/or less available which I thought would be a fun challenge but made for a lesser chance of success.

I did manage to get through 70 of the 101 titles, and I did some shifting after trying a few films that were 'must-see's' on so many lists, but I had no actual interest in due to context or content. That was some really good learning, that I really do know my own tastes and interests for film and as wide as they may be, I'm not willing to watch films I don't actually want to see. The other thing that changed during the time of the challenge was I started reviewing DVDs, which literally took the timeslot of when I would watch the films on my 101.

I did make it through a fair number of the films, and the ones that are left mostly remain as ones I want to see and I did see many great films. So to end on a high(er) note, I'd like to say I'm really happy to have seen the following:

Films that I really do think that film fans just have to see: Day for Night, Eraserhead, Belle et la Bete, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Persona, Yi Yi, Eraserhead and Farewell My Concubine.

Great horror films that I'm thrilled I saw: Dracula (1931), The Ghost and Mrs Muir, (technically supernatural/fantasy...but good enough!), Godzilla / Gojira, House of Wax (1953), Onibaba and The Thing from Another World.

And a film with a cult following that I didn't really expect to enjoy but ended up loving was The Boondock Saints.

The best experience seeing a film was watching a 35MM print of The Brood at The Bloor as a part of a curated series by Edgar Wright, who was in attendance at the screening along with actor Art Hindle. That was pretty freaking amazing.

I'm really not a fan of not completing things and would have strongly preferred to have watched all the films but I am happy to have made it though the 71 and continued to expand my film horizons.

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Metacritic Top Lists 2011

Last list before the New Year, the Metacritic check in! And they must have changed their site format because previously I got 200 results and now I find 99 per search! Bizarre! Only 3 titles cracked their all time reviewed list (and only one of those came out here in Toront: My Perestroika), but there are lost of interesting titles to peruse from their 2011 list including lots of documentaries. Man, now I have even more films to add to my to see list!

See also the IMDB Top 250 list at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Movies on the Metacritic Top List as of Dec 31, 2011
39. We Were Here
44. A Separation
95. My Perestroika

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2011 as of Dec 31, 2011
1. We Were Here
2. A Separation
3. My Perestroika
4. Poetry
5. The Artist
6. The Arbor
7. I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Moneyball
11. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
12. 13 Assassins
13. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
14. Of Gods and Men
15. Children of Hiroshima
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. The Interrupters
18. City of Life and Death
19. Nostalgia for the Light
20. Take Shelter
21. The Tree of Life
22. Meek's Cutoff
23. Position Among the Stars
24. The Descendants
25. Project Nim
26. Hugo
27. Le Havre
28. Incendies
29. The Trip
30. Certified Copy
31. To Be Heard
32. Mysteries of Lisbon
33. The Inheritors
34. Beginners
35. Weekend
36. Kati with an I
37. Thunder Soul
38. Melancholia
39. Midnight in Paris
40. Tuesday, After Christmas
41. The Mill and the Cross
42. The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)
43. Senna
44. Coriolanus
45. Drive
46. The Soft Skin (1969)
47. My Joy
48. Putty Hill
49. Foreign Parts
50. The Guard
51. The Yellow Sea
52. The Princess of Montpensier
53. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
54. Benda Bilili!
55. Bill Cunningham New York
56. Circo
57. Louder Than a Bomb
58. Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
59. El Sicario: Room 164
60. Rebirth
61. Jane Eyre
62. Buck
63. Inni
64. Martha Marcy May Marlene
65. World on a Wire (1973)
66. Margin Call
67. Bobby Fischer Against the World
68. A Dangerous Method
69. Submarine
70. Love Exposure
71. Rango
72. Silent Souls
73. Attack the Block
74. Win Win
75. Bridesmaids
76. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
77. The Muppets
78. Pariah
79. The Desert of Forbidden Art
80. Caterpillar
81. Point Blank
82. Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
83. Pina
84. The Woodmans
85. Tabloid
86. Into the Abyss
87. The Time That Remains
88. Winnie the Pooh
89. Higher Ground
90. Dark Days
91. How I Ended This Summer

Metacritic Top Reviewed Films All Time as of December 31, 2011
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. The Godfather
5. The Leopard (re-release)
6. The Conformist (re-release)
7. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
8. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
9. Superman II
10. Seven Samurai (re-release)
11. Shoah (1985)
12. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
13. Army of Shadows
14. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
15. Pan's Labyrinth
16. Metropolis (re-release)
17. Rififi (re-release)
18. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
19. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
20. The Producers (re-release)
21. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
22. The French Connection (re-release)
23. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
24. Ratatouille
25. Modern Times (re-release)
26. The Social Network
27. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
28. Days of Heaven (re-release)
29. The Manchurian Candidate
30. Spirited Away
31. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Killer of Sheep
34. The Hurt Locker
35. Sita Sings the Blues
36. WALL-E
37. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
38. Sideways
39. We Were Here *2011 Film
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
41. Carlos
42. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
43. Reversal of Fortune
44. A Separation *2011 Film
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. Schindler's List
47. Taxi Driver (re-release)
48. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
49. Frantic
50. Amadeus
51. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
52. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
53. The Class
54. Raging Bull
55. 35 Shots of Rum
56. Umberto D (re-release)
57. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
58. There Will Be Blood
59. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
60. Toy Story
61. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
62. Werckmeister Harmonies
63. Toy Story 3
64. Moolaadé
65. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
66. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
67. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
68. The Triplets of Belleville
69. The Queen
70. Repulsion (re-release)
71. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
72. Children of Tokyo
73. Beau travail
74. Do the Right Thing
75. Waltz with Bashir
76. Secrets & Lies
77. Patton
78. No Country for Old Men
79. Raiders of the Lost Ark
80. After Hours
81. The Crying Game
82. Ran (re-release)
83. Saving Private Ryan
84. A Prophet
85. Winter's Bone
86. L.A. Confidential
87. Bloody Sunday
88. Apocalypse Now
89. My Voyage to Italy
90. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
91. La commune (Paris, 1871)
92. Solaris (re-release)
93. The Sweet Hereafter
94. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
95. My Perestroika *2011 Film
96. Topsy-Turvy
97. Being John Malkovich
98. Before Sunset
99. The Incredibles

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Metacritic Top Lists 2011

Last list before the New Year, the Metacritic check in! And they must have changed their site format because previously I got 200 results and now I find 99 per search! Bizarre! Only 3 titles cracked their all time reviewed list (and only one of those came out here in Toront: My Perestroika), but there are lost of interesting titles to peruse from their 2011 list including lots of documentaries. Man, now I have even more films to add to my to see list!

See also the IMDB Top 250 list at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Movies on the Metacritic Top List as of Dec 31, 2011
39. We Were Here
44. A Separation
95. My Perestroika

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2011 as of Dec 31, 2011
1. We Were Here
2. A Separation
3. My Perestroika
4. Poetry
5. The Artist
6. The Arbor
7. I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Moneyball
11. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
12. 13 Assassins
13. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
14. Of Gods and Men
15. Children of Hiroshima
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. The Interrupters
18. City of Life and Death
19. Nostalgia for the Light
20. Take Shelter
21. The Tree of Life
22. Meek's Cutoff
23. Position Among the Stars
24. The Descendants
25. Project Nim
26. Hugo
27. Le Havre
28. Incendies
29. The Trip
30. Certified Copy
31. To Be Heard
32. Mysteries of Lisbon
33. The Inheritors
34. Beginners
35. Weekend
36. Kati with an I
37. Thunder Soul
38. Melancholia
39. Midnight in Paris
40. Tuesday, After Christmas
41. The Mill and the Cross
42. The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)
43. Senna
44. Coriolanus
45. Drive
46. The Soft Skin (1969)
47. My Joy
48. Putty Hill
49. Foreign Parts
50. The Guard
51. The Yellow Sea
52. The Princess of Montpensier
53. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
54. Benda Bilili!
55. Bill Cunningham New York
56. Circo
57. Louder Than a Bomb
58. Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
59. El Sicario: Room 164
60. Rebirth
61. Jane Eyre
62. Buck
63. Inni
64. Martha Marcy May Marlene
65. World on a Wire (1973)
66. Margin Call
67. Bobby Fischer Against the World
68. A Dangerous Method
69. Submarine
70. Love Exposure
71. Rango
72. Silent Souls
73. Attack the Block
74. Win Win
75. Bridesmaids
76. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
77. The Muppets
78. Pariah
79. The Desert of Forbidden Art
80. Caterpillar
81. Point Blank
82. Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
83. Pina
84. The Woodmans
85. Tabloid
86. Into the Abyss
87. The Time That Remains
88. Winnie the Pooh
89. Higher Ground
90. Dark Days
91. How I Ended This Summer

Metacritic Top Reviewed Films All Time as of December 31, 2011
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. The Godfather
5. The Leopard (re-release)
6. The Conformist (re-release)
7. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
8. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
9. Superman II
10. Seven Samurai (re-release)
11. Shoah (1985)
12. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
13. Army of Shadows
14. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
15. Pan's Labyrinth
16. Metropolis (re-release)
17. Rififi (re-release)
18. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
19. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
20. The Producers (re-release)
21. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
22. The French Connection (re-release)
23. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
24. Ratatouille
25. Modern Times (re-release)
26. The Social Network
27. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
28. Days of Heaven (re-release)
29. The Manchurian Candidate
30. Spirited Away
31. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Killer of Sheep
34. The Hurt Locker
35. Sita Sings the Blues
36. WALL-E
37. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
38. Sideways
39. We Were Here *2011 Film
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
41. Carlos
42. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
43. Reversal of Fortune
44. A Separation *2011 Film
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. Schindler's List
47. Taxi Driver (re-release)
48. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
49. Frantic
50. Amadeus
51. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
52. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
53. The Class
54. Raging Bull
55. 35 Shots of Rum
56. Umberto D (re-release)
57. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
58. There Will Be Blood
59. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
60. Toy Story
61. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
62. Werckmeister Harmonies
63. Toy Story 3
64. Moolaadé
65. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
66. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
67. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
68. The Triplets of Belleville
69. The Queen
70. Repulsion (re-release)
71. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
72. Children of Tokyo
73. Beau travail
74. Do the Right Thing
75. Waltz with Bashir
76. Secrets & Lies
77. Patton
78. No Country for Old Men
79. Raiders of the Lost Ark
80. After Hours
81. The Crying Game
82. Ran (re-release)
83. Saving Private Ryan
84. A Prophet
85. Winter's Bone
86. L.A. Confidential
87. Bloody Sunday
88. Apocalypse Now
89. My Voyage to Italy
90. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
91. La commune (Paris, 1871)
92. Solaris (re-release)
93. The Sweet Hereafter
94. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
95. My Perestroika *2011 Film
96. Topsy-Turvy
97. Being John Malkovich
98. Before Sunset
99. The Incredibles

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IMDB Top 250 in 2011

Every year on the last day of the year I do a check in on the IMDb Top 250 List, to see how many new of the year have been added. This year we only had 5, and to compare you can see 2010 with 7 titles and 2009 had 6 titles. It's noted that its calculated from regular voters, which is interesting as IMDB list often feels like it has more fandom picks over highly acclaimed and exceptional films, but this year I would say it feels like it's here those two meet. I also like to check in on this list as it's a dynamic one that ebbs and flows over time, so having a snapshot of what the year was like, at the end of the year, is something like I like to see. Speaking of seeing it appears I will have to see A Separation at some point as it is appearing all these year-end lists! Hopefully it will come out in Toronto in 2012.

See also the Metacritic Best Reviewed Films at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
108. A Separation (2011)
146. Warrior (2011)
193. Drive (2011)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
201. Hugo (2011/II)

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2011)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Inception (2010)
13. Fight Club (1999)
14. Seven Samurai (1954)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
18. City of God (2002)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. The Matrix (1999)
22. Rear Window (1954)
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. The Usual Suspects (1995)
26. Psycho (1960)
27. Se7en (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Memento (2000)
32. Leon: The Professional (1994)
33. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
36. American History X (1998)
37. North by Northwest (1959)
38. Citizen Kane (1941)
39. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
40. American Beauty (1999)
41. Toy Story 3 (2010)
42. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
43. Taxi Driver (1976)
44. Alien (1979)
45. Spirited Away (2001)
46. City Lights (1931)
47. Vertigo (1958)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Paths of Glory (1957)
50. Amélie (2001)
51. The Pianist (2002)
52. M (1931)
53. WALL·E (2008)
54. The Departed (2006)
55. Double Indemnity (1944)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
58. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
59. Aliens (1986)
60. Modern Times (1936)
61. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
65. Back to the Future (1985)
66. Das Boot (1981)
67. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
68. The Third Man (1949)
69. The Prestige (2006)
70. L.A. Confidential (1997)
71. Chinatown (1974)
72. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
73. The Green Mile (1999)
74. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
75. The Great Dictator (1940)
76. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
77. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
78. Rashômon (1950)
79. Gladiator (2000)
80. Raging Bull (1980)
81. Amadeus (1984)
82. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
85. All About Eve (1950)
86. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
87. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
88. Braveheart (1995)
89. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
91. Metropolis (1927)
92. Oldboy (2003)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Unforgiven (1992)
95. Downfall (2004)
96. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
97. The Sting (1973)
98. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
99. Princess Mononoke (1997)
100. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
102. The Elephant Man (1980)
103. Up (2009)
104. On the Waterfront (1954)
105. Die Hard (1988)
106. Gran Torino (2008)
107. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
108. A Separation (2011)
109. The Seventh Seal (1957)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Rebecca (1940)
112. The Lion King (1994)
113. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
114. Batman Begins (2005)
115. Yojimbo (1961)
116. Sin City (2005)
117. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
118. The General (1926)
119. Heat (1995)
120. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
121. Blade Runner (1982)
122. Fargo (1996)
123. Snatch. (2000)
124. Ran (1985)
125. Black Swan (2010)
126. Wild Strawberries (1957)
127. Jaws (1975)
128. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
129. The King's Speech (2010)
130. Touch of Evil (1958)
131. No Country for Old Men (2007)
132. Toy Story (1995)
133. The Big Lebowski (1998)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. The Sixth Sense (1999)
138. It Happened One Night (1934)
139. Strangers on a Train (1951)
140. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
141. Annie Hall (1977)
142. Scarface (1983)
143. Ikiru (1952)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. High Noon (1952)
146. Warrior (2011)
147. Donnie Darko (2001)
148. Into the Wild (2007)
149. Trainspotting (1996)
150. The Gold Rush (1925)
151. The Kid (1921)
152. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
153. The Wages of Fear (1953)
154. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
155. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
156. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
157. Notorious (1946)
158. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
159. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
160. Gone with the Wind (1939)
161. There Will Be Blood (2007)
162. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
163. The Thing (1982)
164. Amores perros (2000)
165. Groundhog Day (1993)
166. Casino (1995)
167. Life of Brian (1979)
168. Ben-Hur (1959)
169. Finding Nemo (2003)
170. The Terminator (1984)
171. The Big Sleep (1946)
172. Les diaboliques (1955)
173. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
174. The Graduate (1967)
175. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
176. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
177. Stand by Me (1986)
178. District 9 (2009)
179. V for Vendetta (2006)
180. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
181. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
183. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
184. Good Will Hunting (1997)
185. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
186. Network (1976)
187. Gandhi (1982)
188. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
189. The 400 Blows (1959)
190. Mary and Max (2009)
191. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
192. The Wrestler (2008)
193. Drive (2011)
194. 8½ (1963)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
196. The Princess Bride (1987)
197. Dial M for Murder (1954)
198. The Killing (1956)
199. Persona (1966)
200. Ratatouille (2007)
201. Hugo (2011/II)
202. The Hustler (1961)
203. La Strada (1954)
204. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
207. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
208. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
209. Star Trek (2009)
210. The Wild Bunch (1969)
211. Avatar (2009)
212. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
213. Stalag 17 (1953)
214. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
215. Barry Lyndon (1975)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
218. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
219. The Truman Show (1998)
220. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
221. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
222. Infernal Affairs (2002)
223. Mystic River (2003)
224. Let the Right One In (2008)
225. Roman Holiday (1953)
226. Festen (1998)
227. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
228. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
229. In Bruges (2008)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. The Incredibles (2004)
232. Rope (1948)
233. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
234. Big Fish (2003)
235. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Manhattan (1979)
238. Harakiri (1962)
239. Ip Man (2008)
240. Ed Wood (1994)
241. Tokyo Story (1953)
242. Stalker (1979)
243. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
244. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
245. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
246. Shutter Island (2010)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Three Colours: Red (1994)
249. Nosferatu (1922)
250. Castle in the Sky (1986)

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IMDB Top 250 in 2011

Every year on the last day of the year I do a check in on the IMDb Top 250 List, to see how many new of the year have been added. This year we only had 5, and to compare you can see 2010 with 7 titles and 2009 had 6 titles. It's noted that its calculated from regular voters, which is interesting as IMDB list often feels like it has more fandom picks over highly acclaimed and exceptional films, but this year I would say it feels like it's here those two meet. I also like to check in on this list as it's a dynamic one that ebbs and flows over time, so having a snapshot of what the year was like, at the end of the year, is something like I like to see. Speaking of seeing it appears I will have to see A Separation at some point as it is appearing all these year-end lists! Hopefully it will come out in Toronto in 2012.

See also the Metacritic Best Reviewed Films at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
108. A Separation (2011)
146. Warrior (2011)
193. Drive (2011)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
201. Hugo (2011/II)

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2011)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Inception (2010)
13. Fight Club (1999)
14. Seven Samurai (1954)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
18. City of God (2002)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. The Matrix (1999)
22. Rear Window (1954)
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. The Usual Suspects (1995)
26. Psycho (1960)
27. Se7en (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Memento (2000)
32. Leon: The Professional (1994)
33. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
36. American History X (1998)
37. North by Northwest (1959)
38. Citizen Kane (1941)
39. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
40. American Beauty (1999)
41. Toy Story 3 (2010)
42. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
43. Taxi Driver (1976)
44. Alien (1979)
45. Spirited Away (2001)
46. City Lights (1931)
47. Vertigo (1958)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Paths of Glory (1957)
50. Amélie (2001)
51. The Pianist (2002)
52. M (1931)
53. WALL·E (2008)
54. The Departed (2006)
55. Double Indemnity (1944)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
58. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
59. Aliens (1986)
60. Modern Times (1936)
61. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
65. Back to the Future (1985)
66. Das Boot (1981)
67. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
68. The Third Man (1949)
69. The Prestige (2006)
70. L.A. Confidential (1997)
71. Chinatown (1974)
72. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
73. The Green Mile (1999)
74. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
75. The Great Dictator (1940)
76. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
77. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
78. Rashômon (1950)
79. Gladiator (2000)
80. Raging Bull (1980)
81. Amadeus (1984)
82. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
85. All About Eve (1950)
86. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
87. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
88. Braveheart (1995)
89. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
91. Metropolis (1927)
92. Oldboy (2003)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Unforgiven (1992)
95. Downfall (2004)
96. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
97. The Sting (1973)
98. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
99. Princess Mononoke (1997)
100. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
102. The Elephant Man (1980)
103. Up (2009)
104. On the Waterfront (1954)
105. Die Hard (1988)
106. Gran Torino (2008)
107. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
108. A Separation (2011)
109. The Seventh Seal (1957)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Rebecca (1940)
112. The Lion King (1994)
113. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
114. Batman Begins (2005)
115. Yojimbo (1961)
116. Sin City (2005)
117. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
118. The General (1926)
119. Heat (1995)
120. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
121. Blade Runner (1982)
122. Fargo (1996)
123. Snatch. (2000)
124. Ran (1985)
125. Black Swan (2010)
126. Wild Strawberries (1957)
127. Jaws (1975)
128. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
129. The King's Speech (2010)
130. Touch of Evil (1958)
131. No Country for Old Men (2007)
132. Toy Story (1995)
133. The Big Lebowski (1998)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. The Sixth Sense (1999)
138. It Happened One Night (1934)
139. Strangers on a Train (1951)
140. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
141. Annie Hall (1977)
142. Scarface (1983)
143. Ikiru (1952)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. High Noon (1952)
146. Warrior (2011)
147. Donnie Darko (2001)
148. Into the Wild (2007)
149. Trainspotting (1996)
150. The Gold Rush (1925)
151. The Kid (1921)
152. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
153. The Wages of Fear (1953)
154. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
155. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
156. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
157. Notorious (1946)
158. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
159. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
160. Gone with the Wind (1939)
161. There Will Be Blood (2007)
162. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
163. The Thing (1982)
164. Amores perros (2000)
165. Groundhog Day (1993)
166. Casino (1995)
167. Life of Brian (1979)
168. Ben-Hur (1959)
169. Finding Nemo (2003)
170. The Terminator (1984)
171. The Big Sleep (1946)
172. Les diaboliques (1955)
173. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
174. The Graduate (1967)
175. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
176. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
177. Stand by Me (1986)
178. District 9 (2009)
179. V for Vendetta (2006)
180. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
181. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
183. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
184. Good Will Hunting (1997)
185. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
186. Network (1976)
187. Gandhi (1982)
188. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
189. The 400 Blows (1959)
190. Mary and Max (2009)
191. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
192. The Wrestler (2008)
193. Drive (2011)
194. 8½ (1963)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
196. The Princess Bride (1987)
197. Dial M for Murder (1954)
198. The Killing (1956)
199. Persona (1966)
200. Ratatouille (2007)
201. Hugo (2011/II)
202. The Hustler (1961)
203. La Strada (1954)
204. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
207. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
208. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
209. Star Trek (2009)
210. The Wild Bunch (1969)
211. Avatar (2009)
212. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
213. Stalag 17 (1953)
214. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
215. Barry Lyndon (1975)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
218. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
219. The Truman Show (1998)
220. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
221. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
222. Infernal Affairs (2002)
223. Mystic River (2003)
224. Let the Right One In (2008)
225. Roman Holiday (1953)
226. Festen (1998)
227. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
228. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
229. In Bruges (2008)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. The Incredibles (2004)
232. Rope (1948)
233. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
234. Big Fish (2003)
235. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Manhattan (1979)
238. Harakiri (1962)
239. Ip Man (2008)
240. Ed Wood (1994)
241. Tokyo Story (1953)
242. Stalker (1979)
243. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
244. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
245. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
246. Shutter Island (2010)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Three Colours: Red (1994)
249. Nosferatu (1922)
250. Castle in the Sky (1986)

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HOLIDAY BOXOFFICE: FRIDAY STUDIO SCORECARD



As detailed in Mitch Metcalf's Boxoffice Report, Friday's numbers were solid but lacking any breakout excitement.  First, let's take a quick look at the limited-run Oscar hopefuls:

THE IRON LADY (Weinstein):  Meryl-Streep-as-Margaret-Thatcher came roaring into the awards mix with a terrific $19K average in 4 theatres that should lead it to a $75-80K average over the 4 day holiday weekend.  The film's appeal outside big-city art houses is questionable, though, so here's one of several cases where Harvey Weinstein will have to play the expansion game very carefully.


A SEPARATION (Sony Classics):  This excellent Iranian import, a front-runner for the Foreign-Language Film Oscar, started with a very good $6K average in 3 theatres that should get it to around $25K per-theatre over the holiday weekend.

PARIAH (Focus):  Bounced back a bit from Thursday's slump, but its $3500 average in 4 theatres isn't a great start, and it may struggle to reach a $15K average for the weekend.

THE ARTIST (Weinstein):  Continues to be mediocre, with a $2400 average in 167 theatres that won't hit $10K by Jan 2.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (Focus):  Continues to hold very well, with a $6K average on Friday in 55 theatres that should reach $25K over the holiday weekend.

SHAME (Fox Searchlight):  Not doing better than OK, with a $1500 average on Friday in 55 theatres that might reach $6K for the weekend.  

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY (FilmDistrict)  The same numbers as Shame ($1500 average Friday for a $6K weekend), but much worse because it's only at 2 theatres.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (Weinstein):  Harvey is 0-for-3 in the breakout hit category, with a dismal $500 average in 630 theatres that won't get past $2K for the weekend.

THE DESCENDANTS (Fox Searchlight):  The Oscar front-runner no one seems to care about.  It only had a $1500 average in 758 theatres on Friday, and won't get higher than a $6K average for the weekend.  That will put it at $40M, in serious danger of dropping screens by the time the Oscar nominations are announced in late January.  At that point, it's going to be difficult to spark widespread excitement over a picture that's already been playing as a presumptive nominee for 2 full months.

And at the major studios:

PARAMOUNT:  MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL is the one smash hit of the season, even though it won't be the highest-grossing of the series.  With even bigger numbers pouring in overseas ($200M already, with plenty more to come), announcement of a 5th chapter in the series should be coming any time.  However, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (which Sony distributes overseas) is a major disappointment that will barely recoup its enormous US marketing cost, placing the planned franchise in jeopardy.  The very expensive HUGO, despite its critical adoration, is mostly done with $50M total gross--even an expected Oscar nomination probably won't get it much farther.  And YOUNG ADULT has found no traction at all--the reviews were weaker than expected, and with only $12.5M in the bank by the end of the holidays and an anticipated holiday average under $3K in only 987 theatres, even Charlize Theron's possible Best Actress nomination won't convince more theatres to play it.

WARNERS:  SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS will underperform its predecessor, but a $170-180M gross isn't bad (it might be more accurate to say the first picture overperformed, all things considered).  It's only played in a handful of foreign territories so far, and the results there will determine whether the expensive franchise is worth continuing.  NEW YEAR'S EVE is a flop, although not a very expensive one.  The big disappointment thus far is EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, which hit a perfect storm of bitterly mixed reviews, some bad scheduling choices and a faltering awards campaign.  This weekend it's headed for a $25K average in 6 theatres, which is OK but not at all the event that the studio needed to propel the film into wide release later in January.

FOXALVIN THE CHIPMUNKS:  CHIPWRECKED will be the highest-grossing kids' movie of the season, turn a profit and very possibly justify another installment--but its almost 50% drop from the other films in the series is fairly disastrous, and turns what had been a cash cow into a risk.  WE BOUGHT A ZOO will need help from uncertain foreign revenues if it's to avoid red ink.

SONY:  THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO isn't the flop of the season, but it may be the biggest disappointment.  Was it the favorable-but-not-enthusiastic reviews?  The dour tone of the marketing?  An overdose of the franchise, after the successful Swedish films and months of publicity?  In any case, it's going to be hard to justify spending $100M on the sequel--and Fincher, who's perpetually in demand, may well decide to bow out.  ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, though--that's an (undeserved) flop.

DISNEY:  WAR HORSE is sparking very little interest, and at this point seems unlikely to reach $100M despite very aggressive marketing, even with the anticipated Oscar nominations.  It's ironic that since DreamWorks joined Disney, their one smash hit has been the completely unexpected The Help.  This also leads to what could be a very ticklish internal political issue:  does The Help now have a better chance at winning the Oscar than War Horse?  And will Spielberg allow his pet project to fall to second place in the campaigning strategy?  Meanwhile THE MUPPETS was a nice-sized hit due to its relatively modest budget, but it's far from clear that there's a franchise there.  The combined grosses of Disney's 2 holiday pictures won't reach the boxoffice for 2010's Tangled alone--combined with the disappointing US responses to Cars 2 and Pirates 4, it's been an off-year for the studio.

UNIVERSAL:  Sat out the holiday season entirely.  They've been spending a lot of money marketing the Mark Wahlberg action picture CONTRABAND all month, though, giving it the kind of weeks-long push that normally goes to much bigger pictures.  We'll find out in a couple of weeks if the strategy made sense.

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[2012.01.01] MICHELLE CHEN AND KO CHEN-TUNG RECEIVE HIGH OFFERS FOR HONG KONG COUNTDOWNS


courtesy of on.cc
courtesy of singtao.com
courtesy of mingpao.com
courtesy of takungpao.com

Known for YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE in Hong Kong an Taiwan, Ko Chen-Tung and Michelle Chen yesterday came to Hong Kong to be guests at a New Year's Eve countdown event.  Several dozen fans welcomed them at the airport and the event arranged for several security guards for their protection.  Michelle Chen and Ko Chen-Tung reportedly received 500,000 and 250,000 to be the guests.  Michelle Chen said, "Is it that much?  It's too exaggerated."  Ko Chen-Tung said that he did not know how much he made.

Their film YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE yesterday already broke the Stephen Chow Sing Chi directed and starred KUNG FU HUSTLE's Hong Kong highest grossing Chinese film box office record.  Michelle Chen said that she read the report and was very pleased.  At the same time she thanked the Hong Kong audience for its support.  Ko Chen-Tung said, "Of course I am very happy.  This is my first movie.  Such a performance has made me very happy."  As for whether they would celebrate, Michelle Chen said, "Definitely, but Giddens Ko isn't in Hong Kong.  We will celebrate when we return to Taiwan."

Michelle Chen said that this would be her first countdown in Hong Kong.  Although she and Ko Chen-Tung had to work separately, she still felt great.  As for rumors of them working with Giddens Ko again on a new romance, Ko Chen-Tung said that he still has not received any notice.  Michelle Chen looked forward to working with everyone again very much.

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[2012.01.01] ERIC TSANG HOPES HONG KONG FILMS CATCHING UP THIS YEAR

Samantha Ko
Sire Ma, Christine Kuo, Lin Xiawei
courtesy of on.cc
courtesy of singtao.com
courtesy of mingpao.com
courtesy of takungpao.com

Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Margie Tsang Wa Sin, Christine Kuo, Samantha Ko Hoi Ning and Sire Ma Choi yesterday taped a TVB program.  Chi Wai said that he just finished the Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HEUNG GONG ji HEI SEUNG GA HEI).  He said that 2012 would be another war of words between him and Raymond Wong Pak Ming.  He said that he knew the other cast was very strong and he hoped that everyone would be a hit at the box office.  Speaking of Taiwan film YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE breaking Stephen Chow Sing Chi's KUNG FU HUSTLE box office record to be Hong Kong's top Chinese film.  Chi Wai said, "I too hope Hong Kong will be able to catch up.  The success of YOU had many different elements.  This was a dark horse that no one would have guessed.  In 2012 the Mainland would have LOVE IS NOT BLIND, which made 300 to 400 million RMB at the box office.  The production cost only 6 million, which proved that super large investment was not required to be successful."

Chi Wai said that after YOU and LOVE IS NOT BLIND, the third successful film should be a Hong Kong film.  Speaking of Chi Wai's son Derek Tsang Kwok Cheung's earlier production LOVER'S DISCOURSE only had an average box office performance, Chi Wai said that he would let his son start slowly.  He said in 2012 he would encourage new directors to make movies.  He also planned to invest on creative new directors.

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[2012.01.01] MICHAEL HUI HAS REGRETS FOR HIS STAND UP COMEDY SHOW

courtesy of takungpao.com

Director Clifton Ko Chi Sum's ATV program aired its first episode with guest Michael Hui Koon Man, who talked about his stand up comedy performance experience.  Star of many classic comedy films, Hui Koon Man said that stand up comedy was not only his performance but also his personal interest.  "Back then I watched someone performed stand up comedy in the U.S.  At first I didn't believe that one person would be able to make the audience laugh throughout the entire show.  Later after I saw the whole performance, I indeed laughed the whole way through.  It was wonderful.  Since then I began to study stand up comedy.  In addition I have loved to talk since I was little.  Stand up comedy can satisfy my interest and hobby in this area."

Hui Koon Man performed his first Hong Kong Coliseum stand up comedy show in 2005, which not only fulfilled his dream but also was a lot of fun for him.  However he thought the viewer amount would be the best around 2000 people, because this amount was able to maintain the interaction between the performer and the audience.  During his stand up comedy performance he liked to cite examples and make comparisons with three people, his wife, his daughter and his brother Ricky Hui Koon Ying.  He explained, "If I cited others as examples I might 'insult' them, but my wife, daughter and Koon Ying wouldn't be mad at me.  Regrettably Koon Ying now has already left us!"

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Power Rangers Dino Thunder (Video Game)

Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Power Rangers Dino Thunder (Video Game)
By THQ

Buy new: $15.42
45 used and new from $4.48
Customer Rating: 4.3

Customer tags: video games(21), playstation 2(4), adventure(3), power rangers(3), games(2), kids(2), action(2), dino thunder, carson, zords, family, cash-in

Review & Description

A brilliant mad scientist named Mesogog plans to send the world back into the age of dinosaurs, and only three students powered by the Dino Gems can stop him. Transformed into the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, they must stop Mesogog and his army by utilizing the mighty DinoZords in the first Power Rangers title made available for the PlayStation 2, Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. A robotic action game based on the television show of the same name, Dino Thunder allows players to jump into more than 50 different missions and mini-games in nine wide open, free-roaming worlds. Along the way, uses can control up to 18 different Zords including ones from Power Rangers: Ninja Storm and Power Rangers: Wild Force.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #13642 in Video Games
  • Brand: THQ
  • Model: 752919460566
  • Released on: 2005-08-25
  • ESRB Rating: Everyone
  • Platform: PlayStation2
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: .60" h x 5.30" w x 7.50" l, .5 pounds

Features

  • Over 50 different missions
  • Control 18 different Zords
  • Ability to switch between Zords in mid-mission
  • Megazord battles with special attack power-ups as in the show.

Click Check Price & More Reviews

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THE SKED'S FRIDAY NETWORK SCORECARD


People will watch anything over an episode of CHUCK.

NBC:  Facing nothing but repeats, a new Chuck could do no better than 4th place in its hour with a sad 0.8.  The GRIMM repeat did half the rating of the CSI MIAMI repeat at 9, but a new DATELINE did manage to win the hour at 10PM with a 1.2.


FOX:  The repeat KITCHEN NIGHTMARES won the first hour, but at 9PM a FRINGE rerun plummeted to 0.4.

CBS:  Steady, with its reruns all within 0.9-1.2.

ABC:  A run of the first CHRONICLES OF NARNIA picture managed a 1.0 for the night.

CW:  Repeat, off-night SECRET CIRCLEs could only muster a 0.3.

Tonight, thanks to New Year's Eve, ABC will be all-new with Dick Clark specials, and NBC will have Carson Daly for a fresh hour at 10PM.  Sunday sets up as a very big night for NBC:  against reruns on all the other networks (including 3 back-to-back Once Upon A Times on ABC), the Peacock has an all-the-marbles showdown for the last NFL playoff spot between Dallas and the NY Giants.

Happy New Year from The Sked!

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The Best Films of 2011 & The Films I Enjoyed The Most in 2011

When 2011 I started writing a memoir like fashion about the films I saw and each month I would tally up the films in terms of which I thought were the best, and which films I most enjoyed. They had very different results from the get go, and I've long been a supporter of acknowledging and embracing films you enjoy, even if they aren't perfect, or 'important' or meaningful or touchstones, revolutionary, etc. Those are all great marks in film, but how much YOU enjoy a film is important too. The reverse logic held up because one of the early theatrical releases of 2011 was the brilliant yet brutal Incendies, and as much as I can acknowledge it as a formidable film, I got zero enjoyment from watching it. So, in an effort to acknowledge and support both the films I think are formidable as well as the ones that warmed my heard and made me light up, I'm writing 2 lists the year; and here are in my opinion The Best Films of 2011 (I saw 100/400 released) and the Most Enjoyable Films (to me) of 2011:

Movie Moxie's The Best Films of 2011:

These are the films that I think are hands-down brilliant films on all levels.

1. Drive (2011)
2. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
3. The Tree of Life
4. Small Town Murder Songs
5. The Guard (2011)
6. Four Lions
7. Melancholia
8. Incendies
9. In a Better World / Hævnen
10. Beginners
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Meet Monica Velour
13. Pina
14. One Day (2011)
15. Thor
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
17. Beautiful Boy
18. Familiar Ground / En Terrain Connus
19. Another Earth
20. The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Moxie's Films I Most Enjoyed in 2011:

These are the films that made me laugh, smile, cry and giggle. They are the films where I felt that the film was speaking directly to me, and I wanted to hear what it had to say.

1. Drive (2011)
2. Soul Surfer
3. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
4. The Adjustment Bureau
5. The Tree of Life
6. The Guard (2011)
7. Thor
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9. Fast Five
10. The Three Musketeers (2011)
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Small Town Murder Songs
13. I Am Number Four
14. Super 8
15. Country Strong
16. Another Earth
17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
18. Kung Fu Panda 2
19. One Day (2011)
20. Melancholia

Special shout out to both Rubber and Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, which would have made both my lists but I saw them prior to 2011 therefore they don't meet my own parameters!

I'll be writing more about the particular films and their impact in a separate post about my movie memories of the year.

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The Best Films of 2011 & The Films I Enjoyed The Most in 2011

When 2011 I started writing a memoir like fashion about the films I saw and each month I would tally up the films in terms of which I thought were the best, and which films I most enjoyed. They had very different results from the get go, and I've long been a supporter of acknowledging and embracing films you enjoy, even if they aren't perfect, or 'important' or meaningful or touchstones, revolutionary, etc. Those are all great marks in film, but how much YOU enjoy a film is important too. The reverse logic held up because one of the early theatrical releases of 2011 was the brilliant yet brutal Incendies, and as much as I can acknowledge it as a formidable film, I got zero enjoyment from watching it. So, in an effort to acknowledge and support both the films I think are formidable as well as the ones that warmed my heard and made me light up, I'm writing 2 lists the year; and here are in my opinion The Best Films of 2011 (I saw 100/400 released) and the Most Enjoyable Films (to me) of 2011:

Movie Moxie's The Best Films of 2011:

These are the films that I think are hands-down brilliant films on all levels.

1. Drive (2011)
2. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
3. The Tree of Life
4. Small Town Murder Songs
5. The Guard (2011)
6. Four Lions
7. Melancholia
8. Incendies
9. In a Better World / Hævnen
10. Beginners
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Meet Monica Velour
13. Pina
14. One Day (2011)
15. Thor
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
17. Beautiful Boy
18. Familiar Ground / En Terrain Connus
19. Another Earth
20. The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Moxie's Films I Most Enjoyed in 2011:

These are the films that made me laugh, smile, cry and giggle. They are the films where I felt that the film was speaking directly to me, and I wanted to hear what it had to say.

1. Drive (2011)
2. Soul Surfer
3. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
4. The Adjustment Bureau
5. The Tree of Life
6. The Guard (2011)
7. Thor
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9. Fast Five
10. The Three Musketeers (2011)
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Small Town Murder Songs
13. I Am Number Four
14. Super 8
15. Country Strong
16. Another Earth
17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
18. Kung Fu Panda 2
19. One Day (2011)
20. Melancholia

Special shout out to both Rubber and Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, which would have made both my lists but I saw them prior to 2011 therefore they don't meet my own parameters!

I'll be writing more about the particular films and their impact in a separate post about my movie memories of the year.

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 30 BOX OFFICE RESULTS

Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol remains at the top of the box office, and the other sequels (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked) are just behind.  After that, the non-sequels are finding it tough to break out.  Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has the best chance of breaking $100 million domestically, while the Steven Spielberg duo of War Horse and Adventures of Tintin are really fading.  Overall, box office is decent if not spectacular: the $50 million in business Friday for the top 10 films is a normal figure for December 30. 

Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (the fourth in the M:I series) grossed $10.6 million Friday (up from $9.7 million last Friday) and is looking like $29.7 million from Friday-Sunday, compared to a forecast of $31.2 million.  Through Sunday, the film's domestic total should stand above $132 million, and it should finish with $210 million domestically when it leaves theaters.  (This would be just behind the $215 million for M:I 2 but above the $181 million for M:I and the $134 million for M:I 3.)


Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked both are coming in at forecast this weekend.  Sherlock 2 is headed for about  $180 million domestic, while Alvin 3 is on track for $135 million.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo should exceed its weekend forecast by about $1 million ($15.2 million versus a forecast of $14.0 million) and should be able to break $100 million domestically when it ends its run.  

Steven Spielberg is having a disappointing weekend with both War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin running behind modest forecasts.  War Horse should collect $12.4 Friday-Sunday ($15.5 million forecast), while Tintin, the "beloved" creation of Belgian artist Herge, is struggling to get to $11.3 million Friday-Sunday ($13.5 million forecast).  Both films are headed for around $80 million domestic.  

In case you missed them, click to see this week's Weekend Predictions
  
Dec 30 2011-Jan 1 2012  Pre-Wknd    Wknd            Showbuzz
(millions)              Showbuzz    Early    FRI    Domestic
                        Forecast    Proj.   Actual   Final
Mission: Impossible 4 Par[$31.2]    $29.7   $10.6     $210
Sherlock Holmes 2 (WB)   [$22.0]    $21.2   $ 7.6     $180
Alvin & Chipmunks 3 (Fox)[$18.5]    $18.4   $ 7.2     $135
Girl Dragon Tattoo (Sony)[$14.0]    $15.2   $ 5.3     $105
War Horse (DW/Dis)       [$15.5]    $12.4   $ 4.7     $ 80
We Bought a Zoo (Fox)    [$13.0]    $12.3   $ 4.8     $ 80
Adventures Tintin (Par)  [$13.5]    $11.3   $ 4.4     $ 80
New Year's Eve (WB)      [$ 5.5]    $ 6.7   $ 2.3     $ 48
Darkest Hour (Sum)       [$ 3.8]    $ 4.6   $ 1.7     $ 32


Note: The table above summarizes an early look at the weekend.  The first column is a reminder of each film's ShowBuzzDaily Forecast for the weekend (in brackets).  The second column, on which the films are sorted, displays the new weekend projection for each film, based on the Friday numbers (the third column).  The final     column is a preliminary estimate of the ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Total number for the film's total run in North America.  A "++" indicates the Domestic number has been upgraded; a "--" indicates a downgrade.  


Total Box Office Volume 

The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like an okay $140 million total Friday-Sunday, down 6% from the same calendar weekend last year.          

Top 12 Films: Weekend #52


     Volume    Movies Opening Each Weekend (millions)
2011  $140  M:I 4 $30, Sherlock Holmes 2 $21, Alvin 3 $18 

2010  $149  Little Fockers $26, True Grit $24, TRON Legacy $19
2009  $209  Avatar $68, Sherlock Holmes $37, Alvin 2 $35

2008  $131  Marley & Me $24, Bedtime Stories $20, Benj Button $19
2007  $121  National Treasure $20, Juno $16, I Am Legend $16


2007-10
Avg   $153



HOLIDAY BOX OFFICE: Day by Day

The top 10 films on Friday grossed just under $50 million collectively, up from December 30 last year (which fell on a Thursday) and within the range of values for the comparable years when the date fell early in the weekend. 
 

                 DAILY TOTAL GROSS of TOP 10 MOVIES
           2011        2010        2006        2005
Dec 21  $27.5 Wed   $22.0 Tue   $17.8 Thu   $20.5 Wed
Dec 22  $24.8 Thu   $31.1 Wed   $39.6 Fri   $22.8 Thu
Dec 23  $37.1 Fri   $33.5 Thu   $43.3 Sat   $36.4 Fri
Dec 24  $22.1 Sat   $23.6 Fri   $20.1 Sun   $20.2 Sat
Dec 25  $54.5 Sun   $52.5 Sat   $49.4 Mon   $41.4 Sun
Dec 26  $61.8 Mon   $48.8 Sun   $49.5 Tue   $55.2 Mon
Dec 27  $45.6 Tue   $41.6 Mon   $41.9 Wed   $40.1 Tue
Dec 28  $41.5 Wed   $41.6 Tue   $39.9 Thu   $37.8 Wed
Dec 29  $41.0 Thu   $41.7 Wed   $48.5 Fri   $38.1 Thu
Dec 30  $49.6 Fri   $43.1 Thu   $51.5 Sat   $45.1 Fri
Dec 31        Sat   $41.7 Fri   $34.1 Sun   $35.8 Sat
Jan 01        Sun   $57.1 Sat   $41.0 Mon   $42.6 Sun



NOTE: Top films: 2010 (Little Fockers, True Grit, TRON Legacy), 2006 (Night at the Museum, Pursuit of Happyness, Dreamgirls), 2005 (King Kong, Chronicles of Narnia, Fun with Dick and Jane)



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