Last year I did a mid-way top ten and only two of the films on that list (WALL-E and In Bruges) made my year end top ten. How many of this year's mid-way ten will make it? Judging by tomorrow's list of the 20 films I am anticipating over the next six months I wouldn't be surprised if the list changes drastically, but that is then... this is now.

Photo: 20th Century Fox / Focus Features / Sony Classics / Summit Entertainment / Miramax

Next up is Knowing, a film that would have probably made it into the top ten but I was disappointed in what I got out of it the second time around -- as I detailed in my Blu-ray review. I expected it to have a longer staying power, but it appears what I saw the first time just didn't move me as much as I thought it would the second time. I still think it's a solid film, but just not good enough.

I felt the same way about Taken when I recently revisited that one. However, I think Taken is a perfect example of a film meant to be seen in the theater. The sound of the gunfire and the kinetic energy behind it makes for a solid theatrical experience that just couldn't be matched at home. There is also a certain measure of surprise from some of the situations that just can't be duplicated the second time around.

Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom is a film I expect many will find on DVD and will become one of 2009's welcome memories. While I didn't necessarily think it was a perfect film it is a film I am anxious to revisit in hopes my issues with it will subside over time and additional viewings.

Finally, Woody Allen's Whatever Works misses the cut just by a hair. It's a solid Allen effort that just never seemed to entirely click. It's quite funny and a great watch, but the funny wasn't enough as it became a little redundant and oftentimes felt a little too scripted. Oh well, perfection is hard to attain and I would never say these next ten are perfect by any means, but the two that top the list are definitely competing for placement on the year end top ten.

Away We Go

Photo: Focus Features

Public Enemies

Photo: Universal Pictures

There is no doubt this film, at the very least, raised some interesting conversation as well as some curious scorn from Entertainment Weekly critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum in this little video feature. Gleiberman even attacks the argument many have made saying it is an art film. He calls such an approach just an excuse and says, "I think this movie really does lack juice and I don't think anyone should make excuses for that." I have never been a fan of the approach both Gleiberman and Schwarzbaum take to movies, but it is nice to see them trying a little harder now as it appears EW realizes shilling for studios with first look pictures just isn't going to make the grade any longer.

Up

Photo: Disney / Pixar

Drag Me to Hell

Photo: Universal Pictures

Star Trek

Photo: Paramount Pictures

Tetro

Photo: American Zoetrope

Sunshine Cleaning

Photo: Overture Films

The Hangover

Photo: Warner Bros.

The Hurt Locker

Photo: Summit Entertainment

In the Loop

Photo: IFC Films

To describe it in a sentence I would say it's as if "The West Wing" was mashed up with "The Office" as a series of miscues between the American and British governments accelerate the march to a war in the Middle East. It's whip smart satire coupled with a boat load of extraordinarily inventive obscenities. You can get a taste for all that right here

So there it is. Nothing drastic, but hopefully there are a couple of films on there you may not have seen and will give a chance should any of them interest you.

Where do you stand on the year so far? I know I see more movies than most and making a list of ten is much easier, but hopefully you can share a list of five or so of your favorite films from the first half of the year.

On top of that what do you remember most about 2009 to this point? We have the Oscars going from five Best Picture nominees to ten. We have the massive success of films like Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Taken. My personal disappointment in Watchmen. The unfortunate deaths of Ricardo Montalban, James Whitmore, Ron Silver, Bea Arthur, Dom DeLuise, David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Karl Malden just to name a few.

What stands out for you?]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/top-ten-movies-midway-through-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/GckStfj6D_g/why-should-filmmakers-try-to-make-good-movies Indiana Jones Part V b.s. story that sprouted up yesterday. The article was quoted as coming from The Insider when in fact The Insider is nothing more than a tabloid news aggregator that this time was spewing something submitted by UselessPlace.com, a site I am 100% certain none of the bloggers reporting the Indy story had ever heard of and most probably didn't even take the time to pay attention to. Fair enough, but what I find more interesting is the reaction many have toward the idea and most-of-all Nate's reaction from The Film Experience to Jessica Barnes's reaction at Cinematical:

Cinematical has guarded hope for Indiana Jones Part V. Ouch. Does anyone (anyone?) outside of those who would directly profit by the million$, really think in their heart of hearts that this is a good idea? Why does no one demand more of these people before showering them with money? I'm absolutely convinced that if George Lucas announced Star Wars Episode 7: The Journey of Jar Jar Binks people would still line up in droves. And then complain about it afterwards. Why should filmmakers even try to make good movies when we reward them for hurting us? Current Blockbuster Movie Culture = Stockholm Syndrome.

That comment was actually in defense of the film to someone saying, "You want a bad movie, and you're willing to reward films that aim for very little... and hit it. No harm in that, but let the rest of us who like progress have some room to breathe too." And this is something I believe is an important issue when it comes to the crop of films we have started to see hitting our multiplexes.

The problem people don't seem to be noticing is the fact Transformers 2 was made on a reported budget of $200 million and a worldwide marketing campaign at $150 million. When a piece of entertainment is made and sold for $350 million is it wrong to expect progress? Is it wrong to expect above-and-beyond quality? And is it wrong to speak up when you feel you were cheated as an audience member? Remember, this is your hard earned money and ticket prices aren't getting any cheaper.

Take this next comment from "Keith" which was posted on the site recently:

Money talks and the movie is making money cause they just enjoy watching the movie for what it is, majority of the people just want 2 enjoy, if your looking for movies that have good story and stuff they should just wait for the hurt locker, TRANSFORMERS IS NOT SUPOUSE TO WIN ANY OSCAR AWARDS, ITS JUST A MOVIE TO BE ENTERTAINMENT. Come on its transformers, people payed to watch robots fighting and things blowing up, what were you expecting?

No one is saying films like Terminator Salvation or Transformers 2 are expected to be Oscar winners, but remember 12 months ago when everyone was talking about how great The Dark Knight was and then only six months ago how it was cheated out of a Best Picture nomination? Just imagine if the same effort was put into making the rest of these blockbusters that are made for hundreds of millions of dollars. Hell, look what J.J. Abrams was able to do with the same screenwriters Michael Bay had on Revenge of the Fallen, and a little extra effort. Star Trek is hardly a story-telling marvel of a film, but at least he found a way to tap into what makes a film entertaining... a little something called character development for starters.

One final comment from around the site that was posted just yesterday read, "Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Number ONE 2nd week in a row. Poor critics must be crying their eyes out. LOL." If critics are "crying their eyes out" I wonder why everyone else isn't either.

Love it or hate it, I have a hard time believing there is anyone out there that doesn't believe Revenge of the Fallen could have been much, much better. So why is it we -- as paying audience members -- don't demand more from these films? The only reason critics would be "crying their eyes out" would be because they know the same lack of care will now be taken into making Transformers 3 because the studio knows audiences don't demand anything more than what they have already been offered as Revenge of the Fallen now aims to become the second fastest film to reach $600 million in worldwide receipts.

Don't get it twisted, critics want to see nothing but great films. They would love it if every film was five-star caliber and if films like Revenge of the Fallen lived up to the Benjamins put into them, but at the same time they are willing to stand up and speak their minds when something doesn't reach its potential and in this case falls well below it. As a matter of fact, I would wager if Revenge of the Fallen lived up to its budget it would easily become the highest grossing film of all-time and the critics would be the first ones praising its accomplishments. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?

You tell me, would you rather have a $350 million movie with some thought behind it or a movie that doesn't "have good story and stuff" and "NOT SUPOUSE TO WIN ANY OSCAR AWARDS"? That's a tough one... think on it for a minute... I went to see Star Trek a second time this past weekend, I have made my decision on what kind of entertainment to support.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/why-should-filmmakers-try-to-make-good-movies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/VJ0rrXHtqjc/box-office-oracle-jul-3-jul-5-2009

Any severe disagreements? Am I too high or low on Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs or Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? Are my fears for Public Enemies misplaced? Here's your chance to work me like a speedbag, flex your predictive might. ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-jul-3-jul-5-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/92QyQj_zA2w/oscar-update-moon-transformers-2-and-still-talking-10-best-picture-noms

This past weekend I painted the doors on the soon-to-be unveiled "The Contenders" for the 2010 awards season and I filled the stables with 29 horses. I still need to tidy up around the edges and make a few adjustments here and there, but with six months to go in 2009 and the upcoming release of Public Enemies (an awards contender disguised as a summer tentpole) it is time to begin talking Oscars on a more regular basis.

Today I have a couple of film updates as well as additional talk of that pesky Academy change from 5-to-10 nominations for Best Picture to talk about. First, let's talk about the movies...

The 63rd Edinburgh Intl. Film Festival closed Sunday with Duncan Jones's Moon winning the Michael Powell Award for new British feature reports Adam Dawtrey at Variety who goes on to say the sci-fi thriller "was arguably the fest's biggest success" and "was the first film in the program to sell out, and also ended up second in the voting for the audience award." Tomm Moore's Irish animated film The Secret of Kells took the audience top prize.

I mention this because Moon is not one of my 29 top contenders at the moment, but it seems to continue to gain notoriety including a large number of positive reviews (86% at RottenTomatoes) with many praising the work of Sam Rockwell and the story-telling ability of Jones. It could become an awards season dark horse, as could Cary Joji Fukanaga's Sin Nombre, which took the Skillset new directors award at Edinburgh, but the boat seems to have already sailed on that pic, a film that is expertly told but I'll be damned if it doesn't wallow in darkness.

Next we have this past weekend's box-office behemoth, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a film carrying only a 20% at RottenTomatoes, but one that will undoubtedly be earning Oscar nominations. The first Transformers was nominated for three Oscars in both Sound categories and for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. It didn't end up winning any, but I wouldn't be surprised if Revenge of the Fallen ended up with a similar three nods, but wins are going to be tricky with the likes of James Cameron's Avatar waiting in the wings and I would expect Star Trek to be a serious contender in the sound department.

Finally, we come to the continuing discussion regarding the move to ten Best Picture nominations. I already weighed in on this and many of you commented in that article and several of you in the original announcement, but yesterday a pair of award season regulars weighed in with their thoughts and bring up a few new issues some of you may be interested in.

First, David Carr at The New York Times comments saying, "The reporter in me that was bored to tears by last year's nonrace is inclined to be thrilled by the introduction of something, anything, to stir things up." However, he's hesitant to jump on board with the idea ten Best Picture nominations is the way to go.

He cites executives who "argue that the best-picture award continues to have resonance with consumers when used as a laurel in ads precisely because it is such a rare jewel" and how "niches could continue to rule, with smallish academy guilds like art directors, or special constituencies like British members of the academy, pushing through a particular movie crush that had left many others unmoved."

It's at this moment I should bring in Kris Tapley's column at In Contention and his addition to Carr's concern saying, "I imagine something will have to be done to address the concern that now one merely needs something like 600 people on board to get a film in the line-up... Block voting will surely thrive."

It's a shame, but as we saw the Weinstein Co. milk the system last year for The Reader, the change to ten nominations opens up so many more doors to roundabout ways of getting your name in that envelope. However, this brings up the issue of money.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

I'll finish that sentiment off with Carr's addition saying, "Who is going to be the one to tell J. J. Abrams that Star Trek is not worth more money and effort when there are 10 slots up for grabs?"

Personally I hold fast that if a film wasn't a contender before it won't be one now, but I can also see where one could argue the other side, but they'd be hard pressed to convince me Star Trek has a shot. Then again, we will all pretty much know what the top five nominees are in the Best Picture category by who is nominated in the Best Director category. The two don't always match up exactly but here's how they compared over the past ten years:

• 2009 - 5/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2008 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2007 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2006 - 5/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2005 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2004 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2003 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2002 - 3/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2001 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture
• 2000 - 4/5 of the director nominees were also nominated for picture

Stay tuned as more Oscar coverage is on the way and the doors to "The Contenders 2010" will open very, very soon. For a look at last year's "Contenders" section, for those that may not have followed the Oscar coverage at RopeofSilicon, click here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/oscar-update-moon-transformers-2-and-still-talking-10-best-picture-noms http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/aiRekzIBMKQ/box-office-wrap-up-jun-26-jun-28-2009

Can Public Enemies get in the $50s (the number probably needed to have a shot at knocking off Revenge of the Fallen)? And don't look now, but the last Ice Age made $68m opening weekend, which would definitely be enough to make Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen a one and done. Gonna to be interesting. What's your early call?

So where did I go wrong? Am I rating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen too highly? Do you think it might be a reverse jinx on my part? Weigh in on the comments - let's get this party started! ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-jun-26-jun-28-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/kSqm_yGJ-qw/box-office-wrap-up-jun-19-jun-21-2009

How much is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen going to bank? The first one opened at $70m against License to Wed, but it was also the second weekend of Live Free or Die Hard and Ratatouille. This version will open against My Sister's Keeper.

I could see $100m, I think everyone is ready for an action film and it's been six weeks since Star Trek was on the prowl. But my early prediction is $87m for the three-day, because I think Wednesday and Thursday will bleed it a little bit. How about you? Am I high? Or Low?

Your turn. Can Hangover three-peat? Am I underrating the rom-com and Sandra? Or can Up pull off a strange 4th weekend victory? Anyone want to stick their neck out to tout Year One? I leave it to you commenters, drop an egg of knowledge on me. ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-jun-19-jun-21-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/B37F109D13s/box-office-wrap-up-jun-12-jun-14-2009

Next week brings us the typical Proposal and the possibly funny Year One. No way The Hangover will take a third straight weekend, right?

Next weekend is a little sad, predicting-wise, with only Year One and The Proposal going wide. Can Year One hit $30m? Can The Proposal hit $20m? Who the hell is going to take the crown? I humbly await your input.

Also, here is a behind-the-scenes look at The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (official site) from our paid advertiser Columbia Pictures (ad blockers must be turned off if you want to watch it).

Who you got next weekend? The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 has to be the favorite, I'd put it somewhere in the $30s. We can expect Up and Hangover to remain strong. Gimme some intel, Lord knows I didn't see the Hangover domination coming.

The titles include such films as Braveheart, Gladiator and the Star Trek: The Next Generation Original Motion Picture Collection as a follow-up to the release of the most recent release of the Star Trek - Original Series BD Collection. All the new dates are titles from the Paramount / DreamWorks catalog and are listed in chronological order:

September 1st

• Braveheart

• Escape from L.A.
• Deep Impact
• 48 Hours

• Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 2
• Gladiator: Extended Edition
• Galaxy Quest

• Forrest Gump
• It's a Wonderful Life

• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Original Motion Picture Collection
  • Generations
  • First Contact
  • Insurrection
  • Nemesis
• Star Trek (2009)
• Single Blu-ray disc editions of the recently released original Star Trek films

So where did I go wrong? Does anyone have the stones to pick something else at the top? Are my dollars all off? You know the stakes. Pride, and the thanks of a grateful website. Maybe I'll come up with a trophy. See you Sunday. ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-jun-5-jun-7-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/XhuODMAjQB4/box-office-wrap-up-may-29-may-31-2009

Any early calls for next weekend? Why are they releasing two comedies against each other? On the other hand, with one being R and the other PG-13, will they hurt each other at all? And does anyone have My Life in Ruins hitting double digits? Because I sure don't. See you Thursday.

What do you think? Any glaring issues with my top ten? You know I'm always reading the comments, so weigh right in. ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-may-29-may-31-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/DAeRGJNJM64/blu-ray-review-star-trek-the-original-motion-picture-collection I had every intention of doing some kind of big feature for this new Blu-ray release and tying it in with the recent reboot. I was going to rank the original six films or rank all 11 Star Trek films, but timing killed it. The set arrived late and other things took priority. On top of that, my opinion of these six original films hasn't changed much since I first saw them so many years ago. Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home remain my two favorite and the other four only hold a passing interest. If I were to rank the remaining four films I would probably say it would go as such: Undiscovered Country, The Search for Spock, The Motion Picture and finally The Final Frontier. However, my seemingly passing interest to this point is not indicative of this set, but simply due to my disappointment in not being able to do something bigger in celebration of this set's release. In short, I love this set and anyone interested in Trek should give it a once over.

Having already told you where the six films rank in terms of one another there isn't a whole lot more to say about the films without wasting a ton of your time, but on the whole I would say this set of six films includes four solid films, one that is nothing more than a two-hour episode of the original series and another that is almost unwatchable. The Blu-ray presentations are fantastic and each coming with a Dolby TrueHD audio track makes it all the more better. Of these six films I only owned the Wrath of Khan (only film in the set completely restored) and Voyage Home DVD editions and hadn't seen the other four films in a long, long time. As much as I have watched Khan and Voyage over the years I honestly don't think I had ever watched the other four more than once. I couldn't remember anything that happened in the original motion picture, my only knowledge of what goes on in Search for Spock came from the title and vague recollections of the other two existed simply because I had seen them more recently. Watching them all in order for the first time in a long time was certainly a joy and the supplemental material included on these discs is exhaustive.

This set contains seven discs made up of the six film, their supplemental material and a seventh disc containing what is called "The Captain's Summit" which is a three-part roundtable interview with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and moderated by Whoopi Goldberg.

Beginning with the special features involving the films themselves, each disc contains all the material that was originally included on the two-disc collector's editions DVDs as well as new bonus material. Most impressive is a brand new commentary track for each film to go along with the original commentaries. This means The Motion Picture gets its first commentary while all five other films have two commentaries each.

Each disc also contains, at a minimum, one brand new featurette. Whether it be a great look at James Horner's work on Wrath of Khan or a look at the effects of ILM as they worked on the Star Trek films from the beginning, each is a great look at the franchise. However, I would not recommend delving into all of these features at once as I tried to do for this review. It is impossible. It becomes monotonous and I learned there is a point where you can actually get too much of William Shatner's ego, as comical as it may be. This isn't a knock against the supplemental material, actually it is nice to see how well all the features work together making this feel like it was all made at the exact same time, but it is just too much to digest all at once.

As for that "The Captain's Summit" disc, there's a lot of glad-handing and a lot of Shatner. Goldberg seems to be cool with Shatner's ego, but I just can't imagine Frakes and Stewart didn't want to get up and slap some sense into the egomaniac. Nimoy even occasionally has to hush him up as he obviously has more experience dealing with him. However, when Shatner admits to having never watched a single minute of "The Next Generation" it was impossible to tell exactly how Frakes and Stewart felt about the comment, but it was an unnecessary slap in the face, and speaks so loudly to Shatner's opinion on others taking over the "Trek" mantle that it was a little bit sad. Sort of like when he's talking about The Final Frontier, which he directed, and says it is his understanding all the films, over time, have earned the same amount of money. Do you want to be the one to tell him his film made $24 million less than Nimoy's Search for Spock and $57 million less (over half) than Nimoy's Voyage Home?

Obviously, everything I have mentioned so far is just part of what makes this package so great. It comes with the good and the bad, and I know I will even be watching The Final Frontier again in a Star Trek marathon one of these days, just something about this original crew entertains me to no end. So, yes, I will once again hear Captain Kirk ask the face proclaiming to be God, "What does God need with a starship?"

It seems as if "Star Trek" went from a three season campy sci-fi show, to a feature film that really was nothing more than a bloated episode of the show and finally to Wrath of Khan, which used a storyline directly from the original series and managed to turn Star Trek into a real entity, a franchise with a history that had a distinct turning point. This Blu-ray set makes watching the whole franchise a lot of fun and the supplemental material will engage you for weeks, if not months going on years.

I would like to predict the success Museum found will carry over to next weekend, but I see a dramatic drop considering it will be facing another family friendly feature and this time it comes with a Pixar logo attached in the form of Up. Is there any chance the live-action sequel can compete with the 3-D animated juggernaut?

Forgetting the two movies at the top I remain impressed by Star Trek's performance as it only dropped 31% and pulled in another $29 million this four-day weekend bringing its domestic total to $191 million, just $2 million shy of Monsters vs. Aliens for the 2009 crown to this point. The steady nature of Star Trek is not at all surprising as I fully expected word-of-mouth to carry this film for a long time.

Angels and Demons made an extra $6 million on Memorial Day bringing its four-day total to $27.7 million and rounding out the top five was the spoof movie Dance Flick with $13.1 million.

Featured below are the complete four-day estimates, and if you would like to get in on predicting next weekend with the rest of our commenters click here and let us know how you think Drag Me to Hell and Up will perform against the current crop of competition.

1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20th Century Fox) $70,000,000
2. Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) $53,825,000
3. Star Trek (Paramount) $29,400,000
4. Angels and Demons (Sony) $27,700,000
5. Dance Flick (Paramount) $13,100,000
6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (20th Century Fox) $10,100,000
7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Warner Bros.) $4,835,000
8. Obsessed (Universal) $2,500,000
9. Monsters vs. Aliens (Paramount) $1,900,000
10. 17 Again (Warner Bros./New Line) $1,280,000

For next week, you've got to think Up will take it. Wall-E opened at $63m, that sounds about right for Up. It may do even more given it seems more family friendly. I'll stick with $25m on Drag Me to Hell. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian will slip to around $30m. Terminator Salvation will be lucky to hit $20m. What do you think? Help me commenters, help me get this losing weekend out of my heart.

Any early projections for next weekend? I'd originally have guessed Terminator in a repeat but now it looks like Up is set up to clear $50 or $60m. taking first easily. And Drag Me to Hell is set up to cash in on the neglected horror fans. I'll take updated predictions for this weekend too; if you see areas where I'm all wrong let a fella know. Have a solid holiday weekend! ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-may-22-may-24-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/m3GXeiNRZj0/2009-oscar-update-1-tetro-bright-star-taking-woodstock-and-more

Last year I began covering the Oscar Contenders in September, which was about three months earlier than I ever had in the past. It brought a lot of conversation and made predicting the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards that much more fun. So, this year we will start even earlier. While I haven't had the chance to update the RopeofSilicon Contenders section with this year's crop, I will be getting to that very soon. For now, let's get into this.

It's been less than three months since Slumdog Millionaire took home 8 Oscars and we are now ready to see what film will stand above the rest in 2009 and the Cannes Film Festival has offered up our first topics of conversation.

We will begin with a title not included in the headline in Pixar's Up, a movie I may be seeing this Wednesday, but the screening is in 2-D, which means I would have to wait wait until the 26th to see it in 3-D. However, the Cannes crowd got to see it in 3-D on opening night and for the most part it was a warm welcome, and if you didn't already know, Up is the first animated film to launch the event.

But the post-screening response -- an overused but accurate gauge -- was noticeably tempered. The continuous waves of ovation that can last five or 10 minutes when an audience really loves a Cannes film (especially an opening-night one), didn't happen.

Instead, what followed the credits was scattered applause that lasted about one or two minutes. Respectable, but, to our ears, very modest. It wasn't a disaster like "The Da Vinci Code" or "Marie Antoinette" -- but it wasn't "The Diving Bell and#038; the Butterfly," either.

During the applause, Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter and "Up" director Pete Docter stood at their seats for the customary basking. As we watched them in close-up on the giant screen, there seemed to be a little discomfort on their faces, a disappointment that the clapping wasn't more hearty. (The applause ended when Lasseter shouted an abrupt "merci beaucoup.")

Todd McCarthy at Variety says the film is "a captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along." Later in his review he says, "Up is an exceptionally refined picture; unlike so many animated films, it's not all about sensory bombardment and volume. As Pixar's process is increasingly analyzed, the more one appreciates the care that goes into the writing. The underlying carpentry here is so strong, it seems it would be hard to go too far wrong in the execution."

Photo: Pixar / Disney

However, there were a few detractors. Jeff Wells liked the film, but had a couple of quibbles saying, "It's not meant as a putdown to say that Up is too immersed in buoyant punchiness and mainstream movie-tude, which basically boils down to Pixar's always-front-and-center task of giving the family audience stuff to laugh at and go 'oooh' and 'aahh' about, to finally matter all that much. It's too entertaining, in put it another way, to sink in all that deeply."

A little more negativity seeps into Kaleem Aftab's review at The Independent who most notably says, "Watching with tinted glasses cannot hide the deficiencies of this adventure... Up is superb in setting up characters and a world that hankers over memories of yesteryear, but once the adventure moves into its obligatory action denouement, it enters a world of stereotypes that disappoints."

Finally, Roger Ebert has added a bit of commentary, but he often spoils films so I haven't read it yet, but you can do so right here.

Lisa Schwarzbaum at Entertainment Weekly is a critic I often tend to disagree with her opinion even if I agree with her liking of a film says, "The fevered story -- at times awkwardly dramatique to the point of self-indulgent delirium, but gorgeously shot in voluptuous black and white with hot splashes of color sequences." It is this second part I will get back to shortly since it appears the one spot Tetro will live on when it comes to award consideration.

Again we turn to Todd McCarthy at Variety who calls the film "a work of modest ambition and appeal," but like Schwarzbaum he mentions the "gloriously shot in mostly black-and-white widescreen" as well as the talent of newcomer Alden Ehrenreich, whom I can't imagine won't be getting a breakthrough actor nod or two, or three at the end of the year. He is truly that good and will be mostly compared to Leonardo DiCaprio by anyone that sees this film.

Kirk Honeycutt at The Hollywood Reporter has the most glowing review starting off saying, "Tetro looks like the work of a film school grad, his head swimming with the classic black-and-white European films of the '50s and '60s and his mind unable to shake his struggles with his family. And yet, its author is Francis Ford Coppola, making a mostly triumphant return to his earlier filmmaking days and to Cannes itself, where he has picked up a couple of Palme d'Ors."

Tetro has that feel of a film from the '40s and '50s and even though Richard and Mary Corliss at TIME didn't like the film, again the imagery is something they couldn't shake saying the film "looks great" and "the use of glistening or sepulchral black-and-white brings some of the glamour of classic Hollywood."

While after seeing it I never thought it would be a major Oscar contender, but I do wish people liked it a little more since I had such a good time with it. However, it seems to me the cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. is something that will be sure to stick around well into award season. And this won't be the last you hear of the film on the site as I have just managed to secure an upcoming interview with Francis Ford Coppola. Look for that some time in June.

Photo: Pathe

Allan Hunter at Screen Daily says in his opening, "Sixteen years after The Piano, Jane Campion has found renewed artistic inspiration in a tragic romance to match the haunting intensity of that Palme D'Or winning feature."

I can't help but wonder, will Abbie Cornish follow in the footsteps of Anna Paquin who won a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for her performance in The Piano? Hunter continues his praise of the film with praise for Cornish saying, "She captures all the youthful impetuosity of the English Fanny [Brawne] and portrays her as a young woman trying to maintain control of a life torn apart by all the fresh emotions and new sensations that she is experiencing. It is a performance that should win her awards season consideration and emphatically underlines why she is one of the most highly regarded performers of her generation."

Joan Dupont at The New York Times continues praise of Cornish calling her performance the "bright star" in a film that left "few dry eyes" in the house.

Jeff Wells was luke warm on the film but took notice of its qualities while calling it "basically a Masterpiece Theatre thing that my mother will love. I'm not putting it down on its own terms. I felt nothing but admiration for the various elements." However, the Oscar chances are obviously there as his last paragraph reads:

A journalist friend told me an hour ago that Bright Star will be Oscar nominated in seven or eight categories because it delivers that particular brand of period romance fulfillment that people of a certain persuasion line up for when movies of this sort play the Royal in West Los Angeles and the Lincoln Plaza in Manhattan.

Eric Kohn at indieWire calls it a "messy historical fiction plays like a two hour 'Saturday Night Live' sketch, and not a very good one, either." Meanwhile, Allan Hunter at Screen Daily writes, "Enjoyable in places and merely humdrum in others, Taking Woodstock ultimately feels like a minor Ang Lee digression in between more memorable works."

So, let's shelve that one for award season, but I am still interested in seeing it. After all, Anne Thompson liked it quite a bit.

Finally, a couple of side notes before I go.

I think we will hear from Star Trek again, if only in the sound categories. Also, from the sounds of it the French film Un proph�te (A Prophet) has debuted to kind words. The film, directed by Jacques Audiard, according to Jonathan Romney at Screen Daily, "The film should have the same international appeal as last year�s Cannes crime hit Gomorrah. Its unapologetically testosterone-laden tenor will give the film a resonance way beyond the international art-house constituency that embraced Audiard�s last film, The Beat That My Heart Skipped."

Justin Chang at Variety calls the film "a tough, absorbingly intricate account of a young French-Arab thug's improbable education behind bars" before adding "A Prophet is solid, sinewy pulp fiction with strong arthouse prospects." Perhaps a strong Foreign Language contender...

And the last note comes in video form. If you haven't watched the trailer for Rob Marshall's Nine -- first off, shame on you -- then I offer it directly below for your enjoyment.

As for next weekend; it looks like Terminator: Salvation has the buzz. I can't go anywhere without people bringing up that movie. Next week I think it wins, let's say $85m or so. Anyone else want to take a prelim crack?

Now it's your turn. Am I too high/low on Angels and#038; Demons? Am I overrating Star Trek's second weekend? Do you have early and helpful thoughts on Terminator Salvation vs Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian? Get your comment on! ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-oracle-may-15-may-17-2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/ZSe2yrhQ5qc/tons-of-new-images-ponyo-the-ugly-truth-sunset-blvd-sherlock-holmes-and-more

Of the titles you may not recognize below I can tell you That Evening Sun is a film we may be talking about later down the line as Hal Holbrook has already earned some Oscar buzz for his performance. I have already seen Sam Mendes' Away We Go and people are going to love it. Tetro is Francis Ford Coppola's new film and I have probably already told you too many times how much I enjoyed that movie. Also, Biutiful is Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu (21 Grams, Babel) new film starring Javier Bardem, so expect that one to earn some buzz soon.

I have also added new images from a couple of classics, Sunset Boulevard and The Third Man, as well as several new posters included in this new batch.

I put a brief bit of info on each gallery next to the title list below. You can check out all the galleries by clicking on the movie title in the list below, which will open up a new browser window/tab. Once you are done looking at the pics, close that window to return back to this post.

Enjoy, and remember you can stay up-to-date on all the latest images added to the site either on the homepage, on the movie stills homepage or by simply adding the RSS feed to your feed reader and you will never miss a pic.

• Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (1 new still and a look at the poster for Miyazaki's next)
• The Ugly Truth (Final poster art and five new images of the Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler rom-com)
• Gamer (The official poster for the Gerard Butler actioner)
• Sunset Blvd. (12 pics from the 1950 classic)
• The Third Man (2 pics from the Orson Welles starrer)
• World's Greatest Dad (Brand new gallery for the Bob Goldthwait directed Robin Williams feature)
• That Evening Sun (First image from the film that already has Hal Holbrook Oscar buzz)
• Terminator Salvation (70 images... that's a lot)
• Sherlock Holmes (8 more images added to the gallery of 10)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (3 character posters were added)
• Land of the Lost (7 new images from the Will Ferrell fantasy comedy)
• Away We Go (37 images from Sam Mendes' latest)
• Planet 51 (The poster for the CG-animated feature)
• Julie and#038; Julia (The poster for the Amy Adams and Meryl Streep starrer)
• Star Trek (It's in theaters and this gallery has 93 pics)
• Whatever Works (The poster art for Woody Allen's latest)
• Agora (3 pics and the poster for the Amenabar epic)
• Biutiful (Oscar buzz will surround this one)
• Tetro (Francis Ford Coppola's latest is gorgeous)
• Morris: A Life with Bells On (70 pics from the Morris dancing mockumentary)

Two titles you won't see in the release date section below are the Watchmen Director's Cut and the 300 (The Complete Experience) Blu-ray, but both have just been confirmed with July 28 and July 21 release dates respectively. Both updates came too late for this report and will be included on the next one, but a complete write up can be found right here, which includes artwork and special features.

Now, for today's releases...

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collections
	I am anxiously awaiting my very own copy of the full original crew Star Trek movie series as I only own Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home on DVD and haven't seen the others in a long, long time. As a matter of fact, I can hardly remember what the other four films are about. Search for Spock is pretty much self-explanatory and I know the one where they find God (or some sort of deity is awful, but I can't remember what the first one is about (outside of that one bald chick) and I think it is the sixth one that is actually pretty good, but I can't remember exactly. However, I look forward to the opportunity to revisit them all in Blu-ray and from what I understand a review copy will be in my possession soon (and, unfortunately, it appears review copies of the complete collection weren't sent out to anyone just yet so I can't even link to a review). What you have here are two options when buying these. The first is the all-encompassing "Original Motion Picture Collection" which is only available on Blu-ray and includes all six original crew films as well as a large group of special features, which you can read about here and I will be able to tell you about once the discs arrive. The one thing I do know is Wrath of Khan is the only film of the six that has received a full remastering, a la what Paramount did for the recent Blu-ray release of the Godfather trilogy. The second option is available on both DVD and Blu-ray and includes what Paramount is calling the "Motion Picture Trilogy" and it includes Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock and The Voyage Home. The Buy Now link below will give you buying options for all three.

Licence to Kill and The Man with the Golden Gun Blu-rays
	Fox and MGM released these two all quiet-like and from what I understand they were part of some Best Buy box set collection when Quantum of Solace was released and are finally being released individually. Personally I love both of these Bond films and Timothy Dalton's two films happen to be two of my favorite, even though I wasn't especially keen on him as Bond. While I prefer Living Daylights over Licence to Kill, I will definitely be picking this one up. Same goes for The Man with the Golden Gun, which is certainly campy, but it is probably my favorite Roger Moore Bond one of the more entertaining Bond flicks in my opinion.

Taken (Extended Cut)
	Fox hit pay dirt with Taken as it has now made $144 million at the domestic box-office and over $220 million worldwide. Considering it was released at the end of January with little to no expectations it has gone on to do quite well. I am expecting a Blu-ray review copy soon so I hope to have a review for you shortly.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
	Meh, I didn't care for this film, and this is coming from someone that actually likes the first two.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season
	I just did a mini-review feature for this release as well as "Dexter" season two on Blu-ray and the "Star Trek" original series Blu-ray release right here, so check that out for a longer opinion, but for me this is a great release and the fact the season is presented in widescreen for the first time and Paramount didn't stick with the 2000 fullscreen presentation is a great bonus.

S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale
	I have no interest in this one being one of those folks that doesn't ride the Donnie Darko bandwagon and from the small amount of early buzz I have read this sequel does not impress.

Passengers
	Sony did its very best to make sure no one saw this when it released in theaters so why would you want to waste your money buying it on home video?

The Grudge 3
	I actually really enjoyed the first The Grudge American remake (which is available on Blu-ray in the "Even More" section below), but the sequel was awful and I don't expect anything at all from this direct-to-video return to the franchise which comes with the following short synopsis: Kayako's curse from The Grudge and The Grudge 2 continues killing the residents of a Chicago apartment building. News of these deaths reaches Japan, where Kayako's sister knows the secret that could end the grudge once and for all. Will she be able to stop the raging spirit, or will she become another victim? Basically, more of the same but made for less.

Paramount Catalog Blu-ray Major League / Wayne's World / Wayne's World 2 / Black Sheep / Without a Paddle
	Paramount is the king of catalog Blu-ray releases and today they release five comedic titles with only one of them really worth the purchase... that is, if you are looking for my opinion. My pick for purchase (if you feel you need to buy one of these) would be Major League. I remember when this film first hit cable. It must have been around 1991 or so and I would record my favorite movies off HBO and watch them over and over again. Well, I think there must have been about a month in there somewhere when I watched this movie every single night. I absolutely loved everything about this movie and still find it funny today. As for the Wayne's World films, they were really a product of their time and I don't think they carry much of a nostalgic effect -- after all, the sequel sucked. Without a Paddle I have yet to see and while I was never a die-hard Chris Farley fan I am sure there are some out there that probably think Black Sheep is the one title to buy here, even though I think most will admit Tommy Boy is the quintessential Farley flick.

The Best of Star Trek: "The Original Series" and "The Next Generation"
	I haven't watched these yet, but one comes with what are deemed to be the four "best" episodes from the original "Star Trek" series and the other with four "best" episodes from "Next Generation". I was never a fan of "Next Generation" so I have no comment on the four episodes they offer, but I can tell you they are "The Best of Both Worlds" parts one and two, "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "The Measure of a Man." I'm going to check them out and see if the series may be worth a revisit, but I'm not expecting much. As for the original series you get "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Balance of Terror" and "Amok Time." Of the original series selections, "Trouble with Tribbles" is a no-brainer and I think the other three are solid choices as well, even though they probably aren't my four favorite. "Tribbles," while certainly memorable, is one that wears thing really quick and this is going to sound incredibly geeky, but as interesting as "Amok Time" is the T'Pau character annoys the hell out of me. Had I been making this list I am not quite sure what four exactly I would have included, but "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "A Piece of the Action" (both from season two) are definitely my two favorite episodes. I also think it would be great to somehow find a way to put "Spock's Brain" on some kind of DVD set, an episode where Spock's brain is actually removed from his head... classic stuff. And people are complaining about the plot in the new film. Go figure.

• Two and a Half Men: The Complete Fifth Season
• Taking Chance
• Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
• Fargo [Blu-ray]
• Personal Effects (Kathy Bates, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer?)
• Alexander Korda's Private Lives (Criterion)
• Galaxy Quest (Deluxe Edition)
• Behind Enemy Lines Ultimate Collection
• Action Hero Collection (The Day After Tomorrow / I, Robot / The Terminator) [Blu-ray]
• War Hero Collection (Behind Enemy Lines / Patton / Rescue Dawn) [Blu-ray]
• Big (Extended Edition) [Blu-ray]
• There's Something About Mary [Blu-ray]
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly [Blu-ray]
• The Grudge [Blu-ray]

• Race to Witch Mountain (2-Disc Extended Edition) (buy now)
  Releasing on August 4, 2009
• Knowing (buy now)
  Releasing on July 7, 2009
• Scrubs - The Complete Eighth Season (buy now)
  Releasing on August 25, 2009
• Race to Witch Mountain (buy now)
  Releasing on August 4, 2009
• Two Lovers (buy now)
  Releasing on June 30, 2009
• Outlander (buy now)
  Releasing on May 19, 2009
• New in Town (buy now)
  Releasing on May 26, 2009
• Fanboys (buy now)
  Releasing on May 19, 2009
• Killshot (buy now)
  Releasing on May 26, 2009
• Push (buy now)
  Releasing on July 7, 2009
• Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (Unleashed and Unrated) (buy now)
  Releasing on June 30, 2009
• The Pink Panther 2 (buy now)
  Releasing on June 23, 2009
• 12 Rounds (Extreme Cut) (buy now)
  Releasing on June 30, 2009

• Knowing (buy now)
  Releasing on July 7, 2009
• Midnight Express (buy now)
  Releasing on July 21, 2009
• Scrubs - The Complete Eighth Season
  Releasing on November 17, 2009
• Natural Born Killers (Director's Cut)
  Releasing on August 25, 2009
• Race to Witch Mountain
  Releasing on August 4, 2009
• New in Town (buy now)
  Releasing on May 26, 2009
• Push (buy now)
  Releasing on July 7, 2009
• Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (Unleashed and Unrated) (buy now)
  Releasing on June 30, 2009
• The Pink Panther 2 (buy now)
  Releasing on June 23, 2009
• 12 Rounds (Extreme Cut) (buy now)
  Releasing on June 30, 2009

Meaningless, is a perfect way to describe the nitpicks I have read so far against the film, especially considering the folks hating on it actually liked it. Take Sci-Fi Wire's Thomas Mill for example. His post complaining about 11 things that bothered him about the movie (I agree with the puffy hands bit) comes with a preface saying "[We] love J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek and reservedly recommend it to all, including longtime fans, those who've never heard of Star Trek, and everyone in between." So why are you complaining?

As io9's Graeme McMillan points out when referencing someone questioning why Star Trek gets a pass when films like the Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace didn't, it is quite simple -- because Star Trek was good.

Beyond all of this I still can't help but go back to Faraci's self-described "meaningless" nitpicks because they can all be explained thanks to the one major plot point that is perhaps the most ridiculous of them all -- time travel. Star Trek takes place in an alternate reality, which means nothing that happened in any of the Star Trek movies or TV shows happened in this universe. So, when Faraci complains "Everybody's too old," I say, "Alternate reality."

Or when Faraci is bothered because "the Starfleet uniforms are way ahead of their time," I say, "Alternate reality."

How about the Spock and Uhura relationship? Yup, "Alternate reality."

Finally, about the fact "Everybody knows what Romulans look like," I say, "Alternate reality."

Seriously, complaining about something as trivial and stupid as uniforms and people knowing what Romulans look like is up there with some of the sillier things I have read. Would it have been more in line with "Star Trek" canon had the uniforms been as cheesy as before and the sets made of cardboard? Sure, but I think anyone that covers movies nowadays realizes that just isn't going to happen. So, again, why complain?

On top of that Faraci gave the film an 8/10 review, but even in his review he takes a final swipe saying, "I think that Star Trek is really a 7 out of 10 movie, but I've bumped it up to 8 because the elements that work work so well that while you're watching it, before you've had a chance to think about the numerous and idiotic plot holes and writing deficiencies." Ahhhhhh, snap! Take that Star Trek! You're fun and entertaining! It's almost as if he is upset he liked it and he isn't even done here as he offers up some backhanded compliments in a second editorial.

Before it seems like I am piling on, I do agree with Devin on a couple of his points, but I have to wonder where the motivation comes from and if his passion to continue to dissect the film's problems may actually confirm Star Trek's quality and status as a bonafide summer blockbuster. In my mind a blockbuster film is a film that doesn't require a lot of intelligence, is heavy on spectacle and ratchets up the entertainment. While I believe the entertainment value of these films can be debated (for example I didn't particularly like Transformers) I think most will agree the plot structure of a film such as Star Trek or Transformers is relatively weak, but is that worth dwelling on if you ultimately find the films to be greatly entertaining?

In my own review I point out the film's issues saying it "is light on story, heavy on convenience, weak in villainy and perfection in character and casting." However, I am happy to say I enjoyed it despite any flaws that are easily picked out. What do I care if time travel Spock somehow happens to be at the right place at the right time? Or if that isn't "what a black hole is, or how it behaves" as Roger Ebert complains. Perhaps Ebert overlooked the fact the villain is actually making black holes... who cares if that isn't how they behave? The friggin' planet just disappeared!]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/offering-the-star-trek-backlash-backlash http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ropeofsilicon/startrek/~3/eQdIK60Hxhw/box-office-wrap-up-may-8-may-10-2009

And now it's time for something difficult. Star Trek will most likely clear $40 million next weekend. Is that going to be enough to top Angels and Demons? It's our first real horse race of the summer. It it helps Da Vince Code opened at $77m and went on to make $758m worldwide... so it shouldn't be close if this one fits a similar profile. Your turn!

From the outset, Star Trek alters the 40+ year mythology of the classic series, asking die-hard fans to give in to the film and not concern themselves with what they know. This is a film more determined to build a quality cast of characters rather than concern itself with timeline's and the history of the franchise as it has been documented in the "Star Trek" annals.

Here you'll see the early days of James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard McCoy, Uhura and the rest of the original series regulars. All, except Uhura, played by Zoe Saldana with far more sex appeal than the character has ever shown before, match the aged actors that once inhabited the skin of the Enterprise crew.

Chris Pine, in particular, not only brings the ego of Kirk to the screen, but he also manages to make the role his own. Zachary Quinto handles the role of Spock like an old pro and I bet George Takei wishes Sulu was as strong a character as he is here with John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame reaping the rewards. The biggest surprise, however, is Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy, or "Bones" as many fondly remember him. I didn't think there was any way to tap into the unique character played by the late DeForest Kelley, but Urban brings the attitude and tired confidence of the doc to life adding another memorable face to the landscape. The only real disappointment is Nero, the Romulan villain played by Eric Bana with definite dedication, but he had very little to do. Bana managed to eek out as much menace as he could with a script that wasn't necessarily in his favor and a story more focused on Starfleet camaraderie than anything else.

Abrams quickly manages the film's flimsy plotline, dealing with space and time in a way that really doesn't hold up to even the mildest of scrutiny, with a larger attention to character. As a fan of the original "Star Trek" I didn't have much of a problem with this, but critical viewers are likely to take issue with the decision to always fall back on spectacle over substance every time.

Star Trek is dedicated to action and punch-lines, and doing it all at a quick clip. Story details are pushed aside as any problem faced by the characters is quickly resolved thanks to clever sci-fi trickery and seconded by a funny one-liner or a breath-taking moment of action, allowing you to quickly forget plot holes and continue enjoying the show.

Spectacular effects benefit from exceptional sound as phasers blast and photon torpedoes tear through an enemy ship's hull. One of the largest issues facing CG elements in live-action movies is the inability to give computer generated images a sense of weight in real space, but Star Trek proves sound designers are up to the task. Through the use of sound and, conversely, silence even massive starships floating in space benefit and have a real sense of substance in a digitally generated expanse.

Loaded with references and classic lines from the original "Star Trek" television series, I have already talked to one person that knew nothing of the original "Trek" and didn't catch on to any of them and still enjoyed the movie. Personally, I recognized them all and at times thought it was a bit overloaded, but not to a point it's ever bothersome. Star Trek is a film that will appeal to all audiences, Trekkie or not, it's hard not to have a good time with this 126 minute actioner that has reinvigorated a dying (if not dead) franchise and will likely spawn several sequels.

Don't ask me why, but I almost didn't do a Summer Movie Preview this year after doing one in 2006, 2007 and in 2008, and I must say it was interesting looking back at the past incarnations and seeing how it has changed over time. If you look at the 2006 version you get a "special treat" and get to see an example of how the site used to look. However, all things considered, I must say I think this year's preview is the best yet as it offers much more info including trailers, pictures and all the info and opinion you need to set your summer schedule.

The preview is made up of 50 films that will be released over the next four months and, this year, instead of listing my top 25 most anticipated films of the summer I took the results from the poll I posted back on April 13 and used RopeoSilicon reader results to make up the top 25 most anticipated films of the summer. The other 25 films are those I felt deserved your attention or may be worth a look.

I spent all weekend putting this bad boy together and trying to come up with something worthwhile to say about each and every film listed so I hope you enjoy. You can get started with the preview by clicking here or by clicking on the exclamation point overloaded graphic below.

Let me know what you think if you get a chance!

There are the biggies such as Star Trek, Angels and Demons and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but smaller films such as In the Loop, The Limits of Control and The Girlfriend Experience definitely deserve your attention.

You can check out all the galleries by clicking on the movie title in the list below, which will open up a new browser window/tab. Once you are done looking at the pics, close that window to return back to this post.

Enjoy, and remember you can stay up-to-date on all the latest images added to the site either on the homepage, on the movie stills homepage or by simply adding the RSS feed to your feed reader and you will never miss a pic.

• Star Trek (15 more images have just been added)
• The Boat that Rocked (4 new pics from the high seas comedy)
• In the Loop (This one looks good! Watch the trailer here)
• The Girlfriend Experience (4 new stills from the Soderbergh indie)
• The Lovely Bones (The first official image from Peter Jackson's latest)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (66 Total Potter Pics)
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (The bare-chested wolf pack in hi-res)
• The Limits of Control (18 Images from the new Jim Jarmusch film)
• Angels and Demons (21 Total Images)

You can check out all the galleries by clicking on the movie title in the list below, which will open up a new browser window. Once you are done looking at the pics, close that window to return back to this post.

Enjoy, and remember you can stay up-to-date on all the latest images added to the site either on the homepage, on the movie stills homepage or by simply adding the RSS feed to your feed reader and you will never miss a pic.

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (The full gallery is now up to 25 images)
• The Crazies (a rather cool little pic from Breck Eisner's horror)
• The Expendables (4 action packed images)
• Star Trek (7 new pics)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Snow meets the dwarfs in our first pic from this classic)
• Taking Woodstock (a hi-res look at the tie-dyed poster)
• Fame (4 hi-res poster images)