Hollywood’s “The Girl Next Door” fame Avril Lavigne gallery

International special effects expert Stan Winston in Percept pictures

(Courtesy: IndiaFM)
Percept Picture Company is all set to start work on Carry on Pappu, where a Chimpanzee would play the lead role. The film is in the news as international special effects expert Stan Winston (of Jurassic Park, Batman Begins and Terminator series fame), has been roped in for creating the character of the chimpanzee using Special effects.
Preet Bedi of Percept Picture confirms, “Yes, we are in talks with Stan, who will be helping us with the special effects, though at this point of time, I can’t divulge into too many details except the fact that Mr. David Dhawan would be directing the film. However this is not an Animated film”.

BOX OFFICE TOP 10’s in USA

(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)

No. 1: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Walt Disney, PG)

• Gross: $45.5 million

• Weeks opened: NEW!

• Theaters: 3,832

• Per-theater average: $11,874

No. 2: I Am Legend (Warner Bros., PG-13)

• Gross: $34.2 million (-56%)

• Weeks opened: 2

• Theaters: 3,620 (+14)

• Per-theater average: $9,454

• Cume to date: $137.4 million

No. 3: Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox, PG-13)

• Gross: $29 million (-35%)

• Weeks opened: 2

• Theaters: 3,499 (+24)

• Per-theater average: $8,288

• Cume to date: $84.8 million

No. 4: Charlie Wilson’s War (Universal, R)

• Gross: $9.6 million

• Weeks opened: NEW!

• Theaters: 2,575

• Per-theater average: $3,735

No. 5: Sweeney Todd (DreamWorks, R)

• Gross: $9.3 million

• Weeks opened: NEW!

• Theaters: 1,249

• Per-theater average: $7,486

No. 6: P.S. I Love You (Warner Bros., PG-13)

• Gross: $6.5 million

• Weeks opened: NEW!

• Theaters: 2,454

• Per-theater average: $2,651

No. 7: Enchanted (Disney, PG)

• Gross: $4.1 million (-25%)

• Weeks opened: 5

• Theaters: 2,752 (-314)

• Per-theater average: $1,509

• Cume to date: $98.3 million

No. 8: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Sony, R)

• Gross: $4.1 million

• Weeks opened: NEW!

• Theaters: 2,650

• Per-theater average: $1,547

No. 9: The Golden Compass (New Line, PG-13)

• Gross: $3.9 million (-55%)

• Weeks opened: 3

• Theaters: 2,953 (-575)

• Per-theater average: $1,346

• Cume to date: $48.4 million

No. 10: Juno (Fox Searchlight, PG-13)

• Gross: $3.4 million (+138%)

• Weeks opened: 5

• Theaters: 304 (+264)

• Per-theater average: $11,184

• Cume to date: $6.3 million

Britney Spears 'Damages' Brand's Image

(Courtesy:entertainment.com)

Britney Spears Do Something music video will no longer be played on European TV stations after Louis Vuitton claimed it "damaged their image".
The luxury clothes and accessories brand won an injunction in Paris yesterdayto stop the 2005 video - which shows mother-of-three Britney driving a pink car emblazoned with the company's prestigious 'cherry blossom LV' symbol - from being shown.
Sony BMG and MTV Online were ordered to pay $117,600 each for "damaging" the brand's image, and are expected to pay $1,470 for every day the video remains on the internet.
Louis Vuitton has continuously worked to prevent its goods from being copied, and has fought the ongoing battle in French and other courts.

World Greatest films (20): Shrek The Third (2007)

(Courtesy: Shrek.com)

Shrek the Third is the third film in the series, following Shrek and Shrek 2. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007 (June 8 in Mexico, June 22 in Spain, June 15 in Brazil, June 13 in France and June 29 in the UK and Ireland).It was produced with the working title of Shrek 3 the title used could be a reference to Blackadder in which the third series was called Blackadder the Third. Like the first two Shrek films, the movie is significantly based on fairy tale (specifically Grimm's Fairy Tales) themes. The film is rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor, suggestive content, and swashbuckling action.
Story and Plot Point
Harold has fallen deathly ill and his ogre son-in-law Shrek and daughter Fiona are next in line to be king and queen. Shrek declines, insisting that an ogre as king is a bad idea and that there has to be someone else for the job. With his final few breaths, the king tells Shrek that there is one other heir who can become the new King of Far Far Away: his nephew, Arthur. Shrek sets out to find this new king, along with Donkey and Puss in Boots. As they're sailing off, Fiona runs to the dock and announces to Shrek that she's pregnant. Shocked, Shrek begins to have nightmares about his future children on the journey to Worcestershire Academy, where they eventually discover that "Artie," who is an academy student, is a loser picked on by the other students - even the nerds. Artie is initially thrilled to be the new king, and excited to be on his way to the throne, until Donkey and Puss inadvertently scare him by talking about things like plague and famine. Panicked, Artie tries to take control of the ship and ends up crashing it on an island where they meet Artie's retired wizard teacher, Merlin.
Meanwhile, Charming has gone to the Poison Apple Bar, where he encounters a slew of fairy tale villains including Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumpelstiltskin, Mabel the Ugly Stepsister, the Headless Horseman, Stromboli the Puppet Master, and an assortment of black knights, dwarves, trees, and witches. Although they initially despise Charming, he persuades them to join him in a fight for their "happily ever after". The villains feel their side of the story has never been told and now is the time to do it. Charming and the other villains invade the kingdom and pillage for a time before attacking the castle, disrupting Fiona's baby shower. They capture all of Shrek's fairy tale friends (Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio, The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Blind Mice and The Three Little Pigs), Dragon, and Donkey and Dragon's children. Fiona and Lilian try to escape through an underground passage, along with Doris the Ugly Stepsister, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel; the ladies are captured, however, when Rapunzel betrays them and leads them into a trap. They learn that she is in love with Charming, who plans to make her his queen once he claims the throne.
Captain Hook and some of his pirates track Shrek and company to Merlin's island, where they attempt to capture Shrek and kill the others. Shrek and Artie tag-team them effectively, however, and send the villains running, but not before Hook mentions "King Charming" and the takeover of Far Far Away. Concerned for his wife and their child, Shrek urges Artie to return to the safety of Worcestershire; Artie, however, has other ideas. He cons Merlin into coming out of retirement long enough to use his magic and send them all back to Far Far Away; the spell works, but accidentally causes Puss and Donkey to switch bodies because they were touching each other. They find that Charming is bent on revenge against Shrek for 'stealing' his "happily ever after," and plans to kill Shrek in a play later that night. Charming's men arrive shortly, but another clever ruse by Artie tricks the knights into not taking them into custody. Instead, they break into the castle, where play rehearsal and set design are in full swing. In Charming's dressing room, Shrek menaces the would-be king, but Charming is able to summon his men, who burst in and take the four captive.
In an effort to save Artie, Shrek tells Charming that Artie was just a patsy to take his place as King of Far Far Away. Charming believes Shrek and decides not to kill the boy. Artie, who had just been growing to trust Shrek, is crushed by this and runs away. Donkey and Puss are thrown into the tower with Fiona and the other ladies, where Fiona is growing frustrated with the other princesses and their lack of initiative. Queen Lilian grows fed up when Snow White calls her an old lady, and successfully smashes the stone wall of the prison. While the women launch a rescue mission for Shrek, who is being held captive elsewhere, Donkey and Puss work to free Gingy, Pinocchio, the wolf and pigs, Dragon, and Donkey's babies. As they prepare to enter the castle and join the ladies, they encounter Artie, and Puss and Donkey explain to him that Shrek lied so Charming wouldn't kill him. Artie seems hesitant to believe them.
As the kingdom watches, Charming stages a theatrical performance in which he heroically rides to the rescue of Rapunzel in her (fake) tower and sings, somewhat badly. To Charming's profound annoyance, the chained Shrek wins the audience's support by ridiculing his singing and acting. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona and her friends, along with Puss, Donkey and the Fairy Tale characters, leap onto the stage to confront the villains. It goes awry, however, as the villains largely outnumber the heroes and take them prisoner again. In the nick of time, Artie arrives and convinces the villains to stop and turn over a new leaf, proving himself to possess effective leadership skills. The villains drop their weapons and release their captives. Charming, furious at having been thwarted by this boy, lunges for him with his sword. Shrek blocks the blow and appears to take it in his own chest, leading Charming to exult; the attack missed, however, and the sword is lodged harmlessly under Shrek's arm. Shrek informs Charming that he needs to keep looking for his own happily ever after, "because I'm not giving up mine." Dragon slyly knocks over Rapunzel's tower, which traps Charming as it lands on him, and the crowd cheers. Charming's crown is sent rolling across the stage by the impact and is caught by Artie. Shrek tells him that the throne is his if he wants it, but it is his decision to make. Artie lifts the crown toward the audience, who cheer him loudly, then sets it on his own head. While the kingdom celebrates their new monarch, Merlin appears and restores Puss and Donkey to their proper bodies, though their tails remain switched.As Far Far Away is left in the capable hands of young King Arthur, Shrek retires with Fiona to their swamp. The end shows that Fiona has given birth to triplets, two boys and a girl; Queen Lilian is visiting with them, or else has left Far Far Away to live with them. Their home is overflowing with good-natured chaos, thanks in part to visits from Puss, Donkey, and the Dronkeys, and Shrek and Fiona are exceedingly happy in their new roles as parents.

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All time greatest films in the world (19): star wars (1977)

(Courtesy:starwars.com)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (originally released as Star Wars) is a 1977 space opera film, produced, written, and directed by George Lucas. It was the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga; three later films precede the story in the series' internal chronology. Ground-breaking in its use of special effects, this first Star Wars movie is one of the most successful films of all time and generally considered one of the most influential as well.
Set far in the past, the movie tells the story of a plot against an oppressive Galactic Empire by a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance. Seeking to make their authority absolute the Empire has recently completed its ultimate weapon: the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station capable of destroying a planet. Even so, spies have managed to obtain schematic plans of the station in the hope of finding a weakness. Rebel Leader Princess Leia Organa is racing to transport these plans to the rebel base when her ship is attacked and she and the crew are captured by Imperial forces. In a desperate attempt to complete her mission, Leia hides the plans within one of her two servant androids and records a quick message to former military general and rebel sympathizer: Obi-Wan Kenobi. Explaining her circumstances she begs Kenobi see that the plans are delivered safely to the base. The androids are then launched, in an escape pod, to Obi-Wan's home planet of Tatooine, where they come into the possession of teenaged farmer, Luke Skywalker. The secret message is soon discovered and Skywalker sets off to locate Kenobi and find a way to help the Princess.
Inspired by films like the Flash Gordon serials and the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa, as well as such critical works as Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Lucas began work on Star Wars in 1974. Produced with a budget of US$11,000,000 and released on May 25, 1977, the film became one of the most successful of all time, earning $460 million in the United States and $337 million overseas, as well as receiving several film awards, including 10 Academy Award nominations. It was re-released several times, sometimes with significant changes; the most notable versions were the 1997 Special Edition and the 2004 DVD, which were modified with CGI effects and recreated scenes.
Story and Plot Point
An opening crawl reveals that the galaxy is in a state of civil war. The Rebel Alliance has stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a space station capable of annihilating a planet. Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan has possession of the plans, and before she is captured by the Empire, she hides them, along with a holographic recording, in a "droid" named R2-D2. The small droid escapes with his humanoid partner C-3PO to the surface of the desert planet Tatooine below. On Tatooine, the droids are captured by Jawas, who sell them to moisture farmer Owen Lars and his nephew, Luke Skywalker. While Luke cleans R2-D2, he accidentally triggers part of a holographic message, in which Princess Leia requests the help of "Obi-Wan Kenobi." The only Kenobi he knows is Ben Kenobi, a hermit who lives in the nearby hills, but Uncle Owen dismisses any connection.
Later, R2-D2 escapes, causing Luke and C-3PO to go out after him. Luke is attacked by Tusken Raiders. Along the way, they meet the "old wizard" Ben Kenobi, who reveals himself to be Obi-Wan. He takes them back to his hut and tells of his days as a Jedi Knight, and explains to Luke about a mysterious energy field called "the Force". He also tells Luke about his father, Anakin Skywalker, gives him his father's lightsaber, and tells him that Anakin had been "betrayed and murdered" by Obi-Wan's former pupil, Darth Vader. Obi-Wan then views Princess Leia's message, in which she begs him to take R2-D2 and the Death Star plans to Alderaan, where her father will be able to retrieve and analyze them. Obi-Wan asks Luke to accompany him to Alderaan and to learn the ways of the Force. After discovering that his home has been destroyed and his aunt and uncle killed by Imperial stormtroopers, Luke agrees to go with Obi-Wan to Alderaan, and to learn to become a Jedi like his father. At the seedy Mos Eisley Spaceport, the group finds a smuggler named Han Solo and his Wookie friend Chewbacca, who agree to transport them on their ship, the Millennium Falcon. Attacked by stormtroopers as they board the ship, they make a hasty escape and prepare for a hyperspace leap to Alderaan.
Meanwhile, Leia has been imprisoned on the Death Star and has resisted interrogation. Grand Moff Tarkin, the Death Star's commanding officer, destroys her home planet of Alderaan as a means of demonstrating the power of the Empire's new weapon. The planet's destruction is felt by Obi-Wan aboard the Millennium Falcon while he is instructing Luke about the Force. Arriving at the coordinates for the planet, they are bombarded instead by rubble from the explosion. Following a TIE Fighter toward what appears to be a small moon, they are captured by the Death Star's tractor beam. Using hidden compartments to surprise Imperial stormtroopers and donning their armor as disguises, Han and Luke escape to a command room to wait while Obi-Wan attempts to disable the tractor beam. While they are there, R2-D2 discovers that Princess Leia is scheduled for termination. Han and Luke stage a rescue on the cell block, but they are forced into a garbage chute when their escape route is cut off. Making their way back to the Millennium Falcon, their path is cleared by the spectacle of a lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Warning the dark lord that he will become "more powerful than you can possibly imagine," the old Jedi allows himself to be struck down as the others escape toward a hidden rebel base. A beacon hidden aboard the ship allows the Empire to track their route.
After landing on Yavin IV, the Death Star plans are analyzed by the Rebel Alliance and a potential weakness is found, one which will require the use of single-man fighters to slip past the Death Star's formidable defenses. Luke joins the assault team while Han collects his reward for the Princess' rescue. The attack proceeds as planned but suffers heavy losses without a successful torpedo hit in the small thermal exhaust port which would create a chain reaction. During Luke's run, Darth Vader engages the Rebels in ship-to-ship combat, but before he can destroy Luke, the Milennium Falcon appears and destroys one of Vader's wingmen while the other wingman shouts "Look out!" and attempts to veer away from the Falcon but instead veers into Vader's fighter and is destroyed crashing into the trench wall. Vader is last seen spinning out of control into outer space. Guided by the voice of Obi-Wan to "use the Force," Luke shuts off his targeting computer and fires the successful shot which destroys the Death Star seconds before it could attack the Rebel base. At a grand ceremony, Princess Leia awards medals to Luke and Han for their heroism in the battle.
Box office records
Charles Lippincott was hired by Lucas' production company, Lucasfilm Ltd., as marketing director for Star Wars. Because 20th Century Fox gave little support for marketing beyond licensing T-shirts and posters, Lippincott was forced to look elsewhere. He secured deals with Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Marvel Comics for a comic book adaptation and with Del Rey Books for a novelization. Wary that Star Wars would be beaten out by other summer films, such as Smokey and the Bandit, 20th Century Fox moved the release date to Wednesday before Memorial Day: May 25, 1977. However, few theaters ordered the film to be shown. In response, 20th Century Fox demanded that theaters order Star Wars if they wanted an eagerly anticipated film based on a best-selling novel titled The Other Side of Midnight.
The film became an instant success; within three weeks of the film's release, 20th Century Fox's stock price doubled to a record high. Before 1977, 20th Century Fox's greatest annual profits were $37,000,000; in 1977, the company earned $79,000,000. Although the film's cultural neutrality helped it to gain international success, Ladd became anxious during the premiere in Japan. After the screening, the audience was silent, leading Ladd, Jr. to fear that the film would be unsuccessful. He was later told that, in Japan, silence was the greatest honor to a film. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended the ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where C-3PO, R2-D2 and Darth Vader placed their footprints in the theater's forecourt. Although Star Wars merchandise was available to enthusiastic children upon release, only Kenner Toys—who believed that the film would be unsuccessful—had accepted Lippincott's licensing offers. Kenner responded to the sudden demand for toys by selling boxed vouchers in its "empty box" Christmas campaign; these vouchers could be redeemed for the toys in March 1978.
In 1978, at the height of the film's popularity, Smith-Hemion Productions approached Lucas with the idea of The Star Wars Holiday Special. The end result is often considered a failure; Lucas himself disowned it. Lucas entered into a wager with long-time friend Steven Spielberg during the production of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Lucas was sure Close Encounters would outperform the yet-to-be-released Star Wars at the box office and bet 2.5% of the proceeds of each film against each other. Lucas lost the bet, of course, and to this day Spielberg is still receiving proceeds from the first of the Star Wars movies.
The film was originally released as—and consequently often called—Star Wars, without Episode IV or the subtitle A New Hope. The 1980 sequel, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, featured an episode number and subtitle in the opening crawl. When the original film was re-released in 1981, Episode IV: A New Hope was added above the original opening crawl. Although Lucas claims that only six films were ever planned, representatives of Lucasfilm discussed plans for nine or 12 possible films in early interviews. The film was re-released theatrically in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1997.

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All time greatest films in the world (18): Spiderman (2002)

(Courtesy:spiderman.com)

Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film is the first in the Spider-Man film series. The film was written by David Koepp, and directed by Sam Raimi. It stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Willem Dafoe.
The film begins with Peter Parker, a high school student, being bitten by a genetically altered spider. After misusing his newly given abilities, which indirectly caused the death of his Uncle Ben, he becomes the heroic Spider-Man. Peter hopes to win the heart of Mary Jane Watson, the girl he has loved since he was a boy, and battles the villainous Green Goblin, who is the father of Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn.
After being stuck in development hell for nearly 25 years, the film was released on May 3, 2002 to good reviews from critics, went on to break box office records, and became the highest grossing film of 2002. The success of the film led to two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. This led the films to being a trilogy in the Spider-Man film series.

Story and Plot Point
Peter Parker, his best friend Harry Osborn, and secret crush Mary Jane Watson visit a genetics laboratory with their high school class. While taking photos in the laboratory, Peter is bitten on the hand by a genetically engineered "super spider", and arrives home and passes out with the bite wound considerably swollen. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn, Harry's father, attempts to preserve his company's military contract from a rival firm, personally experimenting with his company's new but unstable performance-enhancing chemical vapor to increase his speed, strength, and stamina. Afterward, he goes into an uncontrollable rage and kills his assistant. The next morning, Peter finds that his previously impaired vision has improved to 20/20 and that his body has metamorphosized into a more muscular physique. When Peter goes to school, he finds himself producing webbing and having the quick reflexes to avoid being injured in a fight with Flash Thompson. Peter escapes from the school and realizes that he has acquired spider-like abilities from the spider bite. Peter quickly learns to scale walls, long jump across building rooftops and swing via webs from his wrists.
Lying to his aunt and uncle about where he is going, Peter decides to enter a wrestling tournament to get money to buy a car and impress Mary Jane. During an argument, Uncle Ben advises Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter lashes out at his uncle and leaves for the tournament. Peter wins, but is cheated out of the contest money. In retaliation he allows a thief to escape with the promoter's gate money. Afterward, Peter finds his uncle has been carjacked and killed. Peter tracks down the carjacker only to find out it was the same thief he allowed to escape earlier. During the struggle, the carjacker falls out of a window and dies. Upon graduating, Peter decides to use his abilities to fight injustice, and dons a new costume and the persona of Spider-Man. Peter is hired as a freelance photographer when he arrives in newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson's office with the only clear images of Spider-Man.
Norman, upon finding out that Oscorp's board members plan to sell the company, attacks them at the World Unity Fair. Although he successfully murders them, Peter engages him as Spider-Man and drives him off as he threatens Mary Jane. Jameson quickly dubs Norman as the Green Goblin. The Goblin offers Spider-Man a place at his side as he sees how the authorities mistrust him, but Spider-Man refuses, knowing that it is the right thing to do. The Goblin commits arson to engage him with a final offer, which Spider-Man refuses, and the Goblin becomes set on killing him. At the Osborn and Parkers' Thanksgiving dinner, Norman notices Peter's wound from the masked confrontation and leaves shortly thereafter. Feeling betrayed by Peter, and having found a personal annoyance with Aunt May, he attacks her. While she recovers in the hospital, Mary Jane admits she has a crush on Spider-Man, who rescued her on numerous occasions, and asks Peter whether he ever asked about her. Peter reflects on his own feelings, during which Harry enters. Feeling betrayed by his girlfriend, Harry tells his father whom Peter loves the most, unintentionally revealing what is Spider-Man's biggest weakness.The Goblin strikes, holding Mary Jane and a tram car full of children hostage on top the Queensboro Bridge where Spider-Man arrives. The Goblin tells Spider-Man to choose who he wants to save, and when Spider-Man refuses to choose, the Goblin drops his hostages. Spider-Man manages to save both Mary Jane and the tram car, whilst the Goblin is pelted at by civilians, showing loyalty to Spider-Man and proving him wrong by telling the Goblin that if "you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." The Goblin then grabs Spider-Man and throws him into an abandoned building where he begins to beat him. The tables turn as the Goblin boasts of how he will later kill Mary Jane, and an enraged Spider-Man dominates over him, forcing the Goblin into being unmasked. Norman begs for forgiveness, but his Goblin persona attempts to remote-control his glider to impale Spider-Man. The superhero evades the attack, causing the glider to impale Norman instead, and he dies asking Peter not to reveal his secret to Harry. At Norman’s funeral, Harry swears vengeance toward Spider-Man, who he believes is responsible for killing his father, and asserts that Peter is all he has left. Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she’s in love with him, but Peter, feeling that he must protect her, hides his true feelings. As Peter leaves the funeral, he recalls Uncle Ben's words, "With great power comes great responsibility." The film ends with Spider-Man web-swinging through the city he vows to defend.

Box office performance
Spider-Man was commercially released in the United States on May 3, 2002 in 3,615 theaters. The film earned $114,844,116 during its opening weekend and became the fastest theatrical release to reach $100 million, crossing the milestone in three days. The film's three-day record was later surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006. Spider-Man also set an all-time record for the highest earnings in a single day with $43,622,264 on May 4, 2002, a record later surpassed by Shrek 2 in 2004. In the U.S. box office, Spider-Man became the highest grossing film of 2002 with $403,706,375, defeating The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Spider-Man currently ranks #7 in the all-time U.S. box office. The film also grossed $821,708,551 worldwide, currently placing it #14 in worldwide box office ranks.
Awards
The film has won several awards ranging from Teen Choice Awards to the Saturn Awards, and was even nominated for two Academy Awards ("Best Visual Effects" and "Best Sound"). While only Danny Elfman brought home a Saturn Award, Raimi, Maguire, and Dunst were all nominated for their respective positions. It also took home the People's Choice Award for "Favorite Motion Picture."

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Marion Cotillard wins AAFCA AWARD as best actress

(Courtesy:hollywooddotcom)

French actress Marion Cotillard has won the best actress award from the African American Films Critics' Association for her performance as a tragic singer, Edith Piaf, in La Vie En Rose. Don Cheadle has won the best actor award and filmmaker Kasi Lemmons has been adjudged for the best director award. Ruby Dee and Chiwetel Ejifor have been chosen for the best supporting actor and actress award for their performance in American Gangster. The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington, was chosen for the best film award for 2007. The movie, scripted by Suzane-Lori Parks and Robert Eisele, produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, starring Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker, Gina Ravera and Jurnee Smollett, will be released in the U.S. on December 25.

All time greatest films in the World (17): Independence Day

(Courtesy:independenceday.com)

Independence Day is an Academy Award winning science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich. The film's plot is about an attempted alien invasion of Earth. The film's success was partially credited to an extensive marketing campaign which began in the United States with a dramatic commercial during the Super Bowl XXX. It is the first movie to advertise during Super Bowls. Fox spent $1.3 million to promote the film during the Super Bowl. The movie was scheduled for release on July 3, 1996, but due to the high level of anticipation for the film, many theaters began showing it on the evening of July 2, 1996, the same day the action in the film begins. The movie's total worldwide gross was $816,969,268 - the 18th highest worldwide gross for a movie all-time, and rated the 49th best sci-fi movie of all time.

Story and Plot Point
When Earth comes under attack from an advanced extraterrestrial species, the survivors must band together to repel the invaders.
On July 2, an alien mothership enters orbit around Earth, deploying several dozen smaller spacecraft to hover over many of the world's major cities. Satellite transmissions from the craft are discovered, by scientist David Levinson (Goldblum), to be a timer which he believes is a countdown to a coordinated attack by the aliens. Having made his way to the White House with his father, he warns President Thomas J. Whitmore (Pullman) of the impending attack. After three US Air Force helicopters are shot down by an alien spacecraft while attempting to establish communications, the president orders the evacuation of affected cities. Before the countdown reaches zero, he flees the White House aboard Air Force One with his staff and Levinson. At zero point, the hovering alien spacecraft open fire upon their targets with advanced directed-energy weapons, incinerating entire cities and killing millions.
The United States counterattack is coordinated from El Toro and sees the alien spacecraft assaulted by Marine Corps fighter aircraft. The attacks are useless, as both the larger craft and individual fighters launched from within are protected by seemingly-impenetrable force fields. After leading his unit of fighter pilots in an attack against the aliens, Captain Steven Hiller (Smith) is involved in a dogfight with an alien fighter which sees both crash in the desert. Having parachuted to safety, Hiller subdues and captures the injured alien. As the El Toro airbase has since been destroyed, Hiller takes the alien in the direction of the nearby Area 51 base, where the president and his remaining staff have also landed. There, they discover a top secret facility housing a captured alien fighter and three alien bodies recovered from Roswell in 1947.
When lead scientist Dr. Brackish Okun (Spiner) examines the new alien specimen, it attempts escape and takes control of his mind. When questioned by President Whitmore, through a telepathic connection it reveals that its species travels from planet to planet, destroying all life and harvesting the planet's natural resources, before moving on to the next conquest. The alien attempts a psychic attack against Whitmore and is killed by military personnel. Whitmore orders a nuclear attack on one of the larger alien spacecraft which is hovering over a by-now-evacuated Houston, but as the craft is still protected by its force shield, the attack fails.
Levinson devises a plan to gain access to the interior of the alien mothership in space in order to introduce a computer virus and plant a nuclear device on board. This, it is hoped, will cause the shields of the Earth-based alien craft to fail long enough for the human resistance to destroy them. Hiller volunteers to fly the captured alien fighter and Levinson accompanies him to upload the virus. With satellite communications knocked out, the Americans use morse code to coordinate an attack with the remaining air forces around the world, timed to occur when the invaders' shields are set to fail. With the successful implantation of the virus, President Whitmore leads the US fighter jets against an alien spacecraft on approach to Area 51. The attack is initially unsuccessful and the fighters soon exhaust their supply of missiles. The underside of the alien craft opens up as its primary weapon of mass destruction is prepared to fire on the base. Russell Casse (Quaid) finds that he possesses the one remaining missile. The firing mechanism damaged, he pilots his jet into the opening in a kamikaze attack. The ensuing explosion causes a chain reaction which destroys the alien spacecraft. Human resistance forces around the world use the same weak point to destroy the remainder of the alien ships, while the nuclear device planted by Hiller and Levinson destroys the alien mothership. Hiller and Levinson escape unharmed, crash-landing their captured alien fighter in the desert close to Area 51.

Box office performance
Domestic Total Gross: $306,169,268
Foreign: $510,800,000
Worldwide: $816,969,268
Independence Day took £6.8 million at the box office during its opening weekend in the UK.One factor of The box office success of Independence Day is due to the heavy marketing campaign behind it.

Awards
Academy Award for Visual Effects
Saturn Award for Best Director, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Special Effects
Amanda award for Best Foreign Feature Film
Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Science Fiction, Will Smith
Czech Lions award for box office
Golden Screen award for Golden Screen, Golden Screen with 1 Star, and Golden Screen with 2 Stars
International Monitor Award for Electronic Visual Effects
Kids' Choice Awards Blimp Award for favorite movie
MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
Mainichi Film Concours award for Best Foreign Language Film
People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture
Golden Satellite Award for Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects
Universe Reader's Choice Award for Best Actor in a Genre Motion Picture, Best Cinematography for a Genre Motion Picture, Best Director for a Genre Motion Picture, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Score for a Genre Motion Picture, Best Special Effects in a Genre Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actress in a Genre Motion Picture and Best Writing for a Genre Motion Picture.

Srivenkat

2007’s top five best and worst films in Hollywood

(Courtesy : Hollywood.com)

At the end of each year, the collective quality of the year’s movies usually seems to even out. But just the same, there are always the outliers, the extremes, the very best and the very worst, which is where some of the fun comes in. This year, Atonement proved period romance movies don't have to be sappy, while Sandra Bullock demonstrated her box office appeal is relegated to public transit as the Speed star's thriller Premonition failed to connect with moviegoers.Here is a review of the year that was--and wasn’t--on the big screen, with my picks for ’07.

Hollywood critics Top Five

Atonement

This is this year’s equivalent to The English Patient, a book adaptation that follows the traditions of those sweeping period films romantic saps like me love to sigh over. Even though there are some--like Seinfeld’s Elaine--who would surely balk, I am on the side of the devoutly dreamy, especially when it’s a story about enduring love during war-torn times. But Atonement offers so much more: exquisite cinematography (director Joe Wright outdoes himself), affecting performances (lovers Keria Knightley and James McAvov and the extraordinary new find, Saoirse Ronan), a melodic original score (from composer Dario Marianelli). And most importantly, at the film’s core beats the heart of a writer, trying to find her own redemption through her words. Any writer will relate to that.

Juno

If I had to be a teenager again, I’d want to be just like Ellen Page’s Juno MacGuff--minus the pregnancy, of course. She’s practical, can zing off the snarky comeback lines like it’s nobody’s business, has a thing for the geeky track star and doesn’t apologize for it. And as for getting herself into this wee bit of trouble, she handles the responsibilities with a lot of warmth and humor. Then again, maybe I should just ask Juno’s first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody -a former stripper now a hot commodity in the writing department--to follow me around, writing my dialogue for me. Nah, she’s probably too busy these days. I think instead I’ll just own Juno when it comes out on DVD, so I can enjoy the film’s wry sense of humor and enormous amounts of unpretentious feel-gooiness over and over again.

Michael Clayton

I’m also a sucker for smart legal thrillers that sees an underdog bring down big, bad corporate mucky mucks. The Verdict, Afew Good Men, Erin Brockoyich --the smarter they are, the better. But writer/director Tony Gilroy does something slightly different with his Michael Clayton. All his characters are morally questionable and seriously flawed, so you’re not entirely sure who to root for. Oh, sure, there is definitely a clear-cut bad guy--in the form of a highly motivated corporate climber played near perfect byTilda Swinton. But whether it’s Tom Wilkinson as a top litigator whose conscience gets the better of him or Sydney Pollack as the resigned head of the high-powered law firm orGeorge Clooney as the firm’s beleaguered “fixer” caught in the middle, the film adds new dimensions to one of my favorite genres and is refreshingly top-notch entertainment.

Ratatouille

I wouldn’t call myself a great chef, but I do appreciate good food. Helmed by the ultra-talented Brad Bird, Ratatouille is the delicacy I was waiting for, on par with other excellent food-related movies such as Like Water for Chocolate and Barbette’s Feast. Of course, the film is also a masterpiece in both animation and storytelling. Bird, of The Incredible fame, captures the adults’ imagination with his endearing tale about a little Parisian rat named Remy who knows his way around a kitchen, and then puts it in a fun-filled animated package the kids will enjoy. A win-win situation. I may even want to try the titular title’s main dish someday--in a Parisian café, of course.

There will be Blood

Be prepared for this one, folks. From the opening sequence in which Daniel Day –Lewis, deep in a hole in a Californian hillside, is whacking away at the bedrock with a pickaxe, while a discordant score permeates, There will be Blood hits low and hard. Based on Upton Sinclair’s sprawling novel Oil!, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson incorporates a slow, methodical technique to his adaptation, much like a Terrence Malick film. But while that might indicate a certain level of boredom, There will be Blood is anything but boring, thanks in large part to Day-Lewis’ unrelenting performance as Daniel Plainview, a man corrupted by his greed for more oil, and Paul Dano, a religious zealot who proves to be Plainview’s Achilles heel. Let’s just say, I definitely felt saturated by the black gold before the end of the film--in more ways than one.

And Five Honorable Mentions:

Grindhouse (for the ultimate cinematic B-movie experience); Superbad (I just laughed and laughed and laughed); The Borne Ultimatum (smart, grainy, action-packed--the best of the summer); Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead (gut-wrenching little crime drama that falls like a row of dominoes); and NO country For Old Men (it’s nice to have the Coen boys back doing what they do best)

Bottom Five

Happily N’Ever After

From the producers of the Shrek series comes this annoying Shrek rip-off—a wannabe fairytale spoof with no imagination about what would happen if none of the fairytales had happy endings, and the villains won out instead. I think we have enough CGI-animated films spoofing fairy tales than we know what to do with, so ultimately, it’s probably just best to keep the fairy tale spoofs to the Shrek professionals.

Next

Nicolas, Nicolas, Nicolas. Sometimes you can hit it out of the park with one of your action films-- The Rock and the first National Treasure come to mind--but more often than not, you fail quite miserably. 2007 was a particularly bad year for a Nicolas Cage actioner: First, there was the tepid Ghost Rider and then Next, a film about a guy who can see 30 seconds into the future and has to save L.A. from a nuclear bomb. I’ll be the first to suspend my disbelief, but this is just about as implausible as it gets (unless you are talking about Premonition see below). Jury is still out on National Treasure-2, so maybe Cage can redeem himself.

Norbit

Like I said in my opening line, Eddie Murphy in another fat suit? What could possibly go wrong with that? Oh, so much. So very, very much. For all of Murphy’s silly, latex-laden, heavily made-up comedies, there has always been a somewhat sweet story at its center, such as in The Nutty Professor and Coming to America. Not so in Norbit it's really only about being mean-spirited--and, well, fat. Great big globs of cellulite thrown at us onscreen at an alarmingly rate. Shiver. Let’s hope there’s never a sequel.

No Reservations

Just as Ratatouille made you want to eat food prepared by a five-star restaurant, No Reservations --about an anal top chef who falls for a renegade chef -makes you want to order pizza at home and watch reruns of Scrubs. No delicacies here, as these two crazy chefs try to make a go of it in the romance department. Add in the “affecting kid role” played by Abigail Breslin and you’ve got something as bland and predictable as a frozen TV dinner.

Premonition

Ah, probably my favorite film to dislike this year. Talk about improbable. You spend most of your time just trying to figure out why this woman, Linda Hanson, is running around like a crazy person, waking up one day to find her husband, Jim, is dead and then the next, that he’s still alive. The movie is exhausting, frankly.

And Five Honorable Mentions:

Freedom Writers (Hilary Swank at her syrupiness); License to Wed (Robin Williams at his most annoying); Wild Hogs (kind of embarrassing for all involved); Death at a Funeral (a calamity comedy at its worst); and Bratz (insipid fluff; just get one of the dolls instead).

All time greatest films in the World(16): Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

(Courtesy:starwars.com)

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology.
The film is set three years after the onset of the Clone Wars; the noble Jedi Knights are spread out across the galaxy leading a massive clone army in the war against the Separatists. After Chancellor Palpatine is kidnapped, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former padawan, Anakin Skywalker, are dispatched to eliminate the evil General Grievous. Meanwhile, Anakin's friendship with the Chancellor arouses suspicion in the Jedi Order, and dangerous to the Jedi Knight himself. When the sinister Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, unveils a plot to take over the galaxy, the fate of Anakin, the Jedi order, and the entire galaxy is at stake.
The film was released in theatres on May 19, 2005, and received generally positive reviews from critics, especially in contrast to the previous two prequels. It broke several box office records during its opening week, and went on to earn over US$850 million worldwide, making it the second highest grossing film in the Star Wars franchise. It was the highest grossing film of 2005 in the U.S., the second highest grossing film of 2005 worldwide behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Story and Plot Point
The opening crawl reveals that the galaxy is in the midst of the Clone Wars. Chancellor Palpatine has been kidnapped by the Separatists' second-in-command, General Grievous. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi lead a mission to rescue him. After killing Sith Lord Count Dooku and freeing the Chancellor, the Jedi attempt to escape, but are captured by General Grievous. Anakin and Obi-Wan manage to break free, but Grievous escapes and traps the Jedi and the Chancellor inside the severely damaged cruiser. Anakin is forced to crash-land the ship on one of Coruscant's landing tracks.
Upon his return, Anakin is reunited with his wife, Padmé Amidala, who tells him that she is pregnant. Despite Padmé's worries over their secret marriage, Anakin is overjoyed at this news, and the couple makes plans to raise their child. However, Anakin is troubled by visions of Padmé dying in childbirth, visions similar to those he had of his mother just before she died. Later, Obi-Wan privately tells Anakin that the Council wants him to spy on the Chancellor because they believe him to be corrupt, an order Anakin resents since the Chancellor has become a mentor to him. As the Chancellor's bodyguard, Anakin develops a close friendship with Palpatine, who subtly manipulates Anakin in their discussions, making him distrust the Jedi. Palpatine claims to know of an ability to prevent death. Obi-Wan is sent to Utapau, where he engages and kills General Grievous. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Palpatine reveals himself to Anakin as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who has been controlling the Republic and the Separatist movement. Anakin leaves to expose him to the Jedi Council. Jedi Master Mace Windu arrives at the Chancellor's office shortly thereafter and eventually subdues Sidious in a lightsaber duel. Just as Anakin arrives, Windu is about to kill Sidious. Anakin quickly disarms Windu, believing Sidious holds the only way to save his wife. Windu is consumed by Sidious' torrents of Force lightning, throwing him out a window to his death. Anakin then submits to the dark side of the Force and becomes Sidious' Sith apprentice: Darth Vader. He then orders Vader to kill all Jedi within the Jedi Temple, then to go to the Mustafar system and eliminate the Separatist leaders.
Darth Sidious orders clone troopers across the galaxy to turn against their Jedi Generals by enacting a pre-programmed directive, Order 66. Numerous Jedi across the galaxy are seen being exterminated, although both Yoda and Obi-Wan survive. Darth Vader slaughters all the children in the Jedi Temple. Afterwards, he goes to Padmé and tells her the Jedi have attempted to take over the Republic and leaves for Mustafar, where he slaughters the Separatist leaders. Senator Bail Organa rescues Obi-Wan and Yoda, and brings them to the Jedi Temple before heading to the Senate building. Sidious (as Palpatine) informs the Senate of a Jedi plot to overthrow the Republic. As a result, he announces that the Republic will be reorganized into the Galactic Empire. In the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan and Yoda stand in shock over the bodies of the younglings and reconfigure a signal to warn all Jedi to keep away. Obi-Wan looks into the security recordings and, to his horror, sees a hologram of Vader carrying out the orders of Darth Sidious and kneeling to him. Though he initially refuses, Obi-Wan eventually agrees to find and kill Anakin' '. Obi-Wan then meets with Padmé, who refuses to believe his claims about Anakin's fall to the dark side. When she departs for Mustafar, Obi-Wan secretly stows away onboard.
When the couple is reunited, Padmé pleads with Vader to leave public life with her, but he refuses, believing that he can overthrow Sidious so that he and Padmé can rule the galaxy together. Vader sees Obi-Wan emerge from Padmé's ship, and suspects her of betraying him. Enraged, he uses the Force to choke Padmé into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan and Vader break into a vicious lightsaber duel. The duel brings them out of the facility to unprotected areas of the volcano planet. Obi-Wan eventually gains the advantage of higher ground, and when Vader attempts to attack again, Obi-Wan slices off both of his legs and his left arm in two swift cuts. Vader tumbles down the embankment and rolls to a stop at the edge of the lava. He catches on fire, sustaining near-fatal fourth-degree burns and severe lung damage. Obi-Wan leaves Mustafar with Padmé and Vader's lightsaber, leaving Vader to die. Darth Sidious arrives on Mustafar moments later and rescues Vader from the brink of death.Padmé is given medical assistance, and although she is physically intact, she has lost her will to live. She delivers twins, a boy and a girl and names them Luke and Leia. With her final breaths, she insists to Obi-Wan that there is still good in Anakin (Vader); she then dies. On Coruscant, Vader's missing limbs and damaged body parts are replaced by cybernetic prostheses and implants. Vader is put into a full suit of black armor and is sealed in a respirator mask, which will allow him to survive his injuries. When Vader asks Sidious about Padmé's condition, he tells Vader that, in his anger, Vader himself killed Padmé. Vader unleashes a furious scream of mournful rage and destroys droids and equipment throughout the room with the Force while Sidious looks on with an evil grin. Aboard the Tantive IV, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa agree to keep the children hidden and separated. Obi-Wan and Yoda will watch and wait until the time is ready for the Skywalker children to do their part in the battle against the Sith. Leia is taken to Alderaan to live with the Queen and Bail Organa, and Luke is transferred to Tatooine to live with Owen and Beru. The film concludes with Owen and Beru holding Luke while staring out over the desert at Tatooine's twin suns.

Box office performance
Revenge of the Sith was released in 115 countries. Worldwide gross for the film eventually reached nearly $850 million — ranking the film second worldwide in 2005, behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The film earned an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings in North America upon its release. In total, it earned a record $50 million on its opening day. It was surpassed the following year by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest which earned $55.5 million on its opening day.
With only the May 19 earnings, the film broke four box office records: midnight screenings gross (previously held by The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, $8 million), opening day gross (Spider-Man 2, with $40.4 million), single day gross (Shrek 2 with $44.8 million) and Thursday gross (The Matrix Reloaded with $37.5 million). Its single day gross record and opening day gross record were later surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on July 7, 2006, when that movie grossed $55.5 million on its opening day. It still retains its records for midnight screening gross and Thursday gross, however.
According to box office analysis sites, Revenge of the Sith set American records for highest gross in a given number of days for each of its first 12 days of release except for the seventh and eighth, where the record is narrowly held by Spider-Man 2. On its fifth day it became the highest grossing movie of 2005, surpassing Hitch ($177.6 million).
Revenge of the Sith earned $158.5 million in its first four-day period, surpassing the previous four-day record held by The Matrix Reloaded ($134.3 million), and joining Spider-Man, The Matrix Reloaded and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the only movies to make $100 million in three days.
Revenge of the Sith earned $200 million in its first eight days (record tied with Spider-Man 2). By its 17th day, it had passed $300 million (surpassing the record of 18 days of Shrek 2). The film earned $25,088,336 in its third weekend (June 3–5). It was eventually the third fastest film (after Shrek 2 and Spider-Man) to reach $350 million.
The film ended its run in American theaters on October 20, 2005. Its total of $380,270,577 ranks it 8th all-time in the United States, the highest-grossing movie of 2005 in the U.S., outgrossing second-place The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by nearly $90 million. It is currently the 16th highest-grossing film in history.

Awards and nominations
Despite being the best reviewed and most well-received film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith received the smallest number of award nominations in comparison to the previous films (35 categories in total, compared to The Phantom Menace's 55 and Attack of the Clones' 38 category nominations).
In retrospect, the film did however receive the smallest number of Golden Raspberry Awards nominations, only one for Christensen as Worst Supporting Actor, which he "won" (both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones received 7 nominations each, with 1 and 2 "wins", respectively). This nomination was controversial, as Christensen's character, Anakin Skywalker, is the main focus of the film, and not a supporting actor (the nominating ballots listed McGregor as the lead actor). It is the only Star Wars prequel to not receive a Razzie nomination for "Worst Picture". Christensen did, however, win the "Best Villain" award at the MTV Movie Awards.Revenge of the Sith is the only Star Wars film not to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, however the film was nominated for Best Makeup to Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley. The film also won "Best Picture" awards at the People's Choice Awards, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, Empire Awards and the Teen Choice Awards.

Srivenkat

All time greatest films in the World (15): The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

(Courtesy:20th Century Fox Movies)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson. It is the opening installment of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, based on the similarly titled first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic literary fantasy, The Lord of the Rings. Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is seeking the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-Earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions form the Fellowship of the Ring, and journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor: the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.
Released on December 19, 2001, the film was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike, especially as many of the latter judged it to be sufficiently faithful to the original story. It was a box office success, earning over $870 million worldwide, and the second highest grossing film of 2001 in the U.S. and worldwide (behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) which made it the 5th highest grossing film ever at the time. Today it is the 14th highest grossing worldwide film of all time. It won five BAFTAs, including Best Film and Best Director. The Special Extended DVD Edition was released on November 12, 2002. In 2007, The Fellowship of the Ring was voted number 50 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest American films.
Story and Plot Point
The prologue, spoken by Galadriel, shows the Dark Lord Sauron forging the One Ring which he can use to conquer the lands of Middle-earth. A Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed to counter Sauron's forces at the foot of Mount Doom, but Sauron kills Elendil, the High King of Men. Prince Isildur grabs Elendil's broken sword Narsil, and slashes at Sauron's hand, separating him from the Ring and vanquishing his army. However, because Sauron's life is bound in the Ring, he is not completely defeated until the Ring itself is destroyed. Isildur takes the Ring and succumbs to its temptation, refusing to destroy it. He is later ambushed and killed by orcs, and the Ring is lost in a river. The Ring is found by the creature Gollum thousands of years later, who takes it underground for five centuries, giving him "unnaturally long life." The Ring leaves him however, and is found by the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, much to the grief of Gollum. Bilbo returns to his home in the Shire with the Ring, and the story jumps forward in time sixty years. At his 111th birthday, Bilbo leaves the Ring to his nephew and adopted heir Frodo Baggins. The Wizard Gandalf soon learns it is the One Ring, and sends him to Bree with Sam, with plans to meet him there after Gandalf goes to Isengard to meet the head of his order, Saruman. Saruman reveals that the Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, have left Mordor to capture the Ring and kill whoever carries it; having already turned to Sauron's cause, he then imprisons Gandalf atop Orthanc. Frodo and Sam are soon joined by fellow hobbits Merry and Pippin. After encountering a Ringwraith on the road, they manage to reach Bree, and there they meet a Man called Strider, who agrees to lead them to Rivendell. They agree only because Gandalf isn't there to guide them. After some travelling, they spend the night on the hill of Weathertop, where they are attacked by the Nazgûl at night. Strider fights off the Ringwraiths, but Frodo is grievously wounded with a morgul blade, and they must quickly get him to Rivendell for healing. While chased by the Nazgûl, Frodo is taken by the elf Arwen to the elvish haven of Rivendell, and healed by her father, Elrond. In Rivendell Frodo meets Gandalf, who explains why he didn't meet them at Bree as planned. In the meantime, there are many meetings between various peoples, and Elrond calls a council to decide what should be done with the Ring. The Ring can only be destroyed by throwing it into the fires (that is, lava) of Mount Doom, where it was forged. Mount Doom is located in Mordor, near Sauron's fortress of Barad-dûr, and will be an incredibly dangerous journey. Frodo volunteers to take the Ring to Mount Doom as all the others argue about who should or shouldn't take it. He is accompanied by his hobbit friends and Gandalf, as well as Strider, who is revealed to be Aragorn, the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. Also travelling with them are the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli and Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor. Together they comprise the Fellowship of the Ring. The Fellowship set out and try to pass the mountain Caradhras, but they are stopped by Saruman's wizardry. They are forced to travel under the mountain through the Mines of Moria. After journeying partway through the Mines, Pippin accidentally gives away their presence to a band of orcs. The Fellowship then encounter a Balrog, an ancient demon of fire and shadow, at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf confronts the Balrog on the bridge, allowing the others to escape the mines, while he falls with the creature into the abyss below.The group flees to the elvish realm of Lothlórien, where they are sheltered by its rulers, Galadriel and her husband Celeborn. After resting, they decide to travel on the River Anduin towards Parth Galen. Before they leave, Galadriel gives Frodo the Phial of Galadriel. After landing at Parth Galen, Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo, who manages to escape by putting the Ring on his finger and vanishing. Knowing that the Ring's temptation will be too strong for the Fellowship, Frodo decides to leave them and go to Mordor alone. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship are attacked by Uruk-hai. Merry and Pippin, realizing that Frodo is leaving, distract the orcs, allowing Frodo to escape. Boromir rushes to the aid of the two hobbits but is mortally wounded by the orc commander Lurtz, and Merry and Pippin are captured. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli find Boromir, who regrets attempting to steal the Ring and dies. They decide to pursue the orcs and rescue the hobbits, leaving Frodo to his fate. Sam joins Frodo before he leaves, and together the two head to Mordor.
Awards
In 2002 the movie won four Academy Awards out of thirteen nominations. The winning categories were for Best Cinematography, Best Effects (Visual Effects), Best Makeup, and Best Music (Original Score). Despite its praise by fans, the other nominated categories of Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ian McKellen), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Music (Best Song) (Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan for "May It Be"), Best Picture, Best Sound, Costume Design and Best Writing (Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) were not won.The movie won the 2002 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. It also won Empire readers' Best Film award, as well as five BAFTAs, including Best Film, the David Lean Award for Direction, the Audience Award (voted for by the public), Best Special Effects, and Best Make-up. After the close of its theatrical run, it ranked in the top ten highest grossing movies worldwide, with takings of $860,700,000 USA dollars from world-wide theatrical box office receipts.

Srivenkat

All time greatest films in the World (14):Finding Nemo (2003)

(Courtesy:pixer.com)

Finding Nemo is an Academy Award-winning computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. It was released in the United States/Canada on May 30, 2003, in Australia on August 27, 2003 and in the UK on 10 October 2003. The movie is the fifth Disney/Pixar feature film and the first to be released during the summer season
The movie was released on a 2-disc DVD on November 4, 2003 in the United States and Canada, in Australia on January 16, 2004, and the UK on February 27, 2004. It went on to become the best selling DVD of all time, with 28 million copies sold. In 2005, Time magazine listed it as one of the top 100 films ever made.

Story and Plot Point
In the beginning of the film Marlin (Albert Brooks), a clownfish, loses his wife, Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), and all but one of his unborn children to a marauding barracuda. He promises that he will never let anything happen to the remaining egg which he names Nemo, because that was what Coral wanted to call at least one of their eggs, despite Marlin wanting to name half of them Coral Jr. and the other half Marlin Jr. Years later, Nemo (Alexander Gould) — born with a deformed fin begins his first day at school and is frustrated and embarrassed by his overprotective father. This is taken to such an extreme that Nemo deliberately disobeys his father by swimming out into open water. In the process he is captured by a diver, who thinks he must be lost because he is so far out, and then immediately leaves on a speedboat. Marlin chases after the speedboat, but soon loses it. Asking for directions, he meets Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang who suffers from "short-term memory loss". She helps him find out Nemo has been taken to Sydney and the two of them travel there on the East Australian Current. During their time together Dory teaches Marlin to be more carefree. Meanwhile Nemo is placed in a fish tank in a dentist's office. He discovers that he is to be the birthday present of the dentist's niece Darla (LuLu Ebeling) who is "a fish killer" according to the other fish in the tank. It appears that she simply gets over-excited and shakes the fish bag too much. Gill (Willem Dafoe), one of the fish in the tank, proposes an escape plan involving Nemo jamming the filter in the tanks, which Nemo attempts, but initially fails at. Meanwhile, Marlin and Dory encounter several adventures during the journey. On the way, Marlin meets fish-friendly sharks, escapes an anglerfish, charges through a forest of jellyfish, travels with sea turtles on the East Australian Current and gets swallowed by a whale. The tale travels faster than Marlin by way of gossip among the sea creatures and eventually Nemo hears it from Nigel a brown pelican (Geoffrey Rush) who occasionally comes to visit the fish in the tank. Upon hearing all of his Dad's adventures, Nemo is inspired to attempt to jam the filter again. This time he is successful. The tank begins to "get really really dirty." At this point in Gill's plan, the dentist would take the fish out of the tank and into small plastic bags. The fish would then roll out the window, onto an awning, across the street and into the conveniently situated harbour. However, the dentist installs a laser filter which cleans the tank while the fish are sleeping. Marlin and Dory meet Nigel who agrees to take them to the dentist's office. While they are en route, the dentist puts Nemo in a bag to give to his niece, but Nemo gets the idea to pretend to be dead so that the dentist will flush him down the toilet, which will take Nemo to the ocean. Marlin, Dory and Nigel arrive at the office and, seeing Nemo on his back, pretending to be dead, believe that it is true. Gill saves Nemo from getting thrown in the trash can instead of the toilet, and helps Nemo escape via the dentist's sink. Marlin and Nemo find each other, but moments later they find that Dory is caught in a fishing net. Nemo has a plan to save her, but Marlin is reluctant to let him go for fear that he will lose him again. Marlin realizes he must let him go, and Nemo's plan succeeds. They return home and Nemo leaves for school, with Marlin telling him to "go have an adventure". As an epilogue, the fish in the dentist's tank are shown to succeed -- after a fashion -- in their last escape attempt. However, they are still in their plastic bags, floating in the water. During the credits, it is shown they have left their bags.

Finding Nemo - The Musical
Larger-than-life puppets in a scene from the stage adaptation of Finding Nemo at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The stage musical Tarzan Rocks! occupied the Theater in the Wild at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida from 1999 to 2006. When, in January 2006, it closed, it was rumored that a musical adaptation of Finding Nemo would replace it. This was confirmed in April 2006, when Disney announced that the adaptation, with new songs written by Tony Award-winning Avenue Q composer Robert Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, would "combine puppets, dancers, acrobats and animated backdrops" and open in late 2006. Tony Award-winning director Peter Brosius signed on to direct the show, with Michael Curry, who designed puppets for Disney's successful stage version of The Lion King, serving as leading puppet and production designer. Anderson-Lopez said that the couple agreed to write the adaptation of "one of their favorite movies of all time" after considering "The idea of people coming in [to see the musical] at 4, 5 or 6 and saying, 'I want to do that'....So we want to take it as seriously as we would a Broadway show." To condense the feature-length film to thirty minutes, she said she and Lopez focused on a single theme from the movie, the idea that "The world's dangerous and beautiful." The half-hour show (which is performed four times daily) went into previews at the Theater in the Wild on November 5, 2006, and opened on January 24, 2007. Several musical numbers took direct inspiration from lines in the film, including "(In The) Big Blue World," "Fish Are Friends, Not Food," "Just Keep Swimming," and "Go With the Flow." In January 2007, a New York studio recording of the show was released on iTunes, with Lopez and Anderson-Lopez providing the voices for Marlin and Dory, respectively. Avenue Q star Stephanie D'Abruzzo also appeared on the recording, as Sheldon/Deb.
It is unknown whether the show will be expanded and transfer to Broadway, though Walt Disney Parks & Resorts executive Ann Hamburger has said that "she would love for that to happen." Nemo is notable for being the first non-musical animated film to which Disney has added songs to produce a stage musical.
Attractions
Epcot: The Seas with Nemo & Friends (2007) containing Turtle Talk with Crush (2004)
Disney's California Adventure: Turtle Talk with Crush (2005)
Disney's Animal Kingdom: Finding Nemo - The Musical (2007)
Disneyland: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (2007) Walt Disney Studios Park: Crush's Coaster (2007).

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Greatest films in the World (13):Harry potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

(harrypotter.warnerbrothers.com)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second fantasy adventure film in the popular Harry Potter films series, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The film was released on November 15, 2002 and was directed by returning director, Chris Columbus. The screenplay was adapted by returning screenwriter, Steven Kloves.
Most of the major cast and crew from Philosopher's Stone (also known as Sorcerer's Stone) returned for Chamber of Secrets, including child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint and director Chris Columbus. However, it was the last appearance by Richard Harris as Dumbledore and currently the last Harry Potter film directed by Columbus. New key actors included Kenneth Branagh as Lockhart and Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy. It remains the only film in the franchise that has not been nominated for an Academy Award.The film was very well received at the box office making $879 million USD worldwide.

Story and Plot Point
The film opens with Harry Potter and his caged owl Hedwig staying with the Dursleys on summer break. An elf named Dobby appears in Harry’s room and warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts this fall because of terrible danger. Dobby’s disruptions result in Uncle Vernon locking Harry in his room until Harry is rescued by the Weasley brothers. Harry and Hedwig escape in the Weasleys’ flying car, and Harry finishes summer vacation at the Weasleys’ home, the Burrow. After buying their new schoolbooks, Harry and the Weasleys go to train station Platform 9 3/4, but the gateway closes on Ron and Harry before they can board the Hogwarts express. Harry and Ron use the flying car to get to Hogwarts, but the car breaks down and crashes into the sentient, angry willow tree on the school’s grounds.
New professor and celebrity wizard author Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh) now teaches at Hogwarts. Harry resumes quidditch practice with team Gryffindor. This year, Slytherin’s seeker is Harry’s rival Draco Malfoy, who sports a Nimbus 2001 broomstick. The ominous Chamber of Secrets (secretly located beneath the sink in the ladies’ restroom) has opened, and Professor McGonagall reveals to the students how Hogwarts' founder Salazar Slytherin built the chamber long ago. Salazar disliked muggles (non-wizard humans) and muggleborn wizards, and emerges as something of a racial supremacist. Salazar had sealed the chamber until his heir had returned to school. Professor McGonagall also reveals that the chamber is guarded by a monster.
Harry and Ron temporarily take on the form of Crabbe and Goyle to gain information from Draco Malfoy. Meanwhile, the same potion turns Hermione into a large cat, and she is unable to turn back. The inevitable Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor results in a Gryffindor victory after Harry captures the snitch , but is attacked by a rogue bludger that breaks his arm. The pompous Professor Lockhart tries to heal Harry's arm, but instead removes Harry’s arm bones. Harry's arm recovers quickly. Odd events occur: a Muggle-born student is petrified, and young Ginny Weasley starts losing her memory. Hagrid is arrested and sent to Azkaban prison for harboring Aragog, a giant spider mistakenly thought to be the Chamber monster, and Dumbledore is removed as headmaster in the wake of all the problems. A girls’ restroom ghost named Moaning Myrtle, an original victim of the Chamber of Secrets, provides Harry and Ron with Tom Marvolo Riddle’s talking diary. One evening, Harry and Ron are called to the hospital wing. Upon their arrival, they are directed to Hermione's bed, when they reach her, she is petrified, shocking Harry and Ron. With Hermione's petrification, leaving Ron and Harry feeling terrible for what occurred, she is unable to help the two boys. This leaves them both with the task themselves to solve the cause of events that are threatening to close Hogwarts, and have to ultimately save all those that have fallen victim to petrification. The massive spider Aragog aids Harry and Ron in learning that the chamber is guarded by a monstrous snake called a basilisk, which kills with its gaze. Harry and Ron learn that Professor Lockhart is not the great wizard he has appeared to be, and deceives people using a memory charm. After Ginny Weasley is taking into the Chamber of Secrets, with a message left on the wall that "her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever", Harry, Ron, and Lockhart enter the ladies room to rescue Ginny from the Chamber under the sink. Harry descends a long tunnel, and with aid from the Sorting Hat and Dumbledore’s Phoenix bird, Harry battles the Basilisk and Tom Marvolo Riddle. Riddle’s name is an anagram for “I am Lord Voldemort,” and Riddle is, in fact, the sixteen-year-old soul of Lord Voldemort, preserved in the diary. Harry kills the Basilisk with Godric Gryffindor's Sword and defeats Riddle by destroying the diary, rescuing Ginny in the process.The petrified students and Hermione are cured. Hagrid is freed from Azkaban, elf Dobby is freed from service to the Malfoys, and Dumbledore is restored as Hogwarts’ headmaster. The film ends with Hogwarts lit up from the Great Hall.

Box office performance
The film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered in the UK on November 3, 2002 and in USA on November 14, 2002 before its widespread release on November 15, one year after the Philosopher's Stone film (November 16, 2001). The film broke multiple records upon its opening all over the world. In the U.S. the film opened to an $88.4 million opening weekend, third biggest all-tme at the time, behind only Spider-Man and its predecessor Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the United Kingdom the film broke all opening records that were previously held by The Philosopher's Stone. It made £18.9 million during its opening including previews and £10.9 million excluding previews, both extraordinary records.[ It went on to make £54.8 million in the U.K., the fifth biggest tally of all time at the time.
The film made a total of $879 million worldwide, which made it the fifth highest-grossing film ever at the time. It was the second highest grossing film of 2002 behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers worldwide. However, it was the number one film of the year at the non-American box office making about $617 million compared to The Two Towers' $584.5 million. To this day it remains as one of the highest grossing films of all time, at number 13.
Awards

On January 14, 2003, Chamber of Secrets won the award for "Best Live Action Family Film" in the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards. It was nominated for seven Saturn Awards including for "Best Director", "Best Fantasy Film" and "Best Performance by a Younger Actor" for Daniel Radcliffe. The film was nominated for four BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award for John Williams' score. However, currently it is the only Harry Potter film that was not nominated for any Academy Awards.

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