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The Top 10 Movie Moments of 2009

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:57:49 +0000

Every site you go to these days has a list of their top 10 best movies of the year. But how many time can you look at slight variations of the same lists you only semi-agree with?

Besides, ranking entire movies is a big job. After much debate on the subject, we here at Screen Rant have decided that, in the end, a year in movies is perhaps best defined by specific movie moments that are now and forever burned into our collective memory.

So, without further ado, here are our picks for those 2009 movie moments which audiences collectively remember as being unforgettably awesome, hilarious, moving, inspiring or are otherwise just plain enjoyable…

(By the way, there will be some spoilers in the items below since all the movies in this ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: January 25, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:43:01 +0000

It’s Sunday again and that means that it’s Weekend Wrap Up time.

This week:

We look at the weekend box office; Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley move to London Boulevard; Michael Uslan talks The Shadow; Spider-Man knows Good People; George Clooney returns to TV and Charlie’s Angels 3 appears to be heading this way!

Box Office

Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans are fighting it out for the top spot. Both Sony films should make about $21 million over the weekend showing that all America wants is women in skin tight PVC and fat men in cop uniforms. There’s a movie pitch in there somewhere.

Brendan Fraser’s lucky streak at the box office ran out with Inkheart bagging just $2 million on Friday. A weekend of maybe $6.5 million should mean that Fraser will be knocking at Universal’s door come Monday looking for a fourth Mummy movie.

Clint Eastwood kicked all new comers ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: January 11, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:54:23 +0000

In this Weeks Weekend Movie News Wrap Up::

Clint Eastwood drives to the top of the box office with Gran Torino; Ewan McGregor is Pierce Brosnan’s Ghost; Sienna Miller will not be visiting Nottingham; Morricone is not a Basterd; Moore, Neeson and Seyfried know Chloe; the Joker may have the last laugh in Batman 3 and Farrell, Weir and Harris are on their Way Back.

Box Office

Clint Eastwood showed his star power by capturing the number one position at the box office with a fantastic $30 million gross for Gran Torino. Clint’s Oscar touted movie was making good bank on limited release but it looks like the American masses love the ageing action icon. The film should have good legs and a final gross of $100 million is not out of the question.

Bride Wars should claim the runner-up position with about $20 million showing that women ...

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Gran Torino Review

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:17:01 +0000

Short version: It’s really very simple: If you’re a Clint Eastwood fan going way back, you’re going to LOVE Gran Torino.

Screen Rant reviews Gran Torino

You know I’m getting pretty used to taking heat for my movie reviews, and I have no doubt that it’ll happen again for this review of the Clint Eastwood written and directed film, Gran Torino. But you know what? I don’t care, and I don’t apologize for my reviews. You may be entitled to your opinion, but you know what? So am I – like it or not. So… onward.

Gran Torino is the story of Walt Kowalski, an old veteran of the Korean War. As the film opens we see that his wife has just died, and within seconds of his appearance we know exactly what sort of character Walt ...

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Clint Eastwood Is The Man – Figuratively And Literally

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:26:43 +0000

Over at Esquire there’s an interview with Clint Eastwood, and I just had to post some excerpts here. This has been a rough year for Hollywood in regards to the passing away of some awesome actors and directors from an earlier era. An era before political correctness and sensitivity training ruled the day.

We’ve lost the likes of old greats like Roy Scheider, Charlton Heston, Paul Newman and Sydney Pollack (among many others). And I’m already dreading the day we lose Clint Eastwood.

In my brief and utterly inadequate eulogy of Roy Scheider, I took some heat for saying:

Roy Scheider was one of a now dwindling number of “man’s man” actors. Tough guys who drank whiskey, smoked cigarettes, had craggy facial features and wouldn’t be caught dead in the same room with a metrosexual.

To me, ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: December 14, 2008

Niall Browne — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:20:34 +0000

This weeks Weekend Movie News Wrap Up features:

The Box Office; Brad Pitt gets Lost; Pesce is Smokin’ Aces; we learn more details about Stallone’s The Expendables; Twilight really is Near Dark and Kenneth Brannagh talks Thor!

Box Office

Keanu Reeves barely justified his hefty salary for The Day The Earth Stood Still. The Sci-Fi remake mustered a disappointing $33 million over the weekend. Not great for a $100 million plus film. It might barely limp to the century mark and the box office, but word of mouth isn’t great. By the time next weekend is over it may be lucky to have earned $50MM in the U.S. – so this could be another financial disappointment for Fox.

Four Christmases should manage another $14 million bringing its total close to $90 million. Rival Christmas film Nothing Like The Holidays should muster about $3 million over the weekend. Looks like there wasn’t much ...

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Golden Globe Nominations: Little Love For The Dark Knight

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:35:24 +0000

The 2009 Golden Globe Nominations have been officially announced and it looks like The Dark Knight has been almost totally snubbed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

That’s right folks, The Dark Knight received just one nomination: a Best Supporting Actor nod for Heath Ledger’s groundbreaking (and freaky) turn as The Joker. No Best Director nomination for Chris Nolan; no Best Screenplay nomination for Chris and Jonathan Nolan; no Best Original Score nomination (although Dark Knight composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are both nominated in that category for work on two other films).

So, want to see which films stole the slots that rightfully belong to TDK? Check out the list of the 2009 Golden Globe Nominees in film:

BEST DRAMA
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR (DRAMA)
Leonardo DiCaprio – ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: October 26, 2008

Niall Browne — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:47:35 +0000

This week:

The A-Team doesn’t come together; Ripley’s Believe it or Not gets a director; Steven Soderbergh has Cleopatra coming at ya; Crispin Glover teams with Tim Burton and McG gets into the spy business with Dead Spy Running .

Box Office

The world economy may be in crisis, but the box office is still going strong. Claiming the number one spot with ease is High School Musical 3. It’s no surprise really considering the built in audience and the amazing number of tickets that were booked in advance by Effronettes. The tween musical should bank about $50 million by Monday morning.

Saw V claimed the runner-up position with a $30 million gross. It’s amazing that people still come back to this franchise. I have to say that I haven’t watched any of the films past the original. With Halloween on the way, this should hold up next weekend, then drop like a ...

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Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino Looks Amazing

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:15:11 +0000

Clint Eastwood is directing and starring in Gran Torino, a new movie coming out this December. The trailer was released a few days ago but I hadn’t taken the time to watch it.

What was I thinking? This movie looks like it’s going to be fantastic!

The synopsis of the film over at IMDB is:

Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski’s prized possesion: his 1972 Gran Torino.

However the trailer doesn’t make that look like it’s the plot of the movie at all. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that the name of Clint’s character being different in the movie, for all intents and purposes it looks like a revisiting of the Dirty Harry franchise along the lines of Rocky Balboa.

But don’t take my word for it… see for yourself:

[See post ...

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Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – Oct. 23, 2008

Niall Browne — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:45:46 +0000

Yes, it’s that time of the week again.

This week:

Rob Reiner reads the Book of Shadows; 13 isn’t unlucky for Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham; we take a peek at Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino; will you see Saw V and Spider-Man makes sure that Sam Raimi doesn’t know Jack.

1. Rob Reiner will direct the action-adventure film Book of Shadows.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The story follows a young man who must embark on the perilous journey of first love and face many trials of maturity while on the dangerous quest to close a mythical tome called “Book of Shadows” in order to restore balance to the world.”

Sounds like it could bring the director back to his Princess Bride heyday.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. The poster for Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino is now online. When the film was first announced earlier in the year the internet went crazy over the idea that the film ...

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Unmake My Day: Gran Torino Isn’t A New Dirty Harry Film

Niall Browne — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:26:03 +0000

I don’t know why I’m disappointed, deep down I knew that Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino wasn’t going to be a new Dirty Harry movie… but it’s good to dream – isn’t it?

Moviehole got the low down on the film, which is a coming of age comedy and presumably Oscar bait. According to the site this is the plot:

“(The Gran Torino) is the prized possession of the film’s central character (he doesn’t budge when his granddaughter mentions that she’d like the car when pop finally keels over) a senior named Walt, grandfather and local sour-puss. When a local Asian boy named Tao attempts to steal the car, Walt, against the advice of others (largely the local priest), forms his own form of punishment.”

“Ultimately, Walt sets Tao on the right path – giving ...

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