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Top 2012 Movie Award Season Winners….So Far

John Hanlon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:48:28 +0000

Although the Academy Awards are still a few weeks away, many of 2012′s biggest award shows have already taken place. From the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the Golden Globes, the season of big award shows an emotional acceptance speeches is already well underway.

If you’re looking for something noteworthy to see at the movies, I’ve gone through the list of the big awards and determined which movies are cleaning up so far this year. I included the Screen Actors Guild awards, the Producers Guild Awards, the Directors Guild of America Awards, the Critic’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globes in my tally of those films which are earning the most recognition.

Find out now which movies have been the biggest award winners of 2012 so ...

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The Oscars: 84th Academy Award Nominations

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:34:03 +0000

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, The Hunger Games) jointly announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards this morning, on Tuesday January 24th. The actual 2012 Oscar ceremony will take place next month, on February 26th at the Kodak theater – with Billy Crystal serving as host, for the ninth time in his career.

In the aftermath of the 2012 Golden Globes ceremony, Hollywood “in-crowd” types like George Clooney and Meryl Streep are favored to take home the gold for acting, while multiple Globe-winning films such as The Artist and The Descendants are considered heavyweight contenders for the coveted Best Picture Oscar.

Martin Scorsese’s Hugo led the way with eleven nominations, stacking up many a nod in the technical categories, while ...

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Screen Rant’s Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2011

Sandy Schaefer — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:06:52 +0000

There’s a fine (and sometimes non-existent) line between what constitutes a great movie and a “favorite.” We all have films we absolutely love and re-watch over and over, imperfect though they may be; conversely, we may really admire and respect the quality of a widely-recognized “classic,” but it’s not the sort of flick we feel the need to see more than once or twice.

We’ve settled on a list of 10 movies released in 2011 that the Screen Rant staff not only admired, but flat-out enjoyed. Bear in mind, this isn’t synonymous with a “best of” list for films that hit theaters over the past year. These are simply the ones that we deemed our favorites.

Read on for our top 10 choices, along with 5 honorable mentions that almost made the cut. As always, let ...

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SR Underground Ep. 16: ‘Summer Movie Leftovers’

Ben Kendrick — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:00:44 +0000

The Screen Rant editorial team is back with episode sixteen of the Screen Rant Underground.

Join host Ben Kendrick as well as fellow SR editors Rob Keyes, Anthony Ocasio, and Kofi Outlaw as we chat about Star Trek 2 villain troubles, Fox campaigns for Andy Serkis Rise of the Planet of the Apes Oscar, the end of Showtime’s Dexter, as well as revisit a few of our favorite, and least favorite, summer film releases (such as Green Lantern and Transformers: Dark of the Moon).

Screen Rant Underground is available in the iTunes Music Store (where you can subscribe as well as download individual episodes) but if you’re not near your home computer, check out our sixteenth episode in the player below. As mentioned in previous posts, we’re still in the early stages of developing the show – so cut us a ...

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The Best & Worst Movie Posters of 2011

Paul Young — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:12:11 +0000

Every year, literally hundreds of films are released around the world, and movie posters are one way studios promote these films. Some posters are fantastic – showing the creativity of the artist and/or studio promoting the film. Others are just lazy and unoriginal, showing nothing more than images of the main characters staring intently into space. Others still are just laughably and ridiculously bad, showing that almost no thought or effort went into making them.

There were over 1,000 movie posters released this year, but since there isn’t a central database containing every poster, there is a chance we might have left out your favorite. Still, we managed to sort through the dreck and mundane offerings to bring you what we ...

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DVD/Blu-ray Breakdown: November 8th, 2011

Mike Eisenberg — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:29:19 +0000

The first weeks of November may be chock full of options for the gaming community, but DVD and Blu-ray watchers are getting a few scraps to choose from. This week offers up one of the biggest films of the year for the non-gamers, as the epic finale of the Harry Potter franchise makes its way to home video. Otherwise, it’s a mediocre week.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy makes the jump from web to DVD/Blu-ray, as does the YouTube production Life in a Day. We recently gave away a free copy of the Band of Brothers/The Pacific Special Edition Box Set, but if you are interested in getting it for yourself, you’ll have to be ready to dish out some hard cash. Mickey Rourke spoke ...

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Summer 2011 Movies: The Best, The Worst, & Some Surprises

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:04:04 +0000

Forget about checking your calendar – when you read that Shark Night 3D is one of the big releases of the weekend, you know the Summer Movie Season is officially coming to an end.

Overall, 2011 was a decent year as far as summer releases go. There were a handful of surprises (and more than a couple of disappointments) but most movies were good enough to ensure that people walked away entertained and with their expectations met – as opposed to, say, protesting in the streets and demanding a ticket refund.

Quibbles about whether Fast Five or Thor truly marked the start of Summer 2011 aside, the season started off with a bang at the box office – and eventually fizzled out in the end. So, here are the big questions: What were ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 14th, 2011

Sandy Schaefer — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:48:06 +0000

This week:

Apes continue to rise, The Help has a heyday, and Final Destination 5 keeps the franchise alive… for now; The Smurfs will return in 2013; Bridget Jones’s love woes aren’t over yet; Disney is giving Cinderella a makeover; Patrick Wilson jumps onboard the Prometheus ship; and Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston is writing and directing his own movie.

Box Office

Neither Emma Stone nor Death itself could stop Rise of the Planet of the Apes from snagging the box office crown a second time this weekend. The popular prequel dropped about 49% from its opening for an estimated $27 million take and a $104.4 million total. Suffice it to say, 20th Century Fox will want Rupert Wyatt to start giving more thought to his sequel(s) plans, ASAP.

Positive buzz helped propel The Help to the #2 spot over the weekend, where it took in some $25.7 million for a ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 7th, 2011

Niall Browne — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:59:19 +0000

This week:

Apes rise to the top of the box office as Rise of the Planet of the Apes captures the top spot; Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon are in deep…Mud; Kenneth Branagh moves from Thor to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road faces even more problems; J.J. Abrams gives reasons for the delays on Star Trek 2; Ethan Hawke teams with the makers of Insidious and Paranormal Activity and there is news on the new futuristic and geographically inaccurate Robin Hood.

Box Office

It looks like 20th Century Fox’s risky reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise has paid-off. Rise of the Planet of the Apes surpassed studio expectations and should bank an estimated $54 million over the weekend, an impressive number considering that last film in the longstanding franchise was Tim Burton’s critically mauled “re-imagining” of the classic Planet of ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 31, 2011 [Updated]

Niall Browne — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:56:33 +0000

This week:

It’s a stand-off at the box office as Cowboys & Aliens has a showdown with The Smurfs- but the Cowboys win; Simon Pegg has A Fantastic Fear of Everything; Miles Teller, Justin Chon, Skylar Astin and Sarah Wright are 21 and Over; Val Kilmer and Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt gets interactive; John Cusack and Nic Cage re-team for The Frozen Ground and Antoine Fuqua gets ready to Storm Las Vegas.

Box Office

A fierce battle was fought at the box office over the weekend, as Cowboys & Aliens faced off against The Smurfs (read our review). Cowboys won the weekend taking $36.4 million, while The Smurfs had to settle for second place with $35.6 million. This is good news for The Smurfs, but bad news for Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. The pricey sci-fi/western combo was expected to bank in the region of $40 million on its ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 24, 2011

Niall Browne — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:10:41 +0000

This week:

Captain America is The First Avenger at the box office; Harrison Ford stays on the Cowboy trail for Black Hats; Pierce Brosnan picks up Stephen King’s Bag of Bones; Seth Rogen and Zac Efron team for an R-rated comedy and the men behind Horrible Bosses take a Vacation.

Box Office:

Captain America: The First Avenger (read our Captain America review here) topped the box office over the weekend and bested the latest Harry Potter film. The Marvel Comics adaptation banked an estimated $65.8 million – similar to Thor (Warner Bros. must be feeling a little bit peeved considering Green Lantern‘s gross). The WWII-era superhero pic had an impressive debut – but it will be interesting to see how it plays overseas. The film is leaning more on the First Avenger angle in order to maximise its appeal, although it’s action and 3D should help grosses. Plus – ...

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Harry Potter Mega Prize Pack – Winner!

Anthony Ocasio — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:40:03 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway – and now, here is the winner of this awesome prize pack:

Richard Trinidad – Casa Grande, AZ

Congratulations to Richard – and as always, keep an eye out for our next Screen Rant giveaway!

To commemorate the release of the final film in the 10 year long Harry Potter movie franchise, we’re giving away a HUGE prize pack! The much-anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 opens Friday and is the second half of the two-part finale of the movie version of the much-loved book series.

This prize pack is the biggest we’ve ever given away and is valued at well over $800. We’re going to select ONE Grand Prize Winner to take the entire thing home (due to legal restrictions, this contest is limited to U.S. residents only).

About the Film

In ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 17, 2011

Niall Browne — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:41:40 +0000

This Week:

Harry Potter works his magic for a record-breaking opening weekend; Jonathan Liebesman hails Caesar; catch a first look at Colin Farrell in Total Recall; Joe Carnahan’s The Grey starts a war; get ready for Bad Santa 2… and 3? Sam Raimi’s Oz gets a logo; Clint Eastwood’s son Scott faces the good, the bad and the ugly in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Vin Diesel is Unknown.

Box Office

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 waved its wand and unleashed some serious magic at the box office over the weekend. The final installment in the decade-old franchise obliterated records with its debut grossing an astonishing $168.6 million. Harry Potter (read our Deathly Hallows, Part 2 review) grossed $92 million on Friday (including midnight showings which brought in $43.5 million) giving it the largest single day gross in history.

The previous opening day record holder was 2009’s ...

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‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2′ Review

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:02:20 +0000

Screen Rant’s Kofi Outlaw Reviews Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is all but impossible to review in the traditional sense. It’s not a standalone film (rather the second half of the Deathly Hallows tale), while also serving as the closing chapter to a movie franchise that has spanned eight films over the course of a decade, and become part of a worldwide phenomenon. As such, it’s more fitting to call it “a cinematic event,” rather than your run-of-the-mill movie release.

So, taking that all into account, it’s easy to see why the majority of moviegoers will be headed to the theater to see Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ...

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‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2′ Spoilers Discussion

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:46:15 +0000

While our readers are already chatting away in the comments section of our Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 review, this is the place where you can discuss SPOILERS about the movie without worrying about ruining it for people who haven’t seen it yet.

If you’re posting comments here, assume that anyone in the conversation has seen the movie – if you haven’t seen the movie, I would recommend you don’t read these comments here until you have.

Below you can rate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for yourself. After that, feel free to Discuss away!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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New ‘Harry Potter’ Featurette; ‘Deathly Hallows’ Breaking Records [Updated]

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:04:19 +0000

Update: We’ve added a second featurette detailing the history of the franchise’s most pivotal (and beloved) Hogwarts teacher…Severus Snape!

Pottermania is at an all-time high, since seemingly just about everyone (from devoted fans of the boy wizard to people who just want to see how the blockbuster fantasy saga ends onscreen) is pumped to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 this upcoming weekend.

Early reviews for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 indicate that it will not only deliver all the thrills, dazzling effects, and emotional closure that Potter fans are looking for, but that this film truly deserves to be called THE blockbuster event of Summer 2011. Judging by advanced ticket sales for the movie, the box office will definitely reflect that as well.

Deathly Hallows: Part ...

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New ‘Harry Potter’ Featurette Recaps The Entire Franchise

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:55:42 +0000

With only four days left until the blockbuster event that is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, many a fan has been preparing for the grand finale by revisiting the other seven films in the fantasy series.

For those of you who don’t have it in them to spend some 18 hours accomplishing that task, Warner Bros. has been kind enough to release a compilation video that recaps the entire franchise in five minutes.

It’s been about ten years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit the scene back in 2001, grossing some $974 million worldwide and paving the way for future installments in the mega best-selling-book-turned-film franchise. Now we’re on the second half of Deathly Hallows and the differences between these first and last films couldn’t be ...

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Early ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2′ Reviews Emerge

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:12:32 +0000

[UPDATE: Read our Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows: Part 2 review.]

Critical reviews of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 are almost pointless, if we’re really being honest. Most fans of the books, the movies, or even those who have casually followed the cinematic journey of the Boy Wizard from a distance, are all likely motivated already to show up and see how the story ends, regardless of what critics think.

Still, while official reviews may not be all that important, we’re betting that some of you Potter fans out there will be eager to read some of the early reviews of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 that are now emerging online.

So how is the final ...

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‘Harry Potter’ Director & Cast Talk Death Scenes, Final Battle, & More

Ben Moore — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:46:01 +0000

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is coming to a movie theater near you in about eight days and counting. Do you have your midnight tickets yet? Because they’re going fast, especially if you want to see it in extra special 2D.

Some of the set visit interviews from Deathly Hallows Part 2 are finally making their way onto the Internet. Today, we have word from director David Yates – who has directed these films since Order of the Phoenix – and various cast members, including Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint.

Major spoilers Ahead! Read at your own peril!

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‘Harry Potter’ Director & Cast Talk Death Scenes, Final Battle, & More

‘Harry Potter’ Featurettes: Horcruxes, Gringotts & The Chamber of Secrets

Ben Moore — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:39:53 +0000

Ten years of Harry Potter dominating the box office is about to come to a close next month with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Are you as sad to see the adventure end as we are?

Because the journey has taken ten years, it can be difficult to remember every single detail and major plot point from the previous six films. Thankfully, Warner Bros. has provided a couple of featurettes for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – one that refreshes our collective memory on the subject of horcruxes, and another that showcases the forthcoming heist at Gringotts. Also, we have a clip from the film that takes place in the Chamber of Secrets.

First: The Horcrux featurette basically gives us a rundown of Harry, Hermione, ...

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