With the year drawing to a close, the top ten lists are being released, and movies are no exception. Of little surprise is “The Dark Knight” leading the pack, as it almost became the biggest movie of all time, second only to “Titanic”.

Four of the top 10 were animated movies, and Paramount lead the studios with a piece of four of the top 10 as well.

The list is:

1. THE DARK KNIGHT – Total Gross: $530,750,228
2. IRON MAN – Total Gross: $318,313,199
3. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL – Total Gross: $317,023,851
4. HANCOCK – Total Gross: $227,946,274
5. WALL-E – Total Gross: $223,749,872
6. KUNG FU PANDA – Total Gross: $215,434,591
7. MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA – Total Gross: $172,332,000
8. QUANTUM OF SOLACE – Total Gross: $161,300,000
9. TWILIGHT – Total Gross: $158,461,000
10. HORTON HEARS A WHO -Total Gross: $154,529,439

We just watched Tom Cruise doing an interview today promoting his latest movie, “Valkyrie”, and were wondering why he’s looking so thin – what’s the poop? Observation only, that has nothing to do with the movie…

Tom Cruise stars in the suspense film, “Valkyrie,” based on the true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring and ingenious plot to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known.

The movie opened Christmas Day, and was directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men).

So what are the reviews?
RottenTomatoes: 63% Fresh

Over on Yahoo Movies, the users give it a B, while the average of the critics was a B-. And Roger Ebert gave it three stars, saying it is “a meticulous thriller based on a large-scale conspiracy within the German army to assassinate Hitler.”

A lot tougher over at the LA Times:
“Valkyrie’ to ‘Heil Razzies’? Looks like the Razzies are confident in their prophesy that “Valkyrie” will land in their next derby, which commences on Jan. 21 when noms are unveiled. Last year the Razzie ceremony ended with big photos on stage of films they expect to see next year. Tom Cruise in that eyepatch got the biggest play – and the most howls, guffaws and applause from the audience.”

Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriters: Nathan Alexander, Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel, Terence Stamp
Official Website: Valkyrie.UnitedArtists.com

Confirmed movie poster links:
Buy Valkyrie movie posters at AllPosters.com
Buy Valkyrie movie posters at MoviePoster.com
Buy Valkyrie movie posters at MovieGoods.com

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It was a quiet, quiet weekend for Hollywood – and they were blaming the weather across the Northern states for their woes, but it was actually looking like disinterest on the part of moviegoers. Jim Carrey trumped Will Smith, as “Yes Man” pulled the number one spot with just over $18 million. In what could be the end of Smith’s streak of $100 million plus movies, the vaguely marketed “Seven Pounds” took second place with just shy of $15 million.

The other new release was the animated family adventure, “The Tale of Despereaux“, which scurried into third place with $10.1 million. The movie did feature some impressive voice talent with Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Frances Conroy, Tony Hale, Ciaran Hinds, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, Christopher Lloyd, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Tracey Ullman, Emma Watson and Sigourney Weaver. It also managed to beat out the top two movies this week with a better Rotten Tomatoes rating of 52% (Seven Pounds got “pounded” with a 28% rating).

Last weekend’s full top 10 was as follows:
1. Yes Man – $18.3 M
2. Seven Pounds – $14.9 M
3. The Tale of Despereaux – $10.1 M
4. The Day the Earth Stood Still – $9.9 M
5. Four Christmases – $7.7 M
6. Twilight – $5.2 M
7. Bolt – $4.1 M
8. < Slumdog Millionaire – $3.1 M
9. Australia – $2.2 M
10. Quantum of Solace – $2.1 M

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Jeremy Piven leaves Broadway Show

Apparently, Piven of the hit HBO series “Entourage” has left the cast of the Broadway show, “Speed-the-Plow”,
because of what his doctor has cited as being “the highest mercury level he has ever seen”, supposedly caused
by the actors excessive love of sushi.

There are doubters though, that feel that Piven is playing hooky and that something feels “fishy” about the story.
They cite his behaviour during previous performances, and his habit of showing up just moments before curtain call.

Playwright David Mamet made the smart crack that Piven was
“leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.”

Piven has been temporarily replaced in the show by
Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz.

Confirmed television poster links:

Find Entourage TV posters here >> (AllPosters)

You won’t find Amy Adams nude here

Amy Adams is currently on a 3 day promotional push along with stars Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman for the new film “Doubt” which opens in limited release this week on December 12, 2008 from Miramax Films.

Adams plays a young nun, who instigates an investigation by the iron willed principal (Streep) of a Catholic school in 1964 Bronx, of a charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Hoffman) who may or may not be involved in indecent conduct with a young student.

Award winning screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (“Moonstruck”) adapted his own play for the screen and also directs this drama.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis
Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
Official Website: Doubt-themovie.com

Confirmed movie poster links:
Find Amy Adams movie posters here >> (AllPosters)
Find Meryl Streep movie posters here >> (AllPosters)
Find Philip Seymour Hoffman movie posters here >> (AllPosters)

Carrie Fisher Wishful Drinking

All right, all you Star Wars fan boys – still nursing a crush for Princess Leia? Carrie Fisher is currently out promoting her new bio, “Wishful Drinking“, a wickedly funny autobiography that grew out of her one-woman play that deals with drug addiction, mental illness and being the product of “Hollywood in-breeding.”

It’s reported that some of the stories of course involve some interesting moments with other Star Wars actors as well as ancedotes about her decidedly strange family.

A quote from the book: “So now, will you come on a journey with me? We’re going to start at death, but then we’re going to double back and go all the way through an emergency room (where they know me), through Watergate, back through Vietnam to birth. My birth.”

Fisher, now 52, and the daughter of old time stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, first played Leia at age 19 in the original Star Wars. Wow – it’s actually been that long…

The official website of Carrie Fisher can be found here at: Carrie Fisher – The Official Carrie Fisher Website