HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy the party...

"Fearless" The Director's Cut In Blu-ray™ High Definition

Go Blu this festive season with the world’s foremost martial arts superstar Jet Li in Fearless: Director’s Cut Edition 《霍元甲》精装导演版. This epic masterpiece powerfully combines unparalleled fight sequences and masterful storytelling. The Director’s Cut Edition includes more than 30 minutes of never-before-seen footages and contains some of the most hard-hitting hand-to-hand combat ever captured on film. This Director’s Cut Edition is only available on Blu-ray disc and comes with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 Surround Sound Mandarin/Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround Sound Mandarin. The Fearless: Director’s Cut Edition is priced at S$49.90 and available at major stores. Here's our full review of Fearless Blu-ray disc.

DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...Indie/Arthouse/Documentary Category

Get ready for some home entertainment if you intend to avoid the crowds this coming long holiday, first a batch of Indie/Arthouse/Documentary DVDs for your selection. Based on a true story, Night And Fog revolves around an older Hong Kong man, his young Mainland wife and their twin daughters in this Ann Hui's directed film. Once Upon A Time The Super Heroes brings the American super heroes back to life in a fascinating collection of interviews. A group of troubled teens are sent to a rehabilitation program where they are abused and brainwashed in Boot Camp. Meet Bill is a film about what it means to let go of your inhibitions and find the path you're destined for. Written almost eighty years ago by playwright Noel Coward, Easy Virtue is surprisingly frothy, fresh and effervescent. How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets and serve to our families? Find out in Food Inc.

Merry Christmas!

It's X'mas time and the cinemas for sure are packing in the crowds! And here's a roundup of the various movies you can catch over the long weekend. Unless you are living somewhere beyond Planet Pandora, be sure to catch Avatar in 3D. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law pairs up as Holmes and Watson in this action-packed thriller Sherlock Holmes directed by ex-Mr Madonna, Guy Ritchie. Bodyguards And Assassins, the heavy drama about revolutionary might appeal to some, just don't let that 'action-packed blockbuster of the year' catchphrase misled you. Do treat your kids or your date to Alvin And The Chipmunks 2, it's time to reward your love ones even if you prefer to slouch on the couch with a cold beer. In the mood for something exciting? You should see Chaw, a frightening cannibal boar terrorising a peaceful village. If you are in a generous giving mood, perhaps the lackluster adventure movie of the year, Jay Chou's The Treasure Hunter is another choice as it's sneaking in cinemas. Be warned the filmsy production notes tell us more than the 106 minutes movie. Lastly, arthouse fans shouldn't miss the acclaimed Taiwan drama Not Without You at the Picturehouse. With that, the team at moviexclusive.com wishes everyone a Happy Merry X'mas!

BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS PHENOMENAL BOX OFFICE OPENING

As of last weekend, Bodyguards &Assassins has raked in a box office of RMB 74.8 million, reigning as the top movie of the weekend in China. When added to the combined box office from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, Bodyguards and Assassins has exceeded RMB 90 million in total box office. Singapore alone contributed almost SGD $800,000 to the total box office within its’ four-day release. Click for our 4 stars review of Bodyguards & Assassins and Interview with star Fan Bing Bing and Tony Leung

A Fatter Treasure Hunter

A visibly fatter Jay Chou at the "Treasure Hunter" press conference moments ago...Click on the link for the movie review.

Brittany Murphy (1977 - 2009)

Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy passed away suddenly early Sunday morning in Los Angeles. The actress went into cardiac arrest and was rushed immediately to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

Murphy was first seen in Clueless as one of Alicia Silverstone's Cher's friends Tai. Other parts in movies such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Girl Interrupted, Cherry Falls, 8 Mile, Just Married and Uptown Girls soon followed.

She gained acclaim with her role as Shellie in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City,  voiced Gloria in the 2006 animation Happy Feet and appear in the indie drama, The Dead Girl. Most recently, she was seen on Singapore screens in the movie The Ramen Girl. The actress will also be seen next year in Sylvester Stallone's action movie The Expendables.

Her ex-boyfriend and co-star of Just Married Ashon Kutcher wrote this on Twitter after discovering her death, "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine".

Rest in peace, Brittany.

HEAR ME - Press Con, Bugis Junction & Gala Premiere

Credit: Festive Films Photographer Alex

6 Days to X'MAS.....

Have you stuff your stockings for X'mas? Gift giving is not a simple task- and it is with this in mind that the folks here at MX have decided to come up with the "X’Mas Wishlist 2009", here's the link in case you missed it. Happy shopping this weekend~ (We can't wait to open ours!)

Meet The Chipmunks @ SMRT Xchange!

As part of SMRT Xchange’s Christmas promotion, Alvin and the Chipmunks will be gracing SMRT Xchanges at these times:

18 Dec  (Fri)	12.30pm	Tanjong Pagar Xchange (Tanjong Pagar MRT Station)
19 Dec (Sat)	12.30pm	Boon Lay Xchange (Boon Lay MRT Station)
21 Dec (Mon)	5.30pm	Choa Chu Kang Xchange (Choa Chu Kang MRT Station)
23 Dec (Wed)	12.30pm	Dhoby Xchange (Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station)

    

Roy E. Disney (1930 - 2009)

Roy Edward Disney, son of Disney Studios co-founder Roy O. Disney, and nephew of Walt Disney, passed away today at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, following a year-long battle with stomach cancer. Disney is best known for his time as an executive for the global entertainment giant and as a powerful shareholder who twice led successful campaigns to oust company heads who he believed were leading the company in the wrong direction. Los Angeles-born Disney was a champion of classic animation and helped spark a successful revival of the drawn style in the 1980s and 1990s by supporting the animation teams behind hits such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios lauded Disney. "He put his heart and soul into preserving Disney's legendary past, while helping to move the art of animation into the modern age by embracing new technology". Company president and chief executive Bob Iger said Disney was much more than a valued 56-year company veteran. "Roy's commitment to the art of animation was unparalleled and will always remain his personal legacy and one of his greatest contributions to Disney's past, present and future," Iger said in a statement. Indeed a sad day for Mickey and his friends.

The Golden Globes Part Two

Warner Bros. Pictures received a total of 9 nominations in the film categories for the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards including INVICTUS Best Director – Clint Eastwood, Best Actor (Drama) – Morgan Freeman, Best Supporting Actor – Matt Damon. THE BLIND SIDE Best Actress (Drama) – Sandra Bullock, THE INFORMANT Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) – Matt Damon Best Original Score – Marvin Hamlisch THE HANGOVER Best Picture (Comedy or Musical).  The presentation ceremony will be held on 17 January 2010.

The Golden Globes Part One

Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, for his role as the title character in SHERLOCK HOLMES. Robert says, “My heartfelt thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this wonderful nomination. I share this honour with Jude Law and all of my cast-mates, my great director Guy Ritchie and the rest of the team whose collaboration and camaraderie helped make this new incarnation of SHERLOCK HOLMES possible.” From the Oscar-nominated Director of  Chicago, Rob Marshall, NINE has been honoured with top nominations including Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Marion Cotillard, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Peńelope Cruz, Best Original Song – Motion Picture, Maury Yeston (“Cinema Italiano”). SHERLOCK HOLMES opens island-wide on 24 December 2009 and NINE opens 25 February 2009.

XMAS PARTY WITH ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS

Be the first to watch the famous chipmunk trio return in the exclusive preview of “Alvin and the Chipmunks 2”! Plus, enjoy a fun-filled evening with exciting kids’ booth activities like funky hair styling, temporary tattoos and kids’ manicure.
5 lucky kids will also get a chance to showcase his/her singing talent at the Karaoke Contest and win attractive prizes worth up to $1200! More details can be found here

Have You Catch DON'T LOOK BACK?

Two of Europe’s hottest actresses – Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci, literally combine in NE TE RETOURNE PAS (DON’T LOOK BACK). exclusively showing at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard and The Cathay.

ASIAN HEARTHROB EDDIE PENG ARRIVING IN SINGAPORE

Leading Actor, Asian Heartthrob Eddie Peng and Award Winning Director Cheng Fen Fen is set to arrive in Singapore next week as part of a 3-day trip to promote the upcoming release of the film HEAR ME. Arriving on 17th December at 12:05PM via BR 225 from Taipei, the stars will attend a press conference at K BOX, K UNION at noon on 18th December. The stars will then meet-and-greet fans at Bugis Junction at 7:30PM before gracing the Gala Premiere of Hear Me, at Cathay Cineplex, Cineleisure Orchard. Both cast and director will depart Singapore at 13:10PM, on 19th December via BR 226.

Sex and the City 2 Teaser Poster

For all your SATC fans out there, here's a first look at the sequel to the phenomenally successful SATC movie. Warner Bros. has just released the first teaser poster to SATC 2 due out in cinemas next May and never mind that Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda seem to have been left out, this glamorous shot of Carrie is enough to leave us wanting more. Plot details have been kept tightly under wraps but here's what we know- there's probably going to a gay union between Stanford Blatch and Anthony Marentino, and Carrie's got marital issues with Mr Big. The rest? We just have to wait with bated breath till next year to find out. Enjoy!

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER

Return to the magic and wonder of C.S. Lewis’ beloved world – via the fantastic Narnian ship, the Dawn Treader. In this new installment of the blockbuster “The Chronicles of Narnia” motion picture franchise, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace and their royal friend King Caspian, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to the Dawn Treader. As they embark on an incredible adventure of destiny and discovery, they confront obstacles beyond imagination. Movie opens December 9 next year. (The first look publicity image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

Golden Village paves its way as the market leader in the 3D Digital movie experience

Golden Village, Singapore’s leading cinema chain now has the most number of fully equipped 3D Digital screens, to cater to the expected growing demand of 3D Digital movie format. The seating capacity of 3D Digital halls has been increased to more than double the current number, bringing it to a total of 2554 seats in all of its eight halls. An exciting growth to be seen amidst the current economic climate, especially with the highly-anticipated 3D film AVATAR which will be released next week.

Unveiling... Clover Films

The four-leaf clover is a symbol of vitality because of its vigorous and abundant growth, and a lucky charm representing hope, luck, happiness and wealth. Also representing the four essential elements of earth, air, fire and water, which form the basis of stability and solidarity, it is an emblem of completeness and balance.

And it is with this, a new company Clover Films is founded in Singapore and will specialise in the distribution and production of movies, with an emphasis on the Singapore and Malaysia markets. With our passion and belief in the immense potential of the industry, coupled with our personal track records in the movie and entertainment business, we hope to contribute in elevating the Singapore media scene to exciting new heights.

Watch out for films from Clover Films soon!

Studio Ghibli Film Festival (17-23 Dec)

Upcoming from 17-23 December, Encore Films is proud to present the inaugural STUDIO GHIBLI FILM FESTIVAL!

A rare chance to catch classics such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and unheralded gems like Only Yesterday (1991) on the big-screen, this week-long festival will take place at the Picturehouse and will feature a selection of imaginative animated treats that is full of wonder, heart and magical adventure. The Studio Ghibli Film Festival is an event that is perfect for the festive season and promises a delightful experience for the young and old.

Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is the premiere animation studio in Japan. Their films have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture, in much the same way that Disney's animated works have been embraced in modern Western culture. Cultivating a creative force of many talented directors, animators and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio Ghibli's films are praised for their originality, dazzling animation and epic storytelling and have inspired a long line of box office successes that are truly works of art.

Tickets are priced at $10 and more information can be found at http://www.encorefilms.com/ghibli/

Don't be Blind-Sided

You would do well to take notice of Sandra Bullock's new sports drama, "The Blind Side", the true story of a woman whose family adopts homeless teen Michael Oher, now a rookie tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. The movie which trailed at No 2 behind "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" for 2 weeks has finally eclipsed its competitor to take top position at the U.S. box office- that's quite an admirable feat for the movie which was made for just US$30 mil. It has now a U.S. domestic gross of US$129 mil, far more profitable than Warner Bros could ever have forecasted, thanks to excellent word-of-mouth from audiences who have seen it.

"The Blind Side" doesn't have a release date in Singapore yet. But you can bet it's only a matter of time before some distributor picks it up for a theatrical release here.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Coming to DVD & VCD this Fall

As the most anticipated horror of 2009, Paranormal Activity had become Twitter's most popular trending topic, the movie's Facebook page had over 125,000 fans, and the website had sailed past 1m hits. The film got its wider release and took US$100m dated November 13, 2009 and soon beating The Blair Witch Project to become the most profitable movie of all time. With a staggering 433,900% return on its investment, Paranormal Activity has become the top grossing R-Rated thriller of the past decade. The latest parable of Hollywood thrift comes courtesy of San Diego software programmer Oren Peli, whose horror movie was just shot for just $15,000 at his own home. Directed, written and produced by himself, Paranormal Activity is voted as one of the scariest movie of all-time. On December 29, 2009 be prepared for one of the scariest at-home viewing experiences ever. Paranormal Activity is priced at S$26.90 RRP (DVD) & S$14.90 RRP (VCD).

Oscar Watch 2010

The National Board of Review (NBR) has named Jason Reitman's new film "Up In The Air" as best picture of 2009, kicking off the first of the awards to be given out all the way up to Oscar 2010. George Clooney was named Best Actor alongside Morgan Freeman for his role in Clint Eastwood's South African-themed drama "Invictus", with Carey Mulligan from "An Education" named Best Actress.

"Up In The Air" opens in cinemas 25 Feb 2010. Stay tuned to MX for more Oscar Watch updates!

More about The Twilight Saga

Here's a first look at the latest poster for the next instalment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse. Filmed back to back with New Moon, Eclipse is directed by 30 Days of Night director David Slade and will arrive in cinemas 30 June 2010.

Rumour has it that Summit Entertainment has listened to the fans and cast and approached "New Moon" director Chris Weitz to direct the fourth and fifth instalment of the series. Yes, you heard me right, Summit is splitting the fourth book into two movies. Regular scribe Melissa Rosenberg is already on board to adapt the fourth movie but it's unclear who will be writing the last of the Saga.

Stay tuned to MX for more exclusive Twilight Saga news!

One's a Single Man, One's a Mother

A SINGLE MAN and MOTHER garnered four Spirit Awards nominations in Los Angeles. Festive Films and Cathay Keris Films are proud to announce that Tom Ford’s A SINGLE MAN will be contending in three major categories at the Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay and Best Actor for Colin Firth (Best Actor, Venice Film Festival Sept’09).

Following his crowd-pleasing, box office record-breaking monster movie The Host, in 2006, Bong Joon-ho’s MOTHER, starring Won-Bin and Kim Hye-ja will be contending in the formidable Best Foreign Language Film category.

The awards ceremony will take place on the night of Friday March 5, in the LA Live Campus in Downtown LA.

Both titles are slated for release in Singapore early 2010.