Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Click on the chart to enlarge.
• Although he lost the DGA award to his ex-wife last night (see story below), James Cameron's Avatar continues to be a winner with movie goers -- topping the domestic box office for a seventh straight week.
• Avatar should steam past the domestic tally of Cameron's Titanic by mid-week, after exiting the weekend with $594.5 million in the U.S. and Canada. Titanic -- which topped weekend rankings 15 times -- registered $600.8 million domestically in its 1997-1998 run.
  
• Reviews of Edge of Darkness, The Lovely Bones, Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated and other movies not in the top ten can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive image at left.
• All figures are industry estimates. Actual figures are released on Monday.
• Sources: Nielsen EDI, ew.com, The Hollywood Reporter

Kathryn Bigelow Wins Directors Guild of America Award -- First Female Winner

On Saturday night, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female winner of the Directors Guild of America's best director award for a feature film (The Hurt Locker). She beat out her ex-husband James Cameron (Avatar), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and Lee Daniels (Precious). Daniels was the first African American nominated for the presitigious award.

Only six times since the DGA Awards began in 1948 has the feature film winner not gone on to win the corresponding Academy Award. And typically, the film that wins the Oscar for best director goes on to win for best picture. Oscar nominations are announced this Tuesday, February 2.

Bigelow's The Hurt Locker has already won directing and best picture honors from the National Society of Film Critics, the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and at the Critics' Choice Awards, where she competed against the same four DGA nominees. The Hurt Locker was also the Producers Guild's best picture winner. Cameron was named best director and Avatar best picture at the Golden Globes.

The guild also presented awards in documentary, television and commercial categories. Norman Jewison received the guild's Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction at the ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Click here for a list of other winners from last night's ceremony.

TGIF Movie Review: The Return of Mel Gibson

Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness is a film adaptation of the 1985 BBC television series of the same name -- both directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) and produced by Michael Wearing. But the biggest buzz surrounding the film is focused on Mel Gibson's return to the screen after a long absence. In his first major starring role since 2002's Signs, Gibson plays Boston Detective Thomas Craven -- whose daughter (Bojana Novakovic) is brutally murdered right before his eyes. Craven sets off on a mission to investigate her murder -- learning that his daughter's activism played a key role, but that corporate and political cover-ups are hiding the truth.

Danny Huston (The Aviator, The Constant Gardener) plays the shady businessman who heads up the ridiculously fictitious corporation where Craven's daughter worked. Most intriguing is Ray Winstone (Beowulf, The Departed), who plays a government agent sent to cover up the murder. Robert De Niro had originally been cast in Winstone's role, but walked out due to creative differences. Smart move. Although there are some surprisingly hard-hitting action scenes, the ridiculous plot points win out. It gets laughable after a while when one-by-one, characters that know the truth and fear for their lives, decide to stay put as sitting ducks. Wouldn't you find a better place to hide than your own home? For the most part, Gibson -- looking quite weathered and worn -- rises above the silliness to deliver an entertaining performance. So ultimately, I'm left with only a minimum recommendation for a so-so thriller thanks mostly to Gibson's return. [Rated R; opens today]

Grade: B-


Note:

• An alphabetical archive of other film reviews can be found by clicking on the icon in the left menu.
  
• Reminder: Oscar nominations are announced next Tuesday morning! Check back for updates, polls and predictions.
  

MusicMonday: Festival Updates, Songs for Haiti Relief, Free Downloads

Festival Updates

Here are updates on some leading music festivals planned for this year:

Coachella

• Coachella 2010 will be held from April 16 - 18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
  
• The line-up includes headliners Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz. The full list of scheduled artists can be found on the festival site here or in the image above (just click to enlarge).
  
• Tickets went on sale last week and can be ordered here.
  

Lilith Fair

• Lilith Fair, the traveling music festival featuring female solo artists and female-led bands, is back! Co-founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, the festival originally was held in the summers of 1997 - 1999. This summer, over 30 North American cities have been scheduled -- with plans for a short European tour as well.
• Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Erykah Badu, Ke$ha, Tegan and Sara, Miranda Lambert, Metric were among the first artists announced to join Sarah McLachlan.
• Just last week, Loretta Lynn, Heart, Norah Jones, Cat Power, Sia, Gossip, La Roux, Beth Orton, Ceci Bastida, Erin McCarley, Frazey Ford, Julia Othmer, Kate Nash, Lights, Missy Higgins, Lissie, Marina & The Diamonds, Priscilla Renea, Rosie Thomas, Melissa McClelland, Toby Lightman and Elizaveta were added!
• More details can be found on the festival site here.

Rothbury Festival

• The Rothbury Festival, the four-day jam band music festival held in Rothbury, Michigan in 2008 and 2009, has been postponed for this year.
• According to the event's site here, the Independence Day weekend festival will take a break this year with hopes of returning in 2011.
  

Songs to Benefit Haiti

• As posted here last month, Eddie Vedder delivered a moving cover of "My City of Ruins" at last month's Kennedy Center tribute to Bruce Springsteen. Now the song is available for download at iTunes for only 99¢ with ALL proceeds going to Haiti relief. You can download the song here.
• Performances from last Friday's live telethon, Hope for Haiti Now, are available for purchase at iTunes here -- with all proceeds going to Haiti relief. The full performance album is $7.99 and the full two-hour video telecast is $1.99. Individual audio performances are also available for 99¢ each. The performances were top-notch -- and included Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Sting, Beyonce, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris, Jennifer Hudson, Emeline Michel, Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, Rihanna, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and Wyclef Jean.
• Linkin Park, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, Slash, The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Enrique Iglesias and Lupe Fiasco have teamed up with Music For Relief to aid earthquake victims. You can access the 10-track album here first, but please don't forget to donate after you download!
  
• The generous guys of Wilco are giving away full recordings of two shows they played last year for free download on their site here. In return, they’re encouraging (though not requiring) fans to donate $15 or more for Haiti relief to either Oxfam or Doctors Without Borders.
  
• Meanwhile --more benefit songs are planned in the coming weeks. A new version of "We are the World" is being organized by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie -- while the music industry gathers this coming weekend for the Grammys. Rumored participants include Usher, Natalie Cole, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Sting, Fergie, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. And Simon Cowell is organizing a benefit recording of REM's "Everybody Hurts." No talent confirmations have been named, but Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, MileyCyrus, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Wyclef Jean are rumored to be participating.

Free Downloads

Here are this week's offerings:

• SPIN Magazine has a free album of 10 artists to watch in 2010; download it here.
• Chester French has a 'mix tape' album featuring Lady Gaga, Solange and many others; click here for the download.
• A 5-track album from Caleb Rowden can be downloaded here.
• For Corrine Bailey Rae's new single, use code 'Corinne' at Walmart's site here. Note: for more free songs from Walmart, see list below.
  
• Coca-Cola presents a weekly free download on 'The Formula for Happiness' MySpace page here. The current freebie is for Kid Sister's "54321."
• Just sign up for the Lilith Fair e-newsletter and receive a free download of "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan and Emmylou Harris; click here.
• In honor of Mozart's birthday on January 27, Baby Einstein is offering a free 'Baby Mozart' download here.
  

And don't forget to continually check the following sources for more free downloads -- new songs covering all genres are added frequently. Just click on the links below and enjoy some new tunes.

• AbsolutePunk
• Amazon singles
  
• Amazon albums
  
• Fuse.tv
• MTV
  
• Spinner
• Stereogum
• VolumeVote
  
• Walmart

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Click on the chart to enlarge.
• James Cameron's Avatar has now rolled up an overseas cume through Sunday of $1.288 billion, exceeding by $46 million a 13-year international box office record of $1.242 billion held by his Titanic. The record actually fell Saturday.
• Still to be broken are Titanic's domestic box office record ($600.8 million) and its worldwide cume ($1.843 billion).
• In its sixth consecutive weekend win, Avatar is now the #2 movie on the all-time domestic box office charts, surpassing The Dark Knight. Avatar has grossed $552.8 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $1.8408 billion globally.
• Reviews of The Lovely Bones, Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, Extraordinary Measures and other movies not in the top ten can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive image at left.
• All figures are industry estimates. Actual figures are released on Monday.
• Sources: Nielsen EDI, ew.com, The Hollywood Reporter
  

Movie Review: Another "Based on a True Story"

Extraordinary Measures

In this new drama from director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas), Brendan Fraser plays John, a biotechnology executive, whose two youngest children are afflicted with Pompe disease -- a neuromuscular disorder. As the kids grow sicker, and the necessary treatment lags behind due to red tape, John takes it upon himself to track down and hire a gruff scientist, Dr. Stonehill (Harrison Ford), whose research shows promise. If Tom can find the funding, Stonehill is the best -- and maybe last chance to save his kids (played by Diego Velazquez and scene-stealer Meredith Droeger).

The feature is the first release from CBS Films -- so it's no surprise that it feels more like a tv movie than a theatrical one. And if Ford didn't star and serve as an executive producer, it very well may have landed on tv instead. Although it's slightly better than last year's similarly mis-released sick kid drama, My Sister's Keeper, that isn't saying much. Fraser seems better suited for adventure and comedy films than melodrama. Ford appears to almost phone in his performance -- and Keri Russell's role as Tom's wife mostly serves as window dressing. But there's still some inspiration in the film's message -- if you can just get pass the bad acting and movie-of-the-week storytelling. So my advice is to wait for the DVD release -- and see it on the better-suited small screen. [Rated PG; opens tomorrow]

Grade: B-


Notes:

• My screening of the film brought together Fraser and the man he portrays, John Crowley (at right in photo), who now heads the biotech company Amicus Therapeutics. Although he admitted at the screening that the movie was a dramatization -- and Ford's character was actually a composite of several individuals -- Crowley pointed out that "all the science and medicine is 100 percent accurate." Look for a small cameo by Crowley in a business meeting scene. Also in attendance at the screening was Crowley's wife, Aileen. (Credit: Michael Klein, Steven Falk ~ The Philadelphia Inquirer)
• An alphabetical archive of other film reviews can be found by clicking on the icon in the left menu.

MusicMonday: A Winning Song + New Free Downloads

The Weary Kind

Last week, I saw the new film Crazy Heart about a washed-up country singer -- played by Jeff Bridges in an Oscar-worthy performance. As I said in that review (here), I was not previously a fan of country music -- but the movie's soundtrack is quite amazing -- and really moved me. In fact, it's enough to make me want to explore more music in the country rock subcategory.

Over the weekend, the original song for the movie --"The Weary Kind" -- won Golden Globe AND Critics' Choice Awards (music and lyrics by T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham, who also appears in the film). With the two wins this weekend, this song has all the momentum as the Oscar race heats up (nominations are announced February 2). If you're not familiar with the song -- or Bingham -- take a look at this video below. The official and deluxe soundtracks for the movie both make their debut tomorrow; details here.





Free Downloads

Here are this week's offerings:

• "Widow Wake My Mind," the second of 44 planned free tracks from The Smashing Pumpkins is now available on the band's MySpace page here.
• VolumeVote is a site that gives away a free MP3 from a different band every single day -- check it out here.
• MTV offers several free songs per week; here are the latest selections.
  
• Amazon is offering over 100 free albums for download here.

And don't forget to continually check the following sources for more free downloads -- new songs covering all genres are added frequently. Just click on the links below and enjoy some new tunes.

• AbsolutePunk
• Amazon
• Fuse.tv
• Spinner
• Stereogum
• Walmart

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Click on the chart to enlarge.
• James Cameron's Avatar has now pulled in $1.6 billion worldwide -- behind only his Titanic, which took in $1.8 billion.
• #1 for the fifth-straight weekend, Cameron's sci-fi saga raised its domestic total to $491.8 million and should top $500 million after revenues are counted on Martin Luther King Day, according to studio estimates Sunday. The last film to reign for five weeks straight? You guessed it -- Titanic (which lead for 15 weeks!).
  
• Avatar has shot past Star Wars as the #3 movie on the all-time domestic box office charts. Next stop, The Dark Knight.
• Reviews of The Lovely Bones, Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, Up in the Air and other movies not in the top ten can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive image at left.
• All figures are industry estimates. Actual figures are released on Monday.
• Sources: Nielsen EDI, ew.com, AP
  

TGIF Movie Reviews

Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, an alcoholic singer/songwriter who was once a major star of country music. Now he barely manages to keep things together -- playing small venues in the Southwest while mostly living on the road out of his old pickup truck. With several failed marriages behind him, he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a much younger journalist who re-awakens his spirit. Jean is a single mother with a young son -- who has a history of failed relationships of her own. She and her son become the catalyst for Bad getting his life back on track.

Bridges (Fearless, The Big Lebowski) is amazingly convincing as the washed-up musician -- every ounce of his performance rings true. After seeing all the front-runners in this year's awards season, he's the most worthy of the accolades for Best Actor. Gyllenhaal (Secretary, Away We Go) is also terrific. Robert Duvall has a small role as a bartender friend of Bad's -- maybe he was drawn to participate because the film was reminiscent of his own Oscar-winning turn as a washed-up, alcoholic country singer in 1983's Tender Mercies.

About the only negative I could find is the odd casting of Irish actor Colin Farrell (In Bruges) as Tommy Sweet, a popular and successful country music star Bad once mentored and to whom he finally renews a professional relationship. Farrell manages to do an okay job in the role, but was still a distraction. Singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham also appears -- and performs his Golden Globe nominated "The Weary Kind." Although I do not consider myself a country music fan, I was totally blown away by the country rock score. In a solid directorial debut, Scott Cooper has also written a compelling script. [Rated R; opens wider today]

Grade: A-


The Lovely Bones

Based on Alice Sebold's best-selling 2002 novel of the same name, The Lovely Bones is the story of a 14-year-old girl who is murdered in a quiet suburban town in late 1973. Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) plays the murdered girl Susie, who finds herself in 'the in-between' - an almost-Heaven place, observing her family as they grieve for her. She also watches her killer (Stanely Tucci from Julie & Julia) who, having covered his tracks successfully, is preparing to murder again. Her father Jack (Mark Wahlberg) becomes obsessed with his daughter's murder, while her mother Abigail (Rachel Weisz) moves away to numb the pain. Susie struggles to balance her desire for vengeance on her killer and her desire to have her family -- which includes two younger siblings -- recover from their loss.

Director and co-writer Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) delivers mixed results. He goes overboard in his use of CGI-effects while in 'the in-between' -- some of it works, some of it doesn't. But most importantly, the overuse makes the movie drag. Jackson should have had a better editing eye to trim the movie back from its two hour and fifteen minute run time. However, he does succeed in capturing the early 1970s back on Earth -- and we have to give him credit for the strong performances by his stars -- the captivating Ronan and a creepy turn by Golden Globe nominee Tucci. The parental roles are less fleshed out -- and Susan Sarandon's role as the goofy drunk grandmother seems an odd inclusion. But for the performances of Ronan and Tucci -- and an interesting, yet somewhat poorly executed story -- I give the film a mild recommendation.

Grade: B-


Notes:

• Fox Searchlight has staggered the release of Crazy Heart. Click here to find out when the film opens in your area.
• The Lovely Bones stays true to Sebold's setting outside of Philadelphia. Jackson filmed it in the suburb of Willistown Township, PA -- near the Main Line. Click here for The Philadelphia Inquirer photo gallery of the film's 2007 shoot.
• Check back here next week for a review of Extraordinary Measures.
• Click on the film reviews icon at left for an archive of all film reviews.
  

Three Movie Reviews -- Catching Up!

It may seem like I get to see all movies before their actual release dates, but that isn't always the case. I spent the last couple of weeks catching up on a few movies I missed -- and now I'm finally getting to the reviews here. And it's a good time to catch up because each of these movies play a part in the competition known as the Golden Globe Awards this coming Sunday night!

Nine

Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) returns with an all-star musical to re-tell the story played out before on stage, in book and even on screen (all incarnations were based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½). And wow -- what a cast -- including Academy Award winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Academy award nominee and Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson, and Grammy Award winner Fergie.

Day-Lewis plays Guido, a famed Italian film director who is facing a mid-life crisis that is stifling his creativity and leading him into a variety of complicated romantic involvements. As he struggles to even start his latest film, he's forced to balance the numerous formative women in his life, including his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his film star muse (Kidman), his confidante and costume designer (Dench), an American fashion journalist (Hudson), a prostitute from his youth (Fergie), and his mother (Loren).

Nine has received five Golden Globe nominations -- including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) and nods for Day-Lewis, Cotillard and Cruz. But is it a great movie? No. For me, the music wasn't that interesting. And shouldn't that make or break a musical? Other than the memorable "Be Italian" (Fergie), the other songs seemed repetitive. I got tired of hearing 'Guido this' and 'Guido that.' Luckily the story kept my interest, the cast was impressive and the setting of mid-1960s Italy was breathtaking. So overall, it's not a great musical, but still a mildly entertaining film. [Rated PG-13; in theaters now]

Grade: B


Brothers

Directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father), Brothers is a remake of the 2004 Danish film, Brødre. Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) plays Sam, a devoted family man and U.S. Marine who leaves his wife (Natalie Portman) and two young daughters behind for yet another tour of duty. Before he leaves for Afghanistan, his troubled brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from jail after serving time for an armed robbery.

In combat, Sam's helicopter crashes and he is presumed dead. Back home, Tommy finally grows up and helps his sister-in-law Grace cope with their loss. Months pass and they grow closer -- but unbeknownst to them, Sam is still alive -- captured along with a fellow member of his unit, Joe (Patrick Flueger). Sam and Joe endure unspeakable torture -- and yes, some of the scenes are horrific and quite difficult to watch. But Sam survives the ordeal -- and returns home to the shock of his family. But he's a changed man -- deeply traumatized and consumed by paranoid thoughts that Tommy and Grace have slept together. And you guessed it -- Sam finally snaps and all hell breaks loose.

All three leads are excellent -- with Maguire truly deserving of his Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Rounding out the cast is Sam Shepard, Mare Winningham, Clifton Collins, Jr. (Sunshine Cleaning, Extract) -- and two wonderful young actresses who play the daughters --

Bailee Madison and Taylor Grace Geare. [Rated R; in theaters now]

Grade: B+


A Single Man

Set in 1962 Los Angeles, A Single Man is the story of George Falconer (Colin Firth), a closeted middle-aged British college professor who has struggled to find meaning in life since the sudden death eight months earlier of his longtime younger partner (Matthew Goode of Leap Year). Over the course of one (at times, slow-moving) day -- he reminisces with his fellow Brit friend (Julianne Moore) and has encounters with two young men that awaken his spirit. But is it enough to keep him going?

In his directorial debut, fashion designer Tom Ford has shot a beautiful film -- with a deeply elegant style. Based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood, Ford also co-wrote the script with David Scearce. Firth (Bridget Jones's Diary) is brilliant in a quiet, but moving Golden Globe nominated performance (Best Actor). And although Moore's role is much smaller, she is riveting as always -- earning yet another nomination of her own (Best Supporting Actress). [Rated R; in theaters now]

Grade: A-


Note:

• A full list of nominations for Sunday's 67th Golden Globe Awards can be found here.
• An alphabetical archive of other film reviews can be found by clicking on the icon in the left menu.
• Reviews of The Lovely Bones, Crazy Heart and Extraordinary Measures are coming soon.

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Click on the chart to enlarge.
• Avatar has now pulled in $1.34 billion worldwide -- behind only Titanic, which took in $1.8 billion. Director James Cameron now has the #1 and #2 hits of all time.
  
• Reviews of Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, Up in the Air and other movies not in the top ten can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive image at left.
  
• Reviews for Nine, A Single Man and Brothers will be posted here soon.
• All figures are industry estimates. Actual figures are released on Monday.
• Sources: Nielsen EDI, ew.com, AP
  

MusicMonday: Kennedy Center Honors Recap + Free Downloads!

Kennedy Center Honors Recap

On December 6, the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors paid tribute to five legends of the arts community -- including comic genius Mel Brooks and actor Robert DeNiro. The event, which was broadcast on CBS last Tuesday, also paid homage to three music greats -- jazz pianist/composer Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry and rock singer/composer Bruce Springsteen.

• Click on the names above to read bios for these music honorees.
• Not sure you know Brubeck's music? Well take a view/listen of "Take Five" clip here. Sound familiar?
• Click here for a video clip of Bumbry singing "Habanera" from the opera, Carmen.
  
• Ok, I may be biased -- but the highlight of the Springsteen segment came from Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning singer Eddie Vedder’s powerful rendition of "My City of Ruins;" it can be viewed here:

Free Downloads

Here are this week's offerings:

• Landmark Theater and FILTER Magazine's Winter 2010 album -- with 10 tracks -- can be downloaded here.
• I Love the (18)80s, a 26-track classical album, is available from Amazon here.
• Also from Amazon, the 14-track Eternal Baroque album is available here.
  

And don't forget to continually check the following sources for more free downloads -- new songs covering all genres are added frequently. Just click on the links below and enjoy some new tunes.

• AbsolutePunk
• Amazon
• Fuse.tv
• Spinner
• Stereogum
• Walmart

Note:

• In 2010, the MusicMonday column shifts from a weekly feature to an occasional feature.
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Click on the chart to enlarge.
• Avatar, with its higher ticket price for 3-D showings, earned $68.3 million this weekend -- the best gross ever for a film in its third weekend. The film has shot past $1 billion worldwide, only the fifth movie ever to hit that mark.
• Avatar director James Cameron is the only director with two $1 billion hits (along with Titanic).
  
• Reviews of Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, Up in the Air and other movies not in the top ten can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive image at left.
  
• Reviews for Nine, A Single Man and Brothers will be posted here soon.
• All figures are industry estimates. Actual figures are released on Monday.
• Sources: Nielsen EDI, ew.com, AP, MSNBC
  

Complete Rules for "Alice in Wonderland" Giveaway Contest

Here are the complete rules for EntertainmentBlogger's "Mega Alice in Wonderland Prize Package Giveaway" contest announced on June 21, 2010:

1. No purchase necessary to enter or claim a Prize. No skill is necessary to enter or win.

2. Sponsor: The sponsor of this Sweepstakes is EntertainmentBlogger located in Philadelphia, PA 19103 (”Sponsor”).

3. Eligibility: EntertainmentBlogger's "Mega Alice in Wonderland Prize Package Giveaway" contest (the “Sweepstakes”) is offered to any U.S. resident with a Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) account who is at least 13 years of age. Employees and agents of Sponsor and/or its affiliates, agencies and distributors (”Associated Persons”), members of such Associated Persons’ families, and individuals living in the same household with such Associated Persons are not eligible to win. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

4. How to Enter: The Sweepstakes begins at 9:15 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on June 21, 2010 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on July 27, 2010 (the "Promotion Period"). To enter, you must issue the stated status update from your Twitter account. Limit one (1) entry per person / per day. Sponsor’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes and winner eligibility. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. The potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of the account associated with the winning entry in order to be awarded a prize.

5. Prize Drawing and Entry Periods: Prize winner will be selected in a single random drawing after the conclusion of the Promotion Period and before July 31, 2010. An official entry will only be counted if the Twitter service displays the entry from their public search stream (http://search.twitter.com/). Sponsor is not responsible for entries undelivered to the public search stream. If any potential winner cannot be contacted, or if prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize.

6. Odds: There will be a total of one (1) Prize winner. Odds of winning the random drawing will depend on the total number of entries received during the entry period.

7. Prize and Approximate Retail Value: There will be one (1) Prize Package awarded with an approximate total retail value ("ARV") of $125 USD. Inclusions:

• The special 3-disc combo pack of the 2010 Alice in Wonderland film with Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies
• The Almost Alice CD soundtrack
  
• A 27" x 40" theatrical poster
• A Mad Hatter t-shirt
• A Mad Hatter bookmark

8. Release: By receipt of any prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Walt Disney Studios, Buena Vista Records, and any promotional partners, each of their parent, subsidiary, affiliate and related companies, and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any losses, damages, rights, claim or cause of action of any kind arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of participation in the Sweepstakes or resulting directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize awarded in connection with the Sweepstakes, including without limitation personal injury, death, and/or property damage, as well as claims based on publicity rights, defamation, and/or invasion of privacy.

9. Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize or while traveling to or from any prize-related activity. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming or any other reasons cause more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prizes by a random drawing among all legitimate, un-awarded, eligible prize claims. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, abbreviate or suspend the Sweepstakes or any portion thereof for any reason without further obligation or advance notice. If the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by Sponsor, notice will be posted on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. In the event that the Sweepstakes is abbreviated for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, but is under no obligation, to award prizes from among all valid and eligible entries received up to the time of termination. By entering, entrants agree to comply with these rules. Any entrant who attempts to tamper with the Sweepstakes, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be disqualified. In the event of a dispute as to who submitted an entry, the Entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the Twitter account submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” means the natural person who is in control of the email address associated with the entering Twitter account. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANTS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. If any portion of these rules is determined to be invalid or illegal, the remaining portions of these rules will remain in effect and be construed with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

10. Notification: Winners will be contacted directly via a direct message from Sponsor's Twitter account (@Entertainment2u) and posted directly on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. It is the Entrant's sole responsibility to contact Sponsor to collect Prize.

11. Prize Shipment: Winner must supply Sponsor with full name and a U.S. mailing address. A P.O. Box is not allowed. Sponsor is not responsible for lost or damaged mail.

Complete Rules for iTunes Gift Card Giveaway contest

Here are the complete rules for EntertainmentBlogger's "iTunes Gift Card Giveaway" contest announced on May 17, 2010:

1. No purchase necessary to enter or claim a Prize. No skill is necessary to enter or win.

2. Sponsor: The sponsor of this Sweepstakes is EntertainmentBlogger located in Philadelphia, PA 19103 (”Sponsor”).

3. Eligibility: EntertainmentBlogger's "iTunes Gift Card Giveaway" (the “Sweepstakes”) is offered to any U.S. resident with a Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) account who is at least 13 years of age. Employees and agents of Sponsor and/or its affiliates, agencies and distributors (”Associated Persons”), members of such Associated Persons’ families, and individuals living in the same household with such Associated Persons are not eligible to win. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

4. How to Enter: The Sweepstakes begins at 10:00 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on May 17, 2010 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on June 20, 2010 (the "Promotion Period"). To enter, you must issue the stated status update from your Twitter account. Limit one (1) entry per person / per day. Sponsor’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes and winner eligibility. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. The potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of the account associated with the winning entry in order to be awarded a prize.

5. Prize Drawing and Entry Periods: Prize winner will be selected in a single random drawing after the conclusion of the Promotion Period and before June 25, 2010. An official entry will only be counted if the Twitter service displays the entry from their public search stream (http://search.twitter.com/). Sponsor is not responsible for entries undelivered to the public search stream. If any potential winner cannot be contacted, or if prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize.

6. Odds: There will be a total of one (1) Prize winner. Odds of winning the random drawing will depend on the total number of entries received during the entry period.

7. Prize and Approximate Retail Value: There will be one (1) Prize awarded with an approximate retail value ("ARV") of $25 USD.

8. Release: By receipt of any prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Apple, and any promotional partners, each of their parent, subsidiary, affiliate and related companies, and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any losses, damages, rights, claim or cause of action of any kind arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of participation in the Sweepstakes or resulting directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize awarded in connection with the Sweepstakes, including without limitation personal injury, death, and/or property damage, as well as claims based on publicity rights, defamation, and/or invasion of privacy.

9. Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize or while traveling to or from any prize-related activity. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming or any other reasons cause more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prizes by a random drawing among all legitimate, un-awarded, eligible prize claims. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, abbreviate or suspend the Sweepstakes or any portion thereof for any reason without further obligation or advance notice. If the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by Sponsor, notice will be posted on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. In the event that the Sweepstakes is abbreviated for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, but is under no obligation, to award prizes from among all valid and eligible entries received up to the time of termination. By entering, entrants agree to comply with these rules. Any entrant who attempts to tamper with the Sweepstakes, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be disqualified. In the event of a dispute as to who submitted an entry, the Entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the Twitter account submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” means the natural person who is in control of the email address associated with the entering Twitter account. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANTS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. If any portion of these rules is determined to be invalid or illegal, the remaining portions of these rules will remain in effect and be construed with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

10. Notification: Winners will be contacted directly via a direct message from Sponsor's Twitter account (@Entertainment2u) and posted directly on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. It is the Entrant's sole responsibility to contact Sponsor to collect Prize.

11. Prize Shipment: Winner must supply Sponsor with full name and a U.S. mailing address. A P.O. Box is not allowed. Sponsor is not responsible for lost or damaged mail.

Complete Rules for Amazon.com Gift Card Giveaway Contest

Here are the complete rules for EntertainmentBlogger's "Amazon.com Gift Card Giveaway" contest announced on August 31, 2010:

1. No purchase necessary to enter or claim a Prize. No skill is necessary to enter or win.

2. Sponsor: The sponsor of this Sweepstakes is EntertainmentBlogger located in Philadelphia, PA 19103 (”Sponsor”).

3. Eligibility: EntertainmentBlogger's "Amazon.com Gift Card Giveaway" contest (the “Sweepstakes”) is offered to any U.S. resident with a Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) account who is at least 13 years of age. Employees and agents of Sponsor and/or its affiliates, agencies and distributors (”Associated Persons”), members of such Associated Persons’ families, and individuals living in the same household with such Associated Persons are not eligible to win. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

4. How to Enter: The Sweepstakes begins at 10:30 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on August 31, 2010 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on October 5, 2010 (the "Promotion Period"). To enter, you must issue the stated status update from your Twitter account. Limit one (1) entry per person / per day. Sponsor’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes and winner eligibility. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. The potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of the account associated with the winning entry in order to be awarded a prize.

5. Prize Drawing and Entry Periods: Prize winner will be selected in a single random drawing after the conclusion of the Promotion Period and before October 10, 2010. An official entry will only be counted if the Twitter service displays the entry from their public search stream (http://search.twitter.com/). Sponsor is not responsible for entries undelivered to the public search stream. If any potential winner cannot be contacted, or if prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize.

6. Odds: There will be a total of one (1) Prize winner. Odds of winning the random drawing will depend on the total number of entries received during the entry period.

7. Prize and Approximate Retail Value: There will be one (1) Prize Package awarded with an approximate total retail value ("ARV") of $40-50 USD. Inclusion: $5 Amazon.com e-gift card codes equaling $40-50 in total.


8. Release: By receipt of any prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Amazon.com, and any promotional partners, each of their parent, subsidiary, affiliate and related companies, and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any losses, damages, rights, claim or cause of action of any kind arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of participation in the Sweepstakes or resulting directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize awarded in connection with the Sweepstakes, including without limitation personal injury, death, and/or property damage, as well as claims based on publicity rights, defamation, and/or invasion of privacy.

9. Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize or while traveling to or from any prize-related activity. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming or any other reasons cause more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prizes by a random drawing among all legitimate, un-awarded, eligible prize claims. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, abbreviate or suspend the Sweepstakes or any portion thereof for any reason without further obligation or advance notice. If the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by Sponsor, notice will be posted on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. In the event that the Sweepstakes is abbreviated for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, but is under no obligation, to award prizes from among all valid and eligible entries received up to the time of termination. By entering, entrants agree to comply with these rules. Any entrant who attempts to tamper with the Sweepstakes, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be disqualified. In the event of a dispute as to who submitted an entry, the Entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the Twitter account submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” means the natural person who is in control of the email address associated with the entering Twitter account. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANTS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. If any portion of these rules is determined to be invalid or illegal, the remaining portions of these rules will remain in effect and be construed with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

10. Notification: Winners will be contacted directly via a direct message from Sponsor's Twitter account (@Entertainment2u) and posted directly on http://movies-tv-entertainment.blogspot.com/. It is the Entrant's sole responsibility to contact Sponsor to collect Prize.

11. Prize Shipment: Amazon.com e-gift card codes will be sent to winner via direct messages on Twitter or via email address if supplied by winner.