Armchair Commentary

18 Great Canadian Exports

Watching the Olympics' closing ceremonies, I loved all the appearances by Canadian artists, especially the actors who proudly expressed their love for their motherland. So thank you, Canada, for giving us the following contributions to movies & television (so music artists and um, Tom Green are not on the list). These are in no particular order:

1) Anne of Green Gables. Set on Prince Edward Island, starring Canadian actors Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst and Jonathan Crombie, this television movie (and its two sequels) were must-see watching for any young woman on either side of the border.

2) Jim Carrey

3) Christopher Plummer. (I admit I had no idea he was Canadian.)

4) SCTV. The sketch comedy series that ran 1976-1984 birthed John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, and many other Canadian comedians.

5) The Sutherlands (Donald and Kiefer). One of the busiest and well-regarded veterans of Hollywood, and his son, aka Jack Bauer. (Incidentally, Sutherland's 24 co-stars Elisha Cuthbert and Leslie Hope are also Canadian).

6) Michael J. Fox

7) Dan Aykroyd

8) Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams: Though they are no longer a couple in real life, their tear-jerking coupling in The Notebook remains one for the chick-flick ages, not to mention their rising Hollywood profiles. (You could also be the greatest Canadian Hollywood couple if you could just... get back together? Please?)

9) Mike Myers

10) William Shatner, who mentioned during the Olympics' closing ceremonies that Canadians know "how to make love in a canoe." Only the Shat can say this line with authenticity.

11) Norma Shearer

12) Mon Oncle Antoine: The 1971 French-language film was twice voted the greatest Canadian film ever.

13) Ryan Reynolds

14) Atom Egoyan: The indie director of The Sweet Hereafter, which starred Canadian actress-turned-director Sarah Polley

15) Degrassi High: This Toronto-based series, which aired in 1987-1991 (with a couple of spinoffs), was hailed for its realistic portrayals of teens.

16) Sandra Oh

17). Keanu Reeves


18) Nathan Fillion: Star of TV's Castle, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog. And. Just. Hilarious.

Who/what else would you list as a great Canadian export? --Ellen

Most Sizzling TV Couples of All Time

We are not talking about cute and cuddly. We're not talking about sweet. (This is why The Office's Jim & Pam are not on the list.) We're talking about the stuff of legend, like when millions tuned in every week to see David and Maddie (Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd) spar on Moonlighting, right up until that (fateful) night they consummated all that buildup. (Viewers left shortly afterwards, making this show forever set the bar for Why You Should Not Let Your Main Couple Hook Up.)

The other day I was watching an unnamed TV drama currently on the air (I do not identify the show because I don't want to be blamed for spoiling any plot points for those of you who only watch shows on DVD or on DVR weeks later) in which the leading male and female had so far had no hints of romance, until she was in need of comforting and he stroked her hair, and suddenly I found myself leaning so far off the sofa waiting as their faces came very, very close. I was not rooting for these two to become a couple, but now that they've flirted with the idea, I have to say I'm intrigued.

But those are the types of couples I like the most; not the star-crossed lovers, but the unexpected pairings that stumble on each other. Despite all the bad dialogue ("We shouldn't be doing this." "What are you afraid of?") I admit I liked Kelly and Dylan way better than Brenda and Dylan on 90210 (even though, in the end, it seems no one can really make Dylan settle down. You either end up alone, alone with a kid, or dead); and of course Joey and Pacey proved to be a much better couple than her original MTB (Meant To Be), Dawson.

I am also a fan of Meredith & Derek (Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey) on Grey's Anatomy, mostly because this relationship started from a one-night stand--so at least we got THAT out of the way--but managed to sustain the tension through breakups, other relationships, and hospital politics. Particularly season two, with a lot of very tense moments in an elevator and a night of passion at the prom (don't ask).

I asked around the office for other opinions, and here's what they said:

Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) from The X-Files. They can “trust no-one”, but each other. --Amanda

[On Mad Men], I love Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss)’s weird, painful and achingly dysfunctional pull towards one another (and that whole “I had your baby, and I gave it away” thing is just the icing on the crazy-cake). --Kira

Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) on Castle. Mmmmm..... --Shauna

I hate to go the vampire answer, but Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) from True Blood… As they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  (Yes, I know she’s semi-engaged to Bill.) --Leah


Going back a few years, but I’m going to have to go with Bobby & Diane (Jimmy Smits & Kim Delaney) from NYPD Blue. Chemistry, connection, and intensity that seemed for real. And pretty much the main reason a non-cop-drama fan like me watched the show for years. --Lisanne

Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) from Burn Notice. They burn for each other. And kill for each other too. --Stephanie

Alright, so even though the show is not on anymore, and wasn’t for that long, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) and Angela Chase (Claire Danes) from My So-Called Life were a truly intense couple, if that’s what you could call them. He was painfully aloof, she was awkward, but despite it all, it worked. And that moment, when he held her hand walking down the hallway, to the tune of Buffalo Tom’s “Late at Night,” was truly epic. --Meredith B.

Who did we miss? --Ellen

This Just In: Newest DVDs Available to Pre-Order

The following titles are now available to pre-order on DVD and/or Blu-ray now.

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire: (Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique; directed by Lee Daniels) The Sundance favorite and Golden Globe winner (Best Supporting Actress, Mo'Nique) follows a young abused girl who dreams of a better life for herself. DVD and Blu-ray, March 9.

The Young Victoria: (Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend; directed by Jean-Marc Vallee) Blunt was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of the British Queen during the early years of her rule, including her romance with her cousin Prince Albert. DVD and Blu-ray, Date TBA

The African Queen (Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn; directed by John Huston): After some stops and starts, Paramount is finally releasing this classic, which won Bogart his only Oscar, in both standard and a commemorative boxed set. DVD and Blu-ray, March 23


The Box (Cameron Diaz, James Marsden; directed by Richard Kelly): The Donnie Darko director's follow-up aims to polarize audiences again, as Diaz plays a woman tempted to push a red button to receive a million dollars... and kill off a stranger in the process. DVD and Blu-ray, Feb. 23

Planet 51 (Animated): Sony's kiddie film follows an astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) who lands on a new planet and finds himself, well, the alien. DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9

Other new titles available to pre-order: The Informant! (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 23); The Fourth Kind (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9); The Boondock Saints II: All Saints' Day (DVD and Blu-ray, Mar. 9); Bitch Slap (Mar. 2)

--Ellen

Best Director, 2000-2009: Clint Eastwood

Who is the greatest director of the last 10 years? It certainly could have been Martin Scorsese, who finally won his Oscar for the terrific film The Departed but also was nominated for The Aviator and Gangs of New York. It could be the Coen brothers, who churned out No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, and O Brother Where Art Thou? And you could certainly make a case for Peter Jackson, he of the One Saga to Rule Them All.

But... we must give our pick for Best Director to... an actor. That's right: Clint Eastwood directed eight films in 10 years. All of them were very good to excellent, and the only exceptions to that high bar--Blood Work and Flags of Our Fathers--were still far from bad. At age 79, he enjoyed some of the best reviews of his directing and acting careers in the past decade (did we mention he also composes the score?). Here's his list from the past decade, in chronological order:

2000: Space Cowboys--Silly premise, yes. Enjoyable and watchable? Totally.

2002: Blood Work--More of a standard whodunnit, very similar to his 1999 film True Crime.

2003: Mystic River--This adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel netted Oscars for Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. Also, don't miss Laura Linney as a stone-cold Lady MacBeth type.

2004: Million Dollar Baby--Best Picture of the year, and an acting nod for Clint to boot.

2006: Flags of Our Fathers--filmed back-to-back with Letters From Iwo Jima, this was the first released but less well-received.

2006: Letters From Iwo Jima--A stunning saga of the World War II battle from the perspective of the Japanese.

2008: Changeling--A harrowing tale of a kidnapping in the '20s netted an Oscar nod for Angelina Jolie.

2008: Gran Torino--Unjustly overlooked at the Oscars, this tale of a friendship between a bigoted vet and a Hmong family next door is more than just "Dirty Harry as an old man," as many have described it.

2009: Invictus--Based on the true story of Nelson Mandela's interest in the national rugby team to unite the apartheid-torn South Africa.

Do you agree? Whose 00's resume looks more impressive than this? --Ellen

Best Actress, 2000-2009: Your Thoughts?

As we looked at the Best Actors of 2000-2009, we had an even harder time determining the best leading actresses of the last 10 years. Even with the dearth of female leading roles, some elite members not only achieved new artistic heights but mass appeal as well. The hard part is, it really only came down to three actresses for us: Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, and Cate Blanchett (everyone else had a few misses for every strong film). So here are our nominations for Best Leading Actress, 2000-2009. Voice acting and cameos not included, wins/losses are a carefully calculated formula of box office and overall critical reception--or, just a gut feeling.

Kate Winslet

Wins: Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Finding Neverland, Iris, Little Children, Eternal Sunshine, Quills

On the fence: The Holiday, Romance & Cigarettes

Losses: All the King's Men, Enigma, The Life of David Gale

Meryl Streep

Wins: Doubt, The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia, Julie & Julia, The Hours, Adaptation, It's Complicated, A Prarie Home Companion

On the Fence: The Manchurian Candidate, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Losses: Lions for Lambs, Evening, Rendition, Prime

Cate Blanchett

Wins: The Aviator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I’m Not There, Notes on a Scandal, Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Babel, Veronica Guerin, Bandits, The Gift

On the Fence: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Little Fish, The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou, The Missing, Coffee and Cigarettes, Heaven, Charlotte Gray

Losses: The Good German, The Shipping News, The Man Who Cried

Laura Linney

Wins: The Savages, The Squid and the Whale, Kinsey, P.S., Love Actually, Mystic River, The House of Mirth, You Can Count on me, Breach

On the Fence:  The Nanny Diaries, Driving Lessons

Losses: The Other Man, Man of the Year, The Hottest State, Jindabyne, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Life of David Gale, The Mothman Prophecies

Julianne Moore

Wins: A Single Man, The Hours, Far From heaven, I’m Not There, Hannibal, Children of Men

On the Fence: Blindness, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Losses: Savage Grace, Next, Freedomland, Trust the Man, The Forgotten, Laws of Attraction, Marie and Bruce, The Shipping News, World Traveler, Evolution, The Ladies Man

Also-rans: Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Juliette Binoche.

Who else would you add to the list? --Ellen

Best Actor, 2000-2009: Your Thoughts?

Forget Oscars. Forget box office. Which leading actor and actress had the best batting average of the last 10 years? The most consistent body of work, the highest good-to-bad, one-for-me, one-for-them ratio? In this case, one or two totally awesome movies does not a contender make if they filled the rest of the years with total dreck (that's you, Hilary Swank). Also, we're focusing on leading actors and actresses vs. more supporting/character actors/scene stealers (the John C. Reillys and Alan Rickmans of the world) because so much more weight and expectation is carried on a lead. (Plus, supporting actors do a lot of dreck too.)

So here are our nominations for Best Leading Actor, 2000-2009 (Best Actress and Director to come in later posts). Voice acting and cameos not included, wins/losses are a carefully calculated formula of box office and overall critical reception--or, just a gut feeling.

Johnny Depp (*Amazon Movies staff pick)

Wins: Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Sweeney Todd, Finding Neverland, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Before Night Falls, Blow, Chocolat

On the fence: Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, From Hell, Public Enemies

Losses: The Libertine, Secret Window, Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Christian Bale

Wins: Batman Begins/Dark Knight, The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma, I’m Not There, Rescue Dawn, The New World, The Machinist, American Psycho, Shaft

On the fence: Public Enemies, Terminator Salvation, Harsh Times

Losses: Equilibrium, Reign of Fire, Laurel Canyon, Captain Corelli's Mandolin

George Clooney

Wins: Up in the Air, Syriana, Ocean’s 11 and 13, Michael Clayton, Good Night and Good Luck, O Brother Where Art Thou , The Perfect Storm

On the fence: Intolerable Cruelty, Leatherheads, Ocean's 12, Burn After Reading

Losses: The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Good German, Solaris, Welcome to Collinwood

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Wins: Almost Famous, Capote, M:I-3, The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Charlie Wilson’s War, Doubt, The 25th Hour, Punch-Drunk Love, State and Main

On the fence: Synecdoche, NY, Pirate Radio, Cold Mountain, Owning Mahowny, Red Dragon, Love Liza

Losses: Along Came Polly

Leonardo DiCaprio

Wins: Revolutionary Road, Body of Lies, Blood Diamond, The Departed, The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Catch Me if You Can

Losses: The Beach

Sean Penn

Wins: Milk, Mystic River, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, 21 Grams, I Am Sam, Before Night Falls

On the fence: The Interpreter, Up at the Villa

Losses: All the King’s Men, It's All About Love, The Weight of Water

Who else would you add to the list? --Ellen

Ten Years of Terror: The Best Horror Films of 2000-2009

Editor's note: We asked one of our movie reviewers, Paul Gaita, to list his picks for the top 10 horror films for 2000-2009. Most had theatrical releases, and a few only released on DVD.

Selecting horror films from any decade is a daunting task; so much of them is wrapped in the visceral elements of childhood fears and obsessions, which tends to make for close guardianship and fierce debate among those who follow and admire the genre. Horror is also a deeply fragmented genre, with countless subdivisions that hew along lines of decade, country, filmmaker, amount (or lack) of violence and suspense, and so on. So in picking the best horror films from a decade, one also has to choose a path to follow - is it the elaborately grisly "torture-porn" of the Saw series and its spin-offs, or the army of living dead pictures that sprung up in the wake of George Romero's ever-expanding zombie universe? Is it the last remnants of the slasher film, or the low-fi chills of the independent market? The movies that follow here are built on a two-fold foundation: they advanced the genre, either through inventiveness or extremity of vision, and they delivered genuine scares. Both criteria seem obvious when talking about horror, but when you look at the vast collection of films gathered under that umbrella for the last ten years, one sees that they're harder to summon up than imagined.

The Descent (2005)/ Dog Soldiers (2002) – two from Neil Marshall, a still largely unsung force in the genre. The former is a claustrophobic creature feature that pits female spelunkers against cave-dwelling monsters; the second is a rollicking action-chiller that sets werewolf films on their furry ears.

Ju-On: The Grudge - The best of Japanese director Takashi Shimizu’s seven-film series (including his 2004 American remake) that operate on the simplest of premises – a house, cursed by familial violence, is a deathtrap for all who pass through its doors. Shimizu’s subtle direction, driven more by sound and angle than effects, delivers maximum frights.

[REC] (2007)/ Quarantine (2008) – The former is a Spanish-made outbreak horror that is the best use of the increasingly tired POV/”shaky-cam” aesthetic; the latter is the American remake, which manages to reproduce its heartstopping rollercoaster momentum.

The Host (2006) – Bong Joon-ho’s extraordinary hybrid of giant monster movie, political commentary and dysfunctional family drama manages to satisfy each of its parts without sacrificing the whole.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) – This admirably loopy tribute/parody of the zombie subgenre proved that horror and comedy could co-exist in the same project; it also served as global introduction to the talents of UK director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Spaced) and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)/ 28 Days Later (2002) – The zombie/virus subgenre got supercharged by this kinetic duo. The sprinting plague victims of the latter, directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), directly influenced the souped-up undead in Zack (Watchmen) Snyder’s comic book-styled revision of the George Romero classic.

Let the Right One In (2008) – The horrors of childhood are filtered through the prism of the ultimate outsider – the vampire – in this mood-steeped Swedish adaptation of the best-selling novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

May (2002)/ Ginger Snaps (2000) – Two stellar indie horror efforts that take the rare stance of placing the focus squarely on the transformations – both literal and figurative – of their female protagonists. The former is a disturbing story of slow-building insanity fueled by unrequited love; the latter imagines lycanthropy as the ultimate by-product of the change from adolescence to womanhood.

High Tension (2003)/ Martyrs (2008)/ Inside (2007) / Frontier(s) (2008) – What do the French know about extreme horror that Americans don’t? Quite a lot, as this quartet of blood-soaked, taboo-breaking films illustrate. High Tension earned the widest release, but the others are worth seeking out (with considerable warning) for those who like their thresholds challenged.

Planet Terror (2007)/ Feast (2006) – while many directors proclaimed their love for ‘70s-era horror and exploitation, few could bring that gonzo vibe to their own work (Rob Zombie, ahem); however, Robert Rodriguez’s alien-zombie-action grossout and John Gulager’s lunatic mashup of The Alamo, John Carpenter’s The Thing and a Kevin Smith comedy managed to reproduce the hormonally charged drive-in aesthetic for 21st audiences. -- Paul Gaita

Paul Gaita is a freelance writer who has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, MTV, L.A. Weekly and many other publications and web sites; his horror-related credits include Fangoria, Shock Cinema and the legendary Sleazoid Express.

Best Movies of the Decade

Editor's note: We asked one of our reviewers, Robert Horton, to give us his picks for the best films of the decade. Robert has been a film critic in Seattle for 25 years, writing for The Herald (Everett, Wash.), KUOW-FM, and the Seattle Channel.

"Best films of the decade" is such a grand concept it seems to place an undue amount of gravity on the process: this ten-spot had better be weighty indeed, right? A certain heaviosity required, no? But great movies are about lightness, too, so I feel fine about including films that wonderfully balanced dark and light, seriousness and humor, gravity and lift. Here are ten best of the decade 2000-2009, until somebody asks me again tomorrow.

1. Moolaadé (2004). The final film from Africa's greatest director, Ousmane Sembene, this one perfectly embodies the sense of balance I'm talking about: on one hand its subject is grave--the still-existing practice of female genital mutilation in African communities--but on the other, the film is infused with folk humor and a rich, mellow wisdom. It's also poised between a completely modern sophistication and ancient modes of storytelling. It seems to have the whole world in it.

2. Punch-Drunk Love (2002). Paul Thomas Anderson's story of a button-down man (Adam Sandler) unleashed is one of those films that pull off a strange trick: you can never predict what's going to happen from one moment to the next, and yet by the time you reach the ending it all seems absolutely inevitable that it had to unfold exactly this way.

3. Birth (2004). When Jonathan Glazer's movie opened (and then closed a week later), I had the feeling nobody else had seen it. Since then, it has slowly found its appreciators, a process that has been one of the nicer critical movements of the decade. A fine performance by Nicole Kidman commits completely to this particular l'amour fou.

4. The Fast Runner, aka Atanarjuat (2001). Not quite like anything else, this low-budget Inuit epic by Zacharias Kunuk is much more than an ethnographic study (though it's pretty cool as that): it's got the epic sweep of a David Lean picture.

5. Kings and Queen (2005). A wild ride from director Arnaud Desplechin, shifting hot-and-cold tones and storylines at a moment's notice, and featuring nimble performances by Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Devos.

6. A Prairie Home Companion (2006). Somehow this warm look at community and performance turned into exactly the right way for Robert Altman to leave the stage: a funny exercise that left behind traces of melancholy.

7. Before Sunset (2004). Catching up after almost a decade with the characters from Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, we find them decidedly older but still willing to talk their way through a city--an enchanted Paris, caught here in a two-person moment of clarity and connection.

8. No Country for Old Men (2007). The Coens are on an exciting cinematic journey of late; this film has all the gorgeous movie-making skills of old Hollywood combined with a distinctly modern way of telling a story.

9. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2006). A spellbinding trip through a long night of ill health, rendered in what seemed like real time by director Cristi Puiu.

10. Cast Away (2000). Could never get this movie out of my head: what appears to be a shipwreck picture from a populist director (Robert Zemeckis) turns into a kind of rebuke to audiences about how they should be watching movies (hint: slow down). Tom Hanks is splendid, too.

And there should be room for Million Dollar Baby, The Duchess of Langeais, Yi Yi, In the Mood for Love, Mulholland Drive, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Va savoir, Syndromes and a Century, Napoleon Dynamite, Sideways, Japon…but you gotta stop somewhere. Maybe next time.

2009 Wrap-Up: The Year in Movies

TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: Nine / 9 / District 9; A Single Man / A Serious Man; The Uninvited / The Unborn; 12 / 12 Rounds

BEST FIRST 10 MINUTES: Up
BEST LAST 10 MINUTES: Duplicity

BEST TITLES: Drag Me To Hell, The Hurt Locker, The Informant!
WORST TITLES: Knowing, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
MOST UNDERSTATED TITLE: The Hangover

TITLE TREND: Recycling the original franchise title when you can't come up with any more variations on the name  (Fast & Furious, The Final Destination)

TITLE THAT WILL FRUSTRATE SPELL CHECK EVERY TIME: Inglourious Basterds

WINNING THEME: For once, films centered around the war in Iraq were both acclaimed and successful (The Hurt Locker, The Messenger)
LOSER THEME: Prehistoric times (Year One, Land of the Lost)

MOST RANDOM CAMEO: Tyler Perry in Star Trek
CLEVEREST CASTING: Christa B. Allen, who played Jennifer Garner as a 13-year-old in 13 Going on 30, playing Jennifer Garner as a 17-year-old in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

THE ARMAGEDDON / DEEP IMPACT CONFLICT OF 2009: Paul Blart: Mall Cop / Observe and Report

BEST BATTING AVERAGE: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia, It's Complicated, The Fantastic Mr. Fox);
WORST BATTING AVERAGE: Dennis Quaid (Pandorum, Horsemen, G.I. Joe); Jennifer Aniston (Love Happens, Management); Milla Jovovich (The Fourth Kind, A Perfect Getaway)

ATTEMPT TO RE-CREATE SUCCESS OF THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA=FAIL: Confessions of a Shopaholic

MOST ADORABLE PAIRS: John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, Away We Go; Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer; Meryl Streep & Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia; Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, I Love You Man

MOVIE YOU CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ENJOYED: Taken
MOVIE YOU REALLY WANTED TO ENJOY MORE: Watchmen

BEST CATFIGHT: Beyonce and Ali Larter, Obsessed

BEST NON-"MUSICAL" MUSICAL NUMBER: The Proposal's Ryan Reynolds singing "It Takes Two" by Rob Base (runner-up later in the film: Sandra Bullock doing Lil Jon's "Get Low")

'80s NOSTALGIA = GOOD: Adventureland
'80s NOSTALGIA = BAD: Fame

WORST FOLLOW-UP AFTER AN OSCAR-NOMINATED ROLE: Anne Hathaway, Bride Wars

CAST THAT MOST EXCEEDS ITS BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE QUOTA: Nine

MOST HYPED NEW A-LISTER: Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Avatar)
MOST SURPRISING NEW A-LISTER: Liam Neeson (Taken)

MOST BRAZEN PLOT DEPARTURE FROM THE BOOK: The ending of My Sister's Keeper

BOX OFFICE WINNERS: Zoe Saldana, Star Trek and Avatar ($334 million--and counting--total box office, will likely surpass $400m by year's end); Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Proposal=$342 million); Sandra Bullock (The Proposal and The Blind Side=$329 million)

PROOF GERARD BUTLER ONLY DOES GOOD MOVIES IN A TOGA: The Ugly Truth, Gamer, Law Abiding Citizen

What else would you add? --Ellen

Great Gift Ideas on DVD and Blu-ray

For everything there is a season. And for everyone there is the perfect DVD or Blu-ray. With winter's cold closing in (on most of us), there's nothing better than cozying up on the couch with your family or sweetie for an evening at home. But what if they say they've seen it all? Never fear! Since 'tis the season for gift-giving, help them build out their home entertainment library with new DVDs or Blu-rays. Here's a list of movie and television gift ideas for some of the people you might have in your life:

TV-a-holics

We all know that person: the one who plans their schedule around what's on television that night. With so few hours in the day, it's hard to keep up with all the new shows and find time to watch old favorites. Some TV-a-holics wait for the whole series to come to a close, and then settle in for a mega-marathon of back-to-back-to-back seasons. Others find joy in watching (and re-watching) favorite scenes and episodes. Whatever your TV-a-holic's craving might be, feed their addiction with a television series (or two).

Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Friends – The Complete Series Collection, available on DVD

Sex and the City: The Complete Series, available on DVD

The Wire: The Complete Series, available on DVD

Ally McBeal: The Complete Series, available on DVD

Cinema-tastic

No avid movie watcher's collection is complete unless it covers an assortment of genres--from classic films to new favorites, westerns to sci-fi to romance. If you think they've already got it all, think again. A boxed collection or unique gift set can make an old favorite feel like its never been seen. Before the holidays set in, help your movie-lover make room on their shelves for a slew of new cinema options.

Star Trek Replica Gift Set, available on Blu-ray

Stanley Kubrick: Warner Home Video Directors Series, available on DVD

The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection, available on DVD

John Wayne Collection, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Gene Kelly Collection, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Kids Rule

Find a gift the whole family can enjoy together. With many G- and PG-rated flicks offering adults a wink and a nod, kid-friendly fare isn't just for the elementary-school set any more. Fantastical new worlds and familiar friends await with these boxed sets, ideal for both the young and young at heart. Even though kid's trends come and go, as quickly as some movies depart theaters, these classics are as entertaining as the day they first came out. 

Harry Potter Years 1-6 Box Giftset, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Peanut's Holiday Collection, available on DVD

Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, available on Blu-ray

Back to the Future – The Complete Trilogy, available on DVD

Up (4-Disc Combo Pack), available on Blu-ray

Bump in the night

Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe you know someone who isn't? Collections of some of the scariest, spookiest movies and television shows are frighteningly ideal for the non-chickens among your friends and family. Give the gift of ghosts, demons, aliens, and all manner of frightening creatures, then turn the lights down--if you dare! Just be sure to check under the couch before pushing play …

Supernatural: The Complete Seasons 1-4, available on DVD

The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection, available on DVD

The X-Files: The Complete Collector's Set, available on DVD

Ghost Hunters: Season 4, Part 2, available on DVD

Natural wonders

We can't all be Jacques Cousteau or Sir Edmund Hillary. Amazing advances in technology and science allow us to explore the hidden treasures of our planet from the comfort of our homes. Whether they're looking to change the world or just see a world of change, the nature lovers in your life can travel the wonders of the world--from all creatures great and small to the beauty of Mother Nature.

Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Ken Burns: National Parks – America's Best Idea, available on DVD or Blu-ray

National Geographic: The Nature Collection, available on DVD

Winged Migration, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Reach for the stars

Dreamers often gaze towards the star-laden heavens with an air of longing and wistfulness. While it isn't possible for most to soar into the inky darkness of space (yet), you don't need millions of dollars to keep the dream alive. Help the earth-bound boldly escape the confines of our atmosphere for visions of far-off planets and celestial wonders--both real and imagined--with a DVD or Blu-ray set that's sure to send them out of this world.

The Universe: Collector's Edition Megaset, available on DVD

Farscape: The Complete Series, available on DVD

From the Earth to the Moon – The Signature Edition, available on DVD

Red Dwarf Complete Collection, available on DVD

History & combat buffs

Though you may or may not know anyone who participates in reenactments, you probably know someone who lives for the past. Bring them face-to-face with the realities and amazing deeds of our countrymen (and women) in uniform as they fight against injustice around the globe, from the Civil War to World War II to modern warfare.

The Civil War – A Film by Ken Burns, available on DVD

Band of Brothers, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Black Hawk Down, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Saving Private Ryan, available on DVD

Aviation: A Filmed History, available on DVD

Letters From Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers, available on DVD

Armchair athletes

Sports are an integral part of the lives of many, and we all know at least one person willing to paint themselves in team colors or brave inclement weather because the team will lose if they aren't there. But why should the sports nut in your life have to wait for Monday to be an armchair quarterback? Or wait for the season to start up again? Let them pop a disc in the player and relive their favorite moments. With a DVD or Blu-ray collection, the fanatic in your life can sit back with a remote in one hand and an opinion in the other. Even if it's just to pause mid-play and say thank you.

Friday Night Lights: The Third Season, available on DVD

Baseball – A Film By Ken Burns, available on DVD

Warren Miller's Power of Snow Collection, available on DVD

Grand Slam DVD Set, available on DVD or Blu-ray

Caught in a cubicle

Stuck in a cube all day, or know someone who is? Help the office drones around you escape the mundanities of life inside grey walls. These movies and television shows will surely add a little flair to anyone's day. Just beware of Jim-like pranks.

Office Space – Special Edition with Flair, available on DVD or Blu-ray

The Office – The Complete Collection BBC Edition, available on DVD

The Office: Seasons 1-5, available on DVD

Dilbert – The Complete Series, available on DVD

Unexpectedly inexpensive

Face the dreaded office gift exchange in stride this year. Yours will be the white elephant gift everyone wants to keep their mitts on. Looking to help Santa with the perfect stocking stuffer? No one will expect a DVD or Blu-ray. But the real gift is for you: each of these movies is around $10!

The Phantom of the Opera, available on DVD or Blu-ray

The Terminator, available on Blu-ray

Superman – The Movie, available on Blu-ray

Julie & Julia, available on DVD

The Polar Express, available on DVD

Find more for that special someone (or just for yourself) in our Holiday Gift Store, where you'll find every kind of gift, including luxury boxed sets up to 60% off. Who else do you buy DVDs and Blu-rays for? --Jill