"Toy Story 3," "Social Network" top film review list

LOS ANGELES | Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:50pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - They are two movies that figure in Hollywood's Oscar race, and there is good reason why. "Toy Story 3" and "The Social Network" are the best-reviewed films of the year, according to website Rotten Tomatoes

As 2010 draws to an end, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who received their Oscar nomination ballots this week, will be looking at which movies earned the most stars from critics, and Rotten Tomatoes provides answers.

The website (www.rottentomatoes.com) compiles reviews, scores them, and offers readers a way to separate the good from the bad and the just plain rotten.

Judging by their Tomatometer index, Buzz, Woody and all the toys from the Disney/Pixar animated film "Toy Story 3" rank No. 1 with critics, scoring a 99 percent "fresh" rating based on an average from 247 reviews.

Facebook film "The Social Network" is not far behind with a 97 percent positive average from 258 reviews, but Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity said that with a few days left in 2010, more critiques for the October release could possibly come in and tilt the balance.

"If five or six more positive reviews came in, it could change that. But what I can tell you is that it's down to those two movies," Atchity told Reuters when poring over the list of seeking the moniker, "best-reviewed film" of 2010.

"Toy Story 3" was released in June, and all its reviews have been read and scored.

Atchity gave an outside chance to another Oscar hopeful, western "True Grit," saying that if "another few dozen reviews" came in and were all positive, it could be in contention.

Currently "True Grit," which premiered only a week ago, scores a 95 percent positive rating from a compilation of some 167 reviews, and is just behind November drama "The King's Speech" with 96 percent from some 142 reviews saying it was a good choice at movie theaters.

For reviews that are mixed -- not easily deemed good or bad -- Atchity and senior editor Tim Ryan said they sometimes contact the critics to discuss whether that reviewer was positive or negative toward a film.

Atchity said that in the past, generally speaking, there has been a good correlation between the best-reviewed films of the year and Academy Award nominees.

"Reviewers and academy members are both made up of film professionals, and they both know good films," he said.

Academy members give out nominations on January 25, and award winners will be named at a ceremony on February 27.

Meanwhile, the question of which movies are the best-reviewed begs the opposite of what titles were the most rotten. Atchity and Ryan said they had not perused final numbers yet, but a quick look at the site shows little-known title "Vampires Suck" with only three positives from a total 71 reviews for a 4 percent rotten rating.

They are not alone, big-time Hollywood studio production "The Last Airbender" from "Sixth Sense" director M. Night Shyamalan scored a mere 6 percent positive ranking.

Following is a list of the best-reviewed movies on Rotten Tomatoes, organized by their month of their release date:

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Michelle Williams "proud" of "Valentine" sex scene

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES | Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:04am EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michelle Williams scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as a wife in a fractured relationship in film drama "Blue Valentine," which hits theaters in major U.S. cities on Wednesday.

Williams, 30, perhaps best known for her performance in "Brokeback Mountain," sat down with Reuters to talk about the independent film that looks at the beginning, and end, of a once happy marriage, the sex scene that sparked controversy, and why she is proud to be a part of it.

Q: Most films are shot out of order, but for "Blue Valentine" director Derek Cianfrance wanted everything shot chronologically -- from the romantic beginning to the broken present. What was that like?

A: "As these things are happening to the character, they're happening to you. The lines get blurry, but it's very exciting to present something that feels as close to life as possible."

Q: You and Ryan took a month off between shooting the past and present and actually lived together in character. Why?

A: "The break was supposed to be a week, but it got extended to a month so that we could learn how to fight with each other and get on each other's nerves."

Q: A week was not enough?

A: "When it came time to close the chapter on the first part of the movie, we were having a hard time switching to the fighting because we had built up this trust in each other. We were hesitant to burn it to the ground. We had gone to the strangest, silliest, most intimate places."

Q: Your characters have a little daughter. Ever think about using your 5-year old daughter for that role?

A: "I think in the context of 'Blue Valentine,' that would have been too strange and not healthy for her at all. The things that were happening -- the bad vibes of a relationship for instance -- felt very real."

Q: Has putting her in film crossed your mind before?

A: "On a different movie it did. In it, there were a few very sweet, very light scenes that were more about playing. They were having a hard time finding a child and I said to the director, 'Gosh, Matilda would be the right age.' ... but then (I) realized if that's something she's interested in, then it's a choice she can make in her own life. It's something she's never expressed interest in doing. Her interests are horseback riding, Flamenco dancing and taking care of puppies (laughs)."

Q: 'Blue Valentine' stirred up some controversy when it got an NC-17 (adults only) rating in the United States because of an oral sex scene. That rating has since been reversed. At the time, what were your thoughts?

A: "It shocked me. It felt like a slap on the hand when I found out about it. When we shot that scene, both Ryan and Derek said to me, 'If this bothers you when you see it in the movie, we'll take it out.'"

Q: So when you saw it, did it bother you?

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Bon Jovi and AC/DC top concert draws in 2010

LOS ANGELES | Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:30pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bon Jovi may have recently been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the veteran band still ended the year as the world's top concert attraction, according to a trade publication.

The group sold $201.1 million worth of tickets, split almost evenly between North America and the rest of the world, said Pollstar magazine. Its success was noteworthy given that it was promoting a 2009 album that did not sell strongly.

Bon Jovi also shone even as overall sales slid in a tough economy. Pollstar said sales for the top 50 tours worldwide fell 12 percent to $2.93 billion. In North America, the top 50 tours dropped 15 percent to $1.69 billion.

Overseas tours are increasingly becoming more lucrative for musicians, especially as infrastructure improves across Asia and the former Soviet bloc, Pollstar said.

Indeed, hard rockers AC/DC came in at No. 2 and Irish foursome U2 at No. 3 after making all their money overseas. AC/DC grossed $177 million, and U2 $160.9 million. U2 was the top worldwide act in 2009 with $311 million, followed by AC/DC with $227 million.

In a field dominated by rock acts, flamboyant pop star Lady Gaga was No. 4 this year with $133.6 million. The "Poker Face" singer worked harder than any other musician in the top 10, playing 138 shows, two-thirds of which were overseas.

Bon Jovi, by contrast, played 80 shows. AC/DC (40 shows) and U2 (32 shows) took it relatively easy.

Metallica was No. 5 with $110.1 million from 60 overseas shows. Both Metallica and AC/DC last released albums in 2008, relying on their extensive catalogs of headbanging favorites to keep drawing fans.

The field was rounded out by Canadian singer Michael Buble (No. 6, $104.2 million), the "Walking with Dinosaurs" live family show (No. 7, $104.1 million), Paul McCartney (No. 8, $93 million), the Eagles (No. 9, $92.3 million) and former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters (No. 10, $89.5 million).

Waters earned all his money in North America, where his acclaimed restaging of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was the No. 2 draw behind Bon Jovi with $108.2 million. Among all-time North American tours, the Bon Jovi trek ranks at No. 9, Pollstar said. The Rolling Stones hold the record with $162 million from their 2005 outing. The publication has been collecting worldwide data for only two years.

The Dave Matthews Band was No. 3 in North America with $72.9 million. Buble followed with $65.7 million and the Eagles with $64.5 million.

Bon Jovi's previous best performance in North America was in 2008, when the band was fifth with ticket sales of $70.4 million. The New Jersey rockers, led by singer Jon Bon Jovi, were on the ballot for inclusion in the 2011 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, but failed to make the cut. Critics have largely been dismissive of the group's catchy "soft-rock" tunes, even as the band has little problem selling out stadiums and arenas to its female-skewing fan base. Its 2009 album "The Circle" debuted at No. 1 in the United States, but ended up selling relatively poorly.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Chris Wilson)

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Reese Witherspoon engaged to Hollywood agent

LOS ANGELES | Tue Dec 28, 2010 5:49pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Reese Witherspoon, currently in theaters with the costly box office bomb "How Do You Know," is engaged to a Hollywood agent she started dating earlier this year, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Witherspoon, 34, and Jim Toth "are engaged and they are extremely happy," the spokeswoman confirmed by email. The news was first reported by US Weekly magazine.

The couple started dating in January, shortly after Witherspoon ended her three-year relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She was previously married to another actor, Ryan Phillippe, with whom she has two children.

Witherspoon, best known for playing a plucky attorney in the hit "Legally Blonde" films, is one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses despite a mixed record at the box office. She reportedly earned $15 million for her role in the $100 million adult comedy "How Do You Know," which has sold just $15 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada after two weekends. She won an Academy Award for playing June Carter Cash in the 2005 Johnny Cash movie "Walk the Line."

Christmas is turning into a romantic time in Hollywood, with engagements being announced on an almost daily basis. Country singer Leann Rimes got engaged to actor Eddie Cibrian on Christmas Eve, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner gave his Playmate girlfriend an engagement ring for Christmas, and actress Natalie Portman announced on Monday that she was both engaged and pregnant.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Leading "Spider-Man" actress quits show: report

NEW YORK | Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:46pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the latest disappointment for the ambitious Broadway production of "Spider-Man," one of the lead actresses who suffered a concussion during its first preview performance is quitting the show.

Natalie Mendoza, who plays the villainess Arachne and is the second lead female role after Spider-Man's girlfriend, has been working out an exit agreement for the past several days, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. A spokesman for the production did not return an e-mail seeking comment.

Mendoza was one of four actors who was so far been injured in the $65 million production that features hi-tech stunts and flying sequences. The actress, who is a major presence in several of the show's songs, written by U2's Bono and The Edge, was struck on the head by a rope offstage during its November 28 preview.

She returned for a performance but then took several weeks off. Then, last week, she posted a Twitter message when a leading stuntman on the show was injured after he plunged from a high platform, saying "a light in my heart went dim tonight."

The stuntman is recovering in hospital after breaking ribs and fracturing vertebrae, causing "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" to suspend several shows over safety concerns.

The production is still in previews, allowing producers to warn the audience it is not seeing a finished product. Its current official opening is scheduled for February 7.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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