MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Time Magazine's quote on Sachin: Must Read

                                            

"When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.

When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will."

Mahesh Babu unseen pics

                                         
Mahesh Babu unseen pics.Mahesh Babu on Times Of India Voting page.Mahesh Babu in police getup photo and Mahesh babu with his best friend hero Sumanth and Mahesh Babu chatting with Ntr photos here.

Manmadha Banam Review... A Fun Filled Comedy

Kamal Hassan fans wait is finally over as the superstar much awaited flick is all set to hit more than 700 screens around the world today. If sources are to be believed, film is already a hit even before its release as according to the buzz tickets till January first week are already sold out and theater owners are expecting a house-full in every show. 

The film would be releasing today in 24 screen in Chennai itself. If the demand continues to soar high, producers might raise the number of prints add sources. Some of the trade analys are of the view that Manmadhan Ambu might break the records created by Rajinikanth's blockbuster Endhiran.
                                     Manmadhan Ambu has the eminent starcast like Kamal Hassan, Trisha Krishnan, Madhavan, Sangeetha, Ramesh Aravind who are directed by KS Ravikumar. It is a fun filled romantoc comedy where Kamal Hassan plays a detective named R. Munnar who is a retired Army Manager. Madhavan plays a lover boy role named Madana Gopal who is deeply love with Trisha named Ambujan, however struggle to express his feelings to her.

While Madana Gopal keep sturuggling and get to know after a year Trisha has become an actress in Telugu industry. He then decided to get to know her feelings for him. he approaches R Mannar (Kamal Hasan) detective office and seek his help. To know Trisha’s intention Kamal makes friendship with Trisha and attends every shootings of her.
                          Second half of the movie is full with twists and turns and becomes interesting. You would have to watch the movie to get the complete fun out of it. We recommend the readers to go for this movie as it is worth of your money, if you get the tickets.

This ton is for my dad: Tendulkar.. On Sunday, as India celebrated his 50th Test century

CENTURION: The mind went back to the 1999 World Cup in England. Sachin Tendulkar had to rush back to India after losing his father midway through the event. Tendulkar stayed in Mumbai for two days, then returned to England to do duty for the country and promptly score a century, against Kenya. Upon reaching three figures, Tendulkar looked heavenwards, stood still for a moment before acknowledging the cheers from the fans. He later said that he was looking upwards, hoping his father would have seen him do well and would be proud of his son.

On Sunday, as India celebrated his 50th Test century, Tendulkar again remembered his father. "Yesterday (Saturday) was my father's birthday. I dedicate this century to him. The first thing I thought of after reaching the hundred was my father."

Tendulkar, who thanked his fans for their 'fabulous' support over the years, said he was happy that the landmark is done with. Was he under any pressure because of the huge expectation? "You guys only created it," Tendulkar said pointing at the media, at the post-match PC. "You built the foundation on which I constructed my innings today."

Tendulkar was not sure how he should react when asked about his feelings. "Can't say how I'm feeling. I'm happy... Can't really express how I'm feeling."

But when a local journalist asked him if records meant a lot to him, Tendulkar reacted sharply. "I play for the love of the game. I have often requested for time out from cricket so that I can come back refreshed and fit. The Board has given me the rest. If I was after records, I won't ask for rest."

While reiterating that the toss played a crucial role in the Test, Tendulkar said that it could not be an excuse for the team. "The conditions were different on different days but we've to take that." He stressed that a good showing in the second innings was essential for India. "We needed to send a strong message that we're here to fight and I think we've done that."

What about his prolific batting in 2010 in which he has seven centuries in 13 Tests? Tendulkar's simple explanation was, "I've been playing well, been enjoying my batting. And in the last couple of years, I've been moving well."

Tendulkar also spoke to his fans back home in Hindi and Marathi before letting the TV cameras swarm all over him. Tough job, this man has. On the field, and off it.

Reaching 5000 Page-Hits Landmark :)

                  

IMDB TOP 10 FILMS OF HOLLYWOOD

Since we’ve been doing top 10 movies of the year lists, I thought it was a good time to look at Internet Movie Database’s top 10 highest rated movies of 2010. While it is very easy to discount any of these lists (or any best of list in general), and while it might be easy for many of you to just write off the user ratings on IMDb as fanboy voting, it’s definitely the largest sampling of movie-going opinion that exists today. Hit the jump to check out the list.
1. Inception 9.0 / 10

2. Black Swan 8.9 / 10

3. Toy Story 3 8.7 / 10

4. The Social Network 8.2 / 10

5. How To Train Your Dragon 8.2 / 10

6. Tangled 8.1 / 10

7. Kick-Ass 8.0 / 10

8. Shutter Island 8.0 / 10

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I 7.9 / 10

10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 7.9 / 10

Christopher Nolan also holds the top rated movie of 2008 and top rated movie of the last decade with The Dark Knight
Six out of the ten films have surpassed $100 million at the domestic box office

Enthiran in world's best of 2010

IMDB.com, the most popular film site on the Internet has chosen its 205 best films for 2010.

IMDB is considered by Hollywood as the Bible of the industry.

Among the top 50 films out of the 205 chosen from all over the world, Rajinikanth's Shankar directed Sun Pictures produced Enthiran is at number 39, very high on the rating card. We salute Rajinikanth, Shankar and Kalanithi Maran the creators of Enthiran for featuring in this select exclusive list.

The prestigious IMDB ratings are based on user votes, and 7 Indian films feature in the top 50, which is considered the cream among movies made in 2010.

Number 1 in the list is Christopher Nolan's Inception, which has scored 9/10.

Please note 13 Indian films feature in IMDB's  best 205 films of 2010 from all over the world.

Among them Vikramaditya Motwani's Udaan  has the best rating at Number 6 and Mani Ratnam's Raavan the worst at 167.

The Indian films listed in the top 50
1. Vikramaditya Motwani's Udaan at No. 6. Score  8.3/10

2. Dibakar Banerjee's LSD- Love, Sex and Dhokha at No 15. Score  7.9/10

3. Anusha Rizvi's Peepli Live at No.17. Score  7.9/10

4. Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya at No. 23. Score  7.6/10

5. Shankar's Enthiran at No.39. Score  7.4/10

6. Sanjay Bhansali's Guzaarish at No.41. Score  7.4/10

7. Vijay Lalwani's Karthik Calling Karthik at No. 47. Score  7.3/10  

Nene Ambani Review

Rating : 3/5
Director : Rajesh.M
Music Director : Yuvan Shankar Raja
Producers : Sivasri Sreenivasan
Starring : Arya, Nayantara and others

Tamil actor Arya isn’t too distant from Telugu crowds. He was appreciated for his work in Nenu Devunni and gave a powerful performance as a villain in Varudu. He is now back in Telugu with Nene Ambani, a dubbing version of Boss Engira Bhaskaran. Let’s see if Arya continues to woo Telugu fans.

 What’s it about: Bhaskar (Arya) is a good for nothing average guy, who has been attempting to clear his Degree exams in Rajahmundry. He whiles away his time at his friend’s Hair Cutting Salon. His mother, sister and elder brother aren’t too confident about his success this time too. It is on the day of his English exam that he meets Chandrika, and starts wooing her. It doesn’t matter to him that she is better educated than him, and is too good for him in many ways.
                                   
In the mean time Bhaskar plays a key role in getting his veterinary doctor brother married to Nandini (Vijayalakshmi).He realizes that Chandrika is Nandini’s sister and that he can now win her over. However, when Nandini comes to realize Bhaskar’s intentions, she pokes at his ‘unworthy’ status. Ridiculed by her, Bhasker goes out of his home, promising to his family that he will make big money in just six months. Will he be able make the money in six months or not is the question that is answered in the movie.

What is Good: The movie is a light comedy. Though there are few laugh-out-loud moments, the director keeps the laughs subdued. Many would think that the movie could become more ‘intense’ once the hero makes a promise. However, it is exactly where the director manages to surprise you. Infact the movie never gets serious at any point of time.
                            
Arya is good in the role of ‘just another average guy’. His characterization is pretty clear – he would never ever want to listen to any advice from any one, not even from his girl friend. It is exactly where the character of Nayantara becomes important. She looks cute in the songs, and performs with an air of confidence. Santhanam does a very good job playing the hero’s side kick. It seems he has replaced Vadivelu in the Tamil film industry. Subbu, who plays the role of Arya’s brother, performs within his limitations and manages to get some laughs too.


What is bad: As the director Rajesh tries to avoid any seriousness, the movie sometimes comes across as being impractical. There is hardly any explanation as to why the heroine falls for the hero, inspite of his many obvious shortcomings! The second half episode where both hero and his sidekick come up with an idea to make money is a touch too loud for our comfort. The climax becomes ridiculous once Jeeva makes an entry.
                             
Technical Departments: : Even though there are no big laughable scenes, Ramesh manages to eke out smiles from you cleverly using other movies and with background music. Yuvan Shankar Raja comes up with decent tunes and re-recording too. Editing by Vivek Harshan is apt for the movie, and Sakthi Saravanan’s cinematography captures the movie pretty decently. Infact all the songs have been exceptionally shot.

Final Point: Nene Ambani falls somewhere between comedy, parody and slapstick. If you are looking for a time pass movie, then this one is definitely for you.

Tron Review: Prepare for Deresolution .... Rating- 3.5/5

In the Troniverse — which is to say, the land in which the 1982 film "Tron" is hailed as a prescient classic rather than that legendarily bad Jeff Bridges movie where he wore a glow-in-the-dark wrestler's helmet — fans know that the direst of fates is to be "subject to immediate deresolution". This is a formal way of saying you'll be deleted, an act that looks like an explosion of pixels and neatly references the disposal of an opponent in a video game.

But I found it a fitting description for the experience of watching Tron: Legacy, the sequel much-anticipated by passionate admirers of the original and mostly confusing to the rest of us. "Tron: Legacy" de-resolved me. It activated my couch potato impulses. I wanted to loll in my chair enjoying its dark cinematography, punctuated by aesthetically appealing neon, while Daft Punk's strangely soothing electronica washed over me. The movie is like visiting Satan's spa.                              

Robbed of my own resolution meant that I never worked up any dislike for the movie. Tron: Legacy is not good, but it is amiable. While it seems less like a parody than the original, it is also silly in a not unpleasing way. I generally have little use for 3-D, but the effects in this film are subtle and well-executed; as these things go, the least obnoxious ever. Also, I love Jeff Bridges, and here were three of him: one the real, present-day Jeff, nicely grizzled and saying "Man" a lot; then two computer-generated younger versions, one nice, one evil, both handsome and strapping, although troubling to look at in the same way that a Jeff Koons sculpture of Jeff Koons is troubling.                                      

There are no innovations in plot, just some standard father issues and a need to escape. Director Joseph Kosinski, making his feature film debut, opens with a prologue set in 1989, in which Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges, the non-villainous youthful model) tells a bedtime story about his "Tron" adventures to his young son Sam. Then Kevin disappears into the night on a motorcycle, never to be seen again. Soon the boy is a tragic orphan with tons of cash. When we see Sam next he's a grown man (Garrett Hedlund, a more macho Hayden Christensen) emotionally crippled by his father's desertion. He lives in an industrial man-cave, with only a dog and gadgets to keep him company, and refuses to be involved in Encom, the Microsoft-like corporate beast that is his father's legacy, unless it's to cause mischief.

Kevin's old partner Alan (Bruce Boxleitner, reprising his role from the original) refuses to believe that Kevin is dead. The supposition is that he's trapped within the Grid, the digital frontier which he continued to visit after the events of the first movie, pursuing a dream for mankind involving freedom, shared wisdom and technology — kind of like Linus Torvalds, but with James Cameron's ego.                               

A beeping page sent from Kevin's long-disconnected number entices Sam to the arcade his father used to run. A portal opens and Sam steps in, anticipating seeing his father. And Kevin is indeed there, dressing in flowing white outfits accessorized with prayer beads and spending a lot of time on a meditation pillow, but before Sam can find him he — like his father before him — is forced to join a group of sacrificial programs playing gladiator-like games involving glowing Frisbees. Sam, a "user" in Tronspeak, yells "I am not a program" a bunch. It does not quite have the emotional heft of the Elephant Man telling us "I am not an animal." I chalk this up to the fact that he and his opponents are dressed in skintight outfits that look uncannily like my set of Master Mechanics screwdrivers, which are also black and fetchingly trimmed with bright yellow. Mocking aside, the filmmakers do pay artful homage to the original "Tron," right down to the headgear and modes of transport, while taking the look well beyond "Tron's" quaint dot-matrix origins. (The light cycles of old are stylishly reimagined as muscular super-bikes; better than a Segway any day.)

                                

The main problem with the Grid, other than the dodgy opening hours of the exit portal Sam must reach in order to escape, is that it's kind of a stultifying place. The film's logic is too muddled to be engaging. The requisite hot girl, Quorra (Olivia Wilde), has a drearily familiar childlike interest in the world of mankind. The main villain, Clu, (Bridges again, youthful and evil this time) wants to escape the Grid and take over the planet. But the digital recreation isn't perfect; he looks just like young Bridges if young Bridges had had way too much plastic surgery, so it's hard to take him seriously. Clu seems more like an unfortunate Botox victim than a dastardly despot. The only lively spot in Tron-land is a bar run by Castor (a giddy Michael Sheen) where programs go to unwind with a glass of day-glo contrast fluid. Just for a minute, I questioned why programs needed to consume anything. Then I resolved to de-resolve, sinking back into the film's elegant lethargy.

Ford Figo wins Indian Car of the Year award

                            

In the fiercely competitive and rapidly growing market, Ford Figo was selected the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2011 on Thursday.

Now in its sixth year, the ICOTY is awarded to a new vehicle after comprehensive testing by a jury of leading automobile journalists in India.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, accepted the award from R P Singhania, vice chairman and managing director, JK Tyre & Industries, at a ceremony in Mumbai.

The Ford Figo is a celebration of the best-in-class features, style, comfort and ownership.

Dimensions

The Figo is one of the longest, widest and shortest in height in its segment. This contributes to the best aerodynamic design and its spacious interiors.

• Overall length - 3795 mm
• Overall width - 1680 mm
• Overall Height - 1427 mm

Wheelbase

With a 2489 mm wheelbase, the Figo clearly offers the most spacious interiors in its category.

Leg Room

Smart designing makes the Figo one of the most spacious cars available.

• Front leg room - 1084 mm
• Rear leg room - 860 mm
• Rear shoulder room - 1300 mm

Boot space

The Figo has 284 litres of boot capacity - again, the largest among all hatchbacks.

Styling

The Figo is designed in line with Ford's Global Kinetic Design philosophy.

Streaky side repeater lamps, raising belt line, door lines, grille-less front, wide open trapezoidal lower grille, wrap-around head lamps and stylish tail lamps make it stamp a style statement.

Interiors: The Figo sports a unique coral theme on the inside, along with colour coordinated instrument panels and stylized door boards with pull cup type handles.

Vibrant Instrument Panel: The Figo is the first in its segment to make a style statement with colour infused vibrant interiors.

The coral Instrument panel makes for the most vibrant looking Interiors available in its segment.

Air-conditioning

The Figo boasts of the most powerful air conditioner in its segment.

With the largest compressor and the best air speed, the Ford Figo offers the fastest-in-class time to comfort.

Bluetooth

Plug and unplug mobile phones to make and receive calls and hear the other person's voice over car speakers, access your complete phonebook on the audio unit without reaching for the phone, browse the last 10 dialed numbers, the last 10 missed and received calls, redial a particular number and swap, hold, mute and transfer calls from audio to phone.

Smart audio allows you to stream songs from mobile phones to the car audio via Bluetooth and enjoy music over the car speakers without transferring files.

Intelligent features

• Programmable keyless entry
• Intelligent safety locking features (central locking, drive away, crash unlock, ignition off auto unlock, and auto relock)
• Distance to empty display
• RDS capable audio
• Speed sensing volume controls
• Electric boot release
• Lane change indication
• Hazard deceleration warning
• Variable (6 Speed) intermittent wipers
• Intelligent PATS

Will Rahman win a third Oscar?

After bagging a Golden Globe nomination, music maestro A R Rahman  is once again in Oscar race with his song 'If I Rise' from 127 Hours making it to the Academy shortlist for the Original Song category.

A total of 41 tunes, including the number that Rahman wrote for Danny Boyle's  film, will be judged for Oscar considerations by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Clips featuring the songs will be viewed by the members of the music branch, who will vote to determine the final nominees on January 6, Academy's official website said unveiling the list on Thursday.

It is a happy coincident for Rahman, who had a similar golden run in the award circuits in 2009. The 44-year-old singer-composer won his first Golden Globe  in 2009 in the Best Original Score category for Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , which also went on to fetch him two Oscar statuettes later. The musician's song for Couples Retreat had also made it to the shortlist last year but failed to fetch a nomination for him.

Rahman has already received rave reviews for his music in 127 Hours, starring James Franco  as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston, who cut off his arm to escape from beneath a boulder after being trapped for more than five days.

'If I Rise' is a collaboration between Rahman and American popstar Dido. Musical Burlesque with its three songs is leading the shortlist while two tunes each from Black Tulip, Country Strong and Despicable Me are in the race.

To be selected for the nominations, a song must score an 8.25 rating or higher and Academy members are known to be choosy when it comes to rounding up the nomination list, which could feature as few as two songs or none. If only one song receives a 8.25 score, that song and the song with next highest score will be selected as nominees. A maximum of five nominees will be chosen.

This year's shortlist includes Randy Newman for his contribution to the Disney-Pixar toon Toy Story 3 song 'We Belong Together', 'You Haven't Seen the Last of Me' and 'Bound to You' from Burlesque; 'I See the Light', 'Coming Home' from Country Strong and 'There's a Place for Us' from Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards will be unveiled January 25 while the award ceremony will take place on February 27 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

Nagavali Review

Rating : 3/5
Director : P. Vasu
Music Director : Gurukiran
Producers : Bellamkonda Suresh
Starring : Venkatesh, Anushka Shetty, Richa Gangopadhyay, Shraddha Das, Poonam Kaur, Kamalinee Mukherjee, P. Vasu and others

P.Vasu’s much awaited sequel to horror-thriller Chandramukhi is out today. While making a sequel itself is a risky proposition, having someone else in place of Rajinikanth can be very tricky. However, Venkatesh has done some unexpected roles, coming out with flying colors. Will he do the required justice to Nagavalli, let’s see.


 What’s it about: Bharata Natyam dance Gayatri (Kamalinee Mukherjee) wins a painting as a gift for her performance. The painting belongs to Chandramukhi and soon things shake up in Gayatri’s family! When Gayatri’s sister Gauri (Richa Gangopadhyay) is getting ready for her engagement, the groom runs away strangely from the occasion. Soon the family head Sharat Babu and Prabha understand that there is some strange force acting at their home! They invite Ramachandra Acharya (Avinash of Chandramukhi fame), an exorcist to sort issues at home. No sooner he enters their home he realizes that it is the painting of Chandramukhi that is the reason for all the happenings. He says that there are only two people who can solve this issue – Dr. Eeshwar (obvious reference to Rajinikanth) and his assistant Dr. Vijay (Venkatesh).

Dr. Vijay and Acharya together discuss, disagree, and finally find a way to catch who actually is Chandramukhi, why she is called Nagavalli, and why is she now back.
                                  
What is Good: The script of Nagavalli is as complicated as Chandramukhi. There are lot of leads, misleads and thrills. While it isn’t completely an edge of the seat thriller, the director does manage to keep the audience interested till all the clues are unraveled. The flash back episode tells the actual story of who Chandramukhi is, and why she bears a grunt against king Naga Bhairava. The movie’s thrilling moment is not its scary scenes but when we listen to the Tamil version of Vidyasagar‘s Raa Raa mixed with the music of this film. It is romantic, yet hair-raising and tragic!

The first noticeable actor of the movie is Kamalinee Mukherjee in the role of Gayatri. She does her little role with aplomb bringing her expressions as a dancer and then as a patient wonderfully well. Richa Gangopadhyay comes into her groove much later in the movie Anushka gives a powerful performance towards the end too. Infact she holds a very big key in keeping the seriousness of the climax! Avinash continues his performance from Chandramukhi , maintaining the expressions of a firm believer.

However, the story and the presentation root for the protagonist. With almost three different roles Venkatesh gets a chance to showcase a wide range of histrionics. He is in his element and very honest in the role of Dr.Vijay who wants to solve a psychological problem. Brahmanandam and Dharmavarapu are loud but they manage to evoke some really good laughs. Sharat Babu and Prabha as the parents of the affected girls are believable. That doesn’t mean that the movie is flawless!
                                  

What is bad: The biggest problem of the movie could be that it will be first compared to its sequel Chandramukhi. It had Rajinikanth in the lead role, and it is very tough for any other actor to do what he can, especially in the role of a villainous and lecherous King. Anushka’s problems with dance are visible. Dubbing for Shraddha Das is not always in sync with what’s happening on the screen, thought she tries a lot to convey through her eyes. Not all the songs are interesting to watch.

However, all these are minor issues as compared to maintaining the tempo and intensity. The director loses the grip once it is revealed who actually Nagavalli’s soul is possessing. It is exactly here that audience started to move in their seats.

Technical Departments: : Full marks to the screenplay department, it manages to keep the similarities to Chandramukhi plot and yet has certain interesting disparities. While the music for songs isn’t too great, the re-recording suits the visuals very well. Cinematography and editing complement each other well, though there are visible jerks. Computer generated graphics are fairly decent, though some of them remind us of Arundhati. Dialogues are well written too.
                                     
Final Point: If Nagavalli can be watched separately from Chandramukhi it is a very entertaining Telugu movie. It’s got the right mix of elements, and will be a treat for Venkatesh’s fans.

Difference between COMPLETE & FINISH...

People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISH... But there is. When you marry the right one, you are COMPLETE.... And when you marry the wrong one, you are FINISHED..... ! ! ! ! ! ! And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are ...

COMPLETELY FINISHED !

------

The Most Awaited Hollywood Blockbusters of 2011

So here then are ten mammoth 2011 releases that have us drooling:

Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn

The big-screen adaptation of Herge's iconic Belgian reporter is by far the most eagerly anticipated film of next year.

And justifiably so, considering Tintin-obsessed Steven Spielberg has joined forces with Peter Jackson and promised a new kind of motion-capture-animation.

And when the sultans of the spectacular promise a circus, it's best to hold your breath and get in line.

Captain America

Chris Evans might have already been a Marvel comics superhero before (he was Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four movies) but that was just the warm-up.

Evans steps into seriously legendary territory as he takes on the story of America's Hitler-clobbering super-soldier.

Wolfman director Joe Johnston directs.

Cowboys and Aliens

After raking in the billions with the Iron Manfilms and before he takes on Iron Man 3, Jon Favreau takes on this plainly mad graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg that has a blast living up to its awesome title.

Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig star, and the prospect of Indiana Jones and James Bond slinging it out sounds too cool.

The Green Hornet

Sure, more millions are probably at stake with DC Comics' Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds, but Green Hornet looks to be, quite simply, a lot more fun.

With a drastically slimmed-down Seth Rogen in the lead with Jay Chou as Kato and Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds as the main baddie.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

So this should be called Harry Potter Part Seven Part Two? Groan.

Well, the good news is that you won't have to worry about keeping track of Potter-films anymore because this is it, the final Potter film.

For now, that is. Something tells me that JK Rowling may well do a George Lucas and bring back her franchise after a few years, but for now, this is it: enjoy grown-up Hermione and Ron getting it on.

And Michel Gondry's directing, oh joy.

Hugo Cabret

Now this is truly mouthwatering.

Martin Scorsese's making his first 3D film, and the master filmmaker is thrilled to bits as he explores the new technology.

Based on Brian Selznick's fantastic bestselling novel, the film boasts of a massively talented, delightfully eclectic cast, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Lee and Jude Law.

It sounds Burtonic, and it'll be fascinating to see Scorsese's take.

The Muppets

Jason Segel -- currently starring as Marshall on hugely popular American sitcom How I Met Your Mother -- is restarting this franchise, himself writing, acting and assembling a bunch of celebrity oddballs, including the increasingly perfect Zach Galifianakis and the immaculate Amy Adams.

It sounds goofy as can be, and that's just what Kermit the Frog and his friends deserve.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Cap'n Jack is back, and he isn't alone.

Johnny Depp continues to rule the stormy seas, and this time his irresistibly flamboyant alter-ego is paired with the most beautiful woman in the world.

Penelope Cruz stars as the daughter of the infamous Blackbeard, and apparently crosses more than swords with Sparrow.

Chicago director Rob Marshall is at the helm for this fourth Pirates outing, and he might likely be a visually interesting choice.

Rise Of The Apes

Alright, so it's a Planet Of The Apes prequel, a rummy idea considering the disastrous Planet Of The Apes remake turned out by Tim Burton a while back.

Yet this origin story could well be interesting largely because of its cast, with the uber-cool James Franco starring alongside our very own Freida Pinto.

Even if it lands belly up, we're definitely watching this epic.

Thor

And speaking of epics, here's the God of Asgard.

Superheroes are often called the new Gods, but Thor's an old-school Norse God working as a superhero and saving the Earth on a near-daily basis.

Frequent Shakespeare adapter Kenneth Branagh takes on this Marvel Comics saga, with Chris Hemsworth in the title role alongisde the sensational Natalie Portman.