'Transformers' And Much More: 2011's 5 Best Alien Invasion Movies

From battles in La and Chicago to children battling against otherworldly risks, 2011 was an memorable year for fighting opponents from past the stars. Keep reading through for the top 5 favorite alien invasion movies of the season! 5. "Fight LaInch Though not quite among my personal favorite movies of the season, even I can not deny the awesome imagery from the initial waves of invasion in "Fight La.Inch The floor-level action puts you within the grungy trenches of the alien assault on which would normally be considered a sunny day in California. If you're able to forgive a skinny plot, the visual assault you'll weather in "Fight LA" may be worth the rental fee. 4. "Paul" Most aliens arrive on the planet with dying-sun rays within their hands and universal domination within their hearts. Paul, however, goes about his business having a joint in the mouth and Doritos in the belly. Thinking about how these invasions normally go, "Paul" was refreshingly light on take-me-to-your-leader danger and high on toke-with-me-and-your-leader humor. 3. "Transformers: Dark from the Moon" Go forward towards the final hour of Michael Bay's latest "Transformers" movie, and you will end up knee-deep within the most balls-out crazy action flick of the season. When Shockwave and also the Decepticons descend upon downtown Chicago, absolute madness develops. Autobots are actually pulled out to the roads and performed. Optimus Prime shoots his opponents hard at pointblank range. He rips heads off. He rips heads off! Yeah, it's pretty awesome. 2. "Super 8" It's less the appearance of the mysterious extraterrestrial that puts "Super 8" about this list it is the kids hanging round the central mystery. Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Ryan Lee are perfect within their large-screen breakout roles, and let us not disregard the moving performance shipped by future Oscar champion Elle Fanning. Coupled with a effective nostalgia kick of pure Spielbergia, J.J. Abrams' sci-fi throwback flick remains among 2011's best popular culture efforts. 1. "Attack the Block" From phenomenal creature design to some wonderfully unique setting for any sci-fi film, Joe Cornish's directorial debut has everything you may request for from the hard R-ranked action comedy. Sporting the "Goonies" elements "Super 8" takes up very well spread with "Alien"-inspired action and scares permanently measure, "Attack the Block" is not only the finest alien invasion movie of 2011 it's among the best movies of the season, period. Believe! Inform us which 2011 alien invasion movie was your preferred within the comments section as well as on Twitter!

Fox Agendas 'American Idol,' 'Alcatraz,' 'The Finder,' 'Touch,' More

FoxKiefer Sutherland in "Touch" Fox features its midseason selection, introduced with the eleventh season of yank Idol and newcomer series Alcatraz, The Finder, Touch additionally to returning series Breaking In and Kitchen Bad dreams or nightmares.our editor recommends'Touch': First Trailer for Kiefer Sutherland Drama Debuts (Video)'Alcatraz' Co-Creator Liz Sarnoff Steps Lower as Showrunner Idol will premiere its eleventh season getting a 2-evening event searching for Wednesday, Jan. 18 and Thursday, Jan. 19 getting a unique episode airing carrying out a NFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 22. 24 star Kiefer Sutherland will return to the network with newcomer drama Touch getting a unique preview on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m., it's series premiere Monday, March 10 at 9 p.m. PHOTOS: Fall TV Dying Pool: Which New Show Will Probably Be Axed? J.J. Abrams' thriller Alcatraz will premiere Monday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. getting a 2-hour event, returning the following week within the regular time slot at 9 p.m. undertaking a brand new episode of House. Bones spinoff The Finder will bow Thursday, Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. following an encore in the David Boreanaz series from Hart Hanson. Animated comedy Napoleon Dynamite, getting a voice cast within the feature film of the title, will join the Sunday Animation Domination selection with some episodes beginning Sunday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 p.m. Second year animated series Bob's Burgers, meanwhile, will return Sunday, March 11 at 8:30 p.m. Elevated and retooled comedy Breaking In will return due to its second season on Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30 p.m. when the workplace comedy starring Christian Slater and Megan Mullally follows encores of latest Girl at 8 p.m. Glee will return Tuesday, Jan. 17, with Mobbed returning for completely new episodes on Wednesday, Jan. 4 through Feb. 8 at 9 p.m., while Kitchen Bad dreams or nightmares will return Friday, Jan. 13 then fresh cases of Fringe. STORY: NBC Sets Midseason Schedule, Moves 'Whitney,' 'Up With The Evening,' More Cops will return Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m., and air back-to-back episodes beginning Jan. 14 at 9 p.m., while a distinctive edition of America's Popular remains slotted for Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. An entire schedule follows: MONDAY Monday, Jan. 16: 8-10 p.m. ALCATRAZ (Series Premiere) Mondays, beginning Jan. 23: 8-9 p.m. HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) 9-10 p.m. ALCATRAZ (Time Period Premiere) Monday, March 12: 8-10 p.m. ALCATRAZ (Two-Hour Episode) Mondays, beginning March 19: 8-9 p.m. HOUSE 9-10 p.m. TOUCH (Series Premiere) TUESDAY Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 17: 8-9 p.m. GLEE 9-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL 9:30-10 p.m. RAISING HOPE Tuesdays, beginning March 6: 8-8:30 p.m. NEW GIRL (encore) 8:30-9 p.m. BREAKING IN (Season Premiere) 9-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL 9:30-10 p.m. RAISING HOPE WEDNESDAY Wednesday, Jan. 4: 8-9 p.m. GLEE (encore) 9-10 p.m. MOBBED Wednesday, Jan. 11: 8-9 p.m. MOBBED (encore) 9-10 p.m. MOBBED Wednesday, Jan. 18: 8-10 p.m. The The American Idol Show Show (Season Premiere, The Start) Wednesday, Jan. 25: 8-9 p.m. The The American Idol Show Show 9-10 p.m. TOUCH (Special Preview) Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 1: 8-9 p.m. The The American Idol Show Show 9-10 p.m. MOBBED Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 15: 8-10 p.m. The The American Idol Show Show (Two-Hour Episodes) THURSDAY Thursday, Jan. 12: 8-9 p.m. BONES (encore) 9-10 p.m. THE FINDER (Series Premiere) Thursdays, beginning Jan. 19: 8-9 p.m. The The American Idol Show Show (Season Premiere, Part Two) 9-10 p.m. THE FINDER FRIDAY Friday, Jan. 6: 8 p.m. ETFOX SPORTS SPECIAL: 2012 AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC (Live) Fridays, beginning Jan. 13: 8-9 p.m. KITCHEN Bad dreams or nightmares 9-10 p.m. FRINGE SATURDAY Saturdays, beginning Jan. 7: 8-8:30 p.m. COPS 8:30-9 p.m. COPS 9-10 p.m. DRAMA ENCORES 11 p.m.-Evening time ENCORES Evening time-12:30 a.m. ENCORES Saturday, Feb. 11: 8-10 p.m. AMERICA'S Popular Unique 11 p.m.-Evening time ENCORES Evening time-12:30 a.m. ENCORES SUNDAY Sunday, Jan. 8: 7-7:30 p.m. BOB'S Burgers (encore) 7:30-8 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW (encore) 8-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW 9-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10 p.m. AMERICAN Father Sunday, Jan. 15: 8-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9 p.m. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Series Premiere) 9-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10 p.m. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Special Time) Sunday, Jan. 22: 6 p.m. ET FOX SPORTS SPECIAL: NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Live) 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PTAMERICAN IDOL (Special Broadcast Approximate Start Time) Sundays, beginning Jan. 29: 7-7:30 p.m. BOB'S Burgers (encore) 7:30-8 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9 p.m. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE 9-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10 p.m. AMERICAN Father Sundays, beginning March 11: 7-7:30 p.m. ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES 7:30-8 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9 p.m. BOB'S Burgers (Season Premiere) 9-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10 p.m. AMERICAN Father The The American Idol Show Show Kitchen Bad dreams or nightmares Fox Broadcasting Corporation Touch Alcatraz The Finder

DDA Pr links with Blueprint

DDA Pr and Blueprint Pr are beginning a London-based partnership named DDA Blueprint. The standalone company will probably be headed up by Blueprint PR's co-company company directors Jesse Balmforth and Aimee Norman, with DDA's Boss Lawrence Atkinson and COO John Stannard as non-executive company company directors. The companies mentioned the organization of DDA Blueprint will mainly be worldwide TV trade and theater publicity with Blueprint PR theater mind Kate Morley leading the venture's legit activity. "Just like a specialist PR agency getting a worldwide and famous clientele, DDA Blueprint can make and offer proper and goal-driven, tailor-made campaigns within the worldwide and Uk television and theater industries," the announcement mentioned. The companies also mentioned the television arm of lately minted DDA Blueprint will support worldwide sales activity, while focusing on getting in co-production partners and potential traders, aiding in communications on mergers and purchases and co-ordinating global PR techniques. In theater, DDA Blueprint will plan and implement media campaigns for theater companies and individual plays and musicals. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Acad shortlists 10 animated shorts

Ten animated shorts have advanced within the Oscar voting process, including, not remarkably, Pixar's "La Luna," which most auds will not see until it plays before "Brave" next summer time. In the 10 runners up, Academy people in the short films and have animation branches will choose 3 to 5 nominees. The Ten films, in alphabetical order by title: -- "Dimanche/Sunday," Patrick Doyon, director (National Film Board of Canada) -- "The Great Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, company directors (Moonbot Galleries LA, LLC) -- "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat," Matthew O'Callaghan, director and Mike Register, executive producer (Warner Bros. Animation Corporation.) -- "La Luna," Enrico Casarosa, director (Pixar Animation Galleries) -- "Luminaris," Juan Pablo Zaramella, director (JPZtudio) -- "Miracle Piano," Martin Clapp, director and Hugh Welchman, producer (BreakThru Films) -- "A Morning Stroll," Grant Orchard, director and Sue Goffe, producer (Studio Also known as) -- "Pathways of Hate," Damian Nenow, director (Platige Image) -- "Specky Four-Eyes," Jean-Claude Rozec, director and Mathieu Courtois, producer (Vivement Lundi!) -- "Wild Existence," Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, company directors (National Film Board of Canada) Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Asa Butterfield Signs for 'Ender's Game' Harrison Ford Among Other Names Being Talked about

That which was a deal has turned into a deal: 'Hugo' star Asa Butterfield has formally signed onto star within the large-screen adaptation of 'Ender's Game' for Summit Entertainment. Authored the kid on Twitter concerning the news, "Indeed. I am really doing the work. F*** YEAAA!!!" Due March 15, 2013 -- roughly twelve months after 'The Hunger Games' -- 'Ender's Game' concentrates on a youthful gamer who will get employed through the government to battle off an alien race due to his gifted natural capabilities of strategy. Gavin Hood ('X-Males Roots: Wolverine') will direct 'Game,' which is dependant on Orson Scott Card's beloved 1985 book. Additionally to Butterfield, another names might be coming aboard soon. Like maybe Harrison Ford. Minimal influential star is apparently being talked about to experience Colonel Hyrum Graff, "the Commander of coaching for that Worldwide Fleet, a top-notch boys' military academy." Viggo Mortensen was searched for for that role, but no deal might be arrived at. When Butterfield was requested about 'Ender's Game' throughout his 'Hugo' press obligations, he illuminated just like a candle. "It is extremely exciting," he told Moviefone. "I really like it. I have been doing lots of serious films, it will be good to behave relaxing and very exciting, which 'Ender's Game' is." [via Variety] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Oscar Index: So an Artist and a Horse Walk into a Bar...

Good news and bad news this week from Movieline’s Institute For the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics — the good news being that a handful of critics organizations and awards bodies have helped to draw the year’s noteworthiest (i.e. Oscar-baitiest) titles and talent of the season into their sharpest relief yet. The bad news: Sharp relief remains a total mess, with the fields in most major categories wide open heading into December. Which is the way we like it, right? Right? Ugh. To the Index… [Click the graphs for full-size images.] The Leading 10: 1. The Artist 2. War Horse 3. The Descendants 4. The Help 5. Midnight in Paris 6. Hugo 7. Moneyball 8. The Tree of Life 9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 10. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Outsiders: Margin Call; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2; The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn; My Week With Marilyn; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Shame First things first: Anyone who tells you the Gotham Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, NY Film Critics Circle Awards and tomorrow’s National Board of Review Awards have no impact whatsoever on the Oscar race is either misinformed or deeply in denial. I know: I used to be one of them myself, hewing to the austerity and imperviousness of the Academy Awards, especially by such starfucking hat-passers as IFP and Film Independent. But when FIND executive director Dawn Hudson wound up hopping to the Academy’s CEO gig earlier this year, it was roughly my 843rd sign in the last five years of the institutional insularity that binds such awards-culture monoliths. People can inveigh about the NYFCC’s own austerity and rectitude, but let’s face it: If I knew I could A) jolt a film like Moneyball to awards life after two months in hibernation and B) get Brad Pitt to come to my party, I’d give the movie my Best Actor and Best Screenplay awards, too. These guys didn’t even see one of the movies long regarded as the season’s biggest wild card (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) just so they could vote first in the derby, and what for? So they could perpetuate the awards narrative that Harvey Weinstein initiated back in May? It’s all connected — profiles, visibility, timing. Check out Oscar oracle Mark Harris’s painstaking analysis this week for his view, or Mike Ryan’s narrower breakdown of if/how the NYFCC has recently tended to move the Oscar needle. Look at this week’s select honorees at the Gothams (not to mention Scott Feinberg’s helpful follow-up). I mean, Charlize Theron? Gary Oldman? I love both — especially in their new films (hint hint) — but we are ultimately talking about deploying any and every means available to cling to the neurons of an aging, overstimulated voting elite of 6,000-plus for the next two months. Can your organization do it better than my organization? Give it your best shot. And so on… and so on… Anyway! As noted, the awards bustle paid off most nicely for The Artist and Moneyball, the latter of which also had Pitt and fellow nomination-hunter Jonah Hill conveniently, simultaneously out and about on the campaign trail. (The Tree of Life, for which Pitt split his NYFCC Best actor nod, also benefited from tying Beginners at the Gothams. (I repeat: The Tree of Life tied Beginners — a distinction that one may think might invalidate the Gothams entirely were it not for the fact that the awards cognoscenti have spent the last 48 hours writing about them.) The Artist, meanwhile, will take its critical approbation and Indie Spirit nods (which are supposed to be for American films, but whatever), but it’ll really take its $52,500 opening-weekend per-screen average. Alas, the disturbing news arrives via Nathaniel Rogers: Everyone predicting a win for The Artist before the nominations are even announced should consider the following list and sobering fact: No movie about movies has ever won Best Picture. […] You’d think that Hollywood’s High Holy Night, which is one big self-congratulatory spectacle, would embrace movies about movies and they do to a point. But perhaps even Hollywood’s notoriously fulsome egos feel sheepish about taking it all the way. Do they fear it would be overkill, the back-patting night of nights morphing into something far more orgiastic, a daisy chain of self regard? Excellent questions! In a semi-related development, movie-love nostalgia showcase Hugo came out strong as well in limited-wide release, portending, in the words of one wag, “early rustlings of a longer-running sleeper success, the kind of success that happens infrequently in Hollywood and even more rarely in the family film realm.” Combined with staggeringly strong reviews, that success would almost certainly secure Hugo’s spot in the Best Picture coterie. It’s a tandem War Horse doesn’t need nearly as desperately, but kudos to Steven Spielberg for not taking any chances on a holiday weekend when his most formidable competition was raking in the accolades and cash. The filmmaker and Disney unveiled his latest for press and industry insiders at a handful of screenings in NYC and L.A., plus a public sneak preview (and a Web Q&A) attended by Spielberg himself. The feedback among the Oscar orthodoxy was incredibly strong, with influencers like Steve Pond, Sasha Stone, David Poland, Kristopher Tapley, Anne Thompson and numerous tweeting others (“Wept through last half of WAR HORSE. Beautiful story of hope and love in the worst of times,” wrote Devin Faraci) going to bat for it as the formidable Best Picture contender we always knew it would be. For the prosecution, meanwhile, Jeffrey Wells dismissed Tapley’s analysis in particular (which downplayed critics awards, incidentally) as “one of the basest insults to the Academy membership I’ve ever read.” Now that’s when you know you have a real contender. One last thing: How about Patrick Goldstein’s idea of a luxury tax for studios lavishly pushing the likes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2? By publicly identifying the biggest spenders, a luxury tax could serve as a disincentive for crass studio excess. It might also help level the Oscar playing field. The vast majority of recent Oscar best picture nominees have been films that were either financed by a major studio or one of its specialty film divisions, which, if necessary, can draw on the resources of the parent conglomerate. (The 2007 best picture nominee Babel from Paramount Vantage is a good example.) Given the new formula for picking best picture nominees, if Warners’ ad spree earns Hallows 5% of the first-place votes for best picture, it could knock a smaller movie out of the running. Even though indie movies can still earn a best picture win, as Summit’s The Hurt Locker did in 2009, most Oscar insiders say that when it comes to vaulting your film into the awards season conversation, money talks. Love it! Except this whole thing about penalties going to causes like the eventual Academy museum or film scholarships for underprivileged kids is a clear misappropriation of funds that should be going to the Consider Uggie campaign. Thoughts? The Leading 5: 1. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 2. Steven Spielberg, War Horse 3. Alexander Payne, The Descendants 4. Martin Scorsese, Hugo 5. David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Outsiders: Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris; Bennett Miller, Moneyball; Tate Taylor, The Help; George Clooney, The Ides of March; Tomas Alfredson, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy As usual, their films’ rising tides generally lifted the filmmakers’ boats — or the inverse, as evidenced by The Descendants and Alexander Payne. According to NY Post critic and NYFCC member Lou Lumenick, Payne’s film never received more than 17 points in any round of Best Picture voting, and the director himself never broke through a top-three cluster of Hazanavicius, Scorsese and, uh, Lars von Trier. Thanks for playing, Lars! Mr. Spielberg will take it from here.

'Dark Dark night Rises' News: Christian Bale Ditches Batman, Talks Cast

"Dark Dark night Increases" viewers, present day your lucky day! We are kicking a few days off right with believe it or not than three products straight from Gotham City and to your virtual reading through space, including new interviews with Christian Bale plus some terrifying ideas on which the brand new "Dark Dark night Increases" trailer might seem like. Get everything and much more following the jump! Bye-Bye Batman After many years of threatening the chance, Bale has confirmed the inevitable: he's done playing Batman. Inside a recent interview, he revealed: "I wrapped a couple of days ago to ensure that would be the before I am by taking your cowl off." It is the finish of the era for him and Nolan, who gave the Batman franchise a significantly needed booster shot with "Starts" in 2005. Assemble The Softball bat Squad Bale also spoke out lately about his fellow "Dark Dark night Increases" co-stars, including Hathaway As Catwoman, Tom Sturdy and Frederick Gordon-Levitt. Hathaway's job may be the most difficult from the bunch in Bale's eyes: "I usually saw Anne's role as the most difficult job of anybody. During my situation, Ive stopped referencing outdoors sources. I now reference Chris own realm of Batman as helpful tips for things i continues doing." "Dark Dark night" Trailer Bad dreams Searching ahead, a brand new "Dark Dark night Increases" trailer will probably be here before December shuts out, and MTV News author Kevin Sullivan mulled the harmful options about what is available within the latest edition from the Weekly Rising. Take a look right here. Inform us that which you think about present day "Dark Dark night Increases" updates within the comments section as well as on Twitter!