Paranormal Activity became a phenomenal success at the box-office. The next year, it was quickly followed by a sequel that, much like the original, left its viewers in shock after witnessing the demonic possession of siblings Katie and Kristi. The Tod Williams-helmed Paranormal Activity 2 has to date grossed more than $156 million internationally. The 2009 original hit directed by Oren Peli has earned over $193 million.

The third installment takes the audience back to 1988 when it all started. The movie depicts how the sisters, through a childhood game, have unsuspectedly invited the demonic entity into their lives.

The filmmakers are still keeping a lot of details in the dark, but it is safe to assume that if the latest installment can surpass or even equal its predecessors, then we can expect a lucrative franchise in the same league with Saw and Nightmare on Elm Street.

The 3D movie is the first in a much-awaited series of digital performance-capture films based on Hergé’s iconic character. Depending on the movie’s outcome at the tills, two more Tintin flicks are lined up for production. The next one is scheduled to be helmed by Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson. The third would have both Spielberg and Jackson as directors.

Sony and Paramount is expected to release the TinTin Movie  on late October and early November this year. US release, meanwhile, is scheduled on December 2011.

There have been motion picture adaptations as well as animated TV series based on the young intrepid reporter, but regrettably they were not able to create a splash big enough to make them memorable. While its trailer packs a lot of promise, it still remains to be seen whether Spielberg’s recent movie adaptation will succeed in bringing Tintin’s character back into the public mind or not.

Everybody’s Fine is actually a remake of the Italian film Stanno Tutti Bene which literally means ‘They’re All Fine’ that was released in 1990 and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. The 2009 version stars Robert De Niro as Frank Goode, Drew Barrymore as Rosie, Kate Beckinsale as Amy and Sam Rockwell as Robert. It was written and directed by Kirk Jones.

Frank Goode is excited for his children’s visit for the holidays that he decides to buy a brand new grill and expensive wine and readies everything around the house when they suddenly canceled their visits one by one. He knows that all his children are successful in their respective fields because his wife, when she was still alive, has been boasting about their achievements so they must have some valid reasons for canceling. So Frank then decides that if his kids can’t visit him he’ll go and visit them against his doctor’s advice that travel will not be good for his health. He first visits David, the painter, at his apartment New York City which wasn’t as luxurious as his wife had told him. Nevertheless, he waited for his son at his doorstep but to no avail but he was able see David’s painting at a local art gallery.

His next stop was to his daughter Amy who tells him it’s a bad time to visit but insisted in going anyway. Frank realized that his grandson is not really sick as to what Amy told him as the reason for the canceled visit. The next day Frank accompanied Amy to her office before he goes on to visit Robert to watch him conduct the orchestra. The film then cuts into a phone conversation between the siblings and agreed that nobody should mention about David whom they believe is in some kind of trouble in Mexico. Frank realizes that Robert was not really a conductor but a percussionist. Robert also tells him that it’s a bad time for a visit so within hours Frank leaves to visit Rose who then explained to him that they told their mother the truth about their lives but she decided to exaggerate the story to not disappoint him knowing how demanded a father he was. Drew Barrymore certainly gave justice to her role no matter how small it was.

Frank flies home saddened by the truth about his children and has a heart attack. While on a hospital bed his children reveals the truth about his dead son David. The movie ends with the whole family at Franks home for Christmas.

There are two benefits of movie downloading that really stand out to me as making it worthwhile – the first of these is the fact that I can see any movie I want whenever I want to watch it. I don’t have to plan a time or visit a movie theater when I want to watch a movie anymore, I don’t have to get in my car and visit my local movie rental store, I simply switch on my computer or take out one of the DVD’s I’ve made. On top of the convenience this gives me, it also save me a lot of money each year – money I used to spend on rentals and movie tickets, has now gone towards my shiny new home theater system that sits proudly in the corner of my TV room.

Just before you rush to get your membership, there is an important piece of information that I must inform you about. You see the big movie studios are naturally unhappy that their new blockbuster is available to download online at exactly the same time it premiers in the movie theaters. They want to make as much money as possible from their investment, and at the moment it is impossible for them to police the Internet and collect the revenues they would be due. There are some people who will argue that there is nothing illegal about downloading movies, but they are wrong – if you want to download the latest movies available as soon as they hit the movie houses, you have to accept this fact and deal with it.

Thus, we have the example of India’s highest grossing film to date, after adjusting for inflation: Sholay. Released in 1975, this piece starred Amitabh Bachchan and his brother Dharmendra and was directed by Ramesh Sippy. Among the themes of friendship and romance were also vengeance. The energy of the stars combined with what was at that time (and still today) stellar storytelling and ideas meant that the film ran in theaters for 286 weeks, which equals more than five consecutive YEARS. The film went on to gross a total of Rs. 768,81,00,000 (adjusted for inflation), an amount which would be the equivalent of 160 million US dollars .

In Sholay we find the classic elements of Hindi movies which would be utilized by so many other movies to come- great comic scenes as well as scenes of heartbreak, tenderness, and love- in a movie which might also be called an action flick by some.