_______________________________________________________

31. Max Payne
Mark Wahlberg stars
in this cartoonish action film based on the third person shooter
video game. Lots of fun if you don't take it very seriously --
or you're not easily grossed out by flesh being torn away by
dozens of handgun blasts. Olga
Kurylenko (Quantum of
Silence) plays a Wahlberg obligatory hot love interest, albeit
for an all-too-short amount of time, while Mila Kunis plays her
obligatory hot Russian sister and assassin.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Olga Kurylenko.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Mila Kunis.
See when Max Payne is playing next on TV.
Get Max Payne on Blu-ray.
32. Mission Impossible III
Tom Cruise stars in the third in
the trilogy based on the 1960s TV series about a group of master
spies. Directed by J. J. Abrams, the creator of ABC's Lost.
Michelle Monaghan plays Cruise's obligatory hot wife while Keri
Russelll plays an obligatory hot IMF agent taken hostage by the
bad guys. Fun film with strong supporting performances from
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors), Ving
Rhames and the exotic beauty Maggie Q.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Keri Russell.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Michelle Monaghan
See when Mission Impossible III is playing
next on TV .
Get Mission Impossible III on Blu-ray.
33.
Night
at the Museum
Ben Stiller
stars as a night watchman in a history museum
where the exhibits magically come to life. Frothy but fun
with Stiller sidekick Owen Wilson on board as a miniature
cowboy. Carla Gugino plays Ben's obligatory hot love interest.
Old hands Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney shine as ex-watchmen
who may be able to unlock the secrets of the museum.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Carla
Gugino.
See when Night at the Museum is playing
next on TV.
Get Night at the Museum on Blu-ray.

34. Obsessed
Idris Elba (Stringer Bell
from The Wire) stars as a smooth corporate executive and family
man whose life spins out of control when a beautiful office temp
turns into a temptress. Al Larter (Heroes) plays the obligatory
hot temp while Beyonce Knowles also stars as Elba's obligatory
hot wife. The film is as predictable as it gets, but the eye
candy is sweet and the final 'cat fight' between Larter and
Knowles is worthy of the WWE.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Ali Larter.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Beyonce.
See when Obsessed is playing next on TV.
Get Obsessed on Blu-ray.
35.
Planet of the Apes
Mark Wahlberg admirably fills the
shoes of Charlton Heston (although Mark's feet are smaller) in
this 2001 remake of the 1968 sci-fi classic about an astronaut
trapped on a planet run by a bunch of human-like monkeys.
Directed by Tim Burton, the film delivers plenty of freaky
cinematography and action scenes -- and Tim Roth and Paul
Giamatti go absolutely ape chewing the scenery as two of the
leading monks. Estella Warren also is noteworthy for delivering
plenty of eye candy. Fun film.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Estella Warren.
See when Planet of the Apes is playing
next on TV.
Get Planet of the Apes on Blu-ray.
36. Powder Blue
Jessica Biel stars as a
stripper (okay, no need to go further?; that's enough for you?
Well, there is more...) who struggles to make ends meet while
caring for a dying child. The film, which went straight to DVD
and Blu-ray, is a bleak but often interesting look at people who
seemed destined to get the short end of the stick. The strong
ensemble cast also includes Ray Liotta as Biel's
redemption-seeking Dad and Forest Whitaker as a former minister
who wants only to die with dignity.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Jessica
Biel.
See when Powder Blue is playing next on
TV.
Get Powder Blue on Blu-ray.

37. Public Enemies
Johnny Depp shines in this fast-paced Michael Mann film loosely based on the life of 1930s bank robber John Dillinger. (And we do mean loosely.) While Mann
escapes from the facts
more often than Dillinger escaped from prison, the
movie is undeniably entertaining and the
French
actress Marion Cotillard makes for an alluring
and obligatory hot Dillinger girlfriend. Christian Bale is also
good as G-Man Melvin Purvis, although Mann super-inflates
Purvis' role (and competence) in the Dillinger investigation.
See
our 'HD Hottie' profile of Marion Cotillard.
See when Public Enemies is playing next on
TV.
Get Public Enemies
on Blu-ray
38.
Revolutionary
Road
Leonardo
DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite as two suffocated suburbanites
in 1950s Connecticut who can't seem to figure life out. The
plodding plot is lifted by outstanding performances from the
Titanic duo and the perceptive direction of Sam Mendes (married
to Winslet.). The film feels like an uncomfortable snapshot of
an all-too real time. Very good movie.
See when Revolutionary Road is playing
next on TV.
Get Revolutionary Road on Blu-ray.
39 The Runaways
Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star in this fast-paced, edgy
docudrama about the 1980s all-female rock band that launched the
careers of Joan Jett and Lita Ford.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Kristen
Stewart.
The Runaways is now playing on HD VOD.
Get The Runaways
on Blu-ray.
40.
Slumdog Millionaire
Director Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film about a poor Indian
teen who wins the big bucks in a nationally televised game show
but almost loses it all when government officials question his
uncanny ability to answer the show's questions. Fun movie with
multiple strong performances from the unknown cast.
See when Slumdog Millionaire is playing
next on TV.
Get Slumdog Millionaire on Blu-ray.

41. The Spirit
Samuel L. Jackson stars as The Octopus whose
aim is to destroy Central City in this adaptation of the graphic
comic book from Will Eisner. Gabriel Macht is the hero who tries
to stop him while Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson and Jaime King
play obligatory hot sidekicks. Not all for all tastes, but it's
a visual treat.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Scarlett Johansson.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Eva Mendes.
See when The Spirit is playing next on TV.
Get The Spirit on Blu-ray.
42. Sugar
Unknown Algenis Perez Soto
shines as a young Dominican baseball pitcher who longs to make
it big in the U.S. Excellent docudrama about the plight of
foreign baseball players who struggle to cope in a new land.
See when Sugar is playing next on TV.
Get Sugar on Blu-ray.
43. Sweet Smell of
Success
Burt Lancaster is brilliant as a
powerful newspaper columnist (based not so loosely on Walter
Winchell) in 1950s New York who corrupts everyone who comes
within earshot. Tony Curtis also shines as a two-bit agent who
will sell his soul to win a line in Lancaster's daily column.
Great movie!
See when Sweet Smell of Success plays next
on TV.
Get Sweet Smell of Success on DVD.
44.
Taken
Liam Neeson stars as an
ex-government operative who's forced back into the field when
his daughter is kidnapped in Paris. Maggie Grace plays the
obligatory hot daughter while Famke Janssen is almost
unrecognizable as Liam's bitchy ex-wife. Despite Neeson's
advancing years (he's 57 now), his early days as an amateur
boxer serves him well here and the action is fast paced. Good
movie.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Maggie Grace
See when Taken is playing next on TV.
Get Taken on Blu-ray.

45.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Director Michael Bay stuffed
this sequel with even more CGI effects than the first
Transformers. But Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox (talk about a
special effect) make for a winning pair as they try to save the
Earth from the creepy metallic monsters. Fun for the entire
family, albeit dumb fun.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Megan Fox.
See when Transformers is playing next on
TV.
Get Transformers 2 on Blu-ray.
46..
Underworld
Kate Beckinsale plays a leather-clad, pistol-packin' vampire
whose mission in life (or, shall we say, the afterlife) is to
rid the world of werewolves. Oh, what's that? I had you at "Kate
Beckinsale plays a leather-clad..."? Well never mind on the rest
of the stuff. Good movie, by the way.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Kate
Beckinsale.
See when Underworld is playing next on TV.
Get Underworld on Blu-ray.

47. Winged Migration
This terrific French-produced
documentary follows several schools of migratory birds as they
fly thousands of miles away and then return when the weather
improves. Surreal photography and subtle direction combine to
make this a must-see for the entire family, particularly if you
have cats. (See
Snoopy,
the HDTV-watching cat, in the above picture, watching Winged
Migration..)
Winged Migration is not playing on TV the 2 weeks.
Get Winged Migration on Blu-ray.
48. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke is eerily dead-on
as a washed-up, alcoholic professional wrestler whose life is a
series of body slams in and out of the ring. Marisa Tomei plays
his obligatory hot "girlfriend" -- as well as being a stripper
with a heart of gold. Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen, Across the
Universe) breaks hearts as Rourke's alienated daughter. Great
movie.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Marisa Tomei.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Evan Rachel
Wood.
See when The Wrestler is playing next on
TV.
Get The Wrestler on Blu-ray.
49. Wanted
James
McAvoy stars as a faceless bureaucrat who suddenly is
transformed into a magical, bullet-curving assassin after being
hijacked by Angelina Jolie. (Look out, Brad Pitt, she'll do it
to you next.) The sci-fi drama is filled with great action
scenes and McAvoy, Jolie and Morgan Freeman (as an obligatory
wise, albeit mysterious, executive) make for a great cast. Fun
movie.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Angelina
Jolie.
See when Wanted is playing next on TV.
Get Wanted on Blu-ray.
50.
Watchmen
Based on the D.C. Comics'
graphic novel, Watchmen mixes satire with eye-popping
visuals and delivers a thrill-a-minute adventure for young and
old. The plot focuses on a masked vigilante who tries to
discover why comic book-style Super Heroes are being killed off.
It may sound like a teen feast, but director Zack Snyder is up
to more than that. The film cleverly examines meaty issues such
as terrorism, rule of law, hero worship and narcissism in the
guise of a sci-fi fantasy film.
Malin Akerman
is breathtaking as an obligatory hot female Super Hero while
Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson
also shine in a strong ensemble cast. Great movie!
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Malin
Akerman.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Carla
Gugino.
See when The Watchmen plays next on TV.
Get The Watchmen on Blu-ray.
Bonus Picks:
Casino
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci star in the Martin Scorsese classic
about the glory (and gory) days of Vegas when the Mob ruled with
an iron fist. Sharon Stone nearly steals the picture (which
would be fitting; there isn't an honest person in the film) as a
curvy hustler who knows all the angles.
See when Casino is playing next on TV.
Transformers
Shai LaBeouf and Megan Fox
star in this Michael Bay-directed CGI spectacular about two
races of robots who decide to battle it out to the death. No,
not the Democrats and Republicans; not those robots; the
metallic kind. Although the movie is aimed at the teen set, it's
fun for the entire family -- and it provided a career for Ms.
Fox, which is no small achievement.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of
Megan Fox.
Transformers is not playing on TV the next
2 weeks.
Get Transformers on Blu-ray.
Showgirls
Elizabeth Berkley and Gina
Gershon star in arguably the most gratuitous display of female
flesh and lesbian lust that's ever come out of mainstream
Hollywood. While the plot pretends to be about a young dancer
(Berkley) whose fantasy is to hit the big time in a Las Vegas
revue, it's really about making director Paul
Verhoeven and wacked-out
screenwriter Joe
Eszterhas'
fantasies come true. The acting is cheesy; the plot beyond
absurd; but if you're a guy -- or a lesbian -- you won't turn
your head from the screen for a half second.
See our 'HD Hottie' profile of Gina
Gershon.
Showgirls is not playing on TV the next 2 weeks.
Get Showgirls on Blu-ray.
Rocky
Sylvester Stallone shines as
Rocky Balboa, a rough club fighter who gets a chance at
redemption in and out of the ring when he's matched against the
heavyweight champion. While Stallone later turned the Rocky
story into a narcissistic cartoon, the original here is stripped
bare of any hint of pretension. Stallone is touching as the big
lug who yearns for respect while girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire)
breaks hearts with her simple humanity. Burgess Meredith chews
the scenery a bit as Rocky's trainer, but that's okay. It's a
great movie.
See when Rocky plays on TV.
Get Rocky on Blu-ray.
Sony Blu-ray Disc Player: $133
Panasonic 'Ultra-Fast Loading' Blu-ray Player: $127
© TVPredictions.com
______________________________________________________
Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.
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