“Life In A Day” is a historic global experiment to create a user-generated feature film, shot in a single day, by you. On July 24 you have to capture a glimpse of your life on camera. The most compelling and distinctive footage will be edited into an experimental documentary film, produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin Macdonald.

The film will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and will be available right here on Youtube. If your footage makes it into the finished film, you’ll be credited as a co-director and could be one of 20 contributors brought to Sundance to celebrate with Kevin Macdonald.

Follow the Steps Below to Take Part:

Step1) Film your Day

Film a moment, or the moments, that make up your day, or the day of someone your know. Whether mundane or extraordinary, serious or playful, you can shoot multiple videos or just one. You might record a sunrise, your commute to work, your family meal, an afternoon player. You decide.

Step 2) Answer’s Kevin’s Questions

If you wish, you can shoot an additional video answering one or all of these questions to help complete Kevin’s vision for the film:
What do you love?
What do you fear?
What makes you laugh?
What’s in your pocket? Is there a story behind any of the objects?

Step 3) Upload Your Videos

Upload your video(s) between July 24 and July 31 by clicking on the “Submit” tab, which will appear on the Life In A Day channel on July 24, and following the instructions.

Tips for your Contribution

Do
BE IMAGINATIVE
Feel free to be as murdane or imaginative as you want. There’s no part of a day that’s too ordinary, no event that’s too profound, to be included in the film.

MAKE IT PERSONAL
Make your footage as personal and specific as possible. The personal is always more interesting than the general.

FILM ANYONE
Film your family, friends or even strangers. Filming other people’s lives is completely fine as long as they’re happy to be involved and willing to sign a release form later(which we will send you if your footage is selected for the film).

BE VISUAL
It’s usually more compelling to show your answer to a question, rather than just telling them to the camera. For example, if you love your neighbor’s urban vegetable garden, consider filming your neighbor in the garden, rather than just talking about the garden to your camera.

HI-RES IS BEST
Capture your footage and sound in as high quality a format as possible. We’ll accept any footage-including mobile phone video-but prefer higher resolution footage because it translates better to the big screen. Save you original, uncompressed footage. If it’s included in the film, we may need the raw footage to ensure the highest quality.

Don’t

NO LIMITS
Don’t restrict or limit yourself. We want ou to give us a glimpse into your life in the way that’s most meaningful to you. If that means animating your footage, then go for it.

NO LANGUAGE BARRIERS
Don’t worry about shooting videos in laguage other than English. We will have translator on standby so we can work with all of your footage. If possible, please identify the language of your video at the beginning.

NO TRADEMARKS PLEASE
Don’t shoot brands or trademarks, such as cans of Coke, a mural of Homer Simpson, or a poster of a famous person or artwork. If you do, we probably won’t be able to use your video.

NO MUSIC, NO TV CLIPS, NO MOVIE CLIPS
Please do not use any music in your video and do not include any material that you did not create, including clips from TV shows, clips from movies, copyrighted photographs, etc.

NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY
Don’t worry about the “right” way to this: there is no right way. You can show us your life or just talk directly to the camera. Your footage can be 15 seconds or 2 hours. Remember, the more imaginative and memorable your video, or the more interesting the people you include, the greater the chance or your video being included in the finished film.

Read FAQs for more info.

You’re right, Iron Man may not have superpowers, but you can’t deny the overwhelming cool factor of his toys and gadgets. This will show a lot in the upcoming sequel Iron Man 2, where we get to see more effects, toys, gadgets, and a whole lot more. Watch and enjoy the trailer, you’ll see what we mean:

The trailer gives us a better look at Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash (played by Mickey Rourke), at work developing his own arc reactor — the same technology Tony Stark uses to power his Iron Man suit. Vanko builds his own mechanized weapon, centered on 2 main electrical whips whose devastating capabilities are thoroughly shown as he slices Stark’s F-1 racer in two.

One of the trailer’s biggest moments for us geeks and movie nerds is where Tony teams up with his friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard from the first movie) to take on numerous bots and drones. Rhodes dons a kick-ass version of one of Tony’s old suits — dubbed “War Machine” — and proceeds to bring destruction to the said drones.

For all-action freaks and for just the hype of the moment, we would recommend that you go out and see this one — complete with popcorn, soda, all your geeky friends. And after the movie, get the external Blu-ray drive ready, eject your Bon Jovi concert DVD for a moment, and get the Blu-ray version as soon as it hits the stalls. Should be worth it.

Three films after — the original was followed by Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek the Third (2007) — we’re gonna be treated to what we hope is the last of the series: Shrek Forever After.

The trailer was released a couple of days back, and so here it is for your viewing pleasure.

HMV Group (one of the biggest international entertainment retail chains in UK and Canada) has announced that 40 per cent of sales of The Hurt Locker have been on Blu-ray, suggesting that the appetite for the HD format is reaching a new high.

This is one of the highest proportions for any film release since Blu-ray was launched, and is good news for the buoyant Blu-ray lobby.

The PS3-compatible Blu-ray format was introduced in 2006 but has struggled to assert its position in the market. The sales surge follows The Hurt Locker’s headlining performance at the Oscars.

Read the rest of the report at MCVUK.com.

One of the most appealing characteristics of movies in Blu-ray media is actually the sound, and it plays a major part in this movie. The grit, the sand and the explosions — all very poignant in HD quality video, but the accompanying loss-less audio is nothing short of amazing. Get The Hurt Locker in Blu-ray disc, play it on your PS3 or on your HD -capable laptop, on an external Blu-ray drive, or just on your HDTV. You’ll be amazed at the quality of this 2010 Best Picture awardee.

Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita as Mr. Miyagi

In the original movie, the role of Daniel LaRusso was made famous by Ralph Macchio. It was about a kid who had to transition from living in New Jersey to sunny Reseda, California.

• Fun fact: If you remember well enough, a young Elizabeth Shue was in the original movie, who actually had to take time off from her studies at Harvard just to do the movie.

The new movie takes a similar approach, but the comparison ends there. Jaden Smith — best known for his role in “The Pursuit of Happyness” and for being the offspring of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith — now plays the role of Dre, the displaced kid. Only, they’re moving to China, not just California. Yep, sounds interesting, right? Let’s watch the trailer first.

Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith - the new Karate Kid

If the title just flew by you like that (fwing!), let BestFlick.com tell you again — the movie Valentine’s Day is all fluff and nothing much else. Even we felt bad about the half-a-star we gave it on the rating.

Here’s the deal — you have a bunch of A-List stars at your disposal, but Garry Marshall proceeds to waste all that in a totally predictable and lame romantic comedy (sans the comedy, we think). His past movies, all notable because they were funny (Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, The Princess Diaries), strengthens the growing opinion that Garry Marshall films HAVE to be funny, else they fall flat. This one did.

Valentine's Day - NOT one to watch

I am literally in pain right now, so let me go through my points quickly.

The list of stars in this movie is probably what reeled you in — this is what did us in, too. Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Gardner, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher (meh), Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts — I mean, how could you go wrong, right? It turns out that Garry Marshall (and probably scriptwriter Katherine Fugate) knew exactly how.

The skits were trite and unoriginal. The dialogue was machine-gunned with cliches, as though a huge amount of them would suddenly make it OK for us to hear them. The jokes were not jokes, in that they weren’t funny at all. The star talent on display was wasted on a level that was short of insulting. It felt like they hired A-List stars to hand out fluff, and do nothing much else.

I guess we have to say some positive things or else risk sounding like a heartless bunch. We at BestFlick.com don’t mind sappy love stories once in a while, but this one really took the cake for being that bad. I suppose because it was Valentine’s Day when we watched it, there was an abnormal amount of tolerance for fluff. But we weren’t expecting it to be this bad, I mean Ashton Kutcher-bad. OK, we’re not being nice again.

Anne Hathaway - lovely, anywhere you put her

Let’s see. There were a couple of things that made this bearable. Anne Hathaway, for one, is pretty amazing (and hot, and amazing, and hot…) anywhere you put her. And Jessica Alba’s fine errr… tan. And Jennifer Gardner looking suspiciously hot for Ashton’s platonic “best friend” type. Oh, these are all about babes. Yeah, well, we had to resort to this just for us to be able to finish the film. And oh yeah, that Julia Roberts line (in the blooper reel, with the credits!) alluding to her breakout role in Pretty Woman.

Apart from that, there’s nothing much here to see. If you really want it, buy it in DVD, and watch it in your external DVD drives. No need to get this in Blu-ray disc, no need to stash it in your “best movies” folder in your portable hard drive. No need for that. Buy it in DVD, or borrow someone else’s DVD and watch it.

A lot of people like to complain about the premium you have to pay for Blu-ray Discs, but Blu-ray price watchers should take heart in the $5.99 sale price on the “Heathers” Blu-ray at Amazon.As one might expect from a disc that wasn’t known for having particular good video quality on the DVD, this Blu-ray doesn’t pack much visual punch. When Hi-def Digest’s writer Kenneth Brown reviewed the disc back in November 2008, he was disappointed with the video quality but found it passable.

The full post at CNET.com.

But hey, wait a minute, the thing costs $5.99!!! (and $5.86 at Wal-Mart). Heathers is actually a pretty passable movie. And apparently, a lot of other people think it’s a pretty good deal because it’s currently the No. 29 best seller on Amazon. Who knows how long that pricing will last, but it may just be too good a deal to pass up.

There are not a lot of Blu-ray discs (movies) that are priced this way, so get this for your collection while you still can, and give your Blu-ray drives, or even those external Blu-ray burners a little bit of exercise, eh?

And so BestFlick.com picks 10 of the best films Miramax put out over the years. As sad the thought is for us, we can and we will still hold on to the Miramax memories. ere are the movies they did which we recommend, in the strongest of terms, that you keep in your collection – be it in Blu-ray or DVD.

#10 – The Crying Game (1992)

While the film is mostly known for that twist, the entire film is a thing of beauty. Stephen Rea and Forrest Whitaker give wonderful performances, and this film grabbed 6 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture). More than just a pop culture reference, the entire film should be in any film lover’s collection for its intensity and social commentary on race and gender issues.

#9 – Beautiful Girls (1996)

We fell in love with Natalie Portman over and over, but this was probably the first time — in her fresh but Lolita-esque turn as the cute neighbor girl. The movie is warm, funny, and packs a solid ensemble cast — Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Mira Sorvino, Rosie O’Donnell, Timothy Hutton, Lauren Holly, and the aforementioned Natalie Portman. See how we mentioned Natalie Portman twice? Err… thrice?

#8 – sex,lies and videotape (1989)

This was THE movie that introduced director Steven Soderbergh to the world — he of the minimalist camera techniques. I bet some of you can still remember when he was that good. This fantastic flick won the Palme d’Or back in 1989, and launched Soderbergh’s career in earnest. If you were looking for the film that really started the indie movement’s commercial success – look no further than a film about James Spader’s sexual dysfunction.

#7 – The English Patient

The English Patient (based on Michael Ondaatje’s prizewinning novel of love and loss during World War II) was a critical success for Miramax. Winner of nine Academy Awards and almost every critic’s heart, this is easily one of the most acclaimed films of modern times. Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes give standout performances, and the lazy, romantic, agonizing pace that the movie sets upon is indeed a masterclass in control, beauty, and inspired cinematography. We dare you to NOT get this film for your collection.

#6 – My Left Foot (1989)

How many of you film lovers out there are not convinced of the genius of Daniel Day-Lewis? Right, I see no hands raised. If you’re looking for a way to solidify that belief, check out his first Academy Award win in this story of a young man who can only control his left foot. The logical next joke is of course, Daniel Day-Lewis having more acting talent in his left foot than most actors have in their entire bodies out there.

#5 – Chasing Amy (1997)

Chasing Amy is really Kevin Smith‘s best film to date, bar none. It’s personal and sweet — all that talk about fisting was just pretense. This won a few Indie Spirit Awards, but you can mark this as the point where Ben Affleck‘s career started in earnest. With the film’s low budget, you will be surprised that this small movie has captured the hearts of film lovers all over. The film has long since paid for itself, and about 500 times over too.

#4 – Heavenly Creatures (1994)

This was vintage Peter Jackson, before all the visual effects and monsters. His most realistic and grounded film is still one of his best. Two girls in 1950’s New Zealand live in a fantasy world, and they plan a murder in the real world. It’s all the more affecting when you realize it’s based on a true story and one of the girls grew up to become Anne Perry, bestselling writer of mysteries and thrillers.

#3 – City of God (2002)

This Brazilian gem is a small, gritty, and surprisingly human look at one of the nastiest cities on Earth. Violence and dreams collide as young kids growing up in Rio de Janeiro’s most dangerous slum make choices with profound effects. It’s currently #16 on IMDB’s Top 250 Movie list which is damn impressive for a film with no known stars.

#2 – Trainspotting (1996)

This film has been voted the Best Scottish film of all time, as well as being included in the Top Ten of British films. One of Danny Boyle’s first films, it takes a strange look at a group of heroine addicts. It rocked Cannes in 1996, and was picked up by Miramax for distribution in the states – giving us just a glimpse of Boyle’s talents and the talents of Scottish filmmaking. As brilliant as this film is, I’m with Ewan MacGregor in hoping that a sequel doesn’t get made. *crossing fingers*

#1 – Pulp Fiction (1994)

Not only did it launch Quentin Tarantino even further into the cultural stage, it also relaunched John Travolta’s career. It also made a bunch of violent film fans finally memorize Scripture. How cool is that? And who would ever forget the dance scene, now part of violent movie folklore? Oddly enough, Harvey Weinstein wanted Daniel Day-Lewis (who you’ll remember from a previous entry) to play Vincent Vega instead of Travolta, and Sid Haig was the original choice for Marcellus Wallace (Sid Haig?!?!?). But this is all history now, as Pulp Fiction tops our list of All Time Best Miramax films.

Now, bring out your Blu-ray drives or external DVD drives, get those blu-ray discs out and commiserate with us.

Mel Gibson in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

After that film, Gibson’s life actually became a tad more exciting, directing the 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ and the 2006 tribal epic Apocalypto. Then some, err… other things happened. He was arrested for drunk driving and was put inside a police car, all the while hurling obscene anti-Semitic remarks to the police on scene. Not exactly a memory that endears someone like Mel Gibson to the public, especially after directing the critically-acclaimed aforementioned Passion… shortly before that.

But cultural pariah or not, Mel Gibson is back — and in front of the camera this time — after 7 1/2 years off it. The new movie is dubbed The Edge of Darkness, a police thriller about a Boston detective seeking revenge for the murder of his 24-year-old daughter. While the movie reviews are not exactly raves at this point, it puts Gibson in a pretty familiar role, as the movie is similar with past violence-packed films such as Ransom and the franchise series Lethal Weapon.

Lethal Weapon series, Mel Gibson's most successful run

Will the movie be accommodated by long-time Gibson fans? Or will his past antics finally put the final nail on a very remarkable career? Here’s the movie trailer for your viewing pleasure:

The Edge of Darkness officially opened January 29, 2010 and is running in your favorite cinemas at the moment via Warner Bros. BestFlick.com will most likely have a review for you shortly, on whether you should go out and see it, or wait ’til it comes out in Blu-ray or DVD.

BestFlick comes to you now with a review of GuyRitchie‘s Sherlock Holmes. There’s something strange writing Guy Ritchie’s name together with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s chief protagonist. We all know Guy Ritchie from his all too chaotic creations such as RocknRolla (2008) and more famously, Snatch (2000). But if you’ve read Sherlock Holmes, you won’t recognize him in Guy Ritchie’s version. Not to say that it is at all that bad. On the contrary, it’s one fun ride.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law - odd couple

The first thing one notices from the start of Sherlock Holmes is the juxtaposition of time and place. The production design team led by Sarah Greenwood obviously did a heckuva job re-creating 1890s London on-screen, capturing both the city’s gritty squalor and its beautiful architecture in scenes set in and around the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Somerset House and Brompton Cemetery.

The script is authentic but very modern, you feel. This is very obvious in the relationship between Holmes and Watson. The pair behave like a squabbling married couple, with Holmes looking after Watson’s finances to curb his gambling ways, and Watson working overtime to keep Holmes connected with society to retain some semblance of sanity.

I also rest my case with this following argument: Robert Downey Jr. will be one of the actors that will define my age. This was an inspired choice for Holmes, his accent was perfect, his eccentricities compelling. There’s a touch of the insolent brat when he first appears on-screen, but the Iron Man star is charm and eloquence personified, mixed in with vulnerability and physicality to create what  I feel, one of the best original takes on a classic character to date.

The cast makes Sherlock Holmes a truly fun ride

If you want fun, go out and watch this movie. It’s pretty much a Hollywood film in its totality, and sequel-friendly at that. The detail is amazing, I can’t wait to have this in Blu-ray, to bring around and play on my external Blu-ray drive.