hugo

Hugo

Director Martin Scorsese tells the story of a young orphan who is secretly living in a train station in Paris. When he makes a friend (Chloe Moretz), they uncover a fantastical secret about her grandfather (Ben Kingsley). Hugo is definitely a more family friendly Scorsese film, but it reflects the same stunning technical elements we associate with the director. Hugo earned attention all award season, ultimately taking home five Oscars this week. One of the extras you can look forward to is a featurette about Georges Méliès's life, included on both the DVD and Blu-ray.

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Johnny English Reborn

Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) has been fine-tuning his unique set of spy skills off in a remote region of Asia, until a major issue erupts in China, and the goofy spy is called to return to action. The DVD extras include a commentary track from the director and the writer, plus deleted and extended scenes. The Blu-ray also includes a making-of documentary.

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The Oscars are fast approaching, and if you're planning on watching the show on Feb. 26 with friends, then why not give your viewing party a theme? There's plenty of inspiration to be found within the nine best picture nominees, so today I'm suggesting the film Hugo as source for party ideas. The Martin Scorsese-directed film is set in 1930s Paris and takes place in a train station, but there's also a theme of old movies that's perfect fodder for celebrating the Oscars. Here are some ideas, and don't forget to fill out our ballot for a chance to win an iPad.

• How to decorate: Use elements of an old train station to give your soiree the feel of the film. Put up maps of Paris, and use French train stop signs or this Metro wall decal. Clock and toy motifs are also used in the film, so use vintage versions of both as decor.
• How to dress: Like a French schoolboy. Or girl. I'm serious! Channel Hugo and his BFF Isabelle by wearing knee socks, tweed blazers, striped sweaters, and berets.
• What to serve: Croissants, like Hugo often steals from the food vendors in the film. And as long as you're not Hugo's age, champagne. To reference the early movie theater aspect of the movie, serve popcorn in vintage red-and-white cardboard holders.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Martin Scorsese is this year's Golden Globe winner for best director for Hugo. He beat Woody Allen, George Clooney, Michel Hazanavicius, and Alexander Payne. Do you agree with this win?

With no new major releases this weekend, the box office suffered, but Twilight didn't. Breaking Dawn Part 1 landed at the top of the box office for the third weekend in a row with $16.9 million, in what was the second-lowest grossing weekend of 2011. The Muppets came in second place with $11.2 million, and was followed by a series of family-friendly flicks. Hugo nabbed the No. 3 spot with $7.6 million, while Arthur Christmas came in fourth with $7.4 million, and Happy Feet Two rounded out the top five with $6 million. In limited release, Shame earned $361,000 — not bad considering the NC-17 flick featuring Michael Fassbender as a sex addict only opened in 10 theaters.

Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment

There was no stopping The Twilight Saga at the box office over Thanksgiving weekend; Breaking Dawn Part 1 earned the most money again, taking in $62.3 million for the five-day weekend. The Muppets settled for second but opened strong with $42 million. Happy Feet 2 finished third with $18.3 million, while new animated film Arthur Christmas came in fourth with $17 million. Martin Scorsese's children's movie Hugo had a nice debut with $15.3 million and rounded out the top five.

Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Iconic film director Martin Scorsese veers off his beaten path with this week's Hugo. Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film tells the tale of a young orphan who is secretly living in a train station in Paris. He spends his days winding the clocks in the station, hiding from a villainous station agent, and trying to fix an automaton (a robot-like machine) left behind by his deceased father. Scorsese definitely packs magic into this film, but it's not exactly the children's fantasy film I was expecting. Before you head to the theater this Thanksgiving weekend, check out my reasons why this might be the film for you — and why you might want to avoid it.

Why you should see it:

1. The cinematography is stunning. With Scorsese at the helm, it's pretty much guaranteed that you're in for a visual treat, and Hugo is no different. His depiction of 1930s Paris in the wintertime is dazzling; the train station where Hugo lives and spends most of his time is enveloped in warm tones and rich colors, making the film look like a beautifully illustrated children's book come to life — which is exactly what it is.
2. The acting is superb. It's no surprise that a veteran like Ben Kingsley delivers a spot-on performance as a prickly man who fixes toys in the train station. His mysterious animosity towards Hugo and Hugo's desire to fix his father's automaton becomes the crux of the film, and Kingsley turns in a complex performance as a character with a secret. In turn, Sacha Baron Cohen provides comic relief as the station agent with a bum leg who is intent on having Hugo shipped off to an orphanage. However, it's the performances from young actors Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz that hold the film together, and both are impressive. Butterfield particularly does a wonderful job carrying the film; his big, curious blue eyes portray Hugo's loneliness, curiosity, and pain, and he brings his A-game to the film's most emotional scenes.
3. The story has enchanting elements. I loved the whimsical idea behind Hugo, and Scorsese captures all of these elements perfectly. From the automaton to Isabelle's fascination with storytelling to the Parisian setting, Hugo certainly qualifies as escapist entertainment that pays homage to the magic of moviemaking, on multiple levels.

To see the reasons why this movie might be a pass for you, just read more

Survey's still out on whether you think these creatures are too cute or too creepy when fully grown, but I'm hard-pressed to call any animal ugly when there's bottle feeding involved! Two sloths named Bimba and Hugo have two babies — one is being cared for by the proud parents while this one is being helped along by vet staff at the LoroParque Zoo in Tenerife.

Now, we know that these creatures are pretty slow but it seems that this little one is having no trouble quickly adjusting to bottle time. He (or she) looks full and totally elated!

See more of the mealtime and happy snuggling when you read more