28 December 2013: The A1Film Top 10 List for 2013 highlights films from Hollywood, Bollywood, the Middle East and the Far East which are reflective of the best of global popular cinema in 2013.
The A1Film Top 10 List in order:
1. ‘Gravity’ – IMDB: 8.4 (The Duel)
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @TheGravityMovie #Gravity Brilliant exposition #ThePlay Genre #Bullock #Clooney in space as @Ryan_Reynolds #Buried
2. ‘Man of Steel’ – IMDB: 7.4 (The Blockbuster – Superheroes)
@Alpha1Media calls @ManofSteelMovie best #Superman film
Alpha1Media VIP guest at the European Premiere of Man of Steel
3. ‘Escape Plan’ – IMDB: 7.1 (The Duel)
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @EscapePlanMovie Historic team-up of @TheSlyStallone @Schwarzenegger worth the 3 decade wait @SummitEnt #A1Film
4. ‘American Hustle’ – IMDB: 8.2
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @AmericanHustle Best Ensemble film in years capturing the 1970s superbly #A1Film @DubaiFilm #DIFF13
Alpha1Media VIP guest at Gala Premiere of American Hustle at Dubai Film Festival
5. ‘Wadjda’ – IMDB: 7.8
@Alpha1Media analysis of #Wadjda by #Saudi director @HaifaaMansour shows lives inside #kingdom with a star performance by Ahd Kamel #A1Film
Alpha1Media VIP guest at Gala Premiere of Wadjda at Gulf Film Festival
6. ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ – IMDB: 7.4 (The Geo-Political Thriller)
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @ZeroDarkThirty Alarming true story about past decade which is essential viewing #Oscar @TheAcademy #A1Film
7. ‘Pacific Rim’ – IMDB: 7.1 (The Blockbuster – Armageddon)
@Alpha1Media Analysis @PacificRim @DelToroFilm @Legendary exceeds expectations with best-in-genre Monsters & Robots slamdown with @idriselba
8. ‘Star Trek into Darkness’ – IMDB: 7.9 (The Franchise)
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @StarTrekMovie @Bad_Robot goes all Wrath of Khan with classic intimidating villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch #A1Film
9. ‘Rush’ – IMDB: 8.3
@Alpha1Media Analysis @RushTheMovie A thrilling real-life Duel where admiration comes unexpectedly @RealRonHoward in his element #A1Film
10. ‘The Great Gatsby’ – IMDB: 7.3 (The Global Cinema)
@Alpha1Media Analysis of @GatsbyMovie @LeoDiCaprio beams in lavish spectacle – worth #40 years wait for #Hollywood for @SrBachchan #A1Film
Seven of the top 10 films selected by Alpha1Media have been recognised in the official A1Film Preview List of 2013, with only one of these a non-English language film.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the milestone premiere of ‘Man of Steel’, celebrating the 75th year anniversary of Superman featured in the A1Film Top 10 List, meeting with actor Henry Cavill and director Zack Snyder. In 2012, Alpha1Media achieved the same unique status by attending milestone premieres for Spider-man for ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ and James Bond for ‘Skyfall’ in 2012, celebrating 50th year anniversaries for both characters featured in the A1Film Top 10 List.
In a cinematic era in which Superhero Blockbusters are at the commercial forefront, Alpha1Media™ has been the only company to be VIP guests at the milestone premieres for both Spider-man and Superman, the respective lead comic book superheroes for Marvel and DC.
‘The Amazing Spider-man’ is the highest-ever grossing reboot of a superhero character, making USD $752 million at the global box office. Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Gala European and UK Premiere of ‘The Amazing Spider-man’, at No. 9 on the A1Film List 2012, at the Odeon Leicester Square, London, UK on 18 June 2012 (the 50th anniversary of the creation of Spider-man in 1962).
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Gala European and UK Premiere of ‘Man of Steel’ , at No. 2 in the A1Film List 2013, at Odeon Leicester Square, London, UK on 12 June 2013 (the 75th anniversary of the creation of Superman in 1938). ‘Man of Steel’ is the highest grossing Superman film in history, making USD $663 million at the global box office.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Closing Gala Premiere of ‘American Hustle’ at the tenth Dubai International Film Festival in Dubai, UAE on 14 December 2013, with acclaimed producer Charles Roven and director David O. Russell in attendance. ‘American Hustle’, No. 4 on the A1Film 2013 list, was the most nominated film at the Golden Globes in 2013.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Opening Gala Premiere of ‘Wadjda’ at the Gulf Film Festival, in Dubai, UAE, on 11 April 2013, meeting with acclaimed the first Saudi female film director, Haifaa Al-Mansour. ‘Wadjda’, No. 5 on the A1Film 2013 List, was Saudi Arabia’s first film entry into the Oscars in history. In March 2012, Alpha1Media™ conceived, advised and launched the first film premiere in Saudi Arabia in modern history, a milestone acclaimed by Variety.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Opening Gala Premiere of ‘Omar’ on 6 December 2013 at the 10th Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai, UAE which was then the only Oscar-nominated film selected from the Arab World for Best Foreign Picture in 2013.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, UAE, attending the World Premiere of the UAE film, ‘Spirit’ / ‘Djinn’ on 25 October 2013 and attending, with producer of ‘Arbitrage’, Mohammed al-Turki, the World Premiere of the Egyptian film, ‘Villa 69’ on 29 October 2013.
Alpha1Media™ were VIP guests at the exclusive Dubai Film & TV Commission Party at the Dubai International Film Festival on 13 December 2013, meeting with Jamal Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Dubai Film & TV Commission, and acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur, the main guest brought by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, also known as the ‘Oscars’.
Alpha1Media in January 2013 launched its acclaimed annual list of the top films from around the world which cinema audiences were looking forward to in the year.
The A1Film Preview List for 2013 highlighted 10 essential and 40 interesting films from Hollywood, Bollywood, the Middle East and Far East which audiences wished to view over the past year, Alpha1Media said.
In the Quintessential category, the top 10 films from across all categories chosen, were ‘Man of Steel’ (7.4), ‘After Earth’ (5), ‘The Great Gatsby’ (7.3), ‘Escape Plan’ (7.1), ‘Lincoln’ (7.5), ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (5.3), ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (7.4), ‘Iron Man 3’ (7.4), ‘Berandal’ (NR) and ‘A Common Man’ (4.4), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.5. The four films chosen for the A1Film List for 2013 were ‘Man of Steel’ (7.4), ‘The Great Gatsby’ (7.3), ‘Escape Plan’ (7.1) and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (7.4) with a special mention for ‘Iron Man 3’ (7.4).
In The Blockbuster – Superheroes category, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013 was ‘Man of Steel’ (7.4), matching Christopher Nolan, David Goyer and all at Syncopy with Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill – and then other films included were ‘Iron Man 3’ (7.4), ‘Thor: The Dark World’ (7.6), ‘The Wolverine’ (6.8) and ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ (NR), giving an average IMDB.com score of 7.3. The main film chosen for the A1Film 2013 list is ‘Man of Steel’ (7.4), for being the best Superman film in history with an honourable mention for ‘Iron Man 3’ (7.4) for being the highest-grossing global film in 2013.
In The Blockbuster – Armageddon category, the first film selected for A1Film Preview List for 2013 was ‘After Earth’ (5) which paired Will Smith, his son Jaden with M. Night Shyamalan – and then other films included were ‘Oblivion’ (7), ‘World War Z’ (7.1), ‘Cloud Atlas’ (7.6), ‘Elysium’ (6.8) and ‘Pacific Rim’ (7.1), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.8. The film chosen for the A1Film 2013 list is ‘Pacific Rim’ (7.1), which represents the best film in its monsters & robots genre.
In The Global Cinema category, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013 was ‘The Great Gatsby’ (7.3) matching Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Amitabh Bachchan in his first major Hollywood film – and the other films included ‘Berandal’ (NR), ‘A Common Man’ (4.4), ‘47 Ronin’ (7.3), ‘Rock the Casbah’ (7.4) and ‘Spirit’ / ‘Djinn’ (4.9) ), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.3. The film chosen for the A1Film 2013 list is ‘The Great Gatsby’ (7.3), for its historic role in featuring Amitabh Bachchan.
In The Duel category, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013was ‘Escape Plan’ (7.1) pairing Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time in actual roles, as opposed to a cameo – and the other films included were ‘Django Unchained’ (8.5), ‘Gravity’ (8.4), ‘Malavita’ (6.3), ‘Les Miserables’ (7.7), ‘The Counselor’ (5.8), ‘Winter’s Tale’ (NR), ‘The Big Wedding’ (5.4) and ‘Gangster Squad’ (6.7), giving an average IMDB.com score of 7.0. The two films included in the A1Film 2013 list are ‘Escape Plan’ (7.1), for the historic face-off between Stallone and Schwarzenegger and ‘Gravity’ (8.4), the best film of the year with Hollywood’s power players Sandra Bullock and George Clooney sharing the limelight with the film’s real centre, Earth.
In the A1-Vehicles category, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013was the Oscar-nominated ‘Lincoln’ (7.5) directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, with other films including ‘Knight of Cups’ (NR), ‘Jobs’ (5.8), ‘The Last Stand’ (6.4), ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (NR), ‘The Lone Ranger’ (6.6), ‘Bullet to the Head’ (5.7), ‘Ten’ (NR), ‘Reach Me’ (NR) and ‘Jack Reacher’ (6.9), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.5. No film was chosen from this category for the A1Film List, but ‘Lincoln’ (7.5) is given a honourable mention.
In The Franchise category, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013was Bruce Willis as John McClane for the fifth time in ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (5.3), with other films including ‘Star Trek into Darkness’ (7.9), ‘The Hangover Part III’ (5.9), ‘Jack Ryan’ (NR), ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ (5.8), ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ (8.1), ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ (8), ‘Machete Kills’ (5.9), ‘Dhoom 3 / Bang 3’ (NR) and ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ (NR), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.7. The main film chosen for the A1Film List is ‘Star Trek into Darkness’ (7.9), primarily for Benedict Cumberbatch’s role as the central villain.
In The Geo-Political Thriller, the first film selected for the A1Film Preview List for 2013 was the Oscar-nominated film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (7.4), ‘White House Down’ (6.3), ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ (6.4) and ‘Thunder Run’ (NR), giving an average IMDB.com score of 6.7. The main film chosen for the A1Film List for 2013 is ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (7.4), a masterful, accurate film whose truths many found too discomforting to acknowledge.
Films which were included in the original A1Film Preview List for 2013 and which are noted for a variety of positive, negative, commercial and cultural reasons are for treatment of historic slavery in the US, ‘Django Unchained’ (8.5) and ‘Lincoln’ (7.5); literary adapted franchises, ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ (8.3) and ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ (8.1); fictional hero franchises, ‘Thor: The Dark World’ (7.6), ‘Iron Man 3’ (7.4) and ‘The Lone Ranger’ (6.6); franchise finales, ‘The Hangover Part III’ (5.9) and ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (5.3); Armageddon blockbuster projects, ‘After Earth’ (5) and ‘Elysium’ (6.8), spec script projects, ‘White House Down’ (6.3), ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ (6.4); biopic, ‘Jobs’ (5.8); and global cinema projects, ‘Spirit’ / ‘Djinn’ (4.9) and ‘A Common Man’ (4.4).
Films which were not included in the original A1Film Preview List for 2013 and which are noted for solely positive reasons are: a leading Globe Globe nominated film, ‘12 Years A Slave’ (8.7); star vehicles with ‘Prisoners’ (8.1) and ‘Captain Phillips’ (8.1); director Richard Curtis’s claimed last film, ‘About Time’ (7.8); director Steven Soderbergh’s claimed last film, Side Effects (7.1); Duel genre contribution, ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’; and global cinema and physical transformation of actor Hrithik Roshan in ‘Krrish 3’.
