YEAR IN REVIEW: 2011′s top-searched movies
Back in the good old days, the only information you had about a movie before it was released came from the ads you saw on television and in the newspaper. But now, with trailers and interviews and on-set sneak peeks released on the Internet daily, it takes a near-Herculean effort to avoid potential spoilers of the big upcoming blockbusters. Is it any wonder that most movie fans just say “forget it” and turn to Internet search engines to find out all they can?
The eagerness to consume movie information is even more understandable in 2011, which saw the conclusion of two gigantic film franchises. There was, of course, the June release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” which brought to an end the big-screen adaptation of the mega-popular series of novels. And, if that weren’t enough, November saw “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I” hit the theatres. Technically the final installment of that franchise won’t be released until November 2012, but the way “Twilight” fans reacted to the first part of the conclusion, you’d think their world had already come to an end.
Aside from “Breaking Dawn,” another three of the ten most-searched films won’t be in theatres until well into next year. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Man of Steel” are all slated for a summer 2012 release, but that didn’t stop fans from scouring the Internet for every last tidbit they could find about the upcoming blockbusters. And it’s no wonder: the studios have been teasing moviegoers with teeny tidbits of information, whether it’s a promotional photo of what the new Batman villain looks like or presenting “Spider-Man” stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone at the San Diego Comic Con in July.
The eagerness to consume movie information is even more understandable in 2011, which saw the conclusion of two gigantic film franchises. There was, of course, the June release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” which brought to an end the big-screen adaptation of the mega-popular series of novels. And, if that weren’t enough, November saw “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I” hit the theatres. Technically the final installment of that franchise won’t be released until November 2012, but the way “Twilight” fans reacted to the first part of the conclusion, you’d think their world had already come to an end.
Aside from “Breaking Dawn,” another three of the ten most-searched films won’t be in theatres until well into next year. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Man of Steel” are all slated for a summer 2012 release, but that didn’t stop fans from scouring the Internet for every last tidbit they could find about the upcoming blockbusters. And it’s no wonder: the studios have been teasing moviegoers with teeny tidbits of information, whether it’s a promotional photo of what the new Batman villain looks like or presenting “Spider-Man” stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone at the San Diego Comic Con in July.
Battle of the Crooners: the year of the singing shows
First, there was “American Idol,” that reality TV juggernaut born in 2002, that dominated the airwaves and the ratings, for ten seasons and gave audiences Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest. The show also contributed, arguably, musical talent such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert but also unfortunately Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks.
But with any successful show, a million copy-cats are spawned, and the success of “Idol” was too big to pass up for other TV networks. Thus, the battle of the reality TV singing shows was born. First came the “Idol” spin-offs (including now-cancelled “Canadian Idol,”) then a slew of shows that failed to live up to “Idol’s” hype including: “The Sing Off,” “The One: Making of a Superstar,” “Nashville Stars,” “Rock Star: INXS,” “The Glee Project,” “Canada Sings,” and “Cover Me Canada.”
But 2011 saw the launch of two shows that had the potential to rival “Idol’s” uninterrupted glory: Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of “The X Factor” and the celebrity-infused “The Voice.”
“The Voice” was hoping that its all-star roster of judges/coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green) would draw in viewers when it premiered in April. But although it had a strong start, the season finale only brought in 10.8 million viewers, which paled in comparison to “Idol’s” 29.3 million for its season 10 finale even without Simon Cowell’s presence as a judge (he left the show after season 9, Paula Abdul left after season 8. Perhaps new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler had something to do with it?
“The X Factor,” already a hit in the U.K., debuted in September and reunited Cowell and Abdul as judges and brought in Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and record-producer L.A. Reid (controversy erupted after Brit import Cheryl Cole was dropped as a judge after only one taping.) Cowell said he would consider the show a failure if ratings dipped below 20 million viewers so he might disappointed that the show averages 13 million per episode.
So although there are two strong contenders in the mix, “American Idol” still wins the musical reality TV show battle, no contest.
But with any successful show, a million copy-cats are spawned, and the success of “Idol” was too big to pass up for other TV networks. Thus, the battle of the reality TV singing shows was born. First came the “Idol” spin-offs (including now-cancelled “Canadian Idol,”) then a slew of shows that failed to live up to “Idol’s” hype including: “The Sing Off,” “The One: Making of a Superstar,” “Nashville Stars,” “Rock Star: INXS,” “The Glee Project,” “Canada Sings,” and “Cover Me Canada.”
But 2011 saw the launch of two shows that had the potential to rival “Idol’s” uninterrupted glory: Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of “The X Factor” and the celebrity-infused “The Voice.”
“The Voice” was hoping that its all-star roster of judges/coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green) would draw in viewers when it premiered in April. But although it had a strong start, the season finale only brought in 10.8 million viewers, which paled in comparison to “Idol’s” 29.3 million for its season 10 finale even without Simon Cowell’s presence as a judge (he left the show after season 9, Paula Abdul left after season 8. Perhaps new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler had something to do with it?
“The X Factor,” already a hit in the U.K., debuted in September and reunited Cowell and Abdul as judges and brought in Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and record-producer L.A. Reid (controversy erupted after Brit import Cheryl Cole was dropped as a judge after only one taping.) Cowell said he would consider the show a failure if ratings dipped below 20 million viewers so he might disappointed that the show averages 13 million per episode.
So although there are two strong contenders in the mix, “American Idol” still wins the musical reality TV show battle, no contest.
2011′s biggest business screwup
Queen Elizabeth had her annus horribilis, her terrible year where every misfortune that struck her family was compounded by the unwavering glare of a global media machine only too happy to take a chunk out of the once-grand rulers of the empire.
Research In Motion is now closing the books on its own annus horribilis, and the ill-starred PlayBook tablet almost single-handedly takes the blame for every well-publicized misstep. Forget ruling the wireless empire it created: RIM just wants to escape from 2011 with at least a set of keys to a minor castle.
It’s not that the PlayBook is a bad design. Quite the contrary, it’s packed with impressive, competitive hardware. Too bad for RIM that great hardware is no longer enough to move product. Too bad that RIM left out entire pieces of software, like built-in email and scheduling, then failed time and again to hit multiple deadlines for releasing updates online. RIM now promises the software will ship early in 2012. By then, Apple’s third generation of its blockbuster iPad will be on its way, and Amazon will be lighting up the low-end of the market with its Kindle Fire. Too little, meet too late.
To be fair, RIM faced a tough choice: Release a not-fully-baked PlayBook sooner to avoid being crushed by the growing Apple juggernaut, or delay the launch until all the pieces were in place. The company chose door #1, and in a market where you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the PlayBook brand was damaged almost as soon as the devices began hitting store shelves.
To make a bad situation worse, the BBX operating system powering the next generation of BlackBerry smartphones is almost entirely based on the PlayBook OS. If the PlayBook’s woes infect BBX, the Waterloo company could miss its early-2012 smartphone launch - a potentially company-killing event.
A just-announced $300 price cut has kickstarted sales and given RIM at least something to cheer about as it faces what may be its bleakest holiday season yet. But without new hardware on the horizon, the growing potential of revenue- and momentum-killing delays to the smartphone launch, and continued pressure from uber-competitors like Apple and Kindle whose offerings have already consigned the PlayBook to also-ran status, RIM’s ability to somehow turn this train wreck of a product launch into a sustainable revenue stream looks increasingly like a pipe dream.
Research In Motion is now closing the books on its own annus horribilis, and the ill-starred PlayBook tablet almost single-handedly takes the blame for every well-publicized misstep. Forget ruling the wireless empire it created: RIM just wants to escape from 2011 with at least a set of keys to a minor castle.
It’s not that the PlayBook is a bad design. Quite the contrary, it’s packed with impressive, competitive hardware. Too bad for RIM that great hardware is no longer enough to move product. Too bad that RIM left out entire pieces of software, like built-in email and scheduling, then failed time and again to hit multiple deadlines for releasing updates online. RIM now promises the software will ship early in 2012. By then, Apple’s third generation of its blockbuster iPad will be on its way, and Amazon will be lighting up the low-end of the market with its Kindle Fire. Too little, meet too late.
To be fair, RIM faced a tough choice: Release a not-fully-baked PlayBook sooner to avoid being crushed by the growing Apple juggernaut, or delay the launch until all the pieces were in place. The company chose door #1, and in a market where you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the PlayBook brand was damaged almost as soon as the devices began hitting store shelves.
To make a bad situation worse, the BBX operating system powering the next generation of BlackBerry smartphones is almost entirely based on the PlayBook OS. If the PlayBook’s woes infect BBX, the Waterloo company could miss its early-2012 smartphone launch - a potentially company-killing event.
A just-announced $300 price cut has kickstarted sales and given RIM at least something to cheer about as it faces what may be its bleakest holiday season yet. But without new hardware on the horizon, the growing potential of revenue- and momentum-killing delays to the smartphone launch, and continued pressure from uber-competitors like Apple and Kindle whose offerings have already consigned the PlayBook to also-ran status, RIM’s ability to somehow turn this train wreck of a product launch into a sustainable revenue stream looks increasingly like a pipe dream.
Canada’s musical breakthroughs:
Dec, 2011 12:03 AM EST
2011 saw the emergence of a variety of new musical artists who ruled the R&B, electronic and pop charts.
One of the biggest breakout stars calls himself The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye.) When he released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, in March online (for free), rapper and fellow Canadian Drake took notice and started tweeting links to his songs, creating big buzz online. With a mix of smooth R&B beats, rap and pop (listen to his hit song “Wicked Games”)- The Weeknd’s first try at entering the music scene showed that he had what it took to be a star. The music community listened and House of Balloons was shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. But the Scarborough, Ont.,native’s real breakout moment came in July when he opened for Drake at a sold-out show in Toronto. His second album, Thursday, was released in August, which saw an impressive 180,000 downloads on its first day.
Falling on the other side of the music spectrum is Austra, a Toronto-based electronic trio, composed of singer Katie Stelmanis, drummer Maya Postepski and bassist Dorian Wolf. Their debut album Feel it Break, released in May, was shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, and quickly took off in the Canadian and international soundscape. The album, filled with lush and melodic synthetic beats, mix well with Stemanis’ haunting and sometimes operatic voice. Austra is truly the Canadian band of the future.
One of the biggest breakout stars calls himself The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye.) When he released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, in March online (for free), rapper and fellow Canadian Drake took notice and started tweeting links to his songs, creating big buzz online. With a mix of smooth R&B beats, rap and pop (listen to his hit song “Wicked Games”)- The Weeknd’s first try at entering the music scene showed that he had what it took to be a star. The music community listened and House of Balloons was shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. But the Scarborough, Ont.,native’s real breakout moment came in July when he opened for Drake at a sold-out show in Toronto. His second album, Thursday, was released in August, which saw an impressive 180,000 downloads on its first day.
Falling on the other side of the music spectrum is Austra, a Toronto-based electronic trio, composed of singer Katie Stelmanis, drummer Maya Postepski and bassist Dorian Wolf. Their debut album Feel it Break, released in May, was shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, and quickly took off in the Canadian and international soundscape. The album, filled with lush and melodic synthetic beats, mix well with Stemanis’ haunting and sometimes operatic voice. Austra is truly the Canadian band of the future.
YEAR IN REVIEW: 2011′s top-searched movies
Back in the good old days, the only information you had about a movie before it was released came from the ads you saw on television and in the newspaper. But now, with trailers and interviews and on-set sneak peeks released on the Internet daily, it takes a near-Herculean effort to avoid potential spoilers of the big upcoming blockbusters. Is it any wonder that most movie fans just say “forget it” and turn to Internet search engines to find out all they can?
The eagerness to consume movie information is even more understandable in 2011, which saw the conclusion of two gigantic film franchises. There was, of course, the June release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” which brought to an end the big-screen adaptation of the mega-popular series of novels. And, if that weren’t enough, November saw “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I” hit the theatres. Technically the final installment of that franchise won’t be released until November 2012, but the way “Twilight” fans reacted to the first part of the conclusion, you’d think their world had already come to an end.
Aside from “Breaking Dawn,” another three of the ten most-searched films won’t be in theatres until well into next year. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Man of Steel” are all slated for a summer 2012 release, but that didn’t stop fans from scouring the Internet for every last tidbit they could find about the upcoming blockbusters. And it’s no wonder: the studios have been teasing moviegoers with teeny tidbits of information, whether it’s a promotional photo of what the new Batman villain looks like or presenting “Spider-Man” stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone at the San Diego Comic Con in July.
The eagerness to consume movie information is even more understandable in 2011, which saw the conclusion of two gigantic film franchises. There was, of course, the June release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” which brought to an end the big-screen adaptation of the mega-popular series of novels. And, if that weren’t enough, November saw “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I” hit the theatres. Technically the final installment of that franchise won’t be released until November 2012, but the way “Twilight” fans reacted to the first part of the conclusion, you’d think their world had already come to an end.
Aside from “Breaking Dawn,” another three of the ten most-searched films won’t be in theatres until well into next year. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Man of Steel” are all slated for a summer 2012 release, but that didn’t stop fans from scouring the Internet for every last tidbit they could find about the upcoming blockbusters. And it’s no wonder: the studios have been teasing moviegoers with teeny tidbits of information, whether it’s a promotional photo of what the new Batman villain looks like or presenting “Spider-Man” stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone at the San Diego Comic Con in July.
Battle of the Crooners: the year of the singing shows
First, there was “American Idol,” that reality TV juggernaut born in 2002, that dominated the airwaves and the ratings, for ten seasons and gave audiences Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest. The show also contributed, arguably, musical talent such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert but also unfortunately Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks.
But with any successful show, a million copy-cats are spawned, and the success of “Idol” was too big to pass up for other TV networks. Thus, the battle of the reality TV singing shows was born. First came the “Idol” spin-offs (including now-cancelled “Canadian Idol,”) then a slew of shows that failed to live up to “Idol’s” hype including: “The Sing Off,” “The One: Making of a Superstar,” “Nashville Stars,” “Rock Star: INXS,” “The Glee Project,” “Canada Sings,” and “Cover Me Canada.”
But 2011 saw the launch of two shows that had the potential to rival “Idol’s” uninterrupted glory: Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of “The X Factor” and the celebrity-infused “The Voice.”
“The Voice” was hoping that its all-star roster of judges/coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green) would draw in viewers when it premiered in April. But although it had a strong start, the season finale only brought in 10.8 million viewers, which paled in comparison to “Idol’s” 29.3 million for its season 10 finale even without Simon Cowell’s presence as a judge (he left the show after season 9, Paula Abdul left after season 8. Perhaps new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler had something to do with it?
“The X Factor,” already a hit in the U.K., debuted in September and reunited Cowell and Abdul as judges and brought in Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and record-producer L.A. Reid (controversy erupted after Brit import Cheryl Cole was dropped as a judge after only one taping.) Cowell said he would consider the show a failure if ratings dipped below 20 million viewers so he might disappointed that the show averages 13 million per episode.
So although there are two strong contenders in the mix, “American Idol” still wins the musical reality TV show battle, no contest.
But with any successful show, a million copy-cats are spawned, and the success of “Idol” was too big to pass up for other TV networks. Thus, the battle of the reality TV singing shows was born. First came the “Idol” spin-offs (including now-cancelled “Canadian Idol,”) then a slew of shows that failed to live up to “Idol’s” hype including: “The Sing Off,” “The One: Making of a Superstar,” “Nashville Stars,” “Rock Star: INXS,” “The Glee Project,” “Canada Sings,” and “Cover Me Canada.”
But 2011 saw the launch of two shows that had the potential to rival “Idol’s” uninterrupted glory: Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of “The X Factor” and the celebrity-infused “The Voice.”
“The Voice” was hoping that its all-star roster of judges/coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green) would draw in viewers when it premiered in April. But although it had a strong start, the season finale only brought in 10.8 million viewers, which paled in comparison to “Idol’s” 29.3 million for its season 10 finale even without Simon Cowell’s presence as a judge (he left the show after season 9, Paula Abdul left after season 8. Perhaps new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler had something to do with it?
“The X Factor,” already a hit in the U.K., debuted in September and reunited Cowell and Abdul as judges and brought in Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and record-producer L.A. Reid (controversy erupted after Brit import Cheryl Cole was dropped as a judge after only one taping.) Cowell said he would consider the show a failure if ratings dipped below 20 million viewers so he might disappointed that the show averages 13 million per episode.
So although there are two strong contenders in the mix, “American Idol” still wins the musical reality TV show battle, no contest.
2011′s biggest business screwup
Queen Elizabeth had her annus horribilis, her terrible year where every misfortune that struck her family was compounded by the unwavering glare of a global media machine only too happy to take a chunk out of the once-grand rulers of the empire.
Research In Motion is now closing the books on its own annus horribilis, and the ill-starred PlayBook tablet almost single-handedly takes the blame for every well-publicized misstep. Forget ruling the wireless empire it created: RIM just wants to escape from 2011 with at least a set of keys to a minor castle.
It’s not that the PlayBook is a bad design. Quite the contrary, it’s packed with impressive, competitive hardware. Too bad for RIM that great hardware is no longer enough to move product. Too bad that RIM left out entire pieces of software, like built-in email and scheduling, then failed time and again to hit multiple deadlines for releasing updates online. RIM now promises the software will ship early in 2012. By then, Apple’s third generation of its blockbuster iPad will be on its way, and Amazon will be lighting up the low-end of the market with its Kindle Fire. Too little, meet too late.
To be fair, RIM faced a tough choice: Release a not-fully-baked PlayBook sooner to avoid being crushed by the growing Apple juggernaut, or delay the launch until all the pieces were in place. The company chose door #1, and in a market where you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the PlayBook brand was damaged almost as soon as the devices began hitting store shelves.
To make a bad situation worse, the BBX operating system powering the next generation of BlackBerry smartphones is almost entirely based on the PlayBook OS. If the PlayBook’s woes infect BBX, the Waterloo company could miss its early-2012 smartphone launch - a potentially company-killing event.
A just-announced $300 price cut has kickstarted sales and given RIM at least something to cheer about as it faces what may be its bleakest holiday season yet. But without new hardware on the horizon, the growing potential of revenue- and momentum-killing delays to the smartphone launch, and continued pressure from uber-competitors like Apple and Kindle whose offerings have already consigned the PlayBook to also-ran status, RIM’s ability to somehow turn this train wreck of a product launch into a sustainable revenue stream looks increasingly like a pipe dream.
Research In Motion is now closing the books on its own annus horribilis, and the ill-starred PlayBook tablet almost single-handedly takes the blame for every well-publicized misstep. Forget ruling the wireless empire it created: RIM just wants to escape from 2011 with at least a set of keys to a minor castle.
It’s not that the PlayBook is a bad design. Quite the contrary, it’s packed with impressive, competitive hardware. Too bad for RIM that great hardware is no longer enough to move product. Too bad that RIM left out entire pieces of software, like built-in email and scheduling, then failed time and again to hit multiple deadlines for releasing updates online. RIM now promises the software will ship early in 2012. By then, Apple’s third generation of its blockbuster iPad will be on its way, and Amazon will be lighting up the low-end of the market with its Kindle Fire. Too little, meet too late.
To be fair, RIM faced a tough choice: Release a not-fully-baked PlayBook sooner to avoid being crushed by the growing Apple juggernaut, or delay the launch until all the pieces were in place. The company chose door #1, and in a market where you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the PlayBook brand was damaged almost as soon as the devices began hitting store shelves.
To make a bad situation worse, the BBX operating system powering the next generation of BlackBerry smartphones is almost entirely based on the PlayBook OS. If the PlayBook’s woes infect BBX, the Waterloo company could miss its early-2012 smartphone launch - a potentially company-killing event.
A just-announced $300 price cut has kickstarted sales and given RIM at least something to cheer about as it faces what may be its bleakest holiday season yet. But without new hardware on the horizon, the growing potential of revenue- and momentum-killing delays to the smartphone launch, and continued pressure from uber-competitors like Apple and Kindle whose offerings have already consigned the PlayBook to also-ran status, RIM’s ability to somehow turn this train wreck of a product launch into a sustainable revenue stream looks increasingly like a pipe dream.
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