Take note that this list is subjective and chosen by the blogger himself and not a result of any poll whatsoever. Criteria is 50% entertainment value and 50% quality [technical aspects like screenplay, cinematography, etc.] for films shown in Philippine theaters from January 1 to December 31, 2009 . Ranking order is based on my own favoritism, at no. 1 is the film i enjoyed the most this 2009.

10 BEST MOVIES OF 2009

1. AVATAR – A paraplegic soldier is brought to an alien world to take part in a conflict against the planet’s indigenous population for a valuable mineral. He is given control of an Avatar: an alien-human hybrid body that he can control with his mind, giving him the chance to walk again, and a way to infiltrate the enemy. Starring Sam Worthington, directed by James Cameron and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures.

2. UP – A 78 year old man is about to be taken away to a retirement home. But he has one last trick up his sleeve: he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away, fulfilling a lifelong dream to going to South America. But it turns out that he’s inadvertently picked up a stowaway as he goes on an adventure of a life time. Featuring the voices of Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai, produced by Disney-Pixar.

3. KIMMY DORA (KAMBAL SA KYEME) is about a rivalry between twin sisters with opposite personalities which grows hotter as they fawn over the same man. The more ruthless twin is flummoxed when her sweet naive sister appears to be winning the affection of the said man. She snaps and has her sister kidnapped, intending to take her place. Starring Eugene Domingo, Zanjoe Marudo and Dingdong Dantes, produced by Spring Films.

4. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER is a romantic dramedy about a young man who falls in love with his office’s new administrative assistant named “Summer”. The thing is, she doesn’t really believe in true love. Their relationship becomes more intimate than friendship anyway, even though he knows that everything is temporary, hoping that he can make her see something more in their relationship. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, produced by Warner Brothers Pictures.

5. YOU CHANGED MY LIFE revolves around the love life of a couple whose relationship was tested when they’re both promoted to jobs that will take them away from each other. Though their connection remains strong, the distance takes its toll on their relationship, and as their careers take them on different paths, the two are forced to reassess their priorities. Starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz, produced by Star Cinema.

6. I LOVE YOU, GOODBYE – Synopsis: A man marries for the second time, and his wife appears to be happy to be part of his family. But her new stepdaughter doesn’t take to her very well, and to make things worse, an old flame returns seeking to rekindle their love. Starring Gabby Concepcion, Angelica Panganiban, Derek Ramsay and Kim Chiu, directed by Laurice Guillen and produced by Star Cinema.

7. MANO PO 6: A MOTHER’S LOVE – A half-Chinese, half-Filipino mother who’s struggled most of her life to be accepted by her husband’s family tries to reconnect with a daughter she left in the care of her sister-in-law. But the daughter believes she was abandoned, and the sister-in-law has kept a grudge against her, making things a lot more complicated. Starring Sharon Cuneta, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Heart Evangelista, produced by Regal Films.

8. IN MY LIFE is a story about an aging librarian, feeling abandoned by her children who’ve all moved abroad, travels to New York to spend time with her gay son. There, she tries to start a new life while reconnecting with her son and his new lover. But just as things turn around, she finds out that her son has been keeping a secret from her. Starring Vilma Santos, John Lloyd Cruz and Luis Manzano and produced by Star Cinema.

9. DISTRICT 9 – Thirty years ago, a group of alien refugees came to Earth, the last survivors of a great disaster on their homeworld. Today, the aliens are living in a slum-like community in South Africa, as a powerful corporation seeks to gain control of their technology. A lone government agent may hold the key to saving the aliens from a grisly fate. Starring David James and Sharito Copley, produced by TriStar Pictures.

10. THE HANGOVER – A hilarious comedy about four friends who go to Las Vegas to have one last wild night before one of them gets married. They wake up in a trashed hotel room remembering nothing of the previous night, and finding that one of them is missing. The remaining three guys must reconstruct the events of the last night and find their missing friend. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Heather Graham and Zach Galifianakis, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures.

10 Best Movies of 2009 originally appeared on Starmometer on December 31, 2009.

Dubbed as the funniest movie of the year, Kimmy Dora ended its 6-week run on a high note.

Spring Films, the producer of Kimmy Dora, released the final gross of the movie without fear. And who should be ashamed of P80 million? for an independent film produced by a group of new players in movie production, 80 million pesos for 6 weeks is a remarkable feat!

Vilma Santos‘ comeback movie, In My Life, is assured of the second spot in this year’s list of top-grossing films. Estimates have it that In My Life already outgrossed Best Friends Forever (BFF), the current second placer this year. The Ai Ai delas Alas and Sharon Cuneta starrer registered P107.68 million at the box office and that’s the figure In My Life needs to beat in order to place second behind the no. 1 movie of the year, You Changed My Life.

Kimmy Dora is now resting in the no. 5 slot besting Love Me Again, When I Met U and Sundo. It’s the top-grossing independent film this year and perhaps the top-grossing independent movie of all time.

TOP 10 PINOY MOVIES FOR 2009
(As of October 19, 2009)

1. You Changed My Life – P230,436,128.00
(Star Cinema/Viva Films)

2. Best Friends Forever (BFF) – P107,688,171
(Star Cinema)

3. In My Life – P100,000.00+ *
(Star Cinema)

4. T2: Tenement 2 – P84,185,443.00
(Star Cinema)

5. Kimmy Dora – P80 million
(Spring Films)

6. Love Me Again – P66,894,944.00
(Star Cinema)

7. When I Met U – P65,766,980.00
(GMA Films/Regal Films)

8. Sundo – P50,079,566
(GMA Films)

9. Villa Estrella – P47,180,680
(Star Cinema)

10. And I Love You So – P36,305,372.00
(Star Cinema)

Leaving the Top 10 are OMG (Oh, My Girl!) with P22,469,990.00 and Status: Single (Viva Films) with P11,474,834.00.

* still running in theaters

Kimmy Dora’s Final Gross is P80 Million originally appeared on Starmometer on October 19, 2009.

Two local comedy films are delivering smiles at the box-office.

The cast, crew and producers of Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kyeme held a thanksgiving party last September 22 for the success of their movie topbilled by Eugene Domingo. According to reports, the film hits P70 million on its 3rd week.

Spring Films, comprised by Joyce Bernal, Shayne Sarte, Eric Raymundo, and Piolo Pascual spent P20 million in producing the film. Now, it has surpassed the P70 million mark and still showing in selected theaters. This means profit for the producers and a possible sequel.

On the other hand, GMA Films and APT Entertainment are happy with the report that Yaya and Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie has earned P6 million on its first day. And when they say P6 million, it’s their way of saying “walang padding.” Nevertheless, the characters as popularized by Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid are also doing well at the box-office.

‘Kimmy Dora’ Earns P70M+, ‘Yaya and Angelina’ Rakes P6M on First Day originally appeared on Starmometer on September 25, 2009.

For an independent film with no less than Piolo Pascual as one of the producers, the P30 million gross can be considered a box-office hit.

Kimmy Dora is produced by Spring Films and distributed by Solar Films. It did not come from the major leagues in RP filmmaking like Star Cinema, Viva Films, Regal Films, etc. that’s why it’s considered an indie film.

Technically speaking, Kimmy Dora was made using the same cameras the big players are using and Piolo Pascual made it clear that it’s not a digital film. Nevertheless, it’s still an indie film and it could be the highest-grossing one at that.

According to reports, the production cost of Kimmy Dora is more or less P20 million. Since it was graded “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) last week, Spring Films is 100% exempted from paying amusement tax to the government. It means the producers are now on the verge of getting the returns of their investment (ROI) since 50% of box office gross will go to theater owners.

Now on its second week, Kimmy Dora is bound to rake in another P10 million or more at the box office. The P30 million has the potential to double after a month because of the recommendations of the first people who have seen the movie. It is highly possible that Kimmy Dora surpasses P60 million at the box office in its full run but hitting P100 million may be difficult to achieve.

For an indie film to surpass P20 million is already a feat. After all, Piolo Pascual and co. badly needs to profit from this film to recover their losses in their first venture – Manila (although Manila is an art film and not a commercial film).

I really thought Kimmy Dora has the potential to surpass the P100 million mark. It was shown in SM Cinemas and the critics have only good words for the film. Perhaps the opening of 5 Hollywood movies consumed a large part of the box office pie. Bruno, Year One, Final Destination, Obsessed and Land of the Lost also debuted last week. But then again, it’s still week 1 for Kimmy Dora. We shall see in the coming weeks.

Kimmy Dora Earns P30 Million on its 1st Week originally appeared on Starmometer on September 10, 2009.

Some films get an “A” from CEB and a thumbs down from the critics. Some films get an “A” from CEB, thumbs up from the critics but ended up “flop” at the box-office.

This time, an indie film with a commercial format like Kimmy Dora, which got an “A” from the CEB and a “thumbs up” from the critics, could potentially be a box-office hit.

From the success of its premiere night at SM Megamall last Tuesday, Kimmy Dora is posed to be the kind of film to conquer all – critics, the government incentive program and the movie-goers. It just need to surpass the P100 million mark and a sequel could not be far behind.

This makes Eugene Domingo as the next big comedy star! Her talent in making people laugh shines throughout the film. Furthermore, she is now being labeled as the “Diamond Comedy Queen”!

According to Eugene, “Flattered ako sa mga sinasabi nila, pero mas importante sa akin, aside sa mga titulo, ay ang kumita ang movie namin. Tulungan naman natin ang producer namin na si Piolo dahil nagsugal siya ng malaki for this project. Si Piolo at ang ilang kaibigan ang dahilan kung bakit may Kimmy Dora at gusto naming i-share ang project na ito sa marami.”

Kimmy Dora is now showing in more than 100 theaters nationwide INCLUDING SM Cinemas.

“…it’s a far better comedy than the mainstream establishment has produced in a long time,” Philbert Dy (Click the City)

Kimmy Dora Gets an ‘A’ Grade from CEB originally appeared on Starmometer on September 3, 2009.

Spring Films released the official poster and promotional stills from the upcoming comedy movie “Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kyeme.”

Kimmy Dora is Eugene Domingo‘s first starring role on the big screen. Also starring are Dindong Dantes, Zanjoe Marudo, Baron Geisler, Meriam Quiambao and Ariel Ureta under the helm of Bb. Joyce Bernal.

VIDEO LINK: Kimmy Dora – Kambal sa Kyeme Full Trailer

Kimmy Dora – Official Poster and Promotional Photos originally appeared on Starmometer on August 18, 2009.

Click the link below for the teaser.

VIDEO LINK: Kimmy Dora (Kambal sa Kyeme) – Teaser

First Look: Kimmy Dora (Kambal sa Kyeme) originally appeared on Starmometer on July 9, 2009.

Kimmy Dora (Kambal sa Kyeme) tells the story of twins Kimmy and Dora, a parody of the soap opera Kambal sa Uma. It is written by Chris Martinez, the director of the Cinemalaya award-winning film “100″ which also starred Eugene Domingo.

Eugene Domingo’s leading man in the movie is no other than the 3rd Sexiest Man in the World, Dingdong Dantes. With Piolo as producer and Dingdong as leading man, what more could you ask for?

Piolo straighten out that Kimmy Dora is not a digital film. “It is commercial. Mainstream. Malaki rin ang nagastos namin dito. Magkakaibigan kami sa industriya ang nag-produce nito.”

Joyce Bernal, the director of the box-office movie “For the First Time” and the top-rating tv series “Marimar” and “Dyesebel”, will helm Kimmy Dora.

Also starring in the film are Paolo Contis, Miriam Quiambao, Baron Geisler and Mark Bautista.

Kimmy Dora is the second movie produced by Piolo Pascual, the first one was “Manila” which starred Rosanna Roces, Angelika Panganiban, William Martinez, Jay Manalo, and Alessandra de Rossi. Manila premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France last May.

Photo Credit: Jovel Lorenzo

Eugene Domingo is Kimmy Dora (Kambal sa Kyeme) originally appeared on Starmometer on June 26, 2009.