We’ve had an astounding time so for here at the Movie World Cup. There have been close calls, blow outs, and a few torn ACLs, and we emerge now on the other side of Round One.
You voted, and the teams you wanted have advanced to the next stage – just a bit closer to winning the coveted Movie World Cup trophy (which may or may not just be an Iron Man statue that we spray-painted gold).
There are still a few open matches, but here’s who will be going on to Round Two so far:
Group One
District 9 – Hailed as a strong contender going into these games, District 9 handily defeated the beloved indie film Sin Nombre from Mexico 79–21 to earn its position. It will have its work cut out for it though, because it goes up against Amelie tomorrow.
Amelie – The French film won over audiences just a few years ago and has massive staying power. It took down Whisky from Uruguay 83–17 and is looking to tackle the new classic sci-fi District 9 tomorrow.
The Good The Bad The Weird – There was no challenge for this import favorite from South Korea in Round One, beating Greece’s Brides 89–11. Programmers expected that to be a closer fight, but the strength of the Korean Western might need all the momentum it can get to face off against Oscar-winner The Lives of Others.
The Lives of Others – The drama from Germany barely beat Australia’s The Proposition in a nail-biter that had a final score of 51–49. If this were politics, we’d demand a recount. We’ll see how Germany does against South Korea in Round Two.
Group Two
The Dark Knight – Perhaps the strongest favored to win, and the only chance the USA has of bringing home something that says “World Cup Champions” on it, The Dark Knight edged past England’s Shaun of the Dead 57–43 in the fanboy match up. It goes up against The Secret in Their Eyes on Thursday.
The Secret in Their Eyes – After thoroughly defeating the Nigerian dramatic icon Small Boy 74–26, this representative from Argentina may have the fight of it’s life facing off against The Dark Knight in Round Two.
Slovenka – In a surprise victory, the Slovenia film beat the Algerian Days of Glory 52–48 in our first underdog upset. It’s young call girl will meet the disturbing world of A Serbian Film on Friday.
A Serbian Film – There are few words to describe its debauchery, but the film from Serbia out-grossed the Ghanese Sankofa 60–40 in Round One. It faces underdog Slovenka in Round Two.
Group Three
Antichrist – The Danish psychological film from Von Trier demolished cult horror favorite Human Centipede for a 71–29 victory over The Netherlands. With no time to rest on its laurels, it sees Spirited Away in Round Two.
Spirited Away – The Japanese film is a heavy favorite in these games because of the legacy of Ghibli and Miyazaki. It took on the lesser-known Moolaade from Cameroon 79–21 and will be looking for a similar victory against Anitchrist on Friday.
Il Divo – The Italian film had the upper hand against Paraguay’s Paraguayan Hammock, and it used it to score a 63–37 victory. It faces the winner of New Zealand vs Slovakia on Friday.
Return of the King – Return of the King delivered a not-at-all-unexpected victory against the fantastic historical drama Bathory. New Zealand triumphs over Slovakia 81–19 and meets Il Divo on the field Friday.
Group Four
City of God — Brazil beat out North Korea for the slot in Round Two with City of God delivering an 81–19 victory over J.S.A. It will see Os Imortais for a chance at Round Three on Saturday.
Os Imortais – The Portuguese heist film fought a neck and neck battle with the representative from Ivory Coast but eventually pulled away for a 61–39 victory. It goes head to head against powerhouse City of God on Saturday.
Mandrill – Mandrill easily took down Amor y Frijoles 83–17 and will head to the next round. I should rest up because it faces one of the tournament favorites on Saturday.
Pan’s Labyrinth – In the biggest blow out so far, Pan’s Labyrinth took down Vitus with a score of 95–5. It continues its march toward the Championship against Chilean Mandrill on Saturday.
Keep up with all the Movie World Cup Action, and stick with us through Tuesday, June 22nd, when the Championship Round finds the strongest two contenders battling it out for eternal glory.
