- A -
About Last Night (1986)
Absence of Malice (1981)
The Abyss (1989)
The Accused (1988)
Action Jackson (1988)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)
Against All Odds (1984)
Airplane! (1980)
Alien Nation (1988)
Aliens (1986)
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Always (1989)
Amadeus (1984)
Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
American Gothic (1987)
An American Tail (1986)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Anne of Green Gables (1985)
Arthur (1981)
Back to Top
- B -
Baby (1983)
Baby Boom (1987)
Bachelor Party (1984)
Back to School (1986)
Back to the Future II (1989)
Batman (1989)
Beaches (1988)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Better Off Dead (1985)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
big (1988)
The Big Chill
The Big Picture (1989)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Bill Cosby, Himself (1982)
Black Rain (1988)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Blues Brothers (1980)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Breakfast Club (1985)
Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
Broadcast News (1987)
Bull Durham (1988)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
What Do You See in Hollywood
ollywood, California, where stardom lays just a breath and a dream away. This mecca of wanderlust, fantasy, and decades of celluloid whimsy is as beautiful and magical in its reality as in the wishes of millions who step into the city each year. Beneath the plush houses on the hills surrounding that oh so famous sign, lay streets paved with stars not just from the footsteps of those following the paths of legends, but literally in the form of the celebrated Walk of Fame. Several movie studios, record labels, and publishing companies can be found there as well. Tourists can spend hours, days even, sightseeing along Hollywood Boulevard taking in everything from the mundane and nostalgic to the downright cutting edge and absurd.
When the sun sets, catch a summertime concert at the world famous Hollywood Bowl or hit the clubs of the more infamous Sunset Strip where rock legends past and present have turned a troubadour's life of debauchery and excess into an art form.
More than the sum total of its famous landmarks, Hollywood is also home to one of the country's most popular hot dog stands and eateries. Some of the hippest coffee shops and happening dinner theater scenes can be found along these streets. For something a little different take a trip down to the local historic cemetery. Pack some fine wine, a bountiful dinner that you might even purchase at one of the great restaurants in the area, a blanket, and a chair or two and prepare to sit back with friends under the cool night sky and enjoy an old black and white movie displayed against one of the cemeteries large back walls.
If visiting, check out one of the many hotels in the area, most of which offer an environment and accommodations that are anything but standard.
When the sun sets, catch a summertime concert at the world famous Hollywood Bowl or hit the clubs of the more infamous Sunset Strip where rock legends past and present have turned a troubadour's life of debauchery and excess into an art form.
More than the sum total of its famous landmarks, Hollywood is also home to one of the country's most popular hot dog stands and eateries. Some of the hippest coffee shops and happening dinner theater scenes can be found along these streets. For something a little different take a trip down to the local historic cemetery. Pack some fine wine, a bountiful dinner that you might even purchase at one of the great restaurants in the area, a blanket, and a chair or two and prepare to sit back with friends under the cool night sky and enjoy an old black and white movie displayed against one of the cemeteries large back walls.
If visiting, check out one of the many hotels in the area, most of which offer an environment and accommodations that are anything but standard.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Red Movie Review
Red is a movie that’s better than it should be and yet isn’t as good as it could be. The jokes could be funnier, the action could be more exhilarating, the pacing could be quicker, but the film is still a success. And yet with stronger direction and a more polished script, Red could have been one of the better films of the year thanks to its strong cast. Not only do they play off each other well, but Mary Louise-Parker, John Malkovich, Brian Cox, and Helen Mirren all give terrific performances. Red gets the job done, but there’s frustration in seeing it come up as only passable.
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired and restless CIA Agent who spends his days doing menial tasks and ripping up his pension checks just so he has an excuse to flirt with his representative, Sarah (Parker). One night, a special ops squad comes to murder the hell out of Frank. Unfortunately for them, it turns out he was in the best in the business, and they’re the ones who end up slightly deader for the experience. Frank then goes on the run to find out who’s after him, but first picks up/kidnaps Sarah since he believes they’ll try to kill her as well due to her connection to him. The pair makes their way across the country and meets up with Frank’s former colleagues, who are also struggling with retirement. Joe (Morgan Freeman) ogles the young women in the nursing home, Victoria (Mirren) is still taking contracts on the side, and Marvin (Malkovich) has become highly-paranoid and lives in a bunker (although that has more to do with the daily doses of LSD for 26 years than the retirement).
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired and restless CIA Agent who spends his days doing menial tasks and ripping up his pension checks just so he has an excuse to flirt with his representative, Sarah (Parker). One night, a special ops squad comes to murder the hell out of Frank. Unfortunately for them, it turns out he was in the best in the business, and they’re the ones who end up slightly deader for the experience. Frank then goes on the run to find out who’s after him, but first picks up/kidnaps Sarah since he believes they’ll try to kill her as well due to her connection to him. The pair makes their way across the country and meets up with Frank’s former colleagues, who are also struggling with retirement. Joe (Morgan Freeman) ogles the young women in the nursing home, Victoria (Mirren) is still taking contracts on the side, and Marvin (Malkovich) has become highly-paranoid and lives in a bunker (although that has more to do with the daily doses of LSD for 26 years than the retirement).
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Unstopable 2010
Denzel Washington and Chris Pine may have the movie called “Unstoppable”, but it was Will Ferrell’s “Megamind” that proved unstoppable at the box office for the second week in a row. With another studio estimated $30 million dollars over the weekend (good enough to hold onto the top spot), the CG movie “Megamind” has earned $89 million in two weeks of release so far. And people were saying Will Ferrell was a bad movie investment. Pfft. What do they know.
Ferrell’s 3D comedy easily bested newcomer “Unstoppable”, which despite failing to take the crown, still did a respectable $23.5 million, good enough for second place. Movies with Denzel Washington in front of the camera and Tony Scott behind it have always been pretty hit and miss, but this looks like a semi-hit for both men, so I’m guessing they’ll probably take it. Meanwhile, the budgeted alien invasion movie “Skyline” opened in fourth place with $11.6 million, while the romantic comedy “Morning Glory” took in a less than glorfied $9.6 million in its weekend debut, good enough for fifth place. You would think the romcom would have done much better, given that it’s the only chick-friendly flick in the bunch of new releases.
Last week’s #2, the Robert Downey Jr. comedy “Due Date” fell to third place, adding $15.5 million to its coffers, giving it $59 million in two weeks of release so far.
Ferrell’s 3D comedy easily bested newcomer “Unstoppable”, which despite failing to take the crown, still did a respectable $23.5 million, good enough for second place. Movies with Denzel Washington in front of the camera and Tony Scott behind it have always been pretty hit and miss, but this looks like a semi-hit for both men, so I’m guessing they’ll probably take it. Meanwhile, the budgeted alien invasion movie “Skyline” opened in fourth place with $11.6 million, while the romantic comedy “Morning Glory” took in a less than glorfied $9.6 million in its weekend debut, good enough for fifth place. You would think the romcom would have done much better, given that it’s the only chick-friendly flick in the bunch of new releases.
Last week’s #2, the Robert Downey Jr. comedy “Due Date” fell to third place, adding $15.5 million to its coffers, giving it $59 million in two weeks of release so far.
Unstopable 2010
Denzel Washington and Chris Pine may have the movie called “Unstoppable”, but it was Will Ferrell’s “Megamind” that proved unstoppable at the box office for the second week in a row. With another studio estimated $30 million dollars over the weekend (good enough to hold onto the top spot), the CG movie “Megamind” has earned $89 million in two weeks of release so far. And people were saying Will Ferrell was a bad movie investment. Pfft. What do they know.
Ferrell’s 3D comedy easily bested newcomer “Unstoppable”, which despite failing to take the crown, still did a respectable $23.5 million, good enough for second place. Movies with Denzel Washington in front of the camera and Tony Scott behind it have always been pretty hit and miss, but this looks like a semi-hit for both men, so I’m guessing they’ll probably take it. Meanwhile, the budgeted alien invasion movie “Skyline” opened in fourth place with $11.6 million, while the romantic comedy “Morning Glory” took in a less than glorfied $9.6 million in its weekend debut, good enough for fifth place. You would think the romcom would have done much better, given that it’s the only chick-friendly flick in the bunch of new releases.
Last week’s #2, the Robert Downey Jr. comedy “Due Date” fell to third place, adding $15.5 million to its coffers, giving it $59 million in two weeks of release so far.
Ferrell’s 3D comedy easily bested newcomer “Unstoppable”, which despite failing to take the crown, still did a respectable $23.5 million, good enough for second place. Movies with Denzel Washington in front of the camera and Tony Scott behind it have always been pretty hit and miss, but this looks like a semi-hit for both men, so I’m guessing they’ll probably take it. Meanwhile, the budgeted alien invasion movie “Skyline” opened in fourth place with $11.6 million, while the romantic comedy “Morning Glory” took in a less than glorfied $9.6 million in its weekend debut, good enough for fifth place. You would think the romcom would have done much better, given that it’s the only chick-friendly flick in the bunch of new releases.
Last week’s #2, the Robert Downey Jr. comedy “Due Date” fell to third place, adding $15.5 million to its coffers, giving it $59 million in two weeks of release so far.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Watch movies Online
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nstall the right video software onto your computer. Windows Media, QuickTime and RealPlayer are the most widely used. The basic players are often downloaded for free off their makers' websites.
#
2
Search for websites and providers that offer free online movies. You can do this through a search engine.
#
3
Search the website for the available movies. Keep in mind that the selection may be limited. You may or may not find movies of your interest.
#
4
Download the movies as the website says to do. Make sure you have the correct viewing software for your particular movie. Some websites only show movies in one form.
#
5
Save your movies to your computer if you can. Try right-clicking the download link and selecting the "save target as" option. The website may also have another link to save.
Read more: How to Watch Free Movies Online | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2067687_watch-free-movies-online.html#ixzz150fo4JE6
nstall the right video software onto your computer. Windows Media, QuickTime and RealPlayer are the most widely used. The basic players are often downloaded for free off their makers' websites.
#
2
Search for websites and providers that offer free online movies. You can do this through a search engine.
#
3
Search the website for the available movies. Keep in mind that the selection may be limited. You may or may not find movies of your interest.
#
4
Download the movies as the website says to do. Make sure you have the correct viewing software for your particular movie. Some websites only show movies in one form.
#
5
Save your movies to your computer if you can. Try right-clicking the download link and selecting the "save target as" option. The website may also have another link to save.
Read more: How to Watch Free Movies Online | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2067687_watch-free-movies-online.html#ixzz150fo4JE6
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Dragon Age II - PC Game Review
EA and BioWare planning gratis downloadable goods for latest dark fantasy RPG a la last year's Origins, Mass Effect 2.
Electronic Arts has incentivized gamers to purchase its games new in a number of ways in the past year, with examples including beta access codes and gated online play. One of the more popular ways has been the carrot that is free downloadable content, and EA has employed it in games such as Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Medal of Honor.
The publisher plans to continue this strategy with BioWare's Dragon Age II. Speaking to GameSpot, an EA representative confirmed that BioWare's dark fantasy role-playing game will feature post-release add-on content in a vein similar to Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins.
Dragon Age II's getting free DLC.
With the original Dragon Age, BioWare packed in the Blood Armor chest piece, as well as The Stone Prisoner add-on with new copies of the game. The quest pack, which cost used-game purchasers $15, added a stone golem character to the player's party from the beginning of the game, unlocking numerous story options.
Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network operated as an in-game content-delivery and news channel that was available free of charge for those who bought new copies of the game. (Those who picked up a used copy of the game could purchase access for $15.) Through it, BioWare supplemented its paid DLC with free add-ons that included new weapons, items, quests, and the Hammerhead hover tank.
Dragon Age II will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 8.
Electronic Arts has incentivized gamers to purchase its games new in a number of ways in the past year, with examples including beta access codes and gated online play. One of the more popular ways has been the carrot that is free downloadable content, and EA has employed it in games such as Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Medal of Honor.
The publisher plans to continue this strategy with BioWare's Dragon Age II. Speaking to GameSpot, an EA representative confirmed that BioWare's dark fantasy role-playing game will feature post-release add-on content in a vein similar to Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins.
Dragon Age II's getting free DLC.
With the original Dragon Age, BioWare packed in the Blood Armor chest piece, as well as The Stone Prisoner add-on with new copies of the game. The quest pack, which cost used-game purchasers $15, added a stone golem character to the player's party from the beginning of the game, unlocking numerous story options.
Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network operated as an in-game content-delivery and news channel that was available free of charge for those who bought new copies of the game. (Those who picked up a used copy of the game could purchase access for $15.) Through it, BioWare supplemented its paid DLC with free add-ons that included new weapons, items, quests, and the Hammerhead hover tank.
Dragon Age II will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 8.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Apprentice Review
t’s an obvious question: why is a site like this covering The Apprentice? If you’re asking it, I can’t give you an answer that you’ll appreciate, but I’ll go for it anyway.
It’s, basically, the one reality show (perhaps outside of The Mole in the States) that we’ve ever got massively interested in, not least the various international flavours of it. And while it’s, inevitably, decreasingly about business and more about people trying to get on the telly, we’ve found ourselves writing about it for the past few years, and feel compelled to carry on.
And from the off, the writers this year (and you’re not telling us there isn’t a writer involved somewhere) have pulled a terrific wheeze, by changing the name of the main character. It thus robs us of the terribly unfunny phonetic spelling of Sralan Sugar, but we’ll try and think up something equally unwitty for Lord Sugar. Hopefully, his title will change as the years roll on. Baron Sugar? King Sugar? The end game here offers many opportunities.
The opening episode, then. It’s never particularly great. Inevitably, it has to focus on one or two people who instantly stand out as not going to last a few weeks, and generally chucks out the one who stands the least chance of gracing the cover of Heat magazine. Or the toff. Or both.
You do get Lord Sugar banging out lines in his introduction, set to be replayed 12 further times throughout the series, that surely he should have called bullshit on. “You all look good on paper”, the old growler muttered. “But so does fish and chips”. Yikes.
Still, the people here, at least the ones allowed in front of the camera for episode one, were the usual bunch of egos. “My first word wasn’t mummy, it was money!” chipped in one idiot, surely unprepared for the life of YouTube ridicule that faces him from this point on. “Everything I touch turns to sold”, piped up another. Sheesh. They should write Lord Sugar’s lines for him next year.
So then. After the women’s team decided to name themselves after, er, a failed moon mission, Team Apollo, the men came up with Synergy, the kind of bullshit word invented for Powerpoint presentations and nothing else. And with the task being sausages to sell (it was clearly a vegetarian’s special), Apollo picked Joanna as their project manager, while Synergy plumped for Dan.
It’s, basically, the one reality show (perhaps outside of The Mole in the States) that we’ve ever got massively interested in, not least the various international flavours of it. And while it’s, inevitably, decreasingly about business and more about people trying to get on the telly, we’ve found ourselves writing about it for the past few years, and feel compelled to carry on.
And from the off, the writers this year (and you’re not telling us there isn’t a writer involved somewhere) have pulled a terrific wheeze, by changing the name of the main character. It thus robs us of the terribly unfunny phonetic spelling of Sralan Sugar, but we’ll try and think up something equally unwitty for Lord Sugar. Hopefully, his title will change as the years roll on. Baron Sugar? King Sugar? The end game here offers many opportunities.
The opening episode, then. It’s never particularly great. Inevitably, it has to focus on one or two people who instantly stand out as not going to last a few weeks, and generally chucks out the one who stands the least chance of gracing the cover of Heat magazine. Or the toff. Or both.
You do get Lord Sugar banging out lines in his introduction, set to be replayed 12 further times throughout the series, that surely he should have called bullshit on. “You all look good on paper”, the old growler muttered. “But so does fish and chips”. Yikes.
Still, the people here, at least the ones allowed in front of the camera for episode one, were the usual bunch of egos. “My first word wasn’t mummy, it was money!” chipped in one idiot, surely unprepared for the life of YouTube ridicule that faces him from this point on. “Everything I touch turns to sold”, piped up another. Sheesh. They should write Lord Sugar’s lines for him next year.
So then. After the women’s team decided to name themselves after, er, a failed moon mission, Team Apollo, the men came up with Synergy, the kind of bullshit word invented for Powerpoint presentations and nothing else. And with the task being sausages to sell (it was clearly a vegetarian’s special), Apollo picked Joanna as their project manager, while Synergy plumped for Dan.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Secritariat Movie Review
The story of the most dominant racehorse of all time does not easily fit into the standard inspirational sports flick mold. Such films typically require its protagonists to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, be they competitive (Hoosiers), personal (The Natural), societal (Ali), or some combination of all three (Remember the Titans). But by all accounts, the greatest challenges to Secretariat capturing of the 1973 Triple Crown were not rival horses — indeed, Secretariat had no true rival — but a pair of slow starts and an abscess. And abscesses — apologies to dermatologists — simply aren’t all that effective as dramatic devices.
Lacking most of the vital ingredients of the traditional underdog movie formula, Disney’s Secretariat is forced to synthesize them. Its screenplay, written by Mike Rich and based rather loosely on the book Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack, adopts a conventional save-the-farm framework: When her parents pass away within months of each other, Denver housewife Penny Tweedy (Diane Lane) is advised to sell off her family’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, a beautiful but unprofitable horse-breeding enterprise, in order to pay the onerous inheritance taxes levied by the state. But Penny, her deceased father’s hackneyed horse-inspired counsel fresh in her mind (“You’ve got to run your own race,” etc. etc.) is loath to depart with such a cherished heirloom. So she concocts a scheme just idiotic enough to work, betting the farm — literally — that her new horse, Big Red, in whom she has an almost Messianic faith, will win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont races in succession.
Of course Big Red, under the stage name Secretariat, goes on to do just that, but only after the film subjects us to nearly two hours of manufactured melodrama. Lane, grasping all-too conspicuously for awards consideration, treats every line as if it were the St. Crispin’s Day speech. Her character, Penny, exhibits a hair-trigger sensitivity to the sounds of skeptics and naysayers, bursting forth with a polite rebuke and a stern sermon for anyone who dares doubt her crusade, from the trash-talking owner of a rival horse to her annoyingly pragmatic husband (Dylan Walsh).
Lane isn’t alone in her grandiosity. The entire production reeks of it, as director Randall Wallace lines the story with fetid chunks of overwrought Oscar bait, like so many droppings in an untended stable, even using Old Testament quotations and gospel music to endow Penny’s quest with biblical significance. John Malkovich is kind enough to inject some mirth into the heavy-handed proceedings, hamming it up as Secretariat’s trainer, Lucien Laurin, a French-Canadian curmudgeon with an odd sartorial palette. It’s not enough, however, to alleviate the discomfort of witnessing the film's quasi-Sambo depiction of Secretariat’s famed groom, Eddie Sweat (Nelsan Ellis), which reaches its cringeworthy zenith when Sweat runs out to the track on the eve of the Belmont Stakes and exclaims, to no one in particular, that “Big Red done eat his breakfast this mornin’!!!” Bagger Vance would be proud. Whether or not Ellis’ portrayal of Sweat’s cadence and mannerisms is accurate (and for all I know it may well be), the character is too thinly drawn to register as anything more than an amiable, simple-minded servant.
Lacking most of the vital ingredients of the traditional underdog movie formula, Disney’s Secretariat is forced to synthesize them. Its screenplay, written by Mike Rich and based rather loosely on the book Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack, adopts a conventional save-the-farm framework: When her parents pass away within months of each other, Denver housewife Penny Tweedy (Diane Lane) is advised to sell off her family’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, a beautiful but unprofitable horse-breeding enterprise, in order to pay the onerous inheritance taxes levied by the state. But Penny, her deceased father’s hackneyed horse-inspired counsel fresh in her mind (“You’ve got to run your own race,” etc. etc.) is loath to depart with such a cherished heirloom. So she concocts a scheme just idiotic enough to work, betting the farm — literally — that her new horse, Big Red, in whom she has an almost Messianic faith, will win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont races in succession.
Of course Big Red, under the stage name Secretariat, goes on to do just that, but only after the film subjects us to nearly two hours of manufactured melodrama. Lane, grasping all-too conspicuously for awards consideration, treats every line as if it were the St. Crispin’s Day speech. Her character, Penny, exhibits a hair-trigger sensitivity to the sounds of skeptics and naysayers, bursting forth with a polite rebuke and a stern sermon for anyone who dares doubt her crusade, from the trash-talking owner of a rival horse to her annoyingly pragmatic husband (Dylan Walsh).
Lane isn’t alone in her grandiosity. The entire production reeks of it, as director Randall Wallace lines the story with fetid chunks of overwrought Oscar bait, like so many droppings in an untended stable, even using Old Testament quotations and gospel music to endow Penny’s quest with biblical significance. John Malkovich is kind enough to inject some mirth into the heavy-handed proceedings, hamming it up as Secretariat’s trainer, Lucien Laurin, a French-Canadian curmudgeon with an odd sartorial palette. It’s not enough, however, to alleviate the discomfort of witnessing the film's quasi-Sambo depiction of Secretariat’s famed groom, Eddie Sweat (Nelsan Ellis), which reaches its cringeworthy zenith when Sweat runs out to the track on the eve of the Belmont Stakes and exclaims, to no one in particular, that “Big Red done eat his breakfast this mornin’!!!” Bagger Vance would be proud. Whether or not Ellis’ portrayal of Sweat’s cadence and mannerisms is accurate (and for all I know it may well be), the character is too thinly drawn to register as anything more than an amiable, simple-minded servant.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
New Shoes Fashion Styles
As the season changes, so do the trends in shoes and what you witness is the change that fashion undergoes. Shoes come up with the constant reinvention because of the hard work put in by top notch designers to give you the trends that will be fashion mantras of tomorrow.
When you look at the trend of boots with fringes you know that this is one trend that is going to endure far longer than a season. Therefore, investing in this pair of boots is going to be worth your while. The fringe boots are utterly fashionable to wear and will certainly keep you ahead of the curve of your friends. It seems to be everywhere, the bohemian fringe be it on the hairstyle, the jackets, handbags and now boots of course.
They look uber cool when they are put on the best of designer footwear. There are several brands that have come up with these shoes and if you are sick and tired of the ubiquitous plain leather boots and booties for winter, then here is the perfect option that you have. This is your chance to go ahead and encase your feet in warmth and elegant fashion trend.
There are some innovative shoes that have a removable fringe therein you can get two designs for the price of one. You can wear your shoes with or without the fringe. The new pair of fringed boots from Jimmy Choo is certainly a head turner. You will fall in love with not only the fringe on them but also the top cuff detailing of the star grommets. As if one layer of fringe wasn’t footcandish enough you will find two layers of fringe on these fabulous pair of shoes.
When you look at the trend of boots with fringes you know that this is one trend that is going to endure far longer than a season. Therefore, investing in this pair of boots is going to be worth your while. The fringe boots are utterly fashionable to wear and will certainly keep you ahead of the curve of your friends. It seems to be everywhere, the bohemian fringe be it on the hairstyle, the jackets, handbags and now boots of course.
They look uber cool when they are put on the best of designer footwear. There are several brands that have come up with these shoes and if you are sick and tired of the ubiquitous plain leather boots and booties for winter, then here is the perfect option that you have. This is your chance to go ahead and encase your feet in warmth and elegant fashion trend.
There are some innovative shoes that have a removable fringe therein you can get two designs for the price of one. You can wear your shoes with or without the fringe. The new pair of fringed boots from Jimmy Choo is certainly a head turner. You will fall in love with not only the fringe on them but also the top cuff detailing of the star grommets. As if one layer of fringe wasn’t footcandish enough you will find two layers of fringe on these fabulous pair of shoes.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Town Movie Review
am trying to figure out specifically why I feel rather insouciant towards Ben Affleck’s second directorial feature, The Town. The movie, on the surface, is well executed and well acted and the intriguing elements from the source novel, Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan are there. Yet, in contrast to the many positive reviews this film has received, I walked away in the end feeling the characters and story had never come to three dimensional life.
Part of the problem lies with the fact that the movie’s plot is much more familiar this time around than in Affleck’s very fine directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. We have seen the plot of the criminal wanting to get out after one final job and the anti-hero who finds unexpected love that compels to break out of his old ways. Thus, the story requires more life breathed into it to overcome its familiarity and the movie ultimately never quite gets there.
The setting of The Town is the neighborhood of Charlestown in Boston about which the movie informs us produces more bank robbers than any other town in the world. The film’s opening scene is a bank heist executed by Douglas McRay (Ben Affleck) and his gang including James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine) and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke). They hold the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) at gunpoint to open the vault, then briefly take her hostage blindfolded amidst their getaway.
Though unharmed, Claire, who is not a native of Charlestown, is traumatized by the experience. An FBI agent, Adam Brawley (Jon Hamm from TV's Mad Men) interviews her to learn what she remembers. She remembers nothing, as the gang wore masked disguises and she had been blindfolded when taken hostage.
Part of the problem lies with the fact that the movie’s plot is much more familiar this time around than in Affleck’s very fine directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. We have seen the plot of the criminal wanting to get out after one final job and the anti-hero who finds unexpected love that compels to break out of his old ways. Thus, the story requires more life breathed into it to overcome its familiarity and the movie ultimately never quite gets there.
The setting of The Town is the neighborhood of Charlestown in Boston about which the movie informs us produces more bank robbers than any other town in the world. The film’s opening scene is a bank heist executed by Douglas McRay (Ben Affleck) and his gang including James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine) and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke). They hold the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) at gunpoint to open the vault, then briefly take her hostage blindfolded amidst their getaway.
Though unharmed, Claire, who is not a native of Charlestown, is traumatized by the experience. An FBI agent, Adam Brawley (Jon Hamm from TV's Mad Men) interviews her to learn what she remembers. She remembers nothing, as the gang wore masked disguises and she had been blindfolded when taken hostage.
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Expandebles
From now on, for every time someone tells me how cool it is that I get to go see movies to review, I will point to a movie like The Expendables, just so they know it is not always fun.
The Expendables is a movie that suffers from one small defect. It is terrible. There really is no easy way to put that, and that hurts to say, because I really wanted to like this movie, but it just fails on so, so many levels that you almost feel bad for it. You want to forgive the wretched acting, and the plot that meanders around the screen like a drunken David Hasselhoff eating a cheeseburger.
Still, The Expendables is in many ways review-proof. The word of mouth will likely hurt the box office sooner or later, but no matter what the critics say, people will flock to it at first. I would be shocked if it did not have a massive opening weekend. And why not. The stars of this movie have earned the benefit of the doubt, especially when it comes to action movies. The draw of this movie will not be the plot- it won’t even be the action you have seen in the trailers- it will be the potential. As a fan of action movies, it is almost impossible not to be excited for this movie from name recognition alone. The best comparison for the cast that I could think of would be the original basketball Dream Team that laid waste to the Olympic competition. Unfortunately there are serious flaws to the movie that are impossible to overlook.
Irony Doesn’t Make it OK
Directed by Sylvester Stallone, from a story by Stallone and Dave Callaham, The Expendables brings together legends of the action world. If you are even slightly interested in action, you will have unavoidably seen at least one of these stars at some point, in some way, blowing something up. It is an homage to the lost art of the 80s flick, back when it was a simpler time for action movies. The good guy was clearly identifiable as the good guy, and the bad guy was so evil, he was eeeeevil. The first problem with The Expendables is that it tries too hard to recreate those movies, but it does so with a knowing wink to the audience that was probably supposed to make it all OK because it was ironic, and stuff. Instead, the movie nearly becomes a parody of those same action movies it looks to honor.
The Expendables is a movie that suffers from one small defect. It is terrible. There really is no easy way to put that, and that hurts to say, because I really wanted to like this movie, but it just fails on so, so many levels that you almost feel bad for it. You want to forgive the wretched acting, and the plot that meanders around the screen like a drunken David Hasselhoff eating a cheeseburger.
Still, The Expendables is in many ways review-proof. The word of mouth will likely hurt the box office sooner or later, but no matter what the critics say, people will flock to it at first. I would be shocked if it did not have a massive opening weekend. And why not. The stars of this movie have earned the benefit of the doubt, especially when it comes to action movies. The draw of this movie will not be the plot- it won’t even be the action you have seen in the trailers- it will be the potential. As a fan of action movies, it is almost impossible not to be excited for this movie from name recognition alone. The best comparison for the cast that I could think of would be the original basketball Dream Team that laid waste to the Olympic competition. Unfortunately there are serious flaws to the movie that are impossible to overlook.
Irony Doesn’t Make it OK
Directed by Sylvester Stallone, from a story by Stallone and Dave Callaham, The Expendables brings together legends of the action world. If you are even slightly interested in action, you will have unavoidably seen at least one of these stars at some point, in some way, blowing something up. It is an homage to the lost art of the 80s flick, back when it was a simpler time for action movies. The good guy was clearly identifiable as the good guy, and the bad guy was so evil, he was eeeeevil. The first problem with The Expendables is that it tries too hard to recreate those movies, but it does so with a knowing wink to the audience that was probably supposed to make it all OK because it was ironic, and stuff. Instead, the movie nearly becomes a parody of those same action movies it looks to honor.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Kick Ass DVD Release
Action comedy based on the Marvel comic strip. Aaron Johnson stars as run-of-the-mill high school student Dave Lizewski, who, disillusioned with his humdrum existence, is inspired by the heroes of the comic books he loves to become a real-life superhero called 'Kick-Ass'. His first attempts to fight evil-doers meet with little success, but undeterred by his various setbacks Dave perseveres and eventually joins forces with mysterious vigilante Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) to bring down local crime boss Frank D'Amico
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lottery Ticket
Synopsis...
Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects, wins $370 million in a nationwide lottery. When his opportunistic neighbors discover he has the win...
read entire movie info »
Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects, wins $370 million in a nationwide lottery. When his opportunistic neighbors discover he has the winning ticket in his possession, Kevin must survive their greedy and sometimes even threatening actions over a three-day holiday weekend before he can claim his prize. Don't hesitate to call should you have any questions.
Cast and Crew
* Directed by Erik White
* Produced by Broderick Johnson, Andrew A Kosove, Mark Burg, Matt Alvarez, Oren Koules,
* Written by Abdul Williams, Erik White
* Staring Ice Cube, Keith David, Terry Crews, , Naturi Naughton, Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson
Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects, wins $370 million in a nationwide lottery. When his opportunistic neighbors discover he has the win...
read entire movie info »
Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects, wins $370 million in a nationwide lottery. When his opportunistic neighbors discover he has the winning ticket in his possession, Kevin must survive their greedy and sometimes even threatening actions over a three-day holiday weekend before he can claim his prize. Don't hesitate to call should you have any questions.
Cast and Crew
* Directed by Erik White
* Produced by Broderick Johnson, Andrew A Kosove, Mark Burg, Matt Alvarez, Oren Koules,
* Written by Abdul Williams, Erik White
* Staring Ice Cube, Keith David, Terry Crews, , Naturi Naughton, Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Taj Mahal Casino
100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice Tickets London
100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice Tickets at The O2 in London United Kingdom on 24/10/2010! You can buy your 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice London tickets online through our secure booking system. All 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice The O2 tickets to see 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice at The O2 are 100% guaranteed.
Atlantic City Casino Hotels, New Jersey Hotel Casinos, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
A world of pleasure and excitement awaits you.
This guide puts it all at your fingertips. Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel has five-star restaurants you can’t resist, from the most elegant and decadent to the fun and hip. Entertainment, lounges and nightclubs that bring New York to Atlantic City. A casino floor that pulls you in with non-stop action. retail stores with something for everyone, a must-see collection of colorful shops and eateries, all in one place on Spice Road. A spa, fitness center, indoor pool and salon for when relaxation is top priority.
Start exploring Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal Casino Hotel. Make it a getaway you’ll never forget.
Click Here for information on Ray Kot Memorial Park
100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice Tickets at The O2 in London United Kingdom on 24/10/2010! You can buy your 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice London tickets online through our secure booking system. All 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice The O2 tickets to see 100 Years of Disney Magic: Disney On Ice at The O2 are 100% guaranteed.
Atlantic City Casino Hotels, New Jersey Hotel Casinos, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
A world of pleasure and excitement awaits you.
This guide puts it all at your fingertips. Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel has five-star restaurants you can’t resist, from the most elegant and decadent to the fun and hip. Entertainment, lounges and nightclubs that bring New York to Atlantic City. A casino floor that pulls you in with non-stop action. retail stores with something for everyone, a must-see collection of colorful shops and eateries, all in one place on Spice Road. A spa, fitness center, indoor pool and salon for when relaxation is top priority.
Start exploring Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal Casino Hotel. Make it a getaway you’ll never forget.
Click Here for information on Ray Kot Memorial Park
Monday, August 16, 2010
Grown Ups Synopsis
The story is about five best friends, five former basketball teammates reunite thirty years after graduating from high school. They gather at the lake house on a Fourth of July weekend, where they celebrated their most important victory, to mourn the death of the late coach.
During the Fourth of July weekend, the five best friends learned that growing older and starting families doesn’t necessarily mean that they grew up and lost forever that good old spark. Adulthood is exactly what you make of it, and none of them is enthusiast to be the adult of the gang. Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade are the stars of the film written by Sandler and Fred Wolf. Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph are the co-stars of the movie, directed by Dennis Dugan.
During the Fourth of July weekend, the five best friends learned that growing older and starting families doesn’t necessarily mean that they grew up and lost forever that good old spark. Adulthood is exactly what you make of it, and none of them is enthusiast to be the adult of the gang. Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade are the stars of the film written by Sandler and Fred Wolf. Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph are the co-stars of the movie, directed by Dennis Dugan.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Eat, Pray and Love
'm totally confused. If Eat Pray Love the movie is a faithful adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir, then why did it ever make it onto the bestsellers list? And if it's not a faithful adaptation, why isn't it? Was something lost in translation or was the source material not as strong as book sales would have us believe? The Liz Gilbert in the film version of Eat Pray Love is one of the least compelling, least interesting women we've seen as the lead figure of a movie in recent memory, and I can't figure out why women in particular are so in love with this character.
As Liz, Julia Roberts smiles a lot, cries a lot, and heads off on a journey of self-discovery (read year-long vacation from real life) after her marriage falls apart and her attempt at a lasting relationship with a much younger man fails. The character as written is so self-absorbed, unlikeable and worst of all, after a year of trying to find herself never really seems to grow as a person, that there's nothing about this successful writer (who's apparently got an abundance of money) to grab on to.
Eat Pray Love - The Story
Liz isn't happy. Her husband, Stephen (Billy Crudup), is unfocused, frequently changes jobs, and is unsure of what he wants to be when he grows up. The new house they bought just a year ago seems like a prison to Liz, and when Stephen says he wants to go back to college, she decides that's the end of her patience with him. Now, since this is done incredibly quickly in the film, it's kind of like she just gives up on marriage without much of a fight. She's done, he still loves her, but she quickly moves on to a much younger actor (played by James Franco) who's starring in a play she wrote. She sees him on stage, thinks he's saying the words only to her, and bam! - they're in a relationship. But just as quickly as she starts that up, she decides he's not for her. She's unhappy and feels dead inside, and the only way to fix herself is to take off for a year and travel.
As Liz, Julia Roberts smiles a lot, cries a lot, and heads off on a journey of self-discovery (read year-long vacation from real life) after her marriage falls apart and her attempt at a lasting relationship with a much younger man fails. The character as written is so self-absorbed, unlikeable and worst of all, after a year of trying to find herself never really seems to grow as a person, that there's nothing about this successful writer (who's apparently got an abundance of money) to grab on to.
Eat Pray Love - The Story
Liz isn't happy. Her husband, Stephen (Billy Crudup), is unfocused, frequently changes jobs, and is unsure of what he wants to be when he grows up. The new house they bought just a year ago seems like a prison to Liz, and when Stephen says he wants to go back to college, she decides that's the end of her patience with him. Now, since this is done incredibly quickly in the film, it's kind of like she just gives up on marriage without much of a fight. She's done, he still loves her, but she quickly moves on to a much younger actor (played by James Franco) who's starring in a play she wrote. She sees him on stage, thinks he's saying the words only to her, and bam! - they're in a relationship. But just as quickly as she starts that up, she decides he's not for her. She's unhappy and feels dead inside, and the only way to fix herself is to take off for a year and travel.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
DVD Deals
Hello again and welcome back for another installment of IGN's "DVD Deals of the Week" column -- check this space every week for the best buys we can dig up on disc that we think will appeal to you, the IGN reader.
This week we've found bargains featuring aliens, bugs, ticks, cats… and a bunch of superheroes you've never heard of. If it's a fact, are we lying? (And as always, remember that some of these deals are only active for a limited time, so you may need to act fast!)
Click here for our sister column: "Blu-ray Deals of the Week."
VAL LEWTON COLLECTION
Deal: $19.99 at Buy.com
What's great about this set is that Martin Scorcese's excellent documentary on producer Val Lewton is included for those who are unfamiliar with his work. An influential filmmaker who churned out a bunch of classic creepers for RKO in the 1940s, Lewton was little recognized in his time, but film lovers have come to recognize his contributions to genre cinema in the decades since. Cat People, Curse of the Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, Isle of the Dead and more brooding, atmospheric horror are all included in this six-disc set.
This week we've found bargains featuring aliens, bugs, ticks, cats… and a bunch of superheroes you've never heard of. If it's a fact, are we lying? (And as always, remember that some of these deals are only active for a limited time, so you may need to act fast!)
Click here for our sister column: "Blu-ray Deals of the Week."
VAL LEWTON COLLECTION
Deal: $19.99 at Buy.com
What's great about this set is that Martin Scorcese's excellent documentary on producer Val Lewton is included for those who are unfamiliar with his work. An influential filmmaker who churned out a bunch of classic creepers for RKO in the 1940s, Lewton was little recognized in his time, but film lovers have come to recognize his contributions to genre cinema in the decades since. Cat People, Curse of the Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, Isle of the Dead and more brooding, atmospheric horror are all included in this six-disc set.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
DVD Sales
vatar wasn’t just a huge success at the box office; the film is quickly setting records on home video as well. Since its release on April 22, Avatar has managed to move more than 6.7 million DVD and Blu-ray discs in North America alone. This shatters the previous record held by The Dark Knight.
While DVD sales have been extremely strong, the sales for the Blu (Blu)-ray version of the film have been pretty astonishing. Avatar easily beat the first-day record of 600,000 Blu-ray discs set by The Dark Knight in 2008, selling 1.2 million copies on Blu-ray Thursday. Four days later, the film managed to grow that number to 2.7 million. That’s more than the 2.5 million copies The Dark Knight has managed to sell on Blu-ray over the last 18 months.
In all fairness, Blu-ray market penetration is much greater now than it was 18 months ago. Still, the fact that nearly a third of all sales so far are for the Blu-ray version speaks to the power of Avatar. 20th Century Fox even told reporters that sales of Blu-ray players at Best Buy have doubled since Avatar’s release.
While Avatar is also available for digital download via Sony’s PlayStation Network, Apple’s iTunes, VUDU and others, the uncompressed, “true HD” experience of the film on Blu-ray is a huge driver for the platform.
The U.S. isn’t the only country where Avatar sales have soared; France, Germany and Spain have also experienced tremendous sales. The film comes to the U.K. today, where it should continue to do well.
Fox fully plans on milking Avatar for all it is worth. Thursday’s release contained no extra features or behind-the-scenes goodies; it’s just the film. An expanded special edition will be released in October. Additionally, despite Avatar’s immersive 3D experience in theaters, home viewers won’t be able to re-create Pandora (Pandora) in 3D until sometime in 2011.
What do you think of the continued success of Avatar? Do you think the film has the potential to drive Blu-ray adoption, just as The Matrix pushed DVD adoption more than a decade ago? Let us know!
While DVD sales have been extremely strong, the sales for the Blu (Blu)-ray version of the film have been pretty astonishing. Avatar easily beat the first-day record of 600,000 Blu-ray discs set by The Dark Knight in 2008, selling 1.2 million copies on Blu-ray Thursday. Four days later, the film managed to grow that number to 2.7 million. That’s more than the 2.5 million copies The Dark Knight has managed to sell on Blu-ray over the last 18 months.
In all fairness, Blu-ray market penetration is much greater now than it was 18 months ago. Still, the fact that nearly a third of all sales so far are for the Blu-ray version speaks to the power of Avatar. 20th Century Fox even told reporters that sales of Blu-ray players at Best Buy have doubled since Avatar’s release.
While Avatar is also available for digital download via Sony’s PlayStation Network, Apple’s iTunes, VUDU and others, the uncompressed, “true HD” experience of the film on Blu-ray is a huge driver for the platform.
The U.S. isn’t the only country where Avatar sales have soared; France, Germany and Spain have also experienced tremendous sales. The film comes to the U.K. today, where it should continue to do well.
Fox fully plans on milking Avatar for all it is worth. Thursday’s release contained no extra features or behind-the-scenes goodies; it’s just the film. An expanded special edition will be released in October. Additionally, despite Avatar’s immersive 3D experience in theaters, home viewers won’t be able to re-create Pandora (Pandora) in 3D until sometime in 2011.
What do you think of the continued success of Avatar? Do you think the film has the potential to drive Blu-ray adoption, just as The Matrix pushed DVD adoption more than a decade ago? Let us know!
Monday, August 9, 2010
AND THE RAIN FALLS DOWN - Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com
West End Drama
AND THE RAIN FALLS DOWN
Director Sam Butler and David Harradine
Cast
Design David Harradine and Ali Beale
Lighting Jo Manser
Choreog'y
Costume
Sound
Producer A Fevered Sleep/ Lyric Hammersmith co-production
Synopsis Children's play for 3 and 4 year olds. Imagine a world where every drop of water has a life of its own. Imagine a place where rainbows form from umbrellas, where fountains spout from plugholes, and were eventually the rain really does fall down. And the Rain Falls Down is a visual celebration of the watery things of the world.
AND THE RAIN FALLS DOWN
Director Sam Butler and David Harradine
Cast
Design David Harradine and Ali Beale
Lighting Jo Manser
Choreog'y
Costume
Sound
Producer A Fevered Sleep/ Lyric Hammersmith co-production
Synopsis Children's play for 3 and 4 year olds. Imagine a world where every drop of water has a life of its own. Imagine a place where rainbows form from umbrellas, where fountains spout from plugholes, and were eventually the rain really does fall down. And the Rain Falls Down is a visual celebration of the watery things of the world.
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Purple Color - Movies And Dramas Blog
From the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg comes a soul stirring new musical and landmark Broadway event.
Alice Walker's diverse and unforgettable characters come vividly to life on stage, blending dance with blues, gospel, jazz, swing, rural roots and African music.
The Color Purple is a saga of hope, inspiration and triumph. Based on the novel by Alice Walker and the Warner Brothers/Amblin Entertainment motion picture.
Dates
Previews from : 1st November 2005
Opened : 1st December 2005
Closed : 24 February 2008
Audience: The Color Purple may be inappropriate for children aged 8 and under. (Brief rear nudity, dimly lit) Children under 4 years of age will not be admitted into the Broadway Theater.
Run time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Alice Walker's diverse and unforgettable characters come vividly to life on stage, blending dance with blues, gospel, jazz, swing, rural roots and African music.
The Color Purple is a saga of hope, inspiration and triumph. Based on the novel by Alice Walker and the Warner Brothers/Amblin Entertainment motion picture.
Dates
Previews from : 1st November 2005
Opened : 1st December 2005
Closed : 24 February 2008
Audience: The Color Purple may be inappropriate for children aged 8 and under. (Brief rear nudity, dimly lit) Children under 4 years of age will not be admitted into the Broadway Theater.
Run time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Gray Brooks House - Movies and Dramas Blogspot
For the serious Diff'rent Strokes with a spare $320,000 and change, we got just the dealie for you.
Gary Coleman's Utah home is for sale. That is, if his ex-wife doesn't get her hands on it first.
The house needs some work—court-appointed administrator Robert Jeffs estimates at least $7,500 in repairs is needed for the "poor/distressed" property (there's one for the real estate add!)—and Coleman's "disorganized" belongings need to be crated up and carted out first.
Otherwise, potential buyers just have to worry about bad karma possible legal action by Coleman's former missus.
Shannon Price is hopping mad that Jeffs filed a motion this week seeking permission to sell their former homestead. She was booted from the place in June after it was determined that she wasn't named in Coleman's legally recognized will.
Price's lawyer has told E! News that she and Coleman were technically common-law spouses and she should be in line for his estate. That means she'll fight to oppose any sale of, in the words of her rep, "the home they shared."
Lining up against her are Coleman's estranged parents.
Willie and Sue Coleman have filed a petition asking a judge to dismiss Price's attempt to get common-law marriage status. The Colemans don't believe she really played house with Gary after their divorce, even though she was the one who was there on the day he fell down in the home—a mishap that resulted in a fatal brain hemorrhage.
There was no immediate comment from either Jeffs or Coleman's camp.
Ironically, according to court docs, Coleman was upside-down on his mortgage and actually owed more than $325,000 for property valued at $324,000.
So this could all be much ado about less than nothing.
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b194001_gary_colemans_house_on_blockmdashany.html#ixzz0vmADZFuo
Gary Coleman's Utah home is for sale. That is, if his ex-wife doesn't get her hands on it first.
The house needs some work—court-appointed administrator Robert Jeffs estimates at least $7,500 in repairs is needed for the "poor/distressed" property (there's one for the real estate add!)—and Coleman's "disorganized" belongings need to be crated up and carted out first.
Otherwise, potential buyers just have to worry about bad karma possible legal action by Coleman's former missus.
Shannon Price is hopping mad that Jeffs filed a motion this week seeking permission to sell their former homestead. She was booted from the place in June after it was determined that she wasn't named in Coleman's legally recognized will.
Price's lawyer has told E! News that she and Coleman were technically common-law spouses and she should be in line for his estate. That means she'll fight to oppose any sale of, in the words of her rep, "the home they shared."
Lining up against her are Coleman's estranged parents.
Willie and Sue Coleman have filed a petition asking a judge to dismiss Price's attempt to get common-law marriage status. The Colemans don't believe she really played house with Gary after their divorce, even though she was the one who was there on the day he fell down in the home—a mishap that resulted in a fatal brain hemorrhage.
There was no immediate comment from either Jeffs or Coleman's camp.
Ironically, according to court docs, Coleman was upside-down on his mortgage and actually owed more than $325,000 for property valued at $324,000.
So this could all be much ado about less than nothing.
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b194001_gary_colemans_house_on_blockmdashany.html#ixzz0vmADZFuo
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Blockbusted - Movies and Dramas Blogspot
ntroduction
Have you been inside a video store lately? Our fearless leader recently had occasion to pay a visit to his local Blockbuster. When he returned to the Orbiting HQ, we couldn't tell whether he was angry, disappointed, or just having a bout with diphtheria. Maybe it was all three.
To cut a long and depressing story very short, the store didn't have what he had been looking for. In fact, it had virtually nothing worthy of Ken's attention for two hours. We resolved then and there to do a thorough breakdown of the options available to today's film connoisseurs, the good and the bad, and figure out who actually uses any of them. Masochist that I am, I volunteered for the job.
Wal-Mart
Why not start with the largest DVD retailer in the world? If you're looking for new releases, very popular catalog titles, or whatever is in the deep discount bin today, you can't go wrong here. Nobody can stock a shelf quite like Sam Walton's boys and girls, so the latest and greatest is virtually guaranteed to be there at all times.
Sometimes you might have to hunt across the 200,000 square feet of the Supercenter to find the conveniently placed "hot titles" display rack you need. But you know the latest Adam Sandler masterpiece is going to be worth it. Who needs rentals when you can buy your movies for five times the price, and then get to dust the DVD rack every couple of weeks until you've forgotten what movies you have? Yeah, that's what I thought, too. Let's move on.
Blockbuster
That brings us to the raison d'êtré of this little treatise. Your average Blockbuster store, or at least those close to where I live in the Tampa Bay area, is becoming less of a movie rental venue these days. The store walls are covered in new releases by the bucketful, and the floor space in between holds about twenty chest-height display racks.
But about half of the available square footage, and half of the rack space, is occupied by video games, snack foods, and used discs for sale. I can understand the urge to feed the gamers, but all the extraneous material makes actual DVD rentals a breed threatened with extinction in here. VHS tapes are nowhere to be found, of course, but surely Little Johnny's grandma can afford a US$40 DVD player if she can handle the late fees?
Yes, the late fees. The much-publicized "no late fees" program was not universally adopted by owners of franchised stores, and even where it is in effect, it basically amounts to a "rent to own" program. Keep the movie as long as you like, but you'll eventually have to pay up and become a proud new owner of Gigli: the Extended Edition. The behind-the-scenes material alone is worth every penny.
I brought a list of 70 movies to two local stores and started checking titles off. It was a somewhat eclectic mix of Orbiting HQ favorites, quality anime, Oscar winners of various kinds, and a few international titles for that musky French spice. The results were downright depressing. Sure, they both had Kentucky Fried Movie and Fight Club. One store even carried a copy of Princess Bride, but neither had Weird Al's UHF, recent Oscar nominee Evil, or any of the anime titles. Not Noir, not Fullmetal Alchemist, not even Akira for crying out loud.
When I say they didn't have these movies, that's exactly what I mean. It's not that they were rented out; they didn't exist in those little worlds. All in all, I found 22 movies from my checklist in one store and in 23 the other. And that's mostly because I had 12 new releases on my list. I'm in a charitable mood, so I'll point out that new releases were reliably in the store. Walk the Line was closest to an exhausted supply, and there were still about a dozen copies of that one in each Blockbuster.
Have you been inside a video store lately? Our fearless leader recently had occasion to pay a visit to his local Blockbuster. When he returned to the Orbiting HQ, we couldn't tell whether he was angry, disappointed, or just having a bout with diphtheria. Maybe it was all three.
To cut a long and depressing story very short, the store didn't have what he had been looking for. In fact, it had virtually nothing worthy of Ken's attention for two hours. We resolved then and there to do a thorough breakdown of the options available to today's film connoisseurs, the good and the bad, and figure out who actually uses any of them. Masochist that I am, I volunteered for the job.
Wal-Mart
Why not start with the largest DVD retailer in the world? If you're looking for new releases, very popular catalog titles, or whatever is in the deep discount bin today, you can't go wrong here. Nobody can stock a shelf quite like Sam Walton's boys and girls, so the latest and greatest is virtually guaranteed to be there at all times.
Sometimes you might have to hunt across the 200,000 square feet of the Supercenter to find the conveniently placed "hot titles" display rack you need. But you know the latest Adam Sandler masterpiece is going to be worth it. Who needs rentals when you can buy your movies for five times the price, and then get to dust the DVD rack every couple of weeks until you've forgotten what movies you have? Yeah, that's what I thought, too. Let's move on.
Blockbuster
That brings us to the raison d'êtré of this little treatise. Your average Blockbuster store, or at least those close to where I live in the Tampa Bay area, is becoming less of a movie rental venue these days. The store walls are covered in new releases by the bucketful, and the floor space in between holds about twenty chest-height display racks.
But about half of the available square footage, and half of the rack space, is occupied by video games, snack foods, and used discs for sale. I can understand the urge to feed the gamers, but all the extraneous material makes actual DVD rentals a breed threatened with extinction in here. VHS tapes are nowhere to be found, of course, but surely Little Johnny's grandma can afford a US$40 DVD player if she can handle the late fees?
Yes, the late fees. The much-publicized "no late fees" program was not universally adopted by owners of franchised stores, and even where it is in effect, it basically amounts to a "rent to own" program. Keep the movie as long as you like, but you'll eventually have to pay up and become a proud new owner of Gigli: the Extended Edition. The behind-the-scenes material alone is worth every penny.
I brought a list of 70 movies to two local stores and started checking titles off. It was a somewhat eclectic mix of Orbiting HQ favorites, quality anime, Oscar winners of various kinds, and a few international titles for that musky French spice. The results were downright depressing. Sure, they both had Kentucky Fried Movie and Fight Club. One store even carried a copy of Princess Bride, but neither had Weird Al's UHF, recent Oscar nominee Evil, or any of the anime titles. Not Noir, not Fullmetal Alchemist, not even Akira for crying out loud.
When I say they didn't have these movies, that's exactly what I mean. It's not that they were rented out; they didn't exist in those little worlds. All in all, I found 22 movies from my checklist in one store and in 23 the other. And that's mostly because I had 12 new releases on my list. I'm in a charitable mood, so I'll point out that new releases were reliably in the store. Walk the Line was closest to an exhausted supply, and there were still about a dozen copies of that one in each Blockbuster.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
London Theater Directory
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London Theatre directory
Theatre links for London's vibrant entertainment scene, including attractions and accommodation.
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External Resources:
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1st 4 London Theatre Tickets
Book tickets to all the popular musicals and plays in London.
http://www.1st4londontheatre.co.uk
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Bmyconcierge.com
London Specialists For Theatre Tickets, Sightseeing, Restaurants And Hotels.
http://www.bmyconcierge.com/
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Book London Theatre Tickets
Real time and secure booking for discounted London theatre tickets directly through the West End reservation system, with seat locations confirmed before your purchase.
http://www.bookyourtickets.co.uk
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Easy Theatre Tickets - Discounted Theatre Tickets
Discounted Theatre Tickets, Attractions and Tours
http://www.easytheatretickets.com
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Hit The Theatre
Hit The Theatre gets young people interested in seeing West End shows. 16 to 28. Tickets are discounted and some of the hottest shows are cheaper with Hit The Theatre than anywhere else.
http://www.hitthetheatre.co.uk/
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Key2theatre
London theatre tickets available online -London theatre tickets
http://www.key2theatre.co.uk/
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London Theatre Breaks
Theatre breaks in London with luxury and style. All the latest and best shows in London coupled with a large choice of hotels. Online booking with instant confirmation.
http://www.londoncitytheatre.co.uk/
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London Theatre Breaks
Directory for theatre breaks in London, theatreland hotels and theatre tickets.
http://www.theatrelandhotels.com/
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London Theatre Breaks from Show and Stay
London theatre breaks include top show tickets and hotel stays, enjoy West End shows including Oliver, Dirty Dancing and Billy Elliot at great prices.
http://www.show-and-stay.co.uk/
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London Theatre Breaks news
London Theatre Breaks news and blog for West End shows, news, reviews, theatres and attractions. Information for theatre breaks in London.
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre
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London Theatre directory
Theatre links for London's vibrant entertainment scene, including attractions and accommodation.
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Do you love Greater London? Help us make the UK Travel Guide the very best resource for this and all UK travel and heritage related information. Suggest a website for inclusion in this category
External Resources:
Suggest changes
1st 4 London Theatre Tickets
Book tickets to all the popular musicals and plays in London.
http://www.1st4londontheatre.co.uk
Suggest changes
Bmyconcierge.com
London Specialists For Theatre Tickets, Sightseeing, Restaurants And Hotels.
http://www.bmyconcierge.com/
Suggest changes
Book London Theatre Tickets
Real time and secure booking for discounted London theatre tickets directly through the West End reservation system, with seat locations confirmed before your purchase.
http://www.bookyourtickets.co.uk
Suggest changes
Easy Theatre Tickets - Discounted Theatre Tickets
Discounted Theatre Tickets, Attractions and Tours
http://www.easytheatretickets.com
Suggest changes
Hit The Theatre
Hit The Theatre gets young people interested in seeing West End shows. 16 to 28. Tickets are discounted and some of the hottest shows are cheaper with Hit The Theatre than anywhere else.
http://www.hitthetheatre.co.uk/
Suggest changes
Key2theatre
London theatre tickets available online -London theatre tickets
http://www.key2theatre.co.uk/
Suggest changes
London Theatre Breaks
Theatre breaks in London with luxury and style. All the latest and best shows in London coupled with a large choice of hotels. Online booking with instant confirmation.
http://www.londoncitytheatre.co.uk/
Suggest changes
London Theatre Breaks
Directory for theatre breaks in London, theatreland hotels and theatre tickets.
http://www.theatrelandhotels.com/
Suggest changes
London Theatre Breaks from Show and Stay
London theatre breaks include top show tickets and hotel stays, enjoy West End shows including Oliver, Dirty Dancing and Billy Elliot at great prices.
http://www.show-and-stay.co.uk/
Suggest changes
London Theatre Breaks news
London Theatre Breaks news and blog for West End shows, news, reviews, theatres and attractions. Information for theatre breaks in London.
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com Review
Walt Disney Pictures, star Nicolas Cage, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub, the team behind the National Treasure franchise, reunite for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Inspired by the eponymous short in Disney's 1940 masterpiece Fantasia, the film stars Cage as Balthazar Blake, a centuries-old master sorcerer who has been searching for the next Merlin since, well, the days of Merlin. He finds this archetypal chosen one in the person of young New Yorker Dave Stutler (played as an adult by Jay Baruchel).
Dave first encounters the eccentric immortal when, as a 10-year-old student, he stumbles into Balthazar's occult shop. Before the skittish kid can flee the shop, Balthazar convinces Dave to try on a special ring -- one adorned with a dragon. If the dragon likes you, Balthazar promises him, you can keep it. As soon as young Dave puts it on, the dragon comes alive and wraps around his finger to form the ring's band.
Like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, Dave has passed the test and is revealed to be the one Balthazar has long sought. Unfortunately, Dave's a geeky klutz and accidentally unleashes Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), an urbane, sinister sorcerer and Balthazar's longtime arch-enemy. Balthazar saves Dave by magically sealing himself and Horvath inside an urn, but promises that he'll find Dave again one day.
Walt Disney Pictures, star Nicolas Cage, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub, the team behind the National Treasure franchise, reunite for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Inspired by the eponymous short in Disney's 1940 masterpiece Fantasia, the film stars Cage as Balthazar Blake, a centuries-old master sorcerer who has been searching for the next Merlin since, well, the days of Merlin. He finds this archetypal chosen one in the person of young New Yorker Dave Stutler (played as an adult by Jay Baruchel).
Dave first encounters the eccentric immortal when, as a 10-year-old student, he stumbles into Balthazar's occult shop. Before the skittish kid can flee the shop, Balthazar convinces Dave to try on a special ring -- one adorned with a dragon. If the dragon likes you, Balthazar promises him, you can keep it. As soon as young Dave puts it on, the dragon comes alive and wraps around his finger to form the ring's band.
Like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, Dave has passed the test and is revealed to be the one Balthazar has long sought. Unfortunately, Dave's a geeky klutz and accidentally unleashes Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), an urbane, sinister sorcerer and Balthazar's longtime arch-enemy. Balthazar saves Dave by magically sealing himself and Horvath inside an urn, but promises that he'll find Dave again one day.
Dave first encounters the eccentric immortal when, as a 10-year-old student, he stumbles into Balthazar's occult shop. Before the skittish kid can flee the shop, Balthazar convinces Dave to try on a special ring -- one adorned with a dragon. If the dragon likes you, Balthazar promises him, you can keep it. As soon as young Dave puts it on, the dragon comes alive and wraps around his finger to form the ring's band.
Like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, Dave has passed the test and is revealed to be the one Balthazar has long sought. Unfortunately, Dave's a geeky klutz and accidentally unleashes Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), an urbane, sinister sorcerer and Balthazar's longtime arch-enemy. Balthazar saves Dave by magically sealing himself and Horvath inside an urn, but promises that he'll find Dave again one day.
Walt Disney Pictures, star Nicolas Cage, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub, the team behind the National Treasure franchise, reunite for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Inspired by the eponymous short in Disney's 1940 masterpiece Fantasia, the film stars Cage as Balthazar Blake, a centuries-old master sorcerer who has been searching for the next Merlin since, well, the days of Merlin. He finds this archetypal chosen one in the person of young New Yorker Dave Stutler (played as an adult by Jay Baruchel).
Dave first encounters the eccentric immortal when, as a 10-year-old student, he stumbles into Balthazar's occult shop. Before the skittish kid can flee the shop, Balthazar convinces Dave to try on a special ring -- one adorned with a dragon. If the dragon likes you, Balthazar promises him, you can keep it. As soon as young Dave puts it on, the dragon comes alive and wraps around his finger to form the ring's band.
Like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, Dave has passed the test and is revealed to be the one Balthazar has long sought. Unfortunately, Dave's a geeky klutz and accidentally unleashes Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), an urbane, sinister sorcerer and Balthazar's longtime arch-enemy. Balthazar saves Dave by magically sealing himself and Horvath inside an urn, but promises that he'll find Dave again one day.
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Movie Plot
Plot
The thing that Moves Your Story
The plot is the main plan of your story. It is the engine that drives the story forward on course. It is the hook, or mystery, or engaging "what if" that interests the viewer. The interest grabbing plot of the example story, Prom Date is Shaun's desire to date Laura. His desire for a date and his shyness make him do all the things he does. This part will be more understandable if you read the example story.
The plot extends to include all the things that make the story work. Tim's deceitful ways are part of the plot. Dave's knowledge is part of the plot. Colin is part of the plot.
Plot is the most important part of a screenplay and is an integral part of the story. You can write out the plot, or you can weave the tangled web in your head. But you should know the basic plot.
The easiest way to plot a story is to know two things: What your characters want, and what the situation is. When the characters are put in a situation, they are going to start working to get what they want. For example, if Shaun wants a date for the prom, and Tim wants a date for the prom, and they're both interested in the same girl, what are they going to do? Shaun goes directly for the girl (through Tim), but Tim takes the indirect deceitful route. Complicate things by throwing in some obstacles, like Dave and Colin, and you have a story.
Plotting a story can be a lot of fun. You keep asking yourself, "What would this character do in this situation?" or, "What would happen if this happened?" And you continue throwing your characters into worse and worse situations until they finally cave in or conquer the problem. It's fun to ask others what they think someone would do. You'll find by discussing it with others you'll get a lot of ideas and write a more believable screenplay. Start getting your ideas on paper as soon as possible. This helps solidify them so they don't drift around in space forever.
Part of the problem with plotting is that once you have planned your story through to the end, you know the ending and the thrill of discovery is finished for you. The way to avoid this is to remember that each scene is a little story in itself, so you have several little stories to write for your screenplay.
Hint: The mad rush to get it written can work in your favor. Instead of writing full scenes, write brief paragraphs about what is going to happen in the scenes or acts, so you get a brief sketch of the entire story on paper. There are always some great scenes you will want to write right away, so do it. This way the character's motivations can still drive the story, but not get out of control. (I use this method because it's more fun for me, and works well for me. This form of writing is called a "treatment," and is used by many writers.) Then the challenge is to make each scene develop into a powerful scene.
The thing that Moves Your Story
The plot is the main plan of your story. It is the engine that drives the story forward on course. It is the hook, or mystery, or engaging "what if" that interests the viewer. The interest grabbing plot of the example story, Prom Date is Shaun's desire to date Laura. His desire for a date and his shyness make him do all the things he does. This part will be more understandable if you read the example story.
The plot extends to include all the things that make the story work. Tim's deceitful ways are part of the plot. Dave's knowledge is part of the plot. Colin is part of the plot.
Plot is the most important part of a screenplay and is an integral part of the story. You can write out the plot, or you can weave the tangled web in your head. But you should know the basic plot.
The easiest way to plot a story is to know two things: What your characters want, and what the situation is. When the characters are put in a situation, they are going to start working to get what they want. For example, if Shaun wants a date for the prom, and Tim wants a date for the prom, and they're both interested in the same girl, what are they going to do? Shaun goes directly for the girl (through Tim), but Tim takes the indirect deceitful route. Complicate things by throwing in some obstacles, like Dave and Colin, and you have a story.
Plotting a story can be a lot of fun. You keep asking yourself, "What would this character do in this situation?" or, "What would happen if this happened?" And you continue throwing your characters into worse and worse situations until they finally cave in or conquer the problem. It's fun to ask others what they think someone would do. You'll find by discussing it with others you'll get a lot of ideas and write a more believable screenplay. Start getting your ideas on paper as soon as possible. This helps solidify them so they don't drift around in space forever.
Part of the problem with plotting is that once you have planned your story through to the end, you know the ending and the thrill of discovery is finished for you. The way to avoid this is to remember that each scene is a little story in itself, so you have several little stories to write for your screenplay.
Hint: The mad rush to get it written can work in your favor. Instead of writing full scenes, write brief paragraphs about what is going to happen in the scenes or acts, so you get a brief sketch of the entire story on paper. There are always some great scenes you will want to write right away, so do it. This way the character's motivations can still drive the story, but not get out of control. (I use this method because it's more fun for me, and works well for me. This form of writing is called a "treatment," and is used by many writers.) Then the challenge is to make each scene develop into a powerful scene.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Salt Movie Review
After spending the last decade trying to reinvent classic genres or cash in on toy franchises, the people responsible for Hollywood's blockbusters have forgotten how to make something they used to excel at: popcorn movies that can actually thrill adults. Luckily for us Phillip Noyce never forgot, and he's back in fine form with Salt, a movie more like his early 90s spy landmarks A Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games than anything that's come since. Salt feels old-fashioned in all the right ways, from its Cold War paranoia to a refreshing lack of technology; anchored by a fierce performance from Angelina Jolie and running at a swift 100 minutes, it's everything you could ask for from a summer movie.
The premise would have seemed preposterous until a few weeks ago, when 11 accused Russian spies were arrested in New York, but even so it takes a while to embrace the idea that CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie), accused of being a Russian mole, must go on the run in order to prove her innocence and learn her true identity. She flees not just because her hard-nosed superior Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) doesn't believe her and her fellow spy pal Winter (Liev Schreiber) can't convince him otherwise, but she fears for the safety of her gentle German-born husband (August Diehl), an arachnologist who was once tough enough to bust Salt out of a North Korean prison, but apparently doesn't have what it takes to stand up against the CIA. Or the KGB. Or both.
For, you see, Salt isn't just an innocent woman on the run. As we learn in a series of flashbacks and convoluted speeches, her loyalties may be more compromised than you would expect from a woman who lives in D.C. and wears tailored suits to work. While Salt's heroism is never really in doubt-- she's played by Angelina Jolie, after all-- Kurt Wimmer's script deftly plays with our trust of the character, constantly doling out new information that shifts our perspective, and allowing Salt to commit pretty impressive feats of violence without exactly knowing why she's on the attack. All this shifting would be frustrating if it weren't for Peabody and Winter, two more potential heroes on Salt's tail, both of whom also earn and lose our trust throughout the film. The script is fairly shallow when it comes to delving into character emotions and leaves some major plot turns unexplored, but it pulls off a pretty neat trick of presenting three characters who can be villains and heroes simultaneously.
Noyce keeps all the plates spinning marvelously, executing hair-raising action sequences-- particularly one of Jolie jumping from car to car on the freeway, and an brutal fight scene on a barge-- and walk-and-talk politics with equal confidence. He tosses in a little of the Greengrass-inspired shaky cam during some fight sequences, but unlike nearly everyone else who mimics that style, Noyce can actually pull it off. Jolie has brought on board her longtime stunt coordinator Simon Crane, and she's never looked more convincing as both a badass and a human being. Noyce's confidence in his leading lady (the two collaborated ten years ago on The Bone Collector), combined with Robert Elswit's fluid cinematography and Crane's fearless stunt choreography, invent Salt as a believably female Bourne or even Bond. At 35 Jolie is a little older than the typical female action hero, but that makes Salt all the more compelling as she repeatedly pulls off the impossible in her battle against the world.
The premise would have seemed preposterous until a few weeks ago, when 11 accused Russian spies were arrested in New York, but even so it takes a while to embrace the idea that CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie), accused of being a Russian mole, must go on the run in order to prove her innocence and learn her true identity. She flees not just because her hard-nosed superior Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) doesn't believe her and her fellow spy pal Winter (Liev Schreiber) can't convince him otherwise, but she fears for the safety of her gentle German-born husband (August Diehl), an arachnologist who was once tough enough to bust Salt out of a North Korean prison, but apparently doesn't have what it takes to stand up against the CIA. Or the KGB. Or both.
For, you see, Salt isn't just an innocent woman on the run. As we learn in a series of flashbacks and convoluted speeches, her loyalties may be more compromised than you would expect from a woman who lives in D.C. and wears tailored suits to work. While Salt's heroism is never really in doubt-- she's played by Angelina Jolie, after all-- Kurt Wimmer's script deftly plays with our trust of the character, constantly doling out new information that shifts our perspective, and allowing Salt to commit pretty impressive feats of violence without exactly knowing why she's on the attack. All this shifting would be frustrating if it weren't for Peabody and Winter, two more potential heroes on Salt's tail, both of whom also earn and lose our trust throughout the film. The script is fairly shallow when it comes to delving into character emotions and leaves some major plot turns unexplored, but it pulls off a pretty neat trick of presenting three characters who can be villains and heroes simultaneously.
Noyce keeps all the plates spinning marvelously, executing hair-raising action sequences-- particularly one of Jolie jumping from car to car on the freeway, and an brutal fight scene on a barge-- and walk-and-talk politics with equal confidence. He tosses in a little of the Greengrass-inspired shaky cam during some fight sequences, but unlike nearly everyone else who mimics that style, Noyce can actually pull it off. Jolie has brought on board her longtime stunt coordinator Simon Crane, and she's never looked more convincing as both a badass and a human being. Noyce's confidence in his leading lady (the two collaborated ten years ago on The Bone Collector), combined with Robert Elswit's fluid cinematography and Crane's fearless stunt choreography, invent Salt as a believably female Bourne or even Bond. At 35 Jolie is a little older than the typical female action hero, but that makes Salt all the more compelling as she repeatedly pulls off the impossible in her battle against the world.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
how to buy a laptop
Buying a computer is always an exercise in compromise. When you're deciding whether a budget-priced PC will match your power and expandability needs, the answer depends on how many concessions you're willing to make.
To help with your decision, we put seven sub-$750 desktop PCs (each came with a monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard) and five sub-$1000 laptops--including those from the major brands--through their paces in the PC World Test Center. As always, we tested performance in productivity applications using our WorldBench 6 Beta 2 benchmark and evaluated the gaming capabilities--such as they were--of each system using Doom 3 and Far Cry test scripts at a variety of resolutions. We also compiled a reality check of key budget-PC trade-offs: See "What Does $1000 Really Buy?". Finally, look for our in-depth reviews for each model at the links on the next page, plus rankings, specifications, and test scores for all of the Top 5 desktops and laptops in this story.
Windows Shopping
All the desktops and laptops we tested shipped with Windows Vista--usually the 32-bit version of Vista Home Premium, which costs about $100 if you were to buy it separately. Sys Technology's $708 Sys SlimLine Si200 desktop and Toshiba's $699 Satellite Pro A210-EZ2201 laptop came with the less expensive (roughly $70) Vista Home Basic. Among other things, Basic lacks support for the Aero environment and its translucent effects. Two models--Acer's $748 Veriton VM460-UD2180C desktop and Fujitsu's $899 LifeBook S7211 laptop--had Vista Business, which retails for about $120; it lacks Vista Home's Parental Controls but adds office-centric extras such as full Remote Desktop support and Rights Management Services.
Despite boasting more expansion room than most value PCs have, the Acer Veriton wasn't as well equipped as competing desktops that cost less, so it missed our Top 5 chart. Also missing the cut was HP's $719 Pavilion Slimline s3300z. It sports the same ultracompact design as other models in HP's Slimline series and uses an energy-efficient 1.9-GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 BE-2300 processor, but its unexceptional speed and limited expansion options were big drawbacks.
Rating Performance
Finally, you may notice that our charts provide context for a system's WorldBench 6 Beta 2 performance numbers by describing the result on a word scale: Superior, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. Though a sub-$1000 desktop that scores 77 in WorldBench 6 may deserve its Superior performance rating when compared with similarly priced machines--which is what we've done in this roundup--it's important to remember that if it were compared against power desktops, where price is no objection and WorldBench 6 Beta 2 results over 120 are common, then that sub-$1000 PC's performance word score would drop to Poor. Performance results should always be kept in proper perspective.
To help with your decision, we put seven sub-$750 desktop PCs (each came with a monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard) and five sub-$1000 laptops--including those from the major brands--through their paces in the PC World Test Center. As always, we tested performance in productivity applications using our WorldBench 6 Beta 2 benchmark and evaluated the gaming capabilities--such as they were--of each system using Doom 3 and Far Cry test scripts at a variety of resolutions. We also compiled a reality check of key budget-PC trade-offs: See "What Does $1000 Really Buy?". Finally, look for our in-depth reviews for each model at the links on the next page, plus rankings, specifications, and test scores for all of the Top 5 desktops and laptops in this story.
Windows Shopping
All the desktops and laptops we tested shipped with Windows Vista--usually the 32-bit version of Vista Home Premium, which costs about $100 if you were to buy it separately. Sys Technology's $708 Sys SlimLine Si200 desktop and Toshiba's $699 Satellite Pro A210-EZ2201 laptop came with the less expensive (roughly $70) Vista Home Basic. Among other things, Basic lacks support for the Aero environment and its translucent effects. Two models--Acer's $748 Veriton VM460-UD2180C desktop and Fujitsu's $899 LifeBook S7211 laptop--had Vista Business, which retails for about $120; it lacks Vista Home's Parental Controls but adds office-centric extras such as full Remote Desktop support and Rights Management Services.
Despite boasting more expansion room than most value PCs have, the Acer Veriton wasn't as well equipped as competing desktops that cost less, so it missed our Top 5 chart. Also missing the cut was HP's $719 Pavilion Slimline s3300z. It sports the same ultracompact design as other models in HP's Slimline series and uses an energy-efficient 1.9-GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 BE-2300 processor, but its unexceptional speed and limited expansion options were big drawbacks.
Rating Performance
Finally, you may notice that our charts provide context for a system's WorldBench 6 Beta 2 performance numbers by describing the result on a word scale: Superior, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. Though a sub-$1000 desktop that scores 77 in WorldBench 6 may deserve its Superior performance rating when compared with similarly priced machines--which is what we've done in this roundup--it's important to remember that if it were compared against power desktops, where price is no objection and WorldBench 6 Beta 2 results over 120 are common, then that sub-$1000 PC's performance word score would drop to Poor. Performance results should always be kept in proper perspective.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Promises promises - Broadway Theater
It's Manhattan. It's the '60s. And the city is back in full swing, in Broadway's first-ever revival of Promises, Promise - starring Emmy® Award winner Sean Hayes as the enterprising associate on the way up, and Kristin Chenoweth as the cafeteria waitress whose romantic troubles have got her down.
Don't miss this smart and sexy musical based on the Oscar®-winning Billy Wilder film, The Apartment.
The creative team is a perfect cocktail: a splashy score by the Academy Award®-winning team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, including such songs as "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and the straight-up swinging title tune.
Add a book that takes turns tickling your funny bone and breaking your heart, courtesy of the legendary Neil Simon.
Top it all off with a sparkling blend of direction and choreography by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Rob Ashford - and you've got an intoxicating evening of Broadway magic.
Dates
Previews from 27th March 2010
Opening night 25th April 2010
Audience: Promises, Promises is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Don't miss this smart and sexy musical based on the Oscar®-winning Billy Wilder film, The Apartment.
The creative team is a perfect cocktail: a splashy score by the Academy Award®-winning team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, including such songs as "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and the straight-up swinging title tune.
Add a book that takes turns tickling your funny bone and breaking your heart, courtesy of the legendary Neil Simon.
Top it all off with a sparkling blend of direction and choreography by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Rob Ashford - and you've got an intoxicating evening of Broadway magic.
Dates
Previews from 27th March 2010
Opening night 25th April 2010
Audience: Promises, Promises is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Belly Dancing
Discover the Art of Belly Dance
Visionary Belly Dance has been in business since 1985. Consumed by our bliss to perform, teach, inspire, praise dancers and elevate the Art of Belly Dance around the world. We strive daily to bring dancers authentic techniques, principals of performance, and the philosophy of independent dancing while reinforcing healthy body image and self esteem values.
_____________________________________________
We Sell Instructional Belly Dance DVDs
Power Belly Dance Weight Belts
Now, Bringing You Weekly Power Belly Workouts Online!
E-Studio_btnThe Power Belly Show is experiential, in that you can dance along with Delilah just like you are in class, but from your own home! Musician, Erik Brown, and his band mates from House of Tarab, will provide live music. What this means for the avid belly dance enthusiast is you can “check in” to our dance studio and enjoy our most popular belly dance class online at your convenience, from anywhere, any time. On our show you will enjoy guest star dancers and musicians. The Power Belly Show 2 disc set is available as a belly dance DVD
Hawaii Belly Dance Retreats!
In January 2011, Join Delilah and her staff on an 6 day belly dance retreat in Hawaii. This dance gives women a sense of physical freedom, autonomy and a way of celebrating womanhood. We feel it is important to make these valuable opportunities available in today’s world. Come dedicate some uninterrupted time to this dance that means so much to your life.
Visionary Belly Dance has been in business since 1985. Consumed by our bliss to perform, teach, inspire, praise dancers and elevate the Art of Belly Dance around the world. We strive daily to bring dancers authentic techniques, principals of performance, and the philosophy of independent dancing while reinforcing healthy body image and self esteem values.
_____________________________________________
We Sell Instructional Belly Dance DVDs
Power Belly Dance Weight Belts
Now, Bringing You Weekly Power Belly Workouts Online!
E-Studio_btnThe Power Belly Show is experiential, in that you can dance along with Delilah just like you are in class, but from your own home! Musician, Erik Brown, and his band mates from House of Tarab, will provide live music. What this means for the avid belly dance enthusiast is you can “check in” to our dance studio and enjoy our most popular belly dance class online at your convenience, from anywhere, any time. On our show you will enjoy guest star dancers and musicians. The Power Belly Show 2 disc set is available as a belly dance DVD
Hawaii Belly Dance Retreats!
In January 2011, Join Delilah and her staff on an 6 day belly dance retreat in Hawaii. This dance gives women a sense of physical freedom, autonomy and a way of celebrating womanhood. We feel it is important to make these valuable opportunities available in today’s world. Come dedicate some uninterrupted time to this dance that means so much to your life.
Friday, July 23, 2010
newyork theater guide
Twyla Tharp matches her choreography to the mood and emotion of a host of Sinatra songs - sung by the Chairman of the Board backed by an onstage band.
COME FLY AWAY follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub.
Blending the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on stage 19-piece big band and 15 of the world's finest dancers, COME FLY AWAY weaves an unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My Way," and "That's Life" into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and seduction.
The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives along with signature arrangements (Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Quincy Jones) as well as brand new charts for this fresh innovative musical.
COME FLY AWAY follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub.
Blending the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on stage 19-piece big band and 15 of the world's finest dancers, COME FLY AWAY weaves an unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My Way," and "That's Life" into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and seduction.
The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives along with signature arrangements (Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Quincy Jones) as well as brand new charts for this fresh innovative musical.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
American Idiots
American Idiots by moviesanddramas.blogspot.com
Green Day won two Grammys for its multi-platinum album American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
Now those searing songs seize the stage with the director behind Spring Awakening, the groundbreaking musical that earned eight Tony Awards and enthralled audiences around the world.
American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration.
This high-octane show features every track from the album, plus several new tunes from Green Day’s newest release, 21st Century Breakdown. With an on-stage band and a cast of 19, American Idiot will take you on an exhilarating journey borne along by Green Day’s electrifying songs.
Please note: This is not a Green Day concert - this is the stage version of American Idiot developed by Green Day and Michael Mayer. Although the band will not appear on stage, the show will definitely rock.
Dates
Previews from 24th March 2010
Opening night 20th April 2010
Audience: American idiot is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards (Strong language and simulated drug use).
Run time: 95 minutes with no intermission
Green Day won two Grammys for its multi-platinum album American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
Now those searing songs seize the stage with the director behind Spring Awakening, the groundbreaking musical that earned eight Tony Awards and enthralled audiences around the world.
American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration.
This high-octane show features every track from the album, plus several new tunes from Green Day’s newest release, 21st Century Breakdown. With an on-stage band and a cast of 19, American Idiot will take you on an exhilarating journey borne along by Green Day’s electrifying songs.
Please note: This is not a Green Day concert - this is the stage version of American Idiot developed by Green Day and Michael Mayer. Although the band will not appear on stage, the show will definitely rock.
Dates
Previews from 24th March 2010
Opening night 20th April 2010
Audience: American idiot is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards (Strong language and simulated drug use).
Run time: 95 minutes with no intermission
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents review on Henry IV Play:
Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents review on Henry IV Play:
The two plays tell the story of Henry IV and his struggles against some of his rebellious subjects. In effect, these plays are about political squabbling – apparently nothing much has changed since the 15th century, the time when these plays are set. Henry IV (Henry Bolingbroke) usurped the English throne from Richard II helped along the way by a number of chums among the nobility who, by the time part 1 starts, are getting belligerent because they don't think they've had their fair share of the spoils. Cue insurrection and rebellion involving the English, Welsh as well as the Scots. At the start though, King Henry lacks the support of his eldest son, Prince Hal, who prefers carousing with his drunken pals – including Sir John Falstaff - in Eastcheap. However, when confronted by the King, Hal dutifully joins the battle and the rebels are eventually defeated.
The Globe's artistic director, Dominic Dromgoole is in charge for this historical epic that unfolds over the course of six hours (more or less three hours for each part). It's a hugely challenging production to mount for both director and cast alike, and Dromgoole rightly resists the temptation to tinker with the setting, leaving it squarely where it belongs in the 15th century. Dromgoole has subtly achieved the essential balance between the drama of political intrigue at court and on the battlefield, and the humour of the tavern. Dromgoole's seamless creative vision incorporates dance and singing into the theatrical mix, and the result is enjoyable, entertaining and authentic.
Falstaff is one of Shakespeare's great characters. Large in almost every sense, he's a drinker, time waster and liar, and is not averse to resorting to theft when there are easy pickings. In fact, there's not much in him which should make him appealing or likeable, but nevertheless he is. Roger Allam is one of our finest actors and here gives us a first-class, innovative interpretation of Falstaff. The trick in playing Falstaff is to convince us that Sir John has two main character traits. On the one hand, he's intelligently eloquent, while on the other hand he's something of a scoundrel. Though he may appear a buffoon, he's certainly no fool and that's how Allam chooses to play him. Many actors don huge amounts of padding to enlarge their stomachs when playing Falstaff, but Allam uses very little, not because he's in any way corpulent, but he does have the stature to realise a larger-than-life character. And what Falstaff does and says is more important than mere physical characteristics. Allam's comic timing is impeccable, wringing out the last morsel of humour from a line with careful use of pauses.
There's great support from the entire cast – many of whom have several character roles to tackle. Sam Crane is the virile, hot-headed Hotspur, the irrepressible soldier who can barely control his temper, and for whom fighting is almost a way of life – even his vivacious wife (Lorna Stuart) comes a very poor second in his affections. Jamie Parker is Prince Hal, the toff who fools around with the scoundrels at the tavern for amusement, but who nevertheless harbours a desire for power, and is able to drop is low-life friends when he eventually becomes king. And Oliver Cotton is the authoritative King Henry who, in spite of failing health, manages to beat off his foes and eventually achieve reconciliation with his eldest son and successor.
The two plays tell the story of Henry IV and his struggles against some of his rebellious subjects. In effect, these plays are about political squabbling – apparently nothing much has changed since the 15th century, the time when these plays are set. Henry IV (Henry Bolingbroke) usurped the English throne from Richard II helped along the way by a number of chums among the nobility who, by the time part 1 starts, are getting belligerent because they don't think they've had their fair share of the spoils. Cue insurrection and rebellion involving the English, Welsh as well as the Scots. At the start though, King Henry lacks the support of his eldest son, Prince Hal, who prefers carousing with his drunken pals – including Sir John Falstaff - in Eastcheap. However, when confronted by the King, Hal dutifully joins the battle and the rebels are eventually defeated.
The Globe's artistic director, Dominic Dromgoole is in charge for this historical epic that unfolds over the course of six hours (more or less three hours for each part). It's a hugely challenging production to mount for both director and cast alike, and Dromgoole rightly resists the temptation to tinker with the setting, leaving it squarely where it belongs in the 15th century. Dromgoole has subtly achieved the essential balance between the drama of political intrigue at court and on the battlefield, and the humour of the tavern. Dromgoole's seamless creative vision incorporates dance and singing into the theatrical mix, and the result is enjoyable, entertaining and authentic.
Falstaff is one of Shakespeare's great characters. Large in almost every sense, he's a drinker, time waster and liar, and is not averse to resorting to theft when there are easy pickings. In fact, there's not much in him which should make him appealing or likeable, but nevertheless he is. Roger Allam is one of our finest actors and here gives us a first-class, innovative interpretation of Falstaff. The trick in playing Falstaff is to convince us that Sir John has two main character traits. On the one hand, he's intelligently eloquent, while on the other hand he's something of a scoundrel. Though he may appear a buffoon, he's certainly no fool and that's how Allam chooses to play him. Many actors don huge amounts of padding to enlarge their stomachs when playing Falstaff, but Allam uses very little, not because he's in any way corpulent, but he does have the stature to realise a larger-than-life character. And what Falstaff does and says is more important than mere physical characteristics. Allam's comic timing is impeccable, wringing out the last morsel of humour from a line with careful use of pauses.
There's great support from the entire cast – many of whom have several character roles to tackle. Sam Crane is the virile, hot-headed Hotspur, the irrepressible soldier who can barely control his temper, and for whom fighting is almost a way of life – even his vivacious wife (Lorna Stuart) comes a very poor second in his affections. Jamie Parker is Prince Hal, the toff who fools around with the scoundrels at the tavern for amusement, but who nevertheless harbours a desire for power, and is able to drop is low-life friends when he eventually becomes king. And Oliver Cotton is the authoritative King Henry who, in spite of failing health, manages to beat off his foes and eventually achieve reconciliation with his eldest son and successor.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Lion King musical Theater
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.
The musical debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre, and was an instant success before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, where it is still running.[1] It is now Broadway's eighth longest-running show in history.
The show debuted in the West End's Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1999 and is still running. The cast of the West End production were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2008 at the London Palladium on December 11, in the presence of senior members of the British Royal Family.[2]
The musical debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre, and was an instant success before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, where it is still running.[1] It is now Broadway's eighth longest-running show in history.
The show debuted in the West End's Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1999 and is still running. The cast of the West End production were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2008 at the London Palladium on December 11, in the presence of senior members of the British Royal Family.[2]
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tropicana Hotel and Resort Atlantic City
The Rumba Lounge
Rumba Lounge: Located on the Casino Floor
There’s more fun as you play your favorite bar-top video poker slots along with great drinks served by a friendly staff. And all of this is just steps away from exciting table game action! The Rumba Lounge is open 7 days a week so you always know there’s a place you can go when you want a refreshing drink or jolt of excitement. It features a full panoramic view of the pulse-pounding action on the surrounding gaming floor along with Plasma TVs throughout so you never miss any of the action from your favorite sporting events. Every weekend, we offer the kind of exciting entertainment that keeps you coming back for more, including DJs and the Rumba Dancers every Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm to 2am.
Tropicana Table Games
From the classic table games of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Baccarat, to the newest games like 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus and Let It Ride. Tropicana Atlantic City Casino's offerings are the best in nonstop table excitement. Looking for some action? Try your luck at our new Tango's gaming pit located just outside of Tango's bar. Experience live music and all of the excitement of The Quarter has to offer.
Tropicana Asian Games
Visit Tropicana's Jade Palace, located on the casino floor and steeped in Asian ambience. We offer the most exciting and authentic Asian games that Atlantic City casinos have to offer, including the very fast-paced Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow poker, and, the heartbeat of Jade Palace, Pai Gow Tiles. Stop by Ping's Noodle Bar, where our gaming patrons enjoy steaming bowls of noodles and other delicious Asian cuisine.
Awarded Best Baccarat/Mini-Baccarat
Casino Player Magazine
Tropicana Poker
The Tropicana Poker room is one of the largest of all casinos in Atlantic City and there's action 24 hours a day. Enjoy playing one of our many Hold’em structures or enter into one of our two daily tournaments.
Rumba Lounge: Located on the Casino Floor
There’s more fun as you play your favorite bar-top video poker slots along with great drinks served by a friendly staff. And all of this is just steps away from exciting table game action! The Rumba Lounge is open 7 days a week so you always know there’s a place you can go when you want a refreshing drink or jolt of excitement. It features a full panoramic view of the pulse-pounding action on the surrounding gaming floor along with Plasma TVs throughout so you never miss any of the action from your favorite sporting events. Every weekend, we offer the kind of exciting entertainment that keeps you coming back for more, including DJs and the Rumba Dancers every Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm to 2am.
Tropicana Table Games
From the classic table games of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Baccarat, to the newest games like 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus and Let It Ride. Tropicana Atlantic City Casino's offerings are the best in nonstop table excitement. Looking for some action? Try your luck at our new Tango's gaming pit located just outside of Tango's bar. Experience live music and all of the excitement of The Quarter has to offer.
Tropicana Asian Games
Visit Tropicana's Jade Palace, located on the casino floor and steeped in Asian ambience. We offer the most exciting and authentic Asian games that Atlantic City casinos have to offer, including the very fast-paced Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow poker, and, the heartbeat of Jade Palace, Pai Gow Tiles. Stop by Ping's Noodle Bar, where our gaming patrons enjoy steaming bowls of noodles and other delicious Asian cuisine.
Awarded Best Baccarat/Mini-Baccarat
Casino Player Magazine
Tropicana Poker
The Tropicana Poker room is one of the largest of all casinos in Atlantic City and there's action 24 hours a day. Enjoy playing one of our many Hold’em structures or enter into one of our two daily tournaments.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Mama Mia Theater article by moviesanddramas.blogspot.com
Mama Mia Theater article by moviesanddramas.blogspot.com
Mamma Mia! is an old-fashioned book musical written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, loosely based on the 1968 movie Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell. Proudly independent Donna Sheridan (Louise Pitre), once a semihippie rock singer, has raised her daughter, Sophie (Tina Maddigan), alone. Now Sophie's getting married, and in an attempt to meet her real father she's invited three of her mother's former boyfriends to the wedding on a Greek island. Among the foreseeable scenes of drama, comedy, and pathos, Johnson has found room for 22 ABBA songs, much the same way that recent musicals Crazy for You and My One and Only created new uses for old Gershwin tunes.
Although the lyrics are uniformly insipid and fit the story about as well as those from any 1930s Rodgers and Hart musical (which is just barely), for those of us who grew up with ABBA, there's something thrilling about hearing "SOS SOS, code letters of the international distress signal. The signal is expressed in International Morse code as … — — — … (three dots, three dashes, three dots). " and "Take a Chance on Me" blasting from a Broadway stage. Some of Anthony Van Laast's choreography is pretty campy, and one of the would-be dads turns out to be gay, but mostly this is a big, schlocky, fun-for-the-whole-family Broadway musical.
But Mamma Mia! has ABBA, about whom we feel a curious ownership. My guess is that it started because we felt personally validated when the Swedish supergroup sang "You are a dancing queen." And as the Australian films The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding revealed, ABBA's cheerful artificiality made it the secret heart-music for awkward, dreamy girls and boys who know just what to do with yards of colorful fabric.
The 1939 film of The Women was made by a gay director (George Cukor), and the stars include several divas beloved by movie queens (Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer). But what makes it a gay camp classic is that it portrays a group of gossipy New York socialites pining for unseen men and viciously dishing each other.
The bristling bristling
see hackles. misogyny misogyny /mi·sog·y·ny/ (mi-soj´i-ne) hatred of women.
mi·sog·y·ny
n.
Hatred of women.
mi·sog of The Women is unsettling un·set·tle
v. un·set·tled, un·set·tling, un·set·tles
v.tr.
1. To displace from a settled condition; disrupt.
2. To make uneasy; disturb.
v.intr. , whether it resides in the characters or in the author. Equally disturbing to me is the assumption that bitch-fighting is automatically amusing to gay men. When we embrace The Women (or AbFab), are we laughing because it's over-the-top or because we're validating the stereotype of fags as women haters? Some might say, to borrow Flaubert's remark about Madame Bovary, "The women, they're us."
Scott Elliott's Broadway works primarily to showcase a remarkable cast of 25, including many stars from TV, stage, and film. Some do better than others--notably Cynthia Nixon, the fire-breathing Kristen Johnston, and the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge. The audience (mostly straight) lapped it up, along with the bitchiest exchanges--warming to the zingers For other uses, see .
Zingers are an American snack cake made by both Dolly Madison and Hostess, two iconic American snack food brands owned by Interstate Bakeries Corporation.
..... Click the link for more information. rather than the play's uneasy heartsickness heart·sick
adj.
Profoundly disappointed; despondent.
heartsick .
Maybe the dirty little secret these shows reveal is that gay taste isn't so different from the mainstream's anymore. Neither Mamma Mia! nor The Women is a cartoonishly trashy campfest. Nor could either be viewed as a savvy feminist critique of what bell hooks calls "the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy." A couple of decades of pop culture have smoothed the sting of camp into the more acceptable flavor of kitsch.
Mamma Mia! is an old-fashioned book musical written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, loosely based on the 1968 movie Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell. Proudly independent Donna Sheridan (Louise Pitre), once a semihippie rock singer, has raised her daughter, Sophie (Tina Maddigan), alone. Now Sophie's getting married, and in an attempt to meet her real father she's invited three of her mother's former boyfriends to the wedding on a Greek island. Among the foreseeable scenes of drama, comedy, and pathos, Johnson has found room for 22 ABBA songs, much the same way that recent musicals Crazy for You and My One and Only created new uses for old Gershwin tunes.
Although the lyrics are uniformly insipid and fit the story about as well as those from any 1930s Rodgers and Hart musical (which is just barely), for those of us who grew up with ABBA, there's something thrilling about hearing "SOS SOS, code letters of the international distress signal. The signal is expressed in International Morse code as … — — — … (three dots, three dashes, three dots). " and "Take a Chance on Me" blasting from a Broadway stage. Some of Anthony Van Laast's choreography is pretty campy, and one of the would-be dads turns out to be gay, but mostly this is a big, schlocky, fun-for-the-whole-family Broadway musical.
But Mamma Mia! has ABBA, about whom we feel a curious ownership. My guess is that it started because we felt personally validated when the Swedish supergroup sang "You are a dancing queen." And as the Australian films The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding revealed, ABBA's cheerful artificiality made it the secret heart-music for awkward, dreamy girls and boys who know just what to do with yards of colorful fabric.
The 1939 film of The Women was made by a gay director (George Cukor), and the stars include several divas beloved by movie queens (Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer). But what makes it a gay camp classic is that it portrays a group of gossipy New York socialites pining for unseen men and viciously dishing each other.
The bristling bristling
see hackles. misogyny misogyny /mi·sog·y·ny/ (mi-soj´i-ne) hatred of women.
mi·sog·y·ny
n.
Hatred of women.
mi·sog of The Women is unsettling un·set·tle
v. un·set·tled, un·set·tling, un·set·tles
v.tr.
1. To displace from a settled condition; disrupt.
2. To make uneasy; disturb.
v.intr. , whether it resides in the characters or in the author. Equally disturbing to me is the assumption that bitch-fighting is automatically amusing to gay men. When we embrace The Women (or AbFab), are we laughing because it's over-the-top or because we're validating the stereotype of fags as women haters? Some might say, to borrow Flaubert's remark about Madame Bovary, "The women, they're us."
Scott Elliott's Broadway works primarily to showcase a remarkable cast of 25, including many stars from TV, stage, and film. Some do better than others--notably Cynthia Nixon, the fire-breathing Kristen Johnston, and the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge. The audience (mostly straight) lapped it up, along with the bitchiest exchanges--warming to the zingers For other uses, see .
Zingers are an American snack cake made by both Dolly Madison and Hostess, two iconic American snack food brands owned by Interstate Bakeries Corporation.
..... Click the link for more information. rather than the play's uneasy heartsickness heart·sick
adj.
Profoundly disappointed; despondent.
heartsick .
Maybe the dirty little secret these shows reveal is that gay taste isn't so different from the mainstream's anymore. Neither Mamma Mia! nor The Women is a cartoonishly trashy campfest. Nor could either be viewed as a savvy feminist critique of what bell hooks calls "the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy." A couple of decades of pop culture have smoothed the sting of camp into the more acceptable flavor of kitsch.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
AFTER THE DANCE at London Theater
AFTER THE DANCE at London Theater
Director Thea Sharrock
Cast Nancy Carroll (Joan Scott-Fowler), Benedict Cumberbatch (David Scott-Fowler), John Heffernan (Peter Scott-Fowler), Adrian Scarborough (John Reid), Faye Castelow, Pandora Colin, Giles Cooper, Jenny Galloway, Daniel Gosling, Juliet Howland, Nicholas Lumley, Laclan Nieboer, Leo Staar, Hannah Stokely, Giles Taylor, Richard Teverson, Charlotte Thornton
Design Hilegard Bechtler
Lighting Mark Henderson
Choreog'y
Costume
Sound Ian Dickinson
Producer National Theatre
Synopsis As the world races towards castastrophe, a crowd of Mayfair socialites party their way to oblivion. At its centre is David, who idles away his sober moments researching a futile book until the beautiful Helen decides to save him, shattering his marriage and learning too late the depth of both David's indolence and his wife's undeclared love. But with finances about to crash and humanity on brink of global conflict, the drink keeps flowing and the revelers dance on.
Length 3hrs
Director Thea Sharrock
Cast Nancy Carroll (Joan Scott-Fowler), Benedict Cumberbatch (David Scott-Fowler), John Heffernan (Peter Scott-Fowler), Adrian Scarborough (John Reid), Faye Castelow, Pandora Colin, Giles Cooper, Jenny Galloway, Daniel Gosling, Juliet Howland, Nicholas Lumley, Laclan Nieboer, Leo Staar, Hannah Stokely, Giles Taylor, Richard Teverson, Charlotte Thornton
Design Hilegard Bechtler
Lighting Mark Henderson
Choreog'y
Costume
Sound Ian Dickinson
Producer National Theatre
Synopsis As the world races towards castastrophe, a crowd of Mayfair socialites party their way to oblivion. At its centre is David, who idles away his sober moments researching a futile book until the beautiful Helen decides to save him, shattering his marriage and learning too late the depth of both David's indolence and his wife's undeclared love. But with finances about to crash and humanity on brink of global conflict, the drink keeps flowing and the revelers dance on.
Length 3hrs
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
MoviesandDramas.blogspot.com presents Pee-wee herman show in New York
MoviesandDramas.blogspot.com presents Pee-wee herman show in New York
PEE-WEE HERMAN is an American icon. His groundbreaking Saturday morning television show and hyperkinetic, bow-tied persona shaped a generation. Now, at long last, Pee-wee’s starring ON BROADWAY in a LIVE extravaganza!
Big, bold and uniquely fabulous, THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW is a stage play with music that reunites Pee-wee (the one-and-only PAUL REUBENS) with the beloved Playhouse gang – Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis, Jambi the Genie, Pterri, Conky, Chairry and many more! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Pee-wee’s Playhouse come to wacky, unpredictable life!
Get ready to be amazed, scream real loud and laugh even louder at THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre. It’s so good, you’ll want to marry it!
PEE-WEE HERMAN is an American icon. His groundbreaking Saturday morning television show and hyperkinetic, bow-tied persona shaped a generation. Now, at long last, Pee-wee’s starring ON BROADWAY in a LIVE extravaganza!
Big, bold and uniquely fabulous, THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW is a stage play with music that reunites Pee-wee (the one-and-only PAUL REUBENS) with the beloved Playhouse gang – Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis, Jambi the Genie, Pterri, Conky, Chairry and many more! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Pee-wee’s Playhouse come to wacky, unpredictable life!
Get ready to be amazed, scream real loud and laugh even louder at THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre. It’s so good, you’ll want to marry it!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents DIRTY DANCING - The Classic Story on Stage
moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents DIRTY DANCING - The Classic Story on Stage
West End Musical
DIRTY DANCING - The Classic Story on Stage
Director James Powell
Cast Johnny Wright (Johnny Castle), Hannah Vassallo (Baby), Ray Quinn (Billy Kostecki to 27 Nov 2010), Charlie Bruce (Baby Understudy & Ensemble)
Design Stephen Brimson-Lewis
Lighting Tim Mitchell
Choreog'y Kate Champion
Costume Jennifer Irwin
Sound Bobby Aitken
Producer Jacobsen Entertainment, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions
Synopsis The film Dirty Dancing, which starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, was released in 1987. All the hits from the film's soundtrack, which includes Do You Love Me?, She's Like The Wind and Time Of My Life, are featured in the stage show along with some new numbers. The story has been re-written for the stage, but includes all of the movies memorable moments and some added scenes as well. The Houseman's take their vacation at a popular holiday camp, where youngest daughter 'Baby' meets dance teacher from the wrong side of the tracks, Johnny. There begins a classic love story through which we see that love can conquer all barriers and we learn that 'nobody puts Baby in the corner'!
West End Musical
DIRTY DANCING - The Classic Story on Stage
Director James Powell
Cast Johnny Wright (Johnny Castle), Hannah Vassallo (Baby), Ray Quinn (Billy Kostecki to 27 Nov 2010), Charlie Bruce (Baby Understudy & Ensemble)
Design Stephen Brimson-Lewis
Lighting Tim Mitchell
Choreog'y Kate Champion
Costume Jennifer Irwin
Sound Bobby Aitken
Producer Jacobsen Entertainment, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions
Synopsis The film Dirty Dancing, which starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, was released in 1987. All the hits from the film's soundtrack, which includes Do You Love Me?, She's Like The Wind and Time Of My Life, are featured in the stage show along with some new numbers. The story has been re-written for the stage, but includes all of the movies memorable moments and some added scenes as well. The Houseman's take their vacation at a popular holiday camp, where youngest daughter 'Baby' meets dance teacher from the wrong side of the tracks, Johnny. There begins a classic love story through which we see that love can conquer all barriers and we learn that 'nobody puts Baby in the corner'!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents Million Dollar Qarter
Moviesanddramas.blogspot.com presents Million Dollar Qarter
Story
What Is the Story of Million Dollar Quartet?
Based on a real-life jam session of rock ’n’ roll gods Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, Million Dollar Quartet reveals what happened at that historic meeting on December 4, 1956. With the holidays just around the corner, chart-topper Presley, a then unknown Lewis, rising star Cash and stalled up-and-comer Perkins find themselves assembled at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, where their producer and manager Sam Phillips has business on his mind. In the rocking hour that follows, Phillips’ roster of extraordinary musical talent shows why and how they became four of the biggest names in music history.
Should I See It?
What Is Million Dollar Quartet Like?
While the show doles out plenty of rock ‘n’ roll history during its 90-minute running time, but info is served along with exuberant rock hits by each of the four artists, ensuring that Million Dollar Quartet is more musical spectacle than college course. The production is light on plot, breezing through career highlights to get to what matters most: the music, which is performed with reckless abandon live onstage by the cast. Audiences with an affinity for classic rockabilly will be hard-pressed not to be drawn in by stars the stars, who embody their respective characters down to the very last pelvic gyration or piano pounding.
Is Million Dollar Quartet Good for Kids?
This show is a kid-friendly celebration of music that the entire family can enjoy. While definitely not a show made especially for children—the production aims for the hearts of those who grew up twisting and shouting, and adults can drink alcohol in their seats—the production’s up tempo numbers come in rapid succession and the plot is easy to follow. There is some sexual innuendo, smoking and drinking, but the show is almost as clean as The Ed Sullivan Show. This one is an excellent primer for future music junkies.
Story
What Is the Story of Million Dollar Quartet?
Based on a real-life jam session of rock ’n’ roll gods Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, Million Dollar Quartet reveals what happened at that historic meeting on December 4, 1956. With the holidays just around the corner, chart-topper Presley, a then unknown Lewis, rising star Cash and stalled up-and-comer Perkins find themselves assembled at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, where their producer and manager Sam Phillips has business on his mind. In the rocking hour that follows, Phillips’ roster of extraordinary musical talent shows why and how they became four of the biggest names in music history.
Should I See It?
What Is Million Dollar Quartet Like?
While the show doles out plenty of rock ‘n’ roll history during its 90-minute running time, but info is served along with exuberant rock hits by each of the four artists, ensuring that Million Dollar Quartet is more musical spectacle than college course. The production is light on plot, breezing through career highlights to get to what matters most: the music, which is performed with reckless abandon live onstage by the cast. Audiences with an affinity for classic rockabilly will be hard-pressed not to be drawn in by stars the stars, who embody their respective characters down to the very last pelvic gyration or piano pounding.
Is Million Dollar Quartet Good for Kids?
This show is a kid-friendly celebration of music that the entire family can enjoy. While definitely not a show made especially for children—the production aims for the hearts of those who grew up twisting and shouting, and adults can drink alcohol in their seats—the production’s up tempo numbers come in rapid succession and the plot is easy to follow. There is some sexual innuendo, smoking and drinking, but the show is almost as clean as The Ed Sullivan Show. This one is an excellent primer for future music junkies.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
My Name is Khan
My Name Is Khan (MNIK) Movie Synopsis:
Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim who has Asperger syndrome, and Kajol Mukherjee are paired as husband and wife. The story starts off in Borivali sections of Mumbai where Rizwan is growing up with his mother (Zarina Wahab),is set against post 9/11 tragedy. Shah Rukh Khan will play a Muslim who gets wrongly detained on a flight because his last name is Khan and hence the authorities think that must make him a terrorist?
My Name Is Khan (MNIK) Movie Review:
The movie is ok for a Karan Johar direction. I think he should go back to starting movie names with K. The story is ok, and is supported with good acting from Shahrukh Khan and Kajol Mukherjee. The film has been shot mainly in the US at good scenic locations, but lacks the story to keep you engaged into the movie thru the long 2 and 1/2 hours in length. The subject of the movie is religion and has to be handled with care, which has been done by Karan Johar. The first half moves fast with the love story between SRK and Kajol and then the 2nd half kind of gets slow and long with SRk going from place to place to meet the President Of the USA to pass along a message. The movie is well acted by Shah Rukh as a person with Asperger's syndrome. The movie is not for the kids but will bring the crowd given it stars the pair of Shah Rukh and Kajol after a long time on screen.
Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim who has Asperger syndrome, and Kajol Mukherjee are paired as husband and wife. The story starts off in Borivali sections of Mumbai where Rizwan is growing up with his mother (Zarina Wahab),is set against post 9/11 tragedy. Shah Rukh Khan will play a Muslim who gets wrongly detained on a flight because his last name is Khan and hence the authorities think that must make him a terrorist?
My Name Is Khan (MNIK) Movie Review:
The movie is ok for a Karan Johar direction. I think he should go back to starting movie names with K. The story is ok, and is supported with good acting from Shahrukh Khan and Kajol Mukherjee. The film has been shot mainly in the US at good scenic locations, but lacks the story to keep you engaged into the movie thru the long 2 and 1/2 hours in length. The subject of the movie is religion and has to be handled with care, which has been done by Karan Johar. The first half moves fast with the love story between SRK and Kajol and then the 2nd half kind of gets slow and long with SRk going from place to place to meet the President Of the USA to pass along a message. The movie is well acted by Shah Rukh as a person with Asperger's syndrome. The movie is not for the kids but will bring the crowd given it stars the pair of Shah Rukh and Kajol after a long time on screen.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The A team movie review
Review in a Hurry: Pretty much everything you could have hoped for in an A-Team movie, this big-screen update of the '80s TV show hits all its marks. True-to-character performances, wacky welded-together gadgets, campy comedy, goofy disguises, and solid action sequences abound...all that's missing is Mr. T.
The Bigger Picture: "Overkill is underrated, my friend." Thus speaks John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), at a critical juncture in The A-Team, and we have to ask: underrated where? The original series ran for five seasons, and starred a guy with huge gold chains and a Mohawk; special guest appearances were made by the likes of Hulk Hogan, Pat Sajak, Rick James and Boy George.
If you thought the casting of Neeson presupposed a more serious team, think again: Whether parachuting a tank from a plane, or playing three-card monte using a trio of metal cargo containers and a crane, this team not only gets an A for action, but for absurdity as well. Director Joe Carnahan, who failed to hit the right balance between taut action and goofy camp in Smokin' Aces, has nailed it this time around.
Cigar-smokin' ace Hannibal first encounters berserk driver Bosco "Bad Attitude" Baracus (UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) and his familiar black van down in Mexico, where the former is teamed with perennial ladies' man Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper) in a bid to bring down a Mexican druglord. Completing the quartet is insane pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock (District 9's Sharlto Copley), who provides them the first of many ludicrous getaways, as well as scaring Baracus away from ever wanting to board an aircraft again.
Eight years into an unspecified future, during whatever year it is that American troops are going to fully withdraw from Iraq, the four have distinguished themselves as a team, and take it upon themselves to run a covert mission to steal back some stolen U.S. treasury plates from the hands of Saddam loyalists. In their time-honored tradition of cobbling together unusual accessories from bits of stolen junk, the team succeeds...only to be framed when things go wrong in the aftermath.
Naturally, they escape from captivity, where they must find the real culprit, all while being tailed by an ex of Peck's (Jessica Biel), a scuzzy military contractor (Brian Bloom) from "Black Forest" (worst fake movie name for Blackwater EVER!), and a mysterious CIA man who goes by the pseudonym "Lynch" (Patrick Wilson).
Cooper is closest to the original mark as the charming scoundrel Face, while the South African Copley adopts a Texas twang as the crazy Murdock. Neeson is just being Neeson, but then again George Peppard wasn't exactly stretching in the role either. The biggest question mark has always been Jackson, who delivers the best athlete-to-actor transition since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Incorporating a few of Mr. T's trademark exclamations into a more thoughtful performance than one might expect, he turns out to be a better choice than Ice Cube likely would have been.
Not that this is Shakespeare or anything...it's the freakin' A-Team. And for the most part, it's the one you remember (be sure to sit through the end credits for an extra-geeky bonus).
The Bigger Picture: "Overkill is underrated, my friend." Thus speaks John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), at a critical juncture in The A-Team, and we have to ask: underrated where? The original series ran for five seasons, and starred a guy with huge gold chains and a Mohawk; special guest appearances were made by the likes of Hulk Hogan, Pat Sajak, Rick James and Boy George.
If you thought the casting of Neeson presupposed a more serious team, think again: Whether parachuting a tank from a plane, or playing three-card monte using a trio of metal cargo containers and a crane, this team not only gets an A for action, but for absurdity as well. Director Joe Carnahan, who failed to hit the right balance between taut action and goofy camp in Smokin' Aces, has nailed it this time around.
Cigar-smokin' ace Hannibal first encounters berserk driver Bosco "Bad Attitude" Baracus (UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) and his familiar black van down in Mexico, where the former is teamed with perennial ladies' man Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper) in a bid to bring down a Mexican druglord. Completing the quartet is insane pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock (District 9's Sharlto Copley), who provides them the first of many ludicrous getaways, as well as scaring Baracus away from ever wanting to board an aircraft again.
Eight years into an unspecified future, during whatever year it is that American troops are going to fully withdraw from Iraq, the four have distinguished themselves as a team, and take it upon themselves to run a covert mission to steal back some stolen U.S. treasury plates from the hands of Saddam loyalists. In their time-honored tradition of cobbling together unusual accessories from bits of stolen junk, the team succeeds...only to be framed when things go wrong in the aftermath.
Naturally, they escape from captivity, where they must find the real culprit, all while being tailed by an ex of Peck's (Jessica Biel), a scuzzy military contractor (Brian Bloom) from "Black Forest" (worst fake movie name for Blackwater EVER!), and a mysterious CIA man who goes by the pseudonym "Lynch" (Patrick Wilson).
Cooper is closest to the original mark as the charming scoundrel Face, while the South African Copley adopts a Texas twang as the crazy Murdock. Neeson is just being Neeson, but then again George Peppard wasn't exactly stretching in the role either. The biggest question mark has always been Jackson, who delivers the best athlete-to-actor transition since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Incorporating a few of Mr. T's trademark exclamations into a more thoughtful performance than one might expect, he turns out to be a better choice than Ice Cube likely would have been.
Not that this is Shakespeare or anything...it's the freakin' A-Team. And for the most part, it's the one you remember (be sure to sit through the end credits for an extra-geeky bonus).
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Adams Family
They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky - and they're coming to Broadway. A dream cast takes on the quirky characters in a new and original Addams Family tale.
As the musical begins, there are storm clouds gathering over the Addams Family home. Wednesday is falling in love, young Pugsley, jealous of his sister's attention, begs her to keep torturing him severely, while mother Morticia, fears being upstaged and discarded by her daughter's lurch into womanhood... like yesterday's roadkill.
But when outsiders come to dinner, the events of one night will change forever this famously macabre family - a family so very different from your own - or maybe not.
Dates
Performances from: 8th March 2010
Opens : 8th April 2010
Run Time: Two hours and 35 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Audience: The Addams Family musical is suitable for audiences aged 10 and upwards. Chilrdren aged under 5 will not be admitted to the Lunt Fontanne Theater.
As the musical begins, there are storm clouds gathering over the Addams Family home. Wednesday is falling in love, young Pugsley, jealous of his sister's attention, begs her to keep torturing him severely, while mother Morticia, fears being upstaged and discarded by her daughter's lurch into womanhood... like yesterday's roadkill.
But when outsiders come to dinner, the events of one night will change forever this famously macabre family - a family so very different from your own - or maybe not.
Dates
Performances from: 8th March 2010
Opens : 8th April 2010
Run Time: Two hours and 35 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Audience: The Addams Family musical is suitable for audiences aged 10 and upwards. Chilrdren aged under 5 will not be admitted to the Lunt Fontanne Theater.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Last Airbender
Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara, a Waterbender, and her brother Sokka to restore balance to their war-torn world.
Also Known As:
Airbender
Avatar
Avatar
The Last Airbender
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: The adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways to save the world.
Genres: Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Also Known As:
Airbender
Avatar
Avatar
The Last Airbender
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: The adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways to save the world.
Genres: Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
he first full-length trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the two-part finale of J.K. Rowling’s blockbuster teen wizard saga, is set to debut in theaters on June 30th, prior to showings of the latest chapter of that other billion-dollar literary phenomenon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. For those muggles ill-inclined to wait in line for hours with hordes of screaming Twi-hards just to get a two-minute glimpse of Harry and the gang, Warner Bros. was kind enough to release the clip online today:
Hopefully, the trailer's early internet release will diminish the potential of ugly Harry Potter vs. Twilight skirmishes outside the multiplex this week. Kudos to Warners for being proactive in working to prevent sectarian tween violence.
Part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens November 19, 2010. The film is directed by David Yates and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
Hopefully, the trailer's early internet release will diminish the potential of ugly Harry Potter vs. Twilight skirmishes outside the multiplex this week. Kudos to Warners for being proactive in working to prevent sectarian tween violence.
Part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens November 19, 2010. The film is directed by David Yates and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Predator Movies Summary
Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a code of honor which he will not violate, even when his life depends on it. Paradoxically, his code of honor gives him the backbone to survive as a military special forces operative when he is sent on a covert mission to rescue another group which was sent in to assist some nefarious U.S. government plan in a Latin American country. Once there, he encounters an old army buddy (Carl Weathers) who has gotten too deep in the CIA's good graces for Dutch's comfort. When he and his team go into the jungle to rescue the others, they get involved in a pitched battle with local guerillas, but they are more than capable of besting these vicious fighters. However, not long after that, they encounter signs that the equally capable men they were sent to rescue were all killed unawares and in an unusually gruesome fashion. Given their training, it should have been impossible for anyone to best all of these commando warriors. Soon, the men from Dutch's own team get picked off one by one, as they grow aware that they are up against something uncanny, not of this world, something that is hunting them for sport. Why? Because their skills make them worthy opponents for the perfectly camouflaged Predator. This carefully paced action movie was given poor reviews by many movie critics, but was sufficiently satisfying for its (largely male) audiences that a successful sequel (Predator 2) was released in 1990.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Lady In Black - London Theatre
Julian Forsyth and Christopher Naylor in
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt
From the novel by Susan Hill
Directed by Robin Herford
Designed by Michael Holt
Lighting by Kevin Sleep
Unanimously acclaimed by the critics, Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best selling novel combines the power and intensity of live theatre with a cinematic quality inspired by the world of film noir. It is a formula that provides audiences with an evening of unremitting drama as they are transported into a terrifying and ghostly world.
Now in its 21st terrifying year, with over 7 million people have lived to tell the tale of one of the most exciting, gripping and successful theatre events ever staged.
‘A TRULY NERVE-SHREDDING EXPERIENCE’ - Daily Mail
‘DON’T GO UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING SCARED OUT OF YOUR WITS’ - Sunday Mirror
‘THE MOST BRILLIANTLY EFFECTIVE SPINE CHILLER YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER... IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS SHOW YET YOU ARE MISSING A TREAT’ - Daily Telegraph
Here are Some of my Favourite Links
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning
Offshore marketing services The Call Experts
Information aritcles general tips. The Articles Direct
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Brampton
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creeper1122 blogs
telemarketing how to
wonderful getaways
Latest movies and dramas blog
khan.vicky blogs
Mobile Phones club
Call Center Softwares
Mortgage and Property Blog
creeper0101 blog
O Desk for all information articles
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt
From the novel by Susan Hill
Directed by Robin Herford
Designed by Michael Holt
Lighting by Kevin Sleep
Unanimously acclaimed by the critics, Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best selling novel combines the power and intensity of live theatre with a cinematic quality inspired by the world of film noir. It is a formula that provides audiences with an evening of unremitting drama as they are transported into a terrifying and ghostly world.
Now in its 21st terrifying year, with over 7 million people have lived to tell the tale of one of the most exciting, gripping and successful theatre events ever staged.
‘A TRULY NERVE-SHREDDING EXPERIENCE’ - Daily Mail
‘DON’T GO UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING SCARED OUT OF YOUR WITS’ - Sunday Mirror
‘THE MOST BRILLIANTLY EFFECTIVE SPINE CHILLER YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER... IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS SHOW YET YOU ARE MISSING A TREAT’ - Daily Telegraph
Here are Some of my Favourite Links
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning
Offshore marketing services The Call Experts
Information aritcles general tips. The Articles Direct
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Brampton
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Ajax
Top Class air Duct Cleaning mississauga
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Toronto
Top Class air Duct Cleaning oakville
creeper1122 blogs
telemarketing how to
wonderful getaways
Latest movies and dramas blog
khan.vicky blogs
Mobile Phones club
Call Center Softwares
Mortgage and Property Blog
creeper0101 blog
O Desk for all information articles
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Kids Are All Right
LOS ANGELES -- It makes perfect sense that "The Kids Are All Right" is opening the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Director Lisa Cholodenko's movie, premiering at LAFF on Thursday night, unfolds around the L.A. neighborhoods of Venice and Echo Park. Its characters include a community gardener who runs a restaurant focused on locally grown organic ingredients, and Joni Mitchell's music figures prominently in the narrative. The film's central plot - a lesbian couple's interloping sperm donor upends their yuppie family life - could hardly be more Left Coast.
Yet the movie from the "Laurel Canyon" filmmaker was once set in New York, and some of the story's central creative decisions were shaped not only from its earlier placement thousands of miles away but also by what Cholodenko experienced while living in Manhattan.
The most talked-about title (and the biggest sale at $5 million) in January's Sundance Film Festival, "The Kids Are All Right" follows many of the conventions of the domestic suburban dramedy: take a seemingly ordinary, interesting couple with some smart, distinct teenagers and see how many deep and potentially dangerous fissures are revealed when the family is twisted in uncomfortable directions.
Although Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg's script may start with that familiar form, "The Kids Are All Right" veers into fresh directions from the start. Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) boot up gay male porn to spark a frisky bedroom mood. They try so hard to parent their daughter Joni ("Alice in Wonderland's" Mia Wasikowska) and son Laser ("Bridge to Terabithia's" Josh Hutcherson) that they risk parodying emotionally honest child-rearing. And when the film's couples go at it (either in fighting or in lovemaking), they do so with a frankness that you rarely witness - so much so that the Motion Picture Association of America initially said the film was too sexually explicit for even an R rating.
"Yes," Cholodenko says, "I had to cut some thrusting." It wound up with an R, but what she didn't trim was the venom in Nic and Jules' clashes. "If it were up to you, our kids wouldn't even write thank-you cards. They'd just send out good vibes," Nic says to Jules derisively at one point. Says Cholodenko, "In long-term relationships, sometimes your resentments can turn on a dime."
Director Lisa Cholodenko's movie, premiering at LAFF on Thursday night, unfolds around the L.A. neighborhoods of Venice and Echo Park. Its characters include a community gardener who runs a restaurant focused on locally grown organic ingredients, and Joni Mitchell's music figures prominently in the narrative. The film's central plot - a lesbian couple's interloping sperm donor upends their yuppie family life - could hardly be more Left Coast.
Yet the movie from the "Laurel Canyon" filmmaker was once set in New York, and some of the story's central creative decisions were shaped not only from its earlier placement thousands of miles away but also by what Cholodenko experienced while living in Manhattan.
The most talked-about title (and the biggest sale at $5 million) in January's Sundance Film Festival, "The Kids Are All Right" follows many of the conventions of the domestic suburban dramedy: take a seemingly ordinary, interesting couple with some smart, distinct teenagers and see how many deep and potentially dangerous fissures are revealed when the family is twisted in uncomfortable directions.
Although Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg's script may start with that familiar form, "The Kids Are All Right" veers into fresh directions from the start. Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) boot up gay male porn to spark a frisky bedroom mood. They try so hard to parent their daughter Joni ("Alice in Wonderland's" Mia Wasikowska) and son Laser ("Bridge to Terabithia's" Josh Hutcherson) that they risk parodying emotionally honest child-rearing. And when the film's couples go at it (either in fighting or in lovemaking), they do so with a frankness that you rarely witness - so much so that the Motion Picture Association of America initially said the film was too sexually explicit for even an R rating.
"Yes," Cholodenko says, "I had to cut some thrusting." It wound up with an R, but what she didn't trim was the venom in Nic and Jules' clashes. "If it were up to you, our kids wouldn't even write thank-you cards. They'd just send out good vibes," Nic says to Jules derisively at one point. Says Cholodenko, "In long-term relationships, sometimes your resentments can turn on a dime."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Twilight Saga Eclipse
Twilight Saga Eclipse Movie Details:As Twilight Eclipse News are coming day by day.Everyday we found new news from twilight point of view.And Now there is a good News for Twilight point of view is that the premier date of eclipse which is the third episode of Twilight Saga is announced.You can found the premier date and more info about Twilight Below.
Eclispe will take place on June 24, 2010. There was word circulating yesterday that the premiere would be held at Grauman’s Chineese Theatre on June 24, but our confirmation from Summit specifically stated that the location hasn’t been finalized. So don’t book your plane tickets just yet! But go ahead and save the date.
Eclispe will take place on June 24, 2010. There was word circulating yesterday that the premiere would be held at Grauman’s Chineese Theatre on June 24, but our confirmation from Summit specifically stated that the location hasn’t been finalized. So don’t book your plane tickets just yet! But go ahead and save the date.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid Synopsis: 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying—and the feeling is mutual—but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
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