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.
Friday, July 30, 2010
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.
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