Cinema Lover - Movie Previews

Category : MooVie

2008-04-29T01:42:00.001-07:00

: THE ORPHANAGE (Spanish) Category : Foreign, Suspense/Thriller / Starring : Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Geraldine Chaplin I am quite a fan of Guillermo Del Toro, especially after he achieved such brilliance in his wor... Read and post comments | Send to a friend Source

2008-04-28T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-27T01:42:00.001-07:00

Akshay steals the show in Tashan

2008-04-26T01:41:00.001-07:00

RATE THE MOVIE Tashan (TSN) Rating: **1/2 Desperately seeking some scriptwriters for Yashraj Inc. After the no-brainer Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, get ready for another plot-dead film that tries to score on presentation alone. Sadly, there isn't even a zany, new age tashan to boast about here. There is a pathetic attempt to exploit the Nostalgia Inc. but unlike Om Shanti Om which made an art of retro, Tashan fails to whip up old-is-gold sentiment, despite rendering Amitabh Bachchan's seminal Deewar soliloquy before Bhagwan in tootie-frootie Angrezi and milking good old Gabbar dry. More importantly, the film fails to capitalise the Saif-Kareena chemistry completely and almost relegates Saif as a sidekick, a role he has ably played against Akshay Kumar in the 1990's with films like Main Khiladi Tu Anadi etc. But what saddens you the most is the gangster act by Anil Kapoor. As the English-loving Bhai, hailing from small-town Kanpur, Kapoor is absolutely unintelligible and ends up a pale copy of Jaaved Jaafrey's rib-tickling cameo in Salaam Namaste. Now that from an actor of his calibre is absolutely heartbreaking. So what's worth a dekko? Akshay Kumar as a small-time thug who dreams of becoming a big-time `sooter' (shooter) and a zero-size Kareena Kapoor in a bikini, recreating the oomph of Ursula Andress in Dr No. Akshay has progressed into a natural scene-stealer by now and simply walks away with the applause, be it action, comedy or emotion. As Bachchan Pandey, the goonda who is pulled out of Kanpur to work as a `recovery agent' for Bhaiyya ji (Anil Kapoor), Akshay creates a tashan that actually works. His job is simple. He must find the two fugitives, Saif and Kareena, who have walked away with Bhaiyya ji's moolah. And he does it with a pizzazz that makes the film work, in bits and pieces. Watch him jump around like Hanuman (or is it Keanu Reeves in Matrix) in a death-defying fight sequence or ward off the slutty con-girl Kareena and then get goofy and giddy in love: you'll join the audience as it applauds his antics with taalis and seetis. That's it. After that, it's khallas. All the con men and their crooked acts fail to create a jagged edge, even though you have Saif and Kareena trying to dupe any and everyone, including each other, in the frame. Truly, it's the season of wickedness in Bollywood. Yet, unlike the bhai versus bhai treachery of Race, this roulette of deceit and upmanship lacks sophistication. Stylistically, it is loud and gaudy and peppered with strange lyrics that make a mockery of Hinglish. No, this one's not really a film that lives up to the repute of YRF productions and can be viewed merely for moments of pleasure, whipped up by a manic Akshay. Do you agree with our film critic? Nikhat Kazmi, Film critic, The Times of India Rating Scale: *Poor, **Average, ***Good, ****Very Good, *****Outstanding PS: You may also SMS or email your views. Mail us on mytimesmyvoice@timesgroup.com with with short code for the movie name' mentioned in the subject line. To SMS, type MTMVREV, leave a space, type short code of the movie, leave a space, your rating 1/1.5/2/2.5/3/3.5/4/4.5/5. Add your name and comments, if any, and sms to 58888. Example: If you feel a movie is above 'Average' but not 'Good', rate it as 2.5Source

2008-04-25T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

FSR’s Kevin Carr Makes a Baby with Jessica Alba

2008-04-23T01:41:00.001-07:00

As some readers already know, my wife and I are expecting a baby within the next month. While I'm nervous it will come during a cool press screening (like Iron Man or Indiana Jones IV), this event makes me feel closer to a new film this week – Baby Mama.As part of the marketing of Baby Mama, Universal has set up a site which can be used to generate your own baby picture: www.babymamamaker.com.Sure, I could have morphed my face with my wife's to see what my new baby would look like in a few weeks. But then again, I already have two kids, so I have a good idea what the new one will look like.Instead, I decided to find out what Jessica Alba's baby would look like when it is delivered, considering that I am the real father. Jessica, take a gander at what our lovely child will look like…If you're interested in seeing what your offspring will be with someone real, imaginary or just out of your reach, visit www.babymamamaker.com.Baby Mama, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, opens on Friday, April 25.Related Reading:Amy Poehler is Tina Fey’s ‘Baby Mama’WTF: Whoring Out Our Babies?WTF: Protesting The Love GuruMike Myers’ Love Guru Trailer is Creepy, Somewhat Funny: The Eye: The EyeBoiling Point - Boycott JapanRazzies, GAG Awards Honor ‘Norbit’Year in Review: The Ten Hottest Babes of ‘07! Source

2008-04-22T01:42:00.001-07:00

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Movie Discussion Guide

2008-04-21T01:41:00.001-07:00

***I wrote this guide, with the exception of the six numbered questions near the end, which were taken from an online movie review, so I take responsibility for any grammatical, factual, or logical errors. You are free to use it if you find it helpful or useful. I wrote it rather last minute, and realize there are many more good questions or talking points that could be developed from the film, so this is only a springboard for discussion. I'd be happy to receive any positive or negative feedback. God bless!Introduction: What is Intelligent Design?"Intelligent Design is three things: 1. A scientific research program that investigates the effects of intelligent causes 2. An intellectual movement that challenges Darwinism and its naturalistic legacy 3. And a way of understanding divine action"[1]~Does Intelligent Design (ID) deserve a place on the "playing field" of science?~Is this an example of stifling inquiry because scientists cannot stomach the conclusions that might be drawn? ~ID seeks to identify what the criteria are that we use to recognize and differentiate between designed objects, and things that are undesigned products of nature and chance. This is an everyday distinction that we make, without even realizing it. ID seeks to define those criteria in scientific and mathematical terms, so they can be applied to living things. ID primarily focuses its assault on evolution at the cellular level, where the greatest challenges to the theory of evolution are now unfolding. It is also expanding into the field of the "Fine Tuning" of the Universe, a fascinating argument about how a dizzying array of chemical, physical, and astronomical constants are ever-so-precisely fixed so that life is even possible on this Blue Planet.Can ID be part of the Scientific Quest for Understanding Origins?Narrowing it down to the simplest choices, there are basically two possible answers that one could give to the question, "how did life begin?" Either life was created and put here by a higher intelligence, or life arose by chance from non-life. Design or Chance. Life arose from a guided process, or an unguided one. Consider what it means to eliminate Intelligent Design from the scientific discussion of "how did life begin?" It artificially eliminates one of the two main choices to the question, before the evidence has even been presented. In other words, the possibility of life being created can't even be scientifically discussed. Only one possible answer is permitted. To illustrate what this means, consider an analogy: "suppose we are detectives investigating someone's death. Is this a case of death by natural causes (accident) or death by design (murder or suicide)? We do not know the answer in advance. We must investigate and find out. If we announced before beginning our investigation that death must have been accidental (natural), others would be justified in objecting that we had illegitimately restricted the field of possible causes. An important purpose of the investigation is to determine whether this was a case of intelligent cause (murder or suicide) or natural death. We need a method that is open to either possibility."[2]By ruling out design from the start, they want to assume that the debate has already been settled. The movie review in the Maui News boldly claims that evolution stands on "150 years of peer-tested research."[3] Scientists in the evolutionist camp are so self-assured that evolution is factually unassailable, that they are willing to rule out alternative hypotheses…especially that might lead someone to conclude that there is a God. They consider the debate to be settled, but does that mean that new research or evidence might not turn up that could challenge or upset the reigning dogma (evolution)? Scientific theories are always supposed to be open to testing and challenging from new evidence. It is part of the process that proves their rigor and accuracy. Saying that all rational debate has been concluded is really the true form of stifling scientific inquiry, rather than allowing alternatives to be heard.Darwinists say that to conclude that life is intelligently designed tries to put God into the "gaps" of our knowledge, so that He becomes the magic genie or "god of the gaps" to solve whatever problem we have not yet answered in science. To say that "God made it," prematurely ends scientific investigation…because maybe we just don't understand "how" nature does it yet. However, in the past, when less was known about the miniature world of the cell, Darwin and others assumed that the makeup and assembly of living cells might not have a simple explanation. It was just a matter of getting the right chemicals together in a "warm little pond". Today, the further and further that science advances, the more complicated and complex the world of the cell is revealed to be. Rather than moving closer to a naturalistic (i.e. guided only by natural laws and forces) explanation, the gaps are growing larger and larger. And intelligent design is not merely a plea of ignorance about those gaps, but rather it is the recognition of precise features or "hallmarks," we might say, of designed objects. It looks for the same characteristics of "intelligent design" that we recognize in everyday life. When we see a flowerbed arranged in such a way that certain colors of flowers spell the word "Welcome", we don't assume that this was an accident or chance occurrence of flowers growing in that pattern. And even if it were, however unlikely, for a wild bed of flowers to arrange themselves in that way, it would only be meaningful if there were already a recognized language, so that an observer could understand the message.In a corresponding way, the miniature world of the cell has a language (DNA) and a system of reading, duplicating, and transferring information from DNA to build all the parts of a living cell. Yet even if by some enormously unlikely chance (mathematicians have made these calculations, by the way) you could have DNA arise from non-living things, by some chemical miracle, that information in the DNA would be of no use unless there was a mechanism in place to recognize the DNA language, to read it and transfer the information and be able to use it to build the cell. But what is the cellular machinery that does all this reading, duplicating, transferring, etc, made of? Proteins! A huge variety of proteins. So you need to have the protein machinery ready to make use of DNA's information. And the simplest, simplest, living cell has 482 proteins.[4] But wait! DNA carries the instructions to make all proteins. So you can't get proteins without DNA! Well if you can't use DNA without proteins, and you can't get proteins without DNA, then you have a vicious cycle. Remove one part of the equation, and the whole thing fails. All parts need to be in place for the system to work. This is what Dr. Michael Behe calls "Irreducible Complexity." A system has a base number of parts that are essential for it to work..remove any of those parts, and the whole thing collapses. Conclusion? You cannot assemble such working systems (and have a living organism along the way) piece by piece.Important Fact about the Origin of Life: the key "tools" of Darwinism, mutation and natural selection cannot be in operation before life exists. By their definition, they require living organisms to be in operation. So what does this mean? The origin of life is utterly cast upon undirected chemistry. Problem? Chemistry cannot give rise to information, and information is the basis of all life. The biochemistry of DNA is the medium which carries information, but it cannot explain its origin any more than the chemistry of how ink and paper bond can give an explanation of the origin of the information in a newspaper. Information requires an intelligence.Quote from Richard Dawkins: Offering this excerpt from his book ("The God Delusion"), Dawkins declared with disdain, "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."[5]Quote from Phillip Johnson (professor of law and ID speaker/writer): "Some of us saw a clip of Richard Dawkins being interviewed on public television about his reaction to Michael Behe's book. You can see how insecure that man is behind his bluster and how much he has to rely on not having Mike Behe on the program with him, or even a lesser figure like Phil Johnson. Darwinists have to rely on confining their critics in a stereotype. They have learned to keep their own philosophy on the stage with no rivals allowed, and now they have to rely almost exclusively on that cultural power." (Emphasis mine)[6]1. Is believing in Intelligent Design the same thing as believing in creationism, or vice versa?2. Can a Christian believe in evolution? Why or why not? Can an atheist believe in Intelligent Design? Why or why not?3. Can a person believe in both creationism and evolution? Are the two terms mutually exclusive? Discuss.4. If you're a student, does your science teacher allow discussion of Intelligent Design or creationism in the classroom? How do you feel about that? If you're a parent, what do your kids' science teachers allow? How do you advise your children to handle such discussions?5. If you're a student who believes in creationism, should you argue with a teacher who is teaching evolution? Why or why not? Should you learn evolutionary theory, whether you believe it or not? Discuss.6. What do you think the filmmakers mean by "academic freedom"? What is their goal? How far should it go? Should anything be allowed to be discussed in the classroom? In scientific communities? For Further Discussion:Video Resources:Unlocking the Mysteries of Life by Illustra MediaThe Case for the Creator with Lee Strobel by Illustra Media**both ARN and Answers in Genesis have a growing collection of free online videos, in addition to hundreds of DVD's for sale on all manner of topicsInternet Resources:http://www.discovery.org/ (ID)http://www.arn.org/ (ID)http://www.answersingenesis.org/ (creation science)http://www.icr.org/ (creation science)Books:The New Answers Book ed. by Ken Ham (lay) (creation science)Creation: Facts of Life by Gary Parker (lay) (creation science)Evolution Exposed: Your Evolution Answer Book for the Classroom by Roger Patterson (lay) (creation science)Darwin on Trial by Philip Johnson (lay) (ID)The Cave Painting: a Parable of Science by Roddy Bullock (for the right-brained reader J) (ID)Darwin's Black Box by Michael Behe (lay/semi-technical) (ID)In the Beginning Was Information by Werner Gitt (semi-technical/technical) (ID/creation science)Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology by William Dembski (technical/philosophical) (ID)Darwin's God: Evolution and the Problem of Evil by Cornelius Hunter (semi- technical/philosophical) (ID)[1] "Intelligent Design: the Bridge Between Science and Theology" by William Dembski, p. 13[2] http://www.arn.org/docs/thaxton/ct_newdesign3198.htm[3] "'Expelled' tries and fails to make a mockery of evolution." by Roger Moore, printed in Maui News, originally in The Orlando Sentinel.[4] "Mycoplasma genitalium has the smallest known genome of any free-living organism, containing 482 genes comprising 580,000 bases…More recently, Eugene Koonin and others tried to calculate the bare minimum required for a living cell, and came up with a result of 256 genes. But they were doubtful whether such a hypothetical bug could survive, because such an organism could barely repair DNA damage, could no longer fine-tune the ability of its remaining genes, would lack the ability to digest complex compounds, and would need a comprehensive supply of organic nutrients in its environment." http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/196.asp[5] http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=1886[6] "Mere Creation: Science, Faith, & Intelligent Design" ed. by William Dembski, p. 453.Source

Start the bawl rolling

2008-04-20T01:41:00.001-07:00

As Starbreez and I found our way to our seats in the movie theatre last night, we wondered if we would cry. We had been warned that U, Me aur Hum was best accompanied by a packet of tissue. "I hope I haven't turned cynical, man!" She whispered to me before the movie started. I knew exactly what she meant. When a movie makes you cry, you kinda feel more alive, assured that you have not lost touch with the human side of things. If a really sad movie doesn't make me sad... now that is really sad. Oh the irony.In a world where we are constantly telling ourselves to be emotionally stronger and not to allow anyone to make us cry, it's nice to be able to connect on that level with total (and fictional) strangers.So the movie didn't make me cry. Yes, tears did well up in my eyes at times, but they were mostly brought about by my yawning (you know how when you yawn, your facial muscles squeeze your lachrymal glands and they secrete tears?). No offence to Ajay Devgan here, it was midnight after all, and my body clock is super accurate. In fact, I think Ajay is absolutely great and I am always impressed by directors who can direct themselves. Can you imagine the turmoil in their heads?Ajay the actor - *dialogue*Ajay the director - CUT! That was bad...Ajay the actor - Huh? Really? I thought it was okay...Ajay the director - Well, it wasn't. Let's do it again.Ajay the actor (grumpily) - *dialogue*Ajay the director - CUT! Perfect.Ajay the actor - Wait, I think I didn't get the eyes right. Can we do the scene again?Ajay the director - Huh? What are you talking about?? It was fine!Ajay the actor - No, it wasn't.Ajay the director - Yes, it was.*Kajol rolls her eyes and walks off the set*The movie wasn't boring, in fact, it was a very well-intentioned story. But the scenes did seem a bit draggy here and there. I have a great movie review system, also known as 'Will I buy the DVD or not?' which is based on a great Q&A system 'Can I watch this movie 10 times or not?' and the movie fell in the second category.People had told me I'd be bawling in Taare Zameen Par too, but I was totally ho-hum in that as well. I guess several factors contribute to why you will or will not cry in a movie - how much you like the actors/director, how much you connect or identify with the story, the people you go to watch it with, and also your state of mind.On the way out, we started talking about movies that had made us cry, and I thought I'll list them here. Of course, there are some movies that made me cry in the 'bored me to tears' kind of way, but here I am talking about movies where I actually felt so much emotion that I cried.* * *AnjaliI was a kid when I watched this, and this will qualify as the first movie that made me cry. I was horrified when the kid died. Where the heck were Shaktimaan, and Superman and Spiderman and all other superheroes in their stupid costumes? Why didn't they save her? How come a 'good person' died? Died? Like never-gonna-come-back-died? Waaaaaaaa!SadmaI'm neither a fan of Sridevi nor Kamal Hasan (*ducks to avoid shoes*) but when I saw the last scene in the movie where he's doing the monkey antics to jog her memory and she, totally failing to recognise him, takes him for some lunatic and throws a banana at him, oh my. Big bawling.SaranshAnyone remember the scene where the frustrated father Anupam Kher is asking the customs officer if he can take his son's remains home? That entire scene was so well done, and Kher, only in his late 20s back then, was amazing in his portrayal of a middle-aged retired man.Akele Hum Akele TumWe watched this movie in the theatre - Dad, Mom, Grandma and me. Suddenly Dad turned to me and said, "It's raining inside the theatre!" "Huh?" I said, and looked up expecting some kind of leakage from the roof. "No, it's them." He pointed cheekily towards Mom and Grandma, who were both finding their anchals too short to wipe away all the tears. Dad and I chuckled, but my chuckling was short-lived. Remember the scene where Manisha Koirala is taking the kid away, and finds Aamir Khan sobbing hysterically in his room? The curve on my lips completely reversed itself in that scene and my poor Dad had to spend the rest of the movie not with two, but three bawling women. And I didn't even have a frickin' anchal!Kuch Kuch Hota HaiOkay, here's the thing - I really like Karan Johar movies. (Except Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna - I didn't like that.) KKHH was the quintessential KJ movie, which had all the elements that a typical Bollywood movie has, including some unbelievable shit that I still try not to roll my eyes at. I can't even remember the number of non-Indians to whom I'd recommended the movie and made them fall in love with Bollywood and Shah Rukh. And I remember how I cried when Kajol cried in the rain during the song 'Tujhe yaad na meri aayi' and also her goodbye scene at the railway station. And also the last scene of the movie.FilhaalI also referred to it as the Ganga-Jamuna movie. Because just like these rivers, it was free flow time for my tears. I watched it when I was already sad for some reason I can't remember - perhaps it was the time I was looking for a job and couldn't find any that wasn't engineering-related. It was probably one of the movies where I cried for at least half the duration of the movie.Kabhi Khushi Kabhie GhamThis movie was widely touted as the movie that had more Gham (sorrow) than Khushi (joy) - which was actually true. The only so-called Khushi moments had a screaming Kajol annoying the hell out of me and I was so shocked when they gave her the award for the best actress (*ducks to avoid shoes again*). However, there is one little scene in the movie which made me cry - the shoelace scene. Remember when 'Yash' is unable to tie his shoelaces, and Daaijaan helps him, and he protests with a "DJ!" Farida Jalal excelled in that scene when she got up, all teary-eyed and said that she knew it was Rohan all the way. I think I bought the DVD for that one scene.Doli Saja Ke RakhnaAnother one of those one-scene wonders. The last scene, when Mousumi Chatterji asks Aruna Irani if she can take Jyotika and Aruna Irani cries out, "Toh le jao na!" was so powerfully done. The absolute silence preceding the dialogue, showcasing the discomfort the characters were experiencing with the situation, and this odd outburst between the two women, just made the end totally worth it. The rest of the movie was quite blah, but I bought the DVD for that one scene.Kal Ho Na HoFrankly speaking, I did not cry when I saw this movie in the theatre. It doesn't even feature in my top five movies. But I'd bought the DVD for the amazing SRK-Saif chemistry. My flatmate was on medical leave, and I passed her the DVD before I left for work so she won't get bored. "You may need tissue for this one." I joked. When I came back from work, she was slumped in the chair red-eyed and the movie had been paused. She had just found out about Aman's illness. "You said I'll need tissue, you didn't say I'll need a box of tissue!" She said. "Huh? Really?? That bad?" I asked. "Watch the rest with me, I can't watch it alone." She said. So the two of us watched it together and much to my surprise, I did find myself shedding some tears.Lage Raho MunnaBhaiThe reason why the MunnaBhai series of movies rank among my top favourites is that the tears are as genuine as the laughter. These movies represent Bollywood and the range of emotions it offers. I laughed my guts out in these movies. And at the same time, I cried my eyes out. Remember that scene where Munna finds Circuit and apologises to him for slapping him? Tears central!* * *I guess that's the thing with Bollywood. My reaction to Kramer vs Kramer was nowhere compared to that of Akele Hum Akele Tum. I guess Bollywood really likes to infuse the emotions into the movie with a horse-vaccine-syringe. I can almost imagine the director going, "We HAVE to make the audience cry in this scene! More glycerin! More!" Well, I'm not complaining. I just wish they'd stop the rip-offs.Okay, I'm done. Whew. So let's start the bawl rolling - which movies made you cry?And guys, don't just shake your heads and walk away. This question is for you too. Come on, out with the truth. Don't be such men now. ;)Source

Drew Struzan Gives Artistic Love to Hellboy II

2008-04-19T01:41:00.001-07:00

Our friends over at CHUD caught a glimpse of a new Hellboy II: The Golden Army poster by famed artist Drew Struzan. Quick inspection of Struzan’s page over at IMPAwards.com shows us that Struzan has been the artist behind some of the best movie posters in the modern era. Aside from the awesome new Hellboy II poster, we can also see Struzan’s design for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. For your enjoyment, I’ve included that one below.Yes people, thats what I call a 2-for-1 discount on sweet movie posters.Related Reading:Full Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Movie Trailer is Epic!Drew Struzan Will Draw ‘The Golden Army’Hellboy Brings Out the Big GunPhoto Gallery: Hellboy 2: The Golden ArmyFinal Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Poster!: The Orphanage (El Orfanato: The Orphanage (El Orfanato)The OrphanageGuillermo Del Toro Campains for The Deathly Hallows Source

Fat Guys at the Movies: Episode 61 - The Forbidden Fatdom

2008-04-18T01:41:00.001-07:00

On This Week’s Show: Kevin professes his love for both Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis while Neil contemplates the potential consequences of fathering unknown children throughout the world. They review a whole gaggle of new films this weekend, from the mainstream Forgetting Sarah Marshall and 88 Minutes to the independent Pathology and Zombie Strippers. And there’s a lot of talk about Jason Segel’s junk and various bodily fluids.Films Reviewed this Week: The Forbidden Kingdom, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 88 Minutes, Pathology, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden and Zombie Strippers.Download this EpisodeShow Links:- Top Ten Urination Scenes in Movie History - The Fat Guys’ Top Ten!- The Ohio 24-Hour Science Fiction Movie Marathon - Meet the Fat Guys at the Marathon!Give the Fat Guys some love:Subscribe in iTunesEmail the Fat GuysDigg the Fat GuysRelated Reading:The Reject Report Gets Dumped by Sarah MarshallSXSW: Forgetting Sarah MarshallMust-See Trailer: Forgetting Sarah MarshallWonderCon 08: Forgetting Sarah MarshallMovie Drinking Games: 88 MinutesTop Ten Urination Scenes in Movie HistoryMovie Drinking Games: The Forbidden KingdomMovie Style Guy: Forget Sarah Marshall Source

2008-04-17T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-16T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-15T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-14T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-13T01:42:00.001-07:00

Daily Grind: The News We Missed - April 11

2008-04-12T01:41:00.001-07:00

Of course we miss a lot of news on Friday, we are too busy writing movie reviews and drinking games. Well, at least Mr. Kevin Carr is too busy devising ways to get you drunk while you take in a weekend’s worth of films. Either way, we know that there is some news that we missed in the last 24 hours, so we would like to share it with you today, via our friends around the web-o-sphere…Sony Picks up Battle: Los Angeles [FirstShowing.net]At first glance, I wanted this to be “Bloods v. Cripps: The Revival”, but alas it is the story of a Marine platoon that must fight off an alien invasion in L.A. This one gets a half-yawn and a half-raised eyebrow of intrigue.Meg is a movie about a HUGE Shark [LA Times]Rumors come back to life, much like a huge-ass shark that eats people. Think Jaws meets… umm, Godzilla.James Cameron talks Avatar, 3-D, Science and the Future of Humanity [Variety]We really wanted to do a full article about this one, but we got confused about 1/2 way through — Jim Cameron is out there, man. Really out there. Avatar looks sweet, though.Indiana Jones in MAD Magazine [Slashfilm]Pete at Slashfilm, purveyor of all things cool, hands us this little gem. We wish we had time to hunt down cool stuff like this and write about it, but we prefer to just read Slashfilm instead.Gisele Bündchen could be the 4th Austin Powers Girl [The Boston Globe]Really? This is being reported as if it is significant, like a Bond girl or something. Oh, okay.. We get the pun. Not funny.Colin Chou is not a Ninja Assassin [Collider]He does, however, know kung fu.More Speed Racer Photos, Images, Cartoonyism [Collider]Read the title, friendo. More Emile Hirsch to satisfy your weird fantasies.Alright kids, that’s what we have for you today. Check out the stories above on all of our little-sister sites. And be sure to have a damn fine weekend. Back to the grind on Monday.Related Reading:Daily Grind: The News We Missed - April 7Speed Racer to Close Tribeca Film FestivalShare a Seat with Wall-E and EveNew Speed Racer Photos - Will Families Dig the Acid Trip?Four New Speed Racer Movie Posters — Vroom Vroom!Will Collin Chou be a Ninja Assassin?Domestic Speed Racer Movie TrailerTwo New International Speed Racer Movie Trailers — Go Go Video Game Mode! Source

2008-04-11T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-10T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-09T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-08T01:42:00.001-07:00

2008-04-07T01:41:00.001-07:00

2008-04-06T01:42:00.001-07:00

Jabber - On Followers and Indie Scratchers

2008-04-05T01:41:00.001-07:00

Twitter is a different animal. Just like hows blogs and social networks are also distinctly different from each other, twitter the micro-blogging tool is way way different. The one thing that's common among them is i-scratch-you and you-scratch-me back[ISY-YSM]. I have been witnessing of such blog politics at close quarters and I generally hate it as it spoils the joy of blogging and how it gets you into a sort-of unwanted race. Now this isn't a blogpost to prove my worthiness. Keeping the poltics of the blogosphere aside, the growth of social networks is putting people into a different stress. The one that makes you accumulate friends, colleagues and followers. You accumulate as many friends as possible at Orkut, As many colleagues at Linked In and as many "followers" at Twitter. I infrequently update my twitter page with a silly message or two on what I watch and what I'm doing. There's nothing more to it. I follow some friends through the twitter feed from Google Reader and there are a bunch of friends who do the same thing. From time and again, I get notes from twitter that someone unknown to me is following me on twitter. But today was a revelation. And that scares me sometimes. Either I'm a super blogger that people aren't just satisfied with my blogposts that they also want to follow my footsteps at Twitter. Or it is the ISY-YSM syndrome. Of course, I don't follow those I don't know or those who aren't even known to me through their blogs. Today was a revelation. I received a note from Twitter that Jason Calacanis is now following my updates on Twitter. Since Jason is a blog celebrity, I have known him through his weblog for a long time now. Jason Calacanis the owner of Weblogs Inc and Mahalo is now one of my "followers". Yay !! or Whew !! depending on how you take it. Jason doesn't know me but he wants to follow me on Twitter. For what ? To discover this, I drifted off to Jason's Twitter page and I see that he has 17000+ followers and he is following 15000+ people. I don't get it. Jason's a nice guy and I have nothing against Jason but how does one follow 17K+ people twitters and have 15K people following them ? Scoble has even more followers and he follows more people that anyone else. I find it tough to follow just 10 people. For me that's information overload. This is the kind of party politics(as we call it in Tamil Nadu) that is spreading like a disease in social networks and I'm also a proud contributer to it. The ISY-YSM is also pretty evident in small networks that is anything indie. From independent personal blogs to independent writers, film makers, musicians this is very common. The very notion that independent movement is largely independent isn't exactly true. Movies made by studios are ripped apart by movie critics and reviewers from all over. Whereas indie-films are watched a handful crowd who are themselves budding indie film makers and they also know the film-maker in person. This makes the indie movie reviews very superfluous. Something like Madan reviewing Tamil Cinema in Vijay TV. Madan is a integral part of who's who of Tamil Cinema. And his reviews are also very mellow, infact they are pretty in-accurate at times, owing to the fact that he already knows the film-maker as a friend or a peer. Wouldn't it be embarrassing to tear apart their films in a prime-time program, even if they deserve it to be that way. If I were to make a movie as an independent film-maker, I would largely depend on blogs to get the news out but I would certainly expect a honest review of it. A good movie will eventually be noticed and a bad movie dropped even after getting enough brownie points from fellow bloggers. Wouldn't it be embarrassing when you make a dull-headed movie and bloggers, your so-called "followers" applaud it. Huh !! the days of our lives !! Source

Spring Break article

2008-04-04T01:41:00.001-07:00

Not quite a movie review, but instead a published article on some great flicks (that I didn't get to review the first time around) that would be great rentals over the Spring Break. on-line articleSpring break moviesRentals offer variety in Oscar-winning and overlooked picsThere is no better time than spring break to relax and catch up on movie rentals. Certainly plenty of movies have been released on DVD while students have been buried in stacks of books all semester. And while many went to theaters to see big hits like "American Gangster" and "Beowulf," students will undoubtedly be looking for something beyond the mainstream to fill up those hours where there is still nothing on TV.A good place to start scanning the shelves would be the Oscar winning films that are released. Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Michael Clayton," but it is George Clooney's Oscar- nominated performance that makes this legal thriller one of the more popular choices.There is also "La Vie en Rose," which won Best Leading Actress for Marion Cotillard's performance as French singer Edith Piaf. Following the Oscars' recognition for musical films is the independent movie "Once," which won Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly."Finally, the winner of the Best Picture of the Year, "No Country for Old Men," will be released on March 11, just in time to be enjoyed during the break. Viewers will be captivated by Javier Bardem's unsettling performance as a psychopathic killer throughout the desolate Texas desert landscape.Speaking of musicals, "Across the Universe" is an innovative film about the chaos of the '60s told entirely in Beatles songs. Director Julie Taymor ("Frida," "Titus") is most famous for her stage work on Broadway with Disney's "The Lion King" (for which she won two Tony's). Her background in puppetry, costume and staging serves her well. There are some fantastic dream-like sequences that display that influence to great effect. Her unique artistic vision is well worth a watch, whether viewers are fans of musicals or not.Another film that might have been overlooked is "The Invisible." A remake of a Swedish film, this movie is incredibly well-written. Part ghost story and part love story, the plot will keep audiences' attention with a few unexpected twists and turns. It has beautiful cinematography sprinkled throughout and great acting from relatively unknown actors like Justin Chatwin ("War of the Worlds," "Taking Lives"). One thing to note, though, is that this is not really a thriller. The original previews advertised it as such and lost a lot of viewers due to disappointment. Don't pass this one by on that fact alone. "The Invisible" is a surprisingly well-done film.There's also the British comedy "Death at a Funeral" that didn't receive a lot of attention during its brief stint in the theaters. Directed by Frank Oz ("Bowfinger," "The Muppets Take Manhattan") - yes, that Frank Oz - the film is quite funny. It's an ensemble comedy of errors that works incredibly well with all the actors that get involved. There are several recognizable British actors like Matthew Macfadyen ("Middletown," "Pride & Prejudice"), as well as a few American actors like Alan Tudyk ("Knocked Up," "Serenity"). Despite some minor moments of comedic predictability, even viewers who aren't fond of English culture will find this movie amusing.For students looking for romance, "Dan in Real Life" or "The Jane Austen Book Club" might do. But if something a little more serious is desired, then "Becoming Jane" will work perfectly. Since the Jane Austen craze has kicked into high gear yet again, this is the perfect fix for fans. It's a fictional yet quite realistic look at Austen's real life and what might have happened that will touch viewers' hearts. There are amazing performances by Anne Hathaway ("The Devil Wears Prada," "Brokeback Mountain") and James McAvoy ("Atonement," "The Last King of Scotland") in the leading roles, but the supporting cast will leave an impression as well.For a movie that is a little more light-hearted, "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," which hits DVD on March 4, would be a perfect pick. Despite the previews that make this film look cheesy, this movie has an incredibly sweet plot with amazing special effects. The plot might not be the freshest in the genre, but it's the little moments in this film that really make it special. There are cameos, toys coming to life and well-known actors embracing the innocence of childhood to play like kids once again. Throw in a reference to Shakespeare and this film really does have a little something for the young and old alike.And certainly the same can be said for the video-rental stores. Whether it's a western like "3:10 to Yuma" or a thriller like "30 Days of Night," there is bound to be something on the shelves to please every movie lover.Source

2008-04-03T01:41:00.001-07:00

Learning to be a human being again

2008-03-30T01:41:00.001-07:00

I’ve been busy lately, busier than I’ve been in a long time. Between a fulltime job, freelance work, and an eight-week-old, life is fuller than I ever imagined it could be. Besides missing all of the sleep I used to get, I find myself missing the work that I used to do on Opus. Simply put, I miss writing honest-to-God music and movie reviews, and not just little blog entries about this or that release. I miss diving into an album or film, exploring it as I write about it, using the reviewing process as a way to contemplate and ultimately, better understand the media that I seek out, consume, and experience.It felt incredibly refreshing to post my first music review in over a month. But all of the work I’ve been doing lately has meant that such writing is the exception, and not the rule. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, or at least the first faint few glimmers. Several projects will be coming to completion in the next week or so, freeing me up for more personal work, including more writing, a redesign that has been in development for several months now, and a project that has been nearly a year in the making.Beyond that, the future looks a little more wide open, a little more unknown. And that’s a very good feeling right now.Source

Pineapple Express Soundtrack to Feature a Rap Song by Shaq

2008-03-29T01:41:00.001-07:00

Much has been made over the recent success of the Pineapple Express red-band trailer, which we helped bring to you back in early February. It was so successful on our site, in fact, that when we met with director David Gordon Green to discuss his latest film Snow Angels this afternoon, he recognized us as being the site that put the trailer out there for the world. While we appreciate the recognition, it was us who should be thanking him, as Pineapple Express looks like a movie that is going to blow us away come August. One particularly hot topic has been the music surrounding the film. The early trailers featured the infectious jam “Paper Planes” by MIA, which had plenty of people hooked. As well, the legendary Huey Lewis is developing the theme song for the film, that will be in the same vein as “The Power of Love” which was made famous as the theme for Back to the Future. When asked about the Huey Lewis theme song, Green had this to say: “I’m not going to sing it for you… But its really good. You’ll freak out when you hear it. You’ll do back flips and go bananas.”And although he wouldn’t sing it for us, he did give our friends at Movieweb a little preview in late February:We got trouble,we got to get out of here.I've got you,you've got me.We are as high as we can be.That's all right.How did we get into this mess?Pineapple Express!But that isn’t the only song in the movie, mind you. Curious as we are, we had to know more about the soundtrack for this wild stoner action comedy.“The soundtrack is so amazing,” Green explained. “It is. I mean, there’s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It is pretty wonderful and eclectic, very 80s influenced [mix]. There is a Shaquille O’Neal rap song in it. There is a little something for everybody. And it will all end with the Huey Lewis theme song at the end. I can’t even think about it without smiling. It gets stuck in your head for days.”In reference to the movie as a whole, Green said that it has been a lot of fun, especially for him: “Just wait. Its a wild ride. Its fun sitting down with a crowd and watching them go with it. It’s a new experience for me to have a movie thats actively participated in by the audience. That navigates the success or failure of any movie, but here its not being sitting quietly and shedding a tear or giving a little sigh of anxiety, its totally, lets raise the roof.”So as you can see, there is plenty to get you excited about Pineapple Express — action, drugs, Seth Rogen and hell, even Shaq laying down riffs on the soundtrack. What could be better than that?Keep an eye out for more from our interview with David Gordon Green next week, closer to the wider release of his film Snow Angels.Related Reading:The Pineapple Express Movie Trailer!David Gordon Green to Remake Argento’s Suspiria?Two New Images from Pineapple ExpressJudd Apatow Picks Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann for His NextZack and Miri’s Trailer Due in front of Pineapple ExpressEagle Eye Pushed BackPineapple Express Red-Band Trailer Leaked Online: Shotgun Stories: Shotgun Stories Source

Cloverfield DVD Giveaway: The Cloverfield Monster on Your TV!

2008-03-28T01:41:00.001-07:00

That crazy, still somewhat mysterious Cloverfield monster is on the verge of attacking the fine denizens of New York once again, this time on DVD. And considering the fact that so many of you saw it when it made its theatrical run, it is safe to assume that you are interested in checking it out again.But we also know how much you despise paying for DVDs. Like us, you would much rather get your DVDs for FREE. This leaves you with two choices: start your own major movie website and try to convince studios to send you goodies, or enter our contest. Trust us, your chances are better with the second option.In celebration of its DVD release on April 22nd, we have scored three (3) copies of Cloverfield on DVD to offer up to our readers. All you have to do is be a subscriber to our Daily Email Updates, powered by Feedburner. As a subscriber, you will enjoy a daily email wake-up call with the latest movie news and reviews, all delivered with the uncensored brilliance of the Film School Rejects.If you are already a subscriber, you are automatically entered. If not, use the form below to get yourself in on the action. Once you have signed up and activated your subscription, you will be automatically entered into this and any other future giveaways.Enter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurnerRelated Reading:Surprise! Paramount Demands Cloverfield Sequel: Cloverfield: Cloverfield: Cloverfield: CloverfieldCloverfield Monster Captured!Talking Points: So… What Did You Think of Cloverfield?Cloverfield: Interview With Director, Matt ReevesExclusive: We Know Where the Cloverfield Monster Came From!Cloverfield Source

Learning to be a human being again

2008-03-27T01:41:00.001-07:00

newsflash

2008-03-26T01:41:00.001-07:00

as you can see from this picture, i failed in my attempt to walk on waterall that happened is i got very wetso i have decided to give being rational another shotwith a little help from James Randi and Richard speaking of James Randi, he debunked a guy named James Hydrick back in 1980when i looked this guy up now, i found that James Hydrick is incarcerated as a sex offenderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hydrickand that just made me laugh and laugh and laughmoving on, movie review timei really liked this movie, but in so liking it i have become aware of the strength of certain stereotype strong within meand that is seeing the former east block as dominated by gangsters the way we use to see it here in the west dominated by communist governmentshow much of this is true, i do not knowall i can hope is that how much ever it is true, that the people their throw off this tyranny as they did Stalinism...Source

Trailer: Meet Dave — Then Swiftly Walk Away

2008-03-25T01:41:00.001-07:00

The first trailer has been released for the upcoming Eddie Murphy comedy Meet Dave, which stars Murphy as a guy who is really a craft of some kind, in which itty bitty people live and work. It is sort of like Innerspace, only not fun, creative or even remotely interesting. The only bright spot I can see is that Elizabeth Banks co-stars as, at least as far as we can tell, Dave’s love interest. But then again, how does a robot with 10 little people living inside him have a love interest? Furthermore, if they have sex, is that considered group sex? My brain hurts — just watch the trailer.[See post to watch Flash video]As you can see, the film looks short on laughs and long on lame gags. It forces me to wonder why someone as talented (and hot) as Elizabeth Banks got wrapped up in a mess like this. Oh yeah, a paycheck. As for Eddie Murphy, we know his story. After walking out on Oscar night like a kid who got picked last on the playground, he has decided to stay close to the well, doing more films like Norbit, The Nutty Professor and The Adventures of Pluto Nash. File this somewhere in between Norbit and Pluto Nash, under guaranteed suck.For those of you not horrified by the very thought of this film, you can see more when it hits theaters on July 11th.Related Reading:Update: Zack and Miri Make a Porno — New Photos, Kevin Smith Talks!Razzies, GAG Awards Honor ‘Norbit’WTF: The Academy Award Nominated Norbit?Juno Deleted Scene: Michael Cera Can Be More AwkwardDrillbit Taylor —Tropic Thunder Movie Trailer — Looks Badass!Seth Rogen, Mall SecurityFirst Look: Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno Source

Box Office: Guess ‘Who’ Won the Weekend?

2008-03-24T01:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter, movie fans. Well, it was Horton who received a big golden Easter egg this weekend from the box office, as Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! won at the box office for the second weekend in a row, as most everyone predicted. Horton finished with $25 million while Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns did the best among new releases at $20 million. Again, no real surprises. Shutter did a little better than expected at $10.7 million, while Drillbit Taylor flopped with everyone at $10.2 million. That is the second box office disappointment for Judd Apatow in a row (after Walk Hard). He better watch it. The rest of the top ten went pretty much as predicted but there was a surprise in tenth place as Under the Same Moon, from the Weinstein Company, snuck in there in tenth spot even though it was in only 266 theaters! But it made almost $10,000 per theater. The movie about a Mexican who finds work in the USA (America Ferrera from Ugly Betty) and who seeks to be reunited with the son she left behind in Mexico, debuted last Wednesday and made $2,602,000 this weekend, and $3,329,000 overall. Not bad for a Spanish-language film. That result knocked Doomsday to 11th at $2,180,000.Here are the totals courtesy of Box Office Mojo.1 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! $25,100,0002 Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns $20,010,0003 Shutter $10,700,0004 Drillbit Taylor $10,200,0005 10,000 B.C. $8,660,0006 Never Back Down $4,861,0007 College Road Trip $4,630,0008 The Bank Job $4,100,0009 Vantage Point $3,800,00010 Under the Same Moon $2,602,000 That’s all for now. As I have said, it is kind of a boring week and the results pretty much speak for themselves. See you later this week for more predictions here at The Reject Report!Related Reading:Fat Guys at the Movies: Episode 57 - Back in the StudioThe Reject Report Meets the BrownsDrinking Games: Drillbit TaylorDrinking Games: ShutterShutter —Drillbit Taylor —Box Office: Horton Hears a Cash Register, $45 Million : Horton Hears a Who: Horton Hears a Who! Source

2008-03-23T01:41:00.001-07:00

..whisper sweet string theories into my ear..

2008-03-22T01:41:00.001-07:00

so, skipping out on the punctuation thing again. i'm feeling feisty. well, not really. actually i'm feeling... like an anthill. calm exterior surface, busy hive of activity underneath. i'm going to write the next thing in the interests of posterity. not shock value. and honestly, it's not so shocking in this day and age. but, i was pleasuring myself earlier today, and just near the moment of shangri-la i found myself imagining my imaginary female partner gasping out the intricacies of quantum physics in between heaving shudders. i believe that was what pushed me over the edge to sail aloft on thermal dynamic winds. this seriously rocked my boat. i think i'm going crazy. />movie review: just got back from seeing 'Drillbit Taylor'. the best two words one could use to sum up this film would be 'owen wilson'. OW being hired basically to play the character he plays best (namely himself) is usually always a safe bet if the film is comedy, which this one is. of note one of the writers is seth rogan and i can't help but draw parallels between the 3 main kids as being simply younger versions of the high schoolers from 'superbad'. i mean, it's so obvious really. tall skinny kid, heavy foul-mouthed kid, and lovable loser kid. it's as if rogan wanted to revisit those characters and show another angle on them just entering high school (instead of being at the end as in superbad).so, i liked the film. i enjoyed it. there's not a whole lot of depth, but there are some pretty feel good moments, and some really funny stuff. i mean, if you like OW, then you'll definitely like it, cause he's essentially reprising the same role he plays in almost every film he's done. and that's ok, cause I really like OW. and hell, he frickin gets a pinky cut off catching a samurai sword... that's pretty badass i have to admit.anyway, i'm moved in to my new basement. i'm a bit apprehensive about living with other people again, especially since i barely know them but i think it'll be ok for a while. i just value my privacy so we'll see if that is maintained. additionally i have an interview set up for next week. for level design. means i'll have to crash-course in UE4 (which i've been mentally reviewing in my head... most systems are a go i think). yeah, back into games possibly. no teaching, no climbing instruction, no moving to paris. is this really what i want?!? it's not what i said i wanted, for sure. but i figure i'll give it a year or so of saving, and then make a move again. do volunteering at the gym in the meantime, learn french, keep my eyes and ears peeled for the opportunities. i hope i'm not just backsliding =/Source

Volver and Delicious Cleavages

2008-03-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Again, like last night, I logged on with the intentions of writing a movie review ... and, again, it ain't gonna happen.Tonight we watched Volver, and I enjoyed it. It was quite unlike anything I've seen before. Penelope Cruz did some great work in the main role, and she was beautiful, besides. Click here and check out her visage on the movie's official poster and packaging ... like a young Sophia Loren, only prettier. She really was outstanding in the film.But my enjoyment of this Spanish-language film was hampered, even ruined at times, by some odd subtitles. Did I write odd? Downright friggin' weird is probably a better way to describe it. And the fact that the story itself is pretty weird only heightened my confusion. For instance, at one point, Penelope Cruz's character sings a song that is apparently called Volver. The lyrics to which oughta give the viewer an idea of the significance of the movie's title. But for some reason, the words of the song weren't included in the subtitles. It was a nice song, it sounded pretty, it clearly included the word "Volver," and I'd have liked to know what it was all about. So I was distracted and a little frustrated by that.So rather than write the movie review I'd wanted to write, I've been fruitlessly looking around the net for a translation of the lyrics, although I can't be sure what the song is called in Spanish. A guy ought not have to do this kind of thing after the fact in order to better feel that he enjoyed a movie.I've put the disc in the PC to show you some of what I'm talking about ...At another point in the movie, Penelope's character (who is running a restaurant) complements her barmaid on her drink-mixing skills:To which the barmaid responds:I, uh... well, OK. I think I know what you mean, and I might even agree, but ... uh ... what?I don't think that's technically incorrect translating ... but it sure is a bit odd. It's not as odd, of course, as the infamous Chinese bootleg subtitles for Star Wars:But it was a bit off-putting, nonetheless.Anyway, once I got past the subtitle issue and just tried to enjoy the movie, I did enjoy it. Now, it is an odd movie. It's very strange. The story involves attempted rape and murder and someone who may or may not be a ghost. And it's one of those movies that features a number of heroic and/or sympathetic female characters and a pack of lecherous, disgusting male characters. And I think I mentioned the subtitle issue.But, in spite of all that, the movie is more good than bad. Cinematically, it's really very good. All the critics I had heard were right about two things: Penelope Cruz turns in an outstanding performance, and the movie's visual pallet is beautiful.And Penelope makes for some dang nice eye-candy, besides.So see Volver if you're in the mood for something a bit odd with no likable male characters and some weird subtitles. If I were gonna write a full-on review, I'd probably give it three out of four stars.Source

Interesting analysis suggesting that blogging and the internet has created a literate youth culture!

2008-03-20T01:41:00.001-07:00

What's the matter with kids today?http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/14/kids_and_internet/Nothing, actually. Aside from our panic that the Internet is melting their brains.By Amy GoldwasserMarch 14, 2008 | The other week was only the latest takedown of what has become a fashionable segment of the population to bash: the American teenager. A phone (land line!) survey of 1,200 17-year-olds, conducted by the research organization Common Core and released Feb. 26, found our young people to be living in "stunning ignorance" of history and literature.This furthered the report that the National Endowment for the Arts came out with at the end of 2007, lamenting "the diminished role of voluntary reading in American life," particularly among 13-to-17-year-olds, and Doris Lessing's condemnation, in her acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in literature, of "a fragmenting culture" in which "young men and women ... have read nothing, knowing only some specialty or other, for instance, computers."Kids today -- we're telling you! -- don't read, don't write, don't care about anything farther in front of them than their iPods. The Internet, according to 88-year-old Lessing (whose specialty is sturdy typewriters, or perhaps pens), has "seduced a whole generation into its inanities."Or is it the older generation that the Internet has seduced -- into the inanities of leveling charges based on fear, ignorance and old-media, multiple-choice testing? So much so that we can't see that the Internet is only a means of communication, and one that has created a generation, perhaps the first, of writers, activists, storytellers? When the world worked in hard copy, no parent or teacher ever begrudged teenagers who disappeared into their rooms to write letters to friends -- or a movie review, or an editorial for the school paper on the first president they'll vote for. Even 15-year-old boys are sharing some part of their feelings with someone out there.We're talking about 33 million Americans who are fluent in texting, e-mailing, blogging, IM'ing and constantly amending their profiles on social network sites -- which, on average, 30 of their friends will visit every day, hanging out and writing for 20 minutes or so each. They're connected, they're collaborative, they're used to writing about themselves. In fact, they choose to write about themselves, on their own time, rather than its being a forced labor when a paper's due in school. Regularly, often late at night, they're generating a body of intimate written work. They appreciate the value of a good story and the power of a speech that moves: Ninety-seven percent of the teenagers in the Common Core survey connected "I have a dream" with its speaker -- they can watch Dr. King deliver it on demand -- and eight in 10 knew what "To Kill a Mockingbird" is about.This is, of course, the kind of knowledge we should be encouraging. The Internet has turned teenagers into honest documentarians of their own lives -- reporters embedded in their homes, their schools, their own heads.But this is also why it's dangerous, why we can't seem to recognize that it's just a medium. We're afraid. Our kids know things we don't. They drove the presidential debates onto YouTube and very well may determine the outcome of this election. They're texting at the dinner table and responsible for pretty much every enduring consumer cultural phenomenon: iPod, iTunes, iPhone; Harry Potter, "High School Musical"; large hot drinks with gingerbread flavoring. They can sell ads on their social network pages, and they essentially made MySpace worth $580 million and "Juno" an Oscar winner.Besides, we're tired of having to ask them every time we need to find Season 2 of "Heroes," calculate a carbon footprint or upload photos to Facebook (now that we're allowed on).Plus, they're blogging about us.So we've made the Internet one more thing unknowable about the American teenager, when, really, it's one of the few revelations. We conduct these surveys and overgeneralize -- labeling like the mean girls, driven by the same jealousy and insecurity.Common Core drew its multiple-choice questions for teens from a test administered by the federal government in 1986. Twenty-plus years ago, high school students didn't have the Internet to store their trivia. Now they know that the specific dates and what-was-that-prince's-name will always be there; they can free their brains to go a little deeper into the concepts instead of the copyrights, step back and consider what Scout and Atticus were really fighting for. To criticize teenagers' author-to-book title matching on the spot, over the phone, is similar to cold-calling over-40s and claiming their long-division skills or date of "Jaws" recall is rusty. This is what we all rely on the Internet for.That's not to say some of the survey findings aren't disturbing. It's crushing to hear that one in four teens could not identify Adolf Hitler's role in world history, for instance. But it's not because teenagers were online that they missed this. Had a parent introduced 20 minutes of researching the Holocaust to one month of their teen's Internet life, or a teacher assigned "The Diary of Anne Frank" (arguably a 13-year-old girl's blog) -- if we worked with, rather than against, the way this generation voluntarily takes in information -- we might not be able to pick up the phone and expose tragic pockets of ignorance.The average teen chooses to spend an average of 16.7 hours a week reading and writing online. Yet the NEA report did not consider this to be "voluntary" reading and writing. Its findings also concluded that "literary reading declined significantly in a period of rising Internet use." The corollary is weak -- this has as well been a period of rising franchises of frozen yogurt that doesn't taste like frozen yogurt, of global warming, of declining rates of pregnancy and illicit drug use among teenagers, and of girls sweeping the country's most prestigious high school science competition for the first time.Teenagers today read and write for fun; it's part of their social lives. We need to start celebrating this unprecedented surge, incorporating it as an educational tool instead of meeting it with punishing pop quizzes and suspicion.We need to start trusting our kids to communicate as they will online -- even when that comes with the risk that they'll spill the family secrets or campaign for a candidate who's not ours.Once we stop regarding the Internet as a villain, stop presenting it as the enemy of history and literature and worldly knowledge, then our teenagers have the potential to become the next great voices of America. One of them, 70 years from now, might even get up there to accept the very award Lessing did -- and thank the Internet for making him or her a writer and a thinker.Source

Yub Nub!

2008-03-19T01:42:00.001-07:00

I received an unprecedented number of e-mails after I sent a message to my e-list that declared: "It was in fact the Ewoks that made Return of the Jedi the BEST STAR WARS MOVIE EVER." Apparently, them's fightin' words. A sampling of replies:* It's just such a blatant, throw-down provocation. Ewoks blow. And you know it.* Oh, where to begin? *Shakes head sorrowfully.** Well, the Ewoks did take down the Imperial forces with "primitive" technology, which was pretty cool. But I suspect the only reason why you hold the Ewoks (and, subsequently, the whole movie) in such high esteem is that THEY WORSHIPPED A GAY ROBOT. And for that fact alone will you ignore any and all arguments against Return of the Jedi, so I will not try.But then an astute friend pointed out:Did you know that the Ewok language was in fact based on a dialect in the Philippines? So—it would make sense to me, your love of Ewoks, because of their inherent linguistic familiarity via pan-API connections.Yeah! That's it!But, seriously, folks, the first piece of writing that I ever got published was a movie review of Return of the Jedi, which I wrote when I was in the fifth grade and which got printed in my elementary school's newsletter. The other kids were in awe of me because I had actually seen the movie on opening weekend—waited in a long line and everything! I gave it a 10 out of 10 because it was—up until that point—pretty much the greatest experience of my life. Then I discovered masturbation, and everything changed.But back during those innocent days, I went to see Jedi over and over, collected the action figures, played the arcade game, read the novel tie-in, bought related merchandise, and listened to that damn catchy Ewok song repeatedly—even calling up the radio station to request it, much to the chagrin of hip DJs, I'm sure.You know what? I still love those goddman Ewoks. I still get excited by the Endor forest speeder bike chase. I still get scared when Luke gets chased by the rancor beast. I still cheer when Princess Leia chokes Jabba the Hut to death and still get giddy when she declares her love to Han Solo. And I still cry when Darth Vader throws the Emperor down the reactor shaft to save his son. Yes, I cried then, and I cry now. If that moment doesn't tug at your heart, you probably have no soul. And that's all I have to say about Return of the Jedi, the BEST STAR WARS MOVIE EVER.Ah, sweet memories: Sing along, bitches!:Yub nubeee chop yub nubah toe meet toe pee-chee keeneg'noop dock fling oh ahYah waheee chop yah wahah toe meet toe pee-chee keeneg'noop dock fling oh ahCoatee chah tu yub nubcoatee chah tu yahwahcoatee chah tu glowahallay loo ta nuvGlowaheee chop glowahya glowah pee chu nee foamah toot dee awe goon daaCoatee cha tu goo (Yub nub!)coatee cha tu doo (Yahwah!)coatee cha tu too (Ya chaa!)allay loo ta nuvallay loo ta nuvallay loo ta nuvGlowaheee chop glowahya glowah pee chu nee foamah toot dee awe goon daa Source

Underworld 3 Ups the Production Budget

2008-03-18T01:41:00.001-07:00

With high paid hottie Kate Beckinsale gone, what does Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans do with all the money? Well apparently, first they bought a colon and called this movie Rise of the Lycans.Secondly, they picked up Beckinsale doppleganger Rhona Mitra (hot!) and plopped down some serious change on production values. Apparently we’re going to get some sweet sets and sexy vampire armor, but don’t take my word for it, read below:"We can confirm that the production values of sets and costumes are extremely high, the story is bold and the pedigree is pure," they say. "The sets are immense… Cool things to get excited about are new and sexy vampire armour, Mitra in kickass form, big battles and a bold and brutal style to the film that pays homage to the original flicks, but takes the Underworld saga into new territory."Sounds pretty bad-ass. I can’t say I’m a fan of either Underworld flicks all that much, but medieval werewolves whipping ass on some armored vampires sounds like it’ll be pretty nice. The success of this film is up in the air though, with key cast members gone and a bold new, though apparently violent, direction for the franchise.Stay tuned for more. In the mean time, I’ll mourn the absence of Beckinsale by staring at her pictures on the internet for a few hours.Source: CinemaBlend Related Reading:: Doomsday: DoomsdayMust See Trailer: Neil Marshall’s DoomsdayNews Bytes: Crank 2, Underworld 3, GameMust See: Inside Zack Snyder’s ‘Watchmen’ War Room Source

2008-03-17T01:42:00.001-07:00

March 16, 2008 -- Contents

2008-03-15T01:41:00.001-07:00

SUNDAY MARCH 16 CONTENTS(1) The Sunday Photos(2) The Sunday Conversion(3) The Sunday Shell Game(4) The Sunday Travel Section(5) The Sunday Salute(6) The Sunday FunniesNOTE: For the Sunday, see Publius Pundit. If you've seen the film or not, feel free to leave your thoughts/reactions as a comment. Only related to Russia because we say so.Thanks for reading La Russophobe !Source

2008-03-14T01:42:00.001-07:00

SXSW Blog: Geek Movies, Kristen Bell and Other Diversions

2008-03-13T01:41:00.001-07:00

I’d be lying if I said that we’ve been getting tons of emails from readers asking where our SXSW Blog has been the past few days, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone is, in fact, interested in reading about our shenanigans. If you’ve been following me on Twitter, then you can see that it has been a busy week — well, I guess that depends on your definition of “busy”.Today being Wednesday, it is time for the Music Festival here at South by Southwest. While I am sad to see our friends from the Interactive Fest go, especially our good friend Muhammad Saleem, I believe that the arrival of the musical side of SXSW has breathed new life into the entire event. The Film Festival keeps on kicking, all the way to the end of the week, even though the Film Awards were given out last night — it’s back assword I know, but that is how SXSW rolls. Needless to say, we are here until the absolute end of the festival on Saturday. There is no reason why we should miss out on the chance to kick it in a great house and see more great films. Speaking of great films — we have certainly seen a few gems thus far. We’ve got a bunch more reviews coming in the next day or so, but if you’d like to see write-ups on some of the best of SXSW so far, check out my review of The Promotion starring Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly or Brian’s review of Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet. I also loved the film Nerdcore Rising, which chronicles the first national tour of MC Frontalot, the nerdy rapper who is taking over the world. Keep an eye on our SXSW homepage for more reviews over the next few days as we attempt to get ourselves caught up.Why would we need to get caught up? Simply, we’ve fallen prey to all the wonderful diversions that Austin has to offer during SXSW week. It seems like every night brings a new party, a new round of fun and more drunken shenanigans. Monday night we had an opportunity to attend the highly secretive and uber-exclusive Ain’t It Cool News Forgetting Sarah Marshall cocktail hour. There we hung out with the usual crowd of online movie blogger-elite (Scott Weinberg and Erik Davis from Cinematical, Harry and Quint from AICN, Pete and Mel from Slashfilm, Alex and Ken from FirstShowing.net and many others.) We also got the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the cast, including Jason Segel, Kristen Bell and Russell Brand. Kristen Bell was a sweetheart, Russell Brand was outrageous and Jason Segel was really laid back and cool. Director Nick Stoller actual stopped and talked with us for a few minutes as well — he was a great guy. Overall, it was an awesome experience.Since then it has been back to work — more films and more reviewing to do. In fact, I will leave this a bit short and get back to writing up some of the awesome films that I have seen before. Keep an eye on my Twitter stream for on-the-go updates from Austin and be sure to check out our Flickr Photostream for more pictures like the ones above. Until tomorrow, you stay classy, world wide web.Click Here to Visit Our SXSW Homepage!Related Reading:SXSW: Nerdcore RisingSXSW: Super High MeSXSW Spotlight: UbuntuSXSW Preview: FrontrunnersSXSW Preview: A Necessary DeathSXSW: We Are WizardsAmerican Teen Gets a Warm Texas Welcome at SXSWSXSW Blog: Chiptunes, Rosario Dawson and Hannah from American Teen! Source

New Images from Tropic Thunder — More Blackface Downey Jr!

2008-03-12T01:41:00.001-07:00

Paramount Pictures has released a slue of pictures from ShoWest in Las Vegas, and since I am currently in Austin for South by Southwest, I am of course working on that instead of finishing my review of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This first update includes two great new looks at Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder, which as you will remember, stars Robert Downey Jr. as a pretensious actor whose part was originally written for a black man, so he dyes his skin to fit the part.As I said before, I am getting more and more excited about this comedy as the marketing campaign begins to gear up. Consider this just the next step in the building of my excitement. I say bring on the ridiculous premise! Take a look at the new pictures below.(Click to Enlarge)Tropic Thunder hits theaters on August 15th.Related Reading:Tropic Thunder Teases OnlineFirst Look: Robert Downey Jr as Black Man in ‘Tropic Thunder’Tom Cruise Rocks a Fat Suit for Stiller’s ‘Tropic Thunder’SXSW: Forgetting Sarah MarshallNew German Iron Man Movie Poster!Two New Iron Man Posters!New Iron Man Photos: Tony Stark - “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy”New Iron Man Trailer Will Rock You! Source

2008-03-11T01:41:00.001-07:00

Movie Review Monday!!!

2008-03-10T01:41:00.001-07:00

Well peeps, it is that time of the week again movie review Monday! I watched 4 new films this week. One was outstanding, one was good, one was boring as all heck and one was SO bad I am ashamed to admit I watched it! LOL Lets start with the good one.. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee "Beginning just after the bloody Sioux victory over General Custer atLittle Big Horn, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee intertwines theperspectives of three characters: Charles Eastman (Beach), né Ohiyesa,a young, Dartmouth-educated, Sioux doctor held up as living proof ofthe alleged success of assimilation; Sitting Bull (Schellenberg), theproud Lakota chief who refuses to submit to U.S. government policiesdesigned to strip his people of their identity, their dignity and theirsacred land - the gold-laden Black Hills of the Dakotas; and SenatorHenry Dawes (Quinn), who was one of the architects of the governmentpolicy on Indian affairs. While Eastman and patrician schoolteacherElaine Goodale (Paquin) work to improve life for the Indians on thereservation, Senator Dawes lobbies President Grant (Thompson) for morehumane treatment, opposing the bellicose stance of General WilliamTecumseh Sherman (Feore). Hope rises for the Indians in the form of theprophet Wovoka (Studi) and the Ghost Dance - a messianic movement thatpromises an end of their suffering under the white man. This hope isobliterated after the assassination of Sitting Bull and the massacre ofhundreds of Indian men, women and children by the 7th Cavalry atWounded Knee Creek on Dec. 29, 1890." I really enjoyed this film. I am really drawn to the history of Native Americans/Canadians. My grandmother is part Ojibwa, so the history holds a special place in my heart. I would definitely recommend this film! Lets move on to the BAD BAD film! LOL... Carver "Based on a true story, Carver depicts the real life events of five20-something's that went camping in the mountain town of Halcyon Ridgeand never returned." Now let me say first that I do not believe for one nano second that this movie was based on true events. Now I like a good slasher movie, the cheesy, gory ones. Heck I liked Saw and Hostel, that being said this movie was SO over the top, SO gory and gross, So bad that I spent a ton of time hiding under my blanket feeling nauseated. :( STAY AWAY for this movie, seriously..heed my warning.. LOL OK I am getting grossed out just thinking about it... On to the next movie.. Michael Clayton"Michael Clayton is an in-house fixer at one of thelargest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor,Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen's dirtiest work at thebehest of the firm's co-founder, Marty Bach. Though burned out andhardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed businessventure, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to thefirm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowderrests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class-action suitthat Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion.But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edenssabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of hiscareer and his life" So we finally got around to watching this one and found it just boring. I am not really crazy for John Grisham like movies and that is what this movie reminded both DH and I of. To be honest I am actually kind of confused as to why this what up as a "Best Picture" and why the actress won "Best supporting" Neither struck me as being particularly outstanding. I am going to give this one a thumbs down! My last movie for today is... Love In The Time Of Cholera "Florentino (Bardem), rejected by the beautiful Fermina (Mezzogiorno) ata young age, devotes much of his adult life to carnal affairs as adesperate attempt to heal his broken heart." I thought this movie was OUTSTANDING, so much so that I will be adding it to my all time fav list!! The story was fabulous, the look, the feel, the sound of the movie..all gorgeous and lush and beautiful. It's a fairly long move at 2 hours and 18 minutes, but I was never bored and the time flew by. I've haven't read the book yet so I don't know how it compares to that, but I am giving this movie two huge thumbs up! Oh and on a funny side note.. I was watching this movie alone because DH wanted to play his World Of Warcraft and thought it sounded like a "girl" movie. About 20 mins into the movie, he moved onto the sofa so he could watch the movie while he played. LMAO Ok folks, that is it for this weeks movie reviews! I'll be back tomorrow with my new LO for challenge #5 of the ADSR and a few more pictures from our walk on Saturday! Until next time..TATA!!Source

2008-03-09T00:41:00.001-08:00

Is Black and white a provoking film by Subhash Ghai?

2008-03-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

RATE THE MOVIE Black and White (BW) Rating: *** For a filmmaker who scaled Bollywood's heights as the quintessential Sapnon ka Saudagar to suddenly shift gear is indeed a valiant bid. And Subhash Ghai deserves kudos for daring this switch in the high noon of his career, since experimentation is generally the forte of GenXers and Bratpack dreamers. Suddenly, and surprisingly, Ghai sets aside the grandeur of films like Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak to step into the difficult terrain of cinema verite. And no, he doesn't flounder and fall flat, despite a few loose strands and false notes that hold back the film from becoming a searing document of our tumultuous times. Black and White is a thought-provoking film that challenges the state's stereotypical formula to combat terrorism. And somewhere between its moments of light and shade, it holds a glimmer of hope and humanism: yes, fanatics can be cured, terrorists can be tamed, secularism may live long. The story is ostensibly based on the headline-grabbing case of the terrorist attack on Parliament, when a Delhi University professor (SAR Geelani) was held responsible for his links with the terrorists. Like Geelani, Professor Rajan Mathur (Anil Kapoor) too teaches Urdu in Zakir Hussain College and unwittingly becomes associated with a suicide bomber (Anurag Sinha) who comes all the way from Afghanistan to blow up the Red Fort on Independence Day. Nomair Qazi, the bomber, poses as a victim of the Gujarat riots and wins the sympathy of the professor and his activist wife (Shefali Shah), as he takes up residence with his supposed grandfather (Habib Tanvir) in the bustling by-lines of Chandni Chowk. The jehadi has fourteen days to plan his suicide mission and conveniently uses the simple professor and his emotionally exuberant wife to gain entry in the high-security environs of the Lal Qila. But before that, he must learn the more important lessons of life: Incredible India's all-encompassing Indianness (read bhangra, bhaichara, bonhomie). And what better place to experience the highs of a syncretic culture than Chandni Chowk, a standing testimonial to India's tolerant tehzeeb. Cut out the clumsy climax, the awkward activism of Shefali Shah, the fumbling romance with an all-eyes, duppata-laden student, the incoherent black and white birth-of-a-jehadi sequences in a shadowy Afghanistan and you'll end up with a stellar show by Anil Kapoor (completely restrained) and Habib Tanvir (veteran histrionics). Add to this the delicious smells and sounds of Chandni Chowk, deftly captured on camera by the director, and you might just believe the filmmaker when he says the world doesn't exist in black and white; there are colours -- and ideologies -- beyond extremes. A word about debutant Anurag Sinha: too linear a performance to impress. Surely, a terrorist doesn't wear a permanent scowl, specially when he is ostensibly trying to hide his antecedents and blend in with normal people. Do you agree with our film critic? Nikhat Kazmi, Film critic, The Times of India Rating Scale: *Poor, **Average, ***Good, ****Very Good, *****Outstanding PS: You may also SMS or email your views. Mail us on mytimesmyvoice@timesgroup.com with with short code for the movie name' mentioned in the subject line. To SMS, type MTMVREV, leave a space, type short code of the movie, leave a space, your rating 1/1.5/2/2.5/3/3.5/4/4.5/5. Add your name and comments, if any, and sms to 58888. Example: If you feel a movie is above 'Average' but not 'Good', rate it as 2.5Source

2008-03-07T01:42:00.001-08:00

John Goodman & Joan Cusack join Isla Fisher in Shopaholic

2008-03-06T01:41:00.001-08:00

Isla Fisher will be happy to learn that she now has parents, as John Goodman and Joan Cusack join the cast of the upcoming Touchstone Pictures adaptation of Confessions of a Shopaholic. The movie, which stars Fisher as the shopaholic herself, is based on the hit novel by Sophie Kinsella in which a reporter for a financial magazine, who has absolutely no financial savy, stumbles through life, running up skyloads of debt and getting into plenty of comic scrapes in the mean time.Originally set in London, Hollywood hotshots have migrated the story overseas (perhaps in an effort to appeal to a larger audience) and wound up in New York city, which may of course cause problems when Becky travels to New York… Perhaps she’ll hit L.A. instead?Confessions of a Shopaholic hits theaters on February 13, 2009.Related Reading:: Definitely, Maybe: Definitely, MaybeMovie Style Guy: Valentine’s DayDVD Review: The Lookout Source

2008-03-05T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-03-04T01:42:00.001-08:00

Movie Review Sunday

2008-03-03T01:41:00.001-08:00

I've only got a couple to tell you about this week. As always, if you've got movies to review, sign mr. linky below so I can come visit.~Evelyn ~Synopsis: Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children, Evelyn, Dermot and Maurice, make it clear to the authorities that his is an untenable situation. The Catholic Church and the Irish courts decide to put the Doyle children into Church-run orphanages. Although a sympathetic judge assures Desmond that when his financial situation reverses, he will be able to get his children back; money is hard to come by. During that time, Evelyn and her brothers suffer the abuses of living in orphanages while Desmond struggles to secure finances. Now he must battle the courts to get his children back.***My Review***Pierce Bronsan did a wonderful job as Desmond Doyle. When Desmond finds himself abandoned by his wife and without work, the Irish government places his children in an orphanage. His daughter Evelyn is treated cruelly but remains confident about her father's return to take her away from this place. Evelyn is a wonderful example of faith and hope and I fell in love with her character. When Desmond finds work and gets himself back on track, he returns to retrieve his children only to find that the Irish government will not allow it. Because of a clause in the law, Desmond's runaway wife must sign papers that will allow the children to come home. Desmond takes on the government in order to put his family back together. I can't say much more without giving away the story but Desmond's journey is one of courage and love. We loved this film.~The Hoax~Synopsis: Early in 1971, McGraw-Hill passes on Clifford Irving's new novel. He's desperate for money, so, against the backdrop of Nixon's reelection calculations, Irving claims he has Howard Hughes's cooperation to write Hughes's autobiography. With the help of friend Dick Suskind, Irving does research, lucks into a manuscript written by a long-time Hughes associate, and plays on corporate greed. He's quick-thinking and outrageously bold. Plus, he banks on Hughes's reluctance to enter the public eye. At the same time, he's trying to rebuild his marriage and deflect the allure of his one-time mistress, Nina Van Pallandt. Can he write a good book, take the money, and pull off the hoax? ***My Review***I have to admit that I was not in the mood to watch this last night. However, I'm glad hubby insisted. This is a strange role for Richard Gere but he is very convincing as Clifford Irving. Gere is one of my favorite actors and I love his versatility. I was fascinated with Irving's ability to convince a publishing house to publish a book under these strange circumstances. I'm still fascinated with Howard Hughes' ability to remain incognito for such a long time. This movie won't be for all of you. It worked for me because I love to read biographies. That's what this film felt like to me. ~The Heartbreak Kid ~I'm not even going to link to this one. We watched it without reviewing it first and it was just wrong. I have nothing good to say about it. There were a few funny moments but overall, I would not recommend it. That's all for this week. Remember to sign Mr. Linky if you've got movie reviews to share. Source

2008-03-02T01:42:00.001-08:00

links for 2008-03-01

2008-03-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

Free Lunch Isn't Cool, So Some Students Go Hungry At many schools, separate lines and menus for those who pay and those who get subsidized meals create a stigma. (tags: random) A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite The Spite House in Alexandria, Va. was built in 1830. It's seven feet wide. (tags: random) Madame Tutli-Putli An Oscar animated short: "a distinctive stop-motion film with the undertow of a bad dream." (tags: random) "Is it time for someone to call foul on Will Ferrell for repeatedly mining the '70s for laughs?" (tags: random) Why Women Aren't Funny "The chief task in life that a man has to perform is that of impressing the opposite sex, and Mother Nature (as we laughingly call her) is not so kind to men." (tags: random) Killers Kill, Dead Men Die "With a star corpse, and suspects ranging from Helen Mirren to Forest Whitaker, Annie Leibovitz and Michael Roberts created a film noir masterpiece to die for." (tags: random) Behind the Lens at Spring Training What a boring piece by the Washington Post on their own photographer covering baseball spring training. I swear that my job is more exciting than this. (tags: random) Source

My Daily Domestic Diigolet 02/29/2008

2008-02-29T01:41:00.001-08:00

Like Merchant Ships: Laying down the skillettags: no_tagMidwifery World : New York Times: The Business of Being Borntags: birth, childbirth, midwifery, pregnancy4Real Forums: Liturgy of the Hourstags: catholic, prayerClassic Mama's Thoughts: Works for Me Wednesday: Organizationtags: homeschool, organizationOverwhelmed With Joy!tags: craftsHairbows for little girls. - post by mydomesticchurch Source

WiP Wednesday: Installation 31.0

2008-02-28T01:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've tried and adding text just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me with producing videos. I'm still working on getting it right though!With that said, I bring you my attempt at trying on Juliet (with the 3 short rows worked in to the XS size) and the sock yarn that I'm currently knitting - very minimally - inbetween class after class after class. My apologies for saying "um" a lot. Lately, I don't know whether I'm coming or going so it takes a minute for me to remember what I'm talking about. ;-) . With that said, my apologies once again for my producer-skillz-in-progress (and the Blair Witch Project style of filming, it's just been too cold to film outside the past week). I hope to be back with some real pictures after this nice long weekend. RIP Martin Luther King. No more movie reviews this week, unfortunately. Chemistry labs start next week. Oh. Joy. They - labs in general - give me the creeps because I'm scared I'm going to accidently hurt myself (for such a short person, I tend to be pretty clumsy). Me? Chemicals? They just don't mix. :-p Stay beautiful my peoples (and please let me know if the video doesn't play correctly, I'm still in the pilot phase!)!!!Source

2008-02-27T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-26T01:41:00.001-08:00

Words Fitly Spoken: Part I

2008-02-25T01:41:00.001-08:00

I confess. I'm a recovering political junky. It all started when I met Ronald and Nancy Reagan in 1979. Secret Service would not let Governor Reagan sign autographs but Nancy was kind enough to scrawl her name on my clipboard as we shared an umbrella. Ever since, I've been fascinated by politics, and gotten handshakes, photos, and autographs from all three Republican Presidents. But I have deliberately steered clear of the topic this primary season. (Okay. Okay... I did write one tongue-in-cheek movie review last November, and yes it was a thinly veiled op-ed on Hillary. Sorry if that was too harsh. But other than that essay, I've held off until now.)One of the reasons I enjoy reading comments at POI is that they come from a diverse gathering of "friends on the porch." There are friends who don't share my views but they don't mind my vision. There are those who don't share my faith, but they don't mind knowing I'm a follower of Christ. (By the way, my header mentions that as reminder to myself not an earned merit badge. I haven't arrived, I'm just trying to follow.) We come from across the continent and beyond—Canadian, American, white, black, Hispanic, Malaysian, Thai, etc. Old friends. New friends. People I see every week, and people I will never meet in this life. That's what I love about blogging..I'm saying this because politics can set people's teeth on edge, and I don't want to do that. Maybe it will help if I say up front that this 2-post series is not about issues. Not that issues aren't important—they are—but issues will always be with us. This primary season, however, has already officered something that comes along perhaps once in a generation. If I were teaching a "public speaking" class again, my students and I would be immersed in this discussion. I hope you find it equally interesting."A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Proverbs 25:11Words Fitly Spoken: Part I She Said He SaidOn a July evening in 2004, this Republican was watching the Democratic Convention when a young legislator from Illinois delivered the keynote address. I did not know his name, but after months of listening to John Kerry's haughty air, I turned to my wife and said, "Now here's a Democrat who's going to be President someday." It wasn't that I agreed with everything he was saying, but I was very impressed with his ability to say it.Four months later Barack Obama was sworn in as a U.S. Senator, and four years later we all know his name. I still disagree with him on some very important issues, but I agree with the way he disagrees with me. His disarming tone is a force all its own. He's like Reagan in that regard, but his words soar above those of "the great communicator." He has MLK's gift of rhetorical rhythms and themes.I don't mean for this reality check to dash Hillary's loyal entourage or McCain's reluctant mutineers or Huckabee's faithful few. This is not an endorsement; nor is it a prediction; it's simply a "hat tip" to one of the best public orators since... well, since the men he was falsely accused of plagiarizing this past week.This past week Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton engaged not in a war of words but in a war about words--about their value compared to actions, their power to persuade, and their source when borrowed. Evidently Hillary knew she was no match for Obama as a public speaker so she began belittling the importance of "good speeches" a few weeks ago. To counter that attack, Barack added a short string of famous political quotations followed by "Just words?" He barrowed the device from a his friend, Deval Patrick, who used very similar lines two years ago. See the comparison here. But keep in mind the lines themselves were iconic quotations, literary allusions if you will.So it seemed petty indeed when during Thursday night's debate Hillary accused Obama of stealing that part of his speech. Obama was speechless--no pun intended--but he eventually muttered, "The notion that I had plagiarized from someone who is one of my national co-chairs. This is where we start getting into silly season in politics"Hillary had this rehearsed line up her sleeve (we'll assume she wrote it herself): "Lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in. It's change you can Xerox."Here's why I say it's petty: One of the lines Obama "lifted" from Deval Patrick's speech was the quotation attributed to JFK, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." BUT WAIT, perhaps Hillary should also debunk Kennedy for "lifting" those words from Khalil Gibran who said in his 1925 published work, "The New Frontier" (36 years before Kennedy's Inaugural), "Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country? If you are the first, then you are a parasite; if the second, then you are an oasis in a desert." BUT WAIT... maybe she should also question Gibran's originality since Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, in a Memorial Day address is 1884 stated: "It is now the moment when by common consent we pause to ... recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for our country in return."See what I mean? In the world of politics, a quotation often gets attributed to the person who said it best not first.By the end of the Thursday's debate, Hillary was temporarily in a much better mood, as you can see in the first part of this youtube clip. Then two days later in Ohio (Saturday) she was mad again and pretended to challenge Obama to a "bring it on" debate that we all know has been scheduled for weeks.I'll post the second part of this post Wednesday (after Tuesday's debate). In the meantime, if you haven't seen the following two videos, they will underscore what I'm saying about Obama's disarming gift with words fitly spoken.The first is his Yes We Can speech delivered in New Hampshire. The second is the Yes We Can music video that was presumably conceived of after the words were uttered.Now do you see what Obama means when he insists that there is a difference between momentum in a race an A MOMENT in history. This is not an endorsement. It is a study in extremely effective rhetoric that Hillary will find hard to top and stop. Sore words cannot trump words that soar. Likewise, McCain (no matter how many "my friends" he inserts into his speeches) will have difficulty overcoming the face-to-face charisma of this young senator with the name that sounds more American with each passing day.Source

There Will Be Blood

2008-02-24T01:41:00.001-08:00

RATE THE MOVIE There Will Be Blood (TWB) Rating: ***1/2 It takes 11 and a half minutes of the film to come up with its first dialogue: `There she is!' Our protagonist Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) who has been assiduously digging into the bowels of the earth finds his hidden treasure: silver. That seems to set the note of this art house investigation into America's twin towers: oil and religion. It's reticent and diligent and grows on you. Although a turn-of-the-century account of a miner's growing fortunes as he taps the oil-rich Californian reserves and comes in conflict with the local godman, the film is relevant even today. Simply because America hasn't abandoned its obsession -- with oil and God -- till now. It's an epical portrayal of a not-so-nice man who grows into the archetypal capitalist, buying up all the land without bothering about the people who inhabit it. So much so, he even loses interest in his son after the kid is injured in an accident and ends up a tortured, mangled soul, instead of the astute business partner he was grooming him to be. Plainview plainly lacks humanism and is powered only by an unlimited greed for money as he bleeds the community of Little Boston dry. He dreams big and hopes to set up a pipeline to transmit his abundant supplies of oil without sharing his profits with the shipping companies, but dreams don't always come true. Specially when there is the local godman who wants a share in the oil money to augment the power of the church. So what if he's transforming religion into drama too, with his hysterical exorcisms and healing rituals....It's a disturbing picture of America's rise to power. Because if people like Daniel Plainview powered it to superpower status, the nation doesn't really have a happy past to reflect upon. Watch it for Anderson's eye for detail and for Daniel Day-Lewis who lends grandeur a period charm to Plainview despite his questionable motives. Do you agree with our film critic? Nikhat Kazmi, Film critic, The Times of India Rating Scale: *Poor, **Average, ***Good, ****Very Good, *****Outstanding PS: You may also SMS or email your views. Mail us on mytimesmyvoice@timesgroup.com with with short code for the movie name' mentioned in the subject line. To SMS, type MTMVREV, leave a space, type short code of the movie, leave a space, your rating 1/1.5/2/2.5/3/3.5/4/4.5/5. Add your name and comments, if any, and sms to 58888. Example: If you feel a movie is above 'Average' but not 'Good', rate it as 2.5Source

2008-02-23T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-22T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-21T01:41:00.001-08:00

DAMAGED Plugs: Louis in PARACINEMA #1!!!

2008-02-20T01:41:00.001-08:00

I can't believe what a forgetful dolt I am. I was sent the first issue of PARACINEMA a month or two ago and read it cover to cover, leaving it on the desk to make a blog posting about it. But soon, it was covered with DVDs and CDs and comics that were also on my to-do pile, and, now, fianlly cleaned, I rediscover this reading treasure.Boasting that they don't run "movie reviews, music reviews, toy or action figure news, book reviews or only horror content", instead PARACINEMA's goal is to provide "in-depth analytical pieces, interviews, informative articles about movie "classics", amazing, original, film inspired art and peeks into the future of cult film making." It was this difference that got me interested in this magazine, because it seemed so different than everything else out there--and it is!The first issue features my interview with PHANTASM director Don Coscarelli and I am actually pretty proud to be featured in an original mag like this. Other features include a short history of Italian cannibal flicks; a contrast and comparison of the Ruby character of both HILL HAVE EYES; a piece on, of all things KRULL (yes!!!); and a thoughful take on the sexual politics of BLUE VELVET. It's the thinking man's cult movie mag, and, as an added bonus, they don't feel the need to weigh it down with unnessicary photos of wannabe pin-up girls or trashy scream queens. Thanks God.So pick up a copy ASAP from their website. Support indie publishing that tries to be different, and, more importantly, support stuff I do.Source

2008-02-19T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-02-18T01:41:00.001-08:00

Overall Top Articles on this Blog

2008-02-17T01:41:00.001-08:00

Below are 24 posts which have attracted many visitors from time of formation of this blog. Though, there others posts available in blog which may be better than these posts, however, this posts are able to attract more attention. These posts are not in serial order because of non availability of any accurate data which is available from Oct 2007 onwards still most of these posts are visited by thousands of visitors in recent past and even crossed lakhs like "My first Love My Teacher". Hope these articles will remain entertaining people in future also.1) My First Love My Teacher2) Aishwarya's 34th birthday update3) How difficult it to be like a woman?4) Latest on Abhishek and Aishwarya5) Hidden story of Begging Business in India6) Book review- "Wings of Fire"7) Example of Extreme brutality against women (Watch)9) Controversy of Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere10) Happiness Formula11) Individualism killing joint family tradition in India12) Kalpna Chawla- Other Face of Indian Women13) Orkut.com and dummy Profile14) Woman still a inferior sex15) India is First 20-20 cricket world champion16) How to become a successful writer-217) Shahrukh Khan turn 42 (birthday update)18) Reviews of Indian/International Movies/Books19) A smile20) My first successful Article21) How to become a successful writer-222) Where Punjab is going?23) Jalianwala Bagh and Indian Freedom Struggle24) About-www.reliancecommunications.co.inAlso visit-Read Top and Most read posts on this blogArvindKatochkgw.arvindkatoch.com Source

2008-02-16T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-15T01:41:00.001-08:00

Fropper.com offers 'ezMoney' to Bloggers using Google Adsense

2008-02-14T01:41:00.001-08:00

In yet another unique initiative, India’s first and very own social networking website Fropper.com is leveraging Google’s Adsense platform to reward its ezbloggers with the launch of ezMoney. Fropper’s ezMoney program enables bloggers on its website to make money while expressing their creativity and writing skills.ezMoney is an innovative service offered by Fropper.com to its ezBlog members. Once blogs are posted, Google AdSense automatically places relevant ads on ezBlog pages. Ad revenues generated from these pages is shared with ezBloggers.To avail the benefits of this innovative service, bloggers just need to create a Google AdSense account by entering their email address in the ‘Register’ with Google AdSense text box and link it to their ezBlog or alternatively link their existing Google AdSense account with ezMoney. Google AdSense automatically displays relevant ads on the ezBlog posts, for e.g. along with a youth centric blog, relevant youth based advertisement will be published to attract the right target audience. Speaking on the launch of this service, Mr. Navin Mittal, Business Head, Fropper.com said " The Internet user base in the country is only growing and Web2.0 sites like Fropper.com are also attracting a lot of surfers to blogging, photos sharing, video upload and other such fun features. We at Fropper.com always aim at making networking more creative and time worthy. Using Google’s Adsense platform, ezMoney will allow bloggers to monetize and further enhance their writing and expressions skills.”Netizens in India have really taken to blogging ever since its inception and with only 40 million odd internet users in the country, there is still a lot of scope for growth specially with the advent of such initiatives by websites like Fropper.com. User-generated and personalization of content being a part of Web2.0, are the latest that the web offers its users. Posting their views and opinions on the web and making them available to the world is making more and more people log on to the net and take up blogging. Getting rewards and appreciation for the same will be an added advantage. EZBlog is a unique spin on blogging that tempts Fropper members to write via clearly thought out ready templates. To post to a blog, members can use one of the many pre-existing templates. For example, members could choose to review a movie and the ‘;movie review’ template will ask you to enter the movie name, the actors, the genre, your review & finally a rating. There are many other templates like book reviews, restaurant/bars reviews, news articles, and recipes etc., which add to the fun. Source

2008-02-13T01:42:00.001-08:00

DVD Review: An Inconvenient Truth

2008-02-12T01:41:00.001-08:00

Here’s another Guest film Review by Dan Schneider, who has this heavily-visited website and whose reviews for TMV have been highly popular.DVD Review Of An Inconvenient TruthReview Copyright 2008 © by Dan Schneider Let me state, up front, I have never been a fan of former Vice President Al Gore. He was a right of center Democrat who worked in an administration whose environmental record was considered, by most ecological groups, worse than the two Republican administrations that preceded his, and held that office at a time when the earliest stages of global warming, which he now decries, were first becoming known. As the second most visible politician in the country, did he sound the alarums then? Well, no. He wrote a book or two, but did nothing of any real consequence with the power he had. However, his Johnny Come lately status as an environmentalist, which led to his winning of the Nobel Peace Prize, as well as an Oscar for the 94 minute 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, has nothing to do why it’s a bad film. That’s due solely to the film’s director Davis Guggenheim, most noted as a network television director. Of course, if one Googles the film at such sites like Amazon or IMDB, there will be plenty of negative reviews of the film. Almost all of them will be unveiled ad hominem against Gore or simply blatant pro-global warming propaganda. I did not find a single negative review based solely on the film’s art. On the other hand, many of the film’s staunchest defenders praise the film solely because they are pro-green. Even the Chicago Sun-Times’ venerable film critic, Roger Ebert, seems to feel that bending down on two knees is not enough praise for the Buddha Gore, writing: I want to write this review so every reader will begin it and finish it. I am a liberal, but I do not intend this as a review reflecting any kind of politics. It reflects the truth as I understand it, and it represents, I believe, agreement among the world’s experts….He provides statistics: The 10 warmest years in history were in the last 14 years. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane. Japan and the Pacific are setting records for typhoons. Hurricane Katrina passed over Florida, doubled back over the Gulf, picked up strength from unusually warm Gulf waters, and went from Category 3 to Category 5. There are changes in the Gulf Stream and the jet stream. Cores of polar ice show that carbon dioxide is much, much higher than ever before in a quarter of a million years. It was once thought that such things went in cycles. Gore stands in front of a graph showing the ups and downs of carbon dioxide over the centuries. Yes, there is a cyclical pattern. Then, in recent years, the graph turns up and keeps going up, higher and higher, off the chart….In England, Sir James Lovelock, the scientist who proposed the Gaia hypothesis (that the planet functions like a living organism), has published a new book saying that in 100 years mankind will be reduced to “a few breeding couples at the Poles.” Gore thinks “that’s too pessimistic….In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to….Am I acting as an advocate in this review? Yes, I am. I believe that to be “impartial” and “balanced” on global warming means one must take a position like Gore’s. There is no other view that can be defended….What is the look? It’s the look of no fear…. To say that there is not a critical (in any sense of the term) thing in the whole review, is manifest. But, even though I did not want to quote as much of the review as I did, this needs to be known. As bad and uncritical as Ebert’s review is, the film is manifold worse in hagiographizing St. Al. And that is its chief flaw, artistically. Whereas Michael Moore sticks his ugly mug into his agitprop films every three minutes or so, I don’t think that there’s a single three minute span in this agitprop film that we do not see Gore, up close, and too close, so that his every pore is seen, that his nostrils are not heaving with passion.The film opens with some gorgeous cinematography of a sunrise morning over a river on the Gore family’s Tennessee farm. It’s a shot that belongs in a film by Andrei Tarkovsky. It is gorgeous, rapturous. Then comes the bad part- the start of the film-long narration by Gore, larded with pseudo-poesy and even worse faux insight. Here is the opening salvo: ‘You look at that river gently flowing by. You notice the leaves rustling with the wind. You hear the birds; you hear the tree frogs. In the distance you hear a cow. You feel the grass. The mud gives a little bit on the riverbank. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful. And all of a sudden, it’s a gear shift inside you. And it’s like taking a deep breath and going, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot about this.” And it only gets worse from there. And I do not mean the science. In the main, Gore is in the right. The warming of the globe is driven by man-made pollutants, which will have dire effects, even if sometimes Gore exaggerates a bit, such as showing the natural calving of glaciers into the sea, which have gone on since time immemorial. as if that act, alone, is caused by glacial warming. Also, while humans have sped up specific extinctions, extinctions are always followed by a flowering of new species, which adapt to the newer conditions. But, he is far closer to the truth than assorted website which take potshots at him and the film, like http://www.aconvenientfiction.com/inconvenient3.html or the even worse http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monckton/goreerrors.html, a Right Wing propaganda site, which purports to list 35 big errors made in the film, yet the vast majority of the 35 things are things that the film, nor Gore ever claimed. I state this because I want to be clear that I am not doing a hatchet job on Gore nor this film, just giving a straight down the line assessment in the negative. The film is basically two thirds of Gore preaching to the public about global warming by giving a slide show with some neat graphics. Again, the vast majority of what he states is incontrovertible, anmd the few areas where he exaggerates are minor disagreements between the scientific community where he chooses the worst scenario for dramatic effect. This is forgivable on Gore’s part, and even the filmmaker’s. It is also quite effective. But, where the film tanks, and also goes way beyond any reasonable standard for calling itself a documentary, is in the interspersed other third of the film, where we get the fetishistic close-ups of Gore as saint aborning, and in the hamhanded voiceovers. Putting aside the fact that the writing of the voiceovers is cringe-inducing (see above), Guggenheim could have at least put on a patina of objectivity by having the voiceovers done by someone else- perhaps another Left Winger like Tim Robbins. Instead, we are left with the unseemly deification of Al Gore….by Al Gore! Even worse we get a parade of Oprah Winfrey-level sob stories about how tough a life Al Gore has- being born with a silver spoon, political power, and the disappointment of being out-scioned by George W. Bush for the Presidency. There are some genuine bad things that the film inexplicably digresses to, such as his sister’s death from lung cancer and his son’s near-fatal car crash. So? I mean, what is the point of the film- to act as a documentary about the global warming crisis, or about Al Gore’s ‘indomitable courage’? Such courage which propels him to ‘walk alone’ in airports- as if he’s just a ‘regular person.’ Or to spend hours on his laptop computer monkeying with graphs. Ooh, he’s deep. Yup. Yes he is. Yessirreebob! But, if Guggenheim could only stop with the up the nostrils viewpoint so many of his shots have. I mean, even if Al Gore is the greatest man in the history of our species, do we really need to be able to count his nose hairs? The DVD, by Paramount, is shown in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and has an update by Al Gore, which features well known information, and a making of featurette. There is a music video of the atrocious Melissa Etheridge song I Need To Wake Up. Whether the melody or the cringe-worthy PC lyrics are worse is up for debate. The audio commentary by Guggenheim is actually fairly good. Yes, he’s a bit too fellatric re: Gore the superhero man of action, but the backstory and technical aspects of the making of the film are interesting. The producers’ commentary has some moments, but offers not much more than is learnt in Guggenheim’s commentary. Overall, An Inconvenient Truth has important ideas, but is a bad film precisely because those ideas are made secondary to the ego of Al Gore. That is not Gore’s fault, but Guggenheim’s, yet is precisely why An Inconvenient Truth is a bad film, and not even remotely a ‘documentary.’ Source

2008-02-11T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-02-10T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-09T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-02-08T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-07T01:41:00.001-08:00

2008-02-06T01:41:00.001-08:00

Ken's Review: In Bruges - The Only Place to Visit This Weekend - SendMeRSS

2008-02-05T01:41:00.001-08:00

Ken's Review: In Bruges - The Only Place to Visit This WeekendOne of my favorite films from 2007 was Black Snake Moan. While I didn't think it was Oscar worthy, it was still extremely enjoyable and underrated. I loved the characters and issues that it dealt with and still find myself recommending it to anyone that asks my opinion of last year's films. I mention that movie because In Bruges is probably going to turn out the same way. It's an extremely enjoyable film that will get overlooked and forgotten later in the year. Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) work for Harry (Ralph Fiennes) as hitmen. After one of their hits takes a turn for the worse, Harry sends them both to Bruges, Belgium to hideout for a while and wait for his call. Bruges turns out to be a small town with not much to do other then sightsee or hang out at the local pub. Ken takes a liking to the village right away while Ray, still dealing with the failed hit, struggles with being stuck in such a small place with nothing to do. Finally, they receive the call from Harry with instructions that they aren't actually in Bruges hiding out but were sent there for other reasons entirely. Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes look out over the city from the bell tower in In Bruges. I have to give Colin Farrell props for his performance in this film. Looking at other movies he has been in I couldn't find one where I liked him that much. This was a huge surprise because I didn't just like his role in In Bruges, I loved it. He played a goofy, dim-witted, rude, loud-mouth hitman perfectly. At first he seems simple and shallow, but we quickly learn more about him and grow to care about the struggles he is dealing with. Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson are so perfect for this movie. Gleeson has that quiet demeanor but can definitely come across as ruthless and dangerous. Ralph Fiennes is always good and is absolutely insane in this film. These two meet up around the end of the film and make for some great scenes together. They have a chemistry that makes even their wacky conversations seem realistic and plausible. This is by no means an action film although there is a bit of action, especially near the end. This is more along the lines of Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In Bruges is filled with witty dialogue and hilarious situations. I definitely wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did, but laughing is what I did for most of the film. The discussions back and forth between Ray and Ken were extremely funny. The scenes with Ray and the dwarf had me almost in tears. It was such a pleasant surprise to see a film that is alike in many ways to a Guy Ritchie film but isn't a copycat movie and actually holds its own. Colin Farrell enjoys some beers in the company of Clémence Poésy and Jordan Prentice in In Bruges. The problem that most people will have with In Bruges is the jumping back and forth between comedy and more serious drama. Although the majority of the film is filled with clever dialogue and mixed with funny situations, there is also a serious side that adds depth to the characters and the story. In particular, there is an inner struggle that Farrell's character is going through. That struggle combined with some gruesome deaths might make mixing the comedy with death a bit awkward for some viewers. It never felt awkward to me, but I definitely see how some people might look at it that way. This is my favorite film of the year so far. Not a perfect movie by any means but extremely enjoyable. I gave Cloverfield a higher rating because of the difficulty and immense amount of work that you could tell that was put into it. In Bruges, while not as technically outstanding as Cloverfield, is the type of movie I could watch over and over again. This is definitely the film to see this coming weekend. Discover More: Link - Comments - Ken Evans - Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:38:20 GMT - Feed (2 subs) By: ConradI've been eyeing this one for a while now ever since I first saw coverage on this a few weeks ago... I am getting this going to be a very artsy type of satire involving hitmen which sounds very very good! Its difficult to find films these days that clasp art, violence, good screen writing and of course, proper acting into a film in theatres nowadays. Thanks for the review Ken!Visit here to subscribe to comments Sent using SendMeRss.com. Visit here to unsubscribe from FirstShowing.net. Recommended Feeds/Actions Subscribe MSNBC.com: Music Source

2008-02-04T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-02-03T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-02-02T01:42:00.001-08:00

Consumer Reports - High Chairs

2008-02-01T01:41:00.001-08:00

You'll want a stable, sturdy model that can stand up to spilling, kicking, and regular cleaning for at least a year (some babies can't bear to sit in a high chair after that). A chair with a tray that can be released with one hand is also a plus. Picture your baby occupying your other arm while you're opening and closing the tray; it's just one of the many physical feats you'll be asked to master as a parent. A high chair usually consists of a frame of molded plastic or metal tubing and an attached seat with a safety belt and a footrest. There are still a few old-fashioned wooden high chairs out there with a removable tray or arms that lift the tray over a baby's head, although they aren't always as comfortable for babies as the modern, form-fitting models on the market now, and most of them aren't certified as meeting the latest safety standards. You'll also find a few hybrid units, which can double as a swing or convert into other types of gear, such as a chair for an older child or a play table. SHOPPING SECRETS Look for a chair that has a waist strap and a strap that runs between the legs. If a tray is used, there should be a passive restraint, such as a crotch post, used in conjunction with the harness straps. A high chair, like a car seat or a stroller, is one of those shake-rattle-and-roll buying experiences. We suggest visiting the baby store near you with the broadest selection. Then do the following: Open and close the fastener on the seat's safety harness (try it one-handed) to make sure it's easy to use. If it's not, you might be tempted not to use it every time your child is in the seat, although that's imperative. Adjust the seat height to see how well that mechanism works. Some seats come with as many as seven possible heights. You may only use one or two, but you can't know for sure at this point. Assess the seat cover. Look for a chair with upholstery made to last. It should feel substantial, not flimsy. Make sure upholstery seams won't scratch your baby's legs. Make sure wheels can be locked (if you're buying a model with wheels) or that they become immobilized when there is weight (like a baby) in the seat. Watch out for rough edges. Examine the underside of the feeding tray to make sure it's free of anything sharp that could scratch your baby. Also look for small holes or hinges that could capture little fingers. Check for the absence of small parts. Make sure the caps or plugs that cover the ends of metal tubing are well secured. Parts small enough for a child to swallow or inhale are a choking hazard. Know when to fold 'em. If you plan to fold up your high chair as often as every day, practice in the store. Some chairs that claim to be foldable can have stiff folding mechanisms. Technically they may be foldable, but they're not user-friendly. WHAT'S AVAILABLE Major brands of high chairs include, in alphabetical order: Baby Trend, Chicco USA, Dorel Juvenile Group (Cosco), Evenflo, Fisher-Price, Graco, J. Mason, Kolcraft, Peg Perego, and Scandinavian Child. There are three general price ranges: Basic high chairs High chairs at this end of the price range (under $70) are simple, compact, and generally work quite well. Essentially plastic seats on plastic or steel-tubing legs, such models may or may not have tray and height adjustments and tend to lack bells and whistles, such as wheels, foldability for storage, one-handed tray removal, or the capacity to recline, which you may not use anyway unless you're bottle-feeding. The seat is usually upholstered with a vinyl covering or bare plastic, and the pad may be removable and washable. The tray is typically kept in place with pins that fit into holes in the tubing. Pros: For the money, a basic high chair can serve you and your baby well. But it pays to comparison shop, as some brands may be more suitable to your needs than others. Cons: Watch for chairs in this price range with grooves in the seat's molded plastic (a gunk trap); cotton seat pads rather than vinyl, which tend not to hold up as well over time; and trays with side release buttons that are accessible to your baby. Some parents report that their babies can remove such trays--food and all--as early as 9 months of age. Midpriced high chairs In this price range ($70 to $150), you'll find many of the features of higher-end chairs, which include multiple tray and chair-height positions; casters for mobility, with a locking feature for safe parking; a reclining seat for infant feeding; one-hand removable tray; foldability for storage; and a three- or five-point harness plus a passive restraint when used with the tray. Most have cushioned, vinyl seat pads that can be removed for washing, although you'll also still see models with cloth covers in this price range; those are a challenge to keep clean. Frames and seats are typically made of molded, rigid plastic or steel. Pros: This price range generally offers sturdier chairs with more usable features, although, depending on the model, price isn't always aligned with quality. Cons: Some models are bulky and can eat up space in a small kitchen, although a large footprint provides greater stability. Just watch out that you don't trip on the protruding legs. High-end high chairs In this price range ($150 and up), you'll find European imports and traditional solid-wood high chairs. Chairs at this end of the market tend to have thick, tubular frames topped by densely padded seats upholstered in vinyl. As a result, they may have a more solid feel and cushier digs for baby. Some models come with add-on fabric covers that are removable for laundering. These chairs can be adjusted to many different heights and reclining positions with a simple squeeze-release mechanism. Some have folding "A"-shaped frames to make them easy to store. Pros: You'll get extra features, such as seven height positions instead of five, and often better quality, which is important to consider if you want the chair to last through another baby or more. Another bonus: Many parents report that companies that sell higher-end chairs tend to have responsive customer service, which helps if you have a problem. Cons: Chairs in this range can be bulky because they tend to have a wider base for stability. That's good because it reduces the risk of tipping. However, you'll need more space to accommodate the footprint, which tends to be more like that of a baby swing. FEATURES TO CONSIDER Crotch post. To help prevent a baby from slipping out under the tray and getting his or her head caught, high chairs now typically have a center crotch post attached to the tray or to the seat. It's not meant to replace the safety belt, though. A center post that attaches to the chair rather than to the tray is better because it enables you to push your child up to the table without the tray but still have that center-post support. Foldability. Some high chairs fold for storage. If that's important to you, make sure there's a secure locking system to prevent accidental folding while your child is in the chair or being put into it. Such a system should automatically engage when you open the chair. Safety belt. As we mentioned, this is an important feature. When buying a high chair, examine the restraining straps to make sure the waist belt has a buckle that can't be fastened unless the crotch strap is also used. Safety belts should hold your baby securely in place, with no leeway for standing up or climbing out. Some high chairs offer an adjustable three-point harness--two adjustable shoulder straps and a lock between the child's legs--or an adjustable five-point harness--two straps over the shoulders, two for the thighs, and a crotch strap, which is ideal. Seat adjustment. Seats can move up or down to as many as seven height positions on some chairs. They may also recline (in case your baby falls asleep right after eating). However, except for bottle feeding, don't use a seat in the reclining position while feeding your baby--that's a choking hazard. With a height-adjusting chair, the seat slides along the chair frame, locking into various positions. Height options range from nearly floor level to standard high-chair level, with the middle height low enough to allow the seat (with the tray removed) to be pushed up to a dining-room table. Toys. Some high chairs have toys that attach to the tray, an option your baby will likely enjoy, although you can certainly buy toys separately that fasten to high-chair trays. But avoid strings when attaching them. Tray. In general, you'll want a lightweight tray you can take off with one hand or that swings to the side when not in use. Certain designs help contain spills: a tray that surrounds baby on all sides, a tray angle that channels liquids away from baby, or a tall rim all around the tray. Some chairs have two trays: a big tray with a deep rim for feeding and a smaller one for snacking or playing. Don't be lured by a claim that the tray is "dishwasher safe"--most trays are too large to fit in a dishwasher. Upholstery. Many models have seat coverings--or entire seat panels--that come off for easier cleaning. Be sure fasteners won't cause upholstery to tear as you pull off the seat or coverings. Opt for a seat cover with a pattern rather than a solid color; patterns are better at concealing spills. Some covers look like cloth but are really vinyl, which is easier to spot clean than cloth. Wheels. Wheels may make it easier to move the high chair around, which is important if you'll frequently be hauling your high chair from, say, the kitchen to the dining room. On the other hand, wheels can also be a nuisance because they may allow the chair to move as you're trying to pull a tray off, or as you put your baby in. Older children may be tempted to take the baby for a joyride when you turn your back. Wheels on some models appear to make the chair less stable. If you decide on a wheeled model, look for locks on the wheels, preferably on all four. Some models come with locking casters. Still others have just two wheels and stay in place unless you tilt them on their wheels for rolling around. RECOMMENDATIONS There are pluses and minuses with every price range of chair. All can be tough to clean because, let's face it, baby food has a way of getting into every possible nook and cranny (and most seats have them somewhere). High-end models offer flexible positioning, extra-thick seat padding, and attractive upholstery. Mid priced models generally represent the best value. And, like high-end models, they usually have an easy-to-remove tray, a sturdy safety belt, a tip-resistant frame, and a crotch post. But even some basic chairs can compete with higher-end models in terms of safety and other features. No matter what your budget, buy a chair of recent production that's certified so you can be sure it meets the current voluntary safety standard. Copyright ? 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org. Find More High chair</a> with Easy Dealat About the Author SEO Money for 'Man in the Chair' came from IdahoIdahoStatesman.com, ID - 44 minutes agoBut that's who fronted the cash for "Man in the Chair," a new movie by Payette native Michael Schroeder, a veteran filmmaker based in Southern California. ... IdahoStatesman.com all 2 news articles Read Comfortable And Luxurious Ambiance In Hotel Rooms With The Right Chairs, Childrens Furniture 3 Hot Designs For Cool Kids, Fixed Chair And Table Units The At Delfi D800, Modern Commercial Chairs The Olav Eldoy Peel Armchair, Ring Chair By Eurotrend, furniture directory, Funky Tables For Your Bistro The Plaza Table, The Revers Chair By Andrea BranziSource

2008-01-31T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-01-30T01:42:00.001-08:00

The Orpanage

2008-01-29T01:41:00.001-08:00

It's time!The Orphanage is a movie where you walk in expecting one thing, then walk out completely amazed by what you just watched. It literally is a movie where you feel emotionally drained after watching. The leading lady is phenomenal and the story is something that will keep you on the edge of your seat. At first, it the movie seems to be a typical scary film. Things are slightly predictable because we have seen them done by so many directors in the past. As the movie progresses however, you begin to predict less and begin to wonder what will happen next. I'm positive the director did this on purpose as to let you think you are safe and sound becuase you can assume what will happen next, but that feeling lasts maybe a total of 20 minutes before you are completely thrown for a loop and are shocked (and curled up in a ball because your filled with anticipation). It definetly has it's scary moments, and Joe can attest having to sit between two girls! If you are looking for a great story line, believable actors and actresses, and a true scary/horror film, then this is a must see.It is in subtitles, but trust me you get so into the movie that you forget you are even reading.xoxoJenessaSource

2008-01-28T01:41:00.001-08:00

SUNDAY MEDITATION

2008-01-27T01:41:00.001-08:00

OK, I know what you are thinking. A Sunday Meditation on the Gladiator? Yes that "Head Cold" has effected her brain. Hang in there ... I guarantee you there is a message to be found in the Gladiator.One of the things my husband and I like to do after watching a movie, is select "lines" that we think are admirable or memorable! We've done this for years. Some movies will produce one, occasionally two. But when we saw Gladiator for the first time...Several jumped out at both of us."Soon, but not yet!" If you recall the movie. The tall black slave used this line several times in the movie. It really added to the story, and the movie even ended with these powerful words.This reminds me of God's timing in our lives. We want it now. But many times we are told "Soon, but not yet." I think Ecc. 8:5-6 says it well. "...the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter."Pastor Don and I experience this as we pondered the "right time" to announcement our retirement. We put the idea in motion 2 years ago, but the Lord seemed to keep reminding us....Soon, but not yet. When we did make the final decision, it was the perfect timing. So glad we listened an waited."Shadows and dust" This was yelled to Maximus as he entered the arena to face death. Yes without purpose, and knowing who you are, and why you were created then life can just be shadows and dust. But Genesis 2:7 tells us why we are not just shadows and dust. "The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being." That handful of dust was given infinite value when God breathed life into it, in His image. From Him we come, and all He wants in return is for us to realize the value he put on life and return that love and fellowship.The Emperor is dying. "How will I be remembered?" was the question of a dying man. A question we all ask, whether out loud or in the privacy of our hearts. The Emperor wanted to be remember for something good, not a tyrant, or man of war, but someone who had the vision and compassion to save Rome. Ephesians 4:1 speaks to this issue. "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."What is YOUR calling. Live worthy of it and you will be remembered with love and honor."What we do in life, echoes in Eternity" is yelled by the General in battle to his men. You will be remembered in Eternity for what you do this day for Rome. Does it matter? How do you measure what really matters? Jesus tells a story in Luke 12:13-21. The question He raised in this parable is: What in life really matters? What is true success? What should we really fear? *"We should not fear that we may fail, we should fear that we may succeed at that which doesn't matter." Mark 8:36-37 "For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" If your life has been entrusted to the one who created you, lived for you, died for you, and rose again.....Then what you do in life will echo loudly throughout all eternity.That is my Sunday. If you look for "life changing" lines in a movie, and find them, and then try to incorporate them into your living - - - it was a movie well worth seeing.Love and Hugs for a Great Sunday. Thank you for all your "Get Well" messages and prayers. I'm feeling so much better day!*Author unknownSource

2008-01-26T01:41:00.001-08:00

some recent articles

2008-01-25T01:41:00.001-08:00

Essays/articles/features:Field of Schemes, on the Mitchell Report (Village Voice)Interview with Walk Hard director Jake Kasdan (Paste)Anthology Recordings Brings Forgotten Music To The Web (PaperThinWalls.com)Pazz and Jop 2007: ballot, commentsIdolator 2007: Ballot & Comments (Idolator.com) Live reviews:Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's, 4-11 December 2007 (Village Voice blog)Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's, 8 December 2007 (Relix)Phil Kline's Unsilent Night, 15 December 2007 (Village Voice blog)Smokey Hormel's Roundup at Sunny's, 23 January 2008 (Village Voice blog) Album reviews:Jukebox - Cat Power & Ask Forgiveness EP - Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Paste)I'm Not There OST - various (Relix)Give Thanks to Chank - Col. Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance (JamBands.com)White Moth - Xavier Rudd (Paste) Track review:"Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" - Of Montreal (PaperThinWalls.com) , movie reviews:Redacted (Paste)Starting Out in the Evening (Paste) Columns:BRAIN TUBA: The Bohemians (JamBands.com)BRAIN TUBA: War on War, parts 14-15 (JamBands.com) In print:o Paste #39 (Art House Powerhouse cover): feature on Michel Gondry, blurblet on Todd Haynes' Superstar, album reviews of Cat Power, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, La Belle Epoque compilation, movie review of City of Men o February/March Relix (Black Crowes cover): features on Ween and Unbroken Chain symposium, live review of Yo La Tengo, album reviews of North Mississippi AllStars, Zox, Grateful Dead, book review of Will Hodgkinson. o Signal To Noise #48 (Devendra Banhart cover): album review of A Hawk and a Hacksaw & the Hun Hangar Ensemble, Os Mutanteso December Hear/Say (Angels & Airwaves cover): album review of Michael Showalter Plus, "Ghost Stories" (from Paste #33) made Short End Magazine's "40 Film-Journalism Must-Reads & Sees of 2007."Source

2008-01-24T01:42:00.001-08:00

2008-01-23T01:41:00.001-08:00

Movie Review: Juno

2008-01-22T01:41:00.001-08:00

I really wanted to love Juno. I wanted to be blown away and left startled and laughing in my seat. Not only are the reviews for Juno raving and wooshing across my television screen, but also my closest friends urged and begged me to see the movie. "It's so you!" they claimed, spouting that I would adore the music and the movie was heartwarming and eye opening. So, I listened. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's the slow time of year, but I have to say, I was not impressed. The acting was weak, the plot lines were un-original, and the dialogue was hard to understand and weirdly paced. Juno may have been exciting to moviegoers because it's a new "indie" movie with stimulating music, but thrilling and innovative it was not. Good reviews aside, I really, truly did have high hopes for Juno; it's directed by Jason Reitman, son of famed director Ivan Reitman and full of some of my favorite comedic actors (who doesn't love Allison Janey?). But, sometimes all we can do is hope, right? Juno is about a high school student who becomes pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. However, instead of anonymously giving the baby up for adoption, she chooses a couple to form a relationship with and hand her child over to. The monotone-voiced Ellen Page, an adorable new-ish actress in her first comedic movie role, plays Juno. Her sweet boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker (and in my humble opinion, the best part of the movie) was played by Michael Cera, who made his name famous from the highly loved television show, Arrested Development. The adoptive parents, played by Jennifer Garner and other Arrested Development alum, Jason Bateman, were also a high point to the movie, but not for their acting skills as much as for their adorable faces. The beginning of the movie was full of fast quips and dialogue written in a completely un-colloquial manner, which made me feel like I was watching an episode of Dawson's Creek rather than a romantic comedy. While this fast paced repartee slowed down into more of a regular movie dialogue, it set a weird tone for the movie's conversational pacing which ended up irking me due to its unrealistic linguistic patterns (as my sister points out, much like these last two sentences). It was chock full of SAT words strung together in awkward sentences which made the meaning behind them hard to figure out at such a rapid pace. I've found after telling my true feelings about this movie, "it was okay, much like a Lifetime movie" people hissed at me telling me I missed the point, and didn't I think it was beautiful? Beautiful was not a word I'd use to describe this movie; perhaps I would use sweet, or colorful, or different. To put it plainly, I wasn't happy with much of the movie. As my little cousin says, "I am sad at you" and that's how I felt at certain turning points of Juno. I was sad at their portrayal of the abortion clinic; I was sad at the weird comedic timing and weird timing of the movie in general; I was sad at the lack in the depth of the characters' relationships. There was one scene that brought an iota of tears to my eyes. It's a scene after Juno gives birth and she's in the hospital bed where Paulie Bleeker comes in and holds her in bed. I am sure anyone who has been in the hospital will tear up at this scene, for it really is the most poignant scene in the movie because it depicts the warmth within the cold walls of the reality of the hospital, and thus, life. My friends who said I would love the music were right: it was pretty good. I wouldn't buy the album unless it was on sale, but it definitely kept the movie alive. It's hard to write a movie review for a much loved movie, when you well, didn't love it, but I can tell you, there was no difference, for me at least, between Juno and any good (and I mean good) Lifetime movie. Should you pay money to see it? Maybe on a rainy day when you've run through all your classic rainy day DVDs. Should you hire a babysitter to see it? Absolutely not. Should you wait to rent it? I wish I had. Article written by Olivia March, © 2008 butyoudontlooksick.com Source

the fifty word lyrical review â sweeney todd

2008-01-21T01:41:00.001-08:00

I normally doA movie reviewThat has no more than fifty wordsBut on this occasionI'm of the persuasionTo do one much longer in verseConsid'ring the repOf Burton and DeppIt did not take long to decideTo purchase our stubAnd big popcorn tubSo we could go 'long for the rideAs I could pray tellThe film began wellA Burton-esque set we did viewThe rats and diseaseOf old London's streetsWere all well depicted it's true"Just what is so oddabout Sweeney Todd?"I whispered in my darling's ear"You see it's a taleThat somehow has failedTo get to me over the years!""Tut-tut" she replied"It can't be deniedHis story is one to abhor-A barber by tradeWith morals waylaidBy vowing to settle a score!With little a careYou'd sit in his chairExpecting a short back n sidesBefore your neck knew itHis blade would go through it -You'd end up in one of his pies!"With this revelationI'd high expectationThe story it seemed like a stonkerPerhaps now at lastThese folks had a chanceTo cast off the demons of WonkaI started to pineFor the movie's first lineFor sure it could not come too soonBut then I must sayMy hopes went awayWhen I heard it was part of a tune!And so it went onAnd on and yet onA musical score all throughoutTo resort to the songIt all just seemed wrongSome will not agree I've no doubtBut singing, you seeAin't my cup of teaAt least not when I'm at the flicksSo the actors, I foundGot two big thumbs downEven with Ali G in the mix!But since we had paidIn our seats we stayedAnd I had to humour my mindSo what could I doBut write my reviewThe format was not hard to findI spent all the timeThinking meter and rhymeSo I could get out my dismayThen once I got homeI completed the poemFor you all to look at today!(Finally…) THE END© JL Pagano 2008Source

2008-01-20T01:41:00.001-08:00

Cinema Lover - Movie Previews

Category : MooVie

Akshay steals the show in Tashan

FSR’s Kevin Carr Makes a Baby with Jessica Alba

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Movie Discussion Guide

Start the bawl rolling

Drew Struzan Gives Artistic Love to Hellboy II

Fat Guys at the Movies: Episode 61 - The Forbidden Fatdom

Daily Grind: The News We Missed - April 11

Jabber - On Followers and Indie Scratchers

Spring Break article

Top and most read articles March 2008

Learning to be a human *being* again

Pineapple Express Soundtrack to Feature a Rap Song by Shaq

Cloverfield DVD Giveaway: The Cloverfield Monster on Your TV!

Learning to be a human *being* again

newsflash

Trailer: Meet Dave — Then Swiftly Walk Away

Box Office: Guess ‘Who’ Won the Weekend?

..whisper sweet string theories into my ear..

Volver and Delicious Cleavages

Interesting analysis suggesting that blogging and the internet has created a literate youth culture!

Yub Nub!

Underworld 3 Ups the Production Budget

March 16, 2008 -- Contents

SXSW Blog: Geek Movies, Kristen Bell and Other Diversions

New Images from Tropic Thunder — More Blackface Downey Jr!

Movie Review Monday!!!

Is Black and white a provoking film by Subhash Ghai?

John Goodman & Joan Cusack join Isla Fisher in Shopaholic

Movie Review Sunday

links for 2008-03-01

My Daily Domestic Diigolet 02/29/2008

WiP Wednesday: Installation 31.0

Words Fitly Spoken: Part I

There Will Be Blood

DAMAGED Plugs: Louis in PARACINEMA #1!!!

Overall Top Articles on this Blog

Fropper.com offers 'ezMoney' to Bloggers using Google Adsense

DVD Review: An Inconvenient Truth

Ken's Review: In Bruges - The Only Place to Visit This Weekend - SendMeRSS

Consumer Reports - High Chairs

The Orpanage

SUNDAY MEDITATION

some recent articles

Movie Review: Juno

the fifty word lyrical review â sweeney todd

Learning to be a human being again

Learning to be a human being again

the fifty word lyrical review â sweeney todd