Category : MooVie

: 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

Akshay steals the show in Tashan

 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

FSR’s Kevin Carr Makes a Baby with Jessica Alba

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

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Movie Discussion Guide

***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

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

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

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

Daily Grind: The News We Missed - April 11

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

Jabber - On Followers and Indie Scratchers

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

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

Top and most read articles March 2008

Below are ten top and most read articles in March month of 2008.1) Who is real victim in Amit Budhiraja and Rinku Sachdeva case?2) IPL (Indian Premium League) teams 3) IPL teams, winners, bid amounts and details4) Childhood Pictures of Aishwarya5) I am selling my daughter for hundred rupees7) Pre-release- Krazy 48) Virgin Mobile India Details and Offers9) More Shilpa Shetty Yoga Video10) How it is becoming difficult to live in India? Also visit-Read Top and Most read posts on this blogArvindKatochkgw.arvindkatoch.com Source

Learning to be a human *being* again

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

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!

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

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

newsflash

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

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?

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

..whisper sweet string theories into my ear..

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

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