Movies, DVD, Films Reviews Blog

Rushmore Casino Reviews

2008-05-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Rushmore Casino: Rushmore Casino is outstanding in a sizzling hot gaming market due to the simple fact that they’re staff from top to bottom are all honest professionals; they understand the importance of establishing a fair gaming environment for all their players. Rushmore Casino offers a lot in terms of bonuses, including an $888 First Deposit Bonus. Wagering at the casino is also rewarded through a points system and once accumulated; these points can be exchanged for bonus chips or special gifts. The Real Time Gaming Software used by Rushmore is known for its speed, user-friendly interface and unrivalled security. Overall Rushmore is professional, supportive and offers a secure gaming environment that allows for a winning experience. Rushmore Casino One of the pioneers and most trusted names in online gaming since 2006’ Sporting the latest evolution in Real Time Gaming’s award winning software, Rushmore Casino has once again set the standard for all others to follow, offering gamers a smooth and captivating online experience. Featuring the best customer support in the business, an $888 free sign-up bonus and over 80 games "Rushmore Casino" is the connoisseur's choice. Rushmore Casino Rushmore Casino has long been established as one of online gaming's shining stars. It has the enviable reputation of not only being the casino of choice for some of the world’s biggest high rollers, but also for providing a smooth and hassle-free entry to players new to online gaming. With an enormous $888 Welcome Bonus, a knowledgeable and helpful support staff available 24 hours a day, fast payouts and over 80 of the crispest and immersive Real Time Gaming powered games, Rushmore Casino is a sure bet. Rushmore Casino Seriously good gaming is the name-of-the-game at Rushmore Casino, providing gamers with the thrill and exhilaration of Monte Carlo in their own homes. Using software from the highly respected Real Time Gaming stable, Rushmore will simply blow you away with its superb graphics and sound. Offering one the best bonus structures anywhere on the net with $888 free; and unrivaled customer support. Rushmore Casino is a cut above the rest and of course comes highly recommended. Rushmore Casino, named after the illustrious estate in the south of England, was created to pass on the majestic and prestigious experience of a land based casino. It has long been established as one of online gaming's shining stars and has the enviable reputation of not only being the casino of choice for some of the world’s biggest high rollers, but also for providing a smooth and hassle-free entry to players new to online gaming. Rushmore Casino features over 80 games, stunning graphics and superb music, provided by Real Time Gaming, that all contribute to an immersive and exciting gaming experience. As you enter the site, the exclusivity and sophistication of Rushmore’s playground for the rich and famous is immediately obvious. The casino features a number of progressive jackpots, an incredible welcome bonus of $888. Wagering at the casino is also rewarded through a points system and once accumulated; these points can be exchanged for bonus chips or special gifts. Rushmore Casino offers 24 hours 7 day a week support via email, fax and toll-free phone; depositing and withdrawing money is also made quick and easy with a large selection of payment options available. Rushmore Casino is known for being very committed to respecting and protecting player privacy. They use the most sophisticated methods available to ensure that players' information remains safe. All information is transferred using encryption technologies and once stored on the Casino's servers, it is maintained safely using the latest Firewall technologies. Technical Systems Testing (TST), an internationally recognized accredited testing facility, whose esteemed client roster includes International Game Technology (IGT), Aristocrat, Mikohn and the Michigan, Massachusetts, DC and Ontario Lotteries, has certified that the Random Number Generator (RNG) used by the Rushmore Casino is fair and random.

OEM Software - Is Cheap OEM Software Legal?

2008-05-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Specialists in the IT sphere as well as other people are always potential

clients of any software manufacturer. Engineers, accountants, architects,

designers, programmers, people who start home-business and other specialists in

any sphere today use a computer. But the hardware is not enough in order to work

on a PC or Mac. People need software but only a minority can afford buying full

versions together with necessary plugins and add-ons. Great if you work in a

corporation on in a firm where "everything [software tools] is already

installed". But where is an exit from the situation when you have to buy, say,

Windows XP or Mac OS, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and other? Away with

questions – let's look through possible variants of solving this issue:

1) Buy any software you need directly from a manufacturer;

2) use trial versions of a brand-name company software limited in functionality;

3) try to find a similar software tool at a less famous manufacturer;

4) download pirated software from "underground" hacker-sites (illegal);

5) download cheap oem software from manufacturers' affiliates or third-party

suppliers.

The first option requires a "fat purse" of a client. Ideally in order to operate

a PC or Mac, to make presentations, write and send letters, watch films, burn

data CD's, listen to music and so on you need to spend thousands of dollars even

if you limit yourself in your desires as well as the functions of your computer.

A license even for your operating system costs more than 500$. Are you able to

afford this? Yes? Then go on and enjoy fully functional brand-name software,

receive free periodical updates, get a discount for a later version and receive

technical and software support.

Trial versions of software from the great manufacturers like Adobe, Microsoft,

Corel and other are available for download free of charge. Though you get a

limited functionality and a trial period of working (from 15 till 60 days from

the 1st launch), you may then decide whether you really need these programs or

not. Trial software is demo programs – no great difference.

The third option is also a possible variant if you say "No" to the first two.

Some software tools have open sources and any firm can make their own "brand"

and money by a transformation of it. Such software is cheaper than from "the

giants" of software development. But the functions are few and the new versions

of software come out very rare.

It's not a secret to anyone anymore that in the Internet you can find

everything… This applies even to high cost brand software - you can get it for

free! together with viruses, trojans and other harmful programs. Moreover, this

is illegal and be ready then to dreadful consequences.

Consider one more option – OEM software. First of all, what is "oem software"?

OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer . In general it is 100% fully

functional software. But it lacks manuals, promo-discs and bulk-boxes. Consider

if you really need them. It may lack live support as well as registration from a

manufacturer because the license for this software has "already expired of

wasn't intended for second-hand buyers". So, you may conclude that firms that

sell oem software get it from other sources, not directly from a manufacturer.

But where does it come from? Well, for instance, oem software comes from

auctions, from special resellers of older versions of software, from other users

who do not need this software anymore. That is why it is so cheap software. Sometimes the

price for oem software is no more than 5-10% of a nominal manufacturer's price.

And at the same time you may be sure that it is really LEGAL though you can't

marvelous.

Many software vendors offer original equipment manufacturer (OEM) versions at very low prices, and it's not surprising that a lot of active computer users buy them. But are they really legal? The answer is a yes and a no. Read on to find out more.

Technically speaking, you can only get OEM software with a specified accompanying hardware. So when these OEM programs are copied and then sold separately from the hardware, there is a violation. Unless the license specifically states that the OEM software is free and can be copied and distributed, then transactions involving the sale and/or trade of OEM software are illegal.

The only reason that OEM software is still rampantly sold in the market is that manufacturers have never really actively reprimanded the vendors for illegally distributing them. The key is to be a wise consumer – know that when you buy counterfeit OEM-labeled software, you will not be entitled to technical support, service packs, upgrades or patches. Weigh the consequences against the benefits and decide accordingly.

You can still legally purchase discount OEM software, provided that the software is licensed to OEMs for bundling. Legally reproduced OEM software can be bought from hardware manufacturers themselves or from their licensed distributors. They should come with user manuals, original retail packaging, and technical support from the hardware provider themselves.

If you are not sure of the OEM software you want to buy is a legal copy, try visiting OEM forums. Ask people who have used OEM software what they think of the one you want to purchase. It is a good idea to sign up with these online communities so you can get first-hand, consumer-to-consumer opinion and support. There are also OEM assistance sites that can try to check the legitimacy of any OEM software for consumers like you. Do not hesitate to contact them when you're in doubt.

Many people sometimes do not believe in legal oem software and they have grounds

for it: some web-sites that are selling software products name them oem but in

reality they are selling pirated non-working software or trial versions that you

may get for free. Beware of such firms!

Nowadays the IT sphere is practically the most rapidly developing industry and the number of

different software products proliferates with every minute.

There are lots of companies producing various kinds of software for various operational systems.

So it is highly preferable to choose accurately and to acquire all the necessary programs for your personal computer for its wholly satisfactory and steady work.

Sometimes you can download a freely distributed program, and it's not quite rare, but there will surely be a terrible mess in your OS if you would only use such free products.

The reason is that to make your system stable and always working properly you need original software officially distributed by its manufacturer because they guarantee its legality and compatibility with certain other software and OSes.

You can purchase it on CDs but there is a more convenient way.

It must be said that buying original software is quite expensive and few people can afford it.

But do you really need all those beautifully printed manuals and boxes they offer you?

Why spend much money on something unnecessary? You need software, don't you?

So leave those expensive decorations and trifles out - you can just buy what you need without extra expenses.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software is just what you need. But what does it mean? OEM software is cheap 100% functional brand-name software.

It is available for downloading on a number of sites at a much lower price which is radically reduced by up to 85% of the nominal retail price due to the absence of manuals, bulk-boxes and promo-disks you'll never really need.

Though you won't be able to register it and get updates, it is still legal and fully functional software at a most affordable price.

Online pharmacy makes it's 100.000's sale

2008-05-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

Our online pharmacy is the perfect resource for people to get their drugs without any hassles or awkwardness. We work hard to make sure you save money every time you shop with us. At our online store, you pay less and get more.

To make sure we keep offering you great values, we regularly check prices on our top-selling items at chain drugstores. In addition, we scour the Internet to find bargains offered by other companies - and usually match or beat their promotional offers.

How can we guarantee a good quality of the medications we offer? We often get this question from our future customers. We know that a good quality of the product is the basic element of a successful company. This is why we do our best to find the most reliable suppliers in India (cialis, viagra, propecia etc.) who offer the medications produced from the best raw materials and manufactured to meet the highest quality control standards. We do business with several Indian pharmaceutical factories that were thoroughly selected by our experts. All the medicines our suppliers provide go with quality tests results and quality control certificates. The high quality of the products is appreciated in value not only by professionals but by our customers as well.

The principal reason for the reduced price of generic medicines is that the creation of the generic drug runs up less cost and therefore a lower price can be offered.

Manufacturers of generic drugs are mainly able to avoid the following three costs that brand name pharmaceutical companies incur: (1) costs associated with the research and development of the drug; (2) costs associated obtaining regulatory approval (i.e. proving safety and efficacy of a drug); and (3) marketing costs. The result is: you pay significantly less than for the brand and get the same medical effect!

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Hello World!

2008-03-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is Your remote test post.
Seems like all is set up correctly.

THE PROPHECY: Vintake Kooky Walken

2008-01-10T10:00:00.001-08:00

By Brandon Nolta

“Did you ever notice how in the Bible, whenever God needed to punish someone, or make an example, or whenever God needed a killing, he sent an angel? Did you ever wonder what a creature like that must be like? A whole existence spent praising your God, but always with one wing dipped in blood. Would you ever really want to see an angel?”
-- Thomas Dagget (Elias Koteas) in THE PROPHECY

Christopher Walken may have gotten his Oscar in the 1970s, but the 1990s were definitely his decade as far as establishing the Walken persona. Through movies like PULP FICTION, TRUE ROMANCE and KING OF NEW YORK, this song-and-dance man became one of the most dynamic performers to light up the screen. It’s almost shtick now, but the edges hadn’t worn off it yet when Greg Widen cast Fatboy Slim’s favorite dancer for the lead role in THE PROPHECY, Widen’s loopy yet involving religious thriller. Good thing, too, because Walken makes the flick.

The nominal hero of the film is Thomas Dagget (Elias Koteas), a homicide detective who once planned to enter the priesthood, until a bloody vision of angels warring derailed his ordainment. Haunted by his loss of faith, he gets drawn into an investigation where the body at the center of it all is missing certain things—such as eyes, or growth rings on its bones—and bearing others, like an extra set of sex organs. The mysterious ramblings of Simon (Eric Stoltz) don’t help Dagget much, but a couple of clues pull Dagget to Chimney Rock, Arizona, where he meets a little girl named Mary (Moriah Shining Dove Snyder) and her hot teacher Katherine (Virginia Madsen).

Dagget manages to put most of it together himself, but when Gabriel (Christopher Walken) shows up, he fills in the rest of the blanks: Angels are warring in Heaven, split over God’s decision to elevate humanity in Divinity’s sight, and Gabriel—yes, the Gabriel, harbinger of death and sounder of the Last Trump—has come to the mortal plane to seek a special weapon. Since humans are the admitted masters of war and treachery, Gabriel has come to snag the blackest soul on Earth to lead his side against their brethren loyal to God’s judgment. This soul, which formerly belonged to one sick Army colonel, has been stashed inside Mary. Against Gabriel, you wouldn’t think Thomas and Katherine stand much of a chance, but they get an ally late in the game when Lucifer (Viggo Mortensen) decides to get involved. Now, if you find the Devil is on your side, that’s a sign you need to rethink your position. However, Gabriel is no friend of humanity, and Thomas finds himself with a lot less time than he’d like to figure things out.

THE PROPHECY is a cult film without a doubt; most audiences probably didn’t dig the alternate take on angels, and most anything Widen put his hands on in the 1990s, except for BACKDRAFT, was out there. It’s well-done for what must have been a B-movie production; the optical effects, while dated, don’t look too bad, and while the dialogue is a little purple at times, Widen generally keeps things in check. A cast of reliable troupers gets put through their paces, including Canadian thespian vet Koteas and Mortensen, who makes for a slick and bestial Devil, but in the end, it’s all Walken. With his eyes and voice, you believe this guy is the end of all things; nobody does badass like Walken. Gabriel has an emotional range, but no humanity, and when he tells Thomas, “I'm an angel. I kill firstborns while their mamas watch. I turn cities into salt. I even, when I feel like it, rip the souls from little girls, and from now till kingdom come, the only thing you can count on in your existence is never understanding why,” you believe it.

THE PROPHECY: Vintake Kooky Walken

2008-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Best DVD Sets of 2007

2008-01-08T08:18:00.001-08:00

By Kevin Kelly

So you managed to end up with a stash of holiday loot, gift certificates, or the newest gift-giving craze: gift cards. Now you're wondering what to spend 'em on? Fear not, you can use our handy-dandy post-holiday DVD self-gift-giving guide-a-palooza to pick out a nice DVD set for yourself. Or, if you're still in a giving mood, for someone else. However, we say since giving unto others is considered to be the best thing, just consider yourself an other. Works every time.

So, this list is broken up into a few different categories, but you'll notice that it skews a bit onto the geeky side. You'll just have to blame me for that one, because I skew slightly geeky myself. However, that's not to say I don't appreciate a good comedy, drama, or documentary from time to time. Check out this list of the best box sets from 2007, and stop letting those gifts burn a hole in your pockets.

Comedy:

SEINFELD: THE COMPLETE SERIES. This is the mother lode of DVD sets, and instead of being presented in a goofy, wacky box set that says "Hello!" like Kramer when you open the box, it's presented in a very swanky, slipcased, classy looking presentation. You get every episode of the show, a ton of bonus items, a coffee table book about the show, and you can display it in style. That's of course if you didn't buy it at Best Buy, in which case it comes in a big goofy fridge, complete with magnets. If you happened to pick that one up, maybe you can use the fridge to keep your dignity in. Check out how far the show went from those first few episodes to the last season, and you'll get all misty-eyed.

KING OF QUEENS: THE COMPLETE SERIES: Okay, granted, this one comes packaged in something goofy, which I was complaining about for Seinfeld, but somehow I just can't be mad at this cute little IPS truck. Plus, you can open up the back, where all the DVDs are housed, and the engine compartment houses the booklet that serves as a guide to the show. At least it doesn't honk and spout off Kevin James clips when you open it up. If you're a KoQ fan, then you'll seriously love this set. I mean, you'll seriously be infatuated with it enough to possibly marry it. Sicko.

Action/Adventure:

THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES: Volumes One and Two: This show was best when it featured the teenaged Indiana Jones, but the young Indy stories have started to grow on me over the years. Paramount finally released these sets on DVD last year, with a Volume Three coming out this year around the 4th feature film, and it's about time. Harrison Ford even guest stars as old Indy in one episode, plus it is loads better than the STAR WARS prequels. Trust me.

THE BOURNE COLLECTION: These films managed to to surprise everyone, who knew Matt Damon could kick so much ass? Each film was progressively better than the last, and the final one surprised cynics by not sucking. I was one of those doubters, but I was still sitting there in the theater seat munching my popcorn each time a new Bourne film came out, so it's no surprise that I had to pick up this boxed set to keep hope alive. Maybe I'm actually a secret government sleeper agent, programmed to go nuts when someone says to secret code word. You never know.

Documentary:

PLANET EARTH: You've probably heard everyone in the world talking about this set, or seen it displayed everywhere from Target to Borders bookstores. Let me say without any qualm whatsoever: the hype is totally understated. Quite simply, this is one of the most amazing documentaries about the planet we live on that I've ever seen in my life. You can't help but be moved as you watch this and find out things that you've never known before, including things that will make it seem like you're living on an alien planet. If you have access to an HD or Blu-ray player, then I can't recommend picking one of those versions up enough. It'll blow your eyeballs away.

BLUE PLANET: Made by the same crew that did PLANET EARTH, it's yet another look at the Earth, this time focusing solely on the bodies of water that surround us. While the other set by be a half-notch above this one, it doesn't mean it's any less stunning. Again, pick up an HD version of this if you can as well, for the same reasons as above. This played in IMAX theaters (and in some cases, still does) around the world, and allows you a peek into a world you've only seen hinted at in movies like THE ABYSS and James Cameron's ALIENS OF THE DEEP.

ATLAS OF THE NATURAL WORLD: Africa and Europe: Made by the BBCs Natural History unit (how is it that the BBC and British crews just kick so much ass at documentary filmmaking? Seriously, they must be breeding these guys there. This six-disc set focuses on the African and European continents from the dawn of time to the rise of human civilization, and shows how much things have changed over the eons. Truly stunning stuff. Unfortunately, it's not available on HD, but it doesn't look any less stellar in this DVD format.

Sci Fi:

THE X-FILES: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION: This is a massive box set that includes every single episode of the show, tons of bonus materials like a guidebook, a comic book, a mini-poster, and more, all housed in a giant box with a hidden shelf underneath that conceals the extra goods. It's more Mulder and Scully than you can shake a stick at, including over 9,0000 minutes of television PLUS this X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE feature film, and that's not including the all extra materials. The only thing that bums us out is that they didn't include spinoff series THE LONE GUNMEN, so you'll have to pick that up separately if you're a completist. You can't go wrong with this thing.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON ONE: HD-DVD: Yes, I have an HD-DVD player that's tacked on Voltron-style to my Xbox 360. Yes, I know the recent defection of Warners to the Blu-ray camp has probably killed off the HD-DVD format, but that didn't stop me from picking up BSG in HD. Why? Because I frakkin' love this show, and it looks amazing in HD. Plus they tossed in some new special features, so I feel like I'm not getting entirely ripped off. Did I mention it looks gorgeous?

DOCTOR WHO: SEASON THREE: This is still one of those shows that I find tough to admit liking to others. Sure, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is the cool kid of the moment, but DOCTOR WHO has been around since the 1960s. The recent reboot that is now in its third season is nothing short of spectacular. David Tennant has been soaring to the same awesome campy heights that Tom Baker managed all those years ago, and there's the added advantage of the special effects being slightly better. Considering the normal BBC special effects, that's actually saying something. This set has a slew of extras, including the Christmas special and David's video diaries. Sonic screwdriver not included.

HEROES: SEASON ONE: While Season Two might have started out with a bit of a whimper instead of a bang, the first season still shines on DVD. In fact, you'll easily get sucked in and find yourself watching several episodes at a stretch. Before you know it, you're done. Hopefully NBC will release Volume Two, the first half of Season Two, on DVD soon, since the writers strike is keeping new shows from being made. Tons of extras, commentaries, and a couple of wacky superpower related games make this a loaded up special edition worth picking up. And yes, you guessed it... if you can pick up the HD version, make sure you do. You'll see details you never noticed before.

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES: SEASON ONE: That's right, again with the HD-DVD. Now, I have to confess that I was never really a big fan of the original series, having grown up all The Next Generation and such, but this set has made me see everything, literally, in a brand new light. They upgraded the special effects for the show, the shots of the Enterprise, and filled it chock full of extras, so this actually surprised me enough to start recommending it to everyone. Now I'll have to pick up the next two seasons, which I hope they'll still be putting out in HD-DVD format. That's turning out to be a blessing and a curse... a blessing in how good it looks, and a curse given that it might die a sad death. The good news is, it has the regular DVD edition on the flipside.

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT: Here it is, the grand finale of the list. There was no way I'd be living this thing off the list. I splurged for the massive box sex, and it's a behemoth. It comes packaged in a ultra-slick Blade Runner briefcase, meant to look like the Voigt-Kampf test machine that Deckard uses in the film. Plus you get limited edition photos, a miniature origami unicorn, a replica Spinner police car, a lenticular motion card of Deckard inside a lucite magnet block, and of course, the movies. Oh, and a letter from Ridley Scott himself, personally thanking you for paying off his third house in Malibu. Er, I mean buying the film. Seriously, this is a fantastic edition of the film, and it didn't even look this good when it originally hit the screens. Without a doubt, the finest looking set I've ever purchased. Now I just have to find somewhere to hide that briefcase.

The Best DVD Sets of 2007

2008-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

THE LAST KISS: Doesn't Last Long

2008-01-07T06:41:00.001-08:00

By Sabrina Cognata

Ugh, I hate Zach Braff. Whose decision was it to make him the sexy nerd posterboy? Whoever it was, I am out to kill them cause I have known a lot of sexy geek guys and he is absolutely not one of them. Zach Braff is just another ugly guy that comes across and tortured, neurotic and not very good-looking, but in a charming way. Dear casting directors, I hate you.

This time around Zach Braff plays the same character he always does—the sort of silly nerd guy that is having problems in a relationship. I guess that isn’t much of a stretch for him and hope he dies alone the way his type cast deserves to. Braff plays Michael, an architect in an early mid-life crisis whom has to face growing up when his girlfriend, Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) tells him she’s pregnant. The two attend a wedding after learning about the pregnancy where Michael pontificates over his boring, loser existence when Kim (Rachel Bilson) starts flirting with him.

Michael wants to know if this is the end of life in terms of surprises as he’s about to become a father. Kim goes out of her way to show her interest in Michael and because Michael is a man and an idiot he takes her advances seriously, even though he’s got a knocked up girlfriend waiting for him. Before they part, Kim tells him where and when she hangs out after classes. While all of everyone else in this film has their relationships deteriorate, Michael actively chooses to kill his when he makes a date with Kim. Jenna catches him in the lie and flips out in a way that only pregnant women can and kicks him out of the house. With nowhere to go, Michael heads back to Kim’s place where they do the horizontal mambo and Kim declares that she doesn’t care what happens just as long as they enjoy the moment.

Kim is a liar. Michael is caught. Jenna freaks out and everything goes according to life’s plan as we see people have to work super hard to prove that a relationship can be saved if you really want to rescue it from death. Jenna’s father (Tom Wilkinson) and her Mother (Blythe Danner) who happen to be having their own marital problems tell Michael to do whatever it takes to prove himself to Jenna.

Apparently, doing whatever it takes means sitting outside of your locked house for an indeterminate amount of time. After what appears to be a few days, Jenna forgives Michael for boning Kim and allows him inside the house. I don’t know if you’ve caught on, but this movie is absolutely stupid because a lot of the time the other woman will end up doing something crazy and makes everyone sorry. Rachel Bilson comes across as too needy and nice when she should have played it a little less sane and a little more Fatal Attraction. Whatever. I still hate Zach Braff, angry pregnant women and psychosexual dramas.

THE LAST KISS: Doesn't Last Long

2008-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

THE PROFESSIONAL: Sexy Ugly

2008-01-06T15:19:00.001-08:00

By Sabrina Cognata

This movie should be called SEXY UGLY: Things people do not want to admit about human sexuality because Leon (Jean Reno) is not really that good looking of a guy, but by the end of the film you love him, want to bear his children and find him incredibly and unwaveringly desirable. This is the story of Mathilda (Natalie Portman) and the man that lives down the hall from her, Leon. Leon is a hired hit man and a serious mo’fo’.

About fifteen minutes into the movie Mathilda becomes an orphan as psycho cop, Stansfield (Gary Oldman) retaliates against her father by killing her entire family while Mathilda’s out at the store. When Mathilda returns she finds her entire family dead and the cops swarming around looking for her. She walks to Leon’s door, weeping and knocks until he lets her in. Mathilda immediately stumbles upon an arsenal of weapons and realizes that Leon is a cleaner/hit man/murderer.

Mathilda asks Leon to teach her the ways of a cleaner. At first Leon laments, but eventually he agrees to teach Mathilda and take care of her. Slowly, you realize that Leon is not a monster, but a creature of habit. He moves quickly and goes out of his way to take care of Mathilda, teaching her the ways of a hit man so that she may one day avenge the death of her younger brother. In return, Mathilda does what she can to ensure that Leon is taken care of: she cooks, cleans and takes care of the reading and writing—as Leon’s English is poor. Leon’s life becomes more than his potted plant and his profession—Mathilda begins to give him purpose.

Before Leon gets a chance to finish Mathilda’s training or avenge her brother’s death himself, Mathilda takes matters into her own hands and confronts Detective Stansfield and his cohorts. Leon is faced with having to save Mathilda, which he does whole-heartedly as Mathilda has been able to open his heart. This is about the part where you realize 12-year-old Natalie Portman is actually a genius and Jean Reno is absolutely sexy. Leon must sacrifice his own life in order to save Mathilda and take out all of the cops. Mathilda weeps, it’s those Drew Barrymore tears from E.T. and you are like WHOA, THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL BE FAMOUS SOMEDAY, then low and behold Natalie Portman ends up super famous.

Anyways, stupid Stansfield kills Leon, but Leon gets his revenge by blowing the hell out of Stansfield and the lobby of the building and basically anyone in his way. Mathilda is devastated and tells the mob boss Leon worked for, “Uncle” Tony (Danny Aiello) that she wants to work for him also. Uncle Tony flips out and says she cannot but he will however give her an allowance and pay for her to go to boarding school. Since Mathilda has no other options or choices she takes Uncle Tony up on his offer, planting Leon’s fern into the dirt on the grounds of her new school -- OH MAN, SYMBOLISM ANYONE, FINALLY MATHILDA HAS ROOTS AND IT’S ALL BEACUASE OF LEON!

THE PROFESSIONAL: Sexy Ugly

2008-01-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?: Inspiring and Entertaining

2008-01-03T22:57:00.001-08:00

By Buzz Byrne

“Every generation has built-in assumptions that prove, historically, to be false.” That statement of fact is enough to lead us to question most things we take for granted. That premise alone is enough to rile up stuffy academics and portions of the scientific community that have built their industry on the opposite of this idea. This is what this movie is essentially about- questioning reality and then positing a spiritual possibility based on quantum physics. Largely successful on the first part, less so on the spiritual aspects, nonetheless this small movie asks large questions and makes some radical thinking extremely accessible. I found it entertaining, provocative and even inspiring.

And I’m one cynical doofus.

A loose narrative follows the character Amanda (Marlee Matlin) as she deals with her husband’s betrayal. Following her over the course of two days she meets a shaman from the Caribbean in her dreams, a magical boy on a basketball court who explains quantum super position and discovers the work of Masaru Emoto- The Message of Water. As she grapples with the decision to forgive her husband or move on in her life, the filmmakers interview “experts” and “academics” in a documentary style on the relationship with reality and the internal and spiritual workings of the human experience.

This is the meat of what is going on and where the film is interesting and also threatening. While “quantum physics” or “quantum mechanics” is used as blanket terms without a true definition going, there is a lot to digest for someone not familiar with the concept. The discussion and presentation of the physiology of the brain, hypothalamus and how peptides work in our system was fascinating and much more accessible. But then dealing with physical proteins in the human body is easier to define than finding a physical substance of thought. Much of the professional criticism comes from corners that call the movie simplistic, pseudoscience and even one of the interviewees claims to have had his words and concepts distorted by editing. Hard to believe a long-winded academic would bristle at years of work being distilled and edited but there you go. Obviously the “factual presentations” in the movie should be viewed skeptically. But shouldn’t we view most arguments in such a manner?

And along those lines, having J.Z. Knight as one of the expert talking heads as she channels Ramtha stretches credibility. But if you can move past that, if you can sit with these uncomfortable questions, isn’t that worthwhile? At its’ core this movie is questioning organized religion and modern psychology. Maybe some of the criticism should be viewed with some skepticism as those are not two institutions that often invite hecklers.

The movie argues that we take a much more active role in our lives, that we try and shape reality from our insides outward rather than float through life, giving over responsibility to an invisible man in the sky or the reality that we have been conditioned to accept. The movie urges us to be greater than we are and to achieve and think greater things.

Can you really ask more of someone’s creative effort than to entertain you and maybe look at something in a new light? And what if that “something” is life, reality, experience and time- isn’t that worth a try at the video store? I would say it is.

WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?: Inspiring and Entertaining

2008-01-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

THE HOTTEST STATE: Gets A Cold Shoulder

2008-01-01T08:53:00.001-08:00

By Curt Schleier

THE HOTTEST STATE is supposedly about the angst of young love. But the angst most viewers will feel has more to do with the quality of the story. The movie is self-indulgent, its dialogue insipid and there’s not a fresh thought in the nearly-two-hour movie. It’s enough to give independent films a bad name.

THE HOTTEST STATE is based on Ethan Hawke’s 1996 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. When I say “based on,” I mean he changed the background of one of the story’s principal characters.

In the book, William falls for Sarah, a preschool teacher from Seattle who is plump and wears long dresses because she thinks her thighs are fat. In the film, William (Mark Webber) falls for Sara (Catalina Sandino Moreno), an Hispanic girl of uncertain origin. Why the change? Hard to say what purpose it serves. But, then it’s hard to say what purpose any of this serves.

Let us begin with William, a young actor soon to celebrate his 21st birthday. He was conceived in the back seat of a Plymouth Barracuda three weeks after his parents met somewhere near Dallas. They married briefly and divorced less than amicably. When he was eight, his mother moved to New York – or at least the New York area; that’s not entirely clear – and eventually William and his father lose contact.

Sara has a significant Spanish accent, though she was apparently raised in Connecticut after her father left the family. She’s moved to New York City to become a country western singer, but her English pronunciation is so bad you have to wonder what country that might be.

They meet cute. William immediately falls for her and tells a friend: “Sometimes I think if I get her to like me everything I don’t like about myself will disappear.” (Exhibit A in the insipid dialogue category.)

She loves him, she loves him not. The film becomes less an exploration of the pain of young love than soap opera-ish indecision. Yes, she finally agrees that they can live together though without traditional sex. “I think if we have sex I’ll fall in love with you.” (Exhibit B in the insipid dialogue category.) On the plus side, Sara services William in, eh, another way.

She takes him to meet her mother. He passes some kind of test, because she agrees to go to Mexico with him where he is filming Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real.

They spend a week in Mexico before shooting of Camino Real begins and seem to have great and frequent sex. She even wants them to get married, but then she doesn’t. Still life is wonderful. She begs him: “Promise me if something goes wrong, if I run away, you’ll find me and make me kiss you. (Exhibit C in the insipid dialogue category.)

When he returns to New York, Sara decides she doesn’t want a boy friend. So Williams decides to become a whiner and stalker. He calls her and asks her to call him. He calls her back right away to apologize for calling the first time. Then he calls her again and tells her about a date he had with a former girlfriend.

Apparently life without a daddy scarred him emotionally, because as he explains to his mother Jesse (Laura Linney): “I don’t seem to have the first idea how men are supposed to behave.” (Exhibit D, etc., etc.)

Jesse is the man in his life in terms of the no-nonsense advice she gives him. “I think you’ll be astonished how many times you fall in love,” (Exhibit E?) she says when he whines about losing Sara. Life is short, she adds. Get over it. If only he’d listened, the film could have been at least a merciful half hour shorter.

Between her cruel back and forth with William and his childish whining behavior, they clearly are two people who deserve each other.

Oh, there is additional bad news and good news. One of the DVD’s special features is a short also written and directed by Hawke. That’s the bad news. The good news is it really is short.

THE HOTTEST STATE: Gets A Cold Shoulder

2008-01-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

FRACTURE: Fails To Break Any New Ground

2008-01-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

By Kofi Outlaw

For every new role that he accepts, I’m pretty sure Sir Anthony Hopkins has to turn down a hundred scripts that call for him to play some bastardized version of Hannibal Lector. Imagine my surprise then to come across FRACTURE, a film that denies its own existence as a SILENCE OF THE LAMBS knock-off by dressing itself up as a courtroom drama.

Hopkins plays Ted Crawford, an analytical genius and safety inspector, who’s made a fortune divining the flaws in complex machinery. An eerily calm, calculated man, Crawford never loses composure when he discovers that his young trophy wife is having an affair. Instead, he does what he always does: analyzes, looks for weakness and then exploits those weaknesses. One night, when his wife returns home after a romp with her lover, Crawford calmly says his goodbyes, before he pulls out a gun and shoots her in the head, within earshot of all his groundskeepers and servants.

The police arrive to a scene along with a crisis negotiator to coax Crawford out of his home. The joke is on the negotiator though: Crawford’s wife was the woman he’d been having the affair with—a fact he had no way of knowing, since she insisted the affair remain strictly anonymous. The jilted lover hauls Crawford down to the station, secures his confession, vindicated that the monster will rot in prison for the rest of his life.

The state gets hotshot Deputy District Attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who has never lost a case, to close the books on Crawford nice and smoothly. Willy only half cares about the obligation; he is in the process of leaving his haggard job as a public prosecutor for a cushy, high-paying job at the city’s largest corporate law firm. The new job comes with a hot new boss, Nikki (Rosamund Pike), who instructs Willy to close out the past quickly so that he can embrace his glorious new future.

At the hearing for Crawford’s case, the evil genious takes a shine to country-bumpkin-made-good Willy (Clarice Starling Alert!); Crawford opts to forgo a lawyer and represent himself, on the stipulation that Willy be his prosecutor, setting up a one-on-one match-up Willy is happy to accept. The young prosecutor goes to the first day of trial half-cocked and unprepared, sure that his case is airtight. It’s a setup of course: Crawford reveals to the court that the arresting officer was also his wife’s lover, thereby rendering the confession null and void. Even worse, the supposed murder weapon has never been fired, and doesn’t match the shell casings collected from the scene of the crime. Crawford had no powder residue on his clothes or person, and there are no eyewitnesses who can attest to having actually seen Crawford pull the trigger. In five minutes flat, Willy goes from shutting the books on his final case, to the living nightmare of having no case at all.

That erroneous stumble lands Willy in a world of trouble. His new corporate bosses don’t want a screw-up on the team, and his old bosses in the DA’s office need a scapegoat to take the heat. This is exactly where Crawford wants Willy: trapped between a rock and a hard place, with weaknesses fully exposed. While Crawford tries to work Hannibal Lector mind games on him, Willy tries to keep his eyes on locating the missing murder weapon, the one thing that can return him to his cushy new job and the angelic girl waiting just beyond this bit of hell. The harder Willy fights to rise above, the lower Crawford manages to pull him. Without giving the plot twists away, Crawford manages to avoid incarceration, stepping over Willy to win his freedom. But before the maniacal murderer can celebrate too much, Willy, disgraced and discredited, has one last trick left up his sleeve.

While an evil genius character like Ted Crawford is, by now, surely a cakewalk for Hopkins to play, it is to Gosling’s credit that he is able to not only hang with Hopkins in the scenes they share, trading snarky quips and razored one-liners—he even manages to get in a few pretty good shots of his own. However, both actors are clearly in it for a bit of practice and a paycheck. Gosling’s sad eyes and heavy-headedness hollowly echo the quiet torment and eye-checked melancholy he evoked for his Oscar-nominated turn in HALF NELSON. Hopkins is just happy to be playing the brainy bad guy again—I counted about have a dozen winks to Dr. Lector in his performance. Still, when you’re talking about two actors of this caliber, even their improv and exorcises are more engaging than what most of their peers bring to the screen.

It’s a good thing too, because beyond watching Gosling and Hopkins face off, there really isn’t too much to FRACTURE that we couldn’t have gotten from an episode of LAW & ORDER. This is a by-the-numbers courtroom procedural, and while there are some pretty original twists, they leave you with more of an “Oh that’s clever,” feeling rather than an “Oh wow, I never saw that coming!” kind of euphoria. Director Gregory Hoblit frames some pretty good shots and scenes. None to write home about though. Hoblit wisely opts to give his powerhouse leads the needed breathing room for them to flex their acting muscles. Parts of the film that occur outside the courtroom feel stalled, half-formed, and are somewhat distracting—including Willy’s romance with ice-queen prosecutor Nikki, which should be nominated for “weakest chemistry between two hot people, 2007.”

FRACTURE is the type of movie that you’ll catch on TV, probably during a Sunday “Million Dollar Movie” afternoon while you’re cleaning your house. You’ll read the names of the headliners and say to yourself “Oh! I remember when Hopkins and/or Gosling did this!” You might even half pay attention, if you’ve got that much cleaning to do. Otherwise, this film will become another forgotten flick on an actor’s résumé, whose name is kept alive only through the good grace of IMDB. Don’t everyone rush out at once to see it.

FRACTURE: Fails To Break Any New Ground

2008-01-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX:

2007-12-29T07:00:00.001-08:00

By Curt Schleier

The producers of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX are to be congratulated on a number of significant accomplishments. PHOENIX is the fifth film in the series and David Heyman and David Barron have managed to hold the cast together. If this were an American production, the young actors would have been hold-outs for money when they weren’t out clubbing at night, getting embarrassing pictures (or videos) posted on the web and getting arrested for drink and drugs.

The biggest scandal involving the young Harry Potter stars was when young Daniel Radcliffe appeared on stage buck naked. That was less scandal than a matter of young Radcliffe stretching, and by stretching of course I mean stretching artistically.

Another significant accomplishment is getting some very talented (mostly British) actors to take key and often continuing roles. Many are considered among the pantheon of the world’s finest actors, and yet they don’t give the impression that they’re slumming. They took HARRY POTTER as seriously as they take HAMLET.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they resisted the temptation to make each succeeding film in the series BIGGER AND BETTER AND MORE SPECTACULAR. They stayed true to the book. And though they brought in different directors, each (potentially) with a vision of his own, the newcomers stayed true to and honored J. K. Rowling’s words.

PHOENIX is the darkest of the films to date. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Finnes), he whose name should not be mentioned, is gathering the forces of evil. In fact, the film begins with an attack on Harry in a suburban subway (or underpass to you non-Brits) and picks up speed from there. The Order of the Phoenix, a group founded years ago to fight him, is concerned. Many of its members, including Harry’s father, have fallen victim to Voldemort.

Although the Dark Lord is the main enemy, Harry’s problems are exacerbated by Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), the minister of magic. For strategic reasons, Fudge refuses to acknowledge that Voldemort has returned. He plants stories in the press suggesting that Harry – the papers call him Harry Plotter --is lying. This causes his classmates to doubt his version of the death (at the end of GOBLET OF FIRE) of Cedric Diggory. So, in addition to the normal pains and stresses of adolescence, Potter increasingly faces his own isolation.

To make matters worse, Fudge installs an ally, Delores Umbrage (Imelda Staunton), at Hogwarts and she immediately makes changes in the curriculum that lessen Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) influence. Fudge believes that Dumbledore wants his job, and this is an effort to rein him in. But the changes at the school from practical magic to theoretical also leaves the students less prepared to fight Voldemort when he comes.

And, of course, he does come, in a climactic battle that makes it clear that the known universe is not big enough for the both him and Harry. There’s another death, as well, leading to what will (in about two films) be a final clash between good and evil.

The film works surprisingly well on the small screen. I wish though the DVD producers had been a little more inventive in terms of special features. Your only choice is selected scenes. Big deal.

A number of logical possibilities come to mind, including an interview with Rowling or perhaps screenwriter Michael Goldenberg on the difficulties of condensing a 900-plus-page book to the screen. Or interviews with the actors. Or any number of things just to let us know that they put as much thought into packaging the DVD as they did the film.

Well, if not as much thought, at least some thought.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX:

2007-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

LETHAL WEAPON: Christmas With A Bullet

2007-12-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

By Sabrina Cognata

A lot of people might argue that LETHAL WEAPON is not actually a Christmas movie, but we know what I think about these people and if you’re wasting time reading this and you’re one of these people, well stop reading, duh. This is the story of two detectives: one that is insane and the other that complains about being old a lot, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) respectively. This is a movie written by Shane Black. Here’s two facts about Shane Black: he basically invented and mastered the buddy cop genre and one time I ended up at his house in the wee hours of the night and partied until either I was asked to leave or I blacked out—too bad I cannot remember how things ended. Oh well, that’s the life of Los Angeles party monster.

Back to LETHAL WEAPON, it’s December and Christmas is creeping up on Murtaugh and Riggs. Also creeping up on them is the mysterious death of Murtaugh’s friend’s slut daughter. In the beginning of the movie she’s found naked after plummeting from a balcony to her death onto a parked car below. As Murtaugh begins to investigate her death he ends up being partnered with Riggs who has the reputation for being a psychopath. Murtaugh decides Riggs trying to get a psycho pension, but it turns out that Riggs is actually super insane and suicidal. He’s been having a hell of a time living since his wife died a few years earlier.

Riggs’s suicidal tendencies come in handy while fighting crime as he could care less about living and always puts himself right in the middle of things in order to do his job. Every time this happens Murtaugh ends the scene saying, “I’M GETTING TO OLD FOR THIS SH*T.” I swear to you it’s more charming than it sounds. While trying to get to the bottom of that girls untimely death the two end up discovering a heroin smuggling ring and at this point you know where things are going THE GOOD GUYS GO AFTER THE BAD GUYS, DUH.

The bad guys are basically your run of the mill bad guy typecasts except for the fact that super insane bad guy that goes head-to-head with Riggs is Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey). His boss is Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan) and when Riggs and Murtaugh get too close to figuring things out McAllister has his gang of thugs, lead by Mr. Joshua kidnap Murtaugh’s super cute daughter, Rainne. Here’s where things go sort of haywire. McAllister captures Riggs and Murtaugh when they go after him to rescue Rainne. He has Riggs hanging like a piece of meat in a freezer dripping wet and being electrocuted. This is probably why Mel Gibson is a mega celebrity because he looks amazing. Anyways, Riggs is double jointed and frees himself from bondage. He finds Murtaugh and his daughter and frees them also.

McAllister and Mr. Joshua chase the trio back to Murtaugh’s house, but before they can do any damage to the Murtaugh family, McAllister ends up blowing himself up along with his heroin. At this point Mr. Joshua decides to make killing Riggs his personal problem and the two have a barehanded boxing/martial arts fight in Murtaugh’s front yard that happens to be decorated for Christmas and is on fire because of the stupid exploding car. After Riggs beats Mr. Joshua, he and Murtaugh end up shooting Mr. Joshua to death. Merry Christmas kids.

Later, Riggs is accepted as an unofficial member of Murtaugh’s family and is asked to spend Christmas with them. As his gift to Murtaugh, Riggs hands him the hollow tipped bullet he’s been planning to use to kill himself with. Thanks to Murtaugh and his super hot daughter Riggs decides he no longer desires to kill himself. Finally, this man has a purpose.

LETHAL WEAPON: Christmas With A Bullet

2007-12-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

GREMLINS: The Best PG-13 Christmas Ever

2007-12-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

By Brandon Nolta

There are lots of holiday films, good and bad, for the discerning viewer to enjoy beside a roaring fire with some eggnog this holiday season. A select few—DIE HARD, THE REF, SCROOGED, a passel of others—have been given the Critics Rant treatment, but I hadn’t seen any mention of one of my favorites, a perennial classic that I made sure to give my son this year for Christmas. I’m speaking, of course, of GREMLINS, the Steven Spielberg-produced classic of sick and twisted measure that remains the only proof that Chris Columbus was ever anything more than the Rick Astley of directors.

It’s Christmas in Kingston Falls, a little town that looks like Norman Rockwell and Frank Capra were in charge of planning. Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), a local inventor of intermittent ability and thorn in the side of rich miserly crank Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday), is out shopping for the season. He wants the perfect gift for his son Billy (Zach Galligan), the only Peltzer holding down a real job, and he finds it in a Chinatown basement shop. But it’s not a toy; it’s a cute little fuzzy thing called a Mogwai that answers to Gizmo (voice by Howie Mandel) which looks like the mating of ET and a panda. Of course, with anything seemingly harmless and cute, there are a few rules to follow: 1) Keep it away from bright light, 2) Don’t ever get it wet, and 3) Never, ever feed it after midnight.

Since there are rules that must be followed, inevitably, the Peltzers fail to do so, and soon there’s a bunch of Mogwai. Unfortunately, the new ones aren’t of the same sweet temperament as Gizmo, and soon enough, Billy and his best friend/girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates), as well as their hometown of Kingston Falls, are battling a horde of malevolent little monsters. Christmas goes to hell in a hurry when the gremlins are in town, and nobody, from the evil Mrs. Deagle to hapless plow driver and town drunk Mr. Futterman (Dick Miller), is safe.

It’s no wonder this movie caused such a hue and cry when it came out in the summer of 1984. Columbus’ script displays a real streak of hard-edged mischief, best displayed in the gremlins’ violent pranks and a monologue that Kate delivers in explaining why she doesn’t like Christmas. Having Spielberg’s name on the movie is a marketing bait-and-switch; to get a grip on the film, look no further than seeing Joe Dante listed as director. Dante, the man behind the mostly great werewolf satire THE HOWLING and the zombie political broadsides of the “Homecoming” episode of MASTERS OF HORROR, has a razorblade smile sense of humor, and he takes Columbus’ script and runs with it.

A lot of people thought Dante ran a little too far; GREMLINS was one of the reasons behind the formation of the PG-13 rating, as some of the violence (involving blenders and stair lifts, among other things) was too hardcore for PG. There’s no denying this is a dark film, and though it is quite funny, many of the characters meet fates that aren’t. In fact, Dante kept things from going too far: the original script was darker yet, with a higher body count than what made it to theaters. Even now, GREMLINS might be a little strong for the very young. Still, for those of you who are tired of excessive Yuletide cheer and like your Christmas season salted with blood and black humor, GREMLINS is a pretty good Noel treat. Merry Christmas, and remember, kids, no snacks after midnight.

GREMLINS: The Best PG-13 Christmas Ever

2007-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

THE SANTA CLAUSE: How Did This Thing Get Two Sequels?

2007-12-22T21:41:00.001-08:00

By Sabrina Cognata

I haven’t seen this movie in a while, like what, since 1994 when I was 13-years-old. And if you’re wondering what a 13-year-old is doing watching a stupid movie like this, then you have never been 13 and stuck at the movie theater without a grownup in your entire life. So my little sister is like, “HEY, THIS MOVIE IS SILLY, REMEMBER SANTA IS ON SCOTT CALVIN’S (Tim Allen) ROOF AND FALLS OFF AND DIES!” Oh, that’s right, Scott Calvin! How could I forget?

So Scott Calvin goes outside and finds Santa’s corpse and a note that says PUT ON THE SUIT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY and he does. The thing he doesn’t know is once you put on the suit is that you agree to become Santa Claus. After putting on the Santa Suit, Scott and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) are transported by the reindeer to finish Santa’s toy route and then back to the North Pole. At the end of the day, the two go to bed and wake up at Scott’s house. Scott tells Charlie not to tell anyone about what happened because it was a delusion, but Charlie goes bananas and tells everyone, namely his mother, Laura (Wendy Crewson) and her shrink boyfriend, Neil (Judge Reinhold). Those two think that Scott is trying to feed their son some sort of insane unreality to put a wedge in the relationship between all the parents and Charlie.

Things worse as time goes on and Scott begins to fully transform into Santa with a huge gut, a white beard and the whole nine yards or rosy merriment. Everyone, Wendy, Neil and even Charlie’s teacher thinks that Scott’s lost his mind. Scott’s trying very hard to deny he’s transforming into Santa and the only person who believes in him is Charlie, especially when Scott doesn’t even believe himself. Neil and Wendy even go so far as to tell Charlie there is no such thing as Santa Claus in an attempt to stop what they consider to be Scott’s brain washing. They use this against Scott and get his visitation rights taken away. Gosh, this is such a stupid, boring review. I am going to kill myself.

Right before the next Christmas, Charlie’s faith in Scott being Santa Claus finally kicks in as Scott himself is prepared to fulfill the responsibilities of Old Saint Nick. Wendy and Neil still think he’s insane until he gives them the presents they always wanted as children, but never received. Santa dad wins everyone over and delivers the presents to children all over the world all in one night just like he’s suppose to and he also regains his rights as a parent because Wendy and Neil finally believe in him and Santa.