Television Movie

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:22:00 +0000

As might be expected of splitting the final Harry Potter novel into two films, "Deathly Hallows Part 2" feels like one giant, climactic conclusion. Yet the abundance of breathtaking action and epic drama creates a fitting end to the legacy that doesn't disappoint in building a sense of escalating excitement. Inevitably, the film falls short when it comes to elements that the book offers far more time to embellish, such as the impact of supporting characters' final confrontations and their poignant tragedies. The pacing does benefit from this necessary truncation, but those not exceedingly familiar with the Potter lore might find themselves pondering where they last saw several of the characters. These minor distractions aside, the boundless imagination and effective theatrics successfully play upon the emotions to result in a cathartic and triumphant finale for the epic journey.

Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has now acquired the powerful Elder Wand of the Deathly Hallows legend as Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) frantically search for the final few Horcruxes in an attempt to destroy the evil wizard. Their quest takes them from the treacherous vault of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) to Hogsmeade Village and back to Hogwarts School where they must make a desperate final stand against Voldemort and his massive army of Death Eaters.

It needs no introduction, and anyone unaware of what has happened in the first seven films has no excuses. To even watch a movie with the words "Part 2" in the title insists that prior knowledge and familiarity be obtained. It's no mystery that this is the close of a decade-spanning series and that it represents just the final chapters. This is partially why it succeeds over Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, which felt terribly fragmented - although it doesn't have a precise beginning, it definitely has an ending. And thankfully, for those who haven't read the novels, it's largely satisfactory. The showdowns, duels and monumental confrontations are expectedly prodigious, but it's the abundance of long-awaited answers revealed that really hits the spot.

The new locations are vast and mind-boggling, the sets beautifully decorated and detailed, and the creatures more impressively monstrous. Hulking trolls, an enormous scaly dragon and a fiery winged serpent are just a few of the mythical additions. Even the spells have become more creative and saturated with special effects, while the number of notions derived out of nowhere has decreased (there are undeniable comparisons to be made with The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars series, but it's difficult not to borrow from those franchises when dealing with fantasy - especially when it comes to silly names). But perhaps most welcome is the change in tone concerning Harry's ultimate rivalry - for the first time in several movies, he has competent allies beyond Ron and Hermione. Characters such as Neville Longbottom, Cho Chang, Professor McGonagall and Horace Slughorn have been absent for a while and finally show up to aid in their complex quest and defense of Hogwarts. "I'm afraid you really don't stand a chance," comments Ollivander early on, which follows the mood of the previous two films - but his statement is thrillingly proven erroneous by Harry Potter's later, pulse-pounding coup of the castle.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com

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The Best Movies With Truckers in Them

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:18:00 +0000

Lots of movies have put an emphasis on vehicles. Days of Thunder focused on race cars, the Fast and the Furious series has focused on cars used in illegal street racing, and Top Gun certainly gave us a nice look at some fighter jets. However, there have been, some would say, a surprising number of movies dealing with truckers. Maybe it's the mystique of the open road, the anonymity of CB handles, or just the idea of driving a vehicle that eats Miatas for breakfast, but people seem to enjoy trucker movies. Here are some of the best.

Smokey and the Bandit - 1977
How popular was this movie? The only film that made more money that year was Star Wars. Starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, Smokey and the Bandit is basically an hour-long, high-speed chase with a little bit of lead-in at the start to give you a reason for the chase. Gotta love a movie that doesn't try and skirt the issue of what's going to make it popular.

Convoy - 1978
A movie inspired by a song that was a gimmick about truck drivers from the very beginning. Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, and Ernest Borgnine star in this movie about a convoy of truckers fighting against and running from the law. With names like "Rubber Duck", "Spider Mike", "Widow Woman", and "Sneaky Snake" it's no surprise that the film was popular amongst those with an interest in truckers and CB culture.

Big Trouble in Little China - 1986
Starring a very young Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall, this movie about mixes martial arts and truckers into something that could have been overwhelming but is, quite frankly, very 1980s. While not focusing on trucks and trucking culture as much as other films, Kurt Russell's Jack character's truck comes into play often.

Breaker! Breaker! - 1977
It's a trucker movie featuring Chuck Norris. How is this not in every list of the top 100 movies of all time? Don't you know that Chuck Norris' truck has a grill that is really a fist? Exactly. One of the first films that made CB radio a central plot point, this movie mixed trucker culture with the Chuck Norris requirement that he roundhouse kick something.

Sorcerer - 1977
A role that was originally intended for Steve McQueen went to Rob Scheider and a movie about truckers carrying unstable explosives through Central America was born. A commercial failure, it still does a good job of focusing on the obstacles faced by some truckers, especially those that deal with shipping hazardous materials.

Joy Ride - 2001
Starring Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski, the film uses the CB radio as a method for a deranged trucker to harass the main characters after he feels they have made him the butt of a joke.

Black Dog - 1998
Patrick Swayze, Meat Loaf, and Randy Travis star in this movie about a truck driver that finds out he is moving illegal firearms and his attempts to get the weapons to the FBI while saving his wife and daughter.

They Drive By Night - 1940
A noir style film starring Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ann Sheridan, and Ida Lupino, the film focuses more on the interpersonal relationships, but uses the trucking as a backdrop for all of the conflict. Fortunately this film has Bogart so you know it can't be bad.

Over the Top - 1987
Only Stallone could combine long haul truck driving and professional arm wrestling into a film. To make extra money, trucker Lincoln Hawk (which may be the greatest non-porn name ever), engages in arm wrestling competitions and eventually wins back the love of his son and a new truck to begin his own trucking operation.

Steve Falco is a trucker that specializes in shipping hazardous materials and oversized loads. To learn more about shipping visit: OversizedShipping.com.

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Top Telugu Actors

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:17:00 +0000

The Telugu film industry, popularly known as 'Tollywood', is the third largest film industry in India. The Telugu film industry is still in its infancy when it comes to making and accepting realistic, contemporary, unconventional cinema. Traditionally, the Telugu audiences idolise their actors and like to watch them in larger-than-life roles. This article is about the four most popular, still reigning actors of Telugu cinema.

Chiranjeevi: This 'Megastar' of Telugu cinema had a modest beginning to his career in 1977, acting in villainous and supporting roles. He started playing leading roles in movies in 1982. Films like Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnyya, Khaidi, Abhilasha and Rudraveena earned him awards and accolates. Since then, there was no looking back. The 90's further established him as a top hero, with films like Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari, Gang Leader, Gharana Mogudu and Aapadbhandavudu, which won the hearts of class as well as mass audiences. After a few more super hit movies like Indra, Tagore and Shankar Dada Zindabad in the 2000's, Chiranjeevi is now focused on his political career. He started with an independent political party called Praja Rajyam (People's rule), which has now merged with the Congress party. He is also actively involved in social activities, running a blood bank named after the actor himself.

Chiranjeevi is the most popular actor of Telugu cinema till date, loved by Telugu audiences across the world for his versatility, dancing style and charisma.

Balakrishna: 'Yuvaratna' (young diamond) Balakrishna is the son of legendary Telugu actor and former chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N.T.Rama Rao. Following his father's footsteps, he entered the film industry as a child actor in the film 'Tatamma Kala' in 1974. He debuted as a main lead in the 1984 film 'Sahasame Jeevitham'. 'Mangamma Gari Manavadu', released the same year, was a roaring success at the box office. His popularity soared in the next few years with several hit movies like Muddula Mavayya, Nari Nari Naduma Murari, Lorry Driver, Rowdy Inspector and Aditya 369. The films had Balakrishna in various interesting roles that attracted class and mass audiences, and particularly, the youth. The 2000's saw Balakrisha acting in several factionist-backdrop movies like Chenna Kesava Reddy, Narasa Simha Reddy and Samara Simha Reddy. His latest super-hit movie was Simha in 2011. When we talk of Balakrisha, we can't forget his mythological and socio-fantasy based movies. Like his father, Balakrishna excels in such roles and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the only current hero who can do justice to them. Some of his note-worthy performances in such roles were in movies Bhairava Dweepam, Pandurangadu and Sri Krishnarjuna Vijayam. Another film 'Sri Rama Rajyam' based on lord Rama's life is currently in the post-production stage and is slated to be released in Aug, 2011. Balakrishna is also involved in social causes and runs the Basavatharakam Indo American Cancer hospital, which is a brain-child of his father and named after his mother.

Nagarjuna: Widely regarded as one of the most stylish actors of Tollywood, Nagarjuna entered filmdom with high expectations. His father is Akkineni Nageswar Rao, one of the legendary actors of Telugu Cinema. He is one of the few heroes in Tollywood who excels in romatic roles. Though his first film was 'Sudigundalu' (1967) when he was just 8 years old, his debut film as a hero was Vikram in 1986. Two movies of Nagarjuna released in 1987, Geetanjali and Shiva, not only got him commercial successes, but also critical acclaim, and they remain among Nagarjuna's best movies till date. In the 90's, Nagarjuna acted in several hit movies like Killer, Varasudu, President Gari Pellam, Hello Brother, Criminal and Gharana Bullodu. The roles he played in these movies were a mix of sophisticated, urbane characters and rural, mass characters, and he did justice to both types of roles alike. In 1996, Nagarjuna produced and starred, along with Tabu, in 'Ninne Pelladutha', which is ones of the best Telugu romantic movies ever made. Among his other light-hearted, romantic entertainers are Santhosham and Manmadhudu. In the movies Annamayya and Sri Ramadasu, the audiences got to see a different side of Nagarjuna's acting talent. He played the role of an ardent devotee in both the movies, and proved that he is also capable excelling in a genre his father was well-known for. With a, charming personality and unmatched style, Nagarjuna has kept the Telugu audiences captivated for over two decades now. Nagarjuna's son Naga Chaitanya has also entered the Telugu film industry and is doing well, with a recent hit 'Ay Maya Chesave'. Nagarjuna is the co-founder of the Blue Cross of Hyderabad, which is an animal welfare organization run by his wife Amala.

Venkatesh: 'Victory' Venkatesh, as he is popularly known, is the son of famous producer D.Ramanaidu. Venkatesh debuted in the movie 'Kaliyuga Pandavulu' in 1986. He then acted in the movie Swarnakamalam, which is among the best Telugu movies ever made. Starting with this movie, Venkatesh has always made an effort to act in meaningful cinema. However, he also acted in some mass movies, which gained him a fan following in mass as well as class audiences. The 90's saw some interesting movies like Bobbili Raja, Kshana Kshanam, Chanti, China Rayudu, Dharma Chakram, Preminchukundam Raa, Premante Idera. Some of these were romantic entertainers, some socio-fantasies, while others were set in a rural backdrop. This versatility makes Venkatesh stand out among his contemporaries and the audiences have come to expect something good and different from his each time. One other specialist of Venkatesh's movies is the scope they give for female actors to perform at par with the hero of the film. Examples of such movies include Malleeswari, Adavari Maatalu Arthale Verule and Nagavalli. Venkatesh keeps a low profile and avoids media attention except for his movies. So not much is known about his other activities.

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All Good Things

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:40:00 +0000

When I first heard that Ryan Gosling pulls Kirsten Dunst out of a room by her hair, I was intrigued. It is nothing against Kirsten- it just sounded unusual. Then with a little investigating, I found out that the movie was All Good Things, which is based on the real-life mystery of a missing woman. It sounded like it might be a good, dark mystery/thriller/drama type of movie. So I went to the local Blockbuster, rented it on Blu-ray and was quite pleased with my choice.

David Marks (Ryan Gosling) is the oldest son of wealthy proprietor Sanford Marks (Frank Langella), who owns real estate in the New York area, and has some shifty business relations. Sanford wants David to eventually take over the family business, but David isn't interested. At his father's request, David goes to check on an apartment complex and that is where he meets Katie McCarthy (Kirsten Dunst).

They marry, move to Vermont, and open an all-natural supply store. On a visit to the shop, Sanford guilt-trips David into moving back to the city and working for him, claiming that Katie should be offered a better sort of life. David agrees to his father's suggestion, but then his behavior starts to change. Katie hears him talking furiously to himself. He starts to have violent outbursts. She is concerned and discovers that when David was a child, he saw his mother jump to her death.

When Katie gets pregnant, David forces her to have an abortion. On the way to the clinic, David abandons her to take care of some business at his father's request. After this, Katie and David start to drift apart. She moves into their country house and he stays in the city. She goes to medical school and he moves up the corporate ladder. Katie eventually asks for a divorce, but David won't let that happen- he still loves her. So she must find a way to convince her husband to give her a divorce. She is aware that her father-in-law's business practice is not on the up and up and chooses to use that information to blackmail the family into letting her go. It doesn't go as she had planned. Shortly after, Katie goes missing. Then the movie starts to get crazy, but crazy in a good and captivating way.

After watching the film, I couldn't resist the urge to search the internet for more details. There is some speculation about exactly what happened because Katie has never been found. One of the extras on the Blu-ray is interviews with the victim's family and their insight into the events. It is kind of interesting, but it is a shorter synopsis of what happens in the film. The movie is a little slow in the beginning, but once Katie disappears it just becomes a rollercoaster of insanity and dementedness. I was left feeling dumbstruck and astounded even with the speculation aside. It is a little creepy to think that this guy is still out there, living what I suppose is a "normal" life. You've got to watch All Good Things.

If you want more great reviews, visit www.slackers.com!

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The Most Popular Doctor Seuss Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:38:00 +0000

Doctor Seuss is such a famous writer that it would be difficult to pick out his most popular books. He has published a total of 46 books, all of which entice generation after generation of children.

Preferences are something individual and each person has a favorite Doctor Seuss story. This article lists some of the most popular books by the author that have affected literature and have made a long-lasting impression.

The Cat in the Hat
This is the first Doctor Seuss book that introduced the character of The Cat. Children love The Cat, its fun tricks and the overall atmosphere that this fun protagonist manages to create. The Cat is mostly recognized for the exceptionally tall hat that features red and white stripe decorations.

The book was published in 1957 and is a children's classic till present day. On a rainy day, a brother and a sister get introduced to The Cat, who tries to amuse the little ones while their mom is away.

Unsurprisingly, more than 11 million copies of this Doctor Seuss story have been sold.

Horton Hears a Who
Horton Hears a Who was published back in 1954 and is the second Dr Seuss book to have the cute elephant as its protagonist.

The plot tells the story of the elephant Horton who one day hears speech from a spec of dust. This spec of dust happens to be a microscopic planet inhabited by little Whos. A cartoon based on the book was recently created.

One of the most important phrases from the book is "A person's a person, no matter how small."

Green Eggs and Ham
This happens to be the best-selling Dr Seuss book. Green Eggs and Ham was published in August 1960.

Two characters have a dialogue and this is how the entire book unfolds. It contains no narrative. A character named Sam tries to convince another character that lacks a name to try a meal consisting of green eggs and ham.

Green Eggs and Ham is suitable for very young children, since the book contains simple words. This is the fourth best-selling children's book of all time and it certainly will be an amazing baby shower gift.

The Lorax
The Lorax came into existence in 1971. The originality of the characters is one aspect that makes the book unique and typical for Dr Seuss.

This book speaks about nature, its abundance and diversity. A movie was created following the book's plot. The Lorax lead to some controversy since a number of people consider it to be unfairly critical of the logging industry.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is so popular that the book needs no detailed introduction. Audiences across the globe love the story and it is equally attractive to both children and grownups.

Dr Seuss himself created the original book illustrations. How the Grinch Stole Christmas was published in 1957.

The Grinch is a very angry and bitter character. This character does everything possible to spoil everyone's fun by stealing Christmas gifts and meals. Yet, Christmas comes and the Grinch learns that the holiday is more than mere objects.

Criss White writes about babies and party topics and is a fan of Dr Seuss. To get some planning tips for a dr seuss baby shower and ideas for dr seuss baby shower games, visit Criss's website.

Note: You can reprint this article in your ezine, blog, or website as long as the credits remain intact and hyperlinks remain active and dofollow.

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INSIDE -- Official Movie Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:34:00 +0000

Inside (À l'intérieur) is a 2007 French horror film directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, starring Alysson Paradis and Béatrice Dalle. It was written by co-director Alexandre Bustillo, and is the first film from either director. It concerns the attack and home-invasion of a young pregnant woman by a mysterious stranger who seeks to take her unborn baby.

Harry Potter : The Deathly Hallows Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:32:00 +0000

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final of the Harry Potter novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The book was released on 21 July 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books, ending the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in January 2007. Before its release, Bloomsbury reportedly spent GB£10 million to keep the book's contents safe before its release date. American publisher Arthur Levine refused any copies of the novel to be released in advance for press review, although two reviews were submitted early. Shortly before release, photos of all 759 pages of the U.S. edition were leaked and transcribed, leading Scholastic to look for the source that had leaked it.

Released globally in 93 countries, Deathly Hallows broke sales records as the fastest-selling book ever. It sold 15 million copies in the first 24 hours following its release, including more than 11 million in the U.S. and UK alone. The previous record, 9 million in its first day, had been held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The novel has also been translated into over 120 languages, including Ukrainian, Swedish, and Hindi.

Major themes in the novel are death and living in a corrupted society, and critics have compared them to Christian allegories. Generally well-received, the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award, and the American Library Association named it a "Best Book for Young Adults". A two-part film based on the book began showing in November 2010, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 was released; Part 2 was released on 15 July 2011.

5 Great Foreign Films You Should Really See

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:24:00 +0000

I enjoy watching foreign films greatly and have started watching much more of them lately. They are often much harder to find here in the states and not enough people know about them. Foreign Films offer a great chance to get a small glimpse into the lives of various cultures and people around the world, and to see how different life is and the beauty that is present in all the various cultures. Here are five really great foreign language films that I would recommend everyone see sometime in their lives. This is a small selection of some of my favorites; however there are many many more great ones, some of which I likely will discuss in the future. I also must recommend that all these films be watched in their original languages with subtitles, as dubs will often ruin the movie and will not do it justice... well at least for me.

Amores Perros:

This is a great movie by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu. This movie was his directorial debut; and he also directed the more well-known movie Babel, which is also a great film. Amores Perros is my favorite film by him though and it also holds a very high place on my list of all-time favorite movies. This is a multiple-storyline movie like most of his others, which follows different characters and focuses on the lives of several different people living in Mexico, and the troubles that they go through. It is a very powerful and emotionally charged film that will make you think and really shows how intense and difficult life can be for different people. This film is graphic in some scenes and also involves dog-fighting to a fairly high extent in the plot, though not too much is shown in the film. I highly recommend you see this movie though, it is just an amazingly well done movie in most all respects.

Departures: (Okuribito)

This is a great Japanese movie by director Yjir Takitaabout an unemployed cellist who must take a job as a Nokanshi (encoffineer), someone who performs funeral rites and prepares the dead to be buried and continue their journey onward to the next life. It is a very beautiful film and its focus and portrayal of the theme of death is done in a very toching and beautiful way. We see the struggles an ordinary man goes through after taking up a job such as this, one that is often shunned by society, as the people around him slowly start to accept his new profession. This movie tackles the tough theme of death in an amazing way and is very powerful, showing the great beauty in cultural rituals such as this.

Sin Nombre:

Sin Nombre is a wonderful movie by Cary Fukunaga. It follows the life of a Honduran teenager as she tries to make it across South America to the United States with her family to start a new life. This journey will not be an easy one and they experience many troubles along the way. The director went to great lengths to make this movie as realistic and eye-opening as possible, spending much time in the region doing research on what life was like. We see how harsh life can really be in these places, and there are many powerful scenes such as the trips riding on the top of trains and scenes involving gang violence and child gang members. The movie culminates with a very powerful ending which leaves everyone we meet in the movie deeply and everlastingly affected.

Oldboy: (Oldeuboi)

Oldboy is a wonderful South Korean film by director Chan-wook Park. There are many great films coming out of Korea and Chan-wook Park has many others that are very good including the Vengeance Trilogy. Oldboy is a revenge flick like many of his other movies and is probably my all-time favorite movie in the revenge genre. It is a story about a guy who is imprisoned mysteriously against his will for 15 years, and now must deal with a completely different life when released, after no longer having anything and being deeply affected by this ordeal. He now must track down the person who did this to him and learn the reasoning behind it. This movie really makes you think and I would describe it as a psychological thriller/mystery. I highly recommend you see this movie and also check out many of the other great films coming of Korea.

The Motorcycle Diaries:

The Motorcycle Diaries is a very powerful movie by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles. It is based on a true story in which Che Guevara and his friend, a doctor and biochemist, go on a motorcycle road trip across South America attempting to see the rest of the continent they live on and help people when they can. On the way they discover many things about life and who they are, and their characters experience deep changes. They encounter many difficulties along the way, including their motorcycle breaking down, and they see firsthand the trouble many people of their country and continent go through. They spend a great deal of time at a leper colony, and this is where the most powerful transformations for the young men take place. This is a very wonderful movie about self-discovery and realization, in discovering your place in the world and what you were meant to do.

Garret Bohl is a writer and digital artist among many other things, visit his website at http://www.garretbohl.com.

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Is Internet TV for You?

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:22:00 +0000

This largely depends on how you define Internet TV. In its simplest form it is exactly that - TV broadcasted (or streamed) over the internet. The biggest difference between regular TV and Internet TV is the ability to watch it live. With regular TV you have the choice of watching a program when it first airs (live) or at a later date via a PVR or video-on-demand function. However, with TV over the internet you rarely are able to watch a program when it initially airs.

Most Internet TV is usually shown as re-runs or what is referred to as catch up TV. Many networks will make available on the internet certain programs after they initially aired to allow their audiences to catch-up on their favourite shows that they missed - hence the term catch up TV. A common practice among many television networks is to release shows online from the previous week after they have aired. In most cases you will find these videos on the network's own website, in video-on-demand form, for anyone to stream and watch at their leisure. Many networks will offer these types of programs for free. However, these videos are not available forever. When newer videos are made available usually some older videos are removed. Of course each network decides on the availability of its own videos. Also, videos may not be available outside of the network's country. For example, Most NBC videos can only be viewed from within the United States.

The most important factor in determining if Internet TV is for you is how important live television is to you. If you can wait a few days or a week to see your favourite show there is a good chance that you can watch it online and for free and most likely in high-definition. If this is the case than Internet TV is for you. However, if you are the type of person who has been waiting all week to watch your favourite show than It is probably not for you. And if you like to watch sports than Internet TV is probably not for you as live sporting events are still very rare on the internet (unless you have a paid subscription that allows you to watch certain sports online).

At the very least watching TV over the internet is great for catching up on programs you were not able to watch. Plus, many people find catch up TV streamed over the internet a good option at places where they don't have access to their televisions, such as their workplace (while on break of course).

For those of you in the United States there are many great Internet TV options such as Hulu, Fancast, or Clicker. However, for Canadians the Internet TV resources are less developed. A comprehensive list of networks offering Free Internet TV in Canada can be found at http://www.freeinternettvcanada.ca.

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Top TV and Movie Sidekicks of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:21:00 +0000

They add so much but never get nearly as much if any of the glory. Sidekicks don't necessarily like the term, "sidekick", but they really know what they are: the person behind the hero. They're not so much a love interest as usually a friend. Here are the brightest, the best, the coolest sidekicks behind the coolest heroes of all time. Lots of people like to do top ten lists and that's cool, but I'm going with fifteen this time.
15. Xander Harris from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Xander Harris is often the source of humor for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has a heart of gold and when it really comes down to it, he will do anything he's capable of to protect the innocent and his friends from the forces of evil. He often comes up short in a physical fight, but more than makes up for it with his ongoing support and fierce loyalty. There are many sidekicks that are bigger, stronger and more powerful than Xander, but he beats them out with his willpower and heart alone. Xander lost his eye for the good fight and continues to fight evil.

14. Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski
Walter is another sidekick that doesn't necessarily have the goods when it comes to practical support. He makes a lot of mistakes and could possibly benefit from listening to The Dude a little bit. Walter is willing to do what he needs to do to help out. He is another sidekick who has an unquestionable loyalty to his friends. His experience in Vietnam is a constant source of inspiration for his actions in the present. The Dude could probably do better with a more stable sidekick but in the end, he wouldn't trade Walter for anyone. Walter jumped out of a speeding car on a bridge to help out The Dude.

13. Woodstock from Peanuts
I could have gone with Snoopy here as a great sidekick to Charlie Brown, but Snoopy seemed to be more of his own man than a sidekick. He always has Woodstock at his side to try to talk sense into him. While, no one knows exactly what Woodstock says, it's obvious whether Woodstock is trying to cheer Snoopy up, calm him down or chastise him for his mistakes. No other dog has a more loyal sidekick than Snoopy. Woodstock didn't even have a name for more than three years after appearing in the comic strip when Charles Schulz named him after the Music Festival. Woodstock has been a wrist wrestling partner, a mechanic, a secretary, a golfing partner and buddy to Snoopy.

12. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from Angel
Wesley walked a hard road to get where he was meant to be. He had many failures and had to adapt his entire life to be the greatest asset to Angel. As a watcher, he was inept and lost control of two Slayers (Faith and Buffy) in Sunnydale before getting fired from the watchers council. He made his way to L.A. and Angel Investigations, where he eventually redefined himself as a versatile warrior, as well as extending his already amazing knowledge of the supernatural. Wesley actually betrays Angel at one point to protect Angel's son from Angel himself. This action opens a huge rift between Angel and Wesley but Angel eventually comes to understand why Wesley did it. Wesley fought to his death against evil, although he is brought back as a spirit. Wesley made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for Angel.

11. Sallah from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones would not have made it out alive through Raiders of the Lost Ark without his good friend, Sallah. In Raiders, Indy tosses a date up to catch in his mouth but Sallah sees the dead monkey who had been eating them and quickly catches it before it reaches Indy's mouth. Sallah is a large boisterous Egyptian excavator. He's a family man with a wife and many, many children (who also saved Indy's life by surrounding him while Nazis were drawing down on him). He likes to sing when he's happy and he has a great sense of humor. The Indiana Jones movies would not have been the same without him. He helps Indy figure out the meaning behind the medallion, follows Indy into the Well of the Souls crawling with Snakes and gets Marion and Indy a boat ride with the Ark towards England. Sallah is the one who asks the question that causes Indy's dad to reveal his real name is Henry Jones Jr. and the dog was named Indiana.

10. Sgt. Al Powell from Die Hard
Al was the only friendly contact John McClane had in Die Hard. He really didn't appear to be in great physical condition, but that didn't matter. The guy stayed on the line, risking his job for McClane through the entire movie while insulting and fighting off his superiors to support him. The guy did get his cruiser obliterated by gunfire as well as by trying to avoid the gunfire while driving at high speeds in reverse through multiple levels of a parking lot. He also ends up saving John's life by shooting Karl while Karl is trying to shoot John. He makes a quick appearance in Die Hard 2 from across the country to help out McClane again.

9. Ed from Shaun of the Dead
Ed is the perfect sidekick to Shaun during the zombie apocalypse. He provides combat assistance, bumbling advice, comic relief and the perfect amount of video game playing. He is obviously not the perfect roommate but during undead infestations, it doesn't matter. He kind of gives away their location to the zombies on occasion but he more than makes up for it with his loyalty to Shaun. He makes the ultimate sacrifice by fending off the zombies while Shaun and his girlfriend escape. Ed is so loyal to Shaun that he stays in the shed and plays video games after his conversion to a zombie. How much more loyal can you be?

8. K9 from Doctor Who
K9 was actually a series of robot dogs but I had to include him here as he was on my Christmas list for years. You would have to be crazy to not want a K-9 for yourself. He takes man's best friend to a new level. He had his drawbacks like not being able to go up stairs but the laser in his nose helped the Doctor out of many dire situations. His advanced knowledge was extremely helpful on occasion as well. The K9 units were completely loyal to Doctor Who but three of them went on to accompany the Doctor's companions. Leela, Sarah Jane and Romana all were given a K9 unit to serve and protect them. I would still love a K9 unit if anyone wants to part with one.

7. Fritz from Frankenstein
Fritz is one of the earliest perfectly loyal sidekicks. Who is Fritz, you ask? He's the guy that many people mistakenly call Igor. The hunchbacked servant to Dr. Frankenstein is named Fritz in the 1931 film version of Frankenstein (which happens to be one of the best Universal horror movies from that time, as well as one of the best all-time films as well). Frankenstein seems to have a lot of name confusion as a lot of people seem to think that the monster's name is Frankenstein instead of the doctor. Heck, I called the monster Frankenstein many times by mistake. Fritz was willing to commit any crime for Dr. Frankenstein. He regularly robbed graves, stole brains and did whatever else was needed. Fritz helped create a tradition of mad scientists hiring (or enslaving) strange men to do their bidding often having a hunchback. Fritz was trying to scare Frankenstein's monster with a torch and whip and was paid the ultimate price during his service as a sidekick to the mad doctor.

6. Chewbacca from Star Wars
There doesn't seem like there could be a Han Solo without a Chewbacca. These two are a team unlike any other. Chewbacca has a growl and howl like no other. Maybe, we can't understand anything that Chewbacca says but we feel him. He has a fierce loyalty to Solo as Han once saved Chewie from being executed and they became smugglers together. Chewie always has Han's back like any great sidekick would.

5. Sheriff Harry Truman from Twin Peaks
Some of the sidekicks on this list are almost a shame to call sidekicks as they are close to being equals to their hero. Sheriff Harry Truman of Twin Peaks is a great man and a great lawman, but he is often confused and left behind Special Agent Dale Cooper. Cooper uses investigative techniques that leave Harry in the dust but Harry keeps moving, chasing after Cooper like a loyal hound. The investigative team searching for Laura Palmer's killer are one of the best in film and television history. I can't express the respect I have for this duo. FBI agents often get interference from local law enforcement but from the moment these two met, Harry threw his entire office's support right behind Cooper. The two seemed to become great friends as well as the perfect match of teammates.

4. Al from Quantum Leap
Al has a joke for every occasion but deep down he always worried and concerned about Sam's well-being and the possibility of getting him home. Sam and Al were a team that never lost. There's no way Sam could have done it alone. Sam worked day and night exhaustively trying to support Sam with his missions. The bond between these two is so strong, I don't think either of them could have existed without the other. Al would have done anything for Sam.

3. Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Some people feel Short Round was nothing more than comedy relief. These people don't know. They don't know at all. Short Round was a get-away driver like none. He had blocks on feet to be able to drive. If Short Round wasn't around during Temple of Doom, Willie Scott would have ruined the movie. Short Round saved that movie. Short Round saved Indiana's life several times during Temple. Short Round was also the one responsible for snapping Indy out of Mola Ram's spell. For a kid his age, he's the youngest on this list but greatly deserves his spot here for his loyalty.

2. Sarah Jane Smith from Doctor Who
Sarah Jane was the only companion to work alongside the third, fourth, fifth and tenth incarnation of the doctor. She was an investigative journalist with the guts to travel through time and space. Doctor Who has traveled to places and times, met heroes and villains, worked alongside artists and scientist that would literally blow our minds. Still, he loses his breath and thoughts when he bumps into Sarah Jane Smith. Elisabeth Sladen recently passed away and that broke my heart. Not just my heart as it is today, but my childhood heart. The heart that holds all the emotions from when I was growing up. Sladen and Tom Baker were my favorite Doctor/companion team. I'd like to say that Sladen's recent passing didn't affect my judgement of her in respect to this list. I thought way harder on this than I should have and decided that Sarah Jane deserved to have this spot by all means. New appearances of Sarah Jane will be missed but she will continue to be one of the best sidekicks of all time.

1. Watson from Sherlock Holmes
This is a no-brainer. What's the first sidekick you think of? Who is listed in the dictionary under sidekick? There is a huge belief that Holmes should have been the sidekick to Watson. I find that debate to be very interesting. Watson may have been the master to Holmes sidekick but he cared for Holmes too much to even bring up that issue. He could have been world famous as a master detective and he traded that to be Holmes sidekick. That is loyalty. That is why Watson is number one.

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The Legend of Bruce Lee: His Life and Times

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:17:00 +0000

The legend of Bruce Lee is one of the more unique tales of Hollywood success. What makes Bruce Lee's achievements so successful is the fact that he truly did overcome all manner of adversities and obstacles to achieve stardom that was seemingly elusive to him. As a martial arts instructor to the stars, one of Lee's most famous clients was Steve McQueen. McQueen was a major international star coming off the success of BULLITT and during a training session with Bruce Lee, Lee asked McQueen if he would help open a door in Hollywood. McQueen arrogantly said no and did so in a dismissive manner. Essentially, McQueen said "Why should I let you ride my coattails?"
Most people would have been broken down and dejected over the apparent dismissive betrayal but Lee let it be known he would not be deterred. He mentioned to others he would be a much bigger star than McQueen ever was.
Today, both men have passed on and the legend of Bruce Lee has far overshadowed the somewhat forgotten career of Steve McQueen.
The life and career of Bruce Lee truly took off when the film ENTER THE DRAGON earned over $10 million in one month - a staggering sum in 1973. The film made Lee a massive worldwide star and, along with Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery, he was considered one of the founding fathers of the modern action film genre.
Sadly, this success was posthumous. Lee had passed just prior to the release of ENTER THE DRAGON. Films that he had made in Hong Kong in 1971 and 1972 would be released after the US premiere of ENTER THE DRAGON. The double feature of FISTS OF FURY and THE CHINESE CONNECTION would earn over $50 million in North America and Europe.
Yes, Bruce Lee was a massive box office draw because there simply was no one else in the movie industry quite like him. He was a superhero come to life which helped ENTER THE DRAGON draw in huge audiences of kids on matinee showings. This was ironic considering the film carried an R Rating at the time.
Through the lens of history, many will have a tough time believing that Bruce Lee ever had a difficult time in becoming such a star considering all his talents. The truth of the matter is Hollywood was leery of putting an Asian actor in a lead role. This is why he was turned down for the David Carradine role in the television series KUNG FU. Warner Bros. television did not think an Asian star would be accepted in a lead role in American television.
Bruce Lee proved his critics wrong and did so ever since his youth.
Lee was a notoriously hyperactive child who was considered "incorrigibly bad" and prone to fighting. His father felt that enrolling him in martial arts lessons would be good for him. Lee immersed himself in the study of Wing Chun southern kung fu at Yip Man's kwoon (school) in Hong Kong. Apparently this calmed him down somewhat that he was disciplined enough to work as a child actor in Hong Kong films. Certainly, this is where the seeds of being a movie star blossomed.
Highly inquisitive, Bruce Lee studied as much as he could about various forms of Chinese martial arts until coming to America in 1959.
Lee moved to Seattle where he began to teach kung fu to non-Chinese students...something that did not sit well with most masters. Eventually, Lee moved to Oakland where the legend of Bruce Lee took another turn. He was challenged by a fellow kung fu practitioner due to Lee's teaching non-Chinese kung fu. Lee won the fight but felt it took too long and that he was too winded in the aftermath. This led to him developing a new martial arts approach dubbed Jeet Kune Do, The Way of the Intercepting Fist. This new method eschewed the traditional concept of learning a martial arts style and, instead, combined kung fu, boxing, and fencing to establish a much more organic and fluid form of personal combat. Such a fluid nature not only made for a quality self-defense system; it also helped form the basis for a uniquely appealing theatrical style that was developed for demonstrations and films.
Bruce Lee eventually got bit by the acting bug once again and that led to his landing the role of Kato in the Green Hornet series. The success of the Green Hornet in syndication in Hong Kong eventually led to a movie deal overseas which eventually led to the green light for Enter the Dragon in the US.
Sadly, Bruce Lee would die at the age of 33 after a severe allergic reaction to a prescription led to cerebral swelling. As he passed on from this world, he would enter the annals of pop culture history due to his amazing success in life.

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The Due and (Undue

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:11:00 +0000

Due Date Story

Proud daddy to be Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) bumps into Ethan Tremblay (Zack Galifianakis) at the airport and his life changes forever. Overgrown teenager Tremblay is a wannabe actor who is on his way to 'Hollywood' to act in Two and a Half Men. Highman, who accidentally switches bags with Tremblay, gets into an argument with him and is immediately put on a "no-fly" list. A wallet and luggage less Highman is forced to undertake a road trip across America with Tremblay, who gets kicked out as he is Highman's "friend".
Once on the road things go from bad to worse for Highman as he comes to terms with Tremblay's pretty much nonexistent intelligence. The highly incompatible pairing of Galifianakis and Downey Jr. is what makes Due Date tick. While Galifianakis is funny, his Brando's Godfather imitation is hilarious, its Downey Jr. deadpan reaction that makes Galifianakis funnier. The chalk and cheese duo have excellent chemistry and the scenes where Downey Jr. unwillingly becomes the missing father figure- asking him whether he made a trip to the restroom- are really funny. Also the cameos by Juliette Lewis and Jamie Foxx keep things interesting.

For the fans of Hangover, Due Date is known turf and you go in prepared but for the first timers this Todd Phillips offering might come as a rude shock. The presence of Robert Downey Jr. might work as the safety net but be warned that there's a lot in the film that is almost discomforting. Downey Jr. gets beaten by a paraplegic war veteran, Galifianakis and his dog masturbate at the same time, Downey Jr. spits right in the face of the French bulldog and what have you. This isn't highbrow comedy for sure but for a better part it's utter nonsen** that is played out with conviction befitting any Shakespearian tragedy.

Final Words

Towing the fine line between humor and sheer uneasiness, Due Date is almost like a modern day version of the 1987 Steven Martin-John Candy classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Keeping the cast in mind both Galifianakis and Downey Jr. could have made Due Date much funnier than the buffoonery it ends up being. Like someone mentioned Due Date isn't Hangover but a pretty decent leftover. Whatever it might or might not be, the film is fun and surely worth a few laughs.

Due Date Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis

Screenplay by: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel and Todd Phillips

Directed by: Todd Phillips

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Film Review - Delhi Belly The Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:06:00 +0000

The Review:
Delhi Belly revolves around Three room-mates, Tashi Dorjee Lhatoo (Imran Khan), Nitin Berry (Kunaal Roy Kapur) and Arup (Vir Das) leading an unkempt and debt-ridden life. Delhi belly has been in news as it is full of adult language, catchy songs and unconventional sex shows. There are sparks of humour and vulger scences throughout the film and this is what makes it a worth watch. I bet that you will not face any boredom while watching this movie.
The film start's with Sonia's arrival into the city where she meets Vladimir Dragonsky and agrees to deliver a packet on behalf of him to the address mentioned by him. Sonia hands over the packet to Tashi who in turn asks Arup to deliver it for him. Arup then hands the packet to Nitin for delivery, But Nitin forgets to do so as he is experiencing 'Delhi Belly' ( stomach issues).
Thus the Package keeps floating around and is finally handed to the recipient, a gangster named Somayajulu by Arup. Apart from the package, Arup also has to deliver another package which contains Nitin's stool sample to Nitin's Doctor. He mixes up the two which makes Somayajulu furious and he starts the investigation by interrogating Vladimir. The film revolves around the chaos created by the interchanging of the packets.
In the meanwhile, Tashi gets attracted towards menaka, a journalist and has to incur the wrath of her ex-husband Rajiv. He starts comtemplating whether he really wants to marry sonia. Here, Vladimir informs Somayajulu that the mix-up must have been caused by Sonia as she didn't know what she was carrying in the package. Somayajulu then calls sonia and tells her about the mix-up of the packets and also asks her to give the address of the person who was to deliver the packets. Somayajulu then goes to the address and finds Arup and makes him stand on the stool whilst his neck is tied with a tie to the ceiling. Tashi arrives at the apartment in the meanwhile to find Arup being tied to the ceiling. On interrogating Tashi, Somayajulu discovers the location of his packets.
Nitin gets the packets from the doctor's clinic and Somayajulu snatches it from him to examine the 30 diamonds which are ought to be there in the packet. After finding them safe, he orders his men to kill all the three friends, Tashi, Arup and Nitin. In the meanwhile, the ceiling to which Arup is tied falls down and injures Somayajulu and his men. Tashi, Arup and nitin escape them along with the diamonds and celebrate their good fortune. They sell the diamonds to a local jewellery shop owner the very next day. But to their dismay and bad luck, Somayajulu kidnaps Sonia and threatens to kill her if they do not hand over the diamonds to him. The trio, feeling disgusted, goes to get the diamonds from the jewellery shop owner, only to be told that they will have to pay him double.
The trio starts worrying when tashi comes up with a plan. Nitin, Arup, Tashi and Menaka disguise themselves in burqa and go to the jewellery shop. They con the owner, take back their diamonds and return his money. Then they go to the hotel where somayajulu has held Sonia. In the meanwhile police also reach there following tashi's car as they chase him for robbing the jewellery store. The trio hands over the diamonds to Somayajulu and tell him to leave sonia. Police enters the room by then and firing takes place in which only Tashi, Nitin, Arup and sonia survive. Tashi then chooses Menaka over Sonia but Menaka refuses to go with him. Later, When Menaka comes over to Tashi's place to hand over his belongings, Tashi jumps over her car in through the open Window and Kisses her hard.
Cast of the film:-
Imran Khan as Tashi Dorji Lhatoo.
Kunal Kapur Roy as Nitin Berry.
Vir Das as Arup.
Poorna Jagganathan as Menaka.
Shenaz Treasurywala as Sonia.
Vijay Raj as Somayajulu.
Kim Bodnia as Vladamir Dragunsky.
Aamir Khan in an Item song ("I hate you, like I love you").
Anushka Dandekar In a Special appearance.

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Nanny McPhee Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Sequels are rarely as good as the first film, but Nanny McPhee Returns surprised me. If you are unfamiliar with Nanny McPhee then you might want to think of Disney's Mary Poppins. Nanny McPhee shows up when a family is in great need of her assistance, just like Mary Poppins. She is a disciplinarian with children and adults, just like Mary Poppins. She has lessons to teach, and when they are complete and balance has been restored to the household she must leave, also just like Mary Poppins. One of the main differences between the two characters is that Mary has a level of vanity and a certain attractiveness that Nanny McPhee does not possess (or at least not at first).
The film starts out with Mrs. Isabel Green narrating about her farm, which is both lovely and very dear to her heart. As we zoom in for a closer look, we meet her three children: Norman, Magsie, and Vincent. Mr. Green has been called away to war and has been absent for some time. The Green family is coping with his absence - or so Mrs. Green tries to tell herself. The children are screaming and fighting with one another while their mother is screaming at them to stop screaming.
The Green family will soon have guests staying with them for an unknown amount of time. Their cousins Cyril and Celia, who are about Norman and Magsie's ages, are from the city and have been sent to stay with their aunt due to bomb scares in London. All of the children will need to get the farm tidy and attend to the piglets that are going to be sold to Farmer Macreadie. Mrs. Green has had difficulty making ends meet with Mr. Green gone and the sale of the piglets will allow them to make a payment on the tractor so that they can harvest the barley to sell. All of this sounds like the perfect plan.
As Mrs. Green is on her way to work, her brother-in-law, Phil, approaches her with the plea to sign over her half of the farm to him. He implores her that the farm is too much to handle. Little does she know that Phil has gambled away the entire farm. He is desperate to get the farm before bill collectors Miss Topsey and Miss Turvey remove his kidneys. Mrs. Green has no intentions of selling her share of the farm. Phil, who is very attached to his kidneys, discovers the family's plan to sell the piglets and devises a plan to leave Isabel with no choice but to sell her half. He plans to return later than evening and dig a hole under the side of the barn where the piglets sleep and lure them out into the field to roam free.
Meanwhile, the children are trying to complete their chores and tidy up things for their cousins who are to arrive the following day. The cousins however arrive a day early and are not pleased to be in, "The Land of Poo." The Green children are in turn not pleased to have such mean, disrespectful and ungrateful houseguests. The bitterness between the two sets of kids leads to threats, chases, hitting and all other sorts of childlike violence. When Mrs. Green gets home from an exhausting day at work, she discovers that her niece and nephew have arrived early and are quarreling fiercely with her children.
Mrs. Green is stressed, tired and is about to break down into hysterics when there is a knock at the door. Standing on the stoop is an old, heavyset woman dressed completely in black with a black-feathered hat on top of a mass of dry coarse hair. She has a protruding front tooth, two large hairy moles, one on her chin and the other under her nose. Her brows start at each corner of her face and meet in the middle to create one long, bushy eyebrow. She introduces herself as Nanny McPhee and has been deployed by the army to assist the family. Mrs. Green is reluctant at first, but Nanny McPhee assures her all will be well.
Nanny enters the parlor where the combative youngsters have moved their fight and she closes the door behind her. Standing tall and speaking in a firm voice, she tells them to stop fighting and to go to bed. The children ignore her. Nanny McPhee slowly pulls her hand out from underneath her long black coat to reveal a large knobby walking cane. She firmly strikes it against the floor and sparks fly. Suddenly, if by magic, the children stop fighting with one another. They are now battling themselves. Celia is pulling her own hair, Magsie is striking her face to the floor and then pulling her face up by her hair, Cyril is putting himself in a headlock, Norman is poking himself in the eye and poor Vincent is striking all the best china with a club. They plead with Nanny McPhee to make it stop and she will, on one condition: they must apologize for hurting each other and stop fighting. They refuse and continue to beat themselves up. After a bit more of self-inflicted suffering they concede. She strikes her cane once more to the floor and the self-torture stops.
The children calmly walk up to bed in a collected manner and bid goodnight to Mrs. Green. The large dark hairy mole beneath Nanny McPhee's nose disappears. On her way upstairs to check on the children, she tells Mrs. Green that she has five lessons to teach. The first, to stop fighting, has been completed. Upstairs, Victor, Norman and Magsie are refusing to share their beds with Cyril and Celia. Nanny McPhee announces to all the kids how she works. "When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I must go." Four more lessons to go long with more magical events.
Nanny McPhee Returns is a delight. I was surprised to learn that the lead actor and Academy Award Winner, Emma Thompson, wrote the screenplays for both of the Nanny McPhee movies, which were adapted from the series of Nurse Matilda books. There are some moments that are definitely more appealing to kids (such as pigs climbing trees and then beginning to synchronize swim), but it is a lovely film overall.

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Red Riding Hood 2011 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:01:00 +0000

Red Riding Hood is a fairy tale gone thriller. It opened in March of this year and attempted to retell the tale of the Red Riding Hood to adults. With Amanda Seyfried in the lead and a budget topping over $40 million, not a heck lot could go wrong, or so it seemed. Is this a great interpretation of the famous fairy tale? Or does it fall short, becoming one of the many highly anticipated downfalls this movie season, let's learn.

Story
Red Riding Hood is set in medieval times in a small village haunted by a werewolf. Meanwhile Valerie, a young girl played by Amanda Seyfried, falls in love with a "bad boy" called Peter. The problem being that her parents had set up an arranged marriage with higher-class Henry.
The first plot comes quickly when a new king attempts to tackle the threat by putting the town under siege during the red-moon season. From there the movie becomes an audience's guessing game, as they try to predict the killer in human form. This is done well by the director by offering plenty of leads and awkward/exciting moments. The writers weren't scared of making radical things happen, which helped the story progress.
The acting of Red Riding Hood is somewhat off at times. The romantic lines, for example, are so cringe worthy that it becomes even more far-fetched than the characters' state of mind. Nevertheless the main characters have delivered very decent performances, compensating for the few less-convincing lines in the movie.

Presentation
In the early days of HD releases, movies were very subject to noise generated in darker scenes. Luckily this is fixed because there're a lot of dark scenes in Red Riding Hood. The picture remains grain-free even during the darkest of times.
The overall level of detail is decent without excelling compared to other recent 1080p movies. The country wheat, during the fire scene, could've reflected more details to name an example.
The special effects (especially the werewolf) look amazing and are very convincing. He might be unnatural strong, even for a mythical creature, but has the visuals to match his killing character.
Red Riding Hood offers the next generation of sound, conveniently dubbed: Dolby digital true-HD or DTS-HD. Unfortunately I wasn't near a set that supports these formats, so I had to fall back on the traditional DTS format. In this mode the movie does well to suggest the werewolf's whereabouts. They used the 5 channels to great extend, accompanied with a satisfying movie score.

Conclusions
Red Riding Hood is a decent movie with a compelling story that leaves the audience guessing the entire 100-minutes through, helped by strong and brave writing for the most part. The image does well without blowing any senses out of the water, with the sound up there with the best. Taking everything in consideration leaves me with this: Watching Red Riding Hood is entertaining and time well spent, despite the minor issues here and there.

I'm Robin Chung. In my spare time I like to write articles and stories. My ultimate dream is to write a life altering story for a lot of readers. Feel free to visit my website and learn more!

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - A Little More Penzance Than Last Time

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:44:00 +0000

In what could be called "Captain Jack and the Last Crusade," we say goodbye to Will and Elizabeth Turner (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, respectively) and hello to a more expensive look, drearier set pieces, and a more puzzling plot line. However, one benefit of the Pirates films is that no matter how twisted the story may be, and no matter how questionable things may get, everything seems to fall into place. The franchise has always had a firm rooting in faith, spirituality and things seemingly happening for a reason, with the hint of a moral compass always guiding the way, so in that aspect the film gives itself room to take outlandish turns, so long as everything fits. On Stranger Tides is certainly no exception to this rule, but At World's End (2007) had that market cornered.
I have to say, and I know I'm one of the few, but I missed seeing Bloom and Knightley side by side with Johnny Depp. I always took them to be the crux of the trilogy, especially because their stories were the forefront: them meeting, discovering more about their pasts, getting married, having a baby, etc., all while Captain Jack Sparrow gets himself in one scrape and out of another. But, inevitably, their story drew to an end in At World's End, giving this film more of a chance to focus on Sparrow's past - lost love, old friendships, all that. As the film opens, Captain Jack (Depp, as savvy as ever) impersonates a British judge to escape hanging for crimes he may or may not have committed, though he probably did; he's just not ready to hang for them. The opening of the film tells us this: Jack is in London looking for a ship and a crew. This is true, but not in the sense that everyone thinks it is; in fact, it's an impostor posing as Jack. Her name is Angelica (Penelope Cruz) and she's the only one with enough guts to impersonate the infamous captain and get away with it. She's an old love, or as close as Jack has gotten to it. Meanwhile, Jack is looking for the Fountain of Youth. The catch is, so is the Spanish kingdom, the British Navy, helmed by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush, back from the first film and looking barely alive), and Blackbeard (the performance of the film, from Ian McShane), along with his daughter, Angelica. Spoiler? Not really.
The franchise, regardless of how fun it is, is tired. It's been tired since 2003 when we discovered The Curse of the Black Pearl. There shouldn't have been a second film, or a third one, and I like to think that everyone recognizes the lack of a need for a trilogy, but Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End managed to give us a story that feeds off of the first one and into the third one, kind of forcing a trilogy on us. On Stranger Tides feels like it's the final part, but Disney can keep threatening a fifth installment. With the financial success of the films so far, it'd be a fool's bet to say they wouldn't do it. It'll be big, it'll be loud, it'll be expensive, Depp will be loads of fun, the story won't make much sense for most of the film, and there will be millions of bags of popcorn sold all over the country. Sounds about right.
Something that's bothered me since Dead Man's Chest is the incomprehensible editing. Other than story-depth, that's what has seemed to take the biggest dip in quality. Remember the quality of the sword fights in The Curse of the Black Pearl? Or how exciting it was watching Orlando Bloom and Jack Davenport swash-buckle on a giant rolling wheel? Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but that scene was brilliantly composed, even if lacking in the logic department. One thing that makes or breaks action movies is the editing. Pirates had that, then it lost it, never to get it back. At least the quality of the cinematography, music and art direction seems to only be improving. The music here, composed by Hans Zimmer, has as much life as it ever has, and it's put to staggeringly good use, considering this is a Rob Marshall film.
A note about Rob Marshall: he's possibly one of the most hit-or-miss directors alive. He made a masterpiece with Chicago (2002), but Nine (2009) was a miserable mess, and for anyone who has seen his TV version of Annie (1999), well... I'm sorry. Here, though, I'd venture to say he's back on the right track. This isn't the best of the Pirates films, nowhere close, but he has managed a minor success in his filmography. If there is a fifth film, and they can't convince Gore Verbinski to come back and do it right, then I hope they bring Rob Marshall along for the ride again. He kept the film lively and bouncy, and the final joke in the film, a small delivery between Jack and Angelica, had me laughing for a good five or six minutes. A perfectly produced moment.
The performances are the bright spot. Depp has made a wonderful character out of Jack Sparrow. He has never once made fun of the character; he believes Sparrow with every ounce of his considerable talent and keeps him from being a repetitive mess. His swagger doesn't ever feel forced, and hasn't for four movies now. It's no wonder his first outing as the captain garnered him his first Oscar nomination. Geoffrey Rush is obviously having fun as Captain Barbossa, and Penelope Cruz continues to be one of the most compulsively watchable actresses alive. Her alarming beauty and quick comedic timing are put to extremely good use; Marshall knows how to direct her. The best performance in the film, however, comes from Ian McShane as Edward Teach (Blackbeard, as we've come to fear him); he's slimy, contemptible, but fun - the ideal Disney villain.

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The Art Of Darkness - Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket

noreply@blogger.com (Television Movie) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:23:00 +0000

"War is hell," the cliché proclaims, but it seems to be entertaining hell. Along with other ghastly subjects such as murder and vampirism, war ranks among the most popular and commonly used subject matter of filmed entertainment, and no war has yielded more or better films than the one in Vietnam between 1955 and 1975. Whether detailing the effects of the war by studying its aftermath or getting right into the heart of the battles, the Vietnam War has proven to be a source of boundless interest for filmmakers and moviegoers alike. Perhaps it is the moral ambiguity of Vietnam that makes it the most interesting war for film adaptations, and no films illustrate this ambiguity better than Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) and Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987).

Apocalypse Now was the first and still, arguably, the best film to take place in the midst of the war itself, shot shortly after its ending in the mid-'70s and released on the brink of the Reagan era in 1979. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, Coppola and screenwriter John Milius supplant the metaphorical journey of its central character from 1890s Africa to the Southeast Asian jungle of the 1960s. Intimately tied to this shift in viewpoint is that, while Heart of Darkness's narrator, Charlie Marlowe, begins as a sane and stable man who faces madness and the inherent evil of mankind in the form of Mister Kurtz, Apocalypse Now's narrator, Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen), has already been driven at least to the verge of madness by his previous Vietnam experience before the beginning of the film. This change of perspective suggests that morality and sanity had become much more tentative and ambiguous in the time of the Vietnam War.

At the 1979 Cannes Film Festival premiere of the film, Coppola stated that "My film is not about Vietnam; my film is Vietnam." We are thrust into a world of madness with no moral center, an apt vision of conditions in the Vietnam War. This intention is evidenced not only by the chaotic and violent nature of the entire film, but also in the decision to make the story's narrator a madman, thereby depriving the viewer of a more traditionally relatable gateway into the film's story.

Just as the film itself "is Vietnam" in macrocosm, three of its central characters also are Vietnam in microcosm: Willard, Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and Captain Kilgore (Robert Duvall). Willard has been in the jungle so much it has become who he is; in the film, he says of Vietnam: "When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle." Kurtz and Kilgore are two sides of the same coin, the soldier gone mad from the madness of war. Kilgore is the joyful madman who revels in battle ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning," he says in one of the film's most famous scenes. "Smells like victory") and has managed to keep a tenable position in the military despite randomly decimating entire villages, to the tune of Richard Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries," for the sole purpose of clearing a neighboring beach so that he and his men can go surfing. Critic Michael Wood, in his article "Bangs and Whispers" from the October 1979 New York Review of Books, asserts that Kilgore should have been the Kurtz figure of the film, a man so flamboyantly insane that he provides a clear counterpoint to Sheen's Willard, but the closer similarities between Willard and Brando's Kurtz hint at a metaphorical journey of Willard into himself, into the darkest reaches of his own soul, that echoes his literal journey downriver to Kurtz's lair. When he completes his assignment by killing Kurtz, he has perhaps silenced the encroaching darkness in his own heart.

Apocalypse Now's overall vision of madness - from Willard to Kilgore to Kurtz, along with fascinating side characters such as Sam Bottoms's LSD-abusing surfer/soldier and Dennis Hopper's fanatical photojournalist - paints a disturbing picture not only of the Vietnam experience, but of all humanity in a world that made the atrocities of Vietnam possible. As Coppola himself says about the making of the film in Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper and Eleanor Coppola's 1991 documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, "We were out there with too much equipment, too much money and too much time... and we all went a little insane," which can be seen as an astute criticism of America's position in the war itself. Ultimately, Apocalypse Now is more than merely a war film, which may be why many critics consider it the best war film ever made, and perhaps even the greatest American film of any kind.

Full Metal Jacket has also been "acclaimed by critics around the world as the best war movie ever made," according to Warner Home Video Inc.'s 1990 video release of the film. Though it could be argued that Apocalypse Now is a greater cinematic achievement, it is less tenable to say that it is more true-to-life. Apocalypse Now is highly stylized and subjective, while Full Metal Jacket has a distinct documentary feel, despite its often stunning cinematography and use of stylistic devices such as slow-motion. These approaches reflect the background of each director: Kubrick began with documentaries like "Flying Padre" (1951), while Coppola got his start at B-movie producer Roger Corman's American-International Pictures.

Full Metal Jacket's more objective, realistic perspective also reflects the point-of-view of its protagonist and narrator, Private Joker (Matthew Modine), who goes through Marine training to become a field reporter in Vietnam. Though Joker is a much more sane and rational character than Willard, he too is deeply corrupted by his experience, as he becomes more and more cynical throughout the film. As Joker says at one point in the film, in the persona of John Wayne, "A day without blood is like a day without sunshine." This cynical loss of innocence is a cohesive underlying theme in the film, which, like Apocalypse Now, is a journey into the heart of darkness. This is established in the opening sequence, which shows its various characters having their heads shaved, set to the tune of Johnny Wright's "Hello Vietnam." Full Metal Jacket is, essentially, a coming-of-age story - albeit a very brutal one - that is divided into two self-contained, but connected, stories within the film.

The first story thrusts the viewer into the rigid, violent life of Marine training camp and, though Joker is established as the protagonist from the start, the central character of this first story is actually Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio). Leonard, dubbed "Gomer Pyle" by sadistic drill instructor Sgt. Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), is a classic schoolyard bully's victim: overweight, slow-witted to the point of mild retardation, highly vulnerable and prone to crying under duress. Hartman, as a drill instructor, has made a career of being a bully, and the two immediately fall into this dynamic, with Hartman repeatedly choking, slapping and humiliating Leonard throughout the film. This story arc is easily broken into three acts: Leonard's humiliation, Leonard's education, and Leonard's revenge. Ironically, the completion of Leonard's education is the point at which he goes mad from the humiliation and abuse he has suffered at the hands of Hartman as well as the other recruits. Leonard finally snaps when Joker shows his first sign of corruption: after befriending Leonard and helping to educate him, Joker ultimately takes part in a ritualistic beating of Leonard after he and the other recruits are punished for Leonard's transgressions. At this point, the story moves into its third act, in which Leonard takes revenge on the bullying Sgt. Hartman, whose last words are more unrepentant bullying: "What is your major malfunction? Did your Mommy and Daddy not give you enough love when you were young?" Ultimately, though, Leonard forgives Joker and spares his life before taking his own.

The title of the film comes from this first half, in a soliloquy Leonard gives for his rifle, which represents to him a measure of cleanliness and order in the "world of shit" in which he exists. This basically sums up the theme of the film, which is also indicated in its two-part structure: no matter how disciplined and structured a warrior's training and weapons may be, the war itself is still chaos. This chaos runs rampant in the second half of the film, in which Joker finds himself in the midst of combat, at first as an outside observer reporting what he sees, but ultimately having no choice but to participate in the violence all around him. Like Apocalypse Now's Willard, Joker is somewhat on the fringes of combat, but still deeply effected and corrupted by it; while Willard is a hired killer working outside the main conflict of the Vietnam War, Joker is in the midst of this conflict but, in the beginning at least, does not participate in any killing.

Both films touch on a subject that is mostly avoided or neglected in war films: that of sexuality in wartime. Between Apocalypse Now's aborted Playboy Bunny visit early on in the film and Full Metal Jacket's Vietnamese prostitutes in the second half, both films eloquently illustrate the assertion so eloquently voiced in Chris Hedges's 2002 memoir of wartime journalism, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, that "there is in wartime a nearly universal preoccupation with sexual liaisons." The undercurrent of rape and coercion present in both cases points toward the moral ambiguity of this type of sexuality, which, by extension, shows the questionable morality of war itself.

This ambiguity is also seen in the journeys undertaken by the central characters of each film. In Full Metal Jacket's second story, Joker is given a mission by his commanding officer, Lt. Lockhart (John Terry), which leads him into the heart of darkness, where he faces the ultimate corruption of his own heart (a microcosm for humanity as a whole) when he kills a young female sniper (Ngoc Le) at the end of the film. Like Willard's assassination of Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, this killing is an act of obligation, but both occupy the morally uneasy ground of vengeance; Kurtz's assassination is a cold, detached act of military revenge, while Joker's platoon collectively kills the sniper in a more heated, personal retaliation for her murder of their fellow soldiers. These differing perspectives are reflected in the tone of each film: Full Metal Jacket is a more visceral and real experience than the highly stylized Apocalypse Now.

Full Metal Jacket ends as it begins, with Kubrick's impeccably appropriate musical cues. The diegetic singing of the "Mickey Mouse Club Theme" by the platoon in the film's final shot brings the coming-of-age full circle, and the Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black" over the end credits perfectly mirrors Joker's closing narration: "I am in a world of shit, but I am alive, and I am not afraid." He has clearly reached the heart of darkness; the only remaining ambiguity is whether his lack of fear is a result of his succumbing to the madness of war.

To this day, wars continue to inspire films of varying quality. As long as the world continues to be colored in shades of gray, rather than black and white, the most successful art will always reflect this with a degree of moral ambiguity. Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket have paved the way, and it is to be hoped that future artists will find it, though it is doubtful that any can surpass the artistry of these two great films.

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