X-MEN THE MOVIE NOW AVAILABLE

X-MEN PART 1 NOW ONLINE AND AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD



HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF X-MEN FROM IMDB

All over the planet, unusual children are born with an added twist to their genetic code. This "X-factor" allows the children to perform extraordinary feats - flight, telekinetics, laser beams from the eyes and more. One Dr. Charles Xavier gathers the children to a place where he can train them to use their powers for themselves and the forces of good he dubs these children his X-men and hijinks ensue. Written by Zach Wilson {zcwilson@naz.edu}

Big screen adaptation of the classic comic book about a band of unique power-possesing mutants who live in a world where their kind is hated and persecuted by humans. Under the guidance of their leader, Professor Charles Xavier, the X-men strive for a world where humans and mutants can peacefully co-exist. The superheroes must also combat those radical mutants with intentions of exterminating human the race Written by Anonymous

In the near future, when children are being born with a special X-Factor in their genes giving them special powers and making them "mutants", the seeds of a new Holocaust are being sown by Senator Robert Kelly. The situation brings fellow mutants and former friends Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto, and Professor Charles Xavier into opposition. While Xavier seeks to stop the hatred toward mutants peacefully, Magneto seeks to even things out with a machine that would speed up the mutation process in all humans, making everyone equal. To stop Magneto, Xavier brings together a special group of mutants called "X-Men" to stop him. In the meantime, 2 mysterious mutants, one named Logan, a powerful and agressive mutant with no past, no memories, and a young girl named Rogue emerge. Their quests for identities eventually land them in the sights of Xavier and Magneto, but for what purpose? Written by Justin Clark {LostFallenAngel@aol.com}

After the death of his family at the hands of the Nazis, Magnus, a mutant, vows revenge on all humanity. Meanwhile a group of good mutants is assembled by Charles Xavier, who trains and cares for them. Magnus, now under the guise of Magneto, assembles villains Sabertooth and Mystique to destroy anyone that gets in his way, including a furry canadian mutant named Logan (Wolverine). Fierce battle ensues between Sabertooth and Wolverine; Xavier's group, the X-men, recruits the Logan just in time to learn of Magneto's dastardly evil plan to destroy the world. Written by Jacob Mathison {dkrogh3850@aol.com}

Across the world, children are born with an extra twist to their chromosomes that allow them to exhibit superhuman abilities: fire a beam of force from their eyes, or sprout wings that allow flight or being able to read men's minds. These 'children of the atom' are often feared and despised by the world, forcing these 'mutants' to resort to desperate actions. However, one group of mutants have banded together to show the world that it need not fear their kind. Apart, they are simply scientific curiousities, freaks and monsters - but together, united by their shared belief, they are more - they are the uncanny X-Men. Written by Joe Button {joe@iximd.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW OF X-MEN FROM DVDTALK


The Movie (Note: Before watching the X-Men movie I really had never been exposed in any way to the X-Men franchise so my expectations and experience may be a lot different from die hard X-Men fans .)

Coming at a time where many of the superhero franchises have begun to wear thin, X-Men helps breathe new life into a genre in desperate need of it. At its core, X-men gets its strength from the ensemble of superheros and villains that hold your interest and keep you wanting to see and learn more. X-Men stealthfully gives you the information you need to know about the characters and doesn't get bogged down in back story for each character.

What makes X-men an enjoyable film is the really fine work from many of the actors. I was particularly impressed with Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine and Anna Paquin's performance as Rogue. It is through the relationship of those two vital characters that X-men tells its story. Although many of the performances are good, I need to mention how bad Halle Berry is in this film. Her performance is a stark contrast to the level of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and the others.

At its best X-men is engaging and exciting, at its worse it's just mindless fun, but in the end it's worth watching if you are a fan of the genre or if you're just looking for a fun film.

The Picture
Presented in 2.35:1 Widescreen anamorphic, X-Men looks really good on DVD. The picture transfer is pristine, with deep rich and clear colors. I saw X-men in the theater and the picture was clearer and crisper watching it on DVD.

The Sound
Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, the THX certified soundtrack sounds fantastic. The audio is crisp and clear, and the effects are well balanced with the dialogue. The X-men soundtrack makes really good use of all the surround speakers and in scenes like the train station sequence it exemplifies what a good DVD should sound like. As with many other THX DVDs, there's the THX optimode section to make sure your home theater is set up correctly.

Extras
Unlike many other DVDs which simply have an area in the special feature section for deleted scenes, X-Men allows you to see the deleted scenes within the context of the movie, which is labeled as branching - a X-Men logo pops up on screen when an extended or additional scene is available. Unfortunately of the six deleted or extended scenes only two are really interesting and none are really exceptional. I was hoping for more in the deleted scenes area and was pretty disappointed with what was on the DVD.

In addition to the deleted scenes there is a 22-minute Fox TV special called The Mutant Watch. It's poorly done as a mockumentary based on the Senate hearings (from the Movie) against mutants. Unfortunately the special doesn't come off very well and gets more caught up in its concept rather than giving a quality look at the making of the movie.

One of the special features I liked the most was the appearance of Director Bryan Singer on the Charlie Rose show. The DVD breaks down the interview by question so if you are not interested in the whole interview you can skip right to the section you are most interested in. Unfortunately there is no option to see the interview in its entirety, which is a pain.

Another highlight among the special features is the screen test for Hugh Jackman. It's a great scene (albeit too short) with him and Anna Paquin. In the movie there's such great chemistry between the two actors, it's nice getting a peek into the early stages of that relationship.

There are a number of trailers and TV spots on the DVD, all very well done. The trailers all capture the excitement of the movie. Under the trailer section there is an easter egg (the ice flower given to Rogue) with a gag single short gag screen. It is hilarious and I wish they had more like it on the DVD.

If you are interested in art design the X-Men DVD features a nice art gallery with both character and set design concepts. Also there are 2 animatics which were used to digitally storyboard two key sequences. Unfortunately there is no commentary for the animatics - a real shame.

What's really missing from the special features is a real good look at the making of this film. X-Men has excellent effects and makeup. It's a shame they aren't well covered in the special feature section of this DVD.

Final thoughts X-Men is a very enjoyable movie, and the DVD shines where it's most important with a great film transfer and fantastic sound. In terms of special features, the DVD isn't what it could be and that's a surprise. X-Men was arguably the biggest movie of the summer, so it's too bad it isn't the biggest DVD.

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES THE MOVIE NOW AVAILABLE

THE NEW TMNT MOVIE IS NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD


HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF TMNT MOVIE FROM IMDB

Strange events are occurring in New York City, and the Turtles are needed more than ever, but Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo have become lost and directionless. With the city at stake, it's up to Leonardo and Zen Master Splinter to restore unity and ninja discipline to the Turtles. Written by Anonymous

After the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder, the Turtles have grown apart as a family. Struggling to keep them together, their sensei, Master Splinter, becomes worried when strange things brewing in New York City. Tech-industrialist tycoon Max Winters revives four ancient stone warriors and enlists the help of the foot clan to help capture ancient monsters. Written by fortyfourhundred

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE TMNT FROM DVD TALK

Hard to believe, but it was 17 years ago when audiences were first keyed up to see the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the big screen. It's a delight to report that the return of the brawlin' reptiles lives up to and surpasses even the most potent expectations.

After defeating their nemesis Shredder, Leonardo has shuffled off to South America to contemplate his feelings on the Ninja Turtle life. In his absence, Michelangelo has become a children's birthday party mascot, Donatello works a tech-support job, and Raphael continues his vigilante work as the metal-clad Nightwatcher. When a powerful businessman (Patrick Stewart) enlists April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to help find the final ancient piece in his puzzle of otherworldly intentions, the Turtles, with help from friend Casey Jones (Chris Evans), find they must put their differences aside and battle the trouble heading toward the city.

"TMNT" (as the opening title refers to the film) takes on the unwelcome job of reintroducing the Turtles with a fresh degree of gravity. It's been quite a long time since the "heroes in a half-shell" were tops of the pops, and I'm sure the production was tempted to grind hard into the retro appeal of the franchise. Writer/director Kevin Munroe ignores the calling, and fashions a bold new path for the Turtles.

Now rendered in computer animation, "TMNT" might not have the expected polish and vivid color of the average Pixar production; but what it lack in sharpness it makes up for in ambiance. The film takes a "Batman" detour, upping the darkness and gritty mood of the city to best observe the humanitarian call of the Turtles. Munroe doesn't go haywire; this is still PG-rated fare for the whole family. But it's immediately noticeable that the broad vibe of earlier incarnations has been toned down severely, while shadows and scuffles have been increased, inching the characters back to their Eastman/Laird origins of the mid-80s.

In fact, Munroe has implemented all sorts of changes to the framework of the film, including starting off the picture with the most iconic enemy already defeated. "TMNT" feels like the second issue of a comic book in the way it pushes the audience into the meat of the story (of course, after some introductory narration by Laurence Fishburne). This is no origin tale, yet, in Munroe's deft script, it's not hard to follow the backstory beats for the Turtle newbies out there. It was a treat to watch "TMNT" consistently thwart my involuntary expectations, taking the Turtles to new emotional directions, but making sure the skateboarding, pizza, and "duuuuuuuude" is still attended to in satisfying ways.

I never thought the word "pathos" would be included in a review for a Turtles film, but here we are. The center of the picture explores the resentful relationship Raphael has with Leonardo; the two Turtles struggling with their communication and confrontation of painful feelings. This leads to one of the best sequences in the film, where the two burn off their anger in a rainstorm fight that best showcases Munroe's directorial style and the textures of the animation. It's a touching subplot, and one that Munroe makes ample room to deal with, trusting the audience will be invested in this brotherly spat. Unfortunately, this does push Michelangelo and Donatello to almost cameo status, which might upset some of the more zealous fans.

While employing a screwy sense of vocal star power (Kevin Smith and Ziyi Zhang also provide voices), the core team of Turtles are given wonderful readings by the actors. They understand the crucial aural values of each character, blending agreeably with the newfound fluidity of movement that CG-animation provides. They also interact wonderfully with the Turtle sensei, Splinter. Sadly, legendary actor Mako ("Conan the Barbarian") passed away during the production, making his wise, enchanting take on Splinter and his fatherly love for his green sons the last performance of his remarkable career.

Taking cues from "Dark Crystal" and "Hellboy" for the finale, "TMNT" morphs into a non-stop action film that will surely delight kiddies who need this sort of mayhem added to their Disneyfied diet every now and again. The conclusion hints at the return of an old enemy for the Turtles to battle, and it's a promise I hope they keep.

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X-MEN 3 THE LAST STAND NOW AVAILABLE

X-MEN 3 THE LAST STAND NOW ONLINE


HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE X-MEN 3 THE LAST STAND FROM IMDB

The X-Men, mutant heroes sworn to defend a world that hates and fears them, are back! This time, with the help of new recruits The Beast and Angel, they must face evolution itself in the form of their former teammate, Jean Grey. Possessed with the cosmic power of the Dark Phoenix, the resurrected Jean Grey has become a danger to herself, her mutant comrades, and the entire planet. To stave off this imminent threat to humanity, a potential cure is discovered and processed to treat -- and ultimately eliminate -- genetic mutations, once and for all. Now, as the battle lines are drawn, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, must contend with both Jean Grey's world-consuming powers, as well as the malevolent Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier's former ally, Magneto. Written by comicfan

Mutants are on the verge of X-tinction, it seems, when US business Worthington Industries discovers a cure for mutation. This scientific breakthrough complicates and intensifies the battle - both physical and ideological - between Professor X's integration-friendly X-Men and the human-hating muties let by Magneto ... Written by comicfan

When a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and become human, but their society split. Magneto opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops and Professor Charles Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE X-MEN 3 THE LAST STAND FROM DVDTALK

When the first X-Men film hit theaters in July of 2000, fans raced to the theaters making studios realize that tons of money could be made in these superhero films. We all know that the second X-Men made more money than the first mainly because the film had more character development and flowed in a more logical manner. It took sometime, but the third (and final?) X-Men hit theaters this previous May to extremely impressive figures but rather lukewarm critical reception. Many saw the third film as a step below the first two, partially due to the direction. When Director Bryan Singer opted out of the third film for another comic film in Superman Returns, many saw the series direction go out the door as well. New Director Brett Ratner stepped in (a funny switch as Ratner was suppose to direct Returns) and took away all the visually interesting styles that Singer presented in the first two. It's not that X-Men: The Last Stand is a bad film, it's just that it lacks the overall spark and fun that the first two films had.

The ending of the last film, X2: X-Men United, saw our mutant heroes in quite the fine position. Support for the "Mutant Registration Act" had halted and uber villain William Stryker (Brian Cox) failed to eradicate all the mutants. Everything else was running smoothly (despite Jean Grey dying), surely signaling that the eventual third film in the series would continue on this path. Well, I'm sad to report that new Director Brett Ratner opted to ignore a lot of what Singer presented in the first two films. X-Men: The Last Stand introduces so many new characters, some of who get less than 10 seconds on the screen, that we don't even catch some of their names (only briefly seeing their powers especially in the last sequence). While this was annoying for myself (I'm the type of movie-goer who loves attention to character detail), I will fully admit that Ratner definitely knows how to film an action scene that audiences will love.

First the bad news of X-Men: The Last Stand. The problem I had here is that every little thing that Singer made excellent about the first two films is completely ignored by Ratner. He introduces new character we couldn't care less about, eliminate characters we do care about, and has the remaining characters involve themselves in sequences they seemingly don't want to be involved in. Even though Ratner tries to remain in sync with the vision and style that Singer created, it just felt like Ratner purposely tried to not expand the story (or maybe that Fox told him not to). The first two expanded the story in manners we cared about and wanted to see. There was not a moment in X-Men: The Last Stand were I cared about what was going on to any of the characters (especially after one particular character dies, I just about was ready to shut the film off).

Like any review, I do have (thankfully!) a few positives to report. I did enjoy, to a certain degree, how Ratner tried (key word tried) to give these characters a more humanistic quality. As we find out in the film, a cure is found to treat mutations drawing lines against the various X-Men. The scenes where each of the X-Men spoke (during the forest sequence) telling their side to the story, gave the film a more 'let's feel for these characters' moment. Unfortunately, where Ratner failed in leaving an impression on the audience, is that these characters you are suppose to care for are shortly eliminated or, worst, ignored. Another positive, especially for this Blu-Ray release, is that every action scene is a blast to listen to, but more on that later.

As of press time, it was reported that X-Men: The Last Stand would be the last audiences would see of these mutants. Naturally, probably due to the high amount of return, Fox is going to think of some way to bring the series back. If The Last Stand is the final film of the series, I wouldn't necessarily rate it is a poor way to end the series, but rather as a lukewarm method. Sure X-Men: The Last Stand isn't the best superhero film, but it's certainly better than more recent superhero films.

Video

X-Men: The Last Stand is THE flagship title for Fox. It will determine if Fox is a company to be reckoned with in this format war. Knowing the PS3, equipped with a Blu-Ray player, was being released the same week (and the competing Microsoft HD DVD add-on drive), Fox decided on releasing this juggernaut of a film. Did this method work or did X-Men: The Last Stand go down in flames?

Arriving in an 1080p, AVC/MPEG-4 Encoded, 2:40:1 Widescreen Aspect Ratio, X-Men: The Last Stand certainly has that high-definition look to the film, but feels a bit out of place in some areas. The first possible problem might be that Fox decided to use a BD-25 disc instead of the early rumored BD-50 (films like Click get a BD-50, but not this one)? The video quality doesn't suffer completely though as many sequences looked fine. The use of detail was NEARLY perfect as the facial features on many of the characters (especially Wolverine's beard) sparked to life. The only poor use of detail was the sequence when Magneto moved the Golden Gate Bridge (many of the smaller details were hard to make out).

The Super35 film process that Ratner loves to use in his films, gives the film a grainier look, but that isn't really a big issue. Dirt or damage wasn't present on the print. Color usage was great with no real color being over-saturated. X-Men: The Last Stand is a winner for Fox, but I just feel that a BD-50 disc would have given Fox the trophy for Blu-Ray disc to beat.

Audio

As per Fox's other initial release titles, X-Men: The Last Stand comes equipped with a English a DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio Track. Despite how appealing this track sounds, no player at this time, besides the Playstation 3, comes equipped with the ability to decode this audio. Once I get my hand on a system, I'll be sure to update this review with my thoughts. Despite this, Fox has given us an excellent DTS track encoded at 1.5mbps.

Dynamic Range was excellent with numerous sequences giving crystal clarity via sound effects and the film's dialogue. Bass was powerful creating a booming effect throughout. Surround usage was aggressive and one that shouldn't be messed with. Ratner has always loved his action scenes, and that certainly is the case here. Every action scene cries out as a demo material. The final X-Men fight was perfect giving us a full 360 degree sound field that captured all the screams, clashes and grunts of the mutants battling it out.

X-Men: The Last Stand was a big disc for Fox as it had to prove what the company was all about. Luckily, Fox has delivered a good video presentation and an excellent audio presentation. V/A junkies, we have a nice demo disc here.

Special Features

While it was nice to see all the ported SD-DVD extra's on this Blu-Ray release, there weren't any huge features signaling that Fox may be prepping something in the oven.

• Audio Commentary with Director Brett Ratner and screenwriters Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg: What an disappointing commentary here. Director Ratner and his screenwriting buddies never dwell into any aspect of the film giving us zero information. Instead they would rather joke around about facts we already know (wow! I didn't know CGI allows for things to appear that aren't there in real life)! Give me a break.
• Audio Commentary with producers Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter. : I figured with someone like Avi Arad on this track, it would fare far better than the first listening experience. Well, Arad simply picked up where Ratner left off giving endless cast appreciation and many accolades to himself and the participants. What a load of shit. If I wanted to hear you praise yourself, why didn't you do that in a intro, not in a commentary where true fans of Marvel want solid info, not some fluff.
• Deleted Scenes/Alternate Endings: Here we ten different deleted scenes and three different alternate endings. While many of the deleted scenes served as extensions to their existing counterparts I did enjoy some of the scenes. The different introduction for Beast and Logan was great. The different alternate endings though seemed out of place and scrambled. A commentary by Ratner may have helped answer some questions I had.
• Trailer: Similar to Fantastic Four, we are treated to the film's trailer in full 1080p glory.

Closing Thoughts

X-Men: The Last Stand was a mixed affair for myself. While I enjoyed the film on a certain level, it failed to lack that spark that Singer brought to the first two. On a technical level, this Blu-Ray release is exactly what Fox needed. The disc contains a good enough video presentation with a rocking audio presentation that can only probably get better with the included DTS-HD track. Despite myself not fully enjoying the film, I'm going to give this one a recommend tag simply because Fox had delievered a fine demo disc and was nice enough to include material we can utilize later on.

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KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL NOW AVAILABLE

THE MOVIE KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL FROM IMDB

A young breakdancer hits his head during a talent show and slips into a coma for twenty years. Waking up in 2006, he looks to revive his and his team's career with the help of his girlfriend and his parents.

HERE IS A REVIEW ON THE MOVIE KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL FROM DVD TALK


"Kickin' It Old Skool" is an excruciatingly lazy and unfunny film, but it didn't have to be. It's about a 12-year-old boy who goes into a coma in 1986 and wakes up 20 years later, still mired in '80s pop culture and out of place in 21st-century society. That's not a bad comedy premise, and we've derived many a laugh in other films from characters who were plopped into unfamiliar time periods. Why, if young Justin had avoided that coma for another three years, he'd have seen Napoleon Bonaparte rolling gutter balls in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," to name just one example of this sort of thing being done right.

Where "Kickin' It" goes wrong is in not doing anything interesting with its premise. Justin Schumacher (Jamie Kennedy), who wakes up in 2006 after a two-decade coma that was caused by a breakdancing accident, is a little confused by things like TiVo and the new MTV ("It's just a bunch of girls talking and crying!"), but that's about as far as it goes. A couple "gee, things sure are different from how they were in 1986" jokes, and not even very good ones.

Instead, the focus is on Justin's childlike mind. He's a 12-year-old in a grown-up's body -- except it's the exaggerated, semi-retarded kind of 12-year-old that hack movie writers come up with. Think "Big," if it had been made by people who got fired from a UPN sitcom.

I cite one example. Justin wanders through a mall's toy store and, forgetting that he's an adult and not a 12-year-old, strikes up a conversation with a boy whom he perceives as his peer. He asks what his favorite toys are, what games he likes to play, and so forth. To a passing security guard, Justin seems like a pedophile -- a realistic misunderstanding, and therefore a potentially funny one. But because the joke was apparently too subtle and believable, the screenplay has Justin suggest the boy come over so they can play Army: "You could get in my foxhole, or I could get in your foxhole," he says, a completely unnatural and contrived thing for a kid to say with regard to playing Army. That line would only be uttered by someone who was trying to sound dirty. The writers were hoping for double-entendre and got single-entendre instead.

Then the security guard runs and tackles Justin, not because there was any reason to tackle him -- he wasn't fleeing the scene; he didn't even know he was being watched -- but because, hey, it's funny when people get knocked over!

(By the way, as soon as he comes home from the hospital, Justin starts wearing his 1986-era clothes, seemingly unaware that they are no longer fashionable. That makes sense at first blush, but then you realize: His clothes from 1986 wouldn't still fit him. Did his parents buy him some adult-size '80s garb in preparation for his homecoming? Or did the filmmakers just think it would be funny to have him wear laughably out-dated styles and then didn't give it another thought?)

Justin fears his parents (Christopher McDonald and Debra Jo Rupp) will lose their house due to his massive medical bills, so he enters a reality TV show's breakdancing contest where the grand prize is $100,000. For this he must reunite his 6th-grade dance crew, the Funky Fresh Boys. Luckily, they all still live in town, and they're all still losers. Darnell (Miguel A. Nuñez Jr.), the black guy, wants to be an inventor but can only come up with really stupid ideas like the Jewbik's Cube (a Rubik's Cube, only with Jewish-themed pictures instead of colors). Hector (Aris Alvarado), the Mexican guy, is an obese parking-enforcement officer. Aki (Bobby Lee), the Asian guy, is a nerdy office drone who's terrified of women.

Oh, and wouldn't you know it? One of the TV show's choreographers is Jen (Maria Menounos), whom Justin had a huge crush on when they were 12! And also in the wouldn't-you-know-it? department, the show's emcee is Kip (Michael Rosenbaum), who was a big jerk in 6th grade, and is still a big jerk, and is engaged to Jen!

With all the factors in place for a solidly mediocre film -- the broad, not very likable good guys, the predictable and dull romantic subplot, the dance contest that will provide the inevitable climax -- first-time director Harvey Glazer sets out to make it as bad as it can possibly be.

He lets Jamie Kennedy shuffle through the whole film slack-jawed and dead-eyed, mumbling in a soft whine, as if still in a coma. Kennedy clearly believes he is one of those performers whose every move is funny, who can keep an audience in stitches simply by falling down or looking confused. He is mistaken. He plays Justin so uniformly dull-witted and idiotic that it's impossible to identify with him, much less root for him as the film's hero.

I get the impression Glazer and the three credited writers have included a lot of things only because they've seen them in other comedies and so they figured they'd be funny here. For example, Justin's friends want to help him prepare for his date with Jen, so they make Hector put on a wig and brassiere for practice. Why Hector? Because he's fat, and we've seen fat people be funny in other movies. Why does anyone need to put on a wig and brassiere at all? Because we've seen men cross-dressing in other movies, and it's sometimes funny when they do. (See also: the previously mentioned details of randomly tackling someone, and Justin wearing out-dated clothes. Those things are always funny, right? RIGHT??)

Are there gags involving urine, farts, and vomit? But of course. Does the film show waaaaaay too much of the dance tournament, and then waaaaaay too much of the final dance-off between the Funky Fresh Boys and some kids? The answer to that question is also yes. Are there bizarre cameos from Emmanuel Lewis and David Hasselhoff that DON'T EVEN MAKE SENSE, even within the surreal context of the movie? Indeed.

There's something else I want to mention in closing. I wasn't sure where in the review to include this, but since we're talking about a slapdash, amateurish movie, I figured I could probably just throw it in anywhere. No reason the review should be more coherently structured than the movie, right?

Anyway, it's this: The first scene is set in 1986, leading up to Justin's breakdancing injury. Within a 60-second period, kids use the words "radical," "wicked," "psyche," "spaz," and "bogus." There's a Rubik's Cube lying on a table. A Garbage Pail Kid is proffered as a token of esteem. What's funny (and not for the reasons intended) is that all these details are crammed in randomly, the slang forced awkwardly into the dialogue, the props thrown in carelessly. It reminds me of those picture puzzles where you have to see how many things you can find that start with the letter "T," or whatever. ("How many things from the '80s can you spot in this scene?") The picture doesn't have to make sense; its only purpose is to be a repository for all the stuff they came up with during the brainstorming session. And that about sums up the movie as a whole.

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FIND ME GUILTY NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE FIND ME GUILTY FROM IMDB.
A drama based on the longest Mafia trial in U.S. history, mobster Jack DiNorscio (Diesel), faced with a series of charges, decides to stand trial instead of ratting out his family and associates. A wrench is thrown into the system when DiNorscio opts to defend himself. Written by IMDb Editors
HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE FIND ME GUILTY FROM DVD TALK.
Background: Pop culture aside, the tales of cops and the crooks they chase have long been established as top sellers in the USA. The reasons for this are legion and just as television currently has scores of such shows airing now; it has since the advent of the medium (the same can be said of radio, books, and even oral histories from the past). Film is no exception to this rule and under the direction of a capable leader, the power of such stories can really dig into our collective psyches for the power we give the genre. The front line troops of authority can be cops, feds, or even the military but the reasons they invoke such powerful imagery to many of us is that we let them do the chores we don't want to; dealing with the predators we don't want to tackle, and expect miracles in return for the what we pay and equip them with. These days, the added restrictions imposed on them (allowing terrorists to wage media campaigns to weaken our resolve; worrying far more about civil rights than civil responsibilities; and catering to the idea that the victims of crime are somehow less important to us than somehow noble criminals) strikes me as odd, to say the least though much of this was the result of excesses on the part of our appointed protectors, however rare by comparison. Shows like Wiseguy were rare in how they often balanced both "sides" of the issue; portraying Mafioso characters as businessmen who happened to kill the occasional victim out of necessity just as they showed the imperfections of the agents who sought to bring them down. Our fascination with mobsters and gangsters is the reason why today's review of Find Me Guilty was somewhat tough for me to write.

Glorifying mobster Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio (remarkably well played by Vin Diesel of The Pacifier), director Sidney Lumet too shows the viewer the longest trial in US history from the perspective of the criminal side, invoking fond memories of his work on 12 Angry Men, Serpico, and scores of other projects he has worked on over the years that cast a dark shadow on our legal system, the police, and government in general. The movie starts off with Jackie getting shot multiple times by his cousin, ending up in a hospital bed clinging to life but unwilling to cooperate with the police to capture the gunman whom he professes to love. Such sets the stage for the fiercely loyal man to be set up on drug charges (completely guilty though, in a surprise twist for the director) which is later used as a bargaining chip for his cooperation in testifying against the crime family he has worked for in various capacities; The Lucchese Family.

The federal authorities obtained over 70 felony indictments against the twenty defendants and wanted someone higher up the food chain to strengthen their case with this being a RICO Act case (criminal conspiracies to commit various felonies are more complicated but have the benefit of mandatory sentencing and a relatively easy level of proof in many ways). Having been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the drug charge (largely due to ineffective counsel), Jackie has nothing to lose by cooperating except for years off of his sentence and his self worth as tied to his lot in life. The prosecutor has never lost a case, has thousands of items of evidence, scores of low level scum willing to testify, and the knowledge that he is fighting the good fight in the name of law & order but doesn't want to chance anything. Jackie turns him down and is subjected to a harsh beating, deciding to represent himself rather than throw away another bunch of money on the shyster who seemingly did little to stop his current sentence. In his eyes, he is already doing a lengthy sentence and has nothing to lose though the other defendants fear he will weaken their cases and make it clear that he will not live to do so if he messes up.

Thus began the court case lasting over 600 days back in the 1980's as shown in the movie. Basing major parts of the script on the transcripts of the case, director Lumet dispenses with fleshing out the codefendants in favor of focusing almost exclusively on DiNorscio, something of a gamble given Vin Diesel's roles in past flicks. Personally, I think Diesel is every bit as good an action hero as anyone else on the contemporary Hollywood list, if not better, but relying on him to carry the movie so completely opens up a lot of risk. Jackie's courtroom antics net him contempt of court fines, severe admonishment by the judge (well played by Ron Silver), and the alienation of his peers. Only co-counsel for his boss, a dwarf with the sharpest legal mind in the pack (Peter Dinklage as Ben Klandis), sees the possible benefit of Jackie's attempts to represent himself as anything but a theatrical stunt by an egomaniac. Ben counsels Jackie throughout the trial and defends his lack of polish and outrageous behavior upon seeing the jury respond to him favorably.

Throughout the movie, Jackie is given various chances to sever his case, cop a deal, or otherwise receive beneficial treatment but he turns down such advances as beneath his accepted lot in life; even convincing the other defendants that they stand a better chance of resisting. The end result of the trial is almost anticlimactic in that sense but it wasn't my biggest issue with the movie. No, my biggest issue was not the fine technical direction Lumet offered up or the way the admitted mobsters were portrayed almost like heroes, but the simple fact that by focusing solely on Jackie's side of the story, the other characters came across as little more than two dimensional shells of what they could have been. Give me a mob boss like Sonny Steelgrave any day of the week over Alex Rocco's sulking figure as Nick Calabrese. The same holds true for the others as well since they all look the parts and talk the parts but were not given the chance to fit their role as anything short of straw men to be knocked down.

Silver and Dinklage were the two known quantities in terms of acting skill and I am happy to report Diesel as providing a capable performance although the original script was designed for Joe Pesci (who almost certainly would have been superior given his roles in similar movies). Lumet is called an actor's director capable of getting the very best out of his casts and this was easily the case with Diesel, who may have earned some nods for the role where none of us would have expected him to pull it off so aptly. Even though the emphasis was on the anti-hero in question and the ending less than satisfying, I have to say that it was a sleeper hit of sorts for me and I rate it as Recommended as a result, for all the flaws here.

Picture: Find Me Guilty was presented in anamorphic widescreen color with an aspect ration of 1.78:1 that preserved "the aspect ratio of the original theatrical exhibition". It was clean enough and looked like it had some intended grain from time to time, with no major flaws observed. The majority of scenes were in the jail and court, each seeming to look like they were supposed to. There was a lot of detail that came across when watching the movie a second time that I had previously missed, with a number of visual elements subtly placed for attentive viewers. It wasn't a great looking movie but it was a very good looking DVD.

Sound: Vin Diesel is something of the darling of 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround given his extensive background in action movies and the audio presentation in English did incorporate this audio set up but the vast majority of focus was on the dialogue (it's a courtroom drama) so there really wasn't much use of anything except for the center channel of my home theatre. That said, the score was suitable and supported the thematic elements nicely, subtly weaving the audio tapestry rather than blaring it out as other titles have done. The balance between the vocals and the score were handled well and the subtitles in English and Spanish seemed accurate (and readable) upon my spot checking them.

Extras: There were some trailers and TV spots but the best extra was a short feature called Conversations with Sidney Lumet. Broken into a number of categories, he spoke about the elements of the film, Vin Diesel, and even his meeting with the real life Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio whom he met just before the mobster passed away. Lumet is not the most dynamic speaker in the world and I wished someone asked him some tougher questions but it did fill in the blanks at times with the aged director appearing to be a gentle soul. Perhaps a future release will include a commentary track with Lumet and Vin Diesel or other unannounced extras but given the almost indie nature of the distribution of the movie, I'm not going to hold my breath for them.

Final Thoughts: Find Me Guilty proved to be an interesting look at the longest trial in US History as much as a showcase for the now proven acting talents of actor Vin Diesel. Director Sidney Lumet has such experience with crime dramas, mob stories, courtroom fiction, and tales centering on New York City that his weak credentials in comedy were less of an issue; marking a decent movie despite the thematic limitations it offered. I was surprised at how much I liked the movie given the subject matter and way it was handled but this is largely due to the manner in which Lumet and Diesel showed some chemistry with working together. Check it out.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE FIND ME GUILTY 1 OF 2

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE FIND ME GUILTY 2 OF 2.

CAPTIVITY NOW AVAILABLE

CAPTIVITY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF CAPTIVITY FROM IMDB.

Top cover girl and fashion model, Jennifer Tree has it all - beauty, fame, money and power. Her face appears on covers of hundreds of magazines. At the top of her game, Jennifer is America's sweetheart. She is loved and adored and sought after. Everyone wants her. But someone out there has been watching and waiting. Someone wants her in the worst way. Out alone at a charity event in Soho, Jennifer is drugged and taken. Held captive in a cell, Jennifer is subjected to a series of terrifying, life-threatening tortures that could only be conceived by a twisted, sadistic mind. It follows the story of one woman who is abducted and tortured, held against her will in a place where days turn into weeks. Written by After Dark Films

A young model is drugged, kidnapped and subject to harrowing torture in a cell of horrors in this spine chilling horror thriller. Jennifer is young, beautiful and famous. Everybody knows her name and her popularity brings her everything she wants in life- but one mans jealousy lures Jennifer to a dimension in torture when she finds herself drugged, captured and held in an underground maze of terror. Taken against her will and subject to psychological punishment, Jennifer soon questions her sanity as her watchful tormentor pits her in numerous twisted traps. After struggling to keep her mind, she meets with Gary, another prisoner in the sick games and together they try their wits to escape from the cells and defeat the madman behind the sick games- but are they already too late when they are bound, gagged and thrust into a world of pain? Written by MovieMagic

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE CAPTIVITY FROM DVDTALK

I never, ever imagined the experience of spending 80 minutes watching Elisha Cuthbert could be so punishing and vile. I guess there must be a first for everything. Jennifer (Elisha Cuthbert) is a top model who has lived her entire life in front of the cameras. When she's kidnapped by a sadist and locked in a cell, Jennifer is subjected to all the horrors she's reveal to the media during interviews. Her only hope for escape is Gary (an atrocious Daniel Gillies), a fellow captive in this dungeon with the brawn to make it out alive.

So, let me get this straight...the man who made "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission" has decided to get his fingers wet in the torture horror film genre? Doesn't the world have enough Eli Roths slithering around to cloud up the multiplexes with their inane stamp of stupidity? The name Roland Joffe appears on the credits, but that might not be the actual end of this story.

If you subscribe to Hollywood rumor, it appears that Joffe's initial cut of "Captivity" (a film shot two years ago) wasn't up to snuff, leaving schlocky production company After Dark Films with quite a pickle on their hands. In the interest of whoring themselves out to the lowest common denominator, After Dark's honcho and general directorial boob Courtney Solomon ("Dungeons & Dragons," "An American Haunting") stepped up to overhaul a majority of the film, turning what I can only assume was a flaccid pass by Joffe to make a socially conscious thriller about media obsession into an exhaustively moronic and amateurish "Saw" rehash.

The overall awfulness of "Captivity" doesn't take long to get to, and you can be certain it never lets up once it begins. In either version of the picture, the central prisoner conflict fails to hold any sustainable moment of tension, using a watery mix of clich�s to further a plot about characters no viewer will give a damn about. A self-absorbed model who barely possesses the faculties to stand up straight, much less mastermind an elaborate escape? I say, Mr. Killer, go right ahead and finish her off.

It's not fair to blame Cuthbert for this hokum. Even in the face of her iffy filmography, Cuthbert seems have a confident way about her that better material should one day reveal (I hope). I'm not even going to focus on Joffe, who was kicked off his own movie, but still deserves a spanking for keeping his name attached to this mess. No, it all comes back to Solomon (doesn't it always?), who takes the finished product and turns it into a masterwork of idiocy and breathtaking editorial negligence.

Trying to cram in inexplicable moments of torture and contemptible misogyny to delight the suckers this film manages to con into a theater, Solomon tosses away all sense of pace and continuity. At one point the picture is a confinement psychological study and the next Cuthbert is tied to a chair forced to make the decision to kill either herself or her beloved dog (don't get attached to Spot). Solomon makes no discernible effort to integrate the new footage, allowing for massive continuity holes that open the film up for unintentional laughs and violent eye rolling. Seriously, this an appalling display of filmmaking unprofessionalism. And let's not even go into the fact that the "twist" of the movie could be telegraphed from miles away by even a slumbering moviegoer.

The bottom-feeding attitude of "Captivity" is expected to some extent, since 2007 have been unofficially christened the year that horror died. "Captivity" sums up the current grimy state of the genre accurately with its complete disregard for the audience, lack of cinematic style and conviction, and reliance on mean-spirited manipulation to force the viewer into a reaction. "Captivity" is a buffoonish pile of stitched-together garbage, but compared to other chiller offerings this year, it's just par for the course.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE CAPTIVITY.

LOST SEASON 1 FULL DOWNLOADS

HERE IS THE FULL FIRST SEASON OF LOST THE TV SHOW

HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF LOST SEASON 1

Hosted by executive producers Damon Lindelof (also a co-creator of the show) and Carlton Cuse, the special focuses on the flashbacks of a core of characters -- illustrating who they were and what they were doing before the crash, and how the island has changed their lives, for better or worse. In addition, the island itself will be explored - culled from events that have taken place - which may reveal some of its secrets that might have been missed upon first viewing. Written by Anonymous

After a mysterious and bloody airplane crash, 48 survivors are left stranded on a Pacific Island... miles off course. It soon becomes apparent that they will not have to cope only with the forces of nature, but with the island's secrets, including the Dharma Initiative, the 'Lost Numbers', the "others" (or hostiles) and the strange black smoke- to name a few. There is also much more than meets the eye, as it becomes apparent that everyone is connected in some way and that everyone has a purpose to live on the island... and for some, to die. Written by Anonymous

A horrific plane crash leaves 48 passengers alive, and stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific. The survivors include doctor Jack, now freed prisoner Kate, one hit wonder rock star Charlie, Iraqi military vet Sayid, and a mysterious man named Locke. For a while their goal is simple survival, but they soon realize that it was far more than mere chance that brought them together, and each of them has a purpose that will help them unlock the island's secrets. Written by rmlohner

After a somewhat mysterious sequence of events, an oceanic flight from Sydney to LA crashes on what appears to be a deserted island. The chance of being found and rescued is fairly small, so the survivors have to cope with a set of challenges. They have to learn to survive on the island, a mysterious place with enough dangers on its own. Also, they have to learn to live with each other if any success is to be expected. And finally, they have to live with themselves and their pasts. Interwoven with the events on the islands are flashbacks to the pasts of 14 main characters. Step by step, we learn a little more about their diverse and unexpected pasts as the group's quest to survive takes shape. Written by RagingR2

HERE IS A REVIEW OF LOST SEASON 1

The Movie:


For the last few years, the media has discussed concerns with network television, from overdoing the reality genre to competition from cable, video games and the internet. In a recent Entertainment Weekly, an article discussed the fact that some comedies are going into syndication for remarkable amounts, simply because there aren't any new sitcoms successful enough or ready to go into syndication.

JJ Abrams, who gained TV success with the popular WB drama "Felicity" and then followed up with "Alias", somehow managed to sell ABC on an idea about a group of plane crash survivors trying to survive on an uncharted island. The series could have easily gone wrong in so many ways, such as seeming like a dramatized version of "Survivor".

Thankfully, Abrams, exec producer Damon Lindelof and company have managed to steer clear of expectations and obstacles in order to create a wholly original and utterly remarkable series. "Lost" is easily one of the finest TV shows to arrive in years. To discuss more than the basics in this review would be doing the series an injustice (one should go in nearly fresh, and I recommend stopping reading anything that goes into much detail about the show if you've never seen it), so I'll keep to a general overview.

"Lost" opens with Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox, in a great effort) waking up on an island. As he slowly regains conciousness, he steps into utter chaos. The wreckage of the plane, engine still working, fuel still dangerous, looms large over the scattered debris. After a few seconds of surveying the damage, Jack goes into action, helping the injured and trying to direct people to safety. It's here that we meet some of the survivors, including Locke (Terry O'Quinn, in an exceptional performance), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, of "Lord of the Rings"), Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Shannon (Maggie Grace).

It's not long before the survivors have gathered what materials they can from the plane, and have gathered together to sit out what they find will be a very long wait. With Jack being the only doctor on the island, the group begins to look to him and consider him their leader. With not a lot of hope in sight, the survivors are certainly not comforted by the presence of something sinister in the forest, as well as the hints that they are not the only ones there. To add yet another layer to the proceedings, throughout the season we find that many of the survivors are not entirely who they seem.

"Lost" is, I feel, another instance where watching the show on DVD is more of a pleasure than watching it on TV. Although it took me a little while to get into the series during its season run, I've become fascinated with it during its Summer re-run run, and then further more with this DVD set. Like "24" and several other shows, not having commericials is really quite wonderful, allowing the episodes to flow without their rhythm being broken up every several minutes. There's still the quick cut-to-black and cut back where the commericals were, but this is certainly no distraction.

It definitely allows one to savor the show's many positives, including the carefully structured details of the plots, as the show's reveals and differing perspectives on various subplots somehow manage to seem organic and not mechanical. The flashbacks that are scattered throughout the episodes, which clue us in to some of the survivor's lives pre-island, are also expertly done, and edited into the island story in a way that isn't too jarring.

The performances are just about perfect, as the show's creators have brought together a great ensemble cast that has wonderful chemistry with each other. Fox and O'Quinn are certainly the highlights, but there isn't a wrong note within the rest of the cast. The cinematography is also perfect, capturing the beauty of the Hawaiian settings (as well as the different locations/sets for the flashbacks) and yet also giving them a certain eerie quality.

"Lost" gets a total recommendation from me, and I will recommend this DVD set even to those who didn't tune into the show so far.

24 episodes on seven discs: Pilot part 1, Pilot part 2, Tabula Rasa, Walkabout, White Rabbit, House of the Rising Sun, The Moth, Confidence Man, Solitary, Raised by Another, All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues, Whatever the Case May Be, Hearts and Minds, Special, Homecoming, Outlaws, In Translation, Numbers, Deus Ex Machina, Do No Harm, The Greater Good, Born to Run, Exodus part 1, Exodus part 2


The DVD

VIDEO/AUDIO: "Lost" is presented by Buena Vista in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation quality is really quite marvelous, as the image remained impressively rich and detailed throughout - in my opinion, an improvement over regular broadcast quality. The presentation did occasionally show a little bit of slight shimmer, but no pixelation, edge enhancement or other concerns presented themselves. Colors were absolutely stunning, with perfect saturation and no smearing. Black level remained deep and strong, while flesh tones looked accurate and natural.

The show is presented by Buena Vista in Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound mix of the episodes is quite stellar, with the surrounds coming into play throughout to deliver distinct environmental sounds and sound effects, as well as some reinforcement of the score. Audio quality is first-rate, with very crisp, clear dialogue, effects and music.

I also must note that the set comes in one of those cases where the discs are overlapping one another, which frequently seems to result in loose discs. So, after you've bought your set, be sure to inspect the discs inside. The menus are terrific, with subtle animation.

EXTRAS:

Commentary by executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Bryan Burk on the pilot (Parts one and two).

Commentary by executive producer Jack Bender, co-executive producer David Fury, and actor Terry O'Quinn on Walkabout

Commentary by executive producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk and actor Dominic Monaghan on The Moth

Commentary by executive producer Carlton Cuse, supervising producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and actors Maggie Grace and Ian Sommerhalder on Hearts and Minds

The commentaries are quite good, as they provide an informative look at the production of the episodes, going into such topics as shooting on location, troubles with weather, technical issues, characters and story developments. There are times throughout pilot commentary where the participants call for the show to be stopped, and the presentation cuts away to a featurette about the scene currently playing, or that general section of the episode.

The last disc contains plenty of additional supplements, starting off with "The Genesis of Lost", which details how the show started off with an idea that needed a whole lot of work, and then ended up in the hands of JJ Abrams and company. "Designing a Disaster" is a piece devoted to how the crash on the beach was built, and as massive and detailed as the scene looks in the show, the process of actually getting it together seems more intense than I'd even imagined.

"Before They Were Lost" is a lengthy featurette that goes into very pleasing depth about how each of the main actors were approached to do their roles, and how the characters were developed and often rewritten around the actor's strengths. Furthermore, we also hear some very interesting discussions of how there were some very big changes made to the pilot, as well as some troubles, such as trying to get Canadian Evangeline Lilly cleared to work in the U.S. Also included in this section are glimpses of the casting tapes.

"Welccome to Oahu" is a detailed and insightful look into the making of the pilot episode. The sort of fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes effort takes us into the shooting of the episode, as cast/crew had to deal with difficult, muddy conditions and
"The Art of Matthew Fox" is a moving gallery of still images from the scrapbook that he gave as gifts to the crew who worked on the show, with narration from Fox and music from the show in the background. Fox's comments provide thoughtful discussion of the photos and the story behind them. "Lost in ComicCon" is a featurette showing the massive response that the audience of thousands had to the showing of the pilot episode at the confrence.

The next section of the supplements starts off with a series of featurettes about working on location. The first piece looks at the cast working with the boars, who were not particularly cooperative, given the fact that others had been feeding them - no food, no interest. Later on, the boars were replaced with CGI ones. Finally, the original "boar stars" were replaced by a different set of trained boars that were brought in. The remainder of the featurettes in this section deal with the filming of specific episodes, and I'll list the episodes featured: "House of the Rising Sun", "Confidence Man", "All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues", "Whatever The Case May Be", "Hearts and Minds", "Special" and "Exodus". Next up is an uneven (goes on a bit too long for its own good), but mostly funny bit from the Jimmy Kimmel Show, where Jimmy visits the set and tries to figure out what's going on on the series. There's also a "backstage with Driveshaft" featurette.

In the final section of the supplements, we get a set of bloopers that are pretty amusing at times and sometimes just okay. Two lost flashback sequences are next, one for Claire and one for Sayid. Both are certainly worth watching, although they don't reveal a ton of information or anything like that. There are also thirteen deleted scenes, and although nothing too major, they're pretty enjoyable.

Finally, we get an interview at the Museum of Television and Radio with the cast and the creators. Everyone's obviously having a lot of fun, and the questions and answers are pretty goofy, and yet provide some decent information and insight at times. Last, but not least, if you haven't already seen the series, watch out for the Season 2 promo that plays before the menu on the first disc, as it does spoil some things. Also, don't watch any of the special features before the show itself if you've never seen the series.

Final Thoughts: "Lost" is downright spectacular, and the level of tension present in even some of the quieter patches of the series is exceptional. The performances are fantastic, and the writing is marvelous. I can't wait until the next season. The DVD set also gets high marks, with excellent audio/video quality and a nice helping of supplements. "Lost" is a must.


HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE FIRST EPISODE OF LOST PILOT

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE SECOND EPISODE OF LOST WHICH IS PILOT 2.

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PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 NOW AVAILABLE

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 AT WORLDS ENDS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

This movie is about Jack Sparrow and company returning to fight the English who don't want pirates anymore in the world. This time they have to first rescue Jack then they must stop the English from destroying the world.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 FROM IMDB.

After Elizabeth, Will, and Captain Barbossa rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from the the land of the dead, they must face their foes, Davy Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Beckett, now with control of Jones' heart, forms a dark alliance with him in order to rule the seas and wipe out the last of the Pirates. Now, Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Dalma, and crew must call the Pirate Lords from the four corners of the globe, including the infamous Sao Feng, to gathering. The Pirate Lords want to release the goddess Calypso, Davy Jones's damned lover, from the trap they sent her to out of fear, in which the Pirate Lords must combine the 9 pieces that bound her by ritual to undo it and release her in hopes that she will help them fight. With this, all pirates will stand together and will make their final stand for freedom against Beckett, Jones, Norrington, the Flying Dutchman, and the entire East India Trading Company. Written by J. Curcio

Elizabeth, Will and the crew of the Pearl sail off the edge of the map (literally) with the help of mysterious Tia Dalma and the late Captain Barbossa who has been raised by the dead to save Captain Jack Sparrow . He has been condemned to the terrible fate of remaining in the void of Davey Jones' locker for eternity. But rescuing Jack isn't the real meat of this movie - Lord Cutler Beckett has control of the heart of Davey Jones, and with that he controls the sea. The nine pirate lords of the world must unite for a final stand against Beckett, Jones and the East India Trade company. Written by Anonymous

Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner and Captain Barbossa go to Singapore to get a ship and crew with the despicable Captain Sao Feng to rescue Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead. After many betrayals and deals, they summon the nine pirate Captains to gather in the Brethren Court with the intention to release the goddess Calypso from her human body of Tia Delma and face the powerful Davey Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Jack Sparrow is trapped in Davy Jones' Locker, when he finds that Will Turner, Barbossa, Elizabeth Swann and Tia Dalma had sailed to World's End to get him back. But while they are doing that, Beckket starts to get his revenge on pirates by using Davy Jones. This leads to a dramatic climax as Tia - who is really Calypso, Davy Jones' lover - unleashed a storm, and the two ships - the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, commanded by Elizabeth (the new pirate "king" thanks to Jack) and Davy Jones respectectly. Written by Adam Hillman

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 FROM DVDTALK.

Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow, don't you? Yes, of course you do. Well, in case you hadn't heard, he's back, and he's bringing along the entire cast of the last two Pirates films, Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest. If you haven't seen those two movies, stop reading right now and go check them out. At World's End is part three of a trilogy, and not only will this review make no sense if you try to start with it, but will also feature spoilers for the previous entries in the series.

For those of you who have been watching, you may recall that Dead Man's Chest ended with both Jack (Johnny Depp) and The Black Pearl being taken to Davy Jones' Locker by way of The Kraken. You may also recall Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) lamenting Jack's fate in the bayou abode of witch-doctor Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), who shocked them all by revealing that Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), the villain from Curse of the Black Pearl, had been brought back from the dead. Now, they're all searching for Jack beyond the edge of the world. The fate of all pirates hangs in the balance, as they need Jack to call a pirate conclave in an attempt to ward off the combined forces of Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). If they fail, they are doomed. Even if they succeed, their chances of survival are still slim.

At World's End is the culmination of three films' worth of storylines, and as such can feel dense at times. But if you pay attention, the through lines are all there. In fact, this movie feels like it's much more of a piece with Curse of the Black Pearl than with Dead Man's Chest. The inclusion of Barbossa makes a huge difference, and there is a real sense of closure. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio are smart writers, and they've done a great job of making the three films fit together into a single, extended piece.

The cast do what they do best. Depp is still captivating as Sparrow, now more kooky than ever. And many will be happy to know that there's less Will and more Jack this go around. Keira Knightley steps things up another notch from her already improved performance in Dead Man's Chest. Geoffrey Rush plays Barbossa to perfection, and Naomie Harris adds layers to Tia Dalma. Bill Nighy is still show-stopping as Davy Jones, and he even gets a moment of real face time, much to my delight.

Director Gore Verbinski, meanwhile, has much more fun this time out, upping the humor and the action. He even has some fun with the filmmaking, throwing in homages to Sergio Leone and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. The action takes a serious step up. The climactic battle sequences are most likely the best action you'll see in any movie this summer. Of course, being the second half of a longer story, the pacing isn't as pitch perfect as in Curse of the Black Pearl, but it makes up for it with a truly epic scope that make the first two look puny in comparison. However, the film never loses sight of the important characters, and doesn't try to cast too wide of a net.

At World's End brings the Pirates series full circle. If they never make another one, then this is a fitting ending. The series being what it is, it leaves itself open for a sequel, but it's not the cliffhanger ending we got last time, that's for sure. I had a blast watching Pirates of the Carribean - At World's End, and if you're a fan of the previous two films, you will too. DVD Talk Collector Series.

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BROKEN BRIDGES NOW AVAILABLE

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This movie is about a popular country star that is struggling to reach his daughter who he has not seen in along time and the mother of his child who he stood up last time he saw her. This movie stars Toby Keith and is a movie that was made for CMT.




HERE IS THE SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE BROKEN BRIDGES BY IMDB.

A fading country music star (Keith) returns to his hometown, where he reunites with his childhood sweetheart and also meets his 16-year-old daughter for the first time.



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HERE IS A SUMMARY FROM IMDB ON THE MOVIE HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX

Harry is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. He's desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermoine have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down.... Written by Sharmeen B

After a lonely summer on Privet Drive, Harry returns to a Hogwarts full of ill-fortune. Few of students and parents believe him or Dumbledore that Voldemort is really back. The ministry had decided to step in by appointing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that proves to be the nastiest person Harry has ever encountered. Harry also can't help stealing glances with the beautiful Cho Chang. To top it off are dreams that Harry can't explain, and a mystery behind something Voldemort is searching for. With these many things Harry begins one of his toughest years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Written by HPfan

With Harry's fifth return to Hogwarts, so comes with it the realization that Voldemort's return to power is not the only factor that will contribute trouble to the times. As The Ministry insists on his and Dumbledore's obvious lunacy, Harry is forced to confide his trust within a different force, turning out to be just as dangerous. Written by Beetfields

After returning to Hogwarts to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers that much of the wizarding world, including the Ministry of Magic, is in denial about Lord Voldemort's return. The Order of the Phoenix, a group sworn against Voldemort, is using its vast array of wizards and witches magical abilities to combat Voldemort. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, suspects that Dumbledore is using these claims of The Dark Lord's return as a means to over-throw Fudge as Minister. In retaliation, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is appointed by the Ministry in order to keep an eye on Hogwarts. This new teacher, Professor Umbridge, implies strict new teachings and rules, forcing a group of students, under the tutelage of Harry, to form a club, by the name of Dumbledore's Army... Written by Loopy Bug

As another year begins for Harry, at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry so does the never-ending articles stating that he and Dumbledore are insane. As the ministry starts to invent new and malicious lies about Harry's account on Voldemort's return, Hogwarts begins to change for the worse as the ministry sends in their cure for all the insanity, Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge. As she begins to inflict her rules and regulations on the students at Hogwarts they begin to find that with her as their teacher, they'll never be ready for the outside world. So Harry along with his friends decides to take things into their own hands and begin to learn magic the real way. As Harry starts having visions of terrible events happening with the Ministries very walls he decides to take action, leading himself and his friends into battle, ultimately teaching them what friendship, loyalty and sacrifice really means. Written by Kyle

Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for one of his most difficult years yet. Not only must he study for his OWL exams, but as the Ministry of Magic is gradually taking control of Hogwarts and spares no efforts trying to discredit him, he tries to tell the skeptical wizarding world the truth of Voldemort's return... Written by Jason Rivest

Trouble brews as Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts begins. The authorities are ignoring Harry and Dumbledore's warnings of Voldemort's return, causing his fellow classmates to view him with disdain. Meanwhile, a new witch assumes control at Hogwarts, throwing the entire school into chaos. Will Harry lose everything? Written by spydamang

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX FROM DVDTALK.

2005's "Goblet of Fire" jolted the "Harry Potter" series to a new level of emotional investment and dramatic concern. It was a high point for the franchise, finally finding substantial meat for us muggles (I'm no student of J.K. Rowling's work) to chew on. "Order of the Phoenix" manages to top that potential in an immense way, compacting the longest "Potter" book into the shortest film yet (135 minutes), streamlining the urgency into a tasty pudding fan and non-fan should positively respond to.

With the death of Cedric Diggory weighing heavily on his soul, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) enters his fifth year at Hogwarts an angry young man, struck with disbelief over how many dispute his claim that Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has returned. After learning that Voldemort is planning a war on wizards, from Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) and the secret Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) choose to teach a group of Hogwarts students the finer points of spell casting to create their own army. All this upsets new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), who looks to ban all practical usage of magic and assume control of the school.

How "Phoenix" turned out so magnificently is a bit of a mystery. Here we have screenwriter Michael Goldenberg replacing Steve Kloves, who guided the first four movies of this series to adaptation contentment, meticulously and creatively shuffling pieces of Rowling's imagination to best fit the rigid confines of a feature film. Surprisingly, Goldenberg acquits himself beautifully to the demanding job, cleaving away massive sections of narrative to boil the film down to the basics. The new picture is dense with exposition, trying to summon a lightening storm of tension between the arrival of evil and the organization of good. The script hugs those thick guide rails tightly, focusing on Harry's newfound leadership role and the persistence of Voldemort to split the boy's mind in two.

Obviously, Goldenberg can't always smuggle plot points in organically; a prime example is found in the appearance of Hagrid's giant brother, Grawp, who factors into the payoff of the picture, but never transforms into a needed part of the momentum; an addition meant more for fans than narrative importance. The fringe of Umbridge's sinister wrath is also an element that's lost to the cruel world of judicious book-to-film adaptations. She's established with icy, passive-aggressive menace, but the reach of her venom is left a little blurry.

Behind the camera is David Yates, the first filmmaker of the series without any serious big screen credits to his name. Yates is primarily a television helmer, brought into the "Potter" fold due to his ease with actors. The effect is obvious from the get go; Yates pulls a much more profound performance out of Radcliffe in a feature that rests entirely on the young actor's shoulders. It helps that he's working with the absolute best English talent (Michael Gambon, Jason Issacs, and Fiennes are all outstanding), but Yates is digging a little deeper than his predecessors ever could. He's working with a plot that doesn't cause a dramatic earthquake, but instead seethes and builds to a terrific sense of future war.

Yates also captures a newfound sense of scope. While lacking the finer point of patience, "Phoenix" licks the outer edge of the Kubrickian envelop; cinematographer Nicholas Hooper choosing a more steely, polished look for the film. He brings out the moody colors of Hogwarts and the final wizard battle royal, which could pass for a dynamic, uncontainable Epcot laser show if there wasn't a noseless wizard running around the frame. If Chris Columbus bequeathed "Potter" with his warmth, Alfonso Cuaron infused mystery, and Mike Newell boosted the epic thunder, Yates lends the franchise an arresting impression of danger and angst that turns the story from one of continual wonder to one of survival and end-of-days preparation.

Also involved in this "Potter" installment is a fresh thematic coating pertaining to the idea of media manipulation, with Hogwarts and Harry struggling to stay one step ahead of "The Daily Prophet" and their usage of rumor and doubt to help suppress talk of Voldemort's return. The newspaper takes a greater role in the film's plot than ever before, adding to the smoothness of transitions between subplots and lending "Phoenix" a slight shiver of paranoia the series has never felt before.

Sure to delight the younger "Potter" fans is the continued sexualization of Harry, who locks lips with a classmate in "Phoenix," demonstrating that future references to "alone time with your wand" could mean anything at this point. Radcliffe plays the teen anxiety solidly, and while the puberty leap of the three leads isn't as pronounced as it was in "Goblet of Fire," the feeling is still there in "Phoenix," in the way Harry rebels against the establishment, Ron's confidence ripens, and Hermione starts to take pleasure in breaking the rules. The wonder of kids shaking hands with magic for the first time had its charms, but count me in for these later years when the alchemy of the outside world is nowhere near as strongly felt as it is on the inside of the teen wizards.

With Umbridge wielding the color pink as switchblade (Staunton is perfectly cast), the abstract Voldemort nightmares increasing, Harry trusting in the familial comfort of Sirius, witnessing an honest-to-god Azkaban prison break (resulting in the release of Bellatrix Lestrange, played with rumpled heat by Helena Bonham Carter), and finding a newfound purpose for Snape which allows Alan Rickman to run away with the film yet again, "The Order of the Phoenix" satisfies on a multitude of levels both mighty and minute. Certainly it's a transitory piece of filmmaking unable to rustle up a monster payoff, but it's a wholly satisfying one; the best so far of the franchise, pushing Harry's problems to unforeseen directions of gravitas and tension that I never perceived from the series before. Now, like millions of rabid "Potter" fanatics, I can't wait to see where all this wizardry and ambiguity ends up. I'm hooked.

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UPDATE:

HERE IS A BETTER QUALITY VERSION OF THE MOVIE IT IS A 7.7 ON THE RATING SCALE FOR THE PICTURE AND SOUND.

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