FEAR HOUSE NOW AVAILABLE

FEAR HOUSE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE FEAR HOUSE FROM IMDB

Friends and family pursue an estranged writer to an isolated house only to find that, once they've entered, their own fears will kill them if they leave.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE FEAR HOUSE FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

I admire anyone who can create something out of nothing.

Truer words are rarely spoken within a film than in this case. Fear House looks like it was made for next to nothing, yet its script and a creepy performance by its lead - Aleece Jones - help elevate this film into something that at least passes the time entertainingly for fans of fright house ghost flicks.

After an introductory scene - mixed in with the movie's credits - where two horny kids are dispatched within an old house in the middle of nowhere, Fear House begins with successful horror novelist Samantha Ballard (played by the aforementioned Aleece Jones) purchasing said house from an elderly agent. She views it as a great place to write her next book.

Nine months pass by and no one hears from her - or the agent for that matter. Thus, one night, Samantha's hemophiliac brother and her literary agent, along with two women including the real estate agent's daughter, arrive to check up on her. Conveniently, it's the very same night at the very same time that Samantha's estranged husband and his new lover show up to get her to sign divorce papers.

Why they all have to do this in the middle of the night is never explained. I guess it wouldn't be a horror movie otherwise.

In any case, the six characters break into the spooky old house. There, they find Samantha clearly deranged and discover that they cannot leave the house without facing their greatest fears and being killed by them. Apparently, a young girl named Anna Lisa was imprisoned by her abusive father 100 years ago at this very house, and her spirit is still causing mischief along with the spirit of Mondrique, a servant who cared for her and was killed for his troubles. Ah, but are these malevolent specters truly to blame? Time will tell - precisely 86 minutes, the runtime of this movie.

I watched Fear House wanting to like it despite its warts. Some of the acting is really over-the-top atrocious - though the two worst actors play characters who get killed straightaway so it's not a long-running nuisance. It's the lack of a special effects budget that ultimately takes away from the shocks of the film. Towards the film's climax, for example, a nearly laughable beheading scene followed by an equally shoddy looking death-by-giant-fireball really undercut the tension developed by the movie.

The script isn't bad, though, and offers a fairly standard haunted house scenario. Aleece Jones is both creepy and engaging as the prescient, haunted novelist who seems to be in sympathy with the dark forces that surround the house. The obsessive horror hounds out there who simply must see everything made in this genre could certainly do worse than spending an hour and a half with this movie.

The DVD

Video:

Fear House is described on the cover art as "16/9 Letterbox." The image is grainy and lacking in detail. Since most of the movie occurs in a dimly-lit setting, though, I didn't find this to be particularly distracting.

Sound:

Fear House provides two sound options: Dolby Surround 5.1 and Stereo 2.0. The default seems to be the Dolby Surround 5.1 and thus the option I listened to. I wasn't all that impressed with the mix, which didn't seem particularly dynamic. It seemed like a stereo mix, in other words. But, the dialogue was always clear - if a bit bass-heavy - and certainly serviceable.

Neither subtitle nor foreign language options appeared to be available.

Extras:

Life Size Entertainment provides a surprisingly generous helping of extras for this movie. The only quibble I have is with the extras menu - and this is a minor quibble. The extras menu is on a continuous loop with a short effects shot from the film preceding the extras options. This means that the options come and go every 10 seconds or so. It's not a big deal, but it's a little unusual and annoying. The set up menu was on a similarly styled loop, but the options didn't disappear for a considerable length of time on each playback cycle.

In any case, the extras include a trailer and actor rehearsal footage shot in Los Angeles. The trailer is widescreen while the rehearsal footage is full-frame and presented as if it were a series of short outtakes.

There's also an actual Outtakes section that's mostly a hodgepodge of bloopers and on-set clowning around.

The most significant extra, of course, is a commentary track with director Michael R. Morris, and actors Aleece Jones and Matthew Stiller. They're enthusiastic about the production and speak continuously through the film.

Final Thoughts:

Fear House offers a compelling spin on the haunted house genre; unfortunately, its shoestring budget hampers the effectiveness of many of its scares. Life Size Entertainment provides a lot of extras for this movie compared to other films of its ilk, which compels me to go with a Rent It recommendation for the fright flick crowd.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE FEAR HOUSE.

STONE & ED NOW AVAILABLE

STONE & ED NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE STONE & ED FROM IMDB

It's just another hazy morning for Stone & Ed until they unwittingly discover that they aren't actually brothers so they set out on a quest for the truth-they encounter a beautiful blonde in handcuffs, get tangled up with the largest Mexican drug dealer, and the sloppiest spooks the CIA has ever trained, along with a cast of zany characters all after the same thing...getting Stone & Ed. Written by Anonymous

It's just another hazy day for STONE and his brother ED until they unwittingly discover they may not be brothers after all! With the help of their techno-savvy neighbors JEFF and PHILLIP GUY, "The Guys," Stone and Ed set out on a quest to find Stone's mother, JANE DOE. After the first two Jane Does on their list don't turn out to be the one, the two less than genius brothers make their way to Mexico, and to the last Jane on the list. Along the way, this wacky duo encounters a cast of zany characters and one, out of this world adventure. By the time its all over Stone & Ed will have found their way into the middle of a dangerous game of cat and mouse between Mexico's largest drug lord, SENOR GORDO, and the CIA's most incompetent agents to ever leave Langley; THE MAN IN THE YELLOW HAT and his little partner, CURIOUS JORGE. Between mistaken identities of cases, and cases of mistaken identities, Stone & Ed are in for the trip of their lives. Written by Anonymous

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE STONE & ED.

RAMBO IV NOW AVAILABLE

RAMBO IV NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE RAMBO IV FROM IMDB

Vietnam veteran John Rambo has survived many harrowing ordeals in his lifetime and has since withdrawn into a simple and secluded existence in Thailand, where he spends his time capturing snakes for local entertainers, and chauffeuring locals in his old PT boat. Even though he is looking to avoid trouble, trouble has a way of finding him: a group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. After some inner contemplation, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they find themselves part of a raid by the sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. A portion of the villagers and missionaries are tortured and viciously murdered, while Tint and his men hold the remainder captive. Concerned by their disappearance, the minister in charge of the mission gathers a group of mercenaries and pleas Rambo transport them with his boat, since he knows their last exact location. But Rambo can't stay behind: he joins the team where he belongs, to liberate the survivors from the clutches of Major Tint in what may be one of his deadliest missions ever Written by stallonezone.com / Drew Lahat

In this latest Rambo installment, John Rambo has retreated to a simple life in a rural Thai village near the Burmese border, capturing snakes for local entertainers, and transporting roamers in his old PT boat. Following repeated pleas, Rambo helps ferry a group of Christian aid workers into war-torn Burma, where the local Karen villagers are regularly tortured and massacred by Major Tint's sadistic soldiers. The humanitarian mission is going well, until the village is attacked and the missionaries are kidnapped, and Rambo is once again asked to transport - but this time a group of mercenaries, assembled by the missionaries' minister on a deadly rescue mission. This time he doesn't stay behind. Written by Drew Lahat

In Thailand, John Rambo is living peacefully capturing snakes and transporting people and cargo in an old boat. When a group of Christian missionaries asks to be transported to the war zone in Burma to help the locals, the reluctant Rambo only accepts when Sarah Miller presents her point of view about their humanitarian mission. Rambo leaves the group in the requested location, but the village where they are working is attacked by the sadistic army of Major Pa Tee Tint, the locals are slaughtered and the missionaries are abducted. Later a member of their church meets Rambo and asks him to transport a group of mercenaries hired to rescue the missionaries. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In Thailand, John Rambo is living peacefully capturing snakes and transporting people and cargo in an old boat. But when he joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn Burma, and rescue a group of Christian aid workers who were kidnapped by the ruthless local infantry unit. Rambo refuses, but is convinced by another member, Sarah Miller, to take them up there. When the aid workers are captured by the Burmese army, Rambo decides to venture alone into the war zone to rescue them. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE RAMBO IV FROM DVDTALK

What began as a franchise of high adventure and bottomless sympathy, before promptly tumbling into a feral cartoon, has found its rightful home here: utter maniacal chaos. "Rambo" marks the return of Sylvester Stallone's Vietnam vet hero, a full 20 years after the release of "Rambo III." It seems that during this considerable downtime, Stallone has reassessed his work as John Rambo and his iconic screen history, and is comfortable raging again in this ruthless exclamation point on a surreal series of films.

Living in Burma as a boatman, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) spends his time quietly reflecting on his life, desperate to evade his demons. When a pack of Christian missionaries (including Julie Benz, "Dexter") comes to Rambo looking for passage into the heart of the Burmese civil war, he reluctantly accepts, but is wary of such dangerous terrain. Returning home alone, Rambo learns that the missionaries were captured by the vicious Burmese military, leaving him in a position to turn his back or assume his psychologically tattered solider mentality and launch into battle once again.

The truth is, "Rambo" is not a return to the sensitivity of 1982's "First Blood" in the same fashion "Rocky Balboa" healed old wounds. Nor is the film a superficial action breeze like the two previous blockbuster sequels. This time Stallone is hungry to prove a point, and he unleashes a torrent of violence in a manner that's just plain berserk. This is a detail that cannot be stressed enough: "Rambo" is a monumentally vicious film.

Stallone (who directs and co-scripted) is angling for the heart of darkness here, exhibiting the devastating Burmese civil war on very realistic terms, eager to stun the viewer with depictions of SLORC army atrocities including beheadings, rape, dismemberments, and further barbaric customs that keep the rest of the volatile country in place. "Rambo" doesn't recoil from any of it, displaying a gruesome rain of death and unspeakable acts of violation. Stallone is creating a bleak perspective here about the Burmese conflict, perhaps distancing himself from the mindless body count thrills of the two earlier films by edging toward authenticity. "Rambo" might seem over the top to some, but it puts the viewer in the middle of pure hell, making vivid points about the futility of peace and war. Here, fighting fire with fire is exhilarating, but there's an unavoidable price to pay.

Of course, Stallone isn't going to let "Rambo" sneak out into theaters worldwide without some expected heroism, and the brawny character is permitted some immense expressions of explosive jungle justice that dilute the verisimilitude of the film (the woefully melodramatic performances don't help the cause either), but still allow for an important sense of popcorn entertainment to help choke down the politics. Hulking around like a brick wall, Stallone isn't the lean machine he once was, but his matured gravitas works well for the character as well as the constant struggle with his uncertainties and traumatic combat experience. As seen in "Rocky Balboa," I enjoy Stallone's newfound comfort with himself, allowing his acting to soak up a dour sense of the world. It takes John Rambo back from a plastic action figure to a human being.

Once Rambo gets his military mojo back (with the help of overly chatty mercenaries also on the hunt), the film loses its damn mind and explodes with a thunderstorm of aggression aimed directly at Burmese military goons. "Rambo" blasts forward with wave after wave of fury, and it wouldn't be such a bad idea for those who like to sit in the first few rows to cover themselves with a plastic sheet Gallagher-style, to keep the buckets of blood and bits of body from staining their clothes. Here "Rambo" turns predator, but in a very dynamic manner that crashes across the screen with all the horror and fist-pumping that has come to be a staple of the franchise. What Stallone serves up in the finale of "Rambo" is a literal goulash of gore (most shots, if not all, are amplified with rickety CGI), and I was quite taken with the fearlessness of it all. The overall responsibility of the film is open for debate, but nobody can say that Stallone didn't reach for the bloodied brass ring with this splendidly bonkers concoction.

Just by being a product created two decades after the last installment, "Rambo" is a different cinematic creature; albeit one with familiar working parts. It's not a strong enough emotional statement to match the anger and frustration of "First Blood," and the action sequences are much too raw and uncompromising to offer solace to the sequel fans; "Rambo" is an unusual creation: a confident, striking production that may not conclude John Rambo's mournful journey, but finds a creative high point to rest upon for now.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE RAMBO IV.

THEN SHE FOUND ME NOW AVAILABLE

THEN SHE FOUND ME NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE THEN SHE FOUND ME FROM IMDB

A New York schoolteacher hits a midlife crisis when, in quick succession, her husband leaves, her adoptive mother dies and her biological mother, an eccentric talk show host, materializes and turns her life upside down as she begins a courtship with the father of one of her students. Written by CartmanKun@aol.com

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THEN SHE FOUND ME FROM DVDTALK


Helen Hunt took herself out of the Hollywood game eight years ago after sleepwalking through the Mel Gibson embarrassment, "What Women Want." She's acted in a few projects here and there, but "Then She Found Me" feels like a breaking dam: the overflowing artistic release of an actress fed up with what's been handed to her. Now Hunt takes matters into her own hands with this raw feature film, her directorial debut.

Now 39 years old, April (Helen Hunt) is desperate to have a baby of her own. However, to get to a place of motherhood, April has to deal with her divorce from husband Ben (Matthew Broderick), the death of her adoptive mother, and the persistence of her birth mother (Bette Midler), who, after all these years, is ready to be a part of her life. Also on her plate is an itchy romance with single father Frank (Colin Firth), an equally unhappy individual with passions that excite and frighten the newly-available, baby-starved April.

Adapted from the 1990 novel by Elinor Lipman, Hunt (who also co-wrote the screenplay) has molded the material into an expression of pain so piercing, it threatens to overcome the whole production. "Found" showcases the lives of some seriously miserable people, and the plot piles on the hopelessness relentlessly, making April's character arc a shoo-in candidate for the "most unlucky fictional character" award. However, Hunt's direction is sympathetic and graceful, keeping "Found" from total gloomy disintegration. She understands the necessity of maintaining a sincere mood to the piece, sympathizing with the characters and their individual needs and relationship angst. In all, it's a rather gentle take on crushing disappointment.

Hunt's camerawork is refreshingly unobtrusive, giving space to her superb cast, who each take their position memorably in April's babyfever nightmare. The standouts are easily Hunt herself, who looks to be scraping away the depressive gunk found at the very bottom of her soul to inform April's frustrations (something tells me sections of the film are autobiographical), and Midler, who's been kept away from a role this fertile for far too long. Funny, touching, and impressively subtle, Midler is a dream, executing her best performance in over a decade as April's deceptive, yet caring, birth mother. Sharing ace chemistry with Hunt, Midler's scenes are the jewels of the film; a reminder of how impressive her talent is and how much her recent career direction has failed to capitalize on her gifts.

"Found" does get a little grabby near the conclusion, attempting to smother April with even more doubt and heartache to manipulate the character into a place where her final motherhood choice can be better appreciated and cooed over; it's much too late in the game, but it doesn't smudge the rest of the picture. Helen Hunt has always been a strange screen presence, yet her own direction of "Then She Found Me" reveals a newly-energized place for her acting, requiring astoundingly naked emotional pull that assists the picture in uncovering some unsettling, yet superbly rewarding moments of emotional truth.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE THEN SHE FOUND ME.

SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 PREVIEW FROM IGN.COM

SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 PREVIEW FROM IGN.COM

HERE IS THE ARTICLE ON SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 FROM IGN.COM


You're about to read about some really cool stuff in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. This week, I got to participate in my first Inferno Match, figure out how Fighting Styles work this year, create my own finisher, and try out all of the new tag team features THQ's been talking about since WrestleMania. However, there's one tidbit that should really setup what THQ's going for in this installment of the franchise. For the first time ever, you can enter the wrestling ring via the steel steps. If you're a SVR hater, you might scoff at that little addition, but fans of the franchise should take note because it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the polish being put into this title. After an hour and a half of playing and creating, I was digging my time with SVR 09, but it wasn't the match types that were making me cheer inside. I was marking out for the way the ropes sagged as Jeff Hardy put his weight on the taught lines. I was marking out because flicking the left stick skips the current track playing over most menu screens in favor of another licensed tune or wrestler entrance theme. I was marking out because load screens now display the stats you've racked up as whichever wrestler is on the screen -- your win/loss record with Triple H, your most played match type, etc.

I could go on -- and as you can see below, I obviously will -- but the gist of what you need to take away at the broadest level of SVR 09 is that THQ and Yuke's have taken the gameplay and controls that you now know backward and forward from SVR 08 and shined 'em up real nice. Don't worry though, they apparently haven't turned them sideways or stuck them up your candyass. The character models look more defined than ever, the championship belts fit snugly on character waists and appear polished as well as heavy, and the action seems to be a few frames faster, although both the PS3 and Xbox 360 will run at a solid 60 frames per second. Now, even though SVR 09 keeps the left stick to move, right stick to grapple scheme we all know and -- most of us -- love, that's not to say that nothing has been added. When you get dropped by a superkick or what have you in this year's game, you'll still be instructed to tap a button repeatedly, but when you pull yourself to your knees, you'll be able to hold down R2 and L2 to enter a guarded state. Basically, if someone wants to kick you while you're guarding, you'll be able to reverse the strike and get up cleanly. If for some reason you can't get up and your opponent is stomping your corpse over and over again, the game will only let you take the punishment for so long before it generates a reversal that pushes the bad guy back and gives you the chance to get to your feet. There are other nifty tweaks and additions to the control scheme, but we'll chat those up when we get to them. For now, let's talk about the Inferno Match. Ever since the Undertaker and Kane stepped into the ring at Unforgiven 1998 and ring hands set fire to a barrier around the squared circle, the WWE fan base has dreamt of participating in a videogame version of the Inferno Match. This year, THQ's delivering that vision. My inaugural bout in the flaming fight pitted my CM Punk against the one and only Matt Hardy. The entrances progressed as normal -- Punk trotting to ringside in his T-shirt (which hugged the champ's body and looked more realistic than ever) and Chicago-inspired trunks before wringing his hands in the middle of the ring; then, without a load screen, Matt Hardy's music blared and Version 1 ran to the ring -- and I got to see Punk pacing Matt as the fire round ringside illuminated his face. Then, the bell rang. The first thing you'll notice is that SVR 09's Inferno Match takes advantage of the fact that it's a videogame. Rather than have some lame metal halo around the ring that actually houses the flames, the actual ring-rope sides of the ring are on fire. You pull off body slams and other moves, and, as the bodies impact, the flames shoot up.

Who is scared of the burn unit?

Think Go to Sleep is a gruesome looking finisher in real life? Take a gander at it as flames explode around Matt Hardy's impromptu dental work and the screen shatters like broken glass -- the broken glass bit is the new visual that goes off at the moment of Finisher impact and looks pretty damn cool. As you're pulling off these moves and the ring's belching towers of fire, a smaller box in the lower left corner is tracking the heat of the ring. It'll start at a bone-chilling 300 degrees and work its way up as the moves get more and more devastating. The rising flames also mean the screen's getting redder and redder. Anyway, when the pyro gets to a balmy 500 degrees, that's your chance to shove your opponent into the hellfire. To do this, you'll need to pull off a strong grapple and then work the enemy to whatever side of the ring you want with the left stick. If you're the dude getting dragged to the fire, you'll have to be on top of your face buttons to get out before you're lit up. When the strong grapple starts and you guys begin inching forward, your controller's face buttons will pop up near your HUD and you'll have to tap the buttons that are lighting up. If you pull off the taps quick enough, you'll break the hold and save yourself from third-degree burns. If you fail to keep up, the buttons will disappear as your opponent goes for the final shove into the fire and then the buttons will pop back up for one final command. Miss that move, and you're extra crispy. What happens when you go up like a brother of the Undertaker? The camera cuts to your dude rolling around ringside on fire -- a rolling/freaking out animation that stays on a disturbingly long time -- before fire extinguisher fog blasts in from the sides to save the day. There are other caveats to this match, such as the fact that you can't bounce off the ropes when the temperature is at its highest, the ring'll stick around that 500 degree mark for about as long as a momentum meter would flash, and so on, but one thing I can tell you is that this match is eye candy. Sure, it's goofy to see Triple H rolling around on fire, and it felt a bit sluggish moving a grappled opponent to the flaming ropes, but the fire growing and the roaring sound after every big move is a brilliant touch. I've played these games for a long time, and the close up on CM Punk rearing back on the Anaconda Vise as flames grew behind him might be one of the coolest shots I've ever come across. Even though I only got a brief taste of SVR 09, there seems to be a lot of nifty tidbits like the Inferno Match, and I'd personally put the refined Fighting Abilities in that category. Last year, THQ and Yuke's debuted Fighting Styles -- a grouping of abilities that gave benefits to the characters based on how they acted in the ring. This year, the developers are dropping the styles but keeping the abilities. Look at it this way: last year, Randy Orton was a Dirty Superstar. This meant that he had access to a bunch of dirty abilities such as removing turnbuckle covers and pushing the ref into opponents, but he didn't have access to the abilities that were in the Hardcore Fighting Style. This year, every Superstar will have six abilities. This means that single grappler can have the ability to remove turnbuckle covers as well as the ability to bash himself over the head with a chair to regenerate limb damage. These abilities are now independent. There's no longer a title you have to worry about.

So hot in here!

Breaking the abilities up seems like it's going to amplify the individuality that Fighting Styles introduced. During my demo, THQ talked about trying to make this game feel more like WWE programming than ever before and the Fighting Abilities are a big part of that. For example, when was the last time you saw a match end in a simple Boston Crab or arm-bar submission hold? If a wrestler puts someone into a hold that isn't his or her finisher in real life, it's not likely the opponent is going to tap. For years, that hasn't been the case in SVR. If you wore the legs of Shawn Michaels down, he'd tap to the simplest of leg holds. That's not going to happen anymore. If you don't have the Submission Specialist ability, you can't make someone submit to a plain old hold. Now, don't get me wrong -- John Cena's no Submission Specialist but his STFU will make people submit because it's a Finisher/Signature move. That fact is universal, but nobody's submitting to a figure four unless it's a Finisher/Signature or the person pulling the move off is a Submission Specialist. If you haven't caught on in your years of reading IGN's SVR coverage, THQ is pretty good at keeping secrets. The company says that there are "big, big features" that it hasn't announced for SVR 09, but that didn't stop us from getting the dirt on a few more of the 20 Fighting Abilities. Possum Pin's one of the abilities, but it's been tweaked a bit from last year; this time, you have to spend a stored finisher to pull the move off. There's the Dirty Pin (using the ropes for leverage), Hardcore Resurrection (the aforementioned beat-yourself-up-to-heal move), Object Specialist (a proficiency with items from under the ring), Lock Pick (a one-button press that gets you out of submissions), Steal Taunt, and Steal Finisher. Beyond all those abilities were three that we found especially intriguing. Kip-Up is the tried-and-true Shawn Michaels move of kicking up from your back to your feet. A Superstar with this ability will only be able to do the move once per match and only when he's racked up critical damage. Once the guy pops up, he'll have a full momentum meter and be momentarily damageless. The next ability we really dug was Fan Favorite. We didn't get to see it in action, but what will happen is the Superstar will begin taunting and clapping in an attempt to get the crowd going. If the opponent doesn't stop the Superstar, the crowd will get in on the claps, they'll become deafening, and the foe will cover his ears and be open for an attack. The last "big one" we got to hear about was Resiliency. This is kind of an always-on attribute that won't be deployed by a button press but should definitely affect the way the game plays. In previous years, schooling the Hurricane was the same as schooling Triple H. If you knew your moves, you could dominate different guys in the same way. THQ's looking to fix that with Resiliency, a Fighting Ability that makes a main eventer feel like a main eventer when you're wrestling him. A Superstar with this ability will need more bang to knock on his buck.

"Why does my hand smell like this?"

Now, to put down these main eventers, you're going to need some killer moves, and this year you'll get to make your own with Create-A-Finisher. As I'm sure many of you are aware, I was a two-time Backyard Wrestling Federation Champion before landing on IGN's doorstep. My title reigns were marked with drinking laundry detergent and a terrifying move known as the Greggy Guillotine -- a fireman's carry that spun out into a Stone Cold Stunner. I actually stole the move from the character creation found in N64's WrestleMania 2000, and I have been heartbroken every year since then to find it missing from the SmackDown series. Finally, my virtual Gruesome Greggy can pull off his very own finisher. Create-A-Finisher presents you with more than 500 animations to slot in up to ten steps that will make up your masterpiece. When I clicked on step one, I was taken to a list of all the available moves. Tapping R1/L1 cycled through move subcategories such as blood-drawing maneuvers, taunts, holds, and more, while the right stick rotated the green guy demonstrating the moves as well as zooming in and out. Of course, there is no such thing as a DQ in the BYWF, so I choose to start the Guillotine animation with a swift kick to my opponent's groin. For step two, Gruesome Greggy yanks the foe into a fireman's carry. Step three spins the bad guy out into a Diamond Cutter position, and step four finishes the cutter. Sure, it wasn't the stunner -- only a few dozen of the 500-plus moves were available in the build I was playing -- but it was still awesome looking and a cinch to set up. With the move running next to my four-step layout, I decided the kick wasn't swift enough and jumped back to crank the speed of the blow up to 150 percent. With the brutal combination complete, I jumped in and named the move -- you can choose from a set of pre-assigned names if you want to hear the announcers say it or create your own title -- and saved the creation. From there, it was as simple as assigning it to an actual or created Superstar. Our final touchstone in our WWE afternoon was the revamped tag team match. Although the company's keeping a lid on all the bells and whistles under SVR 09's hood, THQ's had no problem promoting the double team finishers, hot tags and more that this mode features. For our bout, we teamed up with a developer to become the Hardys (EXTREME!) and went up against Rey Mysterio and Mr. Kennedy. Jeff and Matt came out as a team and under the Hardy moniker, while Rey and Ken entered solo.

619!

As Jeff, the match began with me perched on the apron watching Matt work. Since it announced that SVR 09 was overhauling the tag match, THQ has said that it's going to make the inactive tag team member still feel like they're part of the match. From my quick taste, it appears to be working. While Matt wailed on Rey, I could stalk around the two sides of the ring that touched our corner, I could jump to the arena floor, I could crawl into the ring, and I had a number of offensive moves I could pull off when the time was right. When Matt whipped Rey at the ropes, a button tap had Jeff yank the rope down so that Rey went flying. If Mr. 619 got too close to Jeff, I could use the right stick to grab the munchkin and hold him so Matt could get in a few shots -- however, I ran the risk of Rey reversing when I tried this and belting me in the jaw. If Matt decided to be selfish, I could also use the right analog stick to force the tag and get my time in the limelight. Tag teams are nothing without teamwork though, and SVR 09's got a wealth of options. There's a ton of double team moves -- think Jeff and Matt's copyrighted crotch/leg drop thing -- that can be set off by one player initiating a strong grapple and the other guy just grappling normally. On top of that, there are around 20 dedicated tag team finishers -- such as the Twist of Fate followed by the Swanton Bomb. Some of those double team finishers will be self-explanatory when you're rolling with an established squad, but if you're pitting Wrestler A with Wrestler B and the two aren't connected, you'll have to pair them from the main menu -- a lot like the old Create-A-Stable -- and assign the finisher there. Thankfully, tag teams will share a momentum bar, so there's no need to worry about tagging in a partner and losing your power. On top of that, the new Hot Tag seemed pretty cool. I let Jeff get beat on a bit by Kennedy, and then began holding the D-pad. Slowly but surely, the onscreen momentum meter began to burn and finally erupted in flames. When this happened, I just had to get Jeff on our side of the ring, and the camera jumped to a beleaguered Jeff making the weary, last ditch dive to tag in Matt. Like a ball of brutality, Matt leapt into the ring, took out the legal man, and then swung at Rey on the apron. As this happened, a button prompt appeared on the screen. If our partner piloting Matt hit the proper button, Rey would go down. However, our partner missed the prompt. Rey nailed Matt and ended the Hot Tag antics.

To the EXTREME!!

When I read the message boards or check the comments on an SVR story, I almost always see someone criticizing THQ for "putting out the same game every year." As a fan, you and I could argue the fact that there's always new arenas, wrestlers, modes, and more, but there is some truth to the criticism -- THQ constantly builds on what makes its games good. Although I've only logged a little more than an hour with SVR 09, this title seems to be building in the right ways. There's a more appropriate amount of echo in the ring announcers voices; there are four different crowds that will show up in the game's arenas; when a ref's counting a pinfall or ring out his voice now sounds as if it's coming from inside the ring and there are no more big, hokey numbers that pop up on the screen; and when Superstars such as the Undertaker perform finishers that end in a pin, the game's going to make the move flow so that the sequence doesn't end in a rope break. The character models look sharper than ever, the entrances are grand, we don't even know all the features yet, and there's going to be downloadable content. I am legitimately excited about this title, and I don't see how fans of the franchise couldn't be.

CLOVERFIELD NOW AVAILABLE

CLOVERFIELD NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE CLOVERFIELD FROM IMDB

Cloverfield follows five New Yorkers from the perspective of a hand-held video camera. The movie is exactly the length of a DV Tape and a sub-plot is established by showing bits and pieces of video previously recorded on the tape that is being recorded over. The movie starts as a monster of unknown origin destroys a building. As they go to investigate, parts of the building and the head of the Statue of Liberty come raining down. The movie follows their adventure trying to escape and save a friend, a love interest of the main character. Written by Pip Carlson

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE CLOVERFIELD FROM DVDTALK

Shuffled from a quick shooting schedule to post-production to theatres in a shroud of secrecy, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield (2008) created plenty of buzz upon its release last January. Hidden beneath fake name titles like Cheese and Slusho, the as-yet-unknown monster movie spared no expense in making sure the final cut arrived with a bang. Having seen the film's mysterious trailer before last year's so-so Transformers, it immediately caught my attention as something worth looking into. I wasn't alone, of course: curious fans were intrigued by the film's viral marketing campaign and reluctance to reveal what Cloverfield was all about. For the most part, we only knew that it was big, scary and would be arriving soon. Surprisingly enough, when it did arrive...it actually scored big with audiences and critics alike. Go figure.

Here's the setup: twenty-something Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is given a surprise going-away party after landing a prestigious job overseas. The Manhattanite has got obvious feelings for Beth (Odette Yustman) after their rendezvous a few weeks prior, but she shows up to the party with another guy. Rob's pal Hudson (T.J. Miller) attempts to cheer him up while recording well-wishes from the crowd...though "Hud" also has his eye on Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), who barely knows Rob but was invited anyway. Also attending are Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and his girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas); the latter is perhaps the most level-headed in the bunch, which could be why she did most of the party organization.

All this yuppie-grade drama is pushed to the background, of course, when the apartment shakes and power flickers off for a moment; the kids are terrified, so they scramble towards the TV and windows to see what caused all the commotion. This is no "earthquake" as early reports suggest, especially after a massive explosion in the city sends fiery debris their way. Fleeing to street level, the party-goers witness more chaos and destruction; eventually, some folks get separated in the fray. What exactly caused all the panic doesn't really matter at the moment; they've just got to find each other and get to safety before Manhattan crumbles.

This story is told from a narrow perspective: like The Blair Witch Project and its ilk, all the spookiness is captured on a single camera (in this case, the one Hud carries around dutifully)...so whether we like the characters or not, we're stuck with them for the duration. Our heroes are likeable enough, yet I'll admit that the well-to-do Starbucks and sushi crowd---in their fancy Manhattan apartments, no less---isn't really my environment of choice. This is perhaps a testament to Cloverfield's effectiveness, however: no matter if you have a trust fund or not, the over-the-top events of the film unfold in a chaotic but believable manner.

The Blair Witch style of presentation isn't the only thing that separates Cloverfield from typical monster movies, but it's certainly the most noticeable difference. Some viewers may rightfully become disoriented at times: after all, Reeves' film takes the Paul Greengrass approach and amplifies it substantially. Yet such a stripped-down atmosphere doesn't hinder the film at all; instead, it reminds us that Steadycams and sweeping crane shots aren't necessary to tell an exciting story. Taking their cues from viewer-driven video websites like YouTube, the crew of Cloverfield certainly had the means to hold the camera steady...but they really wanted to inspire audience members without immediate access to fancy equipment.

Adding to the "kitchen table" effect is the exclusion of a traditional score...save for the occasional bit of background music, of course. Instead, our ears are simply treated to a chaotic, creepy audio mix---developed and executed, in part, by Skywalker Sound---that magnifies the tension considerably. The end result is just as enveloping as the visuals themselves, yet the sum of these parts holds our attention from start to finish. We really feel as though we're part of the action...and during a suspenseful film, can we really ask for more?

Presented on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment, Cloverfield manages to bring plenty of scares to the small screen. The stripped-down visual presentation and enveloping audio mix have been preserved nicely, while a number of interesting bonus features support the film well. All things considered, it's a solid package that fans should certainly enjoy. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Video & Audio Quality

Presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Cloverfield looks excellent, given the circumstances. The moderately filtered and degraded image preserves the film's intended look, while black levels and image detail are quite solid in most cases. A very mild amount of edge enhancement can be spotted during a few sequences, though other digital imperfections are clearly part of the source material. Overall, this is a terrific visual presentation that fans should enjoy.

For obvious reasons, let's ignore the fact that such a crisp and thunderous soundstage could never be captured on a "consumer-grade" camera. This Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix (available in French and Spanish dubs) is dynamic and immersive, putting us smack-dab in the middle of the action. Dialogue is generally clear and easy to understand, rarely fighting for attention with background noise...and only when appropriate, of course. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are provided during the main feature and nearly all of the extras.

Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging Seen above, the appropriately tense menu designs are basic and easy to navigate. The 84-minute main feature has been divided into 16 chapters, while no obvious layer change was detected during playback. This one-disc release is housed in a standard black keepcase and includes no inserts of any kind. Interestingly enough, this promotional screener copy arrived in an oversized "archival tape" case, further accenting the film's top-secret tone. Spooky!

Bonus Features They might look a bit standard on paper, but the included extras prove to be quite entertaining and informative. Leading things off is a feature-length Audio Commentary with director Matt Reeves, who previously worked with producer J.J. Abrams in creating the television series Felicity. Reeves delivers quite a fast-moving track, which contains only a few moments' worth of silence during the film's 84-minute lifespan. The director speaks about Cloverfield's brisk shooting schedule (which spanned just over a month), as well as the unique format and mixture of live action and green-screen backgrounds. Interestingly enough, Reeves also expresses a bit of regret about how the apartment "rescue sequence" turned out visually, which I noticed during my first viewing and completely agree with. Overall, this is a fine commentary worth listening to.

"Document 1.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield" (28:17, below left) provides an up-close and personal view of the film's relatively short production, taking us behind the scenes of multiple set locations and post-production facilities. Director Matt Reeves and producer J.J. Abrams are joined by select members of the cast and crew, who comment about the overall experience and top-secret nature of the shoot as it unfolds. This is an interesting enough piece---and though a few key sections are glossed over, they'll be explained in more detail soon enough.

Up next is a pair of related featurettes, beginning with "Cloverfield Visual Effects" (22:31, below right). This obviously expands on the computer-aided aspects of the production, mainly the aforementioned green-screen background sequences and creature designs. It's surprising to learn exactly what was added in post-production, even during some of the more conventional sequences. On a similar note is "I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!" (5:52), a shorter piece focusing solely on character design and development (especially the chief baddie, nicknamed "Clover" by the production team). Peppered with glimpses of 3-D models and early puppet designs, this will be of great interest to more visually-minded fans. My only nitpick relates to the numerous mentions of Godzilla as an obvious inspiration, yet King Kong is casually brushed aside. Gorillas need love too.

Winding things down is a selection of unused footage, beginning with "Clover Fun" (3:59). This short compilation of flubbed takes---nearly all of which takes place at the going-away party and Beth's apartment---is relatively lightweight, but still worth a look. Also here is a handful of Deleted Scenes (4 clips with optional director commentary, 3:35 total), which include a few lighter moments and extended takes. They were rightfully trimmed from the final cut, though one could argue that the party sequence still runs a bit long. Our last film-related extra is a pair of Alternate Endings (2 clips with optional director commentary, 4:36 total), which turns out to be fairly disappointing; in short, they do little more than alter the final few seconds of "flashback footage".

Also included are Previews for the upcoming theatrical releases of Star Trek and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, though Cloverfield's excellent trailer is nowhere to be found. All bonus features, save for these previews, are presented in anamorphic widescreen and include optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. This shouldn't need to be mentioned, but it's good to see such care taken with every aspect of a DVD release.

Packed with plenty of thrills, chills and suspense, Cloverfield is a claustrophobic monster movie crafted with care by true fans of the genre. The guerilla-style visual approach---unfairly regarded by some as a cheap production gimmick---does wonders for the admittedly stripped-down atmosphere, while attention to detail and the lack of a traditional score enhance the experience even further. This "budget blockbuster" also plays fairly well on the small screen...thanks in part to a careful DVD treatment by Paramount, which pairs a solid technical presentation with a handful of entertaining, informative bonus features. It's at least worth a rent for even the most jaded followers of horror and suspense, but most fans will want to make permanent room on the shelf for Cloverfield. Firmly Recommended.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE CLOVERFIELD