SEVEN POUNDS DVD SCREENER NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Seven Pounds from imdb

An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.


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THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still from imdb

In the original movie, a flying saucer orbits Earth, and lands in Washington, DC, on the Mall. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) steps out and is shot by a jumpy soldier. Gort (Lock Martin), an indestructible robot steps out of the spacecraft and proceeds to melt all the weapons, including tanks. Later, the Earth comes to realize that Gort has used very little of his power to make this happen.

While lying on the ground, Klaatu orders Gort to stop, and is then taken by the military to a hospital from which he later escapes in order to learn more about this planet called Earth and its human inhabitants. He meets Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Billy (Billy Gray); takes Klaatu on a tour of Washington, DC; and finally stops in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Klaatu reads the words uttered by Lincoln many years ago and realizes that there might be hope for Earth.

When they begin to suspect the alien man, he reveals himself, along with the news that Gort is a member of a race of super-robot enforcers invented to keep the peace of the galaxy and will destroy the Earth if provoked. Klaatu is pursued and shot and killed by the military. Before Klaatu dies, he tells Helen to go to Gort, and say the words "Klaatu barada nikto." If she does not, Klaatu tells her Gort will destroy the Earth. Helen makes her way to the ship and finds Gort. As the robot moves towards her, she repeats the phrase over and over. The robot picks her up and takes her into the ship. It then retrieves Klaatu's body and, through their alien science, resurrects Klaatu.

The 2008 remake about an alien and his indestructible robot will star Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, Jaden Smith as Jacob, and Kathy Bates. Gort has not been cast at this time and will most likely be created using SFX.

The remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still will supposedly remain true to the original movie. However, there is a chance the remake will more likely remain true to the short story upon which the 1951 movie is based. In either case, the alien weaponry seems to have been upgraded. In addition to a city going dark, and a very brief look at the new Gort, the film trailer shows a cloud of black smoke, capable of rapid movement and disintegrating matter on contact.

In the 1951 movie, Gort is described as one of a race of robots created by the planets to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. If the 2008 remake follows "Farewell to the Master," the short story by Harry Bates upon which the 1951 movie is based will be used for the ending, which will not be revealed here.

Here is a review for the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still from dvdtalk

On the unnecessary remake scale of brow-furrowed disgust, I would rate this new pass at "The Day the Earth Stood Still" fairly high; not only because the film endeavors to "reimagine" the 1951 Robert Wise classic, but because it dares to drag perfection in the opposite direction. Refusing to take Wise's nuanced lead, the new "Stood" is a grotesque creation that prefers noise to thought, clumsily slapping together an eco-minded warning siren in the guise of a bloated Roland Emmerich creation. We already have one Emmerich, the world doesn't need a second version running around.

When a mysterious sphere of glowing biological purpose lands in Central Park, Earth's leading scientists, including Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), are summoned to study the visiting ship. Out of the light comes Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), an alien with a sobering message to deliver to the leaders of the planet. When Klaatu is shot during his greeting, government officials (led by Kathy Bates) seize the opportunity to lock up the alien and interrogate him. With the help of Helen and her son Jacob (Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith), Klaatu is rescued out of confinement and taken out of state, where the alien attempts to make sense of the human race, hoping to find a reason to save Earth from certain doom before it's too late.

The nerve of Fox to rework "Stood" leaves a bitter residue in my mouth, but that's the way Hollywood rolls these days. Pandering to kids who wouldn't know Gort if he came up and shot a laser beam down their throats, the new "Stood" turns a tidy atomic age parable into event movie mush. It trades nuclear weapons and cold wars for Al Gore-inspired planetary consideration, wrapped up tightly in blinding special effect displays to keep the audience interested in a preachy screenplay and patchy performances.

Certainly "Stood" means well enough, trying to fit its obese frame into the tight sweater of a message movie, speaking on the dangers of pollution and hostility in an increasingly careless world. Perhaps a filmmaker with some experience with large scale movement and political discussion could've molded "Stood" into a distant cousin of the original film. Instead, Fox hired Scott Derrickson, a man who previously gifted the world pure cinematic drivel such as "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and "Hellraiser: Inferno."

Derrickson kicks off "Stood" with a respectable opening act, using a frightened Helen as the film's guide into alien mystery and end-of-the-world willies, building a convincing wall of vagueness with the appearance of the massive orb and Klaatu's blood-spattered introduction to humans. Once the alien is established as a resourceful, powerful weapon of energy with serious opinions about Earth, "Stood" takes a swan dive, developing a boil of stupidity it refuses to lance. From here on out, the screenplay by David Scarpa becomes crippled with clichés and miscalculated peaks of drama, with Derrickson heading off to supervise the considerable special effects work, leaving the actors to fight the good screen fight alone.

It's one thing to use eco-terror as a backdrop for concern, deftly reworking the original story to match new standards of social alarm; but "Stood" doesn't sniff out much gradational thought, instead it takes a lead-foot approach that features the characters spelling out the themes of the movie through clunky dialogue and poorly modulated performances (Smith is especially grating and resoundingly awful as the innocent soul of the picture). "Stood" is preachy with its point of change, constantly emphasizing the obvious, stopping just short of an Iron Eyes Cody cameo to drive home the message of humanity as the ultimate poison. I'm not disagreeing with the sentiment, I only object to the monotone monologues from Reeves or the teary pleading of Connelly to smuggle the elephant into the room.

Beyond the world-changing goal of the picture lies the visual effects, and while there's a wild bunch of alien and ecological ornamentation hung around the film, the worst offense lies with Gort, Klaatu's now building-sized robot defender. Once a creation of limited movement, the new Gort is reintroduced as a fluid being of destruction, not only from his laser beam-happy ocular cavity, but also though his ability to dissolve into a swarm of miniature metal insects that eat away anything in their path. The introduction of Gort leads "Stood" to unimaginably idiotic scenes with gung-ho U.S. military forces that bring to mind old "Simpsons" episodes, and showcases Derrickson's real impetus for the directorial job: to stage worldwide catastrophe. Oh, and to add as much product placement into the frame as possible.

It doesn't take very long before "Stood" turns into a crude pyrotechnics display, effectively wiping clean whatever responsibility it toyed with in the first act to dive into glowing ball/Gort smash! excess. It's too late now to cry foul over a needless remake. The film's here, waiting for audiences to escape the holiday blues with a little helping of devastation. Perhaps to the relaxed eye, Derrickson's coarse direction won't feel like a hot knife through the temple, but to any fan of 1951 film, it's best to ignore this exhaustive mangling of a classic movie.

Here is the direct download for the movie The Day the Earth Stood still part 1 of 2.

Here is the direct download for the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still part 2 of 2.

THE PUNISHER 2 WARZONE NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie The Punisher 2 from imdb

Infamous vigilante, anti-hero Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) is six years into his vengeance driven zeal as the Punisher when he brutally assaults a "beat the rap" party for notorious mob boss Gaitano Cesare. During the course of the massacre, he hideously disfigures overeager gangster Billy Russoti (Dominic West) and murders a mafia lackey who turns out to be an undercover FBI agent. Agent Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon), the ex-partner of the undercover Fed, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force" to help bring Castle to justice, once and for all. A facially mutilated Russoti recovers from his run-in with the Punisher with revenge on his mind and recruits a massive army of psychotic killers, gangbangers, and mobsters under his new alias "Jigsaw." Distraught that he has now become the very evil he swore to battle, Castle is content to hang up his guns and quit the justice business for good. However, plans quickly change once he learns that Jigsaw has kidnapped the surviving wife and child of the dead federal agent. Forced back into the war, the Punisher now has to face off against Jigsaw's formidable army in order to save the lives of an innocent family his actions put on firing line. "Clock's ticking."

Here is a review for the movie The Punisher 2 from dvdtalk

The Film:
Really, when you stop and think about it, there really isn't a character better suited for an easy transition from the comic book page to the movie screen than Marvel's Punisher. Loaded down with enough fire power to stop an army, decked out in a black outfit emblazoned with a skull, and no super powers other than the ability to kill criminals, the Punisher is about as no-frills as comic book characters get. There's no convincing a movie audience he can fly, or that he transforms into a giant green monster, or that he has enhanced strength from being bitten by a spider. But despite the simplicity of the character, the last two attempts at bringing the Punisher to life--an idiotic 1988 adaptation starring Dolph Lundgren and an even more abysmal 2004 version starring Thomas Jane--have ranked among the more craptacular comic book movies. And those two miserable failures are either enough to make you wonder why anyone would make another Punisher movie, or give you cynical hope that at least there's nowhere to go but up.

Following in the latest Hollywood trend of restarting franchises with pseudo-sequels to earlier failures, Punisher: War Zone is to the bad 2004 Punisher what this year's Incredible Hulk was to 2003's disappointing Hulk. Both films were not so much sequels as they were attempts to correct some really bad decisions that resulted in movies that were not that fun to watch. Irish actor Ray Stevenson takes over the lead role of ex-special forces operative Frank Castle, who loses his wife and children to a Mafia massacre after they witness a brutal gang execution. With nothing to live for, and bent on destroying organized crime, Castle arms himself to the teeth, and stalks the underworld as the take-no-prisoners Punisher. With the mob afraid of him, and the cops turning a blind eye to him, Castle is pretty much left to do what he does best--amass a massive body count of bad guys. But when the Punisher accidentally kills an undercover federal agent, he begins to question his actions. But as fate would have it, gangster Billy Russoti (Dominick West) is looking for his missing money--money last seen in the hands of the agent killed by Castle. With his face terribly disfigured after an encounter with the Punisher, Russoti, now calling himself Jigsaw, goes after the wife and daughter of the murdered agent. Despite his desire to give up his life of splattering the brains of criminals all over the place, Castle refuses to sit by as Jigsaw wrecks havoc, which of course means it's only a matter of time before the hot lead starts flying and the bodies start dropping.

Punisher: War Zone, while being a ways away from great cinema, is a vast improvement over the two earlier Punisher movies. Ray Stevenson, looking like a Punisher drawing by legendary comic book artist Tony DeZuniga, is well suited for the role. Perhaps the only other actors right for the role would be Tommy Lee Jones about twenty years ago or Tom Berenger around the time he basically played the same role in The Substitute. Stevenson brings a nice steely grit to the character, and a look of determined intensity that doesn't need pointless dialog to prove a point.

The rest of the cast of Punisher: War Zone is pretty inconsequential, the notable exception being Dominic West, who gives an over-the-top performance that outdoes all others in a film full of over-the-top performances. In fact, restraint is something not to be found in most of Punisher: War Zone, as the cast delivers ham-fisted dialog in heavy New Yawka accents. That's not to say the script is terrible--especially compared to earlier versions of the Punisher--but this isn't screenwriting at its finest, either. The problem here is that the film feels like it's trying to prove that it is adapted from a comic book by playing into the notion of what a comic book is. Everyone involved has clearly studied other super hero movies, without really considering the fact that Punisher is not a real superhero. The Punisher is not Spider-Man or even Batman; he's Charles Bronson in Death Wish or Robert Forster in Vigilante. It would be nice if the films reflected that a bit more, and instead drew inspiration from other comic-to-film adaptations like A History of Violence.

Part of what makes the Punisher such an interesting character in the comic book world is the way he interacts with super-powered heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil. Comic fans know that Punisher is seldom more interesting when he goes to-toe-toe with masked heroes who can't bring themselves to cross the same line he doesn't give a second thought to. This creates a great conflict that has propelled some of the best Punisher stories. But you can't do that in a film, because there are no costumed heroes for the Punisher to play off of in the movie world. This is why Punisher: War Zone, and if there are any other entries in the franchise, would be better served by scaling back the comic book-ish nature of Frank Castle's screen persona in favor of something more grounded in reality. The Punisher is, after all, a crime book, not a superhero book.

For what it is, Punisher: War Zone is entertaining. It is a B, or perhaps a B-minus grade entry in the world of films based on comic books. But considering how bad the earlier Punisher films were, as well as junk like Daredevil and Ghost Rider, there's a certain comfort in knowing that this movie is not as bad as it could have been. Is that a ringing endorsement? No, it is not. But if you like the Punisher, or if you like fairly brainless tales of vigilantes on a killing rampage that are punctuated with excessive violence and splatter-happy gore, then this film will do the trick.

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GHOST TOWN NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Ghost Town from imdb

Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result. Written by Studio Approved Synopsis

Here is a review for the movie Ghost Town from dvdtalk

Bertram Pincus, D.D.S. (Ricky Gervais) is dead...or at least he was, for just under seven minutes. His brief departure into the afterlife has triggered an "ability" to see and interact with dead people; specifically, those with unfinished business from their former lives. They soon pester the good doctor into helping them resolve said business---but as a man who outright detests social interaction, Pincus simply wants to be left alone. A particularly smooth-talking spirit, Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), manages to grab his attention with a deal: if Pincus can break up the impending marriage of his widow, Gwen (Téa Leoni), Frank promises the reluctant clairvoyant that he will Live In Peace. As fate would have it, though, Pincus develops feelings for Gwen...even though her new fiancée makes the average Boy Scout look like a social degenerate.

Co-written and directed by David Koepp, Ghost Town manages to strike a solid balance between romantic comedy and light-hearted ghost story during the bulk of its 102-minute running time. Gervais is particularly likable as the central character: his awkward interactions with those that irritate him (read: just about everyone) anchor the story quite well, reminding us that a less experienced funnyman would've brought this production to a screeching halt. His gradual affection for the soon-to-be-married Gwen is believable enough, thanks to the intelligent spark and attractive quirks infused by Leoni. As the spirit with the most screen time, Kinnear turns in a solid performance on par with Gervais'; cursed with a somewhat despicable personality of his own, Frank Herlihy is a man whose mistakes reveal a certain humility hidden behind layers of cockiness. His transformation into "invisible wingman" partners well with Pincus, who Herlihy can't help but live vicariously through.

An aside: perhaps it's the Manhattan setting, the somewhat downbeat atmosphere, the presence of Greg Kinnear or simply the "socially-awkward-guy-comes-out-of-his-shell" factor, but Ghost Town bears a spiritual resemblance to 1997's As Good As It Gets. One could argue that it feels often feels like a dozen other romantic comedies along the way, but it's a feeling I just couldn't shake (though as a fan of the Jack Nicholson vehicle, there's certainly worse films to mimic).

Despite a fairly consistent parade of gags, Ghost Town can't help but struggle a bit in the home stretch. It tends to grasp at straws while building momentum during the third act; luckily, the ending we eventually reach isn't loaded with artificial sweetener. The typical "romantic comedy formula" may prove more irritating than Gervais' ghosts---but the comedy manages to outweigh the romance, if that's any consolation. In short, fans of Gervais and Kinnear (or those just looking for a sturdy date movie, of course) should find Ghost Town a pleasing and briskly-paced offering worthy of repeat viewings. It may not burn up the box office, but this perfectly entertaining effort ushers in Autumn with an appropriate mix of comedy, heart and pathos. Recommended.

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SOUTH PARK IMAGINATION LAND NOW AVAILABLE

SOUTH PARK MOVIE IMAGINATION LAND NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SOUTH PARK IMAGINATION LAND FROM IMDB

The doors of a whole new dimension are thrown open and the boys of South Park walk right in. It all begins with Cartman's quest to find a leprechaun and in turn win a bet with Kyle that would force him to suck Cartman's balls. The kids have just arrived in Imaginationland a wondrous magical place when terrorist's attack unleashing all of mankind's evil imaginary forces upon the world. With imaginations running wild the government steps in and prepares to nuke Imaginationland thus eliminating further attacks on the country's most vulnerable spot. A crisis faces the nation and Stan and Butters remained trapped in Imaginationland. Kyle pleads with the Pentagon for his friends' lives and Cartman goes all the way to the Supreme Court to get justice for his dry balls.

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BLU-RAY PATHOLOGY MOVIE NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Pathology from imdb
Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. Ted Grey arrives at one of the nations most prestigious Pathology programs and is quickly noticed by the program's privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. It is also here, where he is introduced to Dr. Jake Gallo, who brings him to a secluded wing, where he and four other indulge in their after-hours, extra-curricular activities...finding ways to commit the perfect murder! Written by suspicious
Here is a review for the movie Pathology from dvdtalk The Movie:

Reviewer's Note: Unfortunately, Fox / MGM sent DVD Talk a screener copy of Pathology to review. Since the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment logo pops up from time to time as well as what I believe were other deliberate artifacts, placed there perhaps out of copy protection worries, I don't feel this disc best reflects what will likely arrive in stores. Because of this, the video and audio quality will not be evaluated for this review. Should DVD Talk receive the final product for consideration, this review will be amended.

Every now and then, a thriller shows up involving medical students who go off the deep end and engage in disturbing behavior. One such movie arrived nearly two decades ago (and boy, it does not seem that long ago - I must be getting old) in theaters. It was a popular flick called Flatliners, and it centered upon a group of medical students who decided they would bring each other near death to experience the greatest mystery of humankind. As a thriller / horror movie, of course, things do not go well with their experiment. The film is probably more notable today for being a ensemble of young, up-and-coming actors including Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and others.

I was reminded of Flatliners as I watched Pathology, a recent thriller involving a group of medical students that's been released on home video. In this potboiler, the students are playing a high stakes game where each tries to commit a perfect murder and see if the others can't figure out their method as they examine the corpse in the pathology ward. It does have a cast of notable young up-and-coming actors, though whether their careers are as varied as the cast of Flatliners, of course, remains to be seen.

Pathology follows Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia from NBC's hit series Heroes), a brilliant young medical student who, after serving a stint in Africa, is stationed at the pathology ward of a New York City hospital. He's engaged to Gwen (Alyssa Milano from the hit series Charmed), and his future is very promising. However, his fellow students, he discovers, are a bunch of complete psychotics. They drink, smoke crack, have a lot of sex, and oh yes, play the game that is mentioned in the previous paragraph. Their leader is Jake (Michael Weston), who somehow entices Ted to participate in their deadly pursuits. It doesn't seem to take Ted very long to join in, especially since he has an attraction to Juliette (Lauren Lee Smith), a pathologist who seems to share her sexual appetites with everyone in the group.

Well, if you haven't picked up on this from the synopsis above, Pathology is one sleazy film, even by direct-to-video standards. It's worth mentioning this as I can envision fans of Heroes picking this up and being surprised to see one of its main stars in such a dark and twisted little tale. The autopsy scenes are graphic and intentionally shocking, as the students like to play games with the dead bodies they work upon. Violence and nudity are also surprisingly copious.

What isn't copious is intelligence. This is one far-fetched movie. How on Earth these medical students have the time and energy to indulge in the vices they do and plan and carry out their meticulous murders is never explained. Why someone as brilliant as Ted would need little prompting to engage in the behaviors he does is never really explained. And as the movie goes along, the events become more and more implausible, until a finale that is jaw-droppingly inane.

However, I will admit that this film does satisfy prurient interests. If one isn't queasy at the sight of blood, Pathology remains an interesting movie throughout. The acting is pretty good all around, with Ventimiglia carrying over his brooding personality from Heroes fairly well. And in and amongst the silliness, there are some effective moody scenes and chilling lines of dialogue. It's gross and it's trashy, but it keeps one's interest. I hesitate in this rating a bit, but I'll go with a borderline Recommended.

The DVD

Video:

See Reviewer's Note at the top of this review.

Sound:

See Reviewer's Note at the top of this review.

A Language Selection menu suggests the final disc will have an English language 5.1 Dolby Surround track and a Spanish language Dolby Surround track. English and Spanish subtitles will also be made available.

Extras:

When the disc is played, trailers precede the main menu for Deception, The Happening, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, and Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia. These trailers don't seem to be linked in the main menu, but inexplicably, a link does exist to a trailer for AVPR: Alien Vs. Predator Requiem.

Pathology arrives loaded with movie-specific extras in addition to the trailers. The most significant of these is a feature-length commentary by director Marc Scholermann and writers / producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. A random sampling suggests it's an irreverent track, with all three providing observations and jokes about the movie.

Creating the Perfect Murder (15:02) starts off a series of featurettes. It's a typical featurette that deals with the making of the movie and has sound bytes from various cast and crew. Next up is The Cause of Death: A Conversation with Pathologist Craig Harvey (8:05), which serves up about what its title promises. Harvey makes some observations about pathology, and scenes from the movie are played. Unintended Consequences (2:21) is a short music video by Legion of Doom F/ Triune. Finally, an extended cut of one of the autopsy scenes from the movie (3:04) round out the extras. All but the last featurette are presented in anamorphic widescreen.

Final Thoughts:

Pathology, a story about medical students who challenge each other's diagnostic prowess by trying to commit the perfect murder, is gory, trashy, and very far-fetched. However, it's also fairly well-acted, and despite the absurd storyline, it is an engaging film with an interesting premise. This is not a movie for everyone, but I think the horror and thriller crowd will find enough of interest to warrant a mild recommendation.

Here is the direct download for the nzb file of the Blu-ray version of the movie Pathology.

FROST NIXON NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Frost Nixon from imdb

For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss's ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted. Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation's greatest disgraces? Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the man who'd built a career out of stonewalling? Over the course of their encounter, each man would reveal his own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity--ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth.

Here is a review for the movie Frost Nixon from dvdtalk

When British chat-show host David Frost and disgraced former President Richard M. Nixon sat down for a series of extended television interviews in 1977, both men had specific, and somewhat contradictory, motives. Frost was considered more of a celebrity than a journalist; his States-based show had failed and his British and Australian ventures were struggling for relevance, so he saw the Nixon interviews as a chance to establish his credibility and make some headlines, especially if he could coax out of Nixon the apology or admission of guilt that the American people so desperately desired. Nixon, on the eve of publishing his memoirs, saw the interviews as the opportunity to begin rehabilitating his public image, aggressively pushing the narrative of his foreign policy triumphs and dodging the few softball Watergate questions his less-than-stellar interviewer would lob his way.

Those psychological interests were what made Peter Morgan's 2006 stage hit Frost/Nixon so much more than a play about some TV interviews; particularly adept at spinning great drama out of seemingly dull subject matter (he wrote the screenplay for The Queen, a film that hung great suspense, convincingly, on whether Queen Elizabeth II should show public emotion after Diana's death), Morgan's play (which I had the good fortune of seeing during its Broadway run) positioned its two larger-than-life protagonists in an exhilarating battle of wits and wills.

Ron Howard is not the first director you might think of for this kind of material, but he navigates it with skill and precision, turning up the flash when it's called for and knocking down the theatrics at all the right moments. His smartest decision was retaining Michael Sheen (Blair in The Queen) as Frost and Frank Langella (who won a Tony for the play) as Nixon; both are magnificent. His second smartest decision was dumping the less-memorable supporting players and filling the cast with some of the best character actors working (Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, and the invaluable Oliver Platt).

Morgan adapts the play himself (a less difficult job than usual, as this was a very cinematic script to begin with), wisely transforming the direct-to-audience monologues into documentary-style to-camera interviews. Howard telescopes the action, honing in on the rich subtext while popping Morgan's terrific dialogue like so many firecrackers.

Both men (and Langella) are clearly fascinated by the complex psychology of Nixon, and they're not the first dramatists to explore the tragedy of this man; Oliver Stone, for example, made him the neo-Shakespearean center of one of his finest films. Langella's extraordinary performance is a triumph in both the big speeches and the tiny, introverted moments, but his fine work (and the film itself) reaches its apex in a late-night telephone conversation (a "3 a.m. phone call," if you will) between the two men late in the picture's second act.

Nixon calls Frost in his hotel room late one night; Frost is depressed over the failure of the interviews thus far, Nixon has had a few drinks. As the former President begins to talk, he attempts to draw parallels between his inquisitor and himself, about their backgrounds and struggles, first seeming to look for common ground, then building to an angry, seething rage. He gives Frost a glimpse inside, but his generalizations are pointed and nasty. He's taunting Frost. Why?

Answer that question, and you've figured out Nixon. Morgan's brilliant screenplay seems to argue that Nixon was pushing Frost to amp it up; he'd never admit it, but there was probably a part of him (the young Quaker who knew right from wrong) that had not yet been smothered by the politician. Somewhere inside his dark psyche, Nixon may have wanted to be held accountable, and when he saw that Frost wasn't working for it, he pushed him. That late night phone call may have been an act of self-flagellation.

And now I've gone far, far afield, but that's the kind of film Frost/Nixon is; it puts two smart men (and their gifted teams) in a room and watches what happens, and you can't helped but get sucked into their subtle mind game. The third act, in which Frost takes the bait and comes to the final interview ready to give Nixon the fight that he wants, is just plain thrilling, beautifully acted by two terrific performers (I realize, looking over this piece that I've undersold Sheen, who is extraordinary) and expertly handled by Howard, a journeyman director doing some of his finest work.

It's nothing new to complain that movies don't get made for grown-ups these days, so when a movie as invigorating, witty, and smart (seriously, this is one of the most intelligent screenplays produced by a major Hollywood studio in recent memory) as Frost/Nixon gets made, attention should be paid. This is one of the year's best films. Highly Recommended.

Here is the direct download for the movie Frost Nixon.

SAINTS ROW 2 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the 360 game Saints Row 2 from Amazon

A worthy successor to Saints Row, the first open-world title on next-generation consoles, Saints Row 2 features all new customization options, including player's: gender, age, voice, crib and gang. In addition, the sandbox just got larger with a totally transformed and expanded city of Stilwater, offering all new locations to explore with new vehicles, including motorcycles, boats, helicopters and planes. Saints Row 2 will be playable online in 2-player co-op through the entire singleplayer campaign or in the all new open-world competitive multiplayer mode never before seen in the genre.

Take back the streets of Stilwater

Welcome back to Stilwater View larger.

One of the new faces on the Row. View larger.

Customization down to the taunt. View larger.

Extreme posse creation. View larger.

Take the battle to the air. View larger.

Weapons that go bang. View larger.

Throw down some skin. View larger.

Backstory
Five years have passed since your former Saints crew betrayed you. As you awake from a coma for the first time since that fateful day, you find the Stilwater you once ruled is in disarray. Unfamiliar gangs have laid claim to your territory, rival factions have taken over your rackets, and cash-hungry corporations have laid waste to your once proud 3rd Street home. Abandoned and left scarred with an unrecognizable face, you seek out a plastic surgeon to begin your new life on the streets. Yet some things never change in Stilwater.

Respect can only be earned and that requires a lifestyle that reflects your unique personality. Your crib, your crew, and your character define who you are on the streets and how you are perceived. The image you portray is as important as the decisions you make in a city ruled by false bravado and impulsive behavior. The only constant is the need for an identity that reflects your individuality. But style and image can only take you so far in a world where actions speak louder than words. Sometimes sending a message to your enemies requires heavy lifting, like that of a rival gang member into oncoming traffic. Respect in Stilwater needs to be taken, and what better way than to grab it from the hands of a gang full of enemies by means of a satchel charge, a flame-thrower or those minigun rounds you've been saving for a special occasion.

Meet Your Homies
But remember that the fight to reclaim Stilwater does not have to be waged alone. The Saints once ruled these streets as a crew of brothers, and their return to the top can help be secured through co-operative alliances. The time has finally come to seek revenge against your rivals to reestablish your crew as the rightful kings of Stilwater, but the streets are crawling with bangers. Check out the crews you'll run into and remember their faces and their ways:

	3rd Street Saints Once the kings of the city, the Saints have been forced out of their titular home of Saints Row by the Ultor Corporation, a giant conglomerate that gentrified the once poor neighborhood. Now operating out of an abandoned underground hotel, the Saints are looking to reclaim the glory that they lost several years ago.
	Ronin One of the newest gangs instilling fear in Stilwater, the Ronin recruit from both the city's Asian population as well as among the immigrants. Their crimes involve peddling vice through gambling, prostitution, street-racing, and protection rackets, and their power has reached even into the boardroom of corporations like Ultor.
	Sons of Samedi Influenced by Voodoo and a history of military corruption in Haiti, the Sons of Samedi are known for their potent combination of spiritualism and fearlessness. Members are attracted to the gang out of respect for their methods, through coercion or a desire for easy income generated through trade in their designer drug called "Loa Dust."
	Brotherhood Formed from the cast-outs and dredges of Stilwater society, the Brotherhood is a solid force of strength and intimidation intent on revenging itself upon the police and city. Specializing in violent extortion, they forego subtlety and nuance and simply take what they want, all the while flashing their allegiance with piercings and tattoos, bright colors, and gas-guzzling trucks.
	Ultor Corporation A ruthless corporate contender, the Ultor Corporation's gentrification of Saints Row created a new skyline for the city and a headquarters for their corporate office at the expense of the poor and the 3rd Street Saints. Now they're targeting another neighborhood, the Shivington projects, fueling gang wars and waiting for the prime moment to move in and reap the profits.

Key Game Features:

• Freedom to Explore Through Open World Gameplay - Balancing story progression with all the time-wasting mayhem imaginable, Saints Row 2 contains more activities, diversions, races, cribs, city districts, and interiors than ever before.
• Extensive Mission Play - Over 40 story missions with additional bonus missions take place in a transformed Stilwater that is over 50% larger than before.
• Limitless Customization - Saints Row 2 allows you to customize everything connected to what you wear, drive and where you live as well as gives you access to countless character combinations from facial expression, body type, voice, taunts, gender to walking style. In addition, players can customize gangs various and extreme physical looks (some pretty crazy), fighting styles, gang taunts and tags and vehicle preferences.
• Improved Combat Functionality - In addition to the usual run, jump, punch, drive, stab, shoot model of combat, Saints Row 2 allows you to take human shields and exact finishing moves if you choose, but beware. How you commit crimes affects your notoriety, which determines the response of police.
• Expanded Multiplayer options - Along with a compelling singleplayer mode, enjoy a variety of multiplayer play options including:
• Strong Arm: A team-based multiplayer mode batching together prominent activities from the singleplayer campaign into one series of timed events, with the goal to earn the most cash as a team at the end of the events.
• Gangsta Brawl: A standard deathmatch mode with the single player with the most kills winning.
• Team Gangsta Brawl: A standard team deathmatch mode with the team with the most kills winning.
• Co-Op Mode: Full drop in/drop out coop support and ability to play through the full single player campaign with buddies and with the ability to set online co-op games to public, friends-only or invite-only status.
• Lots of Wieldable Weapons - Whether you talking chairs, parking meters, street signs, newspaper dispensers or your neighbor's garden gnome, use whatever is on hand to take out an enemy.
• An Explosive Weapon Arsenal - When a melee weapon just won't do, send a message to your enemies by dipping into an arsenal that includes: rocket launchers, shock-paddles, stun-guns, satchel-charges, mini-guns, uzis, automatic shotguns and flame-throwers; Some of which can be duel wielded.
• A Vehicle for Every Surface - Put the pedal to the metal in a large selection of cars, motorcycles, ATVs, planes, watercraft and helicopters.
• All New Music - Saints Row 2 will feature an entirely new soundtrack of songs and the ability to create a custom in-game radio station, accessible from any vehicle by building a playlist of songs purchased in-game, with in-game money.

The Silwater sprawled before you as you wake in Saints Row 2 is both familiar and strange, but you will find that the explosive conclusion to the original Saints Row not only has left you wounded and betrayed, but also thirsty for revenge. Now it's time to take back the city that has forgotten you and only you will decide how far you'll go to achieve that.

Here is a review for the game Saints Row 2 from IGN.

When people see Saints Row 2 they'll instantly think of Grand Theft Auto IV. It's inevitable. It moves similarly, the scenes have the same saturated lighting and there are several parallels that can be drawn between the gameplay of the two. Heck, the text is even color coded in a similar way for mission objectives. But, be warned, Saints Row 2 is most certainly not GTA. Thankfully this is one imitator that turns out to be much more than a straight carbon copy. In fact, Saints Row 2 takes GTA's gameplay, turns it on its side and sends it rolling down a mountain filled with land mines, roving monster trucks and ninjas. Lots and lots of ninjas. What does that translate to in terms of quality? A crazy good time. Saints Row 2 may not be as pretty or have the production values of Rockstar's rock star, but it does offer hours of zany entertainment that will please fans of open world gangster gaming.

Saints 2 picks up a few years after the events of the first. Your character has been in a prison hospital stuck in a coma since he (or she) was blown off of a yacht, thus badly burning his (or her) exterior. Luckily, that happens to open the door to the robust character customization. You can select from three female accents and three male accents as well as the usual huge array of physical traits. Plus, later in the game you'll earn new personalities, taunts, costumes and fighting styles. It's hilarious to strap the hot dog suit or the Borat bathing suit on your character and then watch some of the more dramatic cutscenes. Of course, once you're done creating your evil concoction, it's time to bust out of prison, free your long-time running mate Johnny Gat and then build the Saints back into the prominent gang that they once were. That means reclaiming your old stomping grounds and getting a few lieutenants to govern your peons. The beginning of Saints Row 2 is actually a bit more engaging than your typical open world game. There's not much of a tutorial and you aren't doing menial tasks like taking someone's girlfriend to eat and then back to her house. Instead, you're breaking out of prison, hopping on the back of a gunboat and going to town on some pursuing copters and police boats. Good times.

I'ma bust a cap in your water tower!

After you complete the first few tasks, the game really opens up. There's no unlocking of islands or other boroughs. Instead, the whole city of Stilwater is available to you from the get-go. And with that freedom comes a plethora of activities and diversions to try out. There's the all-new Trail Blazer and Septic Avenger or you can try out the analog stick-based sex mini-game. They're all just as fun and outrageous as the next. It's in that ridiculous nature that Saints Row 2 really finds its niche. Driving down the highway on a flaming ATV, exploding cars to extend your timer or throwing your limp body into oncoming traffic to rack up a medical bill are things that you just don't see in other videogames. SR2's activities are more outlandish than in the first game, but they're also more varied. There's still the more mundane racing and helicopter assault, but having the option of going outside the box a bit is great.

You can read the rest of the 3 page review by clicking here.

Here is the direct download for the NZB file of Saints Row 2.

MADDEN 2009 360 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the game Madden 2009 NZB file from Amazon

Two decades ago Madden NFL exploded onto the scene with staggeringly authentic football action and a strategic, by-the-playbook approach to the game previously absent in sports video games. With Madden NFL 09, 20 years of innovation culminate in a new apex in the series' groundbreaking realism. Savor the pulse-pounding excitement as Madden NFL 09 delivers an intense, real-world pro football experience like only legendary coach John Madden can. The action of the gridiron comes alive with stunning graphics, innovative plays and multiplayer competition that thrusts you into the center of the game with no nonsense and no mercy.

	Key Features Step into the world of pro football like you can experience only with the legendary John Madden Play like a pro no matter what your skill level with the Adaptive Difficulty Engine that tailors your experience to suit your proficiency Hone your skills in the Virtual Training Center, featuring a holographic environment designed to help you fine-tune your game Execute plays and celebrations like never before with the Total Control Animation System that delivers the most authentic gameplay ever in the series Receive customized feedback from EA Sports BackTrack to learn from your mistakes as you play and correct them so you can achieve total dominance on the field Access stats, customized tips and in-game options without pausing the game and losing your momentum by using the new Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture Battle it out on the gridiron with up to 32 teams in Online Leagues,complete with trades and statistical tracking For 1 to 4 players	Thrilling Next-Gen Graphics View Image Total Control Animation System View Image
The NFL bursts from your screen with multiplayer action and gameplay that pushes you to the limit, no matter what your skill level. In Madden NFL 09, the play is more realistic than ever before with the all-new Total Control Animation System. Execute instantaneous combo moves, bobble catches, user-controlled celebrations and more for a game that looks and feels like it's straight out of the NFL. Stadiums leap off the screen to dazzling effect with an enhanced graphics engine that delivers turf and grass so realistic you can almost feel it give beneath your feet, as well as authentic weather and stadium lighting effects. New player models more genuinely replicate the real physiques of the pros, from sleeker receivers to bulkier linemen, to provide an even more authentic experience on the field. Immerse yourself in the full NFL experience with an all-new network television-style broadcast featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond. The new Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture window gives you instant access to stats, tips and more without having to pause the game. Plus, for the first time make a run for the postseason online as you battle among up to 32 teams. Live the NFL experience in all its brutal glory with Madden NFL 09 as you savor the thrill and punishment of professional football like you can find only in this renowned series.

Product Description Madden NFL 09 delivers the most complete NFL football package ever. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or picking up the game for the first time, you will enjoy a unique yet challenging experience, thanks to the innovative Adaptive Difficulty Engine, which tailors the game to match your playing style. Instantly improve your game with the all-new virtual Training Center or incorporate feedback with EA SPORTS BackTrack, allowing you to learn from your mistakes on the fly. With a new broadcast presentation and online leagues, plus more than 85 new features and enhancements, Madden NFL 09 is the most authentic and adaptable game in sports video game history. An all-new Adaptive Difficulty Engine assesses your proficiency in the core skills areas of football. An innovative, Virtual Training Center allows you to fine-tune your game in a holographic environment, while EA SPORTS BackTrack provides customized feedback, giving you a chance to learn from your mistakes. Take what you've learned and run the play again with EA SPORTS Rewind. Set your sights on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in an all-new network television-style broadcast as Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond call the action from the booth. A more immersive and visually stunning presentation package also includes a new Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture playcall window giving you access to a wealth of stats, customized tips, and in-game options--all at your fingertips without having to pause the game. Make a run for the postseason for the first time online. Featuring trades and statistical tracking for Online Leagues, up to 32 teams can battle it out using all-new flex scheduling. With an enhanced graphics engine and new player models, linemen battle in the trenches with more bulky physiques while backs and receivers fly around the field with a more sleek and slimmer look. Featuring the most realistic-looking grass and field turf ever in a sports game, new weather and

Here is a review for the game Madden 2009 from IGN

Madden is a rare sight in the videogame industry. It's a yearly release that has managed to stay fresh and fun throughout its 20 years. Detractors say that its general lack of overhauled innovation is an abomination, while fans rabidly defend it (and the sales charts prove it). Madden NFL 09 will likely be received the same way by both groups as it manages to refine the already splendidly realistic football that was seen in last year's version, while bringing it to a new level. It may not look all that different to the casual observer, but football aficionados and Madden veterans alike will be able to appreciate the small enhancements. EA Sports is putting a large emphasis on the accessibility of the core Madden gameplay, now offering different play styles and a user-defined difficulty setting known as My Skill to go along with revamped production values. These two main features represent the biggest changes to the Madden formula.

When you first boot up Madden NFL 09 you'll be presented with the Madden Test, which is four drills that gauge your Madden IQ. The results are used to establish your My Skill difficulty level. My Skill changes based on your performance after each game. It's a clever mechanic in theory and one that actually does work for the most part. My only complaint is that My Skill can't separate the game's ineptness with the actual skill of your players shining through. What that means is that it takes you gaining 150 yards per game with your halfback as a sign of weakness in the AI. No matter who your running back is, you'll face a tougher and tougher rushing defense if you continue to excel. It sort of puts a stop to any serious MVP candidates you might have on your team. But, if you do notice that things are getting a bit too difficult, there are several handy dandy sliders that let you manipulate rules and finite details with regard to each of the different areas of football.

Favre on the Jets. Get used to it.

So while My Skill might not work exactly how it's intended, users still have the ability to create their own customized set of difficulty settings if they so desire. Play styles are another addition that, unlike My Skill, works to perfection. Players of varying football knowledge can choose styles that change the complexity of the game. The easiest level handles everything except for hiking, running and the act of throwing; everything else is handled by the AI. The hardest level puts everything in the hands of the player for a true football experience. Play styles were designed to simplify the game for newbies, and in that regard they're a success. Their importance shines through to an even greater extent when a new player lines up against a pro. Madden now has handicapping which can skew the game in one direction in a hurry if you stack things enough. But no true Madden fan really gives a damn about how EA Sports is making Madden easier for the less-than-important player who has never picked up the game. Sadly, core changes to the tried and true Madden formula aren't a main focus for this year's release. There have been some additions -- slide protection, formation subs on the fly, bluffing play art and rivalry games -- that football junkies will surely appreciate, but there is no vision cone or mind-blowing camera angle that totally changes the game.

You can read the rest of the 3 page review by clicking here.

Here is the direct download for the NZB Xbox 360 game Madden 2009.

BOLT NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Bolt from imdb

Bolt, an American White Shepherd, has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, where he believes he has superpowers. When separated from the studio by accident, he meets a female alley cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Along the way, he learns that he doesn't have superpowers and that the show is not real. Written by jcsmarchesi

Bolt tells the story a dog who plays a heroic dog in a hit TV show and has some trouble recognizing that he doesn't even have superpowers. This becomes something of a hindrance when he is accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York City. From there he has to make his way home with the help of a manky old cat and an overweight hamster in a plastic ball. Written by wolf_stoned

Here is a review for the movie Bolt from dvdtalk

Emerging from Disney's wounded in-house animation arm, "Bolt" is as routinely arranged a tale as the Mouse House is capable of telling. However, the lack of screenwriting imagination is offset by the inherent charm of the picture, resulting in a pleasing arrangement of CG-animated action set-pieces and slapstick comedy to push "Bolt" beyond the repetitive family film norm.

Bolt (voiced by John Travolta in a winningly playful performance) is a Hollywood canine action star, only he doesn't know it. As the lead in a hit television series, Bolt spends his day defending "his person" Penny (Miley Cyrus) from a stream of bad guys with his heat vision, karate-chops, and super bark. Accidentally separated from the show, Bolt finds himself shipped to New York City, making it his mission to return to California and soothe a worried Penny. Taking a street cat named Mittens (Susie Essman) as his prisoner, Bolt is forced to confront a world where his "powers" are on the blink. Befriending an enthusiastic admirer in Rhino the hamster (Mark Walton), the trio trek across the country, with Mittens teaching Bolt the realities of life as an average dog.

"Bolt' is a nice change of pace from the Disney Animation Studios norm. Coming after the misguided antics of "Chicken Little" and "Meet the Robinsons," "Bolt" settles into more comfort food tones, showcasing the antics of cute animals against a backdrop of pure Americana. Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams, the picture contains a lovely momentum, shifting between threads of comedy, slick action (emphasized outrageously in Disney Digital 3-D), and heartache with minimal fuss throughout most of the running time, hitting expected notes of mass-consumption gaiety that will surely amuse younger audience members.

Trouble is, there's no real bite to "Bolt" in either plot or emotion, leaving behind a frustratingly shallow movie that's much too quick to lay the melodrama on thick in an attempt to reach out to the viewer. Bolt's arc from superdog to confused canine is a point belabored into ground by the filmmakers, who whip the straightforward plot point over and over, reducing the movie's pace to a crawl at certain critical junctures. The sympathetic goo is extended to Mittens and Penny as well, who get their own overscripted cross to bear, again, stopping the movie cold in the name of derivative manipulation.

"Bolt" is breezier as a road movie, watching the group cross the country on their way to Los Angeles, with Mittens giving Bolt pointers on primary pooch pleasures, such as begging for food and car riding smell opportunities. The performances lend the movie an interesting spin, as Travolta and Cyrus are the only real stars of the movie. The rest of the cast is made up of character actors (including Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader, and James Lipton) cast more for vocal quality than star power. It's a nice change of pace, especially with the likes of Walton, who puts his heart into interpreting Rhino's Bolt fan spasms and plastic-ball-encased heroism, gorging on slapstick to become the film's comedic highlight and the lone character not burdened with an irritatingly gloomy backstory to overcome.

More admiration for "Bolt" is revealed with the film's soundtrack, employing Jenny Lewis (a musical performer of staggering serenity and crushing grace) to provide a mid-movie montage with a bouncy, folksy song entitled "Barking at the Moon." Further surprise arrives at the end credits, with John Travolta returning to his "Let Her In" musical roots to duet with Cyrus on the tune "I Thought I Lost You."

Filled with explosive canine derring-do, gorgeous animation with a pleasing fixation on Midwest panoramas, and a hilarious psychotic hamster rolling around stealing laughs, it's easy to appreciate "Bolt" as a nontoxic entry in the CG-animation sweepstakes. Perhaps the film isn't endowed with a glop of Pixar preciousness, but "Bolt" gets by on a heady froth of charisma and a few surprises where it counts the most.

Here is the direct download for the movie Bolt.

FOUR CHRISTMASES NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Four Christmases from imdb

When a couple tries to fly away from their family for Christmas, as they do every year, their fun turns around when all flights have been canceled. Now they have to go to four houses to celebrate Christmas while going through memories they don't want to go into and suprises they can't handle while they have to use a safe word to get out of situations

Here is a review for the movie Four Christmases from dvdtalk

OK, it's obvious to me now that Vince Vaughn shouldn't be let anywhere near screenplays that revolve around Christmas. Perhaps the seasonal fumes cloud his judgment, but for the second year in a row (remember "Fred Claus?") Vaughn has created a disturbingly frantic holiday comedy that runs itself ragged to achieve laughs, quickly becoming an utter annoyance. I know Vaughn can be a comic dynamo, but good heavens, keep this man away from the holidays.

A couple who refuse the shackles of marriage, Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) are set for their annual tropical vacation for Christmas, lying to their respective families of divorce to avoid holiday get-togethers. When the airport is fogged in and the flight is canceled, the couple is busted by exposure on the local news, forcing them to travel to four Christmas gatherings and deal with the social discomfort. Driving around to face plenty of reminders why they fly away every year to avoid family, Brad and Kate soon discover their own relationship faults, leading them to question their future as couple.

Perhaps the most inspired element to "Four Christmases" is the hiring of director Seth Gordon to oversee this holiday comedy. Gordon, who deftly constructed one of the best films of 2007 in the video game documentary "The King of Kong" (star/champ Steve Wiebe cameos here), is handed the keys to the Porsche: a shot to make a fatcat Hollywood comedy with two major stars. I wouldn't suggest that Gordon is outgunned in "Christmases," but there's a distinct lack of screen authority permeating the mood of the film. It's tough to blame Gordon for the ultimate failure of the picture. After all, corralling Vaughn and Witherspoon can't be an easy job for any director, especially one who only had to deal with nerds and arcades for the last three years.

The Vaughn effect ripples through this picture at top volume. Assuming producing duties with Witherspoon, Vaughn loves his holiday comedy served up in huge portions, and that's what "Christmases" offers to the viewer: slapstick by the barrelful. Traditionally a welcome development, "Christmases" doesn't know when to stop. Sending Brad and Kate to four different households for celebration, Gordon establishes each set of parents with their own unique hardship to overcome. For Brad, he has to deal with a brutish father (Robert Duvall) and brothers (Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw) who pound on him both physically and verbally, and a mother (Sissy Spacek) who's hooked up with one of his former friends. Kate is confronted with her female-heavy extended family (including Mary Steenburgen and Kristen Chenoweth), and an absentee father (Jon Voight) who wants to right past wrongs.

The plot elements are there to explore plenty of shenanigans, but Gordon accelerates the physical comedy immediately, turning a festive tale of disgruntled jerks into a broad farce that has plenty of fall-down-go-boom sequences, is splattered with baby puke and creepy sexual innuendo, and remains slavish to Vaughn's motormouth improvisational skills. While the film plays to his strengths, Vaughn just doesn't have meaty material to chew on here and faces a lousy dance partner in Witherspoon, who couldn't be funny even if she snorted the ashes of Redd Foxx. The leads have no chemistry, barely convincing themselves they're a loving couple, much less the camera, which picks up on a strange divide between the actors. Actually, Chenoweth seems a better match to Vaughn, able to distribute caustic body blows and holiday warmth in a few short scenes, with Witherspoon failing to achieve anything resembling a personality over the course of an entire movie.

When it comes time for "Four Christmases" to grow a heart, the mood doesn't mesh properly with the zany tone the picture has been working up a sweat to achieve. Assuming the audience has grown fond of Kate and Brad, the screenplay glazes on the concern in the final act, oddly squelching the laughs in the process. It's a trade-off that's not welcome, switching obnoxious slapstick for unearned, and quite cloying, sentiment. And not the Christmas spirit kind of pathos, but the broken relationship kind, further confusing the tone of the film. If Vince Vaughn wants to ruin Christmas, he's going about it the right way. Another year of this coal-in-stocking cinema and the holiday spirit will be beaten out of me for good.

Here is the direct download for the movie Four Christmases.

GEARS OF WAR 2 360 NZB FILE GAME NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the game Gears of War 2 from Amazon

Amazon.com Product Description
The wait is over, Gears of War 2 has arrived. Ever since the original was released, fans have clamored for this sequel. Developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 by Epic Games, Gears of War 2, which has already garnered several awards, picks up six months after the events of the blockbuster original Gears of War. Players are thrown back into the role of Marcus Fenix, leading the battle for humankind's survival against the Locust Horde. With innovative third-person tactical action gameplay and unsurpassed high-definition graphics, Gears of War 2 is a must-have game for the Xbox 360.

Gears of War 2 Players: Offline: 1-4 Online: 10 Gameplay Modes: Single player, competitive multiplayer, cooperative multiplayer, system link multiplayer, online multiplayer with voice support. Format: 16:9 Widescreen on HDTV 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

Gears of War 2 offers stunningly realistic, vast environments to play in. View larger.

The enemies in Gear of War 2 are huge and downright nasty. View larger.

Huge Environments, Bigger Gameplay
For those who loved Gears of War, Gears of War 2 builds upon it in every way, but with several major enhancements. There are more weapons, bigger vehicles, and more action. The enemies are more dangerous, and the total experiences is more immersive than ever. And with a revolutionary tactical combat system, the game will require not just fast reaction times and shooting skill, it will also challenge you to devise a strategy that will work against the enemies who exhibit smart AI.

Jaw-Dropping, Realistic Graphics
Just as Gears of War did the first time around, Gears of War 2 ups the ante for graphical prowess. Combined with the sweeping vistas and evocative locales of Sera, where the story takes place, Gears of War 2 offers jaw-dropping graphics that are made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3. New visual effects include ambient occlusion, dynamic shadows, improved character lighting, the ability to render hundreds of on-screen characters simultaneously, improved water physics, additional blood and bullet decals, advanced destructible environments, new weather effects, and the introduction of fluid objects.

Immersive, Gripping Story
Taking place six months after the end of the first game, Gears of War 2 returns the cast of characters of the original, including Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, as well as several newcomers.

Novelist and comic book writer Joshua Ortega, who assisted with the writing, has created a story that is big on character development and personality. With a new in-game conversational camera system and multiple story arcs, the story is presented in a gripping cinematic style where characters gain an emotional depth that matches their realistic graphical representation.

More Characters, Upgraded Vehicles, Badder Weapons
Those who were impressed by the original Gears of War will be in for a real treat. New characters such as Tai Kaliso, weapons like the burst pistol, and huge vehicles like the COG Centaur tank will give players a whole new dimension and scope of gameplay in both single-player and multi-player modes.

Multiplayer Action with Xbox LIVE!
Gears of War 2 features a multiplayer mode that allows up to 10 simultaneous players for outstanding multiplayer fun. Taking full advantage of the Xbox LIVE service, which boasts 10 million gamers, Gears of War 2 features both competitive and cooperative multiplayer gameplay. Setting up games is simple with LIVE, and you have the ability to drop in and out of co-operative campaigns at any time.

Everything you loved about multiplayer in the original is back, including the classic death matches, but with this sequel there is an added emphasis on teamwork. New multiplayer game modes will require better coordination in order to win. The game also features voice support, so you can communicate with other players around the world -- whether you're on the same team or trash talking!

Gears of War 2 won several awards at E3 2008, where it was first presented, including Overall Best Shooting Game and Overall Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008 from IGN, as well as Best Action Game of E3 2008 from the Game Critics Awards.

Product Description
Gears of War 2 is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game that became one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. This time, Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad are poised to deliver a bigger, badder, and more intense experience.

Product Description
The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action. Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. It is an epic saga of survival, loss, and retribution. Gears of War 2 raises the bar with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, delivering a bigger, badder, and more intense experience.

Party system and skill-based online matchmaking - form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. A skill-based online matchmaking system groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches

Here is a review for the game Gears of War 2 from IGN.

The original Gears of War was about laying the foundation and setting the stage for a massive struggle between man and monster. It introduced us to a planet named Sera and a band of warriors who will stop at nothing to preserve their people and make their home world safe yet again. Standing in their way are the Locust, a race of subterranean aliens hell bent on bringing down the Coalition of Ordered Governments and crippling the human race. Now we're entering the second chapter in the universe Epic Games created. The events of the first ended with Marcus and Dom delivering the Lightmass Bomb into The Hollow after killing General Raam. Sadly the bomb had about the same effect as sticking a bull in the ass with an ice pick. The Locust only doubled their efforts and have been sinking cities on Sera ever since. Now only one remains: the city of Jacinto whose foundation is thick enough to keep the Locust at bay. But not for long. The Locust are poised to crush Jacinto just as they have every other city. Soon humanity's struggle will be over, all hope extinguished. But not yet.

Click to watch our Video Review in HD.

Yes, Gears of War 2 is indeed more impactful than the first. Cliff Bleszinski, Rod Ferguson and company tried their best to create a deeper and more involved storyline with the second game in the series and for the most part they succeeded. In some areas flawlessly so. For example, one of my concerns when hearing of the new additions -- Tai Kaliso, Dizzy Wallin and Anthony Carmine – was that they would take focus off of the main focus of Dom and Marcus. After all, we've seen series add characters that are either focused on too heavily or are just plain uninteresting. Without spoiling anything, Epic did a wonderful job of keeping the focus where it belongs while still giving the new characters meaningful roles that not only enhance the drama but also evolve the motivations of the Locust. There's no question that storyline plays a much more important role than it did in the first game. Characters are more emotional, more is revealed about the Locust and where they come from (as well as a look at the Locust Queen), and there are also plenty of new story threads that are opened up. Some of which are wrapped up in the end, most of which are not.

The focus of the story is Dom's search for his wife, Maria. It's important to note that while Marcus Fenix is still the main character of Gears of War, hearing him say some of the emotionally charged lines that come out of Dom's mouth would have been just plain strange. It was a good decision to go with a character who not only has a normal speaking voice, but whose personality is more conducive to being naturally emotional. That having been said, there are plenty of moments when you'll crack a wry smile at what you just heard on-screen. The writing is much improved -- as is evidenced by Prescott's introductory speech after the first chapter -- but that doesn't stop the voice actors from sounding extremely cheesy at times. Still, I bought into Dom's search for his wife -- and the Gears Universe as a whole -- for the second game. But those not looking for a story intensive experience might be a bit turned off by the increased number of cutscenes and dramatic outbursts. There's certainly more to watch than in the first game, nothing like a Metal Gear Solid title, but there are frequent breaks in the action that rely on the player investing in the characters in order to hit home.

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Here is the direct download for the NZB File of the Game Gears of War 2.