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Showing posts from March, 2007

Ocean's 13 Photos

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http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Action/Oceans_13 I’m really looking forward to seeing Ocean’s 13. The first one was such a great film, and I dig a lot of Steven Soderbergh ’s work. If you haven’t seen Out of Sight , check it out. Interesting Note: I believe I heard somewhere Andy Garcia ’s character will be working with Danny Ocean in this one. The movie will be coming out on June 8.

Duke Sucks

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This is Why Duke Sucks http://www.ifilm.com/video/2833381/channel/viralvideo Comment: I’m no sports fan, but I have to agree with this music video, Duke sucks badly. I’ve never encountered a school more loathed than Duke. Yeah, the rapping isn’t great, but I found it funny. I love this one. ________________________________________________________ Ratboy dancing with the young folks.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Part 1 of 2)

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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Back in 1993, a movie based on the Batman cartoon show helmed by Bruce Timm was released in theaters. It was called Mask of the Phantasm. The movie wasn’t supposed to be released into the theaters, but to the home market. However, WB forced the makers of the animated film to release the movie on a bigger scale. Well, the movie sort of bombed at the box office, but don’t let that keep you away from watching this movie. Besides Batman Begins , These guys were able to finally get Batman right on the Big Screen This movie has some similarities to the recent Batman Begins movie. The movie was both a sequel and a prequel to the Batman animated series. The movie is set during the present and the past. The story reveals a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne trying out his crime fight skills during the night, while falling in love during the day with a young lady. The movie really has a lot of energy during these ‘flashback’ scenes, while helping forwa...

The Sopranos

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Ten Greatest Moments in The Sopranos So, the Sopranos is coming to an end this year, some decided to put together their favorite moments on that show. The one I like on the list is this one... ((1 While on trip to Maine with daughter Meadow to visit prospective colleges, Tony discovers and strangles a turncoat mobster hiding out in the witness protection program. This savage act is in complete contrast to the campus' pastoral atmosphere and the warm feelings between Tony and his daughter. In a world in which Tony's wife may be carrying on with a priest, his mother wants him murdered and his therapist drives him crazy, Meadow is the one thing Tony can be proud of. ("College," Season 1, Feb. 7, 1999) )) While he travels around taking tours of schools for his daughter, he encounters a mob guy that is the witness protection program and he kills him while his daughter is on campus. Tony acts like nothing happened afterwards. The other one worth noting about is th...
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Lost (Expose review) Man, what a strange, but cool episode. The often-hated characters of Nikki and Paolo were the main focus of the latest episode of Lost. The writers were fully aware that the fans hated these two new characters. Hell, I even had a slight dislike of them. The writers decided to add Nikki and Paolo to the show this season by quietly having them appear in the background. Many people felt that they were getting rid of more complex characters like Mr. Eko for two good-looking, yet dumb people. To some degree, they were correct. I’m sure ABC wanted more young good-looking people on the show to get a younger crowd to stick with the show. It didn’t work, and the writers had to do something about it. And as we all know, Nikki and Paolo had to go…Lost style. I found it sort of funny that the last episode these two characters will ever be on would be their best episode as well. We discover that Nikki and Paolo were some of the worst people in the su...

Lord of the Rings II: Ring Free, Die Hard

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Another Lord of the Rings book is about to be released. http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/news/article2390834.ece Comment: Looks like Tolkien’s son has put the finishing touches on the last book, The Children of Hurin . I like the title. Will it live up to the other books? So, what’s the book about? ((The book, whose contents are being jealously guarded by publisher HarperCollins - is described as "an epic story of adventure, tragedy, fellowship and heroism.")) Uh, yeah, that clears it up for me, thank you. ((The author's son Christopher, using his late father's voluminous notes, has painstakingly completed the book, left unfinished by the author when he died in 1971. The work has taken the best part of three decades, and will signify the first "new" Tolkien book since The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977.)) This might actually be a good book. Of course there is already discussions about a movie. However, if ...

Random Thoughts

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A single bird hit one of the rear wings and put the entire plane out of commission, causing a lot of damage. Random Thoughts ~I work for UPS and I've seen my first Plane damaged by a bird. Keep in mind the plane I work on is a Airbus. Somehow, a bird flew into the tail as the plane was landing and caused a lot of damage. ~I played God of War II on the PS3, for some reason, it looks better on the PS3 than the PS2. I wonder if the developers made some enhancements to the game when it is run on PS3 hardware. This game is amazing, developers take note. ~My writing teacher is recovering from heart surgery and I went to see him. It was disheartening to see him in such a state. I was really upset by how frail he looked, and that he could barely talk. I was pretty much upset the entire day. It reminds us that life is fleeting. BTW, he's appears to be doing better. ~My first Semester at U of L is an interesting one. While I generally only talk to my professors, I...

Shatner at his best (worst)

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Head over to Becca's blog for a collection of Shatner's musical moments , or lack there of. I remember hearing Shatner on NPR a while back claiming that all those old 70s songs he sung were done as a joke. I'm almost certain he took himself very seriously back in the 70s and thought he had a second career as a 'singer'. Shatner has played up his craziness over the years. Shatner is now known for playing himself. It seems everyone has a Shatner story. On the Generations DVD commentary, Ron Moore has a couple funny stories about his meetings with Shatner during the early stages of the film. I highly recommend listening to that commentary. Here are some of Shatner's recent highlights Over the Hedge : He played an over the top possum with a very Shatner way of playing dead. Shatner has a possum like look about himself in real life. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story : You can't go wrong with William Shatner, Chuck Norris, and David Hasselhof...

SNL ban list

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Martin Lawrence got banned as well on SNL for well...making fun of a certain part of the female body. Saturday Night Live Banned list I found this on digg, and it caught my eye. Here’s a list of many of the people banned from Saturday Night Live. Some of the people are a surprise to see on the banned list. Steven Seagal: It would appear the Energy Drink and Music-making actor was very difficult to work with. I know he had an ego, but you would think he would be a little bit more light-hearted with SNL crew. Cypress Hill: Uh, if you book CH, the weed smoking sort of comes with the band. What did they think would happen? Chevy Chase: After that stupid talk show he had, he should be banned from everything in the world. This guy has one of the worst egos since Shatner, strike that, it is bigger than Shatner’s ego. He was funny back in the day in those 80s movies, but the man just sucks now. Steven Seagal is seen here playing his newest song Hal...

Poor Shockwave

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Shockwave's Burden Remember the guy that did the funny parody Prime's Rude Awaking ? Well, he's done another funny video this time he takes on Shockwave. Shockwave has sort lost him mind hanging around the base for billions of years, and his aim is a bit off too. It's kind of funny that everyone has used the Space Bridge, stealing stuff, but he can't stop them.

Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary DVD

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Well, I got the Transformers: The Movie 20 th Anniversary DVD. I am loving every minute of it. The Fan Commentary is much better than director/writer/actor commentary. The Fan one just has more fascinating things to say than the professional one. The fans in the commentary did their homework. Sony Music did a great job with this DVD, much better than the one released earlier. The DVD does have some deleted footage and storyboards, which are fun to watch. But, there is more deleted footage from the storyboards, which may have been animated or not around the web. You can look at it here http://www.wombatking.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=4&page=1 (Look for more Autobots that were supposed to bite it during the battle at the beginning at the movie. And the fact Wheeljack was supposed to live through the movie!) Wheeljack wasn't supposed to die here. This shot always freaked me out when I was a kid, because Wheeljack was one of my favorite characters ...

The Jacket

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The Jacket The storyline for this movie deals with a Gulf War veteran (1 st conflict) surviving a gunshot head wound. After getting blamed for a crime he didn’t commit, he goes to a mental institution where he receives illegal treatments for his mental state. When he receives this strange treatment and wearing a straight jacket, he is thrown into the future (2007 because his home time period is 1992). He meets the same young woman that he saw as a little girl back in 92. The concept of time travel through drugs is a cool plot device, but the movie would have been more compelling in a better skillful director’s hands. There are too many dull scenes between the more sci-fi elements in the movie to keep everyone’s interest. I think they should have played up the changes he cloud make during his flashes forward through his pasts events. They edits should’ve of been quicker too. Keira Knightley does a great job playing a strange emo-ish American chick in the movie...

Random junk

Flash Mob Ninja Style at UC Berkeley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPwY_D8yHds Comment: I like this one. A bunch of students stood around on campus and then break out into a huge Ninja Battle in front of everyone. Newspaper flash mob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcdvyRw06So Comment: Crowds of students start reading newspapers… Knock Don’t Run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRvXILUrlc8 Comment: As kids and Teenagers, we’ve all done the knock and run trick. However, has anyone tried the knock and don’t run trick? Walk up to someone’s door and knock, but just stand there when they open the door. Note: Be careful, this might not work out too well for you in high crime areas. It'll end up being knock and get shot !

First the local cheerleaders hate me, now an entire government.

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I’ve been banned in China! Or my blog has… http://greatfirewallofchina.org/test/ What have I done to piss off the Chinese government? (I get hits from Hong Kong though). It’s kind of funny because I do very little political posts. Put your site in there and see if it comes up blocked. http://greatfirewallofchina.org/test/ Speaking of Chinese, I am heading to a restaurant right now. Mmm…

Free Batman

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Batman arrested... http://www.tmz.com/2007/03/23/ka-pow-batman-busted/ First, Marvel kills off Captain America, now Batman goes to jail. I thought the cops and the cape crusader were on the same side. ((Then, in a move that would move any fanboy to ecstasy, Chewbacca joined forces with the Caped Crusader and started talking to the group of picketers as well! Unfortunately, Batman didn't retreat to the Bat Cave fast enough, and was arrested by LAPD for disorderly conduct! Gadzooks! )) I'm sure the people in jail were scared crapless, when they saw The Dark Knight enter their cell. Thug: “Oh, shit, he's real!” Free Batman!

Mel (make your own movie) Gibson

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When Mel Attacks... http://www.tmz.com/2007/03/23/mel-goes-ballistic-f-you/ Okay, so Apocalypto didn't light up the box office, but the director is making all kinds of sparks of his own. After a wonderful encounter with some Cops earlier, he's topped himself again by cussing out a Professor at a school he was speaking at, Cal State University. ((We're told Gibson also became extremely angry when members of the Mayan community protested on how they were portrayed in the film. The emotional Mayan members were escorted out of the room, and we're told Gibson screamed a parting shot -- "Make your own movie!" )) Okay, Mel, I'll make my own movie. It's about an action star that made many hits, and then was pulled over by the cops and made some racial slurs. He went into rehab and then cussed out a Professor. The End I'll probably check this movie out some day.

I hate Huckabees 2

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvjuIL5IGT0&watch_response Spin is a great thing, watch as Lilly Tomlin spins on about how much she loved working with David O. Russell. Someone decided to edit the blow up between Tomlin and Russell with this footage. (The studio is making the rounds and removing all the clips).

The Departed

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Since Blayde did a fine review on The Departed . I've forced myself to finally review The movie. Martin Scorsese has made a successful career for himself by filming movies about organized crime and gangs. Most of those movies were great. To a certain degree, The Departed is no different. The Departed is a remake of a Hong Kong movie named Infernal Affairs . Scorsese bring his usual dark charm to the movie from the get go, and it reminds me of Goodfellas. He shows us the dark underbelly of crime through the Irish Mob Boss Costello, played wonderfully by Jack Nicholson. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role. He steals every scene he’s in, and you truly believe he’s a mob boss. The main plot centers on Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. While I’m no fan of DiCRAPo, his performance here is pretty good. Mr. Damon though is freaking great as the snitch within the department. Martin Sheen brings home a great father figure character in the film. It ...

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is coming up

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles This site has an intriguing look back at the Mutant Turtles . I pretty much agree with everything they said. When I was very young, I used own a pet turtle. All it did was swim, eat and sit on the rock, sleeping away its time. I found turtles rather boring, until I saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I fondly remember watching the first episode way back in the day. I laughed at the crazy concept and the funny moments. Hey, the Turtles were actually cool for once. Hell, I even remember going to theater with my brother and loving the first movie. Let’s look back at some of the Ninja Turtles Milestones "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" : The cartoon series that put the turtles on the map. It mixed action with comedy. If I’m not mistaken, the show was in syndication and on the Network for many years. Yeah, the show jumped the shark during its later years, but it still is better than most stuff on TV today. Teenage Mu...

IJ 4.0

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We all know that they're in the preproduction stages of Indiana Jones 4. This site has compiled a list of tips for George and Steven to follow . I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not looking forward to seeing part 4, I can't wait, but George Lucas and Steven Spielberg haven’t creatively had the best track record of late. Many things that made them daring storytellers in the past, just isn't there any longer. They’ve sort of played it safe over the years and forgotten what they had. I have a few of my own tips Bring back Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood: She was cute and rough around the edges. She’s the perfect strong woman for Indy. I always had a crush on her. Sallah must make an appearance! Have a fast cameo for Short Round. Yes most people hate the kid, but it further gives the movies continuity. No Young Indy prologues please! Marion checking out some old school bling-bling

I hate Huckabees

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I hate Huckabees Watch as Lilly Tomlin makes the director of Huckabees completely loose it. He begins to raise his voice and throw all the stuff off his desk. “I worked on this thing for three years!” Now, I heard that David O. Russell is a complete asshole and yells at everyone. While it appears that Tomlin is in the wrong, but other people have said Russell has a temper. The other clip shows a very pissed Tomlin and Hoffman, Marky-Mark is just chilling in the background. Expect both clips to be removed within the hour. There was also a Fistfight between Russell and George Clooney as well on the set of Three Kings. Russell also had a encounter with director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins). Here's the story behind this incident. ((And then Jude Law quits (the explanation Mr. Russell hears is that he needs to make a big-budget movie because of an impending divorce settlement; Mr. Law's representatives deny that money was a factor). Mr. Russell is devastated: i...

More Trek stuff

John Williams Conducts a concert with the late Jerry Goldsmith’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture theme. http://youtube.com/watch?v=sK0m9b9v5s4 This is kind of touching, because Williams and Goldsmith were close friends. Here’s the famous European Star Trek IV prologue. http://youtube.com/watch?v=VROqPUlQH2U I’m not sure why they didn’t have this extended prologue in the US version, but it would have been nice to bring people up to speed on what happen before. Here’s a portion of Jerry Goldsmith’s rejected score from Star Trek: The Motion Picture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ9e917etNY As I’ve stated before, Goldsmith wrote a few tracks that had a completely different theme from what is heard in the currently movie. These themes were rejected by the director and Goldsmith went back to square one. While it’s good to hear this different take, the other theme is much better and more exciting than this rejected music. BTW, it would appear that Goldsmith ...

random Trek clips

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Here is another Star Trek: Nemesis Deleted scene. http://youtube.com/watch?v=yy7xvB3gcEQ Comment: A portion of this scene was seen in some trailers, the part where Data teaches B4 how to eat. I liked the stuff with Worf, and Riker, but the Data/B4 is too much like the episode “ The Offspring ”. Remember when Lal is sitting with Data and he teaches her how to eat. This promotion was shown right before TNG premiere movie started. I can’t believe I still remember this. Star Trek The Next Generation Series Premiere

Stranger than Fiction

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Stranger than Fiction This film has a very low-key Will Ferrell playing a boring IRS man that discovers that his has his own narration in the form of a female writer. During these narrations, he finds out he will end up dying at some point during his life story. Now, he has to live his life before his demise. With a strange and fascinating concept, I found myself drawn to the movie’s story. While the individual scenes aren’t electrifying, the story at least takes time to tell itself. What would happen if Luke Sykwalker became aware that someone was telling his story? The movie never address why this writer has the power to change the course of people’s lives, but that would add another half hour to already slow movie. And, the slow pace of this movie will turn many people off. People going in to see a goofy Ferrell movie will be disappointed. This is a plus and minus in my mind. Ferrell acting was restrained and something I enjoyed deeply. His interaction ...

Carol Burnett hates cartoons?

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Bush thinks: I can't believe I'm standing next to Peter O'Toole. Special Note: Isn't that Matlock sitting between Bush and Carol? Sweet! _____________________________________________________________ Carol Burnett sues FOX over Family Guy Spoof . ((Veteran comedienne Carol Burnett is suing Twentieth-Century Fox because they used her animated "charwoman" character (the cleaning lady with the mop and bucket from The Carol Burnett Show ) in an April, 2006 episode without her permission. She's asking for $2 million. )) It seems everyone is getting a little sue happy lately, but this one is little extreme. Carol Burnett of all people should know about Parody. She's one of the reasons Family Guy is even on air. However, I just feel she doesn't understand this cartoon the young-ins are watching, and she has become old and bitter. Relax, everyone takes a hit on this show. And she now looks more like Peter O'Toole than Peter O'To...

Disturbing MJ Pepsi ads

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Because I am in a Michael Jackson mood this week, I found this little ad Jackson did for Pepsi . Yes, that's Carlton Banks (Alfonso Ribeiro) from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It looks like Jackson's Posse is made up of his former Jackson 5 brothers. Watching these little kids dance in front of Jackson and crew is a little disturbing now. Who knew nerdy Carlton knew how to dance? If you think that was creepy, watch this one . As Jackson preforms on stage, a young boy (I'm noticing a theme here, hmm) sneaks into Jackson's backstage room. Where are the child's parents? Do they let him sneak into every backstage to steal some shit, so they can sell it on Ebay? Well, the little brat puts on Jackson's outfit and dances. Right when he gets ready to steal Jackson's gear, Michael shows up and says, “Looking for me?”, in a very sinister way. We can only imagine what happens next after the ads ends...