May 28, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Simon Arseneau

The theory is that Shrek Forever After is to be the last movie starring everyone’s favourite green ogre voiced by Mike Myers. The title sounds pretty finale, but then again there are five movies called Final Destination, so you know. Still, whether or not this is the end, the fact is that this is a pretty good chapter in the life of Shrek and company.

Shrek is now living in his swamp with his wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and his three kids while his friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) drop in for a visit every day. On paper, he has a good life: a good house, nice kids, a great wife and a few pals. Yet, married life is getting to Shrek. He has no time for himself, Fiona keeps asking him to unclog a sewage pipe, the kids need their diapers changed, and Donkey keeps coming home uninvited with his half-donkey half-dragon mutant kids for play dates. (I still think these offsprings are the weirdest fairy tale creatures ever animated and quite frankly are a little disturbing to look at. Come on! A donkey plus a dragon? What do you tell the kids when they ask where mutant Donkey-Dragons come from?) To top it all off, a tour bus, or in this case tour carriage, keeps driving by while a guide is explaining to a bunch of tourists that in this swamp there lives a harmless ogre who is now married to a princess and neither of them would ever hurt a fly. Step right up folks! Watch the amazing harmless green muscle mountain! After a few days, that becomes annoying.

Eventually, Shrek snaps at his children’s birthday party and leaves wishing he had never rescued Fiona in the first place. They say “beware what you wish for” but in a world populated with fairy tale creatures, that should be a law. Little does Shrek know that there is an evil little gnome, troll, or whatever the hell he is, called Rumpelstiltskin who knows about Shrek’s troubles and gives an offer he should probably refuse, but doesn’t because otherwise there would be no movie.

Shrek therefore signs a deal that makes him feared by all of mankind once again for one full day, in exchange for a day of his past. What Rumpel neglected to tell him, clever ego-tripping maniac that he is, is that the day Shrek gave away completely alters the past and creates a new present. Shrek is now wandering through a parallel universe where Rumpel in now king, ogres are hunted by witches, Donkey never met Shrek, and Puss in Boots needs help from Jennie Craig. The only way out: Shrek must once again woo Fiona and give her a kiss that will prove he is her true love. Hey, it worked before.

Despite a plot that is clearly inspired by Its a Wonderful Life (how corny was that particular masterpiece) this last Shrek movie has some funny moments and decent action scenes. A particularly inspired casting choice is Craig Robinson as Cookie, the cook for the ogre rebels fighting Rumpel. His chief concern is how close his food stand will be to the battle field once the fighting is over. Apparently, there is nothing like a little ass-whooping to make a bunch of ogre warriors hungry. Eddie Murphy still delivers some pretty good lines every now and then, and his character has a nice chemistry with Antonio Banderas’ character. It probably can’t be called on screen chemistry since these two actors are heard but never actually seen on screen.

The surprising thing is how good Walt Dohnr is at voicing Rumplestilskin. If you have no clue as to who Walt Dohnr is, that is not surprising since so far his body of work consists of supporting voices for Shrek the Third, and writing and art department credits on a few other animated movies. He voices Rumple as an evil egocentric who has the ability to suck you into a bad deal. Sounds like a salesmen on Wall Street.

The fact that DreamWorks gave the role of the villain to what is essentially an unknown actor confirms what I have been suspecting for a long time: Mike Myers is grossly overpaid for this particular role.

Article Source: Simon Arseneau

Shrek Forever After

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May 21, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Allan Libby

Iron Man 2 picks up right after the first movie. After the heroic, very public victory that Iron Man had over his mentor in the first movie, he has become a International Icon. Tony Stark is not your typical superhero. Being the narcissistic billionaire that he is, Tony reveals to the world that he is Iron Man. We all know the basic rules of being a super hero. Once you do that, you leave yourself open to all the enemies that you ever had wanting to get famous at your expense.

Iron Man is one of my favorite Marvel characters and I felt after the first film that Robert Downey Junior embodies everything that I picture in Tony Stark. He still has a great deal of chemistry with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). While I felt her role was probably one of the weaker parts of the film. Also, new for this edition of the film, is Don Cheadle as Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, Stark’s best friend. We remember that Rhodey was played by Terrence Howard in the first film. I think Cheadle did a much better job with the role. There is a great deal of personal struggle that I think Cheadle portrays very well. Does he side with his friend or his government, which he is sworn to protect?

This movie also expands on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s involvement with this story arc. We get to see Samuel L. Jackson be his awesome self as Nick Fury. Also, this allowed for one of my favorite parts of the movie, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow Natasha Romanoff. There is something special about a smoking hot secret agent in pleather kicking butt.

The major plot device is the demons that Tony struggles with. How can the thing that is keeping him alive be killing him? The film explores Stark’s alcoholism and the race he has to re-engineer the very thing that is keeping him alive. At Stark’s lowest point, Rhodey gets away with a suit prototype and War Machine is born.

I think Iron Man 2 was funny and action packed. What it did the best however was not take itself seriously and have that almost zany feel that you get from an actual comic. MORE robots and explosions seemed to be the mantra of the entire movie. Whether it be Tony Stark being an ass, or Black widow kicking some I want to give Iron Man 2 a 9 on the It’s Geektime d10 of Metal Superheroes.

Visit It’s Geektime for more reviews.

Article Source: Allan Libby

Movie Synopsis: Iron Man 2

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May 20, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Chester Branch

Communion

The same wine Jacob had Richard drinking from is the same wine he once drunk from. We hear his “mother” speaking in Latin as she passes the cup; then she says that they are the same. This is similar to Christ’s communion with the saints at the last supper and they become of one blood.

Jacob and Esau

The biblical Jacob and Esau were warring brothers but one was favored over the other. The Biblical Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. Lost’s Jacob and Esau parallel these characteristics. They were born at enmity with each other. Jacob was a momma’s boy and MIB/Esau was a man of the wild. MIB/Esau was originally meant to be the chosen protector of the island. This was his birthright and Jacob took it, just like in the Bible.

River of Light

When they visit the river that runs into the light, they were told of how this Eden like point of origin must be protected at all costs. There must always be someone to guard the light. This light is somehow keeping the world safe.

I Chose You All

Jacob gathers his surviving disciples for a last supper-ish dialogue where he explains everything he can. He continues to conflate the theme of free will and predestination by saying: by choosing you all I have given you the one thing I never had… a choice. This choosing of his predecessors is similar to that of Christ where he says… you didn’t choose me but I chose you.

Water into Wine

To paraphrase Sawyer, if Jack didn’t already have a God complex - he does now. When Jack originally came to the island, he didn’t see the light at the center. Jacob speaks Latin and turns water into wine. After Jack drinks from the cup he will presumably be able to see the light.

Christ Figure?

It is obvious that Jacob was the first Adam. He messed up. He made a mistake, unleashing a smoke monster that spews death. As the first Adam others wondered “why do we have to pay for your mistake?” But Jack appears to be the second Adam; he plans to defeat death once and for all.

Questions:

• How come Esau could see dead people?
• When he went into the river of light did he become his true self?
• When the woman made it so they couldn’t kill each other, did she make them yin and yang; good and evil?
• Where did the woman come from?
• Why does Esau want to go across the sea so bad?
• Other than hell, what could be worse than death?
• What did Ben mean when he said “I thought I was summoning the monster but he turned out to be summoning me”?
• On sideways world Desmond seems to be bridging the “real world” and the “unseen world.” What could he be up to?

http://parablestoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-what-they-died-for-across-sea.html

Article Source: Chester Branch

LOST: What They Died For, Across the Sea

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May 19, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Cole Heggie

Avatar, the top ranked film of all time, has officially hit everyone as emotionally as possible. Its stunning new technology mixed with digital 3D made its depiction of Pandora nearly real. Many people felt completely different walking out of this film, some for the good and some for the worse.

The result of this cutting edge technology is a film that looks so real, one could almost believe it existed. One could dream about it, and perhaps exist to be there one day. Yeah that whole dreaming of Pandora thing seems cool, but I wasn’t turned into an emotional wreck. Apparently this is not the case for the majority of viewers.

After viewing Avatar, a severely large percentage of viewers reported depression. So many, that it has become a widespread topic all over movie forums and Avatar forums. Many people write about their symptoms of depression and how to cope with them. Some even mention suicide. This is extremely scary. This movie goes so deep emotionally that it has people begging for a chance to live on Pandora.

The reason people crave Pandora is because they want a Na’vi- like life. They want a simple life in a close nit tribe on a beautiful planet and a love story to top it off. The reality of things is, the way these Na’vi live truly is a better way of life than our own. It shows that people, despite showing so much consumer insanity, just may be ok with a social system that does not involve high definition TVs. This is actually a good sign in terms of human nature. Some thought if there was ever a drastic event that caused a massive adaptation to a new life style; people would not be able to handle it. An example of this is Peak Oil, or China ruling the world. What people need to understand is earth one ups Pandora in all categories.

Pandora may be a beautiful place, but in my opinion earth is much more interesting. People seem to forget about just how amazing nature is. They sit in their apartment, work 9-5, and see nothing but a concrete jungle. This is not the way you should be living your life. Many people here on earth live the same way as the Na’vi and love it. You should consider alternatives to your consumer driven life style.

We may not have floating mountains, but earth is extremely beautiful and people need to change their life style if they want to live like the Na’vi. No, this does not mean simply buying the movie and watching it over and over again on your HD TV.

Cole has been writing articles for over five years now and currently studies at a university in British Columbia. At his website Weight Loss Teas Cole also gives information about Oolong Tea Benefits among other things.

Article Source: Cole Heggie

Avatar Depression: An Interesting Psychological View

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May 18, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Todd Denning

Ready to reboot the slasher franchise, a remake of Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street was released on April 30, 2010 to fans of the horror film genre. The plot, basically the same as the 1984 original, revolves around a group of teenagers that are being stalked by the serial-killer villain, Freddy Krueger. Disfigured heinously be a fire as the result of his evil crimes, this burned bad guy hunts down the kids from the community that spurned him by getting into their dreams. Since horror costumes are always a hit at Halloween, Freddy Krueger costumes are sure to make the proverbial killing this upcoming season.

Halloween costumes based on this villain from Nightmare on Elm Street have been popular for the last 25+ years and are available in styles to fit men, women, teens and children. Freddy Krueger has a horrifyingly memorable look, from the red-and-green striped sweater to his signature fedora, but perhaps the most memorable parts of the Freddy costume are his hideous face and gloves.

Jackie Earle Haley, the actor that plays Freddy Krueger in the remake, underwent quite a bit of time in the makeup chair each day preparing for his role - up to 4 hours a day. Wearing encumbering prosthetics designed to look like a real burn victim, CGI technology was also used post-filming to create some of the more awful special effects such as the open wound on his face. In conjunction with the makeup and computer effects, contact lenses designed to look cloudy and bloody were also worn and gave him partial blindness (for the film only, of course).

Folks who want to dress as Freddy Krueger for Halloween, of course can’t typically retain their own expensive Hollywood makeup artists and computer whizzes. But, never fear (or do fear), because most Freddy costumes come with a latex mask that depicts all his gruesome glory. Instead of a costume mask, face paints and special wound kits can be used to recreate the look of burns.

In addition to his burned face, Freddy Krueger also suffered burns along his hands while being set on fire by an angry mob. To carry out his evil intentions, a pair of clawed gloves is always worn over his nubby fingers. Every Freddy Krueger Halloween costume must have the signature gloves to complete the look. Some Freddy costumes come with basic plastic gloves, but fans who want to get the “sharp” look can purchase replica Freddy Krueger gloves made of leather and metal, much more like the real weapons this evil guy wore on his hands.

Todd Denning
Costume Machine
Costume Machine is a costume search engine and costume idea generator. Find your perfect costume today at Costume Machine http://www.costumemachine.com

Article Source: Todd Denning

Freddy Krueger: The Nightmare Continues

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May 12, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Roger Bourke White Jr.

The consistently fun part of Terry Gilliam movies is the set work. No one impresses me more with their set work originality. From Brazil to Time Bandits to 12 Monkeys and now to this. They are all different and all fun to see.

Likewise, the back story on this is different. We have a man who starts out as a chief monk a thousand years ago in charge of having a temple of monks keep chanting to keep the universe in existence. Into this temple comes a Western outsider, Mr. Nick, who hears this story as he takes a tour, declares this is bull, and proceeds to vividly demonstrate he is right. The chief monk, Dr. Parnassus, now out of a job, then gets into a thousand-year long series of wagers with this Mr. Nick, who is an incarnation of the devil.

The story we witness firsthand is about a wager involving Parnassus’ daughter who becomes sixteen in three days, and that wager is pretty conventional.

It’s fun. That said, here are the parts that stand out in a Technofiction way:

• It was fun to see the acting on the portable stage at the beginning of the movie. It looked like a credible representation of good acting from 100 years earlier, and that reinforced the idea that Parnassus was now hopelessly behind the times.
• It was a shame that Gillian had to make Parnassus a drunken burnout. That is such a standard plot device.
• Mr. Nick, and his relation to Parnassus were a lot of fun to watch. This was not your standard devil-dealmaker relation, and that is what makes it fun.
• I’ll say it again. The sets were so much fun. They really took you into new places of imagination.

So, this is a movie that I’m really happy was made. Keep up the good work, Terry.

–The End–

Roger Bourke White Jr. has been around. He was a soldier in Vietnam in the ’60’s, an engineering student at MIT in ’70’s, a computer networking pioneer in the ’80’s, and a teacher in Korea in the ’90’s. He loves writing science fiction and has many works posted at White World.

Article Source: Roger Bourke White Jr.

Movie Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

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May 10, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Ricky Davies

Tony stark is back, and this is the review you have been waiting for. The world now knows that Tony Stark is the metal costumed superhero crime fighter. The government want the suits technology however tony constantly tells them that he can’t have it. The government are not the only ones that are after the Iron Man though. Bad guys played by Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke are soon on the case wanting to shelve Iron Man for good.

Sequels of movie franchises are seldom the best and often fizzle or bang for all the wrong reasons. Fans of the first movie or comic book to movie fans can rest assured however as Iron Man 2 is much better than the original. There is something in this movie for everyone. There’s action and plenty of it, just as you would expect from a superhero movie. The comedy levels are amped up this time around with Robert Downey Jr being allowed to flex his charisma and charm at every turn. There is also a lot more eye candy this time around, with the introduction of Scarlett Johansson, need I say any more?

Iron Man 2 is one of the better superhero movies to have it our screens, however it is still going to be compared to the Dark knight and sadly Iron Man 2 can’t compete with the dark and brooding superhero from Gotham, however in my opinion they can’t be compared as they are two completely different types of movies. The Dark Knight is more of a serious superhero movie where as Iron Man 2 is a more family friendly movie experience.

If you are a comic book fan or a fan of the first movie then you are going to watch this movie, it doesn’t matter what I say to you, however if you are unaware of the first movie or never fancied watching it before then I urge you to check out the first movie, once you have done so get your butt down to your local cinema, get the biggest bag of popcorn that money can buy and sit back and enjoy the show.

Iron Man 2 gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars and I am really looking forward to the third in the series.

To read all the new movie reviews be sure to visit mytvtalk.com who offer all the latest movie reviews for absolutely free.

Article Source: Ricky Davies

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

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May 7, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Laura Wells

I know, I know.

Yellow cabs are screeching to a halt. Manolo Blahniks are breaking at the heel. Cosmopolitans are falling off trays everywhere.

I am probably the only person with a lacy bra and a martini glass that asked for this movie to stop before it even started. For the love of strappy sandals, Sarah Jessica, why do it ?

I was not always like this. Come on - I LOVE the show. Every week’s episode was a validation of my singlehood, sisterhood and sex-sterhood.

But as the years have passed - yes, YEARS - “I cannot help but wonder”:

WHAT THE HELL WILL THE MOVIE BE ABOUT? WILL IT EVEN BE FUNNY?

Let’s see:

Rumor has it one story line involves Charlotte on a quest for her new baby in China - with Miranda in tow.

Ugh.

Another rumored story line deals with Carrie planning her wedding to Big.

Yawn.

Who the hell knows what to do with Samantha. Seriously. Think about it.

So what is there to pursue that has not already been done? I want shock, I want steam, and I want to laugh, dammit!

As a cub reporter on all things SATC, I have performed an informal survey as to which fans will see the movie or even care.

First, I asked My Girls. Turns out they are as skeptical as I am. I mean, how do you top some of the series’ story lines? And if not - how can you recreate them…?

There were the comic moments: Funky Spunk…Batman and the Green Bee…Chicks with Dicks…Model-izers…She Can Reach Me, But I Can Never Reach Her…The Princess and The Pee…Friar F*ck…Seamen at Twelve O’Clock (I hope she means a group of sailors)…

And the red hot moments: Big and Carrie in the hotel elevator…Samantha and Richard at the pool…Carrie’s reunion with Aidan…Charlotte and the Gardener (omigod)…the Russian’s black cherry kiss…the $1,000 night with the French man…Miranda and Walker against the wall…

We just don’t know how the writers will do it. So, after My Girls’ input, I have concluded they will take a pass.

Naturally, my next move was to question My Gays.

DAMN. Hearing of my treason, they almost burned me at the Prada stake.

Seems they are completely in the know and my rumored plot lines are SO out the window…

They were all a-buzz about a pregnant Charlotte fighting Big, then going into labor with Big to the rescue (okay, sounds more interesting than China)…

Seems that Jennifer Hudson signed on to be Carrie’s gopher (not bad - at least it will be fun to see Carrie get pushed around by the diva)…

No Stanford yet (!?!), but Mario Cantone’s Anthony is definitely returning (always a winning scene stealer in my book)…

…and casting calls have gone looking for four women rumored to be the girls in flashbacks (no clue - actually sounds kinda stupid)…

Regardless, My Gays finished every tidbit with, “Grrrl, how can you NOT see it? Just for the clothes alone?”

Sigh.

No matter my stand, I will see the movie. Who am I kidding? I am just as anxious to come home to those familiar faces and good ol’ New York as the next Singleton. Not to mention basking in the fabulous-ness of being a girly-girl and all that entails. Who knows - I might even get some new tips on how to carry on as a forty-something rather than a thirty-something…

I just hope it doesn’t suck.

Laura Wells is a teacher, acting coach, actress and singer. She holds a degree in education and has been teaching various subjects for over 10 years. Covering a variety of topics, Laura has designed courses for the individual who wants to study either on their own or with a group. These courses are simple, down-to-earth and are designed for everyone to enjoy without the time commitment or pressure of an academic environment. A graduate of Richland College in Dallas and The University of Texas at Austin, Laura currently lives and teaches from her home on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago.

Article Source: Laura Wells

No Sex And The City Movie, EVER!

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May 6, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Khmer Lee Lugod

The movie was fiction, it is unusual to say that aliens and humans might inhabit the planet for the sake of finding home - a place to live. In my own perspective, the idea was too vague to adopt. For the main character to realize the value of understanding other decisions, he must be willing to give up his own position.

Aliens are there for nearly a decade, yet humans are not being destructed entirely by these creatures. They had the machinery, weapons and technology which human could use. Somehow, it has been depicted in the movie that only an alien DNA could initiate thus equipments So. What are they?, In the movie, the aliens are depicted as “prawns” which can be easily best described according to there look, a cross between a cockroach and a lobster who likes to eat cat food.

They are seen in the urban area of Johannesburg hovering with their ship. Hungry and hopeless, these aliens are able to bargain their weapons and technology to be human for a can of cat food. They are being quarantined and feared to attacked humans at any point, so a relocation mile away was being applied. Wiku’s van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), was tasked to lead the relocation of the aliens Since. The creatures are reluctant to the idea of relocation, a brute force was initiated, which was headed by Wikus.

The private security with armored vehicles and a fire-gun was used to force them out and van der Merwe was found being too inhospitable by burning alien young and destroying alien cab houses. The movie which was being directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson revolves around Wikus’s campaign over to annihilate district 9. His alien viral infection, which transforms him into their kind at the end of the movie. His instinct to return to district 9 and seeking refuge in the area, his connection with Christopher Johnson- the alien captain who hides an alien craft under his house, and his repulsion to the government who accuses him.

The very promising idea presented was to use alien technology at its best. The government and the Nigerian gangster who is very fun of the technology are both disgusted to find the outcome of having an alien DNA to operate the machines. Further, only Wikus could do it, so a serious move has been made to find him for that particular purpose of operating alien weaponry was being tasked. After growing alien hands, Wikus, has been the name of the day. He was jeopardized by the government and was accused of having sex with aliens by showing crafted photos in the media. He was very popular at that moment, such that the Nigerian gangster has grown interest on him. The movie was shot in South Africa where a historic District 6 in Cape Town existed.

At the quarter end of the movie, Wikus teamed up with Christopher and his son Little Cj to fight out while trying to bypass the research facility security to get the fluid which was being saved and collected by Christopher to power his craft underneath. Much of the of the action was taken at the quarter part where Wikus had used the alien robot to protect Christopher. The greediness of the character forces him to take a refuge to his new kind. Unless Christopher comes back after 3 years to cure him. But for now he has nothing to do with it but wait. Nevertheless, the movie calls for a secondary continuation which might help understand how the aliens arrived in the planet.

Take your time to visit and read some of my cool articles. Visit http://khmerlee.wordpress.com for more exciting articles and reviews.

Article Source: Khmer Lee Lugod

Movie Review: District 9

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May 3, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Shaz Ferouz

Why are mental institutions for the criminally insane always on islands that have scary names? I mean is that such a good idea? These people are violent as it is, maybe an island like Fluffy Island or Puppy Island might be a better idea. Wrecking havoc on a place like that might not really gain support from all the other violent inmates. I’m just saying.

So yeah Leo Cap plays Teddy Daniels a federal marshall that was sent to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando an inmate at Ashecliff Hospital for the criminally insane. He is sent with his partner Chuck Aule played by Mark Ruffalo to find how she seemed to have disappeared from a locked room.

Ben Kingsley is Dr. John Cawley the head psychiatrist on the island. The film also stars Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer and is directed by Martin Scorsese

I would normally love stories like this. That starts out with something impossible and then tries to explain it slowly. Pealing away layer by layer and it just keeps you guessing. Unfortunately in a movie that is about crazy people you can’t believe anything. All though the film you will be guessing what’s real and whats not. However even then you can still almost guess the ending.

By Leo’s standards this might not be one of his best movies. With the exception of that 3 hour chick flick Titanic that we were all forced to watch by our girlfriends his movies have generally been quite tasteful.

Worth your money to watch it in the cinema? Not quite in my opinion. It’s very slow and at some parts draggy. There really isn’t much story to go around so they fill it up with excessive flashbacks. Its not a bad movie but I would have waited for the DVD.

My rating

3/5

For more movie reviews, previews and videos check out http://Dotcom.my

Article Source: Shaz Ferouz

Does Shutter Island Stutter?

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