Saturday, June 4, 2011

Exclusive: Natasha Henstridge Heads To 'CSI: Miami'

TV Guide Magazine has learned exclusively that Natasha Henstridge of Species and Eli Stone fame is joining CSI: Miami for the Season 9 finale as Renee Locklear, an undercover agent who is about to cause a stir in more ways than one.

"We meet her in the course of searching for this missing fugitive and she [initially] appears as another possible witness, maybe a possible suspect," says co-executive producer
Barry O' Brien
. "We bring her in for an interrogation and she reveals that she's actually an undercover agent for the Secret Service."

Expect Henstridge's character to strike some sparks with indestructible team leader Horatio Caine (
David Caruso
). "We had the idea that there might be, and as we watched the scenes, there, in fact, was a lot of chemistry," says O'Brien. "It's a relationship we'd like to pursue. She's beautiful and she looks great with David. It's a pretty exciting relationship for us."

Henstridge will definitely be back in the Season 10 premiere, and hopefully, say the producers, throughout the next season as a recurring character. This despite Henstridge signing on to do the CW pilot The Secret Circle. "She booked a CW pilot, which is CBS family, so it's a doable scenario," says O'Brien.

Are you excited to see Horatio Cane finally get a love interest, and a gun-wielding one at that? 

Friday, June 3, 2011

CSI: Miami Finale: Is Horatio Ready to Move On?

From the outside, Horatio Caine's season-long manhunt for escaped convicts on CSI: Miami made for a nice plot engine to drive the season.

Finale Preview: Get scoop on 39 of your favorite shows' season-enders

But for co-executive producer Barry O'Brien, aspects of the journey have allowed Horatio (David Caruso) to do something far more important: He was finally able to deal with the murder of his wife, Marisol (Alana De La Garza). "This season was the season of closure with Horatio and Marisol, for sure," O'Brien says. "[He] put her killer away once and for all. He stopped him after a horrifying crime spree. ... I don't know that he's ever going to find true closure, but he's ready to sort of accept what comes next."

What comes next could be Natasha Henstridge. The Species star plays a mysterious role in Sunday's Season 9 finale (10/9c on CBS), which finds Horatio and Frank Tripp (Rex Linn) bringing the last remaining fugitive back to Miami on a transport plane. When the plane goes down and the convict escapes once more, Horatio and his team must find him before more lives are lost.

Although Henstridge's character, Renee Locklear, is originally suspected of aiding the convict, it's ultimately revealed that she's an undercover Secret Service agent. And as bullets fly, so do romantic sparks between Horatio and Renee, guaranteeing Renee's return in the Season 10 premiere - and, most likely, beyond.

Check out photos of the CSI: Miami cast

"We set up the possibility for [sparks] to happen, but I give the actors all the credit for the way the relationship turned," O'Brien says. "It was David and Natasha. They look great in a two shot. They really reacted well with each other and it was all very natural and organic, so we all looked at each other and said, 'OK, more of this!'"

But even if Horatio has moved on from avenging Marisol, the manhunt has served another purpose this season. "I think something bigger may be going on with the character," O'Brien says. "If you look around, it seems that lawlessness is everywhere in the headlines. You look at what's going on around the world, and you see some crimes in our country becoming more horrific. I think characters like Horatio Caine are saying, 'No, not here; not on my watch.' ... He is willing to go deeper, in more dangerous places than ever before to sort of be the last line of defense in this lawlessness."

But how far will he have to go? The closing moments of Season 9 will put Horatio's life in the balance. "If you look back at the scenes in our season opener, he risks everything to save the entire team," O'Brien says. "In the season finale he puts his very survival on the line to save one. I think that's where the shock will come from. It's totally unexpected of him."

Thursday, June 2, 2011

CSI Miami Season Finale

This season’s finale surely got the fans off their feet. In the beginning scene, Horatio and Frank come face to face with  death when the plane they were using to transport the last fugitive makes an emergency landing after shots are fired in the air. Of course, in the wake of his escape, the fugitive kills a mother, his handler, and kidnaps a teenage girl in his plot to sell government currency plates. When his plan unravels, Toller escapes into the wind with a set of the plates. On the other side of town, a disgruntle ex-con that blames Natalia for losing his kids shoots Horatio, hits Natalia over the head, drags her to an old clunker then tosses her in the trunk. The next thing you see is the car flying off the pier and plunging into the water. <End Scene>

Who can come back from those scenarios? Apparently they both can but how? Will Natalia come back wiser and stronger? Lately, she seems like the target for alot of abductions. I think I would like to see her more like Dana Scully , shoot first ask questions later! Horatio is known to go after the perp no matter where and no matter at what costs. His first target will probably be the guy who shot him; who will probably be easy to find. Toller on the other hand has the plates and the resources to allude capture. Will this finally push Horatio to be the vigilante he is so close to becoming?

To watch this episode and other clip visit CBS. Check out  TV Guides Adam Bryant’s interview with Co-exec producer Barry O’Brien.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Omar Miller discuss eco efforts at Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular

 Celebs from the entertainment world convened for a good cause at 26th annual Sports Spectacular benefitting Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Medical Genetics Institute, honoring L.A. Clipper and NBA rookie of the Year Blake Griffin, leading scorer of soccer's first place L.A. Galaxy Landon Donovan, Pittsburgh Steeler and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu and ski racing Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn.


Omar Miller of "CSI: Miami" has another way to save water. "I've been planting a lot of trees at my house, and I have a slow drip system so we don't have to waste all the water from sprinklers. I use mulch, which keeps the soil moist," he said. On hiatus from his series until late July, he'll soon head to Italy to join the USO's Hoops for the Troops tour, and then hopes to shoot a movie "about the grand fall from grace of the leader of a mega-church. It's going to be very controversial." Miller, who voices Horace the Pig in the forthcoming animated movie "The Lion of Judah," a faith-based film, is glad his character avoided the mayhem in the "CSI: Miami" cliffhanger season finale. "I didn't get shot, so I know I have a job!"

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Omar Miller Joins 'CSI: Miami' & More TV News

Omar Miller books 'CSI: Miami,' Jenny Slate keeps her 'SNL' gig, 'Pushing Daisies'' Barry Sonnenfeld lands a new deal with ABC and ABC Studios and more of today's top TV headlines.Omar MillerOmar Miller ('8 Mile') has landed a regular role on 'CSI: Miami.' Previously cast as a guest star, Miller will play art theft specialist Walter Simmons, who joins Horatio's (David Caruso) team after working the night shift. Miller's role begins Oct. 5. [Hollywood Reporter]

Jenny Slate'SNL''s Jenny Slate may be having the worst week ever, but at least she'll be able to keep her job. NBC has confirmed that Slate will continue working on the long-running variety series, despite dropping the F-bomb during a sketch on Saturday. From now on, the F-word she should keep top of mind is "FCC." [EW.com
]

Barry Sonnenfeld'Pushing Daisies' fans rejoice: Barry Sonnenfeld is reportedly finalizing a new two-year deal with ABC and ABC Studios. The new deal will allow Sonnenfeld to direct a pilot for ABC during pilot season, and continue working on his high-concept multi-camera project for ABC/ABC Studios, about a suit that turns a mom into a "supermom." [Hollywood Reporter
]

Wizards of Waverly Place'Wizards of Waverly Place' continues to work its magic on the Disney Channel. The network has just extended the third season of the Emmy-winning program for eight episodes, bringing its grand total to 86 episodes this season. Clearly, Disney is under its spell. [Hollywood Reporter]

Mark Burnett CBSCraig Wright ('Dirty Sexy Money') and Mark Burnett ('Survivor') are teaming up to develop a new project for CBS. The untitled drama series will be about a lawyer who's given a second chance at life after he is involved in a near-fatal car accident. The kicker: The offer comes from the ghost of his ex-wife. No word on whether they'll enlist help from 'Ghost Whisperer''s Jennifer Love Hewitt. [Hollywood Reporter
]

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Movie Review: TREE OF LIFE Is Mostly A Masterpiece

Tree of Life is surely one of the most gorgeous movies ever made; every shot in the film is sheer beauty, and almost every moment contains something simply wonderful to look at. Not only is the film a joy to look at, a solid two hours out of its two and a half hour runtime is astonishing, a work of sublime filmmaking narrative.

But it’s that other half hour or so that continues to trouble me, and seems to be the hardest bit to unravel. It takes the form of narrative bookends, with Sean Penn as the grown up version of the boy who is the center of the rest of the film, and I kind of don’t really understand what it’s saying. If there are any bits of the film that feel ‘pretentious,’ it’s these bits, which include surreal scenes of Penn wandering in a desert, chasing after his younger self and Penn on a beach, hugging all the people from his youth, including young versions of his mother and father.

Future viewings may allow me to further unravel these parts, but it only took one viewing to fall in breathless love with the rest of it. The centerpiece of the movie is a stretch that extends from the very beginning of the universe through to the birth of Penn’s character and then focuses mostly on his life as a pre-teen boy in Waco in the 1950s. There’s no strong throughline here, and it’s really a series of vignettes – often without much dialogue – but it’s gorgeous and emotional and honest. Director Terence Malick structures the vignettes perfectly to give character, to tell a slight story and mostly to evoke powerful, primal emotions.

Let’s go back a bit, though. The history of the universe sequence is among the most stunning filmmaking I have ever seen. A long progression of time from the Big Bang through the extinction of the dinosaurs, the sequence is pure poetry, pure cinema. It’s a long special effects sequence, but it’s breath-taking in an old fashioned way, true spectacle. Some of the cosmic views are so wonderful as to choke me up.

The entire history of the universe leads up to the birth of Jack, the eldest of three sons for Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain). The story then focuses on the formative experiences of Jack’s young life, the moments of joy and sadness, of wonder and fear. The film lingers on boyish enthusiasm and cruelty, and explores the tender and sometimes hurtful dynamics of the O’Brien family.

Jessica Chastain and Hunter McCracken, who besides having an AMAZING name plays young Jack, are the incredible center of this section of the film. Chastain has a beauty that is ethereal and yet sensual, and Malick loves photographing her. The camera lingers on her, admiring every bit of her – her fine red hair, her pale feet playing in a sprinkler, her warm, maternal smile. The film is very much about, among other things, God – the movie’s occasional voice over comes in the form of prayers – and Chastain is cast as the loving, nurturing side of God.

McCracken has no Hollywood phoniness about him. He’s not a precocious child actro whose stage mom is waiting just out of frame, but rather he’s a boy plucked from the 1950s and allowed to run around in front of a camera. At least that’s how he feels, and that’s how all the scenes with children playing feel, not like acting but like life captured on camera. The genius of Malick is the way that he uses these found-feeling moments to subtly craft the story, to slowly clue us in on these characters. McCracken has a lot of difficult moments in the film, and his coming to understand the pain and loss and meanness of life is just as important the transporting moments of play and love, and the kid carries them all. It’s an incredible performance in that it never feels like a performance.

If Chastain is the New Testament God of love, Brad Pitt is the sterner, Old Testament God. Distant, unreadable, as mysteriously given to sudden acts of love as sudden acts of violent discipline, Pitt’s Mr. O’Brien is a father figure from another time, one trying to get his sons to grow up to be men. Where Mrs. O’Brien counsels a way of love and goodness, Mr. O’Brien repeatedly warns the boys that good people get taken advantage of and walked all over. Pitt brings complete physicality to the role, occasionally letting us in to Mr. O’Brien’s head through small gestures or posture changes. Pitt is a great actor, and here he gets to remind us that subtlety and motion can be the actor’s most potent tools.

Motion is a tool of the filmmaker as well; the camera is always moving, always finding something to look at. Every shot becomes an action shot as the camera snakes around, sometimes from a POV, sometimes swinging about, sometimes pushing right up against the kids as they play. The camera captures tiny moments, finding the clues for us. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s previous best work for me was Children of Men, and he brings the urgency and kinetic feeling of that film to boys strapping a frog to a rocket. He also captures moments of indescribable, fleeting beauty as Chastain’s head briefly blocks out the sun or as Brad Pitt’s fingers dance across a church organ keyboard as his son looks on, bored but intrigued. It’s Oscar-winning work.

Malick expertly creates a boyhood world that’s specific to the 50s and Texas but that feels eternal and omnipresent. By not relying on hit songs of the era or pop culture ephemera Malick gets to the center of boyhood. It isn’t about watching Davey Crockett or listening to Elvis (or watching Star Wars and listening to KISS or whatever your ambient culture was when you were 12), it’s about running outside and testing the boundaries of the world and yourself and each other. It’s about hiding from your mom when she calls you to come in, and it’s about sharing strange (and meaningless) secrets with your friends. It’s about monstrous cruelty and about heartbreaking kindness.

And in a lot of ways that’s what the film is about as well. The themes and meanings of the film are encoded directly in what’s happening on screen. There’s no need for lengthy discussions of meaning (which is actually one of my problems with the closing bookend, which feels like an over the top gilding of the lily) when the meaning is clear in the frame. And when the action in the frame seems to be simply plucked from life, the meaning is clear in life.

The Tree of Life as concept repeats in many religions; in Judeo-Christian folklore it’s one of the trees in the Garden of Eden, represented as being different from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It seems to be no accident that the history of the universe sequence skips from the dinosaurs to the O’Briens, as the home in which they live is the Garden of Eden. And if Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien, who have no given first names, are Adam and Eve, then Jack and his younger brother, the middle child, is Abel. And as Jack gets older and begins rebelling and doing bad and discovering his own anger and insecurities, the family is thrown out of the Garden.

That may seem like a spoiler, but it’s not – Tree of Life is unspoilable because of the simple fact that it’s non-narrative. There’s a story of a sort in the film, but what it’s really about is the emotion and the philosophy, and that’s stuff that can’t be told, only experienced. This is a movie not to be seen but to be lived and felt, and anyone who finds themselves wondering when something will happen is watching the movie in the wrong way. Nothing happens. Everything happens. Understanding that dichotomy is key to enjoying the film. Make no mistake – this is not a movie for everybody. Some people simply aren’t interested in engaging cinema on a serious level, in working with a movie and in being asked to fill in so many blanks and pay so much attention.

Every moment from the creation of the universe to the family leaving the house is perfect (and how many films have THAT sort of a sweep, huh?). While I wasn’t fully on board in the initial bookend – it has some wonderful moments, to be sure – it’s the final bookend that really didn’t work for me. Watching Penn hug Brad Pitt is supposed to be emotional or cathartic, but I felt nothing; the middle section had so expertly taken me on a tour of emotions and reminded me of so many aspects of life and youth, and yet this final section fell flat for me. Maybe the weird stuff on the beach was too cerebral for me, or maybe it’s a gesture that didn’t need making. Whatever the case it’s not enough to sink a truly amazing movie.

I’m not necessarily a huge fan of Terence Malick. I think his best work is great, but am not as transported by his early work as some are. I actively hated The New World. And while I don’t think Tree of Life is an emotionally transcendent experience, it is an awesome work of filmmaking, an incredibly masterful and haunting and beautiful piece. It feels unbelievably personal, and I always believe that truly specific, personal filmmaking alchemically becomes more universal.

I love Tree of Life, with some small reservations. It’s a movie that every serious film lover needs to see, and to see on the big screen – while most of the film is small and personal, the history of the universe stuff is jaw-dropping and epic and bigger and better than any blockbuster this season. This is big art, and it is worth more than one viewing.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Movie Review: “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” Lives Up To Its Subtitle

With his charm and dashing good looks Johnny Depp has created a character that should go down in history for the pirate genre, and after two films that focused heavily on Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann we can finally come back to the character we all know and love. But Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides can get a bit convoluted and gets confused on whether or not to focus on the character that brought the Pirates franchise to where it is today. Hit the jump to read the full review.

If there was ever a time that the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise needed to be revamped it was now. There was too much focus on Jack trying to run way from his contract of servitude with Davy Jones, the love triangle that was ensued by Sparrow, Turner and Swan, and there were just way too many characters to focus on that you were beginning to forget who was sided with who and the fact that the character was there in the first place. In fact On Stranger Tides looks miniscule when scaled with the previous two Pirate films. While it tries to be a film that can stand on its own to legs and separate itself from the rest of the entries, On Stranger Tides cannot get passed its themes that were prevalent in the previous three entries of the franchise and subtly embraces them, virtually turning it into an unnecessary epilogue.


On Stranger Tides
has Jack Sparrow setting sail with the beautiful and ever so cunning pirate Angelica (Penelope Cruz). She is the only pirate who is able to match blades and wits with the world’s most infamous pirate. Of course her sudden appearance causes Sparrow to question her motives. While both of them are on a quest to look for the fabled Fountain of Youth, Jack wonders if she is really willing to share the powers that fountain brings, or is there an ulterior motive. Not too far behind are the British Royal Navy and the Spainish Armada (who seems to have no real part but be included in the international race towards the fountain), who are also in the search for the fountain of youth and have their own agendas when they get to their destination. But when Angelica forces his hand, Jack is brought aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge where his failed mutiny causes Captain Blackbeard to come out of his quarters and reveal his plan to him.

Throughout these four Pirates films there are three common motifs that is undeniably hard not to acknowledge: immortality, daddy issues, and shifting allegiances. The former two are a bit subtler, but it is the latter that will still perplex audiences throughout the entire film. The idea of immortality is indeed a focal point, but as Jack said, “it is not so much the destination as it is the journey.” Despite how our characters finally reach that x marks the spot on the map, Marshall’s pacing is incredibly awful and tests the limits of his audience’s stamina and eyestrain. It becomes a grueling two hours and 17 minutes of sitting through disastrous compilation of choppy and filler scenes. Added with the 3D effects during some of the cinematic battles and you will lose you place entirely.

The wild antics that we all know and come to expect from Jack are there, but the film loses its focus on Jack and makes him look passive an completely uninterested with what is going on. Yes he does involve himself in some of the more climatic scenes, but we do not get to see enough of what makes Jack so special, which is his ability to improvise. We get a glimpse of what is his whimsical meticulous planning but those scene are just too few and far in between and filled with either unnecessary scenes of Jack just standing around during all of the action scenes or filler dialogue scenes. Despite Jack being rather passive during all of the physical tension, it is his chemistry with Penelope Cruz that can be considered the one enjoyable things to watch.

 

Cruz’s appearance (and her chest makes a few appearances as well) as the new female lead is an exciting new addition to the film franchise and is what the Pirates franchise needed to make On Stranger Tides feel a bit fresher. The fact that she is Jack’s equal in almost every way is exciting to watch. The two are always trying to come out as the victor whenever they share scenes together, whether its dueling with swords, dancing or just conversing, there is no telling which will come out as the victor. Whenever the two are bantering they seem to be doing so effortlessly and without making sound scripted. We’ve have seen Jack be able to do this in three films, but to see it with a new face is a refreshing take on a character we have seen in three films.

Of course no Pirate film complete with its daddy issues and one would think that Ian McShane playing as Angelica’s father and Blackbeard would strike fear into those who are watching the film. McShane doesn’t seem to be able to channel his grittiness of Blackbeard and does nothing to enhance to elevate the level of villainy that we saw in Tom Hollander, Bill Nighy, or even Geoffrey Rush. In fact the film tries too hard to make Blackbeard look like a villain by having him move the hilt of his sword to control the ship and bring his sailors to their knees, conjuring zombies, and having declare himself as “a very bad man” in every other scene. None of it helps establish a menacing presence that you could come to expect from a pirate.

Out of the new cast, I didn’t particularly care for the additions of Spanish-French actress Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey playing as a mermaid named Syerna and the English Sam Caflin who plays as Philip Swift, a stalwart missionary. While Syerna may play as a vital role in the film, Philip seems to have no importance at all. He fills the romantic void and is a transitional character so that fans can move on and forget Will Turner and take a liking to Philip. But perhaps its because that Philip is suppose to be the new Will Turner that we start to think if the essence of character left at all. The two begin to consummate a relationship that seems to be deprived of any emotion and looks as though it is doomed to fail. The dialogue that the two share could be compared to that of a low budget primary school version of Romeo and Juliet or two bobbleheads talking to each other.

Of course since this is a full review, one cannot forget the 3D aspect of the On Stranger Tides. Unfortunately, like most 3D films, the scenes that were shot in the dark will strain your eyes and make you feel as though you were watching the entire film with a thin black veil over your face. A good fifteen minutes of the film that were shot in the dark have no light to feed off of and as a result your are forced to squint and adjust to the light that is given to you. I found myself taking off the glasses at some points in the film and just convinced myself that I had double vision during those scenes. Marshall attempts to mask his mistakes by strategically placing the 3D cameras everywhere. From ship decks and courtyards to shores and beach coves, anything that had depth to it Marshall shot it, but the action sequences suffer as a result of Marshall scene selection and you are forced to look for where the action is.

It’s amazing that after shows like LOST (which ironically comes from ABC studios which is owned by Disney) that you would think that they would take advantage of Hawaii’s beautiful and vast nature. Alas, Marshall turns his attention to dense jungles and waste deep rivers rather than on some of the open plains and horizon of the islands.

But audiences should enjoy some of the major action sequences that does sparkle. A few minutes into the first act has Jack involved in a whimsical escape that only a person like Jack can do, and bumping into a few interesting characters along the way (its a super cool cameo of which I cannot spoil). The failed mutiny defies all the laws of physics, but the hocus pocus properties that are derived from Blackbeard’s mystic sword seems to explain how he regains command of the ship. Maybe it was Marshall’s decision to shoot some of the scenes in more than one take that makes the other action scenes staged. These action sequences don’t seem to be carried out in a fluid motion and its choppy editing makes it seem as though Marshall asked for two seconds of sword fighting, then cut, and moved the entire cast to a different side of the set and continued the scene from there.

But some good actions and decent chemistry does not make a good film overall. Again the film falls victim to its own sins and manages to jam pack itself with so many unneeded plots. Philips unyielding desire to redeem all the wrongs that transpired before him while aboard the Blackbeard’s ship becomes tiresome and it stretches out through the entire film. Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) seeks revenge on Blackbeard for taking Jack’s beloved Black Pearl by acting as a privateer for the British Royal Navy. The inclusion of Barbossa was unwarranted and feels as though it was to reference the previous Pirate films, the way all of the Pirate films gives a friendly nod to the ride (oh that is in there too). Then you add the romantic subplot that was mentioned earlier and you begin to forget what the actual film is about.

On Stranger Tides is true to its name. It’s rather strange how all of this came together but still makes for a rather enjoyable watch. Editor Michael Kahn has our pirates look as though as they were scrambling to get to their destination rather than charge through it. Yet its one redeeming quality is that when we get to see Jack share the spotlight with one and only one person. It is difficult to build a movie around one character, but when your one character is the one fans want to see and is supposed to be the lead character, maybe you shouldn’t surround him with so many supporting characters and have him involved in so many subplots. That or Marshall isn’t the kind of director you hire to revamp your films. But it is that familiarity of Depp as our favorite pirate trickster and themes taken from the previous Pirates films that will have audiences sit comfortably in their chairs and have the mistakes of Marshall go over their head.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Streaming Movie Review: Ninja III – The Domination

After the body of a sexy bouffant-haired telephone maintenance engineer – who is also and aerobics instructor on the side – is possessed by the spirit of an evil ninja, she begins systematically killing (using her new-found ninja skills of course) the officers responsible for the ninja’s death and can only be stopped by another ninja!

When I found out the Ninja lll: The Domination was available to stream via LOVEFiLM’s Playstation 3 service I knew I was on to a winner, what I didn’t bargain on was the PSN network going down mid-viewing, so thank god it came back on yesterday and I could finish my Ninja lll fix! One of the campest, yet coolest, of the 80s ninja movies, Ninja lll mixes the becoming played-out at the time Ninja genre with something akin to The Exorcist in a film that epitomises all that is great about 80s B-movie cinema and all that was great about Golan-Globus and Cannon Films, whose demise, in my opinion, has left a huge blot of the movie landscape.

Like many movies of the 80s, Ninja lll features all the cliches of the decade: 1980′s cheesy electro-pop music, dance sequences a-plenty, and enough neon to light up two major cities. But what you don’t expect from an 80s movie, or ANY movie for that matter is a love scene in which a woman seduces someone by invitingly pouring a can of V8 tomato juice down her top. Yes, V8… Picture that for a minute. Got it? Yeah, it’s as weird a scene as you think. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this film.

If it’s not V8 tinged love scenes, it’s floating ninja swords, an over-abundance of smoke and arcade machines playing themselves,writer James R. Silke and director Sam Firstenberg really do throw every wacked-out crazy idea into this film and bizarrely it works – mainly due to the enigmatic central performance of Lucinda Dickey, who easily and believeably switches from tough telephone worker, sexy aerobics instructor, bad-ass ninja, and possessed “monster”.

Dickey is so committed to her role that she somehow makes every scene, no matter how bizarre, work and nowhere better does she bring believability (did I just write that?) to her character than when she becomes possessed by the ninja spirit. You really do believe this buff aerobic instructor can kick as much ass as a well-trained ninja – it’s just a shame the majority of Dickey’s ninja scenes are doubled by MEN! Sadly Sho Kosugi, who appeared in the previous (and unrelated) ninja franchise movies Enter the Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja, is completely underused in Ninja lll, popping in and out of the movie for the majority of the films running time, until finally confronting and exorcising Dickey in the films climax. Of course this being Kosugi he brings the same gravitas to what amounts to merely a cameo as he does to his starring roles, which is why he’s such a legend in the genre.

Ninja lll: The Domination is one third ninja movie, one third Flashdance, one third The Exorcist and 100% awesome! If you’re a fan of ninja movies or cheesy 80s movies (as I am) then Ninja lll is most-definitely made for you.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Ayrton Senna movie review and analysis

May 18 (Paul Murtagh) After many years in the making, and many expectant fans waiting, the documentary film about the life of Ayrton Senna will be released in the United Kingdom on the 3 June, and in Australia on the 11 August. I have been very fortunate to see the film before it will be released, and it opened my eyes on the life of Formula 1’s most famous driver.

Race winner Ayrton Senna (BRA) Lotus 99t. Team Manager Peter Warr, left,  Michele Alboreto and Neslon Piquet right and 2nd right. Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, 31 May 1987

Ayrton Senna was a familiar figure on the top step of the Monaco podium - seen here after his first win at the principality in 1987

It is a perfect time for the film to be released in the United Kingdom and Ireland – during the weekend of the jewel in F1’s crown, the Monaco Grand Prix. Senna was the master of Monaco. He holds the record for the most amount of wins around the Principality, with a total of 6. He won 5 in a row between 1989 and 1993, and but for a lapse of concentration in 1988, it would have been 7 successive wins at F1’s most famous race.

What I was expecting was a very pro-Senna documentary, and a very anti-Prost, anti-Balestre and eventually anti-Schumacher film. What I found was that only one of these was partly true, and the rest were false. It did not reflect too badly at all on Prost, Balestre or Schumacher (except in small sections with Prost and Balestre – more Balestre than Prost), but it did however show all that was great about Senna.

Ayrton Senna (BRA) Toleman TG184, 2nd place. Monaco GP, Monte Carlo, 3 June 1984

1984 Monaco GP: Ayrton in the Toleman

The film begins at his first podium in F1 – the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix where he finished second to Alain Prost in the Toleman. From there it looks at his three-year stint with Lotus, his highly successful 6 years with McLaren, and of course ends with his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and his funeral. The film shows what we all knew about him as a driver – his undoubted speed and ruthlessness to win.  The scenes around his first F1 win in Estoril in 1985 are something to watch out for!

The film also reflects on the two most controversial moments of his career – his collisions with Alain Prost in 1989 and 1990, and shows pieces of film never before seen by the public on both incidents.

Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren and Alain Prost (FRA) Ferrari walk back to the pits after colliding at the first corner and settling the 1990 World Championship in the Brazilian's favour. Formula One World Championship, Rd15, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan, 21 October 1990.

1990 Japan: Ayrton Senna versus Alain Prost aftermath

Although it ignores the two major incidents between the two that precedes these events (1988 Portugese Grand Prix, where Senna pushed Prost towards the pit wall; and the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix, where Senna broke a pre-race agreement between the two to overtake Prost), it’s focus and coverage of 1989 and 1990 were very good – despite the slightly pro-Senna angle. The coverage from the time that we are able to see for the first time gave me a glimpse of the politics behind the sport, rather than the sporting side of it.

But what struck me the most about the whole film is how humble Senna actually was. As a three-time Formula 1 world champion, winner of 41 grand prix and god-like status in both Brazil and Japan, nobody would have been surprised had he had an ego bigger than his country. But it did not show at all in the film.

(L to R): Ayrton Senna (BRA) Williams talks with Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Jordan who escaped relatively unscathed from a huge practice crash on the Friday. Tragically Senna would lose his life during the race itself. San Marino Grand Prix, Imola, 1 May 1994.

Ayrton Senna talks with Rubens Barrichello at Imola in 1994

The film shows Senna away from the grand prix circus at home in Brazil, and it shows Ayrton doing work for his foundation (which continues to go from strength to strength today) and more. It ends with his final race weekend at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, and his funeral that followed.

The film shows how he was affected by accidents to other drivers (notably Barrichello and Ratzenberger at his final race weekend), and how much Ayrton was emotionally attached to the sport that weekend. Watching it makes you feel he was distracted that weekend, and that he just didn’t seem himself at all.

The scenes after he hit the wall at the Tamburello corner are very hard to watch as an F1 fan, and the pain from that weekend can still be felt watching these pictures all over again.

But the main thing that comes from the film was his ability behind the wheel. There is no doubt that Ayrton Senna has been one of the greatest drivers to grace a Formula 1 car. His unrivalled will to win comes through to the fore in the film, and his God-like status in his homeland is clear for all to see.

Having seen very little of Senna’s career myself, his film shows me just how great of a driver and a person he is, and how much he is missed by all. It will surely go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, films ever made about motor racing.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Movie Review: ‘Priest’

Last night I had the misfortune of seeing Priest at the movies and I say that because everything I had seen to promote the film led me to believe that it was going to be an entertaining sci-fi action film. What it really turned out to be was an extremely boring, slow-paced snoozefest that had absolutely NOTHING resembling entertainment to offer. I can’t say that Priest was the worst movie I’ve ever seen but I can honestly say that it’s not a movie that I needed at all to see … or will ever want to sit thru again.


Essentially, everything is wrong with his movie … just all of it. The worst part, tho, had to be the writing. The lines that the actors had to deliver was just so terrible I had to keep myself from laughing out loud thruout the entire movie. The second worst part was the acting. Cam Giganet was such a joke, I couldn’t take anything he did in this movie seriously. Paul Bettany, the star, was OK but even he struggled … the movie is so bad that he really didn’t have anything to work with. For a vampire film, Priest was not scary or even tense. For an action film, the fight scenes were pretty much nonexistent. For a sci-fi film, the FX were just lame. It really sucks when you see a movie that you think is going to be good and all you get is boring drivel. I am familiar with the Priest graphic novel and I have to say, this film does that story a huge disservice. I cannot recommend that anyone waste their time with this film. If you are curious, wait til it comes out on Netflix or cable so you can watch it for free. At least then, the only thing you have to lose is your time.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

New Liverpool Movie on CL 2005

A new film called "Will" is based around Liverpool's famous 2005 Champions League victory.

It tells the story of an orphan named Will who travels across Europe to get to Istanbul to see Liverpool play the CL final of 2005.

And so he gets to see Liverpool fabulously coming back from being 3 goals down to eventually beat AC Milan on penalties.

And then maybe everyone lives happily ever after.

Looks good.

Trailer...

Friday, May 20, 2011

Latest Movie Reviews For Your Perusal

Nowadays in this date and age when life has develop into so hectic, you do not desire to catch up with just about every new movie. Everybody has develop into selective, and he or she would like to view only movies which are of interest to him or her.

Latest movie news are a sneak peek into what the film is founded on. Such reviews are usually from buyers who post them on the net, in newspapers or shown on television. Such reviews will not leak out the suspense and thrill portion of the film. Mostly film critics give out the reviews that assist the moviegoers to determine on regardless of whether they ought to watch the film in the theater or property. However, even moviegoers write about their experience on watching the film.

It is vital that new movies get the latest movie reviews. If this doesn’t take place, nobody could be thinking about watching the film. If the individual reviewing a particular new movie writes only negative remarks, this could have drastic effect on the success of the film.

Here are the advantages of ratings on films:

1. Fundamental info of new releases hides in these reviews. Thus, if you are a fan of the director or the stars you could go to see the film.

2. Promoters generate public interest in their film via such reviews.

3. It saves you from watching films that are nothing but a waste of time. You’d rather invest that time doing something more worthwhile.

4. Just about every movie ticket costs a lot today and I am positive you do not want to invest your tough earned funds on a film not worthy of it.

5. The ratings given within the reviews allow you to to decide regardless of whether you wish to go for the film.

Newspaper reviews: The gist of the movie ought to come out in a way that it doesn’t give away precise details of the film, to ensure that folks don’t lose interest following reading. Such reviews come from the critics as well as movie buffs. It does not cost to read these reviews at all and in reality, it’s beneficial as you could just give worthless movies a miss.

Online reviews: With men and women turning increasingly more net savvy today online is often a very superior platform to catch up with movie reviews. Accurate information about the film is vital and you’ll be able to decide when you wish to catch up with the new movies in a theatre, on your laptop or by renting a DVD.

Tv reviews: This is the most preferred source to know about the reviews of most recent flicks. Every single week there are shows broadcast on tv particularly to speak about the newest movie releases.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

New ‘Hitman’ Movie Coming


A sequel to 2007′s Hitman is being made to coincide with the release of the next game in the series, Hitman Absolution. The first movie, staring Timothy Olyphant as the famous assassin, was widely panned by critics but made a decent amount of money in the box office. Its unknown if Olyphant will return as Agent 47, but what is known is that the movie will apparently tie in quite closely with the game, both being released in 2012. The game itself is using the performance capture facilities James Cameron used for Avatar.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Jennifer Aniston to Go Topless in New Movie?

James Devaney/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Jennifer Aniston is no stranger to flaunting her body, but she may show more than we've ever seen in her upcoming film, Horrible Bosses.

Rumors have resurfaced that the 42-year-old star has filmed a topless scene for the comedy, reports Us Weekly.

An insider with the film says, "She shot a topless scene, but produces aren't sure if they'll use it.  They filmed it two ways.  In one, you see Jen's face and boobs in the same shot.  In another, the audience might think it's a body double."

Another source, however, said Aniston keeps her shirt on, adding, "Jennifer did not shoot a topless scene.  She may appear nude, but you do not see Jennifer topless."

In the film, which opens in July, Aniston plays a dentist who sexually harasses a man who works for her.  Last year, Aniston's rep nixed talk that the actress would appear topless in the movie, although the spokesman did tell E! Online she filmed some "provocative" scenes.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A New Superman Movie To Hit The Big Screen

It has only been a few years since the release of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, but already a new Superman movie is in pre-production. It is not a sequel to that last production, but instead has decided to re-invent the series from the beginning, with a new cast, director and outlook.

Superman was created by the American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster in 1932 and is largely responsible for creating the superhero genre. It was not long before the comic strip took off and soon there was a radio show based on the comic strip too. The character has also had a long history with the cinema, first appearing as an animated series in 1941, featuring the voice artists from the radio show, and then in a serialized short series with Kirk Alyn in the lead role from 1948.

More animated shows, comics and books would follow over the next three decades, there was even a musical on Broadway, and then in 1978 Richard Donner directed Christopher Reeve in the title role as Superman returned to the big screen. This movie was followed by three more sequels with Reeve, though number 3 and 4 were not really related to the first two movies. Television became the home for the Man of Steel, in the form of series like Lois and Clark and the more recent Smallville. But in 2006 Bryan Singer was convinced to return to Metropolis.

And that was the above mentioned Bryan Singer film, which almost followed on where the original two Christopher Reeve movies ended. Brandon Routh, a relative unknown was cast as the Man of Steel, with Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Despite excellent reviews and even a few awards, the box office returns disappointed the studios.

Now it is the turn of British actor Henry Cavill to play the Man of Steel and his alter ego, Clark Kent. Cavill is another who is not very well known, but he is very respected by those who do. He has caught the public attention’s playing Charles Brandon in the series, The Tudors, and has also had parts in a number of other movies.

But he has been on the verge of stardom for a few years now and was even considered for the earlier Bryan Singer movie. Other rumors were that he was considered as Batman and James Bond before Christian Bale and Daniel Craig got their roles respectively, and he was also Stephanie Meyer’s first choice for Twilight, but was too old when filming began.

Amy Adams, best known for her roles in The Fighter and Enchanted, will play reporter Lois Lane, the role originally made famous by Margot Kidder. Playing the Kents are two of Hollywood’s top stars over the past two decades, with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane filling the roles. At this point most other actors have not been named, and these secrets are being kept under wraps until closer to the release date.

Directing this version, known as Superman: Man of Steel is acclaimed director, Zack Snyder. Best known for his work on Watchmen, 300 and the recent Sucker Punch, Snyder excels in action movies and enjoys stylizing his compositions and colors. Writing the script is another highly rated Hollywood name, David S. Goyer. His credits include the Blade movies, and of course the two new Batman movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

To learn more about this topic – New Superman Movie, please visit our website for tips.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sneak Peek at House MD Season 7 Episode 20 "Changes"

HOUSE: House (Hugh Laurie, L) and Cuddy's (Lisa Edelstein, R) jobs are in jeopardy when Cuddy's mother threatens to sue the hospital in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein, R) tries to persuade her mother (guest star Candice Bergen, L) not to sue the hospital in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: House (Hugh Laurie, L) and the team (L-R: Olivia Wilde, Peter Jacobson, Omar Epps and Jesse Spencer) treat a recent lottery winner who is suffering partial paralysis in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: Thirteen (Olivia Wilde, second from L) and Taub (Peter Jacobson, L) treat Cyrus (guest star Donal Logue, second from R), a recent lottery winner who is suffering partial paralysis, in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: David Constabile, R. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: House (Hugh Laurie, R) and the team treat Cyrus (guest star Donal Logue, L), a recent lottery winner who is suffering partial paralysis, in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: House (Hugh Laurie) attends a meeting with Cuddy's mother in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: Thirteen (Olivia Wilde, R) treats Cyrus (guest star Donal Logue, L), a recent lottery winner who is suffering partial paralysis, in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: David Constabile, R. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: House's (Hugh Laurie, L) job is in jeopardy when Cuddy's mother threatens to sue the hospital in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

HOUSE: Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein, L) tries to persuade her mother (guest star Candice Bergen, R) not to sue the hospital in the "Changes" episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX Adam Taylor/NBC

Friday, May 13, 2011

HOUSE, M.D. Season 4 DVD Review

  

The word around the water cooler* is that the fourth season of "House, M.D." is that it was a weak effort.  This is incorrect.  After a disappointing third season which wasted an antagonist and backed itself into a corner, the show made a much-needed shake-up.  Enter a wonderful parody of reality shows and the re-introduction of one of the show's more brilliant concepts: House as Teacher.

 

With the departure of his team, Dr. Gregory House (the always-brilliant Hugh Laurie continuing to entertain and amaze with his iconic portrayal of the misanthropic doc) must wade through a pool of applicants and he does it in the way he (and us) will find most entertaining: rounds of eliminations.  Viewers will find characters they want to see as permanent additions and root for them as they would for any contestant.  It automatically adds suspense beyond just the cases which continue to be formulaically paced but still surprising when it comes to the final diagnosis. 

 

Rather than stuck in his office, we spend a lot of time in an auditorium and it calls to mind one of the series' best episodes, "Three Stories".  While it's fun to watch House be snarky, wry, and sometimes downright cruel, it's nice to see him let loose some actual wisdom and that in order to be on his team, it's not how much you know that's important (since he knows everything): it's your character.  House may not like people, but he still needs to work with them and choosing the right colleagues is the only way he can fill that magic whiteboard of his and solve the mystery.

 

The new cast members are a joy, from familiar face Kal Penn to breakthrough performances from Olivia Wilde as the enigmatic "Thirteen" and Anne Dudek as "Cutthroat Bitch".  Returning cast members like Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) and Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) also continue to grow and take their characters to new places.  Of course, at the end, it's really all Laurie.  Even if every other aspect of the show rubs you the wrong way (and it really shouldn't), "House" is still worth watching for his performance.  It's just that good.

 

The DVD set of "House, M.D. – Season 4" contains four discs containing sixteen episodes with an MSRP of $59.98 (which is the same MSRP as the other three seasons despite having eight fewer episodes).  Each of the episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks. Extras include commentaries with Cast and Crew, 5 featurettes (New Beginnings, Meet the Wirters, The Visual Effects House, Anatomy of a Crash, My Favorite Season 4 Episode), a gag reel, and a Season 5 Sneak Peek.

 

* I bring a water cooler wherever I go so I may discuss things around it.

 

 

 

 


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

House MD Season 7 Episode 20

The last article for this set and we want to include more about giving the best article we can provide in our site so we can give the views on how we can share the thoughts for your. So how about a free ticket to watch House MD Season 7 Episode 20 online for free and that is the goal of On MegaVideo. We are sharing the full episode of your favorite TV series with no survey and that is the best thing we can do. Made from the love of kyle and kin, they want to spit it out using this blog while giving the hottest and the most popular TV series and movies that you can watch online. While saying more about thinking an advance output we are just saying that we are building such dreams so that everyone can enjoy not only for those people who love blogging so we can talk about love and more about life and else they can also issue for more video from full episode unto the most Facebook games that is need to be watched. You too can also share your thoughts, and idea on how we can enhance together the blog, the personal blog that intended to give a new version of sharing a video, not only for no survey but also the love story. We don’t care about what many people says, even if we are not making a money online, and even if we are failed to shoulder all the expenses you can get this site as free and don’t need to waste a time for pop ups or site redirection, every video here is just a click away from it,that you can stream the full episode and by means of sharing this site for your friends who love also to watch the season 7 of Episode 20 of House MD for free. On Megavideo made it online so that everyone can enjoy the video, this is the fastest way of sharing information and the high quality video is just a click of a button with us.

Though I need to lengthen this article? I think there is no need to write for a very long novel, I believe that if you can post a high quality content people will visit your site, come back on it and luckily they will share this to their friends who also like same TV series for their friends. But then if you want to leave a comment for this one, make a review of it and share your personal thoughts about this TV series, else you can vote for it so we can feature House MD and bring a new output online. And for the season 7 episode 20, this will be online experiment and enjoying the thoughts of sharing this site with us.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

House Md Cast Season 7

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