Battlestar Galactica Season 4 - Extended Trailer

50th post

Battlestar Galactica Season Four An early look
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/03/31/battlestar-galactica-season-four-an-early-look/
(spoiler warning)

Tags: battlestar galactica, cylon, extended, four, season, trailer, tricia helfer, tv

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Tv series 31/3-6/4

-Friday April 4:Battlestar Galactica season 4 episode 1 "He that Believeth in Me."(final season premiere)
-Sunday April 6:The Tudors season 2 episode 2

Tags: battlestar galactica, tudors

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Reality Bites Review

Reality Bites is a 1994 film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Stiller, Winona Ryder, and Ethan Hawke, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin (where Childress' high school is located),and Houston,Texas in 42 days. The plot is centered on Lelaina (Ryder), an aspiring videographer working on a documentary called Reality Bites about the disenfranchised lives of her friends and roommates (Hawke, Garofalo, and Zahn), and to a certain degree, about Lelaina herself. Their challenges, both documented and not, exemplify some of the career and lifestyle choices faced by Generation X.Last Saturday,i saw Reality Bites and i think that it is good film.

Trailer:http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=8632
More info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_Bites

Tags: ben stiller, ethan hawke, film, generation x, reality bites, winona ryder, movies, entertaiment, review

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Jumper Review

Jumper is a 2008 science fiction film loosely based on the 1992 science fiction novel Jumper by Steven Gould. The film is directed by Doug Liman and stars Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson with Diane Lane and Samuel L. Jackson.
Plot Outline: A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.
Today,i saw Jumper.In my opinion,it is a mediocre film.

Tags: film, jumper, sci fi, review, hayden christensen, samuel l.jackson, doug liman, movies, entertaiment, bourne identity, mr and mrs.smith

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Nightwish:Ghost Love Score,Over the hills and far away

Nightwish -Ghost Love Score （End of An Era） Live


Nightwish - Over the hills and far away

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Bullets and Badges: The 10 Best Cop Films of the Past 30 Years

The Bottom Line Excellent movies that should be on everyone's must see list.

Cop Movies. From the jaded cynic on the take, to the golden boy out for truth, justice and American way, to the screwball, we can't get enough of our boys in blue. The cop movie is a genre that extends well beyond your average shooting match and delves into the darker underbelly of society. Or sometimes it's just plain old cowboy fun. Either way, in it's endless incarnations; it's a story we can all be enthralled by. Here's my list of my favorite 10 Cop films (a good amount which feature Al Pacino):

10 - Lethal Weapon
Who says a great cop movie has to be serious? One of the great buddy pics of the 80's teams up Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as two police men from opposite sides work together to beat the bad guy Gary Busey. (Gary is never better than when he's playing a total psycho) Where Glover is the average family man just trying to balance his home and career, Gibson is the wacko new detective with a suicidal complex who turns his life upside-down. Despite their differences, they soon learn that they actually make a good time and go out to kick some Busey butt. The sequels are pretty good, but they never stood up to the original.

9 - The Untouchables

That's the Chicago Way. Sean Connery's famous speech is just one gem in a fabulous movie and probably one of the most famous speeches in a cop film. (The only one more famous is Dirty Harry's :Do you feel lucky, punk? a movie that's not on my list because I've actually never seen it all the way through.) An over the top retelling (do not look for historical accuracy here) of the endeavor of Elliot Ness to smash Al Capone's stranglehold on Chicago, this movie never gets old every time I watch it. Fabulous performances by Robert DeNiro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and the guy whose name I can't remember who played the little Treasury agent who gets killed abound. The sets are amazing and bring 1930's Chicago to life. And the dialogue is dead-on perfect, not suprising since David Mamet wrote the script. It's a gangster film, a cop film, an action film, and a little bit of buddy pic thrown in and good old shoot-em-up fun.

8 - Donnie Brasco

Most might consider this to be a mob movie, but I think it fits into the cop genre well, too. Johnny Depp gives an amazing performance a Joe Pistone (a.k.a. Donnie Brasco), an FBI agent who infiltrated the mob so deeply that they actually made him a made man. Caught up in a situation that often seems beyond his control, he attempts to hold on to his real self and do his job, despite the fact that he's trying to bring down the one man who's actually become his friend. Getting in too deep, it seems almost impossible to extricate himself and he loses everything in the process, as he is forced to do some awful things in order to be accepted and believable. The scene where he has to beat down a waiter in an attempt to prove himself to his mob buddies and keep from blowing his cover is both frightening and sad. Al Pacino does a terrific job as Lefty Ruggiero an old mobster who's never quite made it to the big time that takes Donnie under his wing. Also featured are Bruno Kirby and Michael Madsen who turn out excellent performances.

7 - Heat

Proof that yet again, cop movies and crime movies go hand in hand, this story of the face off between a tortured and obsessed cop (Pacino) and the thief (DeNiro) he's determined to bring down is wonderful. Telling the story from the perspective of both, we soon discover that the two have much more in common than they might think at first. The scene where they verbally spar in a coffee shop just crackles with intensity. This epic film is long, but you'll never notice the time going by, you'll be so drawn into the story as you routinely switch sides on who you root for to win out.

6 - The Border

A movie where Jack Nicholson isn't playing a total psycho?!? What a concept! Seriously, Nicholson does an absolutely amazing job with an understated performance as a border patrol agent in Texas looking for some shred of meaning in his life. Working in a job where he doesn't seem to make a difference and corruption abounds, he seems hopelessly beat. Soon, he finds himself in a situation where he can save the life of a child sold on the black market and possibly save his soul at the same time, as well. It also features Harvey Keitel as his best friend, who's pretty much given up looking for justice and simply looks out for himself. This is a sadly underappreciated movie and I urge you to seek it out.

5 - Serpico
Al Pacino gives a fabulous performance as one of the only honest cops in the entire NYPD. It's based on the true story of Frank Serpico, a police officer who couldn�t be bought and eventually paid for it when he was shot on duty. Watching the trials Serpico goes through and his alienation by the rest of the force is depressing. Especially since it's such a realistic portrayal of the law enforcement community, where a person is so bombarded with the worst aspects of society they often give into the same corruption. There's not much of a happy ending, but it's gritty, realistic story and Pacino's standout performance will stay with you long after.

4 - LA Confidential

American police in the 50's weren't like Dragnet and this movie shows that perfectly. The stories of three very different cops who have to solve murders and attempt to fight rampant police corruption in 50's Hollywood. The characters are shown warts and all, but they still try their best to do the right thing. Mixing fantasy and real-life events, this movie portrays the darker side of Hollywood. Again, it's a movie chock-full of great performances, my personal favorite as Kevin Spacey, the jaded detective who's just trying to make some extra bucks in TV land as a consultant, but still manages to find a little bit of good left in him. And Kim Basinger was suprisingly good as the Veronica Lake lookalike prostitute with a heart of gold.

3 - The Thin Blue Line

The only documentary on the list, the masterpiece of Errol Morris details the story of convicted cop killer Randall Adams. The only problem is that Adams was framed due to intense pressure to bring somebody to justice as quickly as possible, whether they're guilty or innocent. The murder of a police officer can leave the public and especially the rest of the force out for blood and vengeance. By reenacting the murder and police investigation, Morris's film uncovered glaring errors and inconsistencies and the film eventually set Randall Adams free. The last scene where the truth is revealed is an absolute shocker. A powerful film with a powerful true story, it is another one that will stick with you for a long time.

2 - The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
Two words: Leslie Nielsen

Honestly, I really don't need to expound too much on this one, since its already considered a comedy classic, but I will a little bit anyway. This could be in the top ten lists of so many films (and is in fact, #2 on my Best Spoofs list, as well. Airplane! Is #1, of course.) and just one viewing proves why. Leslie Nielsen is Lt. Frank Drebin, a good cop with a heart of gold and without a brain in his head that's trying to stop the assassination of Queen Elizabeth. Just watching the wake of destruction he leaves in his path is absolutely priceless. This is a must see film.

My favorite quote (I couldn't resist):
Frank Drebin: When I see five weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in broad daylight, I shoot the bastards. That's my policy.
Mayor: That was a Shakespeare In The Park production of Julius Ceaser, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!


1 - Copland

Sylvester Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, sheriff of a small New Jersey town that's literally been taken over by a small contingent of NYPD officers. There literally isn't one bad performance in this entire movie, with other standouts being Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta. And the story is heartbreaking. Freddy grew up believing that he would someday be an NYPD officer and due to an injury, he was unable to. Instead he turns into a loser and a small town joke, with nothing but his dreams. He never let go of the belief that NYPD was truly where the best went. And watching the dream shattered by the harsh realities of the corruption he witnesses is absolutely heartbreaking. In the end, Freddy has to step up to the plate and prove his worth to himself, but is he able to or will he just prove that he's the loser everyone else believes he is? Also, I gotta give the film an extra star for mentioning my hometown of Elmira (a.k.a. home of Mark Twain and Tommy Hilfiger).

Honorable Mentions
Beverly Hills Cop (just the 1st one...)
Paradise Lost (an HBO documentary)
Die Hard

PS : I have never seen any Dirty Harry film, so they're not on the list.

Note:The article was published by Epinions.com(author:sampo24) on Jul 01 '01 (Updated Aug 04 '01).

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Paley Festival:X-Files,Damages,Gossip Girl

The Los Angeles branch of the Paley Center for Media is currently conducting their annual William S. Paley Television Festival, AKA Paley Fest. This two-week event spotlights a group of noteworthy television series and television luminaries, with each night devoted to a different show or person.

X-Files
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/03/27/paley-festival-the-x-files/

http://tv.ign.com/articles/862/862756p1.html

Damages (Warning:Season 1 Spoilers)
http://tv.ign.com/articles/862/862210p1.html

Gossip Girl
http://tv.ign.com/articles/861/861439p1.html Read more!

Deception Trailer

An accountant (Ewan McGregor) is introduced to a mysterious sex club known as The List by his lawyer friend (Hugh Jackman). But in this new world, he soon becomes the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist.
Deception,starring Ewan McGregor,Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams,will be released on April 25, 2008 in the USA. Read more!

The O.C.: Which Season Was Best?

13 months have passed since The O.C (one of my favourite series) ended.
The following feature was published by ign.com,on March 6,2007 (author:Eric Goldman).

"Californiaaaaaa. Californiaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Sorry, but just two weeks after it ended its run, we already have nostalgia for The O.C., and find ourselves humming or singing the theme song at inappropriate times.

The O.C. exploded out of the gates in the summer of 2003, instantly gaining strong ratings and an incredibly rabid fan base, and turning its four young stars - Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson - into teen idols and tabloid fodder. The story focused on Ryan (McKenzie), a troubled teenager taken in by the wealthy Cohen family; parents Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), and their awkward son Seth (Brody). Rather than the mundane and vapid 90210 type series many expected it to be, The O.C. boasted some incredibly clever and witty writing, guided by series creator Josh Schwartz. Yes, this was a soap opera at its core, but it was a knowing and self-deprecating one, that managed to always wink at the audience.

And it was geek friendly! Writers on The O.C. staff were clearly knowledgeable on the subject of comics, and filtered all of their knowledge into the character of Seth Cohen, a lifelong comic book fan who was prone to making references to Brian Michael Bendis, Hawkman, Joss Whedon's X-Men run, and much more. The show also provided a huge outlet for noteworthy bands, both on the soundtrack and sometimes on the screen, with performances at the show's fictional club, The Bait Shop - it's hard not to think of uber-fan Seth when Death Cab for Cutie is mentioned.

With the show now a memory (though we expect to watch the DVDs for a long time to come), we've decided to take a look back and rank each of the four seasons, from the weakest to the best of the bunch.

#4: Season three

Aside from some of the more intense Mischa Barton fans who frown upon the Barton-free season four, you're likely to find little argument among the fandom that season three was the low point of The O.C. There were some major miscalculations, including far too much time and too many episodes spent with the less than beloved character Johnny, an earnest surfer who falls for Marissa. Johnny at first seemed like the Terminator of annoying characters, as he survived getting hit by a car, but thankfully a fall from a cliff would at last do him in.

Longtime characters were given some questionable storylines too, as Seth's constant lying grew tiresome and frustrating, and turned into near pathological behavior. And some of the plotlines seemed pretty random, like Sadie, the apparent perfect girl of Ryan's dreams, who comes and goes within a few episodes, and an ill-conceived story for Kirsten that turned her into the prey of a con artist played by Jeri Ryan. In fact, Kirsten and Sandy both suffered from unsatisfying stories in season three, as almost the entire year followed Sandy's less than thrilling quest to get a new hospital built, reminding us that it was probably a mistake to get rid of Sandy's father-in-law Caleb (Alan Dale) the year before, as he had been a great character to bounce off both of the elder Cohens.

Still, even at its weakest, the show had plenty of funny dialogue, and it's impossible to completely hate a season that introduced one of the greatest elements of The O.C.: Taylor Townsend. Played to perfection by Autumn Reeser, Taylor, with her off-putting, perfectionist manner, was hysterical and oddly endearing and it's no wonder a character originally conceived as a short term antagonist was elevated to much more.

Of course the most controversial element of season three is the death of Marissa. Dramatically, it was the right move, as Marissa had been a downward spiral since, essentially, the beginning of the series, and her self-destructive behavior had become more than a little tired. She was an important character however, which meant her death had to be handled well. Thankfully, the episode documenting her demise was a fairly strong one, but it was the following season that would really pay off this shocking twist…

Season 3:Thank you Taylor Townsend,for getting us through these troubled times.

#3: Season four

There was so much to like about this season that it was tough deciding to rate it as "only" our third favorite. After the poorly received season three, Schwartz and his collaborators had a lot to prove, in order to show that The O.C. hadn't permanently "lost it." And while the ratings sadly never recovered, which led to the series cancellation, the quality of show itself bounced back in a huge way. The opening story arc, detailing Ryan's quest to get revenge on Volchok, who caused Marissa's death, was great. More importantly, the weight of Marissa's abesence was felt throughout the series, as each of the characters reacted in the appropriate way, and the impact of the event was hardly pushed aside.

Better yet, once an appropriate amount of time had been spent on the aftermath of Marissa's death, the series did an excellent job of bringing back the strong early interaction between the main cast, and most importantly, the overall sense of fun that had been missing for so much of the previous year. And in the romantic pairing of Ryan and Taylor, the series struck gold, as this oh so unlikely couple quickly became so easy to root for.

The downside to the season was that, perhaps due to the truncated number of episodes (16, down from at least 24 for each previous season), there was a lack of long term story arcs, beyond the basic romantic entanglements, especially from about the middle of the season on. And once more, the adult characters are given less to do then they deserve, the exception being Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke), who continued to be a delightful aspect of the series, whether she was a madam for male prostitutes or romancing a lovable, over the top Texan businessman called The Bullit. Seriously, have they begun making offical "Team Bullit" shirts yet, because they need to.

The addition of Marissa's sister Kaitlin (Willa Holland) into the main cast worked unexpectedly well, with the character much better served here than during her short stint in season three. And the final episode, though a bit slow to start, ultimately gave the show a truly wonderful send off, with a look back to the events that brought Ryan to the Cohen household, and a look into the future that showed once more what an impact this turn of events had on his life.

Season 4: We'll miss you Cohen family, Summer, Taylor, and all the rest... Excuse us, we promised not to cry.

#2:Season two
This season sometimes gets a bit of a bum rap, considering that at the time it aired, there were criticisms that even in its second year, the magic was gone from The O.C. Looking back, that just isn't the case. Season Two is a lot of fun, delivering plenty of strong stories and memorable moments. Splitting up the show's two main couples (Ryan & Marissa and Seth & Summer) leads to some interesting moments for all four of them, and while their was instant audience resistance to the four new love interests introduced as potential mates for our leads, only one of them, D.J, really doesn't work, and he's wisely jettisoned rather quickly. Meanwhile, the bisexual Alex (Olivia Wilde) is an especially charismatic new presence, and surprisingly, her two different unlikely romantic pairings, as the hipper-than-thou girl first hooks up with the dorky Seth, and then with straight girl Marissa, were pulled off well. The latter in fact managed to surpass it's ratings ploy outer trappings to actually work as one of the better Marissa plotlines, at least initially, by doing a solid job of portraying her "I've never done this before…" confusion and excitement.

Season two also includes some of the very best moments of the entire series, including a truly touching installment of the annual Chrismukkah episode, that does a great job of bringing Lindsay -- Ryan's new love interest, and Seth's secretly-unknown aunt (it's a long story) -- firmly into the central unit of the show. Plus it's impossible to not love the scene in which Seth, wearing a Spider-Man mask, inadvertently ends up in a situation that allows he and Summer to reconcile in a manner that pays homage to the upside down kiss shared by Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire in the first Spider-Man film.

The biggest downside to season two is that the producers, perhaps reacting too quickly and strongly to a vocal portion of the fandom that wanted Ryan & Marissa back together, then proceed to abruptly write off Alex and Lindsay, after so much work has been done to, rather successfully, make them a pretty big part of the show. Marissa's quick reversion to pining for Ryan, and his equally rushed revelation that he also still is head over heels for her, doesn't seem earned and in some ways set the stage for solidifying Marissa as rather frustratingly codependent and, given how things go down with Alex, as someone who doesn't take into account others feelings as much as she should. The season rebounds however, with a compelling story centering on Ryan's brother Trey coming to town, leading to a very dramatic season finale.

Season 2: Meet the new kids on the block.
But don't bother getting too chummy...

#1: Season one

Okay, it's not perfect, but what is? There is the dreaded Oliver storyline after all - To really scare O.C. fans, convince them there's a spinoff in the works called The Adventures of Oliver and Johnny. But when it comes to The O.C., it's true that you can't beat the first year. The unlikely bond between brooding, quick to fight Ryan and dorky outcast Seth is terrific, and you can see how the producers realized how much potential there was in characters like Julie and Summer (neither a series regular initially), with Melinda Clarke and Rachel Bilson stepping up to the plate in a big way as the season progresses.

Almost everything worked, from the friendship between Seth and fellow comic fan Anna, to Julie's affair with Marissa's boyfriend Luke, to the moment in which Jimmy (Tate Donovan) punches out Caleb. Marissa, while already troubled to be sure, was not the utterly bleak character she would become, and it was easy to root for her and Ryan. Even better, the Seth & Summer romance became an especially wonderful dynamic on the series, with Brody and Bilson working alongside each other with some impeccable comic timing and genuine chemistry. And Sandy and Kirsten were firmly established as, basically, the best parents ever.

From the introduction of Seth's invented holiday of Chrismakkah, to the increasingly goofy and likable portrayal of the initially thuggish Luke, this was a series firing on all cylinders. There were tons of consistantly great comedic moments, lots of cool music, genuinely affecting sequences, and the, "We're just having fun here" tone. All of this, combined with the more direct winking at the camera moments, made it easy for people who would never be caught dead watching a "teen soap" to check out this series, and actually admit they dug it.

To say season one of The O.C. was the only worthwhile year is far from correct -- the worse parts of season three aside, the show was enjoyable start to finish -- but there is something special about that first year that makes it stand out as truly great television.

Season 1: Ryan & Marissa, who would never face any obstacles in their perfect, storybook romance relationship.

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Tv series 24/3-30/3

-March 25:Jericho season 2 episode 7 (series finale) Patriots and Tyrants

-March 27:Smallville season 7 episode 15 Veritas
-March 30:The Tudors season 2 episode 1 (season premiere)

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Lost Season 4 episode 9 trailer

Lost will return April 24! Read more!

Smallville - Veritas Ep 15 Season 7 Extended trailer

Air date:Thursday March 27, 2008 Read more!

House 4x13 - Promo 1

New episodes of the show will resume on April 28.(4-13:28/4,4-14:5/5,4-15:12/5,4-16:19/5) Read more!

Hellboy 2:The Golden Army trailer

Hellboy II: The Golden Army,directed by Guillermo Del Toro,has a target release date for July 11,2008. Read more!

American Vertigo

"What does it mean to be an American, and what can America be today? To answer these questions, celebrated philosopher and journalist Bernard-Henri Levy spent a year traveling throughout the country in the footsteps of another great Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, whose Democracy in America remains the most influential book ever written about our country. The result is American Vertigo, a fascinating, wholly fresh look at a country we sometimes only think we know. From Rikers Island to Chicago mega-churches, from Muslim communities in Detroit to an Amish enclave in Iowa, Levy investigates issues at the heart of our democracy: the special nature of American patriotism, the coexistence of freedom and religion (including the religion of baseball), the prison system, the "return of ideology" and the health of our political institutions, and much more. He revisits and updates Tocqueville's most important beliefs, such as the dangers posed by "the tyranny of the majority," explores what Europe and America have to learn from each other, and interprets what he sees with a novelist's eye and a philosopher's depth. Through powerful interview-based portraits across the spectrum of the American people, from prison guards to clergymen, from Norman Mailer to Barack Obama, from Sharon Stone to Richard Holbrooke, Levy fills his book with a tapestry of American voices-some wise, some shocking. Both the grandeur and the hellish dimensions of American life are unflinchingly explored. And big themes emerge throughout, from the crucial choices America faces today to the underlying reality that, unlike the "Old World," America remains the fulfillment of the world's desire to worship, earn, andlive as one wishes-a place, despite all, where inclusion remains not just an ideal but an actual practice. At a time when Americans are anxious about how the world perceives them and, indeed, keen to make sense of themselves, a brilliant and sympathetic foreign observer has arrived to help us begin a new conversation about the meaning of America."
American Vertigo is a journey across America.From Boston to Chicago,from New York to Los Angeles,it is a depiction of the economical,social,political,ideological state of the Unites States.I may disagree with some comments,conclusions or with the approach of the writer,but i have to say that American Vertigo is a good and interesting book,that is worth reading.

Excerpts
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307430625&view=excerpt
Bernard-Henri Levy on Charlie Rose
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MfjH0CZ-3jc Read more!

Damages

Damages is a Golden Globe winning American legal drama television series. The initial season's plotline revolved around a brilliant yet ruthless lawyer (Glenn Close) attempting to win a class-action lawsuit against the former CEO of a corporation (Ted Danson) on behalf of his former workers, by any means necessary.In a case reminiscent of Enron, Arthur Frobisher is accused of insider trading and lying to his employees about the health of his company even as he unloaded his stock.
The main characters are Patty Hewes (Glen Close) and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne).From Wikipedia:"Patty Hewes – Hard-hitting, successful and charismatic, high-stakes litigator Hewes is the object of fear and envy in a brutal, back-stabbing business. She is determined to protect the little people from the corrupt interests that are crushing them, but does so in a cruel and Machiavellian manner. Ellen Parsons– A bright and sharp law school graduate determined to do good in the world, Parsons has overcome her working-class background to become the new protégée of legal bigshot Patty Hewes. But it's a complicated relationship–not only because Patty demands much of her, but also because Patty is manipulating her for her own reasons."The story is presented in two time periods:the present and the past,which eventually becomes the present.Other events take place in the more distant past (2002 and 1972).The narrative switches back and forth between these time periods.The role of each character is revealed as the season progresses.The rule that is applied in this case is that appearances deceive.The plot has many twists and the story comes to redemptive(?) conclusion.The season finale was good,but it left me a mixed feeling.
Overall,Damages is a series,with engaging plot and very good perfomances (Glen Close won a Golden Globe).Despite positive critical reaction, the show consistently received low ratings. However FX renewed the show for two more seasons of 13 episodes each.

Trailer
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7sHRa1_PVAg
Damages-Behind the scenes
http://youtube.com/watch?v=heSuwl2Ejm0
Opening titles
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YilEpkta-PU Read more!

Wanted trailer

Wanted,starring James McAvoy,Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie,has a target release date of June 27,2008.

Tags: entertaiment, film, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, trailer, movies, wanted

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The Other Boleyn Girl

I was anticipating The Other Boleyn Girl from the first time i read about it,for an obvious reason:the leading actresses are Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.Last Saturday,I finally saw it.If you have watched the Showtime series The Tudors (starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) or if you have read about Henry VIII (and of course,if you have read the book on which the movie is based),you probably know a part of the movie's plot.The Other Boleyn Girl does not focus on historical events but on the relationship between Henry VIII and the Boleyn sisters (Mary and Ann).Scarlett Johanson plays Mary Boleyn ,Natalie Portman plays Ann Boleyn and Eric Bana Henry VIII.
My initial impression was that the OTB was a typical period drama.While that impression did not change entirely,i have to say that the movie had some nice plot elements and some very powerful scenes.Surely,you will not get bored while watching the movie.The perfomances are good (especially the perfomance of Natalie Portman).The main asset of the movie is its two protagonists Scarlett Johanson and Natalie Portman,two beautiful and talented actresses.Quote from Late Show with David Letterman (Natalie Portman interview) :"You and Scarlett Johannson?what a combination...It was a remarkable combination."
Overall,The Other Boleyn Girl is a good movie.

Natalie Portman on Late Show w/ David Letterman Feb 27 2008
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pXFN8_YMZBc
Scarlett Johansson on Live with Regis and Kelly
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jO464CHs8yE
Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman on the Today Show
http://youtube.com/watch?v=J94Y_UvIkes
The Cinema Judge - The Other Boleyn Girl
[interviews,clips,trailer,on the set of OTB]
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3kLze3NERTc

Tags: film, other boleyn girl, eric bana, scarlett johansson, natalie portman, movies, entertaiment, review

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The Shield

"Although this police drama was inspired by a cop-corruption scandal of the 1990s, when it debuted in 2002 it had a distinctly post-9/11 theme: what moral compromises are we willing to accept in the name of safety? It centers on Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), an extremely effective, extremely shady cop heading an LAPD unit that takes down murderers and pushers, usually trampling the Bill of Rights and pocketing dirty money for themselves in the process. The Shield depicts a dirty, red-in-tooth-and-claw L.A. where no one, from cop to politician, white, black or brown, is entirely selfless. No show does a better job of making you feel your TV screen needs a good Windexing when an episode is over."(TIME-The 100 best tv shows of All-TIME)
The Shield,created by Shawn Ryan,starring Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey,is a raw show.It's raw in various levels:from the depiction of the crimes to the depiction of corruption,decadence,of the psychological and emotional state of the characters.Every character has to face his own demons.Demons,secrets,relationships,secret,suspicious dealings which are an integral part of the plot.Vic Mackey is the leader of the controversial Strike Team.He is a cop the moral status of whom is constantly questionable,but it is clear where he stands.With the developments in the sixth season,his future is uncertain.In his effort,he comes to some shocking discoveries,having as an ally,someone who was previously an enemy,ambitious councilman (and previously police captain) David Aceveda (a man with his own skeletons in the closet).
I saw the first season back in 2005,the second and the third in 2006 and i recently saw the last three (note:Season 6 was originally intended to be aired as the second half of Season 5 (in the same way that HBO split up the last season of ). However, FX decided instead to refer to these ten episodes as "Season 6").My favorite characters are Vic Mackey and Ronnie Gardocki (mainly in recent seasons).Anyway,The Shield is a great show. The seventh season will premiere sometime in September 2008, according to a FX spokesman in a recent newspaper article, and will consist of 13 one hour episodes.This will be the final season according to its creator and the network.

Season 7 teaser trailer


Season 6 Promo trailer

The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/completelist/0,,1651341,00.html
The Shield Forum
http://www.shieldforum.com/

Tags: shield, tv, michael chiklis, strike team, vic mackey, entertaiment

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Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles

From the Terminator movies,i've seen Terminator 2:Judgement Day and Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines (a fact that may explain my confusion about certain plot elements like the one concerning Kyle Reese,John Connor's father).I've been watching the Sarah Connor Chronicles after the first three episodes were aired.Last week,the season finale was aired.The start of the season was decent,while the next few episodes were not something special.At first i was irritated by the character portrayed by Summer Glau (Cameron),but as the season progressed my opinion changed .Episodes 5-7 were probably the best episodes of the season.Episode 7 (the Demon Hand) (despite the fact that it was the episode with the lowest numbers of viewers) is my favorite episode.The last two episodes were relatively good,not as good as the previous 2-3,but had some nice scenes (like the the shoot-out [Cromartie vs.FBI agents] and the second scene in the park) and some major plot developments.
It is evident that the last episode was not meant to be the season finale."As for the future of the series, Friedman promised, "Yes, I've mapped it out. Yes, I know where we're going." Season 1 ends with the ninth episode, cut down from the intended 13, thanks to the recently concluded writers' strike. Friedman said Episode 9 ends with a big cliffhanger, but that was "purely luck,' as it was meant to be a cliffhanger for the next week's episode, that now will function as one for the whole season."(ign.com WC 08 cast and producers interview).The first season order was for 13 episodes,but only 9 were aired.Producer Josh Friedman has said his plans are to incorporate the unfilmed storylines from the remaining four episodes of season 1 into the start of season 2.
To sum up,the first season of Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles was decent.At the time of writing of this post,the future of the series is uncertain.According to Wikipedia:"Following the resolution of the WGA Strike, the Los Angeles Times printed a chart indicating the status of American network television series. The chart, reprinted by a number of other websites, categorizes the series as "on the bubble", a term used to describe series in danger of cancellation, although as of March 7,2008, Fox has yet to announce the fate of the series."
Some interesting info:- Producer Josh Friedman has a rough idea for the plot of the following three seasons.
- Josh Friedman stated in an interview that the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines occur in an alternate timeline from that of the TV series......In addition,Judgment Day in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, takes place July 24, 2004 while in the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Judgment Day takes place in 2011.
-Executive producer James Middleton confirmed in Variety that the series will contain a link to Terminator 4 (a.k.a Terminator Salvation:The Future Begins) [propably refers to episode 6 (Dungeons and Dragons)]

Trailer
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OjLne16FKmQ

Episode 9 clip (FBI vs Terminator) (spoiler warning)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RVrVMzNdpXM

Tags: terminator, sarah connor, derek reese, lena headey, season, one, skynet, tv, entertaiment

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Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill,starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro,is scheduled for release on September 12,2008.
Official site http://www.righteouskill-themovie.com/

Tags: film, movies, entertaiment, righteous kill, trailer, al pacino, robert de niro, carla cugino, 50 cent, brian dennehy

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The Incredible Hulk Teaser trailer

The Incredible Hulk,starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner,is scheduled for release on June 13, 2008. Read more!

Step Up 2 the Streets

Step Up 2 the Streets is the sequel to 2006's Step Up.It's the story of 16-year-old street dancer Andie West (Briana Evigan).Step Up 2 is a mediocre movie,with some nice dance scenes (from which the last (rainy) dance scene stands out) and nice soundtrack (with contemporary hits like Low and Way i are).
"The popular dance-movie franchise Step Up will be getting a third film in the series, and this time the grooving and shaking of various trunks will be taking place in glorious 3-D. The provisional title for the film? Step Up 3-D, of course."(ign.com 27/2/2008)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bL2wDI-O5YQ

Tags: film, movies, entertaiment, step up 2, review

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After sex Review

After sex is a movie about conversations that occur between people (who either are lovers or not) after having sex.It consists of 8 segments."They include (conversations after) sex with ex, domineering homosexual relationship, sexual exploitation of a friend, coming to terms of homosexuality, a loving old couple, teenage experimentation and one night stand."[imdb.com].These segments show various stages and various kinds of human relationships.Some are nicely done,while other are weak.The strong point of most of the conversations is the well written dialogue,with nice and in some cases,funny lines.There are interesting comments on sex,love,human personality and sexuality.In my opinion,the best segments are:the first one,the one with the two college students,from whom one is a lesbian and the other is straight and last one that is about a one night stand.

"That's the difference between love and sex.Sex is the game where everyone wins a little prize and no one goes home a loser and love is the game that is really hard to win.But if you do and you get to take home that life size tyrannosaurus,it feels a whole lot better than taking home that shitty little plastic key chain"

Trailer

Tags: film, after sex, movies, entertaiment, review, mila kunis

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Worst movies January-March 2008

The worst movies that i've watched in early 2008 are:
-Alien vs.Predator:Requiem
-Hitman,which is not as bad as AVP,but it is a mediocre movie.(Beautiful) new Bond girl (in Quantum of Solace) Olga Kurylenko appears in Hitman.

Tags: film, worst, movies, entertaiment, january, march, 2008, hitman, alien vs.predator

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International Women's Day March 8

Woman
Woman...thou art strong
If only this we could all see
A better place our world would be

Woman...thou art fair
A beacon in times of need
A soul provider indeed

Woman...thou art lovely
Your beauty as striking as light
and comfort deep into the night

Woman thou art peace
Gracing life as stars do
Ever present, ever new

Woman...thou art equal
Stand tall stand proud
Fear not to say it aloud...

I am a woman

Poem written by Martino Fortuin

John Lennon-Woman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaLfDnShEn0 Read more!

Jason Statham talks Transporter 3,Crank 2 and The Brazilian Job (IGN.com)

Q: Are you stoked for Crank 2?

JASON STATHAM: It's hard to talk about this script because you look at The Bank Job, a true story that is full of intrigue, surprise and deceit, and Crank is just like from the f****** stratosphere. It's so out there. It's so wacky. It's so unbelievable, but at the same time it's the Neveldine and Taylor edgy, mad filmmaking that they do so well. It's fun. It's entertainment. Some people think it's sheer horse s***, but every person that I've met has actually said it's terrific. I'm sure there's some people who don't like it. You can't please everybody. And I, particularly, love it.

Q: Are you excited to get back to playing Chev?

STATHAM: Yeah, I said to the chaps or they said to me, "You know we've written Crank 2?" And I said, "There's no way." And they literally sent it over. They write very, very quickly. They sent me it and I was thumbing through it with a box of tissues just laughing and crying going, "This is absolutely silly! When do we make it?"

Q: What's the other film you're doing?

STATHAM: Transporter 3. It's pretty much done. We'll be on a plane to Paris.
Q: Will the third one reflect the tone of the first one?

STATHAM: It's -- you know what -- I'm not going to say too much about it, but it's in a spot where I'm very happy with it, if that makes sense. It's got a bit for everybody in it. I think it's a decent script.

Q: Are there any other franchises you'd like to be a part of?

STATHAM: Yeah, there's quite a few. I'm not going to name them. It starts to sound like sour grapes that you haven't got them. Or, "Why didn't I get that part?" Or, "You said I'd get that part!" But there's a couple of things that I know I'd be really good for. There's a possible chance that they might come my way. If they do, both have a great potential to be great franchises. It's always great to do franchises. Sly's done a few. They work well. The Die Hards and the Lethal Weapons. You get a good one and you can keep them going.

Q: What's up with the Italian Job sequel?

STATHAM: You know, I've been talking about that for two years: The Brazilian Job. I think somebody should just erase it from IMDb. Save us all a problem, and put it back on there when it's fully due and ready. I don't know. It's one of those things that's just sitting around.

Q: It sounds like your schedule's pretty slammed. How about a vacation?

STATHAM: I'm gonna do Transporter 3, and I'm gonna do Crank, and then have a little holiday after that. IGN.com 4/3/2008

Tags: film, jason statham, crank, transporter, frank martin, movies, entertaiment, interview

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:The Development and more

Indy 4 was in development hell since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg and Ford initially disagreed over Lucas's choice of the skulls as the plot device.
The fourth film in the Indiana Jones film series is set in 1957, making it nineteen years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, thus acknowledging the real-life passing of years between films. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pits an older and wiser Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against agents of the Soviet Union—led by Spalko (Cate Blanchett)—for the crystal skull."The theory is they are shaped by higher powers or alien powers or came from another world, or an ancient Mayan civilization had the powers," producer Frank Marshall explained. Indy's journey takes him across New Mexico, Connecticut, Mexico City, and the jungles of Peru, as well as the warehouse from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.Indy is assisted by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) as well as the greaser Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) and fellow archaeologist Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.Sean Connery turned down making a cameo appearance as Henry Jones, Sr., finding retirement too enjoyable. Lucas stated that in hindsight it was good that Connery did not briefly appear, as it would disappoint the audience when his character would not come along for the film's adventure. Ford joked, "As I told Sean, I’m getting old enough to play my own father, so we don’t need him anymore."
There will be mild humor regarding Indiana's age.

Development

During the late 1970s, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made a deal with Paramount Pictures for five films about archaeologist Indiana Jones. Following the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, Lucas let the series end as he felt he could not think of a good plot device to drive the next installment. However, he declared that if he ever found a new plot device that all three men liked, he would consider a fourth film. Lucas became fascinated with the crystal skulls while producing The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992, as it was an idea in an unused script. He was shooting Harrison Ford's cameo when he learned of them, and felt they were as powerful a concept as the Ark of the Covenant was. In 1992, Jeb Stuart was writing the screenplay, and Last Crusade writer Jeffrey Boam was set to pen another draft three years later. However, Spielberg and Ford were not interested in the skulls, and development halted when Lucas made the Star Wars prequels.

Meanwhile, author Max McCoy incorporated the crystal skull mythology as a recurring theme in his four Indiana Jones novels, and the skull was also featured in the 2001 Tokyo Disney theme park attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. The film's long gestation coincided with Ford growing older, and this meant the filmmakers were allowed to give a new approach and setting. Instead of tributing Republic Pictures's 1930s serials, the film could instead tribute a 1950s B-movie, which give the skulls an appropriate context given their origins.^[8] Lucas's favorite B-movie of that era was Forbidden Planet. By 2000, Spielberg's personal interest was ignited as his son asked when the next Indiana Jones film would be released. M. Night Shyamalan was hired as Boam's replacement for an intended 2002 shoot, but he was overwhelmed writing a sequel to a film he loved like Raiders of the Lost Ark, and claimed it was difficult to get Ford, Spielberg, and Lucas to focus.

Afterwards, Stephen Gaghan and Tom Stoppard were approached to write a new screenplay. With a title already planned, Frank Darabont, who wrote several episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, was hired in May 2002 to write. Darabont's screenplay was set in the 1950s, with surviving Nazis pursuing Jones. Darabont came up with reintroducing Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), but he did not include Indy's son, as rumored. In December 2002, Spielberg said he planned to shoot two films before filming Indiana Jones 4 in 2004 for a 2005 release. In February 2004, Lucas rejected the draft for reasons unknown, although Spielberg called this version the best screenplay since Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Jeff Nathanson was hired in October 2004 to write a new draft, which was set around 1949. Completed a year later, the script was handed over to David Koepp. As 2006 began, Harrison Ford declared if the film was not made by 2008, then the filmmakers should drop the idea altogether. Spielberg confirmed Indiana Jones 4 as his next film, calling it "the sweet dessert I give those who had to chow down on the bitter herbs that I've used in Munich". Koepp looked at all previous scripts, and kept what he felt were good ideas. He tried not to make his work a "fan script", in that he hoped to avoid any trivial references to the previous films. He also aimed to make it less dark than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom yet less comic than Last Crusade, aiming for the balance from the first film. Frank Marshall disagreed, feeling the film's banter made it tonally closer to Last Crusade.

Shooting began on June 18, 2007 .Filming wrapped on October 12,2007.Although he originally found no need for re-shoots after viewing his first cut of the film, Spielberg decided to add an establishing shot, which was filmed on February 29, 2008 at Pasadena, California.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will make its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival, a full four days before it opens in the rest of the world.

According to a Variety report, the premiere date for the long-awaited action adventure has been set for Sunday, May 18. The movie opens worldwide on May 22.

Quotes

-"We're basically going to do The Phantom Menace. ... People's expectations are way higher than you can deliver. You could just get killed for the whole thing…We would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans...But nobody wants to get into it unless they are really happy with it." (8/2006 ) George Lucas addressing the overwhelming anticipation that Indiana Jones IV has to live up to.
-"We're working on it, we're working on it .We've been working on it for 10 years. I think it'll be a great film, but it's completely different. It's still got a lot of action, and it's still very funny. I think it works like crazy." (5/2006) George Lucas/MTV
-"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet." (1/2007) George Lucas/Associated Press
-"I'm delighted to be back in business with my old friends. I don't know if the pants still fit, but I know the hat will." (1/2007) Harrison Ford
-"It's looking very good to do another one. I haven't felt this positive about it happening in a long time... but if it doesn't happen in the next two years we should all forget it." (1/2006) Harrison Ford/Contact Music
- Can Harrison Ford, who's in his sixties now, still handle Indiana Jones?
The upcoming fourth film in the series will be as action-packed as expected, producer George Lucas recently confirmed to USA Today. However, he doesn't think Ford will have trouble keeping up. The key lies in how the action is done.
"[Indy's] not running in any of the movies. He's either on a horse or driving a car or a motorcycle. And he'll play his age in this movie with what's appropriate. The chases are more suspenseful than speedy. Like the rolling ball in the first film — it's not that he's running that fast, it's that there's a giant ball coming at him.
"And he will get beat up, which is a tradition for us." (4/2007 ign.com)


Teaser trailer



Writer/Director Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," "The Mist") talks with Marcus Leshock about his initial draft of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dakdQP6DTU

Indiana Jones 4 and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Behind the Scenes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYutwZKloR8

Tags: indiana jones, kingdom of the crystal skull, harrison ford, george lucas, development, steven spielberg, movies, film, entertaiment

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Accepted Review

Last Saturday,i watched Accepted (mainly because of Blake Lively).It's a comedy released in 2006. The plot centers around two groups, one of which is a group of high school seniors, who after being rejected from all the colleges to which they had applied, proceed to "create" their own "college".
There are teen comedy cliches,but there also funny moments and some original and interesting ideas.Anyway,Accepted is a decent movie,which,as Wikipedia correctly points out,"Though presented as a light comedy, the film's undertone throughout is highly critical of the U.S. college system (and the college ranking system)."
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bvvvEcYgiWA

Tags: movies, film, entertaiment, review, accepted, blake lively, lewis black, jonah hill, justin long

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Iron Man New trailer

New trailer,released on 28/2/2008.



Iron Man directed by Jon Favreau,with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark,
will be released on May 2,2008.

Tags: iron man, jon favreau, robert downey jr, marvel, comics, gwyneth paltrow, jeff bridges, movies, film, entertaiment, trailer

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10 Questions: Spike Lee

The following interview was published by IGN.com in November 28, 2006

Acclaimed director offers IGN his faves.

by Steve Head

- From his first feature film, She's Gotta Have It, to his latest, the Katrina Hurricane documentary When the Levees Broke, director Spike Lee has only increased his love for free expression via the art of filmmaking.

"I'll always love that filmmaking allows me to say what I have to say," Spike tells IGN. "And I'm always learning from every one of my projects. I was learning every day when I was on [When the Levees Broke], and I won't stop because I love to learn."

What else does Spike love? During our recent interview, he was game enough to give our 10 Questions a shot.

---

1. What is your favorite piece of music?

Something that inspires me I would have to say is "A Love Supreme" by John Coltrane.

2. What is your favorite film?

On the Waterfront.

3. What is your favorite TV program, past or current?

The Wire. If you haven't seen it, do.

4. What do you feel has been your most important professional accomplishment to date?

I think the body of work I've built over the past 20 years. 20 years and 20 films. I would say my body of work.

5. Which project do you feel didn't live up to what you envisioned?

Hmmm, that's a hard one. Looking back I'd have to say they're all good. [He laughs] No, I'm not making perfection, but I'm trying. I think School Daze could have been better. That was my evolution at the time, so I thought I could do a better job, I couldn't have done any more with it. I put everything into it. It made me a better filmmaker, but I think the movie could have been better.

6. What is your favorite book?

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison.

7. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

That studios would try to finance films where everyone doesn't have to be a home run. That they could sometimes go for some singles, doubles and triples. Everything doesn't have to be a big home run. I don't know of anybody in Hollywood executives who think that way.

8. Who or what would you say has had the biggest influence on your career?

My film instructor in college. His name was Dr. Herb Eichleberger. He recognized I had some talent, and he just really took a deep interest in me nurturing that talent.

9. What is your next project?

Selling Time. [About a man who shaves time from his life to change the worst day of his life.]

10. What is the one project that you've always wanted to do, but have yet to be able to?

I have a Joe Lewis/Max Schmeling boxing epic that I co-wrote with Budd Schulberg that's not happened yet.

I have seen two movies which were directed by Spike Lee: 25th Hour (one of my favourite movies) and Inside Man (a really good movie).
Inside Man trailer http://youtube.com/watch?v=lQppbl-VHSA
25th Hour opening titles (great music) http://youtube.com/watch?v=y6NK3BrO8u0

Tags: spike lee, 10 questions, interview, movies, film, entertaiment, inside man, 25th hour

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