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!