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Book review: Lynne Spears' "Through the Storm"
Having just finished reading my copy of Lynne Spears' book Through the Storm, it must be said that it was very well written and provides a new view of Britney Spears and her family, oh and that slime ball Sam Lutfi. Having just finished reading my copy of Lynne Spears' book Through the Storm, it must be said that it was very well written and p... more
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On the Travers Take: Video Reviews of “Body of Lies,” “RockNRolla” and “Religulous...
In this week’s video review, Peter Travers explains the ups and downs of the Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe war thriller Body of Lies, Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla and the Bill Maher documentary Religulous. But first, a few more words on Beverly Hills Chihuahua. In this week’s video review, Peter Travers explains the ups and downs of the Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe war thriller Body of Lies... more
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ASHES OF TIME REDUX Review
My review of Wong Kar Wai's martial arts fantasy, ASHES OF TIME REDUX, is now up on CINEFANTASTIQUE ONLINE.
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20 YEARS AFTER Capsule Review
My review of the rather interesting, post-apocalyptic drama 20 YEARS AFTER is now up on CINEFANTASTIQUE ONLINE. Check it out!
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On the Travers Take: “Rachel Getting Married,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist...
It’s Friday, which means time for your weekend movie forecast: head on over to the Travers Take, where our movie critic has the skinny on four of the biggest new films: “Rachel Getting Married,” “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” “Flash of Genius” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua.” It’s Friday, which means time for your weekend movie forecast: head on over to the Travers Take, where our movie critic has the skinny... more
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Bob Dylan's new album
It was aired for free, but is it any good?
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STRAIT JACKET Review
Into anime? Here's my review of STRAIT JACKET, posted on the CINEFANTASTIQUE ONLINE website.
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Review of BLINDNESS
My review of the upcoming release, BLINDNESS, now up on CINEFANTASTIQUE ONLINE.
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Chris Rock Reviews: Coldplay In Concert
[The following is post made by comedian Chris Rock on chrisrock.com]
Hello my name is Chris Rock aka the only black at the concert. This year has been one my busiest concert years of all time. So far this year I was the only black guy at the Van Halen concert, the only black guy at the Cure concert, and the only black guy at the White Stripes concert. And later on this year I'm sure I'll be the only black guy at the Radiohead concert.
This week my assignment was to see Coldplay at Madison Square Garden. Now being the only black guy can sometimes be dangerous like the time I was the only black guy at an ACDC concert in Prague. There not use to seeing black people at all in Prague, but a black guy singing "Hell's Bells" was just a little to much for them to take. Now I didn't know what to expect from a Coldplay concert, but I figured I wasn't gonna get stabbed in the middle of "Yellow." Anyway the concert was pretty good. I thought it was a perfect mix of old and new songs and I gotta say that when they did something from the new album, Chris Martin was smart enough not to say the words you hate to hear the most at a concert; " This is something from our new album." That's like saying this is a good time to take a shit.
Anyway when they did a new song they just did it and it seemed to fit right in with the old stuff. I didn't know the names of any of the new songs, but the white people next to me seemed to know every word. If I have any complaints I thought Chris Martin might have mentioned the fact that the concert was free a few too many times. I thought it was a little obnoxious. If you pay for dinner just pay for it, don't say to me you like that free food. Free food is good, ain't it. Again the white people seemed happy with it, but as the only black guy there I thought he might be talking to me. My other complaint was the use of pre-record music and drum machines. At one point I thought they were gonna sing Rhythm Nation, but other than those two things I thought it was a great concert. When they went into the crowd and did a stripped down version of "Yellow" I thought that was the highlight of a great night. Music critics like to compare Coldplay to Radiohead and that's not fair. Coldplay is no Radiohead and Radiohead is no Coldplay. You can understand every word to a Coldplay song the first time you hear it. Nothing wrong with that. If anything, Coldplay kind of reminds me of a British Hall and Oates. In the eighties what did a pop record song like? It sounded like Darryl Hall. And now what does a pop record sound like? It sounds like Chris Martin. Any way I don't know when the next concert is and I don't know where it is but don't worry you'll see me because I'll be the only black guy there. [The following is post made by comedian Chris Rock on chrisrock.com] ... more -
Unfaithful, episode 2
Tearjerker novel Nights in Rodanthe left some critics sobbing and others scowling. Now Unfaithful co-stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane are reunited for the movie version of the Nicholas Sparks romance, with a similar divide. The actors' "natural rapport" makes for a movie "one either utterly succumbs to or stubbornly resists," Brian Lowry writes in Variety.
The schmaltzy storyline proved too much for Laura Clifford at Reeling Reviews, who found "little to recommend" in the "goopy, disjointed weepie," despite the best efforts of its stars. "Fans of weepy romances will dig it," Matt Stevens concludes at E! Online. "The rest of us would prefer a battle with mutant killer rats." Tearjerker novel Nights in Rodanthe left some critics sobbing and others scowling. Now Unfaithful co-stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane... more -
Eagle Eye unfocused
Big-Brother thriller Eagle Eye is so full of confusing "cyber-techno-harum-scarum" that it's a film "only the Global Positioning System could love," writes Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune. The “hyperactive jumble" of a story — featuring a man framed as a terrorist and followed by a mysterious voice — is “intensely silly and visually hysterical," Phillips notes.
Everything in the film is “laughably, ridiculously fake,” agrees Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News. Star Shia LaBoeuf “has too paper-thin a persona to come off hunted and haggard.” Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle observes that while the film's premise "carries it a long way," it “threatens to slip into farce." Big-Brother thriller Eagle Eye is so full of confusing "cyber-techno-harum-scarum" that it's a film "only the Glob... more -
Sergio's White Hot Top 5: Indie Rock
This week the Ting Tings use special effects, Oasis gets it's groove back, Death Cab teaches us the golden rule of acting, Paramore picks on bullies, and the Plain White T's bore you.
Sergio's White Top 5 is a recurring segment on Current TV's weekly television show, infoMania.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at current.com/infomania. This week the Ting Tings use special effects, Oasis gets it's groove back, Death Cab teaches us the golden rule of acting, Paramo... more -
Digital Camera Reviews - Canon EOS 40D Reviews - alatest.com
alaTest have collected and analysed 96 expert reviews and 464 user reviews from international sources. The alaScore™ for this product is 100/100 = Excellent. Experts rate this product 87/100 and users rate it 88/100. The average review date is November 17, 2007. We have compared these reviews to 38614 reviews from other Digital SLR Cameras alaTest have collected and analysed 96 expert reviews and 464 user reviews from international sources. The alaScore™ for this product ... more
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RH Reviews: Front To Back Vol. 6
In this edition we pop in new music from Josh Martinez, Restavrant, One Day As A Lion, Charles Hamilton, Common Market, and Brazilian Girls. Check out the reviews below. In this edition we pop in new music from Josh Martinez, Restavrant, One Day As A Lion, Charles Hamilton, Common Market, and Brazilian ... more
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Twista Reviews Madden '09
What up y’all. I’ve been hooked on this new Madden, the Madden ’09. Got the game about two weeks ago and there was a video with me opening up the game and we got over a million views on that so I know y’all be holdin’ it down for Madden and your boy Twista so that’s love.
Read rest of the review & watch the video here....
http://www.hiphopdx.com/blogs/Twista/2008/08/11/twista-... What up y’all. I’ve been hooked on this new Madden, the Madden ’09. Got the game about two weeks ago and there was a video with me ope... more -
Cocaine Cowboys 2 - Hustlin' With The Godmother
The first Cocaine Cowboys was one of the greatest accomplishments in the era of “hood documentaries.” The film was so good that it transcended the niche, and Hip Hop was so moved by the film that N.O.R.E. led a pack of rappers rhyming about the film’s vast coverage of a murderous Miami cocaine cartel. Creative editing sequences, clever suspense plots and unbelievable archival footage made this a film that theaters regretted ignoring in the first place. The same Griselda Blanco that ordered the murders over 50 drug traffickers is the un-featured star of Cocaine Cowboys 2, which chronicles her puppeteering Oakland, California cocaine traffic from behind bars.
Read rest of the review here....
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/movies/id.334 The first Cocaine Cowboys was one of the greatest accomplishments in the era of “hood documentaries.” The film was so good that it tra... more -
'Tropic Thunder': If you're not offended...then you're probabl...
-- Advisory: This film contains profanity, violence, gore, sexual situations and multiple international incidents, including a particularly gory one involving a panda. In the interest of world peace, "Tropic Thunder" probably shouldn't open in China until the Olympics are over.
"If you're not offended by at least one aspect of this film, then you're probably not getting out enough." -- Advisory: This film contains profanity, violence, gore, sexual situations and multiple international incidents, including a particu... more -
Eat Manitoban Style: The Top 3 of the Best Places to Eat in Winnipeg
The multiculturalism in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba make it one of the best places in the Canada to eat and enjoy foods from around the globe. It doesn't matter what your personal tastes are, there is a restaurant, cafe, or bistro with an atmosphere and price range you will love. The multiculturalism in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba make it one of the best places in the Canada to eat and enjoy foods from around... more
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Ebert, Roeper Give "At the Movies" Two Thumbs Down
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert says he's cutting ties with the television show that he and the late Gene Siskel made famous. His announcement came a day after Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper said he was leaving the nationally syndicated ``At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper.'' Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert says he's cutting ties with the television show that he and the late Gene Siskel made f... more
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Review: Space Chimps Monkeying Around Isn't Entertaining
If, by any chance, you've seen the trailers for Space Chimps and thought, "Hey! Wall-E was pretty good, and who wouldn't want to see the uplifting animated tale of three heroic monkeys traveling into space to save the world?" then I have one simple message for you: For the love of all that you hold dear, fight that thought with all you have and go and see something else instead. Anything else.
Space Chimps pretty much personifies everything that's bad about recent animated movies: It's lazily plotted, lazily animated, overly familiar and, even at 81 minutes, feels far too padded and overlong. The main problem is the writing, which mistakes mixing lowest common denominator jokes (including a strange fascination with the idea that dancing monkeys and/or aliens is in some way inherently amusing) and out-of-date references (There's a Robert Palmer "Addicted To Love" gag, for the love of God) for writing something that'll appeal to all age groups.
The message of the movie, such as it is, is "Space is good and so are monkeys, except when they're not. And government is always bad apart from when it pays for monkeys to go into space. And nerds are good to laugh at. Unless they're monkey nerds, in which case, they're awesome." If that sounds somewhat convaluted, it is, but it doesn't really matter; the movie doesn't really care about space travel at all, except as colorful backdrop for the same character arcs that we've seen cartoon protagonists go through countless times before: "Cocky anti-establishment hero saves the day with his (never her) cocky anti-establishment ways, while also learning responsibility and that the establishment serves a purpose after all. Meanwhile, stuffy establishment is taught to loosen up by cocky anti-establishment hero. Everyone hugs." There's nothing new here at all, no variation from exactly what you expect from the first minute you see Ham III, the grandson of America's first astromonkey, dismissing the noble life in favor of showbiz and endless bananas. You just know that he's destined to defeat the Grinch Who Stole Christmas And NASA (I'm not sure whether I was supposed to think that the alien bad guy, Zartig, was a complete rip-off of the Grinch or not, but... well, he is).
A shitty script wouldn't matter so much if the performances were good, but only Patrick Warburton does anything worth paying attention to - Maybe because his deadpan jock reading of the dialogue makes it seem intentionally dumb - and even then, it's hard to listen and not feel as if you'd rather be watching a Venture Bros. movie instead. The animation is... well, "lousy" feels a little too rough, but not by much; certain scenes are well done, but they're balanced by scenes that just feel unfinished (The press conference at the end, in particular, feels as if no-one could be bothered adding any textures to the non-star characters), and everything looks as weightless and flat as everything else. Maybe we've been spoiled by the insane amount of detail that Pixar put into their movies, but Space Chimps - with character design clearly influenced by Brad Bird's Pixar movies - almost asks for that comparison, even though it has to know it's going to come a distant second.
It's possible that I'm holding the movie up to standards it never wanted to reach; certainly, the kids in the screening I went to seemed to be having a good enough time. But even they seemed to think it was a pleasant-enough diversion, rather than something that they'd ever want to watch ever again. It's completely disposable product, cynically rushed out without care and attention to distract an audience for little over an hour, instead of actually trying to entertain them in any way. Unless you have three year-olds whom you need to shut up, avoid this movie as best you can. If, by any chance, you've seen the trailers for Space Chimps and thought, "Hey! Wall-E was pretty good, and who wouldn'... more
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