VIDEOS

The Roommate - Release on 4th February

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SAG Award for Best Actor Goes to Colin Firth

Was there ever any doubt? Colin Firth's the one to beat, and no one could do it at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Firth won his first Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Lead Role for his portrayal of a stuttering king in The King's Speech at the 17th annual event in which actors honor their own.

Taking to the stage, Firth said, "Wow, this is really something. Thank you. Now until today I would say probably if ever I felt that I had a trophy which told me that something's really happening for me, it was my SAG card. You know, to be a part of this extraordinary collective, if you're growing up in England it's not something you expect to see in your wallet, really, and so it has this glow. And I used to flash it around hoping it would get me female attention and entry into nightclubs and top level government departments. It didn't. And now I've got this."

"Looking out at who's here, I'd like to thank security for letting me into the building. I'd like to single out just three of I think the most extraordinary members of my profession: Anthony Andrews, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. They're my dream cast. I want to take you all and go on tour, and I'd like to bring my resident magician Tom Hooper, our extraordinary writer David Seidler," said Firth.

Firth wound up his speech by thanking his constant and beautiful fellow traveler, his wife, Livia.

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Natalie Portman is Best Actress at the SAG Awards

The positively glowing Natalie Portman collected her first nomination and win at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards for her mesmerizing performance in Black Swan. "To all the actresses in this category, and the performances this year in general, I'm so humbled to be among you," said Portman accepting the award for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Lead Role. "And I've been working since I was 11 years old, and SAG has taken care of me. They made sure that I wasn't working too long and made sure that I got my education while I was working. I'm so grateful to have this union protecting me every day."

"My fellow actors in the film - Mila, Vincent, Winona, Barbara - all of the dancers, everyone who helped me prepare for the film, Mary Helen Bowers who trained me for a year, and of course Darren Aronofsky our director who I love so much. My parents who always taught me to work my hardest and never be an [bleeped] - never acceptable. And my fiance, Benjamin Millepied, I love you very much. Thank you."

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Elite Squad 2 a compelling cop thriller

The unabashedly entertaining "Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within," the most successful Brazilian movie in history, gave Sundance audiences a welcome break from the usual angst and weirdness.

Director Jose Padilha has had several earlier films at Sundance and this year served as a juror in the world cinema documentary category. Action movies aren't usually showcased at Sundance, but this movie does have the sense of political anger and urgency that distinguishes many other films at the festival.

Following up on some of the themes and characters of "Elite Squad," the brutal thriller that won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2008, the sequel is actually a more compelling movie. And unlike many sequels, it is completely self-contained, so if you don't remember a thing about the first movie, that won't interfere with your enjoyment of this one. From the brilliantly staged opening sequence -- a prison riot that turns into a bloodbath -- the energy never lets up.

The main character, Nascimento (Wagner Moura), the leader of Rio de Janeiro's special military police unit, mismanages the prison riot, so he is removed from his job but eventually kicked upstairs to a government intelligence post. There he uncovers a web of corruption that spreads from the police department to the highest levels of government. Although the film is billed as fiction, it draws on real scandals in Brazil, which may explain why it has connected so powerfully with audiences at home. A smart distributor should be able to lure an American audience as well, because the picture has considerable suspense as well as piercing human insight. (Weinstein handled the first film.)

Much of the humanity comes from Moura's performance. While Nascimento can kick butt with the sangfroid of Dirty Harry, the actor also conveys genuine anguish when surveying the tragic consequences of the violence ravaging Rio. In the opening scenes Nascimento's nemesis is a publicity-hungry human rights advocate, Fraga (Irandhir Santos), a crusader against police brutality who also happens to be married to Nascimento's ex-wife (Maria Ribeiro). Eventually, however, the cop and the journalist join forces to expose the real villains -- a cadre of vicious, corrupt cops led by the menacing Sandro Rocha and Milhem Cortaz.


Nascimento's relationship with his teenage son (Pedro Van Held) adds unexpected tenderness to the chases and shootouts. The violence is less relentless than in the first movie, but it still packs a visceral charge. The one flaw in the film is an excessive use of voice-over narration by Nascimento. Much of the exposition seems unnecessary given the cogent visual storytelling that Padilha masters. Tight editing drives the movie, and the director and his cinematographer, Lula Carvalho, capture the many sides of Rio, from the favelas to the sleek corridors of power. Don't bet against a third Elite Squad.

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10 Best Horror & Suspense Movies

These 10 best horror and suspense movies will have you biting your nails until the bitter end. These movie range from classic thrillers to newer slasher films. However, it doesn't matter when these movies were made because they all have twists and turns that keep you guessing.

1.) "The Exorcist" Out of all horror and suspense movies, this movie has some of the most chilling moments ever seen on the big screen. With the combination of shock value and symbolism, it is one of the best horror movies ever made.

2.) "The Silence of the Lambs" This movie takes horror and suspense to a whole new level as we take a look into the mind of a cannibalistic serial killer.

3.) "Halloween" The original slasher film, "Halloween" started it all. Mike Myers, an escapee from a mental hospital, goes on a rampage in his hometown. Jamie Lee Curtis plays the babysitter he is after. The chilling music keeps you tense and on the edge of your seat, making this movie one of the best horror films ever made.

4.) "Night of the Living Dead" This is probably one of the scariest horror movies ever made. A group of people are trapped in a farmhouse and surrounded by the living dead. There is no rhyme or reason on who the zombies are going to go after next, so you never know what is going to happen.

5.) "The Blair Witch Project" This low budget indie horror film grew to cult status as far as horror movies go. The documentary about the Blair Witch features the filmmakers as they get lost in the woods and find themselves surrounded by terror. There are no blood or guts in this horror movie, just bone chilling fear from an unknown threat.

6.) "The Sixth Sense" "I see dead people." This phrase will always be associated with this movie. M. Night Shyamalan does his thing with horror movies in this suspense film that keeps you guessing until the end.

7.) "Psycho" Showers will never be the same after watching this horror movie. Even though this movie has been around a while, it still has the same shock value.

8.) "Dawn of the Dead" Flesh eating zombies taking over the United States. What more can horror and suspense movies ask for? A small group of survivors find refuge in a shopping mall, but we all know survival can't be that easy.

9.) "The Shining" This is one of those horror and suspense movies that gives you the creeps for days after seeing it. The use of haunting music and the sound effects enhance the horror. Jack Nicholson uses facial expressions to personify pure evil.

10.) "Nightmare on Elm Street" The original "Nightmare on Elm Street" was one of the most watched horror and suspense movies of the '80s. Freddy Krueger is that star of this movie as the burned remnants of the child murderer haunts the dreams of his victims. What makes this so chilling is the fact that the characters are never really sure if they are awake or asleep.

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Review | The Mechanic

In 1972, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff introduced audiences to an elite assassin, played by the legendary Charles Bronson, in The Mechanic, a revenge thriller that later became a cult hit. This time around, Winkler and Chartoff have enlisted action star Jason Statham, effectively updating the hit man’s tale for a new generation.

Arthur Bishop is a mechanic, a methodical hired killer with a reputation for cleanly eliminating his targets. But his detached, ordered existence is threatened when his mentor is murdered and he finds himself feeling responsible for the man’s emotionally unstable son.

Statham’s laser-sharp stare and gravelly voiced authority make him a worthy successor to the throne of Bronson. Known primarily for his bone-crunching action flicks, Statham really shines in The Mechanic, working opposite actors like Donald Sutherland, who portrays his mentor Harry McKenna, and Ben Foster, who plays Steve McKenna, Harry’s son and Bishop’s protégé

At first glance, Foster might not appear as believable in the fast-paced action movie as Statham, but his acting choices are unexpected and exciting, and his damaged vulnerability and unhinged ferocity make him seem every bit as dangerous as his co-star.

Screenwriter Richard Wenk keeps much of the structure of Lewis John Carlino’s original 1972 script, and pays homage to that film by cherry-picking a few memorable lines.

Those familiar with first film will remember the opening 10 minutes, in which Bronson patiently stalks and finally eliminates a target. The filmmakers offer a fresh take on this now-cliched sequence by doing the exact opposite. Much like the victim, the audience won’t see Bishop coming until it’s too late.

This clever updating of the source material doesn’t excuse a few rather large plot contrivances, however. Time and again we’re shown that Bishop is methodical and leaves nothing to chance. But when the stakes couldn’t be higher, he accepts a rather questionable piece of information from a character he neither likes nor trusts in a lazy bid to advance the plot.

My biggest problem with The Mechanic is that the second time around, the filmmakers seem frightened that we might not like the assassin and his apprentice, so they saddle Statham and Foster with ridiculously over-the-top mustache-twirling villains.

When the revolting drug-addicted cult leader Vaughn (John McConnell) waddles into frame leering at an 18-year-old admirer, the audience isn’t weighing the morality of what the mechanic has been hired to do, but rather anxiously waiting for him to show up and perform the hit. And the sooner, the better, thank you very much.

Part of what was so interesting about those hit-man movies of the late 1960s and early ’70s, like Le Samourai and the original Mechanic, was that we saw unflinching portrayals of hired killers. The humanity of the hit men wasn’t tied to making their targets despicable; it was subtly communicated through relatable character traits: Alain Delon’s assassin in Le Samourai cared about his pet bird, while Bronson’s Bishop had an appreciation of fine art and music.

Those small, human moments juxtaposed with the cold-blooded murders made for a more realistic, upsetting and interesting depiction of a gun for hire.

In fact, one of the most effective moments in this remake comes directly after a particularly difficult kill for Bishop. Director Simon West gives the audience a compelling close-up of an isolated man sitting alone in his “fortress of solitude” as he processes the terrible price of his actions. Not only is it some of Statham’s best work, but that glimpse of frailty does more to humanize Bishop than sending him off to kill a hundred cartoonish cult leaders.

But movies are expensive, and studios and finance companies want a likable protagonist as a guarantee on their investment. In a post-Dexter world, perhaps Hollywood has put an unofficial hit out on honest-to-goodness antiheroes.

All quibbling aside, this shiny, new update is a fun ride. The pace has been given a sharp hit of adrenaline and the action and impressive stunts are firing on all cylinders.

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Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz had given a birth to a baby

Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz has reportedly given birth to a baby boy. the actress was taken to the Cedars Sinai Medical Center few days back. the Spanish beauty has always remained very private about her personal things and she has maintained the same trend for the birth of her baby too.

Her husband Spanish actor Javier Bardem has been nominated for an Oscar in the ‘best actor’ category for his performance in the 2010 movie Biutiful. so it is a double celebration for the couple.

Penelope even kept the news of her pregnancy a secret until she was almost five months with the baby. the couple, who tied the knot last July in Bahamas, kept their relationship also a private affair. they first met on the set of the Spanish movie Jamon in 1992 but they started dating after 15 years in 2007.

On Wednesday, the spokeswoman of the actress informed about the birth of their baby boy. the New York publicist spokeswoman of Cruz said that the couple has welcomed their first son into the family. She informed that the mother and the baby are in good health now. She did not disclose about the place of birth of the baby but according to the Spanish media, the boy was born in a hospital in Los Angeles.

We congratulate the couple for their first baby and wish good health to the family.

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Hollywood’s top-earning couples

Harry Potter stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are the highest earning couple with $ 6.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Watson and Grint played best friends-turned-spouses Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series and have beaten the ‘steamiest’ couple Robert Pattinson and Kristina Stewart to the top spot.

The financial magazine then compiled the list based on highest box office earnings for each on-screen duo, reports the New York Daily News.

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"The Roommate" (2011) - Release on 4th February

The scoop on "The Roommate" including photos, trailer, and cast list for this thriller starring Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly.

Movie Synopsis: A psychological thriller about a deranged college freshman (Leighton Meester) who becomes obsessed with her new roommate (Minka Kelly).

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"Sanctum" (2011) - Release on 4th February

The scoop on "Sanctum" including photos, trailer, and cast for the 3-D action thriller starring Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, and Ioan Gruffudd.

Movie Synopsis: "Sanctum" follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea.

Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has explored the South Pacific’s Esa-ala Caves for months. But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank’s team—including 17-year-old son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) and financier Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd)—are forced to radically alter plans. With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?

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The Rite Movie Review

The Rite is a horror-thriller that’s based on actual events that occurred between two priests in Rome. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and a young, Irish actor named Colin O’Donoghue. The duo are cast as an unlikely pair: the believer and the doubter, and as viewers we watch them fight a battle of spiritual warfare, while dealing with their own personal demons.

Check out the review…

Director: Mikael Håfström

Writers: Michael Petroni, Matt Baglio

Cast: Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Rutger Hauer, Toby Jones

Cinematography By: Ben Davis

Original Music By: Alex Heffes

Rating: 6/10

The Plot:
The Rite centers on a priest named Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue) who travels to Rome for exorcism training. He has serious doubts about his faith and his superiors hope that his new tutelage will restore it. He becomes the apprentice to a well-known but highly unconventional priest named Father Lucas Trevant (Hopkins), and through his experiences he learns the ugly truth about Satan, demons, and possession.

The Good:
1.) Colin O’Donoghue: The young actor plays the lead role as the doubting soon-to-be priest Michael Kovak. Initially he comes across as disinteresting and average but he holds his own against a seasoned Anthony Hopkins and Rutger Hauer.

2.) Light Humor: Despite the thriller/horror emphasis, there are several instances of humor in this film. Extreme moments of tension are broken up by the most random statements or incidents. [Spoiler] At one point a cell phone rings during an exorcism and the priest stops to take the call. It’s inappropriate but hilarious.

The So-So:
1.) Pass the Priest: There’s no real motivation behind any of Kovak’s actions prior to the last 20 minutes of the film. He’s not interested in exorcisms but they’re thrust upon him by three different people. It’s literally like watching pass the student. It’s a strange way to progress the plot, and it comes across as lazy writing.

2.) Underused Actors: Hinds, Hauer, and Jones have small supporting parts that each serve one purpose. Once they’ve completed them, they disappear into the background and with the exception of Hauer, we never hear from them again. I understand that actors sign on for cameos or small parts all the time, but with talent like theirs, the writers could have at least made them good.

The Bad:
1.) Alice Braga: Braga’s character is based on the writer of the book from which the film is based. What’s the purpose of changing the sex of the character other than having an attractive woman on screen? She brings nothing new to the role.

2.) The Exorcisms: The movie is PG-13 so the exorcism scenes are nothing to write home about. There are some decent jump scares but they can only go so far because of the rating, therefore don’t look for anything truly horrifying to come out of this.

Overall:
The Rite is a watered down exorcism film that provides a few inappropriate laughs, and some decent scares. Buy a ticket at your own risk.

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Celebrities

Why is J-Lo hating on pop music rival singer Mariah Carey?

Jennifer Lopez, pop and Latin music singer and Mariah Carey, famous for her best-selling R&B records are recognized worldwide for their wide array of talents. Both are well known for being successful minority women that have made their mark in the entertainment industry. Most recently, something else they have in common is media attention for a rumor floating around that they are in a brawl with each other. Apparently someone started saying that Jennifer Lopez had ‘beef’ with Mariah Carey, supposedly due to an unspoken jealousy on the part of Lopez for Mariah Carey’s successes! Jennifer Lopez, currently married to Latin music singer, Marc Anthony has since dismissed these rumors saying to Nick Canon, Mariah Carey’s husband.

Both women appear to be focused on their families and re-creating themselves as professionals in the music business. Jennifer Lopez is slowly starting to take on new jobs since the birth of her children in 2008, and is alluding to making a comeback. This year she is already working as one of the infamous judges on the hit reality television series, American Idol. Mariah Carey has not been as active since her miscarriage in 2008. She seems to be centered in her family’s well-being and is currently expecting twins this coming spring. Mariah Carey will likely resume her busy career afterward!

We wish them both the best!

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From Prada to Nada Movie Review

Starring: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker, Pablo Cruz

Directed by Angel Gracia

Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 107 mins
Genre: Comedy/ Family/ Animation/ Adventure/ 3D Film
3.5 frames out of 5

Jane Austin is about to get salsa-fied….

When wealthy Beverly Hills socialite sisters Nora (Camilla Belle) and Mary Dominguez (Alexa Vega) suddenly lose their father, the world turns upside down faster than they can fathom. They discover that they have a half brother Gabriel (Pablo Cruz) and he ends up getting their house and all the stuff in it. His nasty wife Olivia (April Bowlby) doesn’t take to kindly to the girls and orders them out of the house within days of their father’s funeral. With nowhere else to go, since their mother passed away years ago, Nora and Mary leave their plush lifestyle and venture out to family that lives out in… East Los Angeles.

Mary is so outside of her comfort zone, as she’s more closed minded to this new lifestyle and is willing to do anything to get back to Beverly Hills. The neighbor that lives across the street looks like a gangbanger, Bruno (Wilmer Valderrama), but is more than meets the eye. Mary looks down on Bruno; always suspicious but intrigued by his bad boy appearance. Nora, on the other hand, is embracing her new connection to her roots and new home. Being the more level headed sister, Nora knows that they need to make sacrifices if they are ever to get back on their feet, so she decides to leave law school to get a job and then makes Mary to go back to school.

A bright spot in this dismal situation is that Olivia’s brother, Edward Ferris (Nicholas D’Agosto), is a lawyer, going above and beyond to help out Nora and Mary in any way he can. Edward is so over the moon for Nora, but Nora is too much of a control freak to give in to her feelings for Edward.

Mary finds love in the form of a handsome Teacher’s Assistant, Rodrigo Fuentes (Kuno Becker). He’s everything Mary is looking for; smart, handsome, charming, wealthy… he’s Mary’s ticket back into the life of luxury and into the right zip code, 90210.

Unfortunately, life never really works out the way we hope for. Or does it? Can Mary and Nora figure things out and find their role in life?

Jane Austin, I think, would be proud of this modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Telling it from a Latin/ Mexican perspective gives it so much warmth, heart and humor into a culture than many Americans have many misconceptions about. In the screening I attended, it was refreshing to see an audience be so interactive with the film, but in a respective way. Audiences will have a good time with this film as there are a lot of cultural references that may be funnier in certain parts of the country than others. The actors cast had great chemistry, the comic timing was solid and overall a fun movie to watch.

Things to watch for: Moving Van scene; Walk in the new neighborhood, Any scene with the aunts.

Who should see this movie: Fans of Sense & Sensibility; Fans of Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker

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Kate Hudson Secretly Engaged

Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn and a movie star in her own right, has secretly gotten engaged to rock star boyfriend Matt Bellamy. The 31-year-old actress, star of Almost Famous, You Me and Dupree and Fools Gold, is to marry Bellamy of British rock band Muse.

Kate, who is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child, reportedly held an “intimate” bash to celebrate their union with their closest friends and family at an exclusive London hotel recently. An insider told The Sun newspaper, “It was an intimate party. They kept their engagement secret as they wanted to celebrate with their nearest and dearest before it became public knowledge.”

Kate’s Hollywood icon mother Goldie Hawn, 65, was believed to be among the guests in attendance after having been in the UK to present an accolade at the British Comedy Awards on January 22.

However, the couple, who have been dating for around nine months, could be set to move back to the UK on a permanent basis after 32-year-old Matt revealed plans for all of Muse to move to London to make writing and rehearsing for the band’s next album easier.

He told the Daily Star newspaper, “We’re all thinking of moving back to London, so it’ll be the first time we’re all going to be in the same place since we were much younger.”

Kate is the daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, a comedian and actor. Her parents divorced when she was 18 months old and her mother and actor Kurt Russell, Goldie’s long-term boyfriend, who Kate and brother Oliver consider their father, raised her in Colorado.

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83rd annual Academy Awards: List of nominees

Best picture

• "Black Swan"

• "The Fighter"

• "Inception"

• "The Kids Are All Right"

• "The King’s Speech"

• "127 Hours"

• "The Social Network"

• "Toy Story 3"

• "True Grit"

• "Winter’s Bone"

Actor

• Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"

• Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"

• Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"

• Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"

• James Franco, "127 Hours"

Actress

• Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"

• Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"

• Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"

• Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

• Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

Supporting actor

• Christian Bale, "The Fighter"

• John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"

• Jeremy Renner, "The Town"

• Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"

• Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

Supporting actress

• Amy Adams, "The Fighter"

• Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"

• Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

• Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"

• Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

Director

• Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"

• David O. Russell, "The Fighter"

• Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"

• David Fincher, "The Social Network"

• Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "True Grit"

Animated feature

• "How to Train Your Dragon"

• "The Illusionist"

• "Toy Story 3"

Adapted screenplay

• "127 Hours"

• "The Social Network"

• "Toy Story 3"

• "True Grit"

• "Winter’s Bone"

Original screenplay

• "Another Year"

• "The Fighter"

• "Inception"

• "The Kids Are All Right"

• "The King’s Speech"

Foreign language film

• "Biutiful"

• "Dogtooth"

• "In a Better world"

• "Incendies"

• "Outside the Law"

Art direction

• "Alice in Wonderland"

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I"

• "Inception"

• "The King's Speech"

• "True Grit"

Cinematography

• “Black Swan”

• “Inception”

• “The King's Speech”

• “The Social Network”

• “True Grit”

Costume design

• "Alice in Wonderland"

• "I Am Love"

• "The King's Speech"

• "The Tempest"

• "True Grit"

Documentary feature

• "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

• "Gasland"

• "Inside Job"

• "Restrepo"

• "Waste Land"

Documentary short

• "Killing in the Name"

• "Poster Girl"

• "Strangers No More"

• "Sun Come Up"

• "The Warriors of Qiugang"

Film editing

• "Black Swan"

• "The Fighter"

• "The King's Speech"

• "127 Hours"

• "The Social Network"

Makeup

• “Barney's Version”

• “The Way Back”

• “The Wolfman”

Sound mixing

• “Inception”

• “The King's Speech”

• “Salt”

• “The Social Network”

• “True Grit”

Original score

• “How to Train Your Dragon”

• “Inception”

• “The King's Speech”

• “127 Hours”

• “The Social Network”

Visual effects

• “Alice in Wonderland”

• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”

• “Hereafter”

• “Inception”

• “Iron Man 2”

Original song

• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong”

• “I See the Light” from “Tangled”

• “If I Rise” from “127 Hours”

• “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3"

Sound editing

• "Inception"

• "Toy Story 3"

• "Tron: Legacy"

• "True Grit"

• "Unstoppable"

Animated short film

• "Day & Night"

• "The Gruffalo"

• "Let's Pollute"

• "The Lost Thing"

• "Madagascar, carnet de voyage" ("Madagascar, a Journey Diary")

Live action short film

• "The Confession"

• "The Crush"

• "God of Love"

• "Na Wewe"

• "Wish 143"

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"Crime After Crime" a powerful story of injustice

The shocking statistic at the core of "Crime After Crime" is that 80% of women in American prisons are survivors of some form of domestic violence, rape or abuse.

Focusing on the case of Deborah Peagler, Yoav Potash's gripping documentary targets the justice system's blinkered vision in that area, reflected through a staggering ordeal that spans more than 20 years.

In 1983, Peagler was sentenced to 25 years-to-life for her connection to the murder of Oliver Wilson, the charismatic, drug-dealing boyfriend who had forced her into prostitution while still in high school and beaten her with a bull whip when she refused to comply. In the film's opening 20 minutes, Potash presents a potent narrative of the relationship's distressing history. It ended when Peagler's mother, whom Wilson and his thugs had also threatened, suggested she enlist local Crips gang members to rough him up. That warning got out of control and Wilson was killed, with Peagler sharing the murder rap.

Due to less public awareness of domestic-violence issues when the case was tried -- not to mention misconduct by the D.A.'s office and a shaky prosecution witness with a personal agenda -- the full circumstances of Peagler's case were never heard. But when a new penal code was introduced in California two decades later, two pro bono lawyers whose primary field was land rights signed on to reopen the case.

Playing out against that six-year odyssey of breakthroughs, setbacks and willful obstruction is the sorrowful human story of Peagler herself, a warm African-American woman whose spirit remained unbroken despite the knowledge that she should have served a maximum six years for manslaughter. A model prisoner who completed her education behind bars and became supervisor of the prison's electronics shop, she was denied parole on numerous occasions, despite pleas on her behalf from Wilson's family. When Peagler was diagnosed with cancer, the reopened case became a race against the clock.

With its bittersweet outcome, this is a tremendously moving story, strong in social commitment and deftly woven out of years of footage. Many of the statements made by Peagler, her family and that of Wilson are heartwrenching. The more complex tale begging a deeper probe is the insidious legal machinations and self-protection at the highest authority levels that kept Peagler behind bars despite overwhelming evidence. But in its chosen focus, the doc lays out a suspenseful drama that steadily tightens its knot of indignation.

Potash can't resist a little unnecessary manipulation, however, and the occasional sentimental shots of a bird perched on prison wire, or a single rose against a metal fence, are mawkish intrusions in an otherwise eloquent report. Likewise there are a few too many teary images conveying the quiet heroism of the pro bono lawyers.

To a mild degree, Potash dilutes the film's emotional center by punching up the personal profiles of the unquestionably admirable legal crusaders -- both of whom share their acquaintance with abuse issues. Joshua Safran is an affably shlubby Orthodox Jewish family man, while Nadia Costa is a toned marathon runner all too willing to trot out prosaic endurance metaphors. At times it's as if these supporting players are being molded for a Lifetime original movie, ideally starring Paul Giamatti and Keri Russell.

The film nonetheless lays out its case with forceful righteousness, persuasively advocating for more states to join California in revisiting their penal codes to consider the mitigating circumstances of abuse.

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Top 10 most popular U.S. destinations for 2011

The year 2011 is here. In less than a month after travelers returned from Christmas and New Year vacations, a new popular destinations' list is put out. Travel advisors at Virtuoso, a leading luxury travel network in the Americas, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, have voted for 10 most popular destinations in the United States for 2011 in Virtuoso Luxe Report. Do check these out before heading for your next holiday this year:

1. Maui, Hawaii

A prominent part of the Hawaiian archipelago, Maui tops the choice of leisure travelers in United States with 60.08 percent having opted for the island. Maui Island has also had recognition of “Best Island in the World”. The island in the Hawaii state of US offers leisure and adventure travel experiences with whale watching, active volcanoes, snorkeling, water skiing, golf courses, cruises and more attractions aboard. West and South Maui are supposedly the best tourism spots with west embracing shopping places, finest restaurants and resorts while south wooing with its miles of sandy beaches and underwater funs. Maui’s major airport is Kahului Airport that connects to the major islands.

2. New York City, New York

New York’s presence in the top ten list and that too on second slot with 56.38 percent of the votes is very much inevitable. In 2010, the New York City attracted almost 49-million tourists, about 7 percent up from 45.5 million the previous year. According to city’s mayor Michael Bloomberg, last year’s figure firmly places the city on a pace to draw 50 million visitors in 2011. Some special attractions this year are bound to draw tourists to New York. The Statue of Liberty's 125's birthday and the inauguration of the National September 11 Memorial devoted to 9/11 tragedy will keep New York in tourism spotlight in 2011.

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

The popularity of the Vegas as a major city in the world for gambling, casinos and night life is not unknown and the Virtuoso luxury travel experts ranks this Nevada’s city third with 42.8 percent of votes. The Las Vegas Strip, a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, housing some of world’s major casinos, largest hotels, restaurants and the like will continue to brace the city as one of the most popular tourist destinations in US.

4. Napa Valley, California

With 37.45 percent of votes, Napa Valley in California noted for viticulture, would be one of the most visited places in United States this year. The Valley has numerous wineries that attract as over five million people every year.

5. Orlando, Florida

The city of the Disney World, Orlando will continue grabbing world’s attention with announcements about revamping of Fantasyland and opening of a new Disney Resort that is expected to keep travelers excited about the place, and so the city gets 31.69 percent of votes in Virtuoso Luxe Report.

6. San Francisco, California

Golden Gate, China Town and cable cars gave fame to San Francisco as much as the city’s architecture, museums, and art and entertainment culture wooed tourists. The city is also a popular spot for gay tourism and scores about 30 percent of votes among top ten destinations in US for 2011.

7. Colorado Mountains

About 25 percent of the votes favor Colorado Mountains for skiing and snow funs during winter holidays of 2011. The Southwest region of Colorado, which has predominant presence of mountains in the United States, is blessed to receive early season snowfall every year, attracting skiers and snowboarders. The region that boasts of Rocky Mountains as well, abounds in ski resorts including Monarch Mountain Resort, Durango Mountain Resort to name a few. Ranges such as Echo Mountain near the city of Denver are the most sought after areas for cheap skiing and snowboard activities in Colorado. Steamboat Springs, an internationally known town for winter resort holidays, happens to be the spot for so many skiing competitions and hence, calls for a visit for all snow fanatics.

8. Big Island, Hawaii

The largest island in United States, Big Island is also called the Island of Hawaii and is a volcanic island attracting tourists to its magnificent aura. The island with its active volcanoes that sometimes offers views of lava being poured out into the sea draws enthusiasts, scientists, students, geologists and the like. The interest in visiting this vibrant island is expected to grow this year with nearly 24 percent of the votes of travel agencies in US favoring it in 2011.

9. Miami South Beach, Florida

South Beach is a section of the beach city on Atlantic coast in Florida, Miami. Nightclubs, hotels, restaurants and the like keep tourists hooked to the place. Miami itself attracts over 12 million tourists every year, according to tourism figures of the city, of which most are expected to visit the South Beach area as well. Leisure travel agencies favor the spot with about 24 percent of votes.

10. Kauai, Hawaii

Ranked last in top ten most popular US destinations for 2011, Kauai is yet another but geologically the oldest island in Hawaii that has ample to draw visitors in the name of movie tourism. The island has been featured in over seventy Hollywood films and is gaining popularity for its landscapes, valleys, beaches and many picturesque locations. For 2011, the island scores over many other prominent islands in Hawaii with about 18 percent of the votes.

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Supermodel Miranda Kerr and Hollywood Star Orlando Bloom Absolutely Happy

The happy man and actor Orlando Bloom will soon be SE for the film “The Hobbit: Part 1″ because it can be a friend of the new mother Miranda Kerr is in this film by director Peter Jackson’s lot.

Meanwhile, fans of Hollywood stars Orlando Bloom known welcomes its two zany film “The Good Doctor” and “The Three Musketeers” and must show Orlando Bloom in “Good Doctor” next to the beautiful ladies Nixon and Diane Riley Keough.

In the movie “The Three Musketeers (The Three Musketeers) next to Orlando Bloom is so well known actors like Til Schweiger, Milla Jovovich, Christoph Waltz, June Hall, and Logan Lerman of the lot and look forward to this film and a second Musketeer movie (directed by Paul WAS Anderson) is set.

Last Sunday was a successful actor, father and boyfriend of Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr, with a newborn son, Flynn, and it seemed that every second of their descendants to enjoy absolute. The father of Orlando Bloom and Baby Flynn could be the Will Rogers State Park in California (Pacific Palisades) experience, an attractive mother of Miranda Kerr was able to rest during which most of them.

But it was just the proud father of Flynn, Orlando Bloom, and not in the park, as the mother of the bride, Miranda Kerr and his wife, Teresa Kerr, son and grandson Spaziergant luck with candy in the park, Pirates of the Caribbean “star Orlando Bloom looks like a very happy dad always smiling and no one would blame them, it’s probably because, for a sweet and pretty young woman as Miranda Kerr Happiness can be a star like Orlando Bloom, probably everyone.

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Upcoming_movies

"Sanctum" (2011)

The scoop on "Sanctum" including photos, trailer, and cast for the 3-D action thriller starring Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, and Ioan Gruffudd.

Movie Synopsis: "Sanctum" follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea.

Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has explored the South Pacific’s Esa-ala Caves for months. But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank’s team—including 17-year-old son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) and financier Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd)—are forced to radically alter plans. With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?

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"The Roommate" (2011)

The scoop on "The Roommate" including photos, trailer, and cast list for this thriller starring Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly.

Movie Synopsis: A psychological thriller about a deranged college freshman (Leighton Meester) who becomes obsessed with her new roommate (Minka Kelly).

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From Prada to Nada Release date - JANUARY 28, 2011

From Prada to Nada Synopsis: A fish-out-of-water story of two spoiled sisters: Nora (Camilla Belle), a law student, and Mary (Alexa Vega), an undergrad party girl, living with their father in a luxurious mansion in Beverly Hills. Mary has become so “90210” she refuses to admit she is of Mexican descent. When dad suddenly passes away, their posh lives are turned upside down. They discover they have been left penniless and are forced to move into their estranged aunt Aurelia’s (Adriana Barraza) modest but lively home in the Latino-centric Boyle Heights neighborhood of East LA. They are terrified to leave their world of privilege; neither Nora nor Mary speak Spanish or have ever had to take on actual responsibility. The girls gradually adapt to their new environment; their BMW and Prius are traded for the public bus and a used car. As they embrace the culture that for so long they refused to accept, they both discover romance, the true meaning of family, and they learn that the life of PRADA actually means NADA without love, family and community.

'The Mechanic' Release date - JANUARY 28, 2011

The Mechanic Synopsis: Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

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10 Most Famous Movie Producers in Hollywood

The 10 most famous movie producers have been making blockbuster films for decades. A Hollywood producer's job is to participate in the process of making a movie's journey to completion goes as smoothly as possible. Here is a list of 10 very famous movie producers.

1.) Walt Disney - Walt is known around the world for his " Wonderful World Of Disney " TV series. He left his Kansas City home for Hollywood in 1923 and began a 43 year career as a producer. His Disney studios is responsible for the release of 81 feature films to date.

2.) Aaron Spelling - Mr. Spelling produced a whopping 220 TV shows over his extensive career. Spelling began his career as a scripter and producer for Powell's Four Star Productions.

3.) Stanley Kubrick - Stanley Kubrick produced some of Hollywood's biggest movies. " 2001: A Space Odyssey " for which he won an Oscar, is probably Kubrick's most influential film.

4.) Steven Spielberg - Know for producing movies like " Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, " and " E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Spielberg is one of the most influential filmmakers in Hollywood. He began his career an assistant editor in the early 1960s.

5.) George Lucas - George is the producer of " Raiders Of The Lost Ark, " and writer of the famous " Star Wars " franchise. Lucas has been involved in many film projects since his career began in 1965.

6.) Jerry Bruckheimer -  Jerry has produced some of the most memorable "guy " movies ever; such as " Top Gun, " " Crimson Tide, " and the " Pirates Of The Caribbean " films. He has won 3 Emmy Awards.

7.) Don Simpson - Simpson is hailed as one of the most successful movie producers of all time. He brought films such as " Bad Boys " and " Rock " to the big screen while he was partnered with Jerry Bruckheimer.

8.) Ivan Reitman - Ivan is an Emmy Award winning producer. He began his career in 1968, and is the producer of the " Ghostbuster " movies and " Animal house. "

9.) Robert Zemeckis - Robert is the winner of an Academy Award. He has produced some of the best movies of this decade, such as " Gothicka " and " The Polar Express ".

10.) Spike Lee - Spike is a director, producer, writer, and actor. He has produced 36 feature films to date, and has been nominated for two Oscar Awards.

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List of Sexy Hollywood Movies

Below is a list of movies that are well-known in Hollywood to be extremely sexy, romantic, or sensual.

1.  Wild Things
2.  Showgirls
3.  The Girl Next Door
4.  Eyes Wide Shut
5.  Cruel Intentions
6.  Sin City
7.  Swept Away
8.  Unfaithful
9.  Original Sin
10. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
11. Femme Fatale

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MOVIE REVIEW

Review | The Mechanic

In 1972, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff introduced audiences to an elite assassin, played by the legendary Charles Bronson, in The Mechanic, a revenge thriller that later became a cult hit. This time around, Winkler and Chartoff have enlisted action star Jason Statham, effectively updating the hit man’s tale for a new generation.

Arthur Bishop is a mechanic, a methodical hired killer with a reputation for cleanly eliminating his targets. But his detached, ordered existence is threatened when his mentor is murdered and he finds himself feeling responsible for the man’s emotionally unstable son.

Statham’s laser-sharp stare and gravelly voiced authority make him a worthy successor to the throne of Bronson. Known primarily for his bone-crunching action flicks, Statham really shines in The Mechanic, working opposite actors like Donald Sutherland, who portrays his mentor Harry McKenna, and Ben Foster, who plays Steve McKenna, Harry’s son and Bishop’s protégé

At first glance, Foster might not appear as believable in the fast-paced action movie as Statham, but his acting choices are unexpected and exciting, and his damaged vulnerability and unhinged ferocity make him seem every bit as dangerous as his co-star.

Screenwriter Richard Wenk keeps much of the structure of Lewis John Carlino’s original 1972 script, and pays homage to that film by cherry-picking a few memorable lines.

Those familiar with first film will remember the opening 10 minutes, in which Bronson patiently stalks and finally eliminates a target. The filmmakers offer a fresh take on this now-cliched sequence by doing the exact opposite. Much like the victim, the audience won’t see Bishop coming until it’s too late.

This clever updating of the source material doesn’t excuse a few rather large plot contrivances, however. Time and again we’re shown that Bishop is methodical and leaves nothing to chance. But when the stakes couldn’t be higher, he accepts a rather questionable piece of information from a character he neither likes nor trusts in a lazy bid to advance the plot.

My biggest problem with The Mechanic is that the second time around, the filmmakers seem frightened that we might not like the assassin and his apprentice, so they saddle Statham and Foster with ridiculously over-the-top mustache-twirling villains.

When the revolting drug-addicted cult leader Vaughn (John McConnell) waddles into frame leering at an 18-year-old admirer, the audience isn’t weighing the morality of what the mechanic has been hired to do, but rather anxiously waiting for him to show up and perform the hit. And the sooner, the better, thank you very much.

Part of what was so interesting about those hit-man movies of the late 1960s and early ’70s, like Le Samourai and the original Mechanic, was that we saw unflinching portrayals of hired killers. The humanity of the hit men wasn’t tied to making their targets despicable; it was subtly communicated through relatable character traits: Alain Delon’s assassin in Le Samourai cared about his pet bird, while Bronson’s Bishop had an appreciation of fine art and music.

Those small, human moments juxtaposed with the cold-blooded murders made for a more realistic, upsetting and interesting depiction of a gun for hire.

In fact, one of the most effective moments in this remake comes directly after a particularly difficult kill for Bishop. Director Simon West gives the audience a compelling close-up of an isolated man sitting alone in his “fortress of solitude” as he processes the terrible price of his actions. Not only is it some of Statham’s best work, but that glimpse of frailty does more to humanize Bishop than sending him off to kill a hundred cartoonish cult leaders.

But movies are expensive, and studios and finance companies want a likable protagonist as a guarantee on their investment. In a post-Dexter world, perhaps Hollywood has put an unofficial hit out on honest-to-goodness antiheroes.

All quibbling aside, this shiny, new update is a fun ride. The pace has been given a sharp hit of adrenaline and the action and impressive stunts are firing on all cylinders.

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The Rite Movie Review

The Rite is a horror-thriller that’s based on actual events that occurred between two priests in Rome. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and a young, Irish actor named Colin O’Donoghue. The duo are cast as an unlikely pair: the believer and the doubter, and as viewers we watch them fight a battle of spiritual warfare, while dealing with their own personal demons.

Check out the review…

Director: Mikael Håfström

Writers: Michael Petroni, Matt Baglio

Cast: Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Rutger Hauer, Toby Jones

Cinematography By: Ben Davis

Original Music By: Alex Heffes

Rating: 6/10

The Plot:
The Rite centers on a priest named Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue) who travels to Rome for exorcism training. He has serious doubts about his faith and his superiors hope that his new tutelage will restore it. He becomes the apprentice to a well-known but highly unconventional priest named Father Lucas Trevant (Hopkins), and through his experiences he learns the ugly truth about Satan, demons, and possession.

The Good:
1.) Colin O’Donoghue: The young actor plays the lead role as the doubting soon-to-be priest Michael Kovak. Initially he comes across as disinteresting and average but he holds his own against a seasoned Anthony Hopkins and Rutger Hauer.

2.) Light Humor: Despite the thriller/horror emphasis, there are several instances of humor in this film. Extreme moments of tension are broken up by the most random statements or incidents. [Spoiler] At one point a cell phone rings during an exorcism and the priest stops to take the call. It’s inappropriate but hilarious.

The So-So:
1.) Pass the Priest: There’s no real motivation behind any of Kovak’s actions prior to the last 20 minutes of the film. He’s not interested in exorcisms but they’re thrust upon him by three different people. It’s literally like watching pass the student. It’s a strange way to progress the plot, and it comes across as lazy writing.

2.) Underused Actors: Hinds, Hauer, and Jones have small supporting parts that each serve one purpose. Once they’ve completed them, they disappear into the background and with the exception of Hauer, we never hear from them again. I understand that actors sign on for cameos or small parts all the time, but with talent like theirs, the writers could have at least made them good.

The Bad:
1.) Alice Braga: Braga’s character is based on the writer of the book from which the film is based. What’s the purpose of changing the sex of the character other than having an attractive woman on screen? She brings nothing new to the role.

2.) The Exorcisms: The movie is PG-13 so the exorcism scenes are nothing to write home about. There are some decent jump scares but they can only go so far because of the rating, therefore don’t look for anything truly horrifying to come out of this.

Overall:
The Rite is a watered down exorcism film that provides a few inappropriate laughs, and some decent scares. Buy a ticket at your own risk.

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From Prada to Nada Movie Review

Starring: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker, Pablo Cruz

Directed by Angel Gracia

Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 107 mins
Genre: Comedy/ Family/ Animation/ Adventure/ 3D Film
3.5 frames out of 5

Jane Austin is about to get salsa-fied….

When wealthy Beverly Hills socialite sisters Nora (Camilla Belle) and Mary Dominguez (Alexa Vega) suddenly lose their father, the world turns upside down faster than they can fathom. They discover that they have a half brother Gabriel (Pablo Cruz) and he ends up getting their house and all the stuff in it. His nasty wife Olivia (April Bowlby) doesn’t take to kindly to the girls and orders them out of the house within days of their father’s funeral. With nowhere else to go, since their mother passed away years ago, Nora and Mary leave their plush lifestyle and venture out to family that lives out in… East Los Angeles.

Mary is so outside of her comfort zone, as she’s more closed minded to this new lifestyle and is willing to do anything to get back to Beverly Hills. The neighbor that lives across the street looks like a gangbanger, Bruno (Wilmer Valderrama), but is more than meets the eye. Mary looks down on Bruno; always suspicious but intrigued by his bad boy appearance. Nora, on the other hand, is embracing her new connection to her roots and new home. Being the more level headed sister, Nora knows that they need to make sacrifices if they are ever to get back on their feet, so she decides to leave law school to get a job and then makes Mary to go back to school.

A bright spot in this dismal situation is that Olivia’s brother, Edward Ferris (Nicholas D’Agosto), is a lawyer, going above and beyond to help out Nora and Mary in any way he can. Edward is so over the moon for Nora, but Nora is too much of a control freak to give in to her feelings for Edward.

Mary finds love in the form of a handsome Teacher’s Assistant, Rodrigo Fuentes (Kuno Becker). He’s everything Mary is looking for; smart, handsome, charming, wealthy… he’s Mary’s ticket back into the life of luxury and into the right zip code, 90210.

Unfortunately, life never really works out the way we hope for. Or does it? Can Mary and Nora figure things out and find their role in life?

Jane Austin, I think, would be proud of this modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Telling it from a Latin/ Mexican perspective gives it so much warmth, heart and humor into a culture than many Americans have many misconceptions about. In the screening I attended, it was refreshing to see an audience be so interactive with the film, but in a respective way. Audiences will have a good time with this film as there are a lot of cultural references that may be funnier in certain parts of the country than others. The actors cast had great chemistry, the comic timing was solid and overall a fun movie to watch.

Things to watch for: Moving Van scene; Walk in the new neighborhood, Any scene with the aunts.

Who should see this movie: Fans of Sense & Sensibility; Fans of Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker

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Little Fockers Movie Review and Rating

Generally difficult relationship with the father of the woman and her boyfriend / husband was taken to an extreme hilarious’ Meet the Parents. “Its sequel,” Meet the Fockers, “the same concern of conflict sets in-laws had to be addressed.

Film: “Little Fockers”; Director: Paul Weitz; Actors: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba; Rating: **1/2

The third installment of this popular series goes back to the original idea, but with twists and launched the next generation, however, if your idea is to relive the good times that works, but if you are looking for original gags, new and it is boring.

Gaylord Focker “Greg (Ben Stiller), now the proud father of a boy and a girl, maybe he had his father-in-law of Jack (Robert De Niro), trust, but not yet out of his radar suspicion. After suffering a minor heart attack, Jack wants Greg to “rights” of the family, but is suspected of having an affair. The two men collide, trying to take control of the family. T “nurse” Greg is it to maintain control over their own lives?

One of the many problems with “Little Focker” is not really family. The rivalry between Greg and Jack is back with the same humor we’ve come threw to see in the first two games. Only this time Greg , aware of the method of his stepfather actually manages to make it.

There are funny moments in the film, but in general if you’ve seen the first two, there’s not much you can expect from this. The same jealousy, insecurities and the gags are back, and unfortunately, without the convenience of using a different suit. The lack of spirit of the movie again, and what little he has, since the term “god” Focker “instead of the sponsor is an exaggeration.

Perhaps the president director, directed by Paul Weitz, this time with the original director Jay Roach is now acting as producer, is another problem.

Or maybe the problem space of the film, where there is not much original left to explore the relationships between people who live there. Thus, the film is based on tricks, like a nice appearance by Deepak Chopra or Jessica Alba in a role that is almost a cameo.

However, it is a film reveals gently gently flowing well with the narrative or story or technical problems as a cast of some of the best actors in Hollywood.

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Seth Rogen talks ‘Hornet’ sequel

As The Green Hornet proves, sometimes having a hit is less about filmmaking than campaigning.

Seth Rogen spent months promoting his risky superhero adaptation -- in interviews, in TV commercials, at fanboy gatherings such as Comic-Con. The relentless stumping clearly paid off.

Despite bad reviews and low expectations, the marketing push helped Hornet to a respectable opening last weekend of $34 million.

That doesn't ensure a sequel -- it has awhile to go before it recoups its reported $90 million production budget -- but it does mean it's not an outright flop.

And if there is a Hornet 2, Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg certainly did enough research the first time out that concocting a new story shouldn't be that difficult.

"In the beginning phases of writing the script, we did a ton of research. The way we write, we make just tons of lists of ideas we want to include in the movie," Rogen explains. "We tried to listen to all of the radio serials. But they're a little outdated, I guess. I guess back then, just hearing footsteps for 30 seconds was really suspenseful. The creaking of the door opening was real cinema at that point. It's a little hard to sit through hours of it at this point for me, but I'm very stupid."

When it's suggested James Franco (who has a memorable cameo) should be brought back, Rogen chuckles approvingly. Still, he insists they made no plans for further films. "We're not the kind of writers to save ideas. If it's remotely good, we throw it in there."

ACTION-ORIENTED: Rogen's Hornet doesn't just have a sidekick -- that would be his chauffeur/mechanic/bodyguard Kato -- but also a personal assistant played by Cameron Diaz.

The role may be critical -- she's the brains of the operation -- but it's also small enough that Diaz wasn't prepared for what she saw when she screened the finished movie.

"I didn't realize it was such a huge action movie because I came in the first week of shooting and the last week of shooting. All of my bits had no action.

So I went away and did another movie (Knight and Day) with a lot of action and I came back and when saw what they did, I was like, 'Wait a second. How did this happen? How did I not know this?' But before we started, I went out and took the Black Beauty for a spin. So I should have put two and two together."

EPIC UNDERTAKING: 1963's Cleopatra was famously one of the most expensive, out-of-control productions in Hollywood history.

Which might seem like good enough reason to leave well enough alone. Now, though, plans are underway for Angelina Jolie to star in a new Cleopatra, based on Stacy Schiff's biography Cleopatra: A Life.

How grand are Sony's ambitions for what the studio reportedly envisions as a 3D extravaganza? The studio almost managed to steal away James Cameron from back-to-back Avatar sequels. Ultimately Cameron opted to return to Pandora for 20th Century Fox, leaving the producers to find another director gutsy enough to tackle it. (So far, they haven't.)

And despite epics being notoriously troublesome -- consider how problem-plagued Titanic was -- studios and producers can't resist taking the gamble.

Other such undertakings in the offing? Goliath, based on the Biblical tale of David vs. Goliath. Scott Derrickson (2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still) is directing. Zack Snyder will likely make a 300 prequel after he helms the next Superman movie. And Keanu Reeves is set to star in the samurai opus 47 Ronin.

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Review: 'Kitchen Witches' at Studio Players

It may be unenlightened, but there is nothing like following a good feud.
Leno vs. Letterman, PC vs.Mac, Kentucky vs. Louisville, Lindsay Lohan vs. half of Hollywood.

It can be fun to vicariously enjoy the bickering of others. Besides, most of the time the root of long-term squabbles is not so much about differences as it is about loving and defending the same thing in incompatible ways.

So it is for Dolly and Isobel, two rival chefs and former friends who comically duke it out in Caroline Smith's The Kitchen Witches, Studio Players' latest offering.
The Kitchen Witches is a textbook example of Studio Players doing what it does best—a funny, entertaining two-hour respite from ordinary life.

A small, charismatic cast and locally-flavored directorial quirks jibe with Smith's whimsical repartee in this light-hearted culinary romp.

Patricia O'Neil and Debbie Sharp share palpable on-stage chemistry in their roles as Dolly and Isobel, the two former friends and 30-year enemies who are forced to co-host a cable-access cooking show. Whether arguing over who gets the superior dressing room or where to put the sugar bowl, the pair displays glimpses of their former friendship beneath the venom-spewing surface of their feud.

O'Neil is particularly entertaining when she shows her character's goofier, mischievous sides, like when she co-opts a Southern-themed cooking segment by donning a ridiculously over-the-top recreation of Scarlet O'Hara's famed green curtain dress and forces Isobel to dress like Mammy.

Sharp is a striking foil as Isobel in a performance that proves comedy is her best genre. There is something shrewder about her, less at peace with herself than Dolly, yet still comical. Sharp does a good job of showing how Isobel's inflexible ambition — the kind that made her a Cordon Bleu chef — cost her as much as she gained. She has a secret, something she needs to atone for, a plot twist that would spoil the show to reveal.

But it has to do with the past, and Dolly's son Stephen. The root of their rivalry is, after all, about Stephen's father, a man they both loved.

Alex Maddox makes his third consecutive appearance in a Studio Players show this season and he continues to impress. He displays the kind of natural stage charisma that simply cannot be taught. Like his character Stephen, Maddox is the thread that ties disparate elements of the production together. It doesn't hurt that as a cable access producer and writer, Stephen literally runs the show.

The entire cast fluidly navigates some intricate timing obstacles, particularly when it comes to juggling the myriad of food and kitchen wares that dominate the quick-paced cooking scenes. It's not as hairy as, say, the sardines in Noises Off!, but pretty close.

Speaking of quick-paced cooking scenes, by far the comedic highlight of the production is Iron Chef, inspired two minute cooking challenge that involves a "celebrity guest judge" from the audience. If you attend the show, you might want to wear your stage makeup, just in case.

Director Gary McCormick tweaked the script to include local references, like fictitious on-air advertisements for Columbia Steakhouse or Southern Belle Dairy, which add some charming regional flavor. Those touches were not lost on the 30 or so opening night audience members who had braved foreboding winter weather to see the show. The 50-or-so who cancelled owe it to themselves to get out and see the Witches, when the weather isn't quite so frightful.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/21/1606455/review-studio-players-kitchen.html#ixzz1BjwVEB1O

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10 Best Actor Nominees

Here are the 10 best actor nominees in the history of American cinema. Each actor has awed audiences with their acting skill. Several actors on this list have been nominated for ( and sometimes won) multiple awards.

1.) Marlon Brando - While perhaps best-known for his role in the Godfather, Brando’s career spanned decades. The two-time Academy Award winner also graced the screen in "A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Last Tango in Paris", "The Freshman" and "The Score". Brando is widely acclaimed as the best actor in the history of Hollywood, making him one of the best, best actor nominees.

2.) Dustin Hoffman -  Hoffman’s acting skills earned him an Academy Award for "Kramer v. Kramer" and "Rain Man". The actor’s skill ranges from humorous to tragic drama, and in each roll his dedication is evident. Dustin Hoffman is one of the best Academy Award nominees.

3.) Tom Hanks - This actor is so talented that in "Cast Away" he gave an inanimate object a personality. Throughout his career Hanks has made viewers gasp in excitement and cry with tears of joy. For his brilliant skill, Tom Hanks is one of the best actors nominated for an Academy Award.

4.) Anthony Hopkins - While Hopkins’ Academy Award was for his portrayal of an insane sociopath-physician in "The Silence of the Lambs", his acting talent has been used for other, less violent, roles as well. In both "The Remains of the Day" and "Legends of the Fall", Hopkins brought viewers to tears with his expression of love and desire. Hopkins is one of the best, best Academy Award nominees.

5.) Johnny Depp -  He’s been nominated for "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Finding Neverland" and "Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", but never walked out with an award. Depp manages to make even the most abstract characters realistic. Admired for the depth he puts into ever role, Depp is one of the best academy award nominees.

6.) Daniel Day-Lewis - While this actor received an award in 2007 for his role in "There Will Be Blood", he was also recognized for his work in "My Left Foot". Daniel Day-Lewis’ intensity bursts through the screen of any of his films, making him hard to ignore. The actor has graced numerous notable films, including "The Age of Innocence", "The Crucible" and, recently, "Nine". For his talent and versatility, Lewis is one of the best, best actor nominees.

7.) Lawrence Olivier - This old Hollywood actor had his start speaking Shakespeare’s complex lines, and from that moment never stepped far from Shakespeare. Widely regarded by other actors as one of the greatest actors of all time even today, Olivier won an Academy Award in 1948 for…"Hamlet", of course!

8.) Henry Fonda - Known for his work in "The Grapes of Wrath" and "12 Angry Men", Fonda only received on Academy Award, and that one when he was 76. Fonda is one of the greatest Hollywood actors, and also one of the greatest best actor nominees.

9.) Humphrey Bogart - Bogart’s most well-known movie is "Casablanca", but the actor shined in many more films. Nominated three times, but only winning once, when on screen Bogart always manages to steal the scene. The old Hollywood actor is absolutely one of the best, best actor nominees.

10.) Kevin Spacey - Face it, Kevin Spacey is just cool. The two-time Academy Award winner, for "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects", is one intense man to watch on film. For being always entertaining, albeit in a somewhat crazy manner, Spacey is one of the best academy award nominees.

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