I was watching that classic episode of Corner Gas last night where people get sick and tired of hearing Hank's ramblings, so they tell Hank to start writing them down in a blog. But then of course, no one reads Hank's blog, so Hank gets all upset. And then Brent, the only one who actually reads Hank's blog, starts writing up "Hank's blog cheat sheets" for everyone, so people can pretend they're reading Hank's blog and not upset Hank. Then, because he gets sick of everyone asking him for the cheat sheets, Brent starts posting the cheat sheets online, thus inspiring him to start his own blog. But then, no one reads Brent's blog, so Hank and Brent just start talking to each other.
Anyway, that led me to believe that the millions of people who don't read this blog are probably not wondering where I went.
Nothing spectacular, I'm still off on Christmas vacation. I'm trying to spend as much of it off the grid as possible...no blogging, no Facebook, and most importantly, no checking company e-mail and fretting about how the office is surviving without me.
But still, I'm getting bored as hell, so it's time to check in on things.
Over here, we have the latest "final nail in the coffin" for VHS. Back on Boxing Day, the last remaining distributor of video tapes in the USA closed its doors. That means no more new videos will be popping up in discount bins all across the USA.
Other "final nails" include the last video tape being put out by a major Hollywood studio (that was A History of Violence, back in '06) and JVC, the electronics company that first started selling VCR's, announcing that they are discontinuing the manufacture of VCR's.
And, if that weren't enough, the experts are saying that DVD will have gone the way of VHS inside of four years, to be replaced by Blu-Ray.
In other news, I managed to hit the city and see The Spirit. Yeah...um...well, it is a movie.
As we all know, it was the first effort from comic book legend Frank Miller, and he's still figuring out things like "editing." Some things really feel disjointed, some scenes run on too long and its, well, really something else.
At the theatre where I saw it, around halfway through the film, a young man screamed out "THIS MOVIE'S FUCKIN' GAY!" and stormed out of the theatre.
While I would not describe the movie as "FUCKIN' GAY!", it definitly is not quite up to par.
Miller has already announced that his next film will be an adaptation of the classic pulp fiction hero Buck Rogers, so lets hope he learns from his mistakes.
Selasa, 30 Desember 2008
Rabu, 24 Desember 2008
A Few More Trailers
Don't you hate it when you have trouble sleeping and eventually you think, "Screw it, I'll just get up early?" I'm having one of those mornings. Since I am up early, I'm wasting some time watching some movie trailers online and just catching up on what's going on in the world of animated movies.
First up, we've got the new trailer for Dreamworks' latest animated opus, Monsters vs. Aliens. The title pretty much describes it all. When aliens invade the earth, the government decides to unleash an army of monsters to battle the aliens.
The monsters are led by Susan Murphy, aka Ginormica, who's hit by a meteorite on her wedding day, causing her to grow to 49.75 feet tall. (There's a joke in there as to why she's no 50 feet tall, but I've forgotten it.) She's voiced by Reese Witherspoon. The other monsters are the Missing Link, voice by Will Arnet (GOB on Arrested Development). Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., a mad scientist with the head of a cockraoch. He's voice by Hugh Laurie, House on House. And B.O.B., a blue gelatinous blob voiced by Seth Rogan.
Other characters include the general who collected the monsters, W.R. Monger, voiced by Keifer Sutherland, and the President of the USA, voiced by Stephen Colbert.
Now, I'm usually pretty cynical towards Dreamworks films, as they popularized the "talking animals making fart jokes" formula that is currently dominating animated films. However, I'll root for anything that's not "talking animals making fart jokes," so this one may be worth a look.
Speaking of rooting for anything that's not "talking animals making fart jokes," next up is 9. Based on the Acadamey Award nominated short film of the same name, 9 is about sentient rag dolls in a post-apocolyptic world trying to redeem humanity. Think of this as WALL-E's Goth brother.
Written and directed by Shane Acker, who wrote and directed the original short film, and produced by Tim Burton, 9 features the voices of Eijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Riley, Martin Landau, and Christopher Plummer.
Oh, and here's the original film on YouTube, in case you want a greater taste of what you're in for.
First up, we've got the new trailer for Dreamworks' latest animated opus, Monsters vs. Aliens. The title pretty much describes it all. When aliens invade the earth, the government decides to unleash an army of monsters to battle the aliens.
The monsters are led by Susan Murphy, aka Ginormica, who's hit by a meteorite on her wedding day, causing her to grow to 49.75 feet tall. (There's a joke in there as to why she's no 50 feet tall, but I've forgotten it.) She's voiced by Reese Witherspoon. The other monsters are the Missing Link, voice by Will Arnet (GOB on Arrested Development). Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., a mad scientist with the head of a cockraoch. He's voice by Hugh Laurie, House on House. And B.O.B., a blue gelatinous blob voiced by Seth Rogan.
Other characters include the general who collected the monsters, W.R. Monger, voiced by Keifer Sutherland, and the President of the USA, voiced by Stephen Colbert.
Now, I'm usually pretty cynical towards Dreamworks films, as they popularized the "talking animals making fart jokes" formula that is currently dominating animated films. However, I'll root for anything that's not "talking animals making fart jokes," so this one may be worth a look.
Speaking of rooting for anything that's not "talking animals making fart jokes," next up is 9. Based on the Acadamey Award nominated short film of the same name, 9 is about sentient rag dolls in a post-apocolyptic world trying to redeem humanity. Think of this as WALL-E's Goth brother.
Written and directed by Shane Acker, who wrote and directed the original short film, and produced by Tim Burton, 9 features the voices of Eijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Riley, Martin Landau, and Christopher Plummer.
Oh, and here's the original film on YouTube, in case you want a greater taste of what you're in for.
Minggu, 21 Desember 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
Another Sunday, means another episode of The Targ!
This week, we've got Episode 2.15: An Adult Christmas, in which I lament what Christmas now means to me, seeing as to how I'm a responsible adult and all that. We also talk about which of Time Magazine's buzzwords of 2008 started in Canada, and Sunshine Girls! Yay, Sunshine Girls!
So please, head on over to the main site and give it a listen!
Or, you can click on that button above and go subscribe to the Targ in iTunes.
I should also mention that The Targ is going to be gone for the next couple of weeks...going away on Christmas vacation, and will be far away from all my recording dohickeys.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I see it's -40 in Athabasca this morning, so it's time to play another exciting game of "Will my car start?" Even with my car plugged in, she just refuses to start on one morning in the winter when we hit -40. Is today the morning? We'll see....
This week, we've got Episode 2.15: An Adult Christmas, in which I lament what Christmas now means to me, seeing as to how I'm a responsible adult and all that. We also talk about which of Time Magazine's buzzwords of 2008 started in Canada, and Sunshine Girls! Yay, Sunshine Girls!
So please, head on over to the main site and give it a listen!
Or, you can click on that button above and go subscribe to the Targ in iTunes.
I should also mention that The Targ is going to be gone for the next couple of weeks...going away on Christmas vacation, and will be far away from all my recording dohickeys.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I see it's -40 in Athabasca this morning, so it's time to play another exciting game of "Will my car start?" Even with my car plugged in, she just refuses to start on one morning in the winter when we hit -40. Is today the morning? We'll see....
Kamis, 18 Desember 2008
My Christmas Scrapbook
Ladies and gentlemen, Christmas can mean only one thing...Christmas movies!
So here's my latest YouTube endeavour. My Christmas Scrapbook follows me as I go around to a couple of Athabasca Christmastime events, and chronicle my adventures.
Not gonna lie...I'm a little disappointed with this one. Because I tried to smoosh the two events into one film, the whole project just never really gelled. As Lucas tells us, films aren't released, they escape. And this one got away on me.
Damn it! I never finished that thought in the intro...one of the many reasons why I'm not pleased. Oh, well. That's why Lucas invented special editions.
So here's my latest YouTube endeavour. My Christmas Scrapbook follows me as I go around to a couple of Athabasca Christmastime events, and chronicle my adventures.
Not gonna lie...I'm a little disappointed with this one. Because I tried to smoosh the two events into one film, the whole project just never really gelled. As Lucas tells us, films aren't released, they escape. And this one got away on me.
Damn it! I never finished that thought in the intro...one of the many reasons why I'm not pleased. Oh, well. That's why Lucas invented special editions.
Good News/Bad News
First, the good news.
It was announced today that Tim Robbins has joined the cast of Iron Man 2!
Robbins will be playing Howard Stark, the father of Tony Stark, in flashbacks. Director Jon Favreau says that Howard Stark plays a very integral role in the plot, and in setting up the forthcoming Avengers film, which is why he wanted a really, really good actor.
And now, the bad news.
Majel Barrett passed away today.
I blogged about her just last week. The widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Barrett had numerous roles in all of Star Trek. She was the nameless first office Number One in the original pilot The Cage...she was Dr. McCoy's head nurse Christine Chapel on The Original Series...and she played Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana on The Next Generation. She also voice the Enterprise computer in every series.
Barrett had been battling leukemia for the past few years. She was 76.
Last week, it was announced that Barrett would be reprising her role as the voice of the Enterprise computer in the new Star Trek movie due out in May. It has been learned that, yes, she did finish voicing the computer.
It was announced today that Tim Robbins has joined the cast of Iron Man 2!
Robbins will be playing Howard Stark, the father of Tony Stark, in flashbacks. Director Jon Favreau says that Howard Stark plays a very integral role in the plot, and in setting up the forthcoming Avengers film, which is why he wanted a really, really good actor.
And now, the bad news.
Majel Barrett passed away today.
I blogged about her just last week. The widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Barrett had numerous roles in all of Star Trek. She was the nameless first office Number One in the original pilot The Cage...she was Dr. McCoy's head nurse Christine Chapel on The Original Series...and she played Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana on The Next Generation. She also voice the Enterprise computer in every series.
Barrett had been battling leukemia for the past few years. She was 76.
Last week, it was announced that Barrett would be reprising her role as the voice of the Enterprise computer in the new Star Trek movie due out in May. It has been learned that, yes, she did finish voicing the computer.
Selasa, 16 Desember 2008
Wolverine Trailer!
So, if you listened to this week's podcast, then you probably heard my rant about prequels...which leads into this latest trailer.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, a friend of mine told me that the popular fanboy musings for adapting X-Men to the silver screen would be to start off with a Wolverine solo film, which would end with Wolverine joining the X-Men. And then, you make X-Men.
Well, in this day and age, the popular way is to do things backwards, which meant the Wolverine film would be saved for a prequel.
And it's here!
X-Men Origins: Wolverine hits theatres on May 1, and it tells the tale of Wolverine...his childhood in Alberta...his time serving in the wars...his fateful recruitment into the Weapon X project. Hugh Jackman has gone on record as reminding us that, when we first meet Wolverine in the first X-Men film, he's cage-fighting in a bar in northern Alberta. Says Jackman, the end of this prequel, you'll be able to believe that Wolverine walked out of the wilderness and into that bar.
In addition to Jackman back as Wolverine one more time, Liev Schreiber takes over as Wolverine's arch-enemy Sabertooth, Danny Houston is the young General William Stryker, Lynn Collins is Wolverine's one-time love Silver Fox, Ryan Reynolds is his Weapon X teammate Deadpool, and Taylor Kitsch plays the one X-Man that people have been clamouring to see, Gambit.
Gavin Hood, still best known for the South African drama Tsotsi directs.
May 1 is when it hits theatres.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, a friend of mine told me that the popular fanboy musings for adapting X-Men to the silver screen would be to start off with a Wolverine solo film, which would end with Wolverine joining the X-Men. And then, you make X-Men.
Well, in this day and age, the popular way is to do things backwards, which meant the Wolverine film would be saved for a prequel.
And it's here!
X-Men Origins: Wolverine hits theatres on May 1, and it tells the tale of Wolverine...his childhood in Alberta...his time serving in the wars...his fateful recruitment into the Weapon X project. Hugh Jackman has gone on record as reminding us that, when we first meet Wolverine in the first X-Men film, he's cage-fighting in a bar in northern Alberta. Says Jackman, the end of this prequel, you'll be able to believe that Wolverine walked out of the wilderness and into that bar.
In addition to Jackman back as Wolverine one more time, Liev Schreiber takes over as Wolverine's arch-enemy Sabertooth, Danny Houston is the young General William Stryker, Lynn Collins is Wolverine's one-time love Silver Fox, Ryan Reynolds is his Weapon X teammate Deadpool, and Taylor Kitsch plays the one X-Man that people have been clamouring to see, Gambit.
Gavin Hood, still best known for the South African drama Tsotsi directs.
May 1 is when it hits theatres.
Miss World
Miss Russia Is Miss World
Femina Miss India 2008 top three winners in swimsuit
Parvati Perfect 10 Model Boxing
MISS MONDO 2008 is Ksenya from Russia. Miss WORLD Miss MUNDO 2008.
Femina Miss India 2008 top three winners in swimsuit
Parvati Perfect 10 Model Boxing
MISS MONDO 2008 is Ksenya from Russia. Miss WORLD Miss MUNDO 2008.
Senin, 15 Desember 2008
Howard finally comes to DVD
I have fantastic news for all you Marvel zombies and George Lucas apologists!
Howard the Duck is finally coming to DVD!
For those who have blocked it from your mind, Howard the Duck was based on the Marvel comic of the same name, about a walking, talking duck who is stranded on Earth. The movie turned it into a sci-fi epic, with Howard battling giant, stop-motion animated scorpions set to invade the Earth. Jeffery Jones played the evil scientists possessed by the boss scorpion, Lea Thompson was his hot, human girlfriend, and Tim Robbins was the nerdy scientist who helped them out.
It was written and directed by Willard Huyck, a longtime George Lucas collaberator who wrote American Graffiti and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was produced by George Lucas's Lucasfilm.
Howard the Duck was a gigantic bomb, reviled by critics, and is often regarded as the worst thing that George Lucas had his name attached to. Yes, even worse than the prequels.
But it's finally coming to DVD on March 10!
Bonus features include a half-a-dozen featurettes about the making of the film. And yes, they got the involvement of George Lucas and Willard Huyck and Stan Lee.
Suggested retail price is $14.98, meaning it's going straight to discount bins.
Howard the Duck is finally coming to DVD!
For those who have blocked it from your mind, Howard the Duck was based on the Marvel comic of the same name, about a walking, talking duck who is stranded on Earth. The movie turned it into a sci-fi epic, with Howard battling giant, stop-motion animated scorpions set to invade the Earth. Jeffery Jones played the evil scientists possessed by the boss scorpion, Lea Thompson was his hot, human girlfriend, and Tim Robbins was the nerdy scientist who helped them out.
It was written and directed by Willard Huyck, a longtime George Lucas collaberator who wrote American Graffiti and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was produced by George Lucas's Lucasfilm.
Howard the Duck was a gigantic bomb, reviled by critics, and is often regarded as the worst thing that George Lucas had his name attached to. Yes, even worse than the prequels.
But it's finally coming to DVD on March 10!
Bonus features include a half-a-dozen featurettes about the making of the film. And yes, they got the involvement of George Lucas and Willard Huyck and Stan Lee.
Suggested retail price is $14.98, meaning it's going straight to discount bins.
Minggu, 14 Desember 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
Wow. What is it about me? 5:30AM on Sunday morning, and here I am, up before the Sun.
The plus thing is, you get a new episode of The Targ way, way early!
Today, it's Episode 2.14: Antecedent Action, wherein I talk about prequels, Anne of Green Gables, and Wayne and Shuster. Yup, I'm hitting my CanCon with this one!
So head on over to the Targ and download this week's episode!
And don't forget to subscribe in iTunes!
The plus thing is, you get a new episode of The Targ way, way early!
Today, it's Episode 2.14: Antecedent Action, wherein I talk about prequels, Anne of Green Gables, and Wayne and Shuster. Yup, I'm hitting my CanCon with this one!
So head on over to the Targ and download this week's episode!
And don't forget to subscribe in iTunes!
Kamis, 11 Desember 2008
It's the little things....
So, there was an announcement today on the new Star Trek movie that made the trekkies go, "Hey...I never thought of that! But JJ Abrams did, and it was a smart move!" And that decision is....
Majel Barrett will be reprising her role as the voice of the Enterprise's computer!
Barrett, of course, has done the voice of the ship's computer in every incarnation of Star Trek...except Enterprise, which took place before they had talking computers. But thanks to time-travel wackiness, she got to voice the computer in a couple of episodes.
In addition, she played the nameless first officer Number One in the original pilot, "The Cage." She played Dr. McCoy's head nurse, Christine Chapel, on the original series, and she played Lwaxana Troi, Councillor Troi's mother, on The Next Generation and a couple episodes of Deep Space Nine.
Another interesting fact...she did the voices of darn near every female guest star on the animated Star Trek series!
Plus, she was the wife of Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry.
Majel Barrett will be reprising her role as the voice of the Enterprise's computer!
Barrett, of course, has done the voice of the ship's computer in every incarnation of Star Trek...except Enterprise, which took place before they had talking computers. But thanks to time-travel wackiness, she got to voice the computer in a couple of episodes.
In addition, she played the nameless first officer Number One in the original pilot, "The Cage." She played Dr. McCoy's head nurse, Christine Chapel, on the original series, and she played Lwaxana Troi, Councillor Troi's mother, on The Next Generation and a couple episodes of Deep Space Nine.
Another interesting fact...she did the voices of darn near every female guest star on the animated Star Trek series!
Plus, she was the wife of Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry.
Rabu, 10 Desember 2008
Terminator: Salvation Trailer
Ah, this is a great time of year to be a movie geek. Not only are the theatres filled with all kinds of holiday blockbusters and Oscar bait, but those magical, wonderful trailers showing us the first glimpses of next summer's blockbusters start popping up.
The latest one is for Terminator: Salvation. Thanks to the time travel wackiness of the Terminator franchise, this serves as both a prequel and a sequel, as we finally get our first film about the Future War against the machines.
This is actually one where my interest is very, very slim. The Terminator franchise is one that can be put to rest in my books. The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day form a very nice 2-part story. While I found Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines to be fairly entertaining, it was wholly unnecessary. And I haven't even tuned in to the new TV show yet, The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Anyway, it'll probably satisfy my thirst for giant robot mayhem until Transformers 2 comes out in July. We should be getting our first trailer for that in February.
For the vital stats: Christian Bale takes over as humanity's savior, John Connor. Bryce Dallas Howard is his wife and second-in-command Kate Connor. Anton Yelchin, soon to be seen as young Chekov in Star Trek, is the young Kyle Reese. Sam Worthington is Marcus Wright, a man with a shadowy past who just might be the newest Terminator to hunt down John Connor. Helena Bonham Carter is Serena, the lead villian. And Austrian bodybuilder/Arnold Schwarznegger lookalike Roland Kickinger takes over as the T-800.
The director is McG, who gave us the Charlie's Angels films.
May 2009.
The latest one is for Terminator: Salvation. Thanks to the time travel wackiness of the Terminator franchise, this serves as both a prequel and a sequel, as we finally get our first film about the Future War against the machines.
This is actually one where my interest is very, very slim. The Terminator franchise is one that can be put to rest in my books. The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day form a very nice 2-part story. While I found Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines to be fairly entertaining, it was wholly unnecessary. And I haven't even tuned in to the new TV show yet, The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Anyway, it'll probably satisfy my thirst for giant robot mayhem until Transformers 2 comes out in July. We should be getting our first trailer for that in February.
For the vital stats: Christian Bale takes over as humanity's savior, John Connor. Bryce Dallas Howard is his wife and second-in-command Kate Connor. Anton Yelchin, soon to be seen as young Chekov in Star Trek, is the young Kyle Reese. Sam Worthington is Marcus Wright, a man with a shadowy past who just might be the newest Terminator to hunt down John Connor. Helena Bonham Carter is Serena, the lead villian. And Austrian bodybuilder/Arnold Schwarznegger lookalike Roland Kickinger takes over as the T-800.
The director is McG, who gave us the Charlie's Angels films.
May 2009.
Minggu, 07 Desember 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
It's Sunday! New podcast day! This week's episode of U62: The Targ is....
Episode 2.13: Ramble Ramble, where I finally offer up my thoughts on the Star Trek trailer, discuss European condom sizes, and share my Christmas plans!
Go give it a listen!
And here I am on iTunes!
Episode 2.13: Ramble Ramble, where I finally offer up my thoughts on the Star Trek trailer, discuss European condom sizes, and share my Christmas plans!
Go give it a listen!
And here I am on iTunes!
Senin, 01 Desember 2008
Quantum of Solace Review Up!
I saw it over a week ago, but I finally put up my review of the James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace!
Go read it!
Go read it!
Minggu, 30 November 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
It's time for another fantabulous episode of U62: The Targ!
This week's podcast provides a very unique experience. When I did this one, I was suffering from the worst headache I'd had in ages. I had taken close to the allowable limit of Tylenol. And, I figured I still had to put on a show.
The end result? Episode 2.12: Work Through the Pain
Go give it a listen!
And subscribe in iTunes!
This week's podcast provides a very unique experience. When I did this one, I was suffering from the worst headache I'd had in ages. I had taken close to the allowable limit of Tylenol. And, I figured I still had to put on a show.
The end result? Episode 2.12: Work Through the Pain
Go give it a listen!
And subscribe in iTunes!
Kamis, 27 November 2008
A Reason to Vote
So, today, the Conservative government unveiled a "fiscal update" to try to address concerns with the upcoming economic downturn.
What's getting a lot of press right now is that the Conservative propose to do away with one of the federal subsidies to political parties. I've blogged about this in the past...if a political party gets more than 2% of the popular vote, then they get $1.75 for each ballot cast for them.
Well, the Conservative want to scrap that. The Tories say that the political parties should set a good example, "pay their own bills" and that "the free ride for political parties" has to stop.
The opposition parties are pissed, of course. They're calling it an attack on democracy. They're accusing the Tories of trying to cripple the opposition parties financially. According to this article at the CBC, the subsidy accounts for 65% of the Green Party's revenues, 86% of the Bloc Quebcois', and 63% of the Liberals.
As we all know, the Tories boycott the Ottawa Press Corp, claiming that the Ottawa Press Corp has the Liberal bias. So, this evening, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was doing the rounds via satallite on local news casts, selling this to Canadians.
I saw Flaherty getting interviewed by Daryl McIntyre on CTV Edmonton. The issue of the subsidy came up, and McIntyre asked, "But there are those who argue this subsidy combats voter apathy...that people will still get out and vote for their party, knowing that even if their candidate won't win, they'll still have done some good by giving some money to their party. Do you really want to get rid of this weapon in the war on voter apathy?"
Flaherty burst out laughing and said, "I've run in 6 elections, and I've never heard of anyone voting for that reason."
Well, Mr. Flahery, I know you probably don't read my blog, but this subsidy is the reason why I've voted in the past three elections. I don't agree with you and a lot of your party's policies, but I do know that this is Alberta, and no matter how many times I vote against you, you're going to get in.
The only reason I vote is to make sure that someone else gets another $1.75 to try to bring you down.
If you get rid of this subsidy, I'm going to start staying home on election days.
What's getting a lot of press right now is that the Conservative propose to do away with one of the federal subsidies to political parties. I've blogged about this in the past...if a political party gets more than 2% of the popular vote, then they get $1.75 for each ballot cast for them.
Well, the Conservative want to scrap that. The Tories say that the political parties should set a good example, "pay their own bills" and that "the free ride for political parties" has to stop.
The opposition parties are pissed, of course. They're calling it an attack on democracy. They're accusing the Tories of trying to cripple the opposition parties financially. According to this article at the CBC, the subsidy accounts for 65% of the Green Party's revenues, 86% of the Bloc Quebcois', and 63% of the Liberals.
As we all know, the Tories boycott the Ottawa Press Corp, claiming that the Ottawa Press Corp has the Liberal bias. So, this evening, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was doing the rounds via satallite on local news casts, selling this to Canadians.
I saw Flaherty getting interviewed by Daryl McIntyre on CTV Edmonton. The issue of the subsidy came up, and McIntyre asked, "But there are those who argue this subsidy combats voter apathy...that people will still get out and vote for their party, knowing that even if their candidate won't win, they'll still have done some good by giving some money to their party. Do you really want to get rid of this weapon in the war on voter apathy?"
Flaherty burst out laughing and said, "I've run in 6 elections, and I've never heard of anyone voting for that reason."
Well, Mr. Flahery, I know you probably don't read my blog, but this subsidy is the reason why I've voted in the past three elections. I don't agree with you and a lot of your party's policies, but I do know that this is Alberta, and no matter how many times I vote against you, you're going to get in.
The only reason I vote is to make sure that someone else gets another $1.75 to try to bring you down.
If you get rid of this subsidy, I'm going to start staying home on election days.
Rabu, 26 November 2008
Selasa, 25 November 2008
Star Trek Trailer: Special Edition
So, Paramount just release a new "special edition" of the Star Trek trailer. What did they add?
Leonard Nimoy as Spock!
As cool as this is, I just can't help but think that Paramount did this just to appease the fans. Trolling the Star Trek message boards, the trekkies who were screaming, "THIS IS A TRAVESTY TO ALL OF STAR TREK! GENE RODDENBERRY IS TURNING IN HIS GRAVE!" are now saying, "Leonard Nimoy brought a tear to my eye. I'm now cautiously optimistic."
Leonard Nimoy as Spock!
As cool as this is, I just can't help but think that Paramount did this just to appease the fans. Trolling the Star Trek message boards, the trekkies who were screaming, "THIS IS A TRAVESTY TO ALL OF STAR TREK! GENE RODDENBERRY IS TURNING IN HIS GRAVE!" are now saying, "Leonard Nimoy brought a tear to my eye. I'm now cautiously optimistic."
Minggu, 23 November 2008
Review: Futurama: Bender's Game
You know I don't consider straight-to-DVD movies worthy enough to be given full-blown movie reviews at my regular site, so they get stuck getting reviewed over here in the blog. I picked up my latest straight-to-DVD epic this weekend, so let's get reviewing!
Futurama: Bender's Game
Directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill
Starring the voices of Billy West, Katy Segal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom, David Herman, Kath Soucie and the man, the legend, Frank Welker.
Backstory: All right, the third of the four Futurama straight-to-DVD movies has been unleashed upon us! The first one was awesome, the second one was good but not great, what will number 3 hold?
Plot: It's life as normal for the Planet Express crew. The rising price of dark matter (the substance that fuels spaceships in the Futurama-verse) is getting ridiculously high. This leads Professor Farnsworth to reveal the truth: dark matter was once a useless, inert substance until his experiments turned it into fuel. The Professor still has a crystal that could convert dark matter back into a useless substance. The crew then goes on a perilous quest to Mom's dark matter mine to destroy the dark matter and thus ruin Mom's monopoly on starship fuel. Meanwhile, Bender starts playing Dungeons and Dragons with Cubert and his friends, and his imagination goes into overdrive, making Bender believe that he actually exists in a magical realm called Cornwood. These two plotlines collide when a massive surge of energy from the dark matter turns our universe into Cornwood. Now stuck in a magical realm, Farnsworth's crystal has become a magical artifact of "One Ring"-type power, and its up to the crew to quest through this land and destroy the crystal. Can they do it? In various other subplots, the Planet Express ship gets trashed in a demolition derby, Leela gets outfitted with a shock collar that zaps her whenever her thoughts turn to violence, and we learn the shocking truth about Mom's son Igner.
What I Liked: There's a stronger plot in this one...it doesn't feel as episodic as The Beast with a Billion Backs. And there's something truly magical about George Takei screaming, "You ruined the franchise, Bakula!"
What I Didn't Like: The whole "Futurama" resurrection novelty is starting to wear off, and it feels like the creators aren't trying anymore. Let's hope they put their best foot forward for the fourth and final straight-to-video film.
Final Assesment: A good, solid Futurama outing.
3 Nibs
DVD Bonus Material:
Futurama: Bender's Game
Directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill
Starring the voices of Billy West, Katy Segal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom, David Herman, Kath Soucie and the man, the legend, Frank Welker.
Backstory: All right, the third of the four Futurama straight-to-DVD movies has been unleashed upon us! The first one was awesome, the second one was good but not great, what will number 3 hold?
Plot: It's life as normal for the Planet Express crew. The rising price of dark matter (the substance that fuels spaceships in the Futurama-verse) is getting ridiculously high. This leads Professor Farnsworth to reveal the truth: dark matter was once a useless, inert substance until his experiments turned it into fuel. The Professor still has a crystal that could convert dark matter back into a useless substance. The crew then goes on a perilous quest to Mom's dark matter mine to destroy the dark matter and thus ruin Mom's monopoly on starship fuel. Meanwhile, Bender starts playing Dungeons and Dragons with Cubert and his friends, and his imagination goes into overdrive, making Bender believe that he actually exists in a magical realm called Cornwood. These two plotlines collide when a massive surge of energy from the dark matter turns our universe into Cornwood. Now stuck in a magical realm, Farnsworth's crystal has become a magical artifact of "One Ring"-type power, and its up to the crew to quest through this land and destroy the crystal. Can they do it? In various other subplots, the Planet Express ship gets trashed in a demolition derby, Leela gets outfitted with a shock collar that zaps her whenever her thoughts turn to violence, and we learn the shocking truth about Mom's son Igner.
What I Liked: There's a stronger plot in this one...it doesn't feel as episodic as The Beast with a Billion Backs. And there's something truly magical about George Takei screaming, "You ruined the franchise, Bakula!"
What I Didn't Like: The whole "Futurama" resurrection novelty is starting to wear off, and it feels like the creators aren't trying anymore. Let's hope they put their best foot forward for the fourth and final straight-to-video film.
Final Assesment: A good, solid Futurama outing.
3 Nibs
DVD Bonus Material:
- Running commentary with the voice cast and crew
- Animatics
- Futurama Genetics Lab: Play "If They Mated" with the Futurama characters!
- Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama: Featurette about making the film
- How to Draw Futurama in 83 Simple Steps
- 3D Models with Animator's Commentary
- Deleted Scene
- Blooperama 2: See the voice cast blowing their lines in the recording booth!
- Bender's Anti-Piracy Warning
- Trailer for the fourth and final film, Into the Wild Green Yonder, due out in the spring.
Newest Targ's Up!
Sunday morning. The promise of a new day. The promise of a new week. The promise of pancakes for breakfast. The promise of...a new episode of U62: The Targ!
This week, it's Episode 2.11: One Sad Panda. This panda is sad because Pushing Daisies got the boot. But, there's good stuff, too! I debate whether I should apply to be an Olympic torchbearer, and the epic crossover I've been waiting for since I was 8 years old has finally come to pass: MASK and G.I. Joe!
Click here to listen to it!
Click here to fine the Targ on iTunes!
This week, it's Episode 2.11: One Sad Panda. This panda is sad because Pushing Daisies got the boot. But, there's good stuff, too! I debate whether I should apply to be an Olympic torchbearer, and the epic crossover I've been waiting for since I was 8 years old has finally come to pass: MASK and G.I. Joe!
Click here to listen to it!
Click here to fine the Targ on iTunes!
Jumat, 21 November 2008
Two Animated Films
My new favourite website is Trailer Addict. it's like YouTube, but it's all movie trailers, and they're all hi-res and in their proper aspect ratios. it's cool. And a couple of trailers just went up for two animated films coming out in 2009. They're not going to be the biggest animated films, but they're definitely the ones I'm most curious about.
First up, Coraline. Based on the children's novel by Neil Gaiman...brought to stop-motion animated life by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and Giant Peach. Selick has been working on this for a long time...Selick himself bought the movie rights back in 2003...a year before Coraline was published! Gaiman was also involved in the script stage...not deeply involved, but always offering Selick his notes and input.
About the only thing that I don't like about this is when I read the history of the animation studio that made it, Laika Animation House. If you didn't buy Nike before, this'll really turn you off. Laika Animation House was originally Will Vinton Studios, the home of Will Vinton, who's patented Claymation process was quite famous in the late 1980s. But then, Phil Knight, founder of Nike, wanted to get into the animation biz. Knight bought Will Vinton Studios in a hostile takeover and fired Vinton. Vinton then sued Knight to get his name taken off the studio. I think Vinton's feelings can be summed up in the name of his new animation studio: Will Vinton's Free Will Entertainment.
Knight then hired Selick to be the new resident genius, and Coraline got to be their first project.
Dakota Fanning voices Coraline, Teri Hatcher voices the succubus-like Other Mother, and Keith David is the Cat.
Next up...one of the world's most beloved anime and manga franchise comes to computer animated life...Astro Boy. This is the second film to be put out by Imagi Studios. Imagi's first film was the computer animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Astro Boy looks to be in a similar mold...while the animation isn't mindblowing from a technical standpoint, it'll be quite faithful to the source material.
The creative genius behind this one is David Bowers. Bowers started as an animator in the UK, working on such cult-classic toons as Danger Mouse and Count Dukula. He then became a storyboard artist for Dreamworks, where he worked on Prince of Egypt, the Road to El Dorado and Shark Tale. He then went home to the UK and to work for Aardman Studios, where he was a storyboard artist on Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and making his directorial debut with Aardman's first CGI film, Flushed Away.
The celebrity voice cast includes Freddie Highmore as Astro, Nicholas Cage as Dr. Tenma (the scientist who built Astro), Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean films) as Dr. Elefun (the professor who raises Astro after Tenma's death), and, in roles that haven't been revealed yet, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Donald Sutherland, and Eugene Levy.
First up, Coraline. Based on the children's novel by Neil Gaiman...brought to stop-motion animated life by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and Giant Peach. Selick has been working on this for a long time...Selick himself bought the movie rights back in 2003...a year before Coraline was published! Gaiman was also involved in the script stage...not deeply involved, but always offering Selick his notes and input.
About the only thing that I don't like about this is when I read the history of the animation studio that made it, Laika Animation House. If you didn't buy Nike before, this'll really turn you off. Laika Animation House was originally Will Vinton Studios, the home of Will Vinton, who's patented Claymation process was quite famous in the late 1980s. But then, Phil Knight, founder of Nike, wanted to get into the animation biz. Knight bought Will Vinton Studios in a hostile takeover and fired Vinton. Vinton then sued Knight to get his name taken off the studio. I think Vinton's feelings can be summed up in the name of his new animation studio: Will Vinton's Free Will Entertainment.
Knight then hired Selick to be the new resident genius, and Coraline got to be their first project.
Dakota Fanning voices Coraline, Teri Hatcher voices the succubus-like Other Mother, and Keith David is the Cat.
Next up...one of the world's most beloved anime and manga franchise comes to computer animated life...Astro Boy. This is the second film to be put out by Imagi Studios. Imagi's first film was the computer animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Astro Boy looks to be in a similar mold...while the animation isn't mindblowing from a technical standpoint, it'll be quite faithful to the source material.
The creative genius behind this one is David Bowers. Bowers started as an animator in the UK, working on such cult-classic toons as Danger Mouse and Count Dukula. He then became a storyboard artist for Dreamworks, where he worked on Prince of Egypt, the Road to El Dorado and Shark Tale. He then went home to the UK and to work for Aardman Studios, where he was a storyboard artist on Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and making his directorial debut with Aardman's first CGI film, Flushed Away.
The celebrity voice cast includes Freddie Highmore as Astro, Nicholas Cage as Dr. Tenma (the scientist who built Astro), Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean films) as Dr. Elefun (the professor who raises Astro after Tenma's death), and, in roles that haven't been revealed yet, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Donald Sutherland, and Eugene Levy.
The NAAW Discovery Zone
It's been a while since there's been something in Athabasca cool enough for me to film, but it finally happened a few days ago.
For those who don't have an AADAC in their community, this has been National Addictions Awareness Week. To celebrate, our local chapter of AADAC did this thing called the Discovery Zone, where all the facilities of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex were open for folks to try out.
So, here I am, goofing around at the NAAW Discovery Zone!
For those who don't have an AADAC in their community, this has been National Addictions Awareness Week. To celebrate, our local chapter of AADAC did this thing called the Discovery Zone, where all the facilities of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex were open for folks to try out.
So, here I am, goofing around at the NAAW Discovery Zone!
Kamis, 20 November 2008
"Pushing Daisies" is Pushing Daisies
Well, I just had my heart broken.
It was just announced that Pushing Daisies has been canceled.
I've blogged a few times and mentioned in my podcast how friggin' AWESOME I thought this show was. But, I guess like most shows I love that are quirky and different and distinct, it wasn't meant to be....
If I may borrow the show's catchphrase, "The facts are these...."
Pushing Daisies was actually quickly climbing in the ratings when it first premiered a year ago, and was on its way to being a hit. But then, tragedy. The Writer's Strike. The ninth episode of its first season -- which aired almost a year ago -- wound up being the season finale.
And that seemed to have killed the momentum the show had. When it had its season premiere this year, it just wasn't catching on like it did last year.
Around two weeks ago, they finished filming the 13 episodes that were ordered for this season, and we all began waiting to see if it would get the full season pick-up. But, with the declining ratings, it didn't look good. And today, the word came...the show was done.
About the only people who are celebrating this are fans of Heroes. Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller was writing for Heroes in its first season, but then left when Pushing Daisies got picked up. Many Heroes fans say the show started declining in quality when Fuller left. And, Fuller said two weeks ago when they finished filming #13, that he'd gladly return to Heroes if the show wound up getting canceled.
But, all is not lost. Fuller has already said that he'd like to wrap up the show's loose ends -- and maybe even continue the story -- in graphic novel form, so there's always that.
And a soundtrack album is due out on December 16, so you know I'll be picking that up.
The only question now is when do I buy it on DVD? The complete first season came out back in September. Should I buy it now and wait for season 2 to be released? Or wait until season 2 comes out, and then buy the whole series in one fell swoop?
And I still say "Olive Snook" was one of the best names for a TV character ever.
Rabu, 19 November 2008
Childhood Nostalgia Overload
Being the action figure collector that I am, this has been a good couple of years. Thanks to 80s nostalgia and all that, everything I played with as a kid has been re-made and re-released in collector's editions, allowing me to buy everything that I wanted as a kid but couldn't get.
One thing that I've really been enjoying are Hasbro's 25th anniversary re-releases of G.I. Joe figures. The Joes I played with as a kid, on shelves once again, for around the same price. I've got Snake-Eyes. I've got Cobra Commander. I've got the Baroness. For a while, it seemed as though life was good. They've even been making popular characters from the comics and cartoons who were never made into action figures before.
Then my other G.I. Joe collectin' buddy sent me this picture he found online, and I went into 80s nostalgia overload. Code name: Specialist Trakker.
Yes, that is Matt Trakker, the leader of MASK reborn as a member of G.I. Joe.
According to Matt Trakker's file card, in this new G.I. Joe/MASK merged universe, MASK is now an elite division withing G.I. Joe, similar to Battle Force 2000 and Tiger Force. MASK's enemy VENOM is now an elite division of Cobra. And once again, they do battle.
All I can say is this is totally awesome. I have yet to walk into one of those collector's specialty shops and spend around $50 on a figure, but I just might have to do it with this one.
I just hope that Hasbro takes it to the next logical step, and at least produces Miles Mayhem, the leader of VENOM, as a Cobra agent.
One thing that I've really been enjoying are Hasbro's 25th anniversary re-releases of G.I. Joe figures. The Joes I played with as a kid, on shelves once again, for around the same price. I've got Snake-Eyes. I've got Cobra Commander. I've got the Baroness. For a while, it seemed as though life was good. They've even been making popular characters from the comics and cartoons who were never made into action figures before.
Then my other G.I. Joe collectin' buddy sent me this picture he found online, and I went into 80s nostalgia overload. Code name: Specialist Trakker.
Yes, that is Matt Trakker, the leader of MASK reborn as a member of G.I. Joe.
According to Matt Trakker's file card, in this new G.I. Joe/MASK merged universe, MASK is now an elite division withing G.I. Joe, similar to Battle Force 2000 and Tiger Force. MASK's enemy VENOM is now an elite division of Cobra. And once again, they do battle.
All I can say is this is totally awesome. I have yet to walk into one of those collector's specialty shops and spend around $50 on a figure, but I just might have to do it with this one.
I just hope that Hasbro takes it to the next logical step, and at least produces Miles Mayhem, the leader of VENOM, as a Cobra agent.
Beauty and the Beast: 3D Special Edition
Well, the Walt Disney Company keeps finding new and exciting ways to rape your childhood.
It was announced today that Disney will be taking their 1991 classic animated film Beauty and the Beast and converting it to 3D.
The original directors, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, are on board with this. They're going to supervise the "3-D-ification" process, which is going to be carefully done using the original digital files that Disney has carefully archived and preserved over the past 17 years.
They figure it'll take 10 months to convert it to 3D.
Beauty and the Beast: 3D Edition will be hitting theatres in 2010.
Is 3D really the next trend in filmmaking? Or is it as Spielberg predicts, and just a kneejerk reaction to the rising popularity of DVDs and home theatres?
Time will tell.
It was announced today that Disney will be taking their 1991 classic animated film Beauty and the Beast and converting it to 3D.
The original directors, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, are on board with this. They're going to supervise the "3-D-ification" process, which is going to be carefully done using the original digital files that Disney has carefully archived and preserved over the past 17 years.
They figure it'll take 10 months to convert it to 3D.
Beauty and the Beast: 3D Edition will be hitting theatres in 2010.
Is 3D really the next trend in filmmaking? Or is it as Spielberg predicts, and just a kneejerk reaction to the rising popularity of DVDs and home theatres?
Time will tell.
Selasa, 18 November 2008
WALL-E and Wonder Woman
Just want to take a moment to remind everyone that Wall-E is on DVD today! I'm planing on running into the city and picking it up this weekend when I go see the new James Bond and start on the Christmas shopping.
Wall-E is one of those DVD's that's almost worth buying just for the bonus features. This is the first 2-disc special edition of a Pixar film since The Incredibles. You get the usual assortment of deleted scenes, running commentaries, and a new, original animated short film. But the centerpiece among the bonus features is the film The Pixar Story.
The Pixar Story is a feature length documentary that hit theatres last year and was quite critically acclaimed. As you can gather from the title, the movie is the history of Pixar, chronicling its journey from the computer animation R&D division of Industrial Light and Magic to the #1 computer animation studio today. It was written and directed by Leslie Iwerks. Iwerks is the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks, the legendary animator.
But yeah. I've heard good things about The Pixar Story.
And we finally have a release date and DVD stats for DC's next straight-to-DVD animated film Wonder Woman.
I've been enjoying the DC straight-to-DVD animated films so far, and I'm really looking forward to this one. Well, a release date of March 9 has just been locked in. It'll be available in both single-disc and 2-disc special editions. On the 2-disc special edition, you'll be getting this for bonus features:
Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream - A featurette about Wonder Woman's origins and evolution through the comics.
Wonder Woman: The Daughters of Myth - A featurette on the actual Greek legends of the Amazons and how much of it is worked into the Wonder Woman universe.
Running commentary with DC president Gregory Noveck, producer Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, and writer Michael Jelenek.
Bruce Timm's Top Picks - 4 Wonder Woman-centric episodes of Justice League.
Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess - Your standard "making-of" featurette.
Sneak Peak - A trailer for the next straight-to-DVD animated film, which is still TBA.
March 9!
Wall-E is one of those DVD's that's almost worth buying just for the bonus features. This is the first 2-disc special edition of a Pixar film since The Incredibles. You get the usual assortment of deleted scenes, running commentaries, and a new, original animated short film. But the centerpiece among the bonus features is the film The Pixar Story.
The Pixar Story is a feature length documentary that hit theatres last year and was quite critically acclaimed. As you can gather from the title, the movie is the history of Pixar, chronicling its journey from the computer animation R&D division of Industrial Light and Magic to the #1 computer animation studio today. It was written and directed by Leslie Iwerks. Iwerks is the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks, the legendary animator.
But yeah. I've heard good things about The Pixar Story.
And we finally have a release date and DVD stats for DC's next straight-to-DVD animated film Wonder Woman.
I've been enjoying the DC straight-to-DVD animated films so far, and I'm really looking forward to this one. Well, a release date of March 9 has just been locked in. It'll be available in both single-disc and 2-disc special editions. On the 2-disc special edition, you'll be getting this for bonus features:
Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream - A featurette about Wonder Woman's origins and evolution through the comics.
Wonder Woman: The Daughters of Myth - A featurette on the actual Greek legends of the Amazons and how much of it is worked into the Wonder Woman universe.
Running commentary with DC president Gregory Noveck, producer Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, and writer Michael Jelenek.
Bruce Timm's Top Picks - 4 Wonder Woman-centric episodes of Justice League.
Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess - Your standard "making-of" featurette.
Sneak Peak - A trailer for the next straight-to-DVD animated film, which is still TBA.
March 9!
Senin, 17 November 2008
The Wait is Over: The Star Trek Trailer
Back home, I've got this very interesting book. It's called Star Trek: Phase II -- The Lost Series. For those who don't know, Paramount actually considered making a new Star Trek TV series back in the late-1970s. It was to be called Star Trek: Phase II and be the flagship series of a new Paramount TV network.
But then two things happened to turn Star Trek: Phase II into the next incarnation of Star Trek. Paramount canceled their plans for the network, and Star Wars hit at the box office. Wanting a sci-fi franchise for the big screen, the pilot episode for Star Trek: Phase II was filmed and released in theatres as Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Anyway, Star Trek: Phase II -- The Lost Series details all the extensive conceptual and pre-production work that went into the Star Trek series that never was.
In the book's epilogue, the authors pose a "What If?" What if Star Trek never became the pop culture icon it now is? What if Star Trek were just another fondly remembered TV show from the 1960s that is just now being resurrected and turned into a movie? They paint a scenario where Star Trek is remade as a big budget action film with Arnold Schwarznegger as Captain Kirk, Nicholas Cage as Spock, and Whitney Houston as Uhura.
It sounds a little ridiculous, and it kind of was. But still, that question has rattled around in my head for some time. What if Star Trek never became the pop culture icon it now is? What if Star Trek were just another fondly remembered TV show from the 1960s that is just now being resurrected and turned into a movie?
It seems that JJ Abrams and the makers of the new Star Trek film are trying to answer that question. To me, that question sums up what they're trying to do.
Part of me thinks that this trailer is fan-freakin'-tastic. I've always wanted to see a Star Trek film that was truly epic in size and scope, and it looks like we're finally getting it.
The other part of me is flashing back to the pilot episode of Enterprise. There's a scene in the opening where Trip and T'Pol are in decontamination, 3/4 naked, and rubbing a medicinal ointment on each other. Never had my friends and I seen such gratuitous nudity in Star Trek! We couldn't help but feel that it wasn't...right for Star Trek.
As cool as I think this trailer is, I've still got a quiet little nagging voice in the back of my head going, "This isn't right for Star Trek."
Going back now to Star Trek: Phase II -- The Lost Series, the point that the authors were trying to make with their "What If?" scenario was that they attributed Star Trek's longevity with the fact that Star Trek has always been able to change and adjust to the times.
But has Star Trek truly adapted to the 21st Century? Or is it just catering to fads?
We'll know for certain on May 9
But then two things happened to turn Star Trek: Phase II into the next incarnation of Star Trek. Paramount canceled their plans for the network, and Star Wars hit at the box office. Wanting a sci-fi franchise for the big screen, the pilot episode for Star Trek: Phase II was filmed and released in theatres as Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Anyway, Star Trek: Phase II -- The Lost Series details all the extensive conceptual and pre-production work that went into the Star Trek series that never was.
In the book's epilogue, the authors pose a "What If?" What if Star Trek never became the pop culture icon it now is? What if Star Trek were just another fondly remembered TV show from the 1960s that is just now being resurrected and turned into a movie? They paint a scenario where Star Trek is remade as a big budget action film with Arnold Schwarznegger as Captain Kirk, Nicholas Cage as Spock, and Whitney Houston as Uhura.
It sounds a little ridiculous, and it kind of was. But still, that question has rattled around in my head for some time. What if Star Trek never became the pop culture icon it now is? What if Star Trek were just another fondly remembered TV show from the 1960s that is just now being resurrected and turned into a movie?
It seems that JJ Abrams and the makers of the new Star Trek film are trying to answer that question. To me, that question sums up what they're trying to do.
Part of me thinks that this trailer is fan-freakin'-tastic. I've always wanted to see a Star Trek film that was truly epic in size and scope, and it looks like we're finally getting it.
The other part of me is flashing back to the pilot episode of Enterprise. There's a scene in the opening where Trip and T'Pol are in decontamination, 3/4 naked, and rubbing a medicinal ointment on each other. Never had my friends and I seen such gratuitous nudity in Star Trek! We couldn't help but feel that it wasn't...right for Star Trek.
As cool as I think this trailer is, I've still got a quiet little nagging voice in the back of my head going, "This isn't right for Star Trek."
Going back now to Star Trek: Phase II -- The Lost Series, the point that the authors were trying to make with their "What If?" scenario was that they attributed Star Trek's longevity with the fact that Star Trek has always been able to change and adjust to the times.
But has Star Trek truly adapted to the 21st Century? Or is it just catering to fads?
We'll know for certain on May 9
Minggu, 16 November 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
Another Sunday, another spine-tingling podcast for you!
This week, it's Episode 2.10: Stuff I Like. I urge you to save Pushing Daisies, I give an update on the Captain America movie, and talk about how this has been a great weekend for geek!
Go give it a listen!
Or, you know, you can click here to go subscribe in iTunes
Wow...I can't help but notice that, when I'm struggling for a title for a podcast, I always stick the word "stuff" in the title. I'm starting to think I should go back to a naming convention I used in high school, when I was writing computer programs in my spare time. I would always title experimental programs "stuf," with the number of f's indicating which project it was. Untitled project #1 was "stuf," project #2 was "stuff," project #3 was "stufff," and so on.
I think I should use that for when I don't know what to title a podcast....
This week, it's Episode 2.10: Stuff I Like. I urge you to save Pushing Daisies, I give an update on the Captain America movie, and talk about how this has been a great weekend for geek!
Go give it a listen!
Or, you know, you can click here to go subscribe in iTunes
Wow...I can't help but notice that, when I'm struggling for a title for a podcast, I always stick the word "stuff" in the title. I'm starting to think I should go back to a naming convention I used in high school, when I was writing computer programs in my spare time. I would always title experimental programs "stuf," with the number of f's indicating which project it was. Untitled project #1 was "stuf," project #2 was "stuff," project #3 was "stufff," and so on.
I think I should use that for when I don't know what to title a podcast....
Sabtu, 15 November 2008
Reflecting on Indy
Just another Saturday night alone at home, so I got the DVD player running. I'm watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull again. I dunno...I thought it was good, but not great. For me, it hit all the fanboy expectations and presented pretty much everything I wanted in a fourth Indy outing. The only thing it didn't have was someone like Jet Li playing the grown-up Short Round. Maybe if they make that fabled fifth Indy....
But the one thing that really struck me as odd when pouring through the DVD's bonus material is exactly how long George Lucas has wanted to make this film. Apparently, having the crystal skulls be the artifacts that Indy hunts down is an idea that's been in his head for a long, long time. When I first discovered the Internet and movie gossip sites around 10 years ago, I kept reading that George Lucas wanted the fourth one to be about Indy meeting aliens in the fabled Roswell UFO crash, and that Lucas wanted to call it Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars. In one of the featurettes, Lucas talks about coming up with the title, and what's the first thing Lucas says? "Originally, I wanted to call it Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men." And, the Roswell crash does a play a part in the plot of the film.
And then Spielberg also mentions how long Lucas had been pursuing this idea. Spielberg says he was almost convinced to do it...but then Independence Day came out, and Spielberg said, "George, I don't want to do aliens now! This movie, Independence Day, has taken the alien concept as far as it can go!" And then, Spielberg spends a good 5 minutes gushing about how much he loved Independence Day. Now, I'd known for some time that Spielberg delayed his remake of War of the Worlds because he realized it would be far too similar to Independence Day. But dude, ID4 came out 12 years ago! Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been kicking around since at least 1996!
Hearing all this stuff really makes me want to seek out the Frank Darabont script. We all know the story, right? About 5 years ago, it was announced that Darabont would be scripting Indy 4. Darabont directed The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...he also has his Indiana Jones cred, having written and directed a couple episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. So, Darabont wrote his script...and Lucas found it unsatisfactory and rejected it. When Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out back in the summer, Darabont's script was finally leaked online. Many Indy fans deemed it a lot darker...and infinitely better.
But actually, one thing I read about on the message boards that is really confirmed in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is how thematic films scores seem to be on the decline. You know what I mean, right? I'm talking about how individual characters have their own theme, and they get played quite prominently when that character appears.
However, Indy has a great thematic score. Mutt Williams has this theme...since he's Indy's son, it's kind of like the Indiana Jones theme played backwards. The crystal skull also has a nice, eerie theme that's played whenever its power is unleashed. Plus, themes from films past are used quite frequently in the score. When the Russians raid that big government warehouse in the beginning - the warehouse that we know to the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant - we hear the Ark's theme played again. Whenever Indy talks about his recently deceased father, we hear the Holy Grail's theme from Last Crusade. It really is quite a good score...I'm surprised I don't own it yet.
I wonder if they are going to make that fifth film...when Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit, many were quick to point out that, back in the day, Lucasfilm signed the deal with Paramount for 5 Indy films. Will we get the fifth one? Will I get to see Jet Li play the grown up Short Round?
As soon as I find out, you'll be the first to know.
But the one thing that really struck me as odd when pouring through the DVD's bonus material is exactly how long George Lucas has wanted to make this film. Apparently, having the crystal skulls be the artifacts that Indy hunts down is an idea that's been in his head for a long, long time. When I first discovered the Internet and movie gossip sites around 10 years ago, I kept reading that George Lucas wanted the fourth one to be about Indy meeting aliens in the fabled Roswell UFO crash, and that Lucas wanted to call it Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars. In one of the featurettes, Lucas talks about coming up with the title, and what's the first thing Lucas says? "Originally, I wanted to call it Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men." And, the Roswell crash does a play a part in the plot of the film.
And then Spielberg also mentions how long Lucas had been pursuing this idea. Spielberg says he was almost convinced to do it...but then Independence Day came out, and Spielberg said, "George, I don't want to do aliens now! This movie, Independence Day, has taken the alien concept as far as it can go!" And then, Spielberg spends a good 5 minutes gushing about how much he loved Independence Day. Now, I'd known for some time that Spielberg delayed his remake of War of the Worlds because he realized it would be far too similar to Independence Day. But dude, ID4 came out 12 years ago! Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been kicking around since at least 1996!
Hearing all this stuff really makes me want to seek out the Frank Darabont script. We all know the story, right? About 5 years ago, it was announced that Darabont would be scripting Indy 4. Darabont directed The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...he also has his Indiana Jones cred, having written and directed a couple episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. So, Darabont wrote his script...and Lucas found it unsatisfactory and rejected it. When Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out back in the summer, Darabont's script was finally leaked online. Many Indy fans deemed it a lot darker...and infinitely better.
But actually, one thing I read about on the message boards that is really confirmed in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is how thematic films scores seem to be on the decline. You know what I mean, right? I'm talking about how individual characters have their own theme, and they get played quite prominently when that character appears.
However, Indy has a great thematic score. Mutt Williams has this theme...since he's Indy's son, it's kind of like the Indiana Jones theme played backwards. The crystal skull also has a nice, eerie theme that's played whenever its power is unleashed. Plus, themes from films past are used quite frequently in the score. When the Russians raid that big government warehouse in the beginning - the warehouse that we know to the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant - we hear the Ark's theme played again. Whenever Indy talks about his recently deceased father, we hear the Holy Grail's theme from Last Crusade. It really is quite a good score...I'm surprised I don't own it yet.
I wonder if they are going to make that fifth film...when Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit, many were quick to point out that, back in the day, Lucasfilm signed the deal with Paramount for 5 Indy films. Will we get the fifth one? Will I get to see Jet Li play the grown up Short Round?
As soon as I find out, you'll be the first to know.
Kamis, 13 November 2008
2012 Trailer
Roland Emmerich. Around 10 years ago, I proudly called him one of my favourite directors. And that was just because he made one of my favourite movies...Independence Day. Say what you will, but it's still probably one of the best-made films of the "event picture" genre. Hell, on the DVD bonus features for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Steven "God's gift to filmmaking" Spielberg gushes over ID4.
Then Emmerich did the Americanized Godzilla...a flawed Godzilla film, to be sure, I still watch it from time-to-time. And let's not forget that he spawned the science-fiction franchise known as Stargate.
I still really enjoy those three films...I think it's because that a key in all those films is, as the climax approaches, it falls to the super-geek to save the day. Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day...James Spader in Stargate...Matthew Broderick in Godzilla.
But then...the allure of Emmerich wore off. He made the Mel Gibson American Revolution epic The Patriot. then he split with his creative partner Dean Deviln. Then he just kind of disappeared.
He returned in 2004 with the disaster epic The Day After Tomorrow. He seems confident that he's found his formula now...epic disaster films.
After attempting to branch out with the caveman epic 10,000 BC, he's going back to his well for another epic disaster film, 2012.
Many ancient cultures -- the Mayans in particular -- predict that the world will end in the year 2012. So, in 2012 the epic disaster is...the Apocalypse.
The super-nerd who saves the day is John Cusack.
July 2009.
Then Emmerich did the Americanized Godzilla...a flawed Godzilla film, to be sure, I still watch it from time-to-time. And let's not forget that he spawned the science-fiction franchise known as Stargate.
I still really enjoy those three films...I think it's because that a key in all those films is, as the climax approaches, it falls to the super-geek to save the day. Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day...James Spader in Stargate...Matthew Broderick in Godzilla.
But then...the allure of Emmerich wore off. He made the Mel Gibson American Revolution epic The Patriot. then he split with his creative partner Dean Deviln. Then he just kind of disappeared.
He returned in 2004 with the disaster epic The Day After Tomorrow. He seems confident that he's found his formula now...epic disaster films.
After attempting to branch out with the caveman epic 10,000 BC, he's going back to his well for another epic disaster film, 2012.
Many ancient cultures -- the Mayans in particular -- predict that the world will end in the year 2012. So, in 2012 the epic disaster is...the Apocalypse.
The super-nerd who saves the day is John Cusack.
July 2009.
Selasa, 11 November 2008
The New Enterprise! / Batman vs. Batman
Well, gang, here it is. The most anticipated picture from the new Star Trek film. The fans have been demanding to see this from day one, and today it was unleashed on the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the newly redesigned starship Enterprise...no bloody A, B, C or D.
I'm liking it, except for a few minor quibbles. The nacelles look a little off and the neck covers too much of the drive section, but other than that, it's fairly faithful to the original Enterprise on the original series.
Oh, and don't forget. The new trailer is going to be in front of Quantum of Solace this Friday. Paramount has already announced that it'll be going online in hi-def Quicktime on Monday morning.
So, Christopher Nolan and Warner Brothers are about to be dragged through the courts. The makers of the Dark Knight are being sued by the city of Batman, Turkey.
It seems that the makers of the Batman films never got permission from the city of Batman to use the name "Batman." "There is only one Batman in the world," says Huseyin Kalkan, the mayor of Batman. "The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." Kalkan also maintains that the makers of The Dark Knight are responsible for several unsolved murders and a high suicide rate, because The Dark Knight had a negative impact on Batman's residents.
The official statement from Warner Brothers is that the first they heard of this was through the press, and that they'll wait until they're officially served before commenting further. And, as many geeks have pointed out, nowhere in this lawsuit do they name DC Comics, who've published Batman comics for almost 70 years, or Bob Kane, who created Batman back in 1939.
Doing some looking online, the Turkish city of "Batman" gets its name from the nearby Bati Raman Mountains. Apparently, "Bati Raman" is commonly shortened to "Batman."
Here's the complete story.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the newly redesigned starship Enterprise...no bloody A, B, C or D.
I'm liking it, except for a few minor quibbles. The nacelles look a little off and the neck covers too much of the drive section, but other than that, it's fairly faithful to the original Enterprise on the original series.
Oh, and don't forget. The new trailer is going to be in front of Quantum of Solace this Friday. Paramount has already announced that it'll be going online in hi-def Quicktime on Monday morning.
So, Christopher Nolan and Warner Brothers are about to be dragged through the courts. The makers of the Dark Knight are being sued by the city of Batman, Turkey.
It seems that the makers of the Batman films never got permission from the city of Batman to use the name "Batman." "There is only one Batman in the world," says Huseyin Kalkan, the mayor of Batman. "The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." Kalkan also maintains that the makers of The Dark Knight are responsible for several unsolved murders and a high suicide rate, because The Dark Knight had a negative impact on Batman's residents.
The official statement from Warner Brothers is that the first they heard of this was through the press, and that they'll wait until they're officially served before commenting further. And, as many geeks have pointed out, nowhere in this lawsuit do they name DC Comics, who've published Batman comics for almost 70 years, or Bob Kane, who created Batman back in 1939.
Doing some looking online, the Turkish city of "Batman" gets its name from the nearby Bati Raman Mountains. Apparently, "Bati Raman" is commonly shortened to "Batman."
Here's the complete story.
Senin, 10 November 2008
Joe Jonston doing Captain America
Well, Marvel Studios is just trucking along with adapting their comic book characters for the big screen.
Today, Marvel announced that they've signed Joe Johnston to direct the movie version of Captain America. Some of Johnston's previous films include October Sky, Jumanji, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Johnston was Spielberg's first and only choice to do Jurassic Park III. Johnston's next film will be a re-make of the classic 1940's horror film, The Wolf Man.
We don't have a writer yet, but Marvel has made it clear they want it set in World War II, with Captain America fighting the Nazis and his arch-enemy, the Red Skull. And Johnston truly is the right guy for the job in my mind, as Johston also did that other "superhero in World War II" film, The Rocketeer.
So, to re-cap, here's everything that Marvel has on the go:
May 2010: Iron Man 2. Jon Favreau is coming back to direct.
July 2010: Thor. No director yet, but rumor has it Kenneth Branagh is close to signing.
May 2011: The First Avenger: Captain America. See above for all the deets. Here's hoping they change that title.
July 2011: The Avengers. No director signed as of yet.
And let's not forget.... That's everything that Marvel is doing in-house. They've still got a lot of their characters sold to other movie studios right now. 20th Century Fox has the big Wolverine solo film coming out in May, plus Fox is also planning a re-boot of Daredevil. And, Sony also wants to give us a fourth Spider-Man film.
Today, Marvel announced that they've signed Joe Johnston to direct the movie version of Captain America. Some of Johnston's previous films include October Sky, Jumanji, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Johnston was Spielberg's first and only choice to do Jurassic Park III. Johnston's next film will be a re-make of the classic 1940's horror film, The Wolf Man.
We don't have a writer yet, but Marvel has made it clear they want it set in World War II, with Captain America fighting the Nazis and his arch-enemy, the Red Skull. And Johnston truly is the right guy for the job in my mind, as Johston also did that other "superhero in World War II" film, The Rocketeer.
So, to re-cap, here's everything that Marvel has on the go:
May 2010: Iron Man 2. Jon Favreau is coming back to direct.
July 2010: Thor. No director yet, but rumor has it Kenneth Branagh is close to signing.
May 2011: The First Avenger: Captain America. See above for all the deets. Here's hoping they change that title.
July 2011: The Avengers. No director signed as of yet.
And let's not forget.... That's everything that Marvel is doing in-house. They've still got a lot of their characters sold to other movie studios right now. 20th Century Fox has the big Wolverine solo film coming out in May, plus Fox is also planning a re-boot of Daredevil. And, Sony also wants to give us a fourth Spider-Man film.
Kelly Preston Hollywood Celebrity
Kelly PrestonModel, actress, music video star, and Neutrogena spokesmodel Kelly Preston is also a devoted scientologist, wife, and mother. Before marrying her current husband, she was linked to several of Hollywood�s best known actors.
Kelly Preston was born on October 13, 1962, in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a teenager, her stunning looks allowed her to pursue a career in modeling. Discovered by a fashion photographer, he helped her find work in commercials and obtain small film roles. Eventually, casting directors took notice of the young beauty and began to cast her in more substantial parts. Preston�s first big-screen appearance was in the 1983 10 to Midnight. The rest of the decade would see her working steadily, appearing in such films as Christine, the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel; Amazon Woman on the Moon; and Twins, featuring big name actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
During the 1990s, Preston put her career on the back burner to devote most of her time to her young children. In the last number of years, however, she has once again begun to appear in film. They include the scientology-themed Battlefield Earth and the film version of Dr. Seuss�s The Cat in the Hat, starring Alec Baldwin and funny-man Mike Myers. Kelly was also featured in the 2004 Maroon 5 video for the song "She Will be Loved." As the older woman in a love triangle, the video saw Preston heating things up with lead singer Adam Levine.
Kelly Preston Secret Admire
Kelly Preston Secret Admirer - Funny bloopers are a click away
Preston�s personal causes include the opposition of the over-medication of children for ADD and serving as a board member of the Children�s Health Environmental Coalition, a non�profit organization that promotes awareness of environmental toxins.
Kelly was married from 1986 to 1988 to American actor Kevin Gage, whose film appearances include Heat and GI Jane. Preston has also been linked to handsome stars George Clooney, star of Ocean�s Eleven and Syriana, and Charlie Sheen, the now former husband of actress Denise Richards. Preston and Sheen lived together for a year before Kelly ended the relationship in 1990, shortly after she was accidentally shot in the arm by Sheen. In 1991, movie legend John Travolta, the star of countless films including Pulp Fiction, Swordfish, and Saturday Night Fever, became Kelly�s second and current husband. They were originally married in a scientology ceremony, but were shortly afterwards married again because the fringe religion union was declared to be non-legally binding. The couple has two children, a son named Jett and a daughter named Ella Bleu.
Filmography :
- The Tenth Circle (2008) (TV) (pre-production)
- Old Dogs (2008/I) (post-production)
- Death Sentence (2007)
- Broken Bridges (2006)
- Sky High (2005)
- "Fat Actress" (5 episodes, 2005)
- "Joey" (2 episodes, 2004)
- Return to Sender (2004)
- Eulogy (2004)
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- What a Girl Wants (2003)
- View from the Top (2003)
- Daddy and Them (2001)
kelly Preston Hot video
Minggu, 09 November 2008
Latest Targ's Up! Latest Movie Review Up!
Well, it's another Sunday, so that means another episode of U62: The Targ!
This week, we've got Episode 2.9: Witty Title TBA. We talk about The Graysons, Up and I continue obsessing over cataloging my DVDs.
Listen here!
And, it's been a week, but I finally have my review up of Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
You can read that You can read that right here.
This week, we've got Episode 2.9: Witty Title TBA. We talk about The Graysons, Up and I continue obsessing over cataloging my DVDs.
Listen here!
And, it's been a week, but I finally have my review up of Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
You can read that You can read that right here.
Selasa, 28 Oktober 2008
Kelly Brook � Hollywood Actress
Kelly Brook � Hollywood Actress 
Kelly Brook was born on November 23, 1979. Her real name is Kelly Ann Parsons. She is a famous English model, an actress, a host for various shows and swimwear designer. She finished her schooling in Rochester and joined Italia Conti academy of theatre arts in London.
Kelly Brook won a beauty competition and began her modeling career soon after the school at
the age of 16. Her initial advertising campaigns are �Bravissimo�, a lingerie company and �Foster's beer�. The tall figure of Kelly Brook with striking 5 feet, 8 inches and an eye-captivating figure did not go unnoticed. The Daily Star featured her as a Page Three girl. Kelly Brook appeared in lad mags like Loaded and FHM. Her name showed up frequently in the list of �FHM 10
0 Sexiest Women of the Year� and in 2005 she even came first in the list. In the same year, the magazine Grazia wrote that Kelly Brook has the best female figure in the whole Britain. Her fantastic curves and grace brought her many opportunities to do commercials for swimwear, sportswear and hosiery modeling. Recently, the 50-foot high hoardings of Kelly Brook's bust in the commercial �Triumph Bras� caused a commotion. In 2005, a fantastic black and white portfolio of Kelly Brook that was taken by the well-known photographer David Bailey came in British design magazine, Arena. Her alluring figure showed up in many billboards and in newspapers for t
he commercial Lynx body spray, otherwise known as Axe.In 2006, Kelly Brook introduced swimwear and lingerie at New Look stores all over the nation. She also decided to release her own signature fragrance in 2007. Kelly Brook is an ambassador of the Prince�s Trust and also worked with the underwater fashion photographer Candice for the charity �fresh2o�, which promoted the necessity of clean water and sanitation in third world countries.
Kelly Brook Beach Scene HotVideo
Kelly Brook Beach Scene - Watch more amazing videos here
B&B Hot Erotic Scenes Brooke's and Ridge
B&B Hot Erotic Scenes Brooke's and Ridge - Funny blooper videos are here
Selasa, 07 Oktober 2008
Gemma Atkinson calender photo shoot
Gemma was born on November 16, 1984, in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. She went to Castlebrook High School, where she was very involved in school activities. She did quite a bit of athletics and was an avid sports fan. Obviously, she was an extremely popular girl and had a multitude of friends during her school years.
gemma atkinson on hollyoaks
In 2001, Gemma Atkinson was cast for the role of Lisa Hunter on the acclaimed English television series Hollyoaks. Her role quickly propelled her into fame and illustriousness. There were few teenage boys who could not pick Gemma out of a lineup, and she was only 17 years old at the time.
gemma atkinson on hollyoaks: in the city
Gemma Atkinson soon became a staple of the Hollyoaks brand name. Because of the success of the show and Gemma�s unbelievably huge following, the producers launched Hollyoaks: After Hours in 2004. It was a short-lived program, but it turned Gemma from a teenage star into a sex symbol in a matter of seconds.
Why Is She Famous?
The English soap opera Hollyoaks has captivated teens across the world. Since 2001, Gemma Atkinson�s character, Lisa Hunter, has certainly been a part of the success of the program and of its sexier spin-offs, including Hollyoaks: In the City. But we think the best part of Gemma Atkinson�s career is her modeling for FHM, Maxim and Loaded, where one can truly appreciate her best �assets.�
Gemma Atkinson - Click here for the funniest movie of the week
Gemma Atkinson calender phot shoot
Fashion TV FTV - FIRST FACE TALK - GEMMA WARD FEM PE 2005
Jumat, 03 Oktober 2008
Hollywood Hottest Celebrity
Watch this exclusive photo show
Carmel Electra
Brooke Burke
Carmel Electra
Brooke Burke
Blu Cantrell
Beata Kurochzycka
Atias Moran
Anna Beatriz Barros
Amina koeppinger
Amanda Bentley
Ali Landry
Selasa, 30 September 2008
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton has worked as a model, actress, musician, and engaged in sometime business pursuits Hilton has made cameo appearances in several films, notably Zoolander (2001), Wonderland (2003), and The Cat In The Hat (2003). She landed minor and supporting roles in the feature films Nine Lives (2002), Raising Helen (2004), The Hillz (2004), and House of Wax (2005). Her role as Paige Edwards in House of Wax won the Teen Choice Award for "Best Scream" and earned her a nomination for "Choice Breakout Performance � Female".[14] (It also won her the 2005 Razzie for "Worst Supporting Actress" at the 2005 Golden Raspberry Awards.)
PARIS HILTON EXCLUSIVE VIDEO'S
Paris Hilton's one night in paris
Belly dance of paris Hilton
PARIS HILTON EXCLUSIVE VIDEO'S
Paris Hilton's one night in paris
Belly dance of paris Hilton
Selasa, 09 September 2008
MTV Video Music Awards : Britney Spears
Britney Spears has swept the board at the MTV Video Music Awards show in Los Angeles, collecting three prizes for her track Piece of Me.
Best video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best pop video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best female video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
The same promo also earned Spears the awards for best video by a female artist and top pop video.
She had been nominated for MTV video awards 16 times before but had never won.
"Wow, thank you, I'm in shock right now," she said as she collected her third and final trophy.
"I was not expecting this. This is such an honor to have this award right now. I want to thank my fans. This is dedicated to you."
Presidential race
Brand said the night marked the "launch of a very new Britney Spears era".
"Consider this the resurrection of Britney Spears," he said. "If there was a female Christ, it's Britney."
Britney Spears opened 2008 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night in LA. Clad in a silver, shimmering flapper dress, the pop princess looked absolutely fabulous! And the star-studded crowd gave her a standing ovation even before she opened her mouth.
Britney Spears Video , Piece of Me
Jumat, 05 September 2008
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1970, in Huntington, New York, to parents Patricia and Alfred. Unfortunately, her parents divorced when she was only 3 years old. As a result of her Irish, Venezuelan and black descent, Mariah Carey encountered some racial discrimination while growing up.
Mariah Carey was raised in a poverty-stricken home, and her mother was forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Conveniently enough, it was Mariah Carey's mom who noticed her daughter's vocal talents.
Mariah Carey's rise to glory began in 1990 with her hit song "Vision of Love." After several follow-up albums, she has grown to become a household name, as well as a diva of our era.
Mariah Carey has been extremely successful as a singer, having cowritten many of her biggest hits and having sold millions of albums worldwide.
She may be considered a pop diva, but her singles have crossed over to top the R&B, hip-hop and adult contemporary charts too.Between 1990 and 2000, she had 15 No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart; that's twice as many as Janet Jackson during the same period, and more than Madonna, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion combined. Her first four singles all reached the pop summit, while her 1995 duet with Boyz II Men "One Sweet Day," holds the record for most weeks at No. 1; it sat tight for an incredible 16 weeks.
She's also been nominated for countless Grammy Awards. She started winning them from the time of her 1990 debut album, when she won in the Best New Artist and Best Femal
e Pop Vocal Performance (for "Vision of Love") categories.As if those accomplishments weren't enough, Mariah Carey continued to receive success as her career progressed. Her 2005 album, The Emancipation of Mimi, debuted at No. 1, and the single "We Belong Together" held the Hot 100's No. 1 position for 14 weeks and was 2005's biggest hit in the States.
Her 2008 album E=MC2, another brilliant success, was Mariah Carey's 11th studio album to date.
"Butterflies are always following me everywhere I go."
Slideshow: Mariah Carey Sexy Photos - Click here
Britney spear's Romance in Sun City
Proximity is all the rumor mill needs to start cranking, as evidenced this weekend when Britney Spears was spotted within Cheeto-throwing distance of her paparazzo ex, Adnan Ghalib. People reports that the comeback-minded, but still conservator-controlled, popster spent the holiday in Las Vegas relaxing with pals -- and minders -- at the Mirage Hotel, the very same place her chin strip-sporting former flame happened to be wandering around. According to the mag, they "did not see each other in public though they were within a few yards of each other several times" on Sunday as a bikini-clad Brit worked on her skin damage tan by the hotel's pool. No word on whether Spears, whose father, Jamie, has the final say on who she can and cannot see, caught up with Ghalib in private. "I don't think it was a coincidence that he was there," a snitch tells E! News. "What are the odds?" When not soaking up the sun and having less-than-coincidental near-misses with an
ex, Britney, who may or may not be appearing at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, made a return visit to Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and caught Cirque du Soleil's "Love" show.
ex, Britney, who may or may not be appearing at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, made a return visit to Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and caught Cirque du Soleil's "Love" show.There are plenty of theories bouncing around over why David Duchovny checked himself into rehab for sex addiction, including the possibility that he stepped out on T�a Leoni, his wife of more than a decade. But an insider hints to Fox News that there may be a more solitary explanation than an affair, namely, a dependence on online porn. So why did the actor invite many an easy comparison to his pleasure-seeking "Californication" character and his "X-Files" alter ego (Mulder, you may remember, had a weakness for pornography) by revealing he's in treatment? Word is, one of his fellow patients sold him out to a tabloid, which was about to run with the story.
If you prefer your romance rumors with a dab of Clearasil and side of geometry homework, then a recent double date should be of particular interest. Us Weekly reports that the Jonas Brothers stepped out for dinner in New York last Thursday with Selena Gomez, 16, and Taylor Swift, 18, who have been linked to 15-year-old Nick and 19-year-old Joe, respectively. In recent weeks, the wholesome teens have bobbed and weaved around the young-love reports, but in surprisingly similar ways. "He's an amazing guy, and anybody would be lucky to be dating him," Swift told People of Joe, who then dodged to Ryan Seacrest, "She's a great girl ... I think anybody would love to go on a date with her." Nick echoed Swift's sentiments to Seacrest, saying of Selena, "Well, she's an amazing girl, and anybody would be lucky to be dating her." Gomez, for her part, has denied the dating chatter, but says she and Nick "bonded" over their purity rings (hers, a gift from her dad, reads "true love waits").
For once, Naomi Campbell has a darn good reason to be miffed. The rage blackout-prone supermodel is displeased over reports that her moneybags Russian squeeze, Vladimir Doronin, surprised her with an $18.5 million penthouse in Sao Paolo, Brazil. "If I want a house, I'll buy my own," she huffs to the London Daily Mirror. "I don't need a man for that."
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