November 20, 2007
Reviews American Gangster
Beowulf tops the box office this week, followed by Bee Movie. American Gangster drops to third but it’s had the bulk of critical reviews. Here’s a couple:
PicturePortland@WordPress
I saw American Gangster on Friday night. I’ll start off with the good news- Denzel did a great job with the acting and Russell Crow wasn’t as big of a douche-bag as he normally is. And his accent wasn’t near as hideous as I had heard. Now the bad news. 1) It’s almost three hours long. I must have checked the time at least three times. 2) It’s a good story, in theory, but a major lack of character development leads me to believe that the director spent too much time- literally- building up plot, and not enough time making me fall in love with these guys… more
Top Review on Rotten Tomatoes
At the beginning of Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, Denzel Washington, as ’70s-era New York drug kingpin Frank Lucas, empties a loaded gun into the body of a man who’s begging for his life. The act may seem casual and impulsive, but it’s as resolute and professional as the flourishing of a business card, a flashy introduction along the lines of “Pleased to meet you, won’t you guess my name?” This character, a guy we know we shouldn’t trust, is being played by one of the most charismatic actors in the movies: Whatever he’s selling, there’s going to be a part of us that wants to buy it, even against our better judgment. In those early minutes of American Gangster, Washington offers a promise of salesmanship and showmanship that’s irresistible… more
· Listal – excellent review by MovieManiac126
· Rotten Tomatoes - other reviews of American Gangster
· Yahoo Box Office
· Box Office
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Movies | Tagged: American Gangster, Beowulf, box office, Movies, reviews | 
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Posted by JANrobot
October 20, 2007
Most wanted software of the moment is the snazzy new upgrade from Apple – the Mac OS X Leopard. The system is packed with over 300 new features, and big talking points like the Time Machine – nifty real-time backup that runs on autopilot. Another headliner is Boot Camp – the function that allows Mac users to run Windows.
Until Leopard came along, Boot Camp was only available as a beta download. It scored over 2 million users with few compatability issues, so its inclusion in Leopard is a real treat, and a compelling attempt to get PC users to cross-over. run Boot Camp you’ll need a G4 or G5 with Intel processor, and the Windows software: XP SP2 or Vista.
Leopard is released on Friday October 26 worldwide. $129 for the single license, $199 for the five-user Family Pack. Recent Mac buyers might only charged $9.95 – see PC World for details, and drop into Apple for specs.
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20 Most Wanted Gadgets
Nintendo Wii tops this week’s most wanted list on CNET. My favourite on the list (pictured above) is the LG Voyager, a gorgeous multi-function mobile with touch-sensitive screen. Just like the iPhone? Even better. The Voyager has a flip-open keypad with screen so it works just like a mini-laptop. Take at look at the demo. The Voyager goes on sale in November.
play
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20 Most Anticipated Movies
According to a recent poll of US movie-goers, the most anticipated movie is India Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. A surprise choice, and a handy reminder of a series that I thought had ended with the Last Crusade. Jones enthusiasts will have to wait until May 2008 for the movie’s release. My number one is the The Dark Knight. Christian Bale was excellent in Batman Begins, and so was Morgan Freeman in his brief appearance as Lucius Fox. “Didn’t you get the memo?”
love this trailier – The Bucket List
01. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
02. The Dark Knight
03. National Treasure: Book of Secrets
04. American Gangster
05. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
06. Iron Man
07. I Am Legend
08. Get Smart
09. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
10. Charlie Wilson’s War
11. Hancock
12. Beowulf
13. The Golden Compass
14. Mamma Mia!
15. The Incredible Hulk
16. Speed Racer
17. Step Brothers
18. Bee Movie
19. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
20. Starship Dave
poll details
fantasy art
Leave a Comment » | ................What's New?, Gadgets, Movies, Trailers | Tagged: ................What's New?, Apple Leopard, Gadgets, Movies | Permalink
Posted by JANrobot
October 7, 2007
ETA June 2009
Zack Snyder’s production update covers what’s happening so far: the technical teams get on well, the actors are cool, and everyone’s excited about the project. Sounds like a good start. Watchmen is a much anticipated movie in some quarters – i.e. by fans of the dark graphic novel created by Alan Moore and beautifully drawn by Dave Gibbons.
Watchmen the graphic novel is a complex tale of murder and looming destruction, and there are multi-layered characters who each have a story to tell. Zack Synder did a fantastic job with Frank Miller’s 300. It’s a visual treat, and Watchmen the movie is bound to be just as stunning on the eye. But as ever, details from the novel will be lost.
Adaptations are never easy.
In most cases, writers have to streamline – sift out the salient plot-points from the novel to create a workable script. Huge amounts can lost from epic tales like The Iliad or The Lord of the Rings. But in careful hands, much loved characters and stories can come to life with considerable satisfaction.
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1. Zack Synder production update
2. Quick Guide to Watchmen
3. Top 50 Adaptations
4. Watchmen on Time’s Top 100
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Watchmen fan-made trailers
Rating: okay
Rating: okay
spot the Frank Miller error 
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Posted by JANrobot
September 28, 2007
However stylish, groovy or beautifully drawn, the cover doesn’t always sell the content but it sure helps. The image above, painted by Jim Burns, is my favourite science fiction cover. It depicts the heroine of the story, Tabitha Jute, and one of her many companions. The detail is so acute it’s almost photographic, and it paints Tabitha exactly how I imagine her. Seasons of Plenty is book two in a cracking science fiction trilogy that would be amazing on screen. I’d vote for Regina King as Tabitha or Zoe Saldana.
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Stand Up. A finely rendered print of the original wood carving by James Grashom. The intimate detail is lost when reduced to CD size, and you don’t get the special feature from the original LP: the pop-up in the middle shows a happy hands-out from the band.
The album was UK number one for eight weeks in 1969 and is now a collectors item.
Oh I love Con Air . It’s the best ‘convicts on the run’ movie I’ve ever seen and the humour is delightfully dark. Ving Rhames plays Nathan ‘Diamond Dog’ Jones, and he’s part of an inspired cast. The styling of his character on the poster is iconic and the tagline is perfect: They were deadly on the ground. Now they have wings. ♥
* Jim Burns on Seasons of Plenty
* DK’s personal cover art
* Banned cover art
* Kes
Leave a Comment » | Books, Movies, Visual Arts, photos | Tagged: artwork, covers, photography | Permalink
Posted by JANrobot
