Remember the Titans

  Based on the true story of the explosive events that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971 when African-American football coach Herman Boone was hired to guide an integrated but racially polarized high school team--the T.C. Williams Titans. Angry, stubborn and a rigid taskmaster, Boone faces a cool reception from the team's players as well as an awkward relationship with assistant coach Bill... See Full Description
PG for thematic elements and some language.NZone,
(3 out of 5 stars) "...another 'Denzel against the world' film." Full Review... Cinema Sense,
"Gem" "A wonderfully stitched movie about a community overcoming racial prejudice via the crucible of its high school gridiron." Full Review... Deseret News (Salt Lake City),
(3 out of 4 stars) "...has real heart..."

What a Girl Wants

  Daphne Reynolds has what every girl wants--or so it seems. This spirited young American girl has a unique style all her own, an unconventional but loving relationship with her bohemian mother Libby and a future full of possibilities--but despite her remarkable promise, Daphne feels incomplete. She dreams of one day meeting the father she’s never known, the man Libby shared a whirlwind romance with... See Full Description
Comedy, Drama, Musical/Performing Arts, Romance and RemakeAtlanta Journal-Constitution, Christy Lemire
"The shoe doesn't fit for this charm-free Cinderella tale." more... Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert
"The movie is clearly intended for girls between the ages of 9 and 15, and for the more civilized of their brothers, and isn't of much use to anyone else." more... Chicago Tribune, Robert K. Elder
"It's all transparent, absurd posturing that makes everyone look culturally ignorant, if not a bit daft." more... Cincinnati Enquirer, Margaret A. McGurk
"Despite its superficial ways, the movie does have charm." more...

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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

 

  Set in a time of uncertainty in the land of Middle-earth, a tale which charts a heroic quest which centers around an intrepid hobbit. The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who inherits the Ring and steps into legend.... See Full Description
Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Adaptation and SequelPG 13 for epic battle sequences and scary images.Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
"...a terrific movie." more... BBC, Nev Pierce
"...surpasses The Fellowship of the Ring in terms of wit, action and narrative drive." more... Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert
"...stands on its own as a visionary thriller." more... Chicago Tribune, Michael Wilmington
"...a stupendous visual achievement, a great movie fantasy."

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

  Sauron's forces have laid siege to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, in their efforts to eliminate the race of men. The once-great kingdom, watched over by a fading steward, has never been in more desperate need of its king. But can Aragorn answer the call of his heritage and become what he was born to be? In no small measure, the fate of Middle-earth rests on his broad shoulders. With the final... See Full Description
Action/Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Adaptation and SequelPG 13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images.Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
"...Peter Jackson brings his epic series to a glorious finish." more... Boston Globe, Ty Burr
"King has pageantry, purpose, but it's not quite the greatest show on Middle-earth." more... Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert
"That it falls a little shy of greatness is perhaps inevitable." more... Chicago Tribune, Michael Wilmington
"This is a movie that, purely and simply, has visions and excitement to blow us away once again." more...

View the original article here

The Other Side of Heaven

  John Groberg, a farm kid from Idaho, crosses an ocean to become a missionary in the remote and exotic Kingdom of Tonga during the 1950's, leaving behind a loving family and the true love of his life, Jean Sabin. Through letters and musings across the sky, John shares his adventures with "the girl back home," and her letters buoy up his spirits in difficult times. John must struggle to... See Full Description
Action/Adventure, Drama, Kids/Family, Adaptation, Biopic and Politics/ReligionDecember 14, 2001 (limited), April 12, 2002 (limited)PG for thematic elements and brief disturbing images.Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sheila Norman-Culp
"...wry, gentle comedy." more... Chicago Tribune, Robert K. Elder
"... a breathtaking exotic landscape cluttered only by the smugness of its characters." more... Deseret News, Jeff Vice
"...a disappointment." more... E! Online,
"...takes drama and drains it of friction." more...

American Pie

  Jim is your average healthy re-blooded virgin -- he's desperate to "make it" with a woman. The stakes are raised when his parents catch him with his pants down watching porno films in his bedroom, his one experience with a beautiful exchange student turns into an online disaster and his friends make a pact that by the day of their high school graduation, none of them will be virgins.... See Full Description
R for strong sexuality, crude sexual dialogue, language and drinking, all involving teens.Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert
"...not inspired, but it's cheerful and hard-working and sometimes funny..." more... filmcritic.com, Christopher Null
"... can’t help but feel drained (from laughter) after leaving this pic." more... Orlando Weekly, Steve Schneider
"...a washout..." more... ReelViews, James Berardinelli
"It takes risks; they don't always work, but, when they do, there's a payoff."

Saving Grace (Fine Line Features)

  Grace Trevethan's idyllic life on the Cornish coast is turning upside down. Faced with her husband's untimely death, a mountain of debt, a former mistress and the prospect of losing her beautiful manor house, Grace decides to put her green fingers to work. Desperate times call for desperate measures and with a little prompting from her now underemployed gardener, Matthew, Grace swaps her prize-winning... See Full Description
R for drug content and language.NZone,
(3.5 out of 5 stars) "Following along on the footsteps of 'The Full Monty,' 'The Big Tease' and 'Waking Ned Devine,' 'Saving Grace' brings us back into the world of yet another quaint little British town." Full Review... culturevulture.net,
"The movie staggers where it should skip lightly, its scenes elastic and unshaped." Full Review... Empire (UK),
(3 out of 5 stars) "For all its niceties, there's nothing new here." Full Review... Film Journal International,
"...blithe, snappily paced..."

Beauty and the Beast

 

 An arrogant nobleman is turned into a beast and, in order to break the spell, he tries to win the love of a village girl.
Comedy, Kids/Family, Musical/Performing Arts, Romance and AnimationNovember 13th, 1991; January 1st, 2002 (IMAX Re-release)Walt Disney Studios DistributionChicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert
"...great entertainment..." more... Chicago Tribune, Michael Wilmington
"...this is a film of astonishments." more... E! Online,
"...this beaut's worth it just to revisit a time when Disney knew how to make good animated films without its Pixar crutch." more... filmcritic.com, Christopher Null
"...on a return viewing ten years later, Beauty and the Beast doesn't seem to be quite the masterpiece we once thought."

100 Girls

  A college freshman has sex with a girl during a power outage and never sees her face. When he goes in search of the mystery girl, he realizes there are about one hundred suspects to consider.

View the original article here

Robin Hood - Movie Review

Cover via Amazon

"Robin Hood" is an action movie that was released in May of 2010. It is rated PG-13.
I probably read "Robin Hood" for the first time when I was around 10 years old. I then re-read it a number of times over the next few years. The release of "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was a red letter day for me and I enjoyed that film a lot. The latest version, the "Robin Hood" we are discussing today, has a number of twists that made it even more interesting as I tried to guess what would happen.
Robin Longstride (Russel Crowe) has been fighting for years in the Crusades with King Richard's army. During the last siege before returning to England, King Richard is killed with a crossbow bolt in the neck (first big surprise). His right hand man Robert Locksley is tasked with bringing the crown back to London in order to have it presented to the next king, Richard's brother John. John's boyhood friend and trusted companion Sir Godfrey turns out to be a traitor and is actively helping King Philip of France to take advantage of England's weakness. He and a number of French soldiers ambush Robert Locksley and his escort before they can leave France. He wants to capture the crown but is thwarted by Robin Longstride and his friends who have left the army and are trying to find their own way home ahead of the army. They discover the ambush and in turn surprise the French soldiers, killing most of them and wounding Godfrey who escapes.
Locksley manages to live long enough to give Robin his sword and asks him to return it to his father, the Lord of Nottingham. Robin and his friends pretend to be knights in order to get back to England. He presents the crown in London and then rides off to Nottingham. When he gets there the Lord Locksley asks him to impersonate his returned son in order to protect the inheritance of dead son's wife, the Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett). He agrees and with the reluctant help of Marian he soon proves that he can be of great help to them all.
Godfrey is commissioned by John to go the the northern Baronies to collect back taxes. These areas have already been impoverished by taxes to pay for the Crusades and they don't have the money to pay what is owed. Godfrey leads his English men into another ambush where they are all killed and replaced with French soldiers. They then proceed to attack cities and towns to not only collect money but to rouse the anger of the barons against John in the hope that they will commit to civil war.
Godfrey learns that Robin is in Nottingham and leads his men to attack the town. Godfrey kills the old lord and has his men put many of the townspeople, including Marian into a building and set it on fire. Robin, who had been out of town getting the support of the barons, returns with an army that kills the French invaders and learns that the French fleet will be landing soon. The army of the barons and the king join forces to meet the fleet and repel the invading army. While John actually joins the fighting, when the French surrender the English soldiers cheer for Robin. John becomes jealous and breaks his promise to provide greater freedoms to his people and naming Robin an outlaw. Robin and Marian then make their way into Sherwood Forest.
My Recommendation
I liked the movie and the unexpected twists that were written into the script. Seeing Robin start out as a regular guy and then becoming Robin of Locksley through deception was a neat rewrite from the book and made the entire film more interesting. The action scenes were great with Robin actually using a sword almost as much as he use his bow. The final battle on the beach was not historically correct but who cares? It was well done and we did get to see Robin pull off a spectacular bow shot to finally put an end to Godfrey.
I've admired Cate Blanchett ever since her portrayal of Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator". She was definitely the best Maid Marian I've seen although technically she was no longer a "Maid" but a married woman. Her character did not mind jumping in to plow a field, shoe a horse, or pull livestock from the mud. I didn't really feel any chemistry between Cate Blanchett and Russel Crowe but then again, it wasn't a romantic comedy so I don't really mind that. In fact, I never mind that as much as my lovely wife does.
Overall I have no problem recommending the movie to the guys or ladies. The ladies get to see Mr. Crowe with his shirt off and the guys get to see him shoot arrows into the bad guys. That's a good trade-off, right?

Howard Ralston is an avid movie-goer and writer. He finally realized that he could combine these two passions and now writes movie reviews on Movie Crasher. Look for more reviews of action movies on his site.

Tips for Picking a Good Movie

Okay, so maybe it’s not that bad, but essentially you have to choose something that’s going to make everyone happy. So lucky you have this wonderful guide with you.
Your Mood, Your Movie
If you’ve been given the “responsibility” of selecting a movie, then there is a bright side – you’ve got control. Your mood can ultimately dictate what genre of film.
• Happy – Go for a comedy, adventure, action or musical
• Thoughtful – If you’re in the mood to be challenged try a thriller, action, crime & gangster, drama, science fiction, or epic historical feature
• Indifferent – Sometimes you just don’t know what you’re feeling, so the best bet is to go for something that has a bit of everything like a comedy, detective & mystery, fantasy, biopics, animations, or chick flick.
• Sad or Distracted – When you’re feeling blue or have your mind on other things, it’s best to keep things light with a positive movie that offers a few laughs or a feel-good theme.
Movie Choice Etiquette
‘Movie Choice What?’ I hear you say. Well, maybe we just made something up and maybe it’s the way of the future. If people can make a blog about car shotgun rules, who’s to say there’s no room for movie choice etiquette?
Your mood will decide the genre of the movie you watch, so being wary of the rest of the people who have to watch the film is always good “movie choice etiquette”.
Choosing For Kids
Everyone loves being the cool parent, the one that lets the little ones slightly get away with things, so if there are kids in the group, choose films that are appropriate for their age, especially if they belong to someone else. That will just come back and bite you ten-fold when they go home and tell their folks that they’ve seen ‘Aliens Director’s Cut’.
Check the Reviews and Starring Actors
If you’re really concerned about the quality of the film, jump online to check the opinions of others who have seen the movie. While critic reviews are sometimes helpful, it is usually the “real people” ratings that offer a fair appraisal of the film. In some cases, a good movie will often generate a good “buzz” anyway – so if you feel like you’ve heard about the movie and can’t quite remember where it’s from, it’s probably been in the media for all the right reasons...sometimes, though, it could be for all the wrong reasons (remember ‘Waterworld’? Neither do I, but it’s a name etched into the Stone of Bad – another thing I maybe just made up like ‘Movie Choice Etiquette’).
Finally, look at the stars – it's a good way of measuring whether it is going to be a quality film, as the big-league actors are very selective as to which projects they sign onto, except Robert DeNiro, he’s really sold himself out these days. Maybe Samuel L. Jackson, too, but it’s a no-brainer he sold out...why else would you be in a movie with Hayden Christiansen, or Christian Haydensen, I can never remember.
If all else fails and you’re just not confident with selecting a good film, turn to the Disney section. After all, everyone will have seen these classics and undoubtedly enjoy reliving their childhood, if only for a few hours.

How to Watch Blu-Ray DVD on iPad

Image via Wikipedia

Blu-ray Disc (also known as BD or Blu-ray) is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 video games, and other data, with up to 25 GB per single layered, and 50 GB per dual layered disc. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.

The iPad is the first tablet computer developed by Apple Inc. It is part of a device category between a smartphone and a laptop computer. A beautiful 9.7-inch high-resolution display makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows to podcasts and music videos. However, if you want to watch Blu-Ray DVD movies on your iPad, you need to rip Blu-Ray disc to iPad compatible video file and then transfer the output video to iPad with the sync of iTunes. The following tutorial is going to show you how to rip Blu-Ray DVD to iPad compatible video files, helping you watch Blu-Ray movies on the go.

To watch the Blu-Ray movies, what you need to do is simply rip the Blu-Ray DVD into a video format supported by iPad. After you have the files in a compatible format upload them into your iPad through the sync of iTunes Library.

To rip Blu-Ray DVD to iPad video you need to download DVD to iPad Converter Suite.

Step 1. Launch Blu-Ray to iPad Ripper and add Blu-Ray Files

Click the “BD/DVD ROM” button to extract Blu-Ray movie from disc. Or click the “BD/DVD Folder” if you would like to add Blu-Ray files from your PC. The video information of the loaded Blu-Ray movie will be shown in the file list. You can rename the output videos in the file list, select the chapters/titles to convert, choose DVD subtitle and audio track, etc. Double click a selected file, and you will be able to preview it.

Step 2. Choose Output Format

Extend the “Format” drop-down list and choose “iPad” from the category. From the subcategory, you may choose “iPad HD Video (*.mp4)”, “iPad Video H.264 (*.mp4)” or “iPad Video MPEG-4 (*.mp4)” as the output format.

If you want to customize a profile for the output video, you can click the “Settings” button next to the Format field to open the “Profile” window and set video resolution, frame rate, bit rate, encoder, etc. See the figure below:

Step 3. Click “Start” to Rip Blu-Ray DVD to iPad

Check the file list and make sure all the required files are selected. Then click the “Convert” button to start ripping Blu-Ray DVD to iPad.

Step 4. Transfer Output Video to iPad

Connect your iPad to the computer and sync it with iTunes.

To play the movie on your iPad, select Videos then Movies from the iPad Main Menu. You will see an alphabetical list of the available movies. Click on the desired movie to play it.

Note: There are a few tips and tricks you won’t let slip while using this Blu-Ray to iPad Ripper to rip Blu-Ray disc for viewing on iPad, such as trimming DVD length, cropping video edges, adding text/image watermaters, capturing pictures from the movie, applying a video effect, etc.

Ten Best Films of The Past 10 Years

What makes a good animated movie? While beautiful art is certainly important, it takes an engaging story and memorable characters to help an animated film truly stand out. Here’s our list of the 10 best animated films since 2000. What do you think? Did we leave anyone out?

10. Monsters, Inc (2001)
No animation studio has more consistently produced great movies this decade like Pixar. In their first film of the new millennium, Pixar uses computer animation to create an alternate world where the monsters are scared of children. With jokes and sight gags packed into almost every frame, the team at Pixar makes the monster world seem almost more fun than our own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaLhEVzlndg

9. Shrek (2001)
DreamWorks Animation used Shrek to poke fun at traditional fairy tales in a way no animated movie had up to that point. Pinocchio, the three little pigs and Prince Charming are all fair game for the big green ogre and his talking donkey sidekick. “Shrek” went on to win the first-ever Academy Award for an Animated Feature, and has spawned two sequels (with another on the way) that have made almost $2.2 billion to date.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxqQPrUomTc

8. Persepolis (2007)
This French film follows a young girl’s struggles through the social culture in Iran. “Persepolis” is based on the graphic novel of the same name and uses flat black-and-white animation to communicate its message more poignantly than a traditionally acted movie could. Its PG-13 rating and serious themes go against the traditional notion that animated films should just be for children. It made many critics’ Top 10 lists in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY

7. The Incredibles (2004)
Families looking for just another fun superhero movie got more than they bargained for when they went to see “The Incredibles.” This movie deals with serious themes like society’s emphasis on self-esteem and the difficulties that come with middle age. Of course, it also has plenty of fireballs, giant robots and exploding ships to keep even the most hyperactive kid happy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE_-pwRnLh4

6. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
After their three popular shorts in the 1990s, this clay duo was ready to finally make their feature film debut in 2005. Because the crew at Aardman Studios used claymation to animate the entire movie, they were able to film only three seconds per day and needed five years to finish the full movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrqRv0s5McU

5. Chicken Run (2000)
Another fantastic claymation film from Aardman Studios. This one’s about hundreds of chickens trying to make their escape from a POW-style chicken coop. Through all the action, the filmmakers also manage to sprinkle in references to movies like “Stalag 17,” “The Great Escape” and “Indiana Jones.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOnmZuqN7HE

4. Ratatouille (2007)
This film gives us one of the great animated duos since Buzz and Woody hit the screen when Remy the rat teams up with Linguini, an aspiring chef. “Ratatouille’s” message is that great art can come from anywhere, and its animators seem to have found it in beautiful shots of Paris through a rat’s perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALUmKa_mpik

3. Spirited Away (2001)
This anime movie by famed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history and is currently the only foreign language film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Film. This coming of age story follows a young girl who gets trapped in a world of animals and monsters and must find her way out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6az9wGfeSgM

2. Finding Nemo (2004)
While “Finding Nemo” is filled with breathtaking coral reefs, its most memorable moments come from its colorful characters. This film about a clown fish trying to find his son is populated by hippie sea turtles, sharks that don’t eat fish and one very forgetful Blue Tang. “Finding Nemo” became the highest-grossing Pixar movie ever and helped put thousands of clown fish into the fishbowls of children around the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfgeIZyrIM0

1. WALL-E (2008)
Pixar shows once again why they are the masters of animation through the beautiful “WALL-E.” Using little more than a series of beeps and bloops, they are able to communicate a touching love story between two robots. And with almost no dialogue through the first 40 minutes of the movie, “WALL-E” almost has more in common with Charlie Chaplin’s silent comedies of the 1910s than the hyperkinetic computer-animated films of today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alIq_wG9FNk

Black Swan The Movie

Image via Wikipedia

Black Swan is the newest movie coming out from Darren Aronofsky. The plot was a closely held secret, and there were a lot of rumors swirling around, especially about what form the relationship between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, the movies 2 big stars, would take. When the Black Swan movie trailer came out, instead of clearing up any mysteries, it just spawned more and whetted the appetite of the Internet viewers.
Since the Black Swan movie premiere at movie festivals takes place on September first at the Venice Film Festival, it was inevitable that a trailer would come out. This trailer is just a teaser, just enough that everyone sees a little bit and wants more. There is a clip that seems to answer whether or not Natalie Portman's character Nina and Mila Kunis's character Lily have a very personal relationship, but it is just a flash on the screen and only raises more questions.
The Black Swan plot centers around the ballet world. Natalie Portman's character is an experienced, technically brilliant ballerina who is practicing for her lead part in the ballet Swan Lake. Her mother, played by Barbara Hershey, pushes her towards success, and her dance master keeps telling her to put more feeling into her dancing. Mila Kunis's character Lily enters. Lily dances with all the passion and emotion that Nina is missing out on. The movie focuses Nina's fixation on Lily and on their relationship.
Regarded as one of the year's most mysterious films, the less that is said about Black Swan, the more tension and excitement mounts about the movie. Some movie trailers give you a good idea of what the movie is about and what to expect. You have a pretty good idea of what is happening in the movie from what you see in the trailer. The Black Swan movie trailer is not that kind of trailer. Instead, it just helped to draw a further veil of mystery over the movie, leaving everyone confused as to exactly what is going to happen in the movie. There are a lot of people who can't wait to see Black Swan and see if it lives up to the mystery. Watch your favorite movies here.

Best Movies to Watch This Season

Cover of Bruce Willis

Some of the best movies to watch are none other than the Expendables, Salt, Inception and Nightmare on Elm Street if you prefer action-packed films for the purpose of entertainment. Take the time to read the reviews about these films before attempting to view. Unless you love surprises, then you could jolly well go ahead with the viewing of these films. Check for the earliest show that you can watch so that you are able to catch them as they first hit the shores in your city.
The cast of the best movies to watch are indispensible as they all have their own individual flavors which are added to the flow of the film. For instance, in the Expendables, the line-up of stars is monstrous in terms of popularity. Sylvester Stallone is the main hero of the film, together with the musky team of the Transporter star, Jason Statham. Other than that, funnyman Terry Crews joins in the boisterous crowd as an explosives and weapons expert. The main spoiler alert is the scene in a church where Sly and his former real-life action hero rival, Arnold Schwarzenegger stand side by side, mocking each other in front of another former action star, Bruce Willis.
Freddie Kruger strikes back in Nightmare on Elm Street and this time he kills the grown-ups in their sleep. In the film, the teenagers that were once in the same kindergarten which is haunted by the murder of a gardener are forced to face with the consequences of their actions. Freddie does a wonderful job in making the audience lose sleep with his terrifying appearance in the film; however the plot revolves around the escape plan of the teenagers which is ultimately avoidance of sleep. It is just a matter of time until one of them drifts off and meets Freddie in their nightmares.
Other than the list above, film junkies can look forward to an hour and a half of romantic scenes between Bella and Edward in the Twilight trilogy, Eclipse. This long awaited last piece of the saga can be found in Stephanie Meyer's paperback release but as what film junkies prefer, it is always better to view it on the big screen. Bella who waits for her love, Edward, is now taking a curious second look at her other love interest, Jacob. The chemistry between the stars is felt by the audience as the plot thickens for the last time.