Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2010: H-M

Here is the second part of the list.

Again, I've provided a brief description of the film, a list of it's stars and a release date, if one has been provided. That said, just remember that release dates are subject to change.

Hot Tub Time Machine (March 19)
Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover
Director: Steve Pink
Summary: After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, four best friends who've become bored with their adult lives wake up in the year 1986. This is their chance to change their futures for the better, and in one case to ensure his existence.


Howl
Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Summary: San Francisco, 1957. This interweaves the life of a young Allen Ginsberg finding his true voice, the obscenity trial that ensued when his poem 'Howl' was published, and animated segments that adapt the poem itself. Of course I find this movie interesting, I WAS an English major in college.

Inception (July 16)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard
Director: Christopher Nolan
Summary: The Prestige and The Dark Knight director Nolan returns with the story of a CEO-type executive who finds himself becoming involved in a blackmailing scandal. The story is said to explore the architecture of the human mind.


Iron Man 2
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle
Director: Jon Favreau
Summary: Having revealed his Iron Man identity to the public, billionaire inventor Tony Stark is unwilling to share his technology with the military, but forces outside his control plot against him.

Jonah Hex (June 18)
Cast: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Shannon, Michael Fassbender
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Summary: Based on the titular DC Comics character. In the Wild West, a scarred bounty hunter tracks down a dangerous ex-Confederate soldier trying to reignite the civil war and ensure the South will win this time.


Kick-Ass (April 16)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Summary: The comic book adaptation centers on a high school dweeb named Dave Lizewski who decides to become a superhero even though he has no athletic ability or coordination. Things change when he eventually runs into real bad guys with real weapons. If you seen the trailer, you know that one of the heroes, Hit-Girl, uses some very "colorful" language, to say the least.

Knight and Day (July 2)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez
Director: James Mangold
Summary: A lonely woman's seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source.


The Last Airbender (July 2)
Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Summary: A live-action film based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series. In a fantastic world where civilisation exists as four great empires, a reluctant young child sets out on a perilous journey to restore balance to a world torn apart by war.

London Boulevard (July 30)
Cast: Keira Knightley, Colin Farrell, Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, Anna Friel
Director: William Monahan
Summary: A freshly released ex-con from South London attempts to stay out of the way of a ruthless loan shark by finding honest work at the Holland Park mansion of faded movie actress. As his violent past catches up with him and his disturbed sister is threatened, he is forced to act. Monahan, who won an Oscar for his writing work on The Departed makes his directorial debut with this film.

Machete
Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Summary: A renegade former Mexican Federale takes an offer to assassinate a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run, Machete braves the odds with the help of a saucy taco slinger, his "holy" brother, and a socialite with a penchant for guns. If you saw Grindhouse, the trailer for this then fake movie ran before the "Planet Terror" portion of the film.


The Mechanic
Cast: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland, Christa Campbell
Director: Simon West
Summary: A highly-skilled but emotionally detached hitman is planning to retire when a young man asks to be trained up in the profession. Only problem is that this new apprentice is the son of one of the Mechanic's handlers and may have ulterior motives. Wonder if Statham's character drives in this film? Just a thought.

Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2010: A-G

I've done some research, and with the help of the movie news website Dark Horizons, I've put together a list of film that I find interesting and think you should at least consider seeing in the theaters.

With each film is a brief description, list of stars and a release date, if one has been provided. That said, just remember that release dates are subject to change.

Here is the first part of the list I've come up with in what will be a four part list that I will reveal over between now and Tuesday.

44 Inch Chest (January 15)
Cast: John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne Whalley
Director: Malcolm Venville
Summary: Shattered by the bombshell of his wife’s infidelity with a young French waiter, Colin Diamond and his motley crew of friends kidnapp the loverboy and assemble a kangaroo court to take revenge out on him as the mighty Colin wrestles with his own demons.

The Adjustment Bureau
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery, Terence Stamp, Daniel Dae Kim
Director: George Nolfi
Summary: David Norris, a charismatic congressman meets a beautiful ballet dancer named Elise Sellas, only to find strange circumstances keeping them from getting closer. Norris discovers forces are at work to ensure they stay apart, and he pushes to find out why. Based on a short story by science fiction writer Phillip K. Dick.

Alice in Wonderland (March 5)
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tim Burton
Summary: A pseudo-sequel to the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice returns to the fantasy realm years after her first visit. Now aged 17 and not fitting into Victorian society and structure, she returns to a slightly haunted and overgrown Wonderland.

Bitch Slap (opened January 5)
Cast: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivo, Michael Hurst
Director: Rick Jacobson
Summary: A down-and-out stripper, a drug-running killer and a corporate powerbroker arrive at a remote desert hideaway to extort money from a ruthless underworld kingpin. As allegiances change, truths are revealed and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

The Book of Eli (January 15)
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals
Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes (sometimes credited as The Hughes Brothers)
Summary: The story revolves around a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Oldman has been set to portray the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.

Centurion
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, David Morrissey, Noel Clarke
Director: Neil Marshall
Summary: Set during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 117. The legendary Ninth Legion marches north under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth, only to be decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack. A splinter group of survivors fight for their lives behind enemy lines.

Clash of the Titans (March 26)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton
Director: Louis Leterrier
Summary: Based on the 1981 film of the same name (rememberr Bubo the Owl?), the ultimate struggle for power pits men against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld.

The Conspirator
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Robin Wright Penn, Justin Long
Director: Robert Redford
Summary: Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.

Cop Out (February 26)
Cast: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Adam Brody, Jason Lee
Director: Kevin Smith
Summary: Two cops track down a stolen baseball card, rescue a Mexican beauty and must deal with gangsters and laundered drug money. This was called “A Couple of Dicks,” till someone decided they didn’t think the title of the film was funny. Also, Smith didn't write this one, he's just directing.

The Crazies (February 26)
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Danielle Panabaker, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson
Director: Breck Eisner
Summary: A remake of George A. Romero's 1973 film of the same name. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small Kansas town who are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply.

Date Night (April 9)
Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, James Franco
Director: Shawn Levy
Summary: A couple find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie when they're mistaken for a dangerous couple. They soon encounter everything from over-anxious securities experts to petty con men who mess up their romantic evening.

Daybreakers (Opened January 8)
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Vince Colosimo, Claudia Karvan
Director: Michael & Peter Spierig
Summary: In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the dominant plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of humans on a potential way to save the human race.

The Debt
Cast: Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Martin Csokas
Director: John Madden
Summary: In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to be the Nazi has surfaced in the Ukraine and one of the former agents must go back undercover to seek out the truth.

Dinner for Schmucks (July 23)
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.

Due Date (November 5)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, RZA
Director: Todd Phillips
Summary: Downey will play an expectant father who finds himself on a road trip with a mismatched partner, as he races to get there before his wife gives birth to his first child. Galifianakis plays his road trip mate.

Edge of Darkness (January 29)
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Denis O'Hare
Director: Martin Campbell
Summary: Based on the acclaimed British TV miniseries which followed a cop unravelling the truth behind the brutal killing of his daughter. His investigations lead him into a murky world of corporate cover-ups and nuclear espionage with dark forces threatening the future of life on Earth.

The Expendables (August 13)
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Summary: "The Expendables" follows a team of mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator.

Get Me to the Gig (June 11)
Cast: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Summary: Aaron Greenberg is a driven, idealistic young college graduate who works as an intern at a record company. Aaron is given his big break when he is sent to transport flaky English musician Aldous Snow to a concert at Los Angeles' Greek Theater. A spinoff of the 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

The Green Hornet (December 22)
Cast: Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou, Edward James Olmos, Christoph Waltz
Director: Michel Gondry
Summary: Britt Reid is a wealthy industrialist by day. At night though he goes out in his masked "Green Hornet" identity to fight crime as a vigilante, accompanied by his similarly masked Asian manservant Kato who drives a car equipped with advanced technology. Based on the comic book and 1960's TV show of the same name.

Green Zone (March 12)
Cast: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan
Director: Paul Greengrass
Summary: During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, a warrant officer in search of weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert instead stumbles upon an elaborate cover-up by his own people that inverts the purpose of their mission.

Grown Ups (June 25)
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek
Director: Dennis Dugan
Summary: Five friends and former teammates reunite years later to honor the passing of their childhood basketball coach. With their wives and kids in tow, they spend the Fourth of July weekend together at the lake house where they celebrated their championship years earlier.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole 3D (September 24)
Cast: Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Helen Mirren, Hugo Weaving, Abbie Cornish, Ryan Kwanten
Director: Zack Snyder
Summary: The story follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones.

One Hell of a Meeting of the Minds

Hello my lovelies. I know I haven't written for a while, and for that I do apologize. At the start of 2010, I made a few promises to myself, one of which was that I would write more. I figured I would promise to do things, instead of resolving, in the hopes that I was better able to do what I had said I was going to do. One of these is to write more. It is my hope that you are all the beneficiaries of this promise I've made myself. So, with a little assist from the "Quiet Beatle" playing in the background ("Marwa Blues" to be exact), I offer you the following. Enjoy.

As some of may, or may not know, a few months back, I had mentioned a movie called It Might Get Loud in the blog (and here is a link to my original post.) It's a documentary featuring Jack White, The Edge and the legendary Jimmy Page.

I actually got this film from Santa (and by Santa Claus, I mean me) for Christmas. If you're a fan of any of these three guitarists, or at the very least, enjoy music, do yourselves a favor and watch, rent or buy this movie.

The movie covers the lives of the three virtuosos, discussing their backgrounds, influences, and recording careers. It also features a meeting of the three that took place on a sound stage in early 2008.

Additionally, the film delves into the process of creating a song. In the case of The Edge, the film offers a view into the song "Get on Your Boots," from U2's most recent effort No Line on the Horizon, moving from a very rough take of the song to near it's completion. In the case of Jack White, he literally wrote a song on the fly during the filming and debuts it during the movie. Don't be surprised to see "Fly Farm Blues" be nominated for an Oscar in the near future.

White also provides some of the better looks of the movie. I know this statement may sound a bit odd, but it must be remembered that Page was playing in and heading towards the finish of his run with Led Zeppelin when White was born in 1975. White just mostly sits, guitar on leg, listening to Edge and Page talk about their playing styles and creative process. It's like he's a little kid listening to his grandfather and father tell stories. In this case, though, the people telling stories are arguably among the better guitarists of all time.

The highlight of the film occurs near the end with the three playing part of the Zeppelin classic "In My Time of Dying" (Here is a version of the song from the recent Zeppelin one off reunion in London.) Edge and White each put their own spin on the song, all the while being respectful to the writer of the song playing it next to them.

Why should you see this movie? I would say because it offers a great look into the creative process of a musician and a fellow artist (I see myself as artist--except I use words). Also, it's just a great way to spend 90 or so minutes.

Spectrum memories

Well, I've heard from a few of you, and here is what you sent back.

From Mike Shaw (both attended Allentown College at the same time. He graduated the following year):

Went back to the Spectrum for the last time a couple of weeks ago to see my very first Bruce Springsteen concert. It was sort of a surreal experience, stepping foot in that building. All the banners were gone from the rafters - except for the Bruce Springsteen Sell-Out banner and, inexplicably, the Canadian flag.

For me, the Spectrum will always be the place that I saw my first hockey game, sat in a luxury box, saw my first concert, and actually got to play a game. In grade school, my basketball team (the team was bad, I was worse) got crushed by St. Joe's Prep (a perennial basketball great) on the floor of the Spectrum prior to a Sixers game. I got to meet Scottie Brooks (a little white dude who played for them), Mike Gminski (a big white dude, who was a bit of an asshole), but not Charles Barkley - who stayed in the locker room until we left the floor, to my extreme disappointment.

I was with you at that Phantoms game and a few others; and it was a truly great time and a memorable experience. I'll never forget the little kid behind us with the foul mouth! I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. (Jeff Bachman note: This kid had the worst mouth I've ever heard on a six year old. 12 years later and no one has still beat it.)

Whether it was hockey or basketball or a concert or even a circus, the Spectrum holds some great memories - and I will definitely miss it a great deal.

From Rob Roche: (high school classmate. Also, the person who introduced me to Pearl Jam)

To whom it may concern.

My friend asked for memories of the Spectrum to post on his blog. I thought I would share mine with him and the Ten Club. (Jeff note: this is the Pearl Jam fan club.) Please see below.

I had attended many events at the Spectrum, including Sixers’ games, Harlem Globetrotters’ games and numerous concerts. However one event holds a special place in my memory for various reasons. On April 28th, 2003, my brother Patrick and I attended Pearl Jam’s first concert at the Spectrum.

Although they had played larger venues like the Tweeter Center and intimate, Philly institutions such as JC Dobbs, Eddie Vedder expressed to the audience the band’s almost reverent feelings towards the hallowed Spectrum. Noting that the band is made up of huge basketball fans, Eddie commented a few times how special it was to be playing in the same arena where Dr. J. performed his magic on the Spectrum floor.

We enjoyed a typical Pearl Jam concert with rarities, B-sides, famed covers and hits both past and present. During that time period, Pearl Jam began to release bootlegs of all of their concerts to deter outsiders from making money at Pearl Jam’s expense, as well as providing the best possible quality to their fans. I spent most of the following day downloading the bootleg and most of that night listening to their greatness with the music in my ears and the visuals in my mind’s eye.

As a dedicated Ten Club member, I attended many more Pearl Jam concerts but never again with my brother. We lost him to kidney cancer in the spring of 2008 (Jeff note: Patrick passed April 13 at age 27.) It is a loss that I will never fully recover from but as Eddie has said, I am still Alive. I take solace now in the fact that I can relive the concert simply by turning on my iPod. I crank up the sound, close my eyes and know in my heart that my brother’s voice is soaring amongst that Philadelphia crowd. At the time, it was just another concert, but now it is a tangible tribute to a bond that two brothers shared.

Thanks to Pearl Jam, I will always have evidence of the time we shared and know that his voice will live on in more than just my own memories.

Rob Harman (friend and fellow go-kart/open wheel racing enthusiast):

My memorable Spectrum experience was my first time there, which also happened to be my first heavy metal concert. Megadeath (Peace Sells, but Who's Buying?) opened for Metallica (Master of Puppets). I will never be the same after that.

I'm gonna see my friend before it goes away

Halloween Night marks the end of an era in Philadelphia when the Spectrum turns out the lights one last time after the fourth and final show by Pearl Jam. It marks the end of a building that opened in 1967 and has played host to many a memorable event, be it sports or a concert.

I grew up about 90 minutes from the arena, but I attended a few events there as a teenager, the first of which was a Sixers game with my dad in the mid 1980's. The team was in a downward arc after its 1983 championship run, Dr. J was in the last season of his Hall of Fame career and doing the retirement tour thing. It wasn't a very memorable game (I don't remember who they played to be honest, all I remember is they won). I went to a few more games there before I went away to college, and before the arena became semi-obsolete as a result of the opening of the CoreStates Center (the original name of the Wachovia Center) acrosss the street.

With the opening of the new arena, the Spectrum only became used for Phantoms games and concerts for acts that either weren't big enough for the new arena or were going on when there was a scheduling conflict. I attended a few of those such shows and more of my share of Phantoms games.

I remember Phantoms game in particular against the cross state rival Hershey Bears that I went to in 1997 with some friends from college, and we saw one hell of a brawl at the end. Two players ahad to be put into their teams respective penalty box to be kept from hitting one another, andGene Hart, then the PA announcer for the Phantoms, had to finish reading the penalties given to the 11 players involved before getting to the end of game announcements. Neal Little, Phantoms goalie at the time, was the only player not penalized, as leaving his own goal would have got him a penalty and possibly, under the AHL rules at the time, a suspension.

My point is that the Spectrum may be about to die, but it holds a lot of memories for me, and for everyone else in the Philadelphia area. We all have the same sort of story I do, going to a (insert team here) game with their (insert significant life person here). Or it could be a Globetrotter game, Ice Capades or the Circus, but my point is this: the arena is part of us. For whatever reason, it holds a special place for us, just like the Vet does.

There are those that may say it is a dump, a hole, etc., etc. While that may be true, it's ours.

I'll enjoy being there Saturday night, not only because I get to see my favorite band for the fourth time. I also get to say goodbye to an old friend. Will I cry during the show? Don't know.
If anything, I'll end up shedding a few tears, because it's hard to say goodbye, especially to an old friend.

But, that's just me.

It's been a long time....

since I wrote anything, but you are all the benefactors of the evening's lack of sleep. That said, if the post gets a little punchyy, rambling, or something resembling any of those, you all have my apologies.

Since I have gotten to the movies a few times, I do have some stuff to share. That said, here goes.

A few weeks ago now, I was attend a free screening of a movie entitled Black Dynamite, thanks in part to the Tweeting of my friend Mike. We got into a free showing of the film in Philadelphia sponored in part by a couple of the local radio stations. That said, it should also be mentioned that Mike and I were VERY much in the minority in the theater, if you catch what I mean.

I had actually heard about this movie at the beginning of the year, due to it's wild reception at the Sundance Film Festival. Ok, that and a post about it on a movie website I read entitled "Possibly the Greatest Movie Ever." Call me crazy, but a headline like that will catch your attention most times, and this was no exception.

Was it the greatest movie ever? Yes, it was the best WORST movie I have ever seen. Let me explain. Co-written by its star Michael Jai White and director Scott Sanders, it is a parody of 70's Blaxploation films the two grew up watching. I never thought I would be able to say this about a film, but it goes from good to bad, and circles back around near the end of the film again. This movie succeeds where 2007's Grindhouse fails in that it's a movie that knows it isn't great, but, in the same breath, still doesn't take itself too seriously.

Should you see it? In the words of Black Dynamite "You got that right, you got that right."

A few days later, I saw Zombieland with a friend of mine and his sister. A comedy in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, it follows the adventures of four survivors of a zombie plague as they head for California. The movie's soundtrack, if nothing else, comes with well chosen music. The movie itself is smart inventive, and just the right length at just under 90 minutes. Throw in a well-placed, unexpected and downright hilarious celebrity cameo (sorry, that's really all I can tell you without giving too much away), and you have a funny movie that is well worth your time.

Well, that came out pretty well, and not the least bit punchy.

Maybe now I can get some sleep.

See, I'm not dead...

but my computer was.

First, let me apologize. I mean it has been a while, and you are my readership. I realize that it's been awhile (almost six weeks if we're being anal about it), but I want to offer an explanation.

For the first time in recent memory, I had a busy summer. Thankfully, summer ends Tuesday, and my life has finally wound down. As if working the job that allows me to pay the bills isn't enough, I had a summer chocked full of goodness, and personal obligations. Two weddings, and just a bunch of other stuff that escapes me. All I know was that I was grateful to catch a break when a free weekend day rolled out, or gasp, the completely empty weekend.

Then, to make matters worse, the computer I write this blog on decided to take a complete and total dump last week. After to trip to the Geek Squad, I was rewarded for my patience (they took a week. Seriously, you need that long?) with a new 500 GB hard drive. Life is good indeed. With "Backspacer," the new album from Pearl Jam, or as my old friend Rob calls them "the soundtrack to my life," in the background, here is my latest post from the land of blogdom.

I actually did something I haven't been able to do since I was in college a while back---I saw two movies in the space of less than a week. I originally had planned to see District 9 with my friend Bill, but the theater didn't use the times listed on Fandango, so we ended up seeing Gamer instead. I was actually able to catch District 9 at the end of the week.

Gamer. Oh where to begin. It's not a horrible movie, believe me. It does exactly what it sets out to, which is be pure escapism for about 90 minutes, with Gerard Butler for the ladies (un)fortunate to be taken with their dates. The action is very video-gamey, which is good because most of the action takes place in what is supposed to be a real life video game. Also, the performance of "I've Got You Under My Skin" was very clever. Now, on to the other film.

District 9 is the most original film I've seen in a long time. Also, it's one of the first movies in a long time that I can't peg as being like something else. Director Neil Blomkamp has created something very original here, and should rightfully be lauded for it. He got the gig because the studio scrapped his attempt at making Halo a game in what Peter Jackson called in a recent article "pure and simple studio politics." Jackson, to his credit, saw something he like about the director and when Blomkamp pitched the idea for District 9, he jumped on it. Now, the two are laughing--all the way to their financial advisor. The movie is compelling, intriguing, and disturbing all at the same time. It's disturbing in the "humanity could actually be this cruel" sense of the word. Sharlto Copley is a star in the making after his turn as Wikus van de Merwe, a lowly corporate bureaucrat charged with moving aliens from their Johannesburg slum to newer, "better" slum outside of town.

There you have it. Gamer is a rental, and District 9 should be seen in the theaters. And since it is still in Top 5, it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Sorry, I've been gone so long.