Q: How would you describe your character in Mars Needs Moms?
A: I play a 9-year-old kid called Milo in Mars Needs Moms. Milo is a very typical 9-year-old. He reads comic books and he loves zombie movies, but he’s not into eating his vegetables. He hates broccoli!

Q: What happens in the movie?
A: There’s a lot of action, comedy and adventure in Mars Needs Moms. It’s a really cool story that ends up on Mars after Milo’s mum is abducted by aliens. It’s up to Milo to save the day!

Q: Did you have fun playing a 9-year-old kid?
A: I had a great time on the set of the movie, but it was challenging to play a 9-year-old. I’m much older than that in real life!

Q: How did you shoot the movie?
A: The movie was shot using ‘performance capture’ filmmaking. That’s the same way that films like The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol were made. The actors performed the entire movie wearing skin-tight suits in a massive, empty room with hundreds of cameras recording the action.

Q: Was it hard work shooting the movie?
A: I spent 85% of the time flying around the set in a harness, which was a bit of a challenge.

Q: Was it tiring work?
A: Absolutely, but I loved it and I volunteered to do everything. There was a lot of running, jumping, falling, hitting and spinning around. I haven’t been that energetic in a very long time.

Q: What did you get up to when the cameras stopped rolling?
A: We had so much fun on the set. Whenever the cameras stopped rolling, you’d usually find [co-star] Dan Fogler and me practicing kung fu on each other. Or I’d be making up songs and dancing around the place. You can see some of the fun on the DVD and Blu-Ray extras, too!

Q: Is that your voice coming out of Milo’s mouth?
A: No, it’s not. I’m in my 30s, but I’m playing a 9-year-old boy, so we got a real kid to re-record my dialogue. It sounds much better than my old voice!

Q: What’s the best thing about working on a performance capture movie?
A: You don’t have to sit in a makeup chair for two hours when you film a movie like this. You have loads of dots put on your face, but that’s it. The wardrobe is the same every day, too. It is amazing!

Q: Have you met any other actors who have worked on performance capture movies before?
A: I met Jim Carrey when I visited the set of A Christmas Carol a few years ago. He was really excited about working with performance capture because he loved the way that there was no wardrobe involved in the movie. You just have to wear the same outfit all the time.

Q: How quickly is the technology improving?
A: It’s improving all the time. The crew said to me that the best, most flawless, perfectly rendered shot on A Christmas Carol couldn’t hold a candle to the worst shot on Mars Needs Moms because of the way the technology has advanced. I was amazed.

Q: Is Mars Needs Moms a movie for adults or kids?
A: It’s a movie that both kids and adults will be able to relate to. It’s got something for everyone because it’s funny, it’s sad and it’s full of action.

Q: Who is the villain in the movie?
A: The villain in the move is a Martian called The Supervisor. An actress named Mindy Sterling plays The Supervisor – and she’s amazing. The Supervisor is really evil, but she’s really fun to watch on the screen.

Q: Are there any friendly Martians on Mars?
A: Oh, sure! There’s a Martian named Ki who helps Milo on his adventure. And there’s also a Martian named Wingnut who is the leader of the Hairy Tribe Guys. There are loads of friendly Martians, but you just have to find them.

Q: Why exactly does Mars need moms?
A: The Martians on Mars have no ability to raise their kids, so they kidnap mothers from Earth to do the job for them. I guess we have the best mothers in the universe down here, so they come along and take them away.

Q: What’s your mom like?
A: My mom is amazing! She’s an artist and she is very inspirational. She’s always supported my dreams to become an actor and she’s taught me so much about life. She would take me to museums and she taught me about different painters and sculptors even before I could speak. I love her immensely.

Q: Why should families get Mars Needs Moms on DVD and Blu-Ray?
A: Because it’s a really fun adventure! The main character is a kid who goes on an incredible journey. He gets caught up on a rocket ship and ends up on Mars. How crazy is that? Mars Needs Moms is the adventure of a lifetime. Trust me, you’re going to love it!

MARS NEEDS MOMS is Available August 9th on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Hi-Def, DVD & Digital Movie Download!

Technorati Tags: Mars Needs Moms, Seth Green, Milo, Video, Disney, performance capture, movie, film, Blu-Ray, Movie Download, DVD

The good news is that Merlin has been renewed for a fourth series, which will begin filming sometime in March of 2011. The good news for U.S. fans is that the third series will finally air on Friday, January 7 at 10pm ET on the SyFy Channel. I will be watching and I hope you will be to.

In celebration of the series 3 coming to the U.S. the cast of Merlin has graciously agreed to do interviews. The first interview was a conference call with Bradley James and Colin Morgan (Arthur and Merlin). I just so happen to have the transcript of the interview.

The interview was a Q&A with a selection of reporters and LI Reviews was invited to the call. Here are some of the highlights from the Interview/Q&A:

Troy Rogers: This is for either one of you. I wanted to know how is the return of Morgana going to change the vibe in Season 3.

Bradley James: That’s all you, Colin.

Colin Morgan: Go for it, Bradley.

Bradley James: All right. I’ll answer that. And whenever Morgana turns up in Series 3 there’s been a year-long search for her as decreed by Uther. And we don’t know where she’s been for that year. We don’t know what she’s been up to or what she’s been harvesting. But it becomes very evident very quickly in the first episode that despite appearances she hasn’t changed. She’s just as evil as she was before if not more. And so it’s basically the beginnings within the first episode of where she’s going to go and what she’s going to create and what she’s going to change.

Troy Rogers: Okay, excellent. And I notice you’re getting quite a few guest stars in Season 3, especially actors from the Harry Potter series. How do you think that part of the resume will help the show?

Colin Morgan: Bradley?

Bradley James: Oh hello. How do I think that part of the resume will help the show? Well I always say that the best thing about doing the show is the guests that come on. You find yourself learning from them quite a bit. You find you’re sort of enjoying hanging out with them and whatnot.

And the guests we get seem to be very fun people to have around. So for us personally it’s always a lot of fun. We’ve sort of had a great time this year because the people who were brought in were lots of fun. I’m going to use that word a few times I think if I keep talking.

But in terms of commercially speaking for the show, Harry Potter’s very popular. I can’t see it being to the detriment of the show that you have people in the show who’ve been in Harry Potter. But I don’t think they’re in it. I don’t think they’ve been cast in Merlin because they’ve been in Harry Potter. I just think the producers have gone out and found people who would enhance the show. And that’s how it’s felt on set for us as well.

Troy Rogers: Okay, excellent. One more quick thing for Colin. Hypothetically, if you could become a wizard would you and why or why not?

Colin Morgan: Definitely. I mean who wouldn’t want to be wizard at least for a day. As long as you didn’t have the dilemmas and the situations that Merlin and staff was thrown into I’d be happy, if you didn’t – if you could actually use them, you know, to have a bit of fun and do something good for the world and maybe for yourself whereas Merlin’s kind of limited that he has to look after Arthur. But it’s all for the good, yeah, definitely.

Troy Rogers: So okay. Well if you could do something fun would it be like rainbows and fireworks and stuff like that or something fun?

Colin Morgan: Rainbows and…

Troy Rogers: I don’t know.

Colin Morgan: I am – I don’t know. What would you create? I guess something that could – I mean there’s always a search I guess for people and for happiness. And I guess whatever that one thing is that makes people happy, if there was some spell that could give people that one thing each, I guess that would be a good thing to do.

Amy Harrington: We were wondering if you were big fans of the Camelot and Merlin mythology before you signed on to be on the show.

Bradley James: Well I…

Colin Morgan: This is Colin. I guess…

Bradley James: I certainly was very aware of it. I think kind of growing up in Britain you find it’s kind of ingrained into your psyche a little bit without your realizing it. And, they’re very sort of inspiring kind of heroic stories. So I always sort of had an interest in it beforehand, not a sort of specific interest that I followed it sort of religiously or anything but certainly when the opportunity to work on the show came up I’d already had a sort of previous knowledge of what the story was about and what the legends sort of told. And it’s kind of obviously been enhanced by doing the show. And research for the show’s kind of I guess just improved my knowledge of various aspects of the legend.

Amy Harrington: Great. And for people who may not have seen the show before what – can you tell us what separates this version of the story from all the others that have come before?

Colin Morgan: Go ahead, Bradley.

Bradley James: Well I would say that we’ve completely butchered the legend and sort of reworked it for sort of Saturday night escapism because anyone who’s kind of quite strictly religious to the legend perhaps will take a bit of time to get used to what we’ve done to it. But we – I think we’ve taken the legend and kind of – I mean the producers like to sort of compare it with the sort of Smallville idea of having Superman before he was Superman. And I mean this is Merlin before he was Merlin and Arthur before he was King Arthur. So it’s kind of the prelude story to the familiar tale that everyone’s aware of.

Kenn Gold: So I – first question I had for you, I just wondered as actors, is there any I guess the word would be frustration or just kind of wishing things would move along a little bit quicker I mean with the Arthur/Gwen story line or Arthur finding out about Merlin’s magic and just the various elements of the plot.

Colin Morgan: This is Colin speaking. I think as an audience member, being aware of where these characters end up and knowing that they become the legends that they are, that Arthur and Gwen become king and queen, that Merlin becomes being accepted as Arthur’s advisor and a wizard and that magic is out in the open and I think when you know that that’s where they end up I think it can always be possibly a sense of frustration when you want that to happen quickly.

In reality things don’t happen that quickly. It takes time for those to happen. And I guess as well that’s from a story point of view. I guess from a producer’s point of view they don’t want to rush things too quickly. But I do believe that things are happening at quite a pace already in terms of character relationships. It’s just I think that we’re – as an audience we’re in the know about their – where they – of where they’re supposed to be.

Bradley James: We haven’t started on Season 4 yet but I would say had Season 3 not gone in the direction that it went in then yes those frustrations would have been there. But I think Season 3 kind of takes the show on in the direction it needed to go because we sort of had two seasons of, what the first two were about. And I think Season 3, things change.

So I think that was needed. And I think the producers kind of answered the call with where they went with the direction of the show.

Kenn Gold: Okay, great. Thanks. And a follow-up question: I was just wondering – I know the show takes on some of the core myths of Arthur but a bit differently. Was there anything that’s I guess been done on the show that you could talk about that just kind of surprised you the way this version takes it?

Bradley James: Surprised on the show? I suppose it’s all been a surprise really in the sense that they’ve had to introduce aspects of the legend in a completely different way.

I don’t think there’s ever been a kind of straightforward way of telling the story because it’s not really a way that the story’s been told before. I think that’s one of the aspects of the show that kind of works for people is that they’re not aware of where this story’s going to go even if they are familiar with the legend. I think it constantly is a surprise because there’s no set way of doing it I think.

Kenn Gold: Okay. And I have kind of a follow-up question here and then I’ll let somebody else jump in. Starz is gearing up with Camelot which is going to be I guess maybe a more conventional take. And so at some point there will be two versions of King Arthur on TV at the same time. How do you guys feel about? Or does that have any impact at all?

Bradley James: I’m quite looking forward to it actually. I’d quite like to see what they do with it because I think it sounds like it’s sort of something that is going to be very different from what we’ve done. The one area of concern is, people have done to death vampires where it could be the case, people do to death Camelot and knights and all that. So I think there needs to be a little bit of caution over that.

But I’m quite looking forward to seeing it because it’s, again, another take on a story that certainly in this country, people can relate to. So it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve done with it.

Colin Morgan: I agree with that as well. I think because you mentioned earlier about people being into Arthurian legend and how is our show different. I guess anybody who’s into Arthurian legends they’ll appreciate that they are legends and they are retold. And that’s a huge part of what the Arthurian legends are that they’ve developed and been retold over the years. And to have two versions of that once again on TV there, possibly at the same time — I’m not sure — I think that’s going to be fascinating to see on how each one’s done.

Jamie Ruby: So how did you two come to work on the show?

Bradley James: All yours, Colin.

Colin Morgan: Okay. It seems to be the same sort of process it has been for any other acting job. It’s a case of a script comes through, you audition for it, you get called back. I think there was a series of maybe four or five call-backs and that happened over a period of maybe three or four weeks for the show. And obviously the more you go back the more you want to be a part of it. And we could see that it would be a fantastic adventure to embark on. And to arrive at the point then where you get offered the role was amazing. And that was kind of my journey. I think – was yours more or less the same, Bradley?

Bradley James: Yeah. Yes.

Colin Morgan: Or not?

Jamie Ruby: Okay. So I know you talked a little bit about how it’ll affect the show – the season. But can you talk about working with the actors from Harry Potter?

Bradley James: I will. I’m trying to think who, we had Harry. We had Miriam. I don’t think it was too different than working with anyone else really. Again I sort of said that people that were brought in were kind of brought in because they were right for the role and enhanced the show and did something great with the characters which can be said for pretty much everyone who hasn’t been in Harry Potter I suppose. You went kind of on set going oh, that person’s been in Harry Potter, wow.

So now I’m trying to think who has been in Harry Potter. But from – Harry and Miriam and who else was there?

Colin Morgan: Well Warwick Davis is quite a highlight for me.

Bradley James: Warwick, yes Warwick of course.

Colin Morgan: Not because he was in Harry Potter but because he was Warwick Davis. You know? It’s…

Bradley James: Yeah, yeah.

Colin Morgan: ..something as Bradley said. It’s the actors as opposed to their credits that just is very much cast on people who write for the roles the same way we were cast in them. And it does feel great to have those people on the show.

Jamie Ruby: Okay, great. One last quick question. This one’s for Bradley. What do you think Merlin and Gwen’s part in influencing Arthur to become a great king?

Bradley James: Well certainly, with Merlin I think traditionally he’s always been a sort of advisor and also a kind of magical helping hand in sort of previous legends. I guess we’ll see. I think there’s a bit of a danger with Gwynevere sort of at the moment. The relationship hasn’t been developed as such to know what role she will play other than she kind of turns up at moments and kind of says you’ll be the king I know you can be.

So I’m not really sure what direction that will go. But I think the obvious one would be with Merlin being that sort of advisor and magical helping hand in times of need.

Tiffany Vogt: So if there is one particular skill that you’re going to take away from your experience of working on Merlin what will it be?

Colin Morgan: Well I mean you learn so many different skills I think on the show. And I think that’s probably what it is. The ability to adapt I think for me is – you’re asked constantly to, green-screen, adventure, horse riding, comedy scenes, dramatic scenes, everything. So I think the ability and the skill to adapt under a tight schedule is one that I’d definitely take away.

Tiffany Vogt: You’re taking away a lot of skills.

Colin Morgan: I know. I know.

Bradley James: He’s greedy.

Tiffany Vogt: So do you guys have any pet peeves with your characters?

Bradley James: Have any what?

Tiffany Vogt: Pet peeves.

Bradley James: Pet peeves?

Tiffany Vogt: The one annoying thing that they do that you wish you could change.

Bradley James: Oh Arthur gets knocked unconscious quite a lot.

Colin Morgan: And Merlin tries to bring him back from unconsciousness quite a lot.

Bradley James: But never managing. Why…

Colin Morgan: I could never manage.

Bradley James: Yeah. Learn the spell already how to do that. Yeah.

Colin Morgan: Yeah.

Bradley James: The unconscious part is played quite a lot.

Tiffany Vogt: Okay. That could be annoying.

Bradley James: Yeah.

Tiffany Vogt: So if there is one word that you would use to describe your character what would it be and why?

Bradley James: Fabulous. No explanation needed.

Tony Tellado: Just wanted to ask you two, where do you feel for both of you your relationships are as characters right now?

Bradley James: Oh, I mean I suppose we’re talking, what, end of Season 2, beginning…

Tony Tellado: Season 2, yeah.

Bradley James: …of Season 3, are we?

Tony Tellado: Two, yeah.

Bradley James: Okay. Colin, before I put my foot in it, say something.

Colin Morgan: Well Merlin and Arthur will always be – I mean, there’s always that (unintelligible) issue there of servant and master. And that will always be there. But these are guys who’ve been friends for three years now. And as anyone who’s spent that much time together you get used to the quirks and those little idiosyncrasies that each person has.

And – but it’s unique in the fact that these characters have huge things ahead of them and Arthur knows he’s going to be king. Merlin does too. But he also knows that there’s greater things at stake that he’s the one who’s supposed to see and to make that journey and to be there. So they’re forced into that situation. It’s just lucky that as time has gone by that they’ve just become closer friends.

Tony Tellado: Great. And is there anything – if – Bradley can tackle this. Can you kind of tease us a little bit for Season 3 what we’re going to see?

Bradley James: Well I don’t think it’ll – I’ll get into too much trouble for this. But basically I think the thing I was most excited about with the third series is the introduction of certain characters who have a more longstanding place within the legend and the story and within the show for us because there’s one or two knights who turn up. And I was particularly sort of really pleased about that because it’s had a sort of aspect of developing the show as well which is a great thing about Season 3.

Curt Wagner: Hi guys. This sort of got asked last time but I thought you might expand upon it. I was wondering how the relationship between the two of you — of Merlin and Arthur — will evolve this season?

Bradley James: Yeah, go.

Colin Morgan: You go ahead.

Bradley James: Well I’d probably say the same things as you, Col. Actually I’d say one thing different in the sense that you sort of mentioned that there’s that master/servant relationship which will always be there. And I’d probably disagree with that because I think they’ll get to a point where Arthur will no longer see Merlin as a servant, where they will be equals.

I don’t think that will happen too soon. But I think that’s kind of where the progression of that relationship goes. I think the show itself kind of – that relationship has to be quite steady in its progression anyway because it can’t make any sort of major jumps because I think it’s sort of quite important to the show. So if you suddenly made too much of an adjustment to it I think the audience would kind of find it a little bit weird.

I’d say that there’s that progression to them becoming equals and the sort of high levels of trust in these seemingly endlessly kind of mortal situations they keep finding themselves in. Mortal situations, that didn’t make sense. What’s the word I’m looking for, Col?

Colin Morgan: Lethal?

Bradley James: Lethal, lethal, lethal situations they find themselves in.

Colin Morgan: I’m sorry. What was the word?

Bradley James: Yeah. That becomes a case of them being able to trust each other in those familiar situations…

Curt Wagner: All right. And so we probably won’t even see Merlin telling Arthur, listen, I’ve saved your butt 100 times and stop ordering me around?

Colin Morgan: That’s what people are eager to see I think. And I think as long as there’s any hint of doubt in Merlin’s mind that Arthur might have a similar attitude towards – that his father does, if there’s any sort of hint of then it’s not the right time.

And you’re seeing Arthur change a lot. And – but I think while his father’s still alive — maybe Bradley wants to talk more about this — but, you know, while his father’s still around. And there’s an incidence there. And I think that’s in any kid’s or anyone’s relationship with their parents they’re always an influence there and you always want to do them proud.

And I think magic being such a big thing for Uther, it would be hard for Arthur to change that. And I certainly think – certainly while Uther’s still around it would be very difficult for Merlin to justify coming out in something so huge.

Bradley James: Let’s call the pink elephant in the room here. We need to get rid of Uther. Then we can get on with it. I’ll say it if no one else will.

Curt Wagner: All right. Well which one of the two of you is bossier on set?

Bradley James: Definitely Colin. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.

Colin Morgan: Yeah. Yeah. I’ll have to agree with that in case you boss me around.

Bradley James: I think like even if I’d never bossed around anyone ever before, ever, I think it would still be me because Colin is quite saintly in his behavior. And I think he could make, you know, Mother Theresa look like a product of the devil. So that’s easily me for that. In fact ask any negative question in terms of who is the – this or that, who does this the most, the answer will be me I would have thought.

Colin Morgan: I’ll always thank you for that reference to Mother Theresa. Thanks a lot, Colin.

Bradley James: No worries. (Unintelligible), she still looks up to you, Col, for your saintliness.

Continue the Interview on Page Two

I watched the Golden Girls just like everyone else on the planet in the 1980s. Perhaps the surging popularity of reruns of the show on TBS and similar stations has something to do with it. But…they have been airing reruns of the show on TV for years, and never before have I seen so much BW love.

Regardless of the reason, Betty is back and better than ever. The group boasts almost half a million fans and it’s growing, national news outlets have covered the story and even Betty has commented on her interest in hosting SNL if Lorne Michaels wants her to. Well, now we are hearing from the studio and SNL execs on the matter. While the studio is considering appeasing the masses with White on the show, I found part of their prospective plans for White troubling.

The goal isn’t to let White host alone. No 90 minutes of Betty White goodness is to be expected. Rather, the network feels a “Women in Comedy” show would better suit today’s audience. White would host the show along with contemporary comedians and SNL vets like Molly Shannon and Tina Fey. Don’t get me wrong. I love Molly and Tina. However, I feel that the inclusion of women of comedy detracts from the fact that this show is supposed to be about Betty White, because WE WANT BETTY WHITE TO HOST SNL!

Reading the “exclusive article” in EW makes me think that perhaps the issue is White’s age. The ageist attitude is one known well in television, and by aging actors. The reason I feel the SNL execs may believe White is too old to host SNL on her own, was this statement.

This tag-team approach will allow Lorne Michaels to appease White-on-SNL zealots (half a million and counting!) without making the 88-year-old shoulder the burden of all 90 minutes on her own.

It seems as if SNL is assuming White cannot handle hosting the show on her own and the only reason why is because she is 88. Betty White is a sassy, 88 year old woman. She has been in show business for eight decades. To imply she is unable to handle the burden of hosting all 90 minutes on her own is just silly and a foolish mistake on SNL’s part.

You can read the full article on Betty White and her potential appearance on SNL at EW. While I like the idea of a group of women comedians hosting the show (and wouldn’t it be funny to have Betty White and Carol Burnett together?), SNL should consider doing this show idea, but also letting the highly competent Betty White host a show on her own.

What do you think? Is SNL only letting Betty be a part of a show to appease fans? Do you think they believe Betty White is too old to host the show on her own?

Technorati Tags: Betty White, Facebook, Host, SNL, Women Comedians, Lorne Michaels, Saturday Night Live

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of May 25, 2008, which means you have until May 24, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From The Scandal Plan Or: How to Win the Presidency by Cheating on Your Wife Book Page

A presidential candidate behind in the polls concocts an outrageous scandal to improve his chances in this hilarious political satire in the spirit of Primary Colors

Senator Ben Phillips is the perfect man for the presidency. If only he weren’t such a straight arrow. He’s getting battered in the polls, and with only a few months until Election Day, his staff is growing desperate. Enter Thomas Campman, political guru. On a sudden inspiration, the eccentric Campman is convinced he can revitalize the candidate’s image by creating a fake sex scandal for him. Nothing too over-the-top—just a little scandal to make Phillips seem more human. Maybe even cool.

Though it takes some convincing, Phillips gives Campman the green light. The plan is set in motion, and, right on schedule, a phony former mistress steps forward to accuse the senator of infidelity. But scandals—even the premeditated kind—rarely go as planned. Before long, Campman’s scheme snowballs into a three-ring circus complete with a linguistically challenged Mexican chauffeur who thinks he’s James Bond, a highly sexed middle-aged woman who’s convinced she’ll never land one of the really good guys, and a political cub reporter for TeenVibe magazine who’s sure he’s on the trail of the biggest story since Watergate.

For those too well acquainted with politics-as-usual, The Scandal Plan is the perfect antidote. It’s a witty political farce in the tradition of Jon Stewart and Dave Barry that will have readers—and even candidates—laughing all the way to the polls.

Technorati Tags: Contest, Giveaway, Book, Comedy, Fiction, Literary Illusions, Harper Collins, Reading, The Scandal Plan, Bill Folman

Writer:

Spiderpig…Spiderpig…

Who could forget those infamous song lyrics by Homer J. himself? The sheer creepiness of Homer walking a pig on his ceiling was intriguing enough to make me want to see the very first movie in the history of the long running The Simpsons television show. I admit, I was puzzled and wanted to know where the heck Homer got Spiderpig and why he was walking him across the Simpsons’ family ceiling. I was looking for something new and fresh in relation to the series, which is now in its 19th season. I was happily surprised by the results of The Simpsons Movie and that is why I am recommending the film to anyone reading this review.

I don’t typically recommend a film so early in a review, but I think it is safe to assume those reading this review will stick around to find out why I found The Simpsons Movie to be so enjoyable. The show needed something fresh and new to keep viewers interested in a show that has been on the air since I was a mere 8 years old (Just for reference, I’m currently 27). That kind of longevity is surprising in any show, let alone one that is animated. The previews for The Simpsons Movie looked interesting, but they really didn’t tell anything about the actual film. I went into this not knowing what to expect or even what the story was about. That being said, I’m glad I now know the power of Spiderpig.

Release Information:
The Simpsons Movie was released in theaters on July 27, 2007. Despite the fact that The Simpsons has aired on television since 1989 and is now in its 19th season, this is the first, full length, animated ‘Simpsons’ movie. There was quite a bit of press on the movie, in hopes of building up anticipation to the release of it, by 20th Century Fox. On December 18, 2007, just in time for Christmas, The Simpsons Movie hit DVD store shelves and now, the DVD can be found at nearly any outlet, online or off.

The Simpsons Movie is available in widescreen, full frame, and Blu-Ray formats. The price for the movie on Amazon will run you $15.99 for the standard widescreen edition, $17.99 for full frames, and $27.95 for the Blu-Ray edition. This review is specifically for the widescreen edition of The Simpsons Movie.

The Simpsons Movie Plot
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should already know the basics about the Simpsons. Just in case you’ve just discovered the Internet though and have stumbled across this review of The Simpsons Movie, let me tell you the Simpsons are a cartoon family of five, with parents Homer and Marge, and kids, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, who live in the city of Springfield. Homer likes to hang out at Mo’s Tavern and Marge has a big, blue, hair beehive do’ she wears everywhere she goes.

Most people are familiar with all the regular Simpsons characters including Milhouse, Ned Flanders, Mayor Quimby, Mr. Burns, Edna Krabappel, Itchy, Scratchy, Grampa Simpson and even Krusty the Clown. These characters and more of the series regulars are enjoying their last peaceful days in Springfield. When the movie starts, Green Day is hosting a concert, on a barge in Lake Springfield. With such bad pollution in the Lake, the barge is basically destroyed and it is implied, Green Day went down with the barge a la the Titanic musicians. A short time later, the Simpsons have arrived at church though Homer isn’t particularly happy about having to go. After their late arrival (boy do they make an entrance), during the sermon, Grampa Simpson has a vision that something terrible is going to happen. While Homer and Marge roll him out of church in a rug, Homer isn’t convinced of the divine prophecy though Marge believes Grampa is right.

In the meantime, Bart is feeling left out. He sees how much fun other kids have with their dads and he wishes Homer was more affectionate. After a streaking incident that left Bart without pants, until Ned Flanders gives him an extra pair he always brings along, Bart and Homer are at the local fast food restaurant, where Homer saves a pig’s life. Homer has a “new baby” and he can’t wait to take ‘Spiderpig’ home to play and nurture the little porker much to Bart’s chagrin. As the movie progresses, Marge spends her time trying to figure out who is going to set the doomsday events into motion.

Meanwhile, Homer is always playing with Spiderpig. Bart and Ned bond as Ned can see how bad Bart is aching for a father. Maggie is the cute baby she always is and she’s discovered a sinkhole, which Homer hides by covering it with her sandbox. Lisa, on the other hand, has fallen for the new boy in town, a boy who is environmentally friendly and from Ireland, Colin. Together, the two fight to get recognition that Lake Springfield is a toxic waste zone and soon there is a ban on dumping waste into the lake. Of course, Homer comes to the ‘rescue’ when Marge finds out that he’s keeping the droppings from Spiderpig, now named Harry Plopper, in a big metal container in the backyard. Instead of getting rid of the waste the right way, they’re having a special on free donuts after all, he dumps it in the lake, contaminating it beyond repair and sending Springfield into a state of chaos.

The result ends in a Springfield kept hidden by a protective bubble, while the Simpsons move out of the city (to save Homer from a lynch mob) and are on the run as fugitives of the U.S. government. After making it to the promise land, Alaska, they find out the government is planning to turn Springfield into the new Grand Canyon and they’re the only ones who can save the town they once loved and considered their own.

While there are a few clunky jokes, overall The Simpsons Movie shines. Many fans have wondered why it has taken the creators of The Simpsons so long to make a film version of the show. I guess waiting so long really paid off because The Simpsons Movie is fun, laughable, and helps those of us longing for the first few years of the Simpsons, remember why we love the show as much as we do.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for The Simpsons Movie is excellent. There are very minor compression artifacts that might be visible, but I’m looking for them and most people aren’t, so I can’t say they were major enough to affect the film in a significant way because I barely noticed them. The Simpsons Movie was presented at an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 in an anamorphic widescreen format. Colors were vibrant and it was about as clear as you would expect a newly created, animated film to be. I was not disappointed in the quality, but by the same token, I don’t think it will be winning any awards for the visual experience to be had when watching The Simpsons Movie.

The audio was superb with options of 5.1 DTS and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound in English. Subtitles are also available and optional in English and Spanish. The Simpsons Movie was dubbed in French and Spanish and though I haven’t listened to their quality, I’m assuming they are as decent as the English versions. The bonus of such good sound is that I didn’t have to fiddle with my volume and everything came through loud and clear.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are some bonus features included on The Simpsons Movie DVD, which is always a plus. The first bonus is two different audio commentary options. I recommend listening to the commentary after watching the film first. The first commentary features Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, Yeardley Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Mike Scully and David Silverman. Meanwhile, the second commentary features David Silverman, Rich Moore, Steven Dean Moore and Mike Anderson.

I really liked both of the commentaries, but the first one is by far, superior to the second. You will find out some entertaining tidbits about the creation of The Simpsons Movie, with information on scenes that have been deleted and why there were over 150 scripts drafted when the movie was being created.

Other special features included on this excellent DVD are deleted scenes, an ad parody, and the Simpsons’ Special Stuff section with a funny parody of American Idol, where Simon sings and Marge, Lisa, and Homer play the judges (let me just say Lisa plays Paula perfectly) and other appearances of the Simpsons on shows including Jay Leno.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Simpsons Movie is fun. It’s a light, 87-minute long romp in Simpsons’ nostalgia that will keep you chanting ‘Spiderpig’ all day (and night) long. While I don’t recommend The Simpsons Movie for younger kids, older kids will get a kick out of the storyline and one scene in particular where Bart skateboard’s nude through the town on a dare from Homer. While this wasn’t the best film I’ve seen all year, it certainly wasn’t the worst, and I’m quite happy adding it to my collection for that reason.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Simpsons Movie, Fox, Homer, Marge, Maggie, Bart, Mo, Lisa, Feature Film, Cartoon

Writers:

Our Love Affair is a Wondrous Thing… That We’ll Rejoice in Remembering…

That enchanting song gets in my head and brings to life wonderful memories of one of my favorite movies. I would say that Cary Grant is at the top of my list of favorite actors and his performance in An Affair to Remember only strengthens my belief that he is one of the greatest actors of all time. All of the credit cannot go to Grant though. The elegant and talented Deborah Kerr, with whom Grant has such amazing chemistry, puts in the performance of a lifetime. Now, I have the ultimate An Affair to Remember DVD to keep the memory of their performances, and one of the only love stories I think is worthy of watching, alive.

New generations will fall in love with this classic, which their mothers/fathers and even their grandparents once loved so dearly. Every time I review a classic film that is as superb as An Affair to Remember I say ‘they don’t make movies like this anymore’. Well I’m saying it again. Not one of the new films I’ve seen this year can hold a candle to the magnificent creations of old Hollywood. Actors were held to a higher standard and that standard typically demanded that not only would the story be of a higher caliber, but the actors and directors would be held to the highest level. I remember watching An Affair to Remember as a teenager and truly enjoying the story. I feel the same way about it today.

Release Information:
An Affair to Remember originally aired in theaters on July 11, 1957. It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. So much has changed in the way movies are made and in the quality of films. 20th Century Fox decided to release a 50th Anniversary Box Set to commemorate this outstanding film. This is a two disc box set of An Affair to Remember and it’s well worth the purchase, even if you own the 2002 copy of the movie. With the enhanced quality and bonuses that have been included in this set, there has never been a release of An Affair to Remember quite like this one.

An Affair to Remember – 50th Anniversary Edition will be available at local and national retailers on January 15, 2008. The standard price for the DVD will cost around $14.99 at a retailer such as Amazon. You can’t get a better deal than this for such a remarkable edition of one of the greatest films of all time.

The An Affair to Remember Plot
An Affair to Remember is considered one of the best classic love stories to ever be filmed. Wealthy playboy Nickie Ferrante (Grant) and beautiful, former nightclub singer, Terry McKay (Kerr) just happen to be on the same cruise that is heading from Europe to New York. Ferrante has finally settled down and is engaged to a very wealthy heiress, Lois Clark (Neva Patterson) and Terry is engaged to a wealthy man named Kenneth Bradley (Richard Denning) who is quite devoted to her. After a mix up with Nickie’s missing cigarette case, which ends up in Terry’s possession, the two, who initially seem to dislike one another, end up becoming quite close.

After a visit to a villa located on an isolated hill in a small French village, where Nickie’s Grandmother Janou (Cathleen Nesbitt) lives, Terry and Nickie realize they have feelings for one another and the rest of the trip they spend together, having an unconsummated but otherwise intense love affair. As the boat approaches the New York harbor and their love affair is set to end, the lovers agree to get all of their affairs in order, end their current relationships, and meet again in six months, at the top of the Empire State Building.

For those who have never seen this but have seen the Nora Ephron film, Sleepless in Seattle the Empire State Building was chosen because of the movie An Affair to Remember. The entire film was used as the muse for Ephron’s film. In fact, there are many deliberate parallels between the two films.

While it looks as though Nickie and Terry are destined to be together, the inevitable happens when an accident causes one of the lovers to re-evaluate their relationship. Ultimately, it is a film about the ultimate love, denial and humanity all rolled into one. Just when you expect something is going to happen, it doesn’t and the story flows from each unexpected moment to the next. This is a film you can watch over and over again without growing tired of the story or any other element of this film.

An Affair to Remember has an amazing cast. There is no one quite like Cary Grant. He can be humorous. He can be charming. He can be dramatic. He can even be dark and brooding. The excellent thing about Cary Grant is he was unable to be typecast because there were so many facets to his career and so many different roles he played. In An Affair to Remember, he goes from tender to tart, charming to sensitive, heated to charismatic and that’s just the half of it. When paired with Kerr, the two have this embroiled chemistry that is as smoldering on the screen as some of the hottest sex scenes of today without the two having to remove any of their pieces of clothing.

The storyline for An Affair to Remember wraps up neatly with no loose ends. This is a simple story with many complex things happening to enhance the tale. This is the type of romantic film a man won’t have to be ashamed about watching with his girlfriend. I don’t believe there are very many films that this can be said for, so that’s definitely a compliment to the story, the writing, the plot, the acting, and the directing. All in all, the entire package is excellent and I really cannot complain about any of it.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The biggest question those who already own a copy of An Affair to Remember will wonder about is how this version stacks up to the previous release, which was put out by Fox in 2002 and digitally remastered for that release. The results are quite similar, but this version seems to be a bit more vibrant. More color is brought out. There are slight differences and slight improvements, but the result of the 50th Anniversary Edition transfer makes the visual quality simply breathtaking. It is a slight improvement, and while this may not motivate buying the set on its own, there are other features that do make this box set worth the additional purchase.

The transfer for An Affair to Remember was done at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The film is in anamorphic widescreen and there are very few, if any visual errors. I didn’t find any even as I was looking for them. It truly is remarkable how smooth the transfer went for a film that is 50 years old. I would purchase the film for the quality alone, but then I didn’t happen to own the film on DVD, though I do recall having an old VHS copy despite no longer using my VHS player (or even having one), for the past 10 or so years.

The sound has been improved slightly from the original version, but not to the point of digitization. Everything sounds natural and there is no need for volume adjusting. The sound options on the An Affair to Remember – 50th Anniversary Edition DVDs include Dolby Digital Stereo Sound in both English and French and Dolby Digital Mono in Spanish. Closed Captioning is available and there are subtitles, which can be turned on and off in both English and Spanish.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
While the last version of An Affair to Remember had several extras, some of which are included on the An Affair to Remember – 50th Anniversary Edition, there are so many extras included in this set that they had to be spread across two discs. To start with what was already on the 2002 edition DVD, the 50th Anniversary Edition features audio commentary with the singer behind the role of Terry McCay (she was the person who dubbed most of Deborah Kerr’s singing roles), Marnie Nixon.

The commentary also features Joseph McBride, a well-known film historian. There is a lot of interesting information to be learned about the making of An Affair to Remember and the portions with Nixon are of particular interest since at the time of its release, it wasn’t known that Marnie Nixon was the singing voice of Deborah Kerr.

Additionally, there is a program called “AMC Backstory”. This nearly half-hour long program talks about the making of the movie and provides insight into the backstory behind An Affair to Remember. This actually is a program that aired on AMC and it was placed on both the 2002 and this updated disc. There is also the original theatrical trailer for An Affair to Remember, Fox Movietone News coverage of the An Affair to Remember premiere, and galleries of posters and stills for the movie.

Then there are the new extras, which are only found on this disc. All of the following are featurettes. There is “Affairs to Remember: Deborah Kerr”, which is a profile that runs about five minutes in length on the actress behind Terry McCay and all of her various love affairs. There is “Affairs to Remember: Cary Grant”, which is a bit longer at a few seconds shy of ten minutes in length. This offers the same kind of profile of Cary Grant as the other featurette offered for Deborah Kerr. The featurette “Directed by Leo McCarey” examines the man behind this movie’s directing in a little over 20 minutes of time. The last two featurettes are “A Producer to Remember: Jerry Wald, which comes in at just over 15 minutes and the nearly ten minutes long, “The Look of An Affair to Remember”.

Finally, there is a paper insert included in the box set. This offers linear notes about An Affair to Remember and an envelope with postcard reproductions of movie theater lobby cards, which were made during the original release. The postcards (there are four of them) are in black and while.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I’m recommending An Affair to Remember – 50th Anniversary Edition for everyone regardless of age or gender. This movie is great. It has romance. It has humor. It has reality. There are so many movies that have been created thanks to An Affair to Remember. The legacy of this film will continue on as future generations fall in love with the movie the way Terry and Nickie fall in love with one another. You can’t go wrong with purchasing this DVD, so get it while you can.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: An Affair to Remember, 50th Anniversary Edition, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Classic Film, Romantic Comedy, Love Story, Empire State Building

LOS ANGELES , CA November 14, 2007 – Continuing to place high priority on building out its own tent pole franchises, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. has signed Paul Verhoeven to direct the highly anticipated romantic thriller THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR 2, the second installment in MGM’s highly successful THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR franchise. Rick Sands, MGM’s Chief Operating Officer, made the announcement today.

The next installment of the Thomas Crown franchise sweeps across Europe and the Middle East as Crown becomes entangled in a centuries old feud and must decide how much he’s truly willing to risk for love. MGM and Irish DreamTime will produce THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR 2. Brosnan and Beau St. Clair will serve as producers for Irish DreamTime along with D. Constantine Conte. The start date of production will be determined shortly.

“THOMAS CROWN is a rich blend of dramatic tension, high adventure, romance and just the right touch of humor,” said Sands. “Paul’s body of work demonstrates his ability to deftly combine those elements while telling a story that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. His directorial talents complement Pierce’s portrayal of the Thomas Crown character and we’re all looking forward to an engaging and entertaining film.”

St. Clair said, “MGM came to us after the first film with the idea that Thomas Crown was an intriguing, modern character worthy of a franchise. So Pierce and I talked a lot about how to continue his story in a different and surprising way. Given our ambitions, to put Crown in an international setting with a bigger set of challenges, we couldn’t have found a more ideal director than Paul Verhoeven.”

Added Brosnan, “Paul is on board to make a sexy, intelligent film and we’re very pleased to be working with him and also pleased to be continuing our partnership with MGM.”

“I love to tease the audience, to challenge their expectations for characters and storylines,” said Verhoeven. “This movie provides an incredible opportunity to push and pull the audience, whether through intense action and suspense or light-handed humor. I’m very much looking forward to working with Pierce, his Irish DreamTime team and MGM.”

Recognized for his provocative and often controversial directorial vision, Verhoeven’s most recent film is the critically acclaimed BLACK BOOK. Previous work includes the box office smash hits BASIC INSTINCT, TOTAL RECALL, ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS and HOLLOW MAN. The Dutch director first came to prominence in the U.S. after his World War II drama SOLDIER OF ORANGE and THE FOURTH MAN, a mixture of film noir fatalism and supernatural forebodings.

In addition to THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR 2, MGM is continuing to build its extensive film library with fresh installments of its tent pole franchises. Currently, Pink Panther 2 starring Steve Martin has wrapped production and the 22nd installment of the James Bond franchise starring Daniel Craig will commence production shortly.

Technorati Tags: The Thomas Crown Affair 2, MGM, Paul Verhoeven, Production, Upcoming Films, James Bond, Steve Martin, Pink Panther 2, Daniel Craig

Please note: The following rant assumes that the reader has prior knowledge of the events mentioned below.Who are our role models? For me, my role models are friends, family and those I care about. I’d like to think that all of us think this way. I’d like to think that some of us have that special teacher, parent, or best friend that picks us up when we’re down and helps motivate us to be better people. But what about those we see on TV? What about the sounds and images radio, film, and news media? Where is the media’s moral fiber?

It seems today that many of our so-called media heroes are either in rehab, divorced, incarcerated or facing charges on some sex scandal (e.g. Larry Craig), a DUI charge or complaining that they don’t get enough recognition for their work.

Recently, I happened to catch the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards fromLas Vegas.The opening act was the now notorious Britney Spears debacle in which she gyrated and stumbled her way thru a badly lip-synched performance of her new hit “Gimme More” in what can only be called sparkly underwear. I chalked this one up to just a bad performance, and waited to see what the rest of the night had to offer.

What I got for my viewing pleasure was what I saw as a two-hour long commercial for an Attention Deficit Disorder club in Las Vegas. Most of the performances were cut off in mid-song and interspersed with appearances by Miss Teen South Carolina (who still couldn’t speak correctly even with the help of a teleprompter), the ever so brainy girls of The Hills (who I still can’t believe are real people) and an impromptu fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock.

Topping the night off with the proverbial cherry was Kanye West’s adamant complaint to the press that he didn’t win any of the FIVE awards for which he was nominated, and that he should because, “[He] works hard, man!” I work hard, too! The man has Grammys, and he still complaining! He’s got millions of fans and millions of records sold worldwide! Kanye, do you really give a crap about MTV? As noted by Justin Timberlake on multiple occasions, they don’t even play music anymore!

Mr. West’s was the best performance of the night, by far in my opinion, but his tantrum and the night in general have forced me to realize just how shallow and devoid of character our celebrity culture is and possibly how shallow our “civilian” culture has become.

Is this what the youth of today aspire to be? Do they think they have to be on MTV Cribs? Do they dream to be rich girls who just do their nails and shop all day and complain about the boyfriends that they think they have like the Hills girls do? Do they think they too can be the bitchy, self serving people on My Super Sweet 16 who get “really mad at daddy” if their 400-person “best friend” party is not exactly not what they want? I most sincerely hope not!

I tell you this will not be my child ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever! With all the incidents this year of Britney’s mishandled babies, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan’s DUIs and jail time, and NFL Quarterback Mike Vick’s Dogfighting charges, I often wonder if these celebs plan this stuff. The follow-up celebrity excuses are almost as heinous like Paris’ “I used to act dumb,” or the now notorious NFL star turned wrestler Pacman Jones’ “I didn’t know he was a drug dealer.”

Let’s not for get Sunday’s miscarriage of justice, O.J. Simpson’s laughable alibi to his robbery charge, “I was doing a sting.” I don’t know what to think anymore! I mean, seriously, who would’ve thought that Britney Spears’ ex- husband, Kevin Federline would be our best pick for Father of the Year?

All this makes me think that the view of celebrity that I’ve always had is correct. As someone in the arts, who writes, raps, has met celebrities and considers himself a level-headed human being, I now challenge you to stop seeing celebrities as special. We’re all special. We are all unique. There is no one who can be you better than you, but that does not make you necessarily “better”. It does not make me an idol, and it certainly does not make a celebrity worthy of worship!

If people have an exceptional talent, it should be acknowledged without a doubt. If a person has amassed a great fortune though hard work, that diligence should be commended. However, to say that this person is better than you, I or anyone else is a matter of debate. What makes someone exceptional? Is it for you or I to say? I don’t think so.

Simply put, celebrities are people with talent in particular areas and flaws in other areas… no more, no less. Their status does not give them license to act like fools, throw tantrums, or drive drunk. We are not to bow down to them. Rather, I feel, we need see them for the talented people, they are while so knowing that character comes not with status, but with education, respect and humility. Maybe if Kanye felt the same way he’d be grateful for every moment he has on this Earth to entertain, influence and bring joy to millions across the world.

Someone once told me that we as people owe the world. The world does not owe us. I think these celebrities would be wise to take that message to heart. I think we’d all be better off.

Technorati Tags: celebrity, VMAs, Britney Spears, Pacman Jones, Super Sweet 16, The Hills, Kanye West Tantrum, Miss Teen South Carolina 2007

Other reasons Lindsay is getting an easy break include the closeness of the incidents, the “questionable” means in which the cocaine was seized (doesn’t this always seem to happen in the L.A. area?), her age, the fact she went into rehab immediately preceding each incident (not that rehab seems to work) and the amount of cocaine that she had on her.

While 24 hours of jail time may seem like a “lot” for a pop tart like Lindsay, she’ll be lucky to serve an hour. After all former friend, nemesis, friend, nemesis…er friend (who keeps up anyway?) Nicole Richie served just 82 hours of a four day sentence due to overcrowding in the L.A. jails.

Coincidentally, this is the same jail the on-again, off-again friend of both Nicole and Lindsay, head celebutante and dimwit extraordinaire, Paris Hilton, spent her grueling time in prison, though Paris did have to serve more time then both of the girls combined. Paris is probably seething considering a judge ordered her back to jail, while Nicole spent less than two hours (82 minutes) in her prison cell, if she even saw one at all.

While the L.A. Sheriff and the District Attorneys for all of these cases say these celebrity twits have served more than their fair share of time and/or have received fair treatment, not one of them has truly been treated like just another citizen. If Lindsay weren’t who she was, she’d be facing felony drug charges no matter how much (or little) cocaine she had in her possession. She would also be spending some time behind bars. This is the first time I’ve ever heard a D.A. say a criminal (because that is what Lindsay is, especially considering how many times she has broken the law) had a hard life so they should get a break.

Honestly, isn’t that the story for over 95% of the incarcerated population? They all have had hard lives with a bad home life. In their neighborhood though, it doesn’t matter if they are 17 or 77. They still have to serve time for their crimes with no special benefits. I guess it pays to live in and/or near Beverly Hills.

To further make those of us who already despise her lying, drug addicted self, Lindsay released a statement. To sum it up, it said she was a very naughty girl who was addicted to drugs and alcohol. She took the high road though and got help, again..for what is it..the third time? She’s getting the help she needs for sure this time, she promises. Thank God though that she didn’t hurt anyone because that would be like so bad. She knows that!

Meanwhile, reports are surfacing that Lindsay was out buying beer, taking a detour from her toilet scrubbing duties at the rehab center where she is staying. I’m likely to believe the rag sheets saying she’s doing it then Lindsay herself. After multiple on air, in publication, and through her representative “I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again” speeches, I just don’t believe a word that comes out of her lying, little mouth.

The big question then becomes, what can be done about this? Well we know her shit for parents (aka Miss Party Girl “Teen Wannabe” Dinah and Mr. “I’m a Drunk and run my mouth” Michael, are too dysfunctional themselves to help Lindsay. Hollywood is starting to give up on the actress, which is sad because out of the three girls, she was the only one with some sort of acting talent. If she wants to change her ways, she is truly going to have to cut all ties with partying and her cocaine addicted life, including contact with her mom.

It has become clear that Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay are going to have to kill someone while under the influence (or at least maim someone quite badly) before they will be serving any real jail sentence. Without serving true time, these girls are going to think that they are above the law, and nothing will happen to them unless they do something really bad (like murder someone). The sad part is, that’s more likely to happen then having any of them (except maybe Nicole who appears to at least be making some effort to change her ways, due to being pregnant) straighten up their acts anytime soon.

If you believe Lindsay needs to be in jail longer than 24 hours, and feel Nicole Richie was treated unfairly, let me know by leaving a comment. Perhaps if enough people feel the same way, a petition will be started in an attempt to show the world that those of us “average, every day” citizens are sick of celebrities getting special treatment.

Technorati Tags: Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Pop Tarts, Jail Time, Celebrity, Unfair Treatment, Crime, Paris Hilton, Charges Dropped

Magic: Tenth Edition Overview

Magic: The Gathering® Trading Card Game’s Tenth Edition is the “greatest hits” of Magic™, featuring some of the best and most popular cards of all time. As with each core set, Tenth Edition is an excellent entry point for imaginative strategy gamers who want to give Magic a try, while offering the classic cards and depth of strategy that long-time players have come to expect. Fans will also be excited to see that every card in the set is black bordered – a first for a core set since Beta’s release in 1993. With powerful cycles, incredible combo cards, and a few surprise reprints, Tenth Edition is the most exciting core set since Alpha.

Features of the Core Set Include:

• The Core Set is comprised of 383 cards (121 rare, 121 uncommon, 121 common, 20 basic lands)
• All cards are black bordered
• Legendary creatures are included for the first time in a core set
• The set will debut Tips and Tricks cards, a 16th card in booster packs which will feature gameplay rules, card combos, organized play information and even creature tokens
• Several aspects of 10th Edition were selected by players voting on magicthegathering.com including cards, art, flavor text and the expansion symbol
• Old favorites such as Incinerate, Lord of the Pit and Howling Mine will feature incredible new artwork from some of the best fantasy artists in the business
• Many other cards, such as Glorious Anthem, will also include updated flavor text
• The redesigned Two Player Starter featuring Tenth Edition booster packs was designed to introduce new players to Magic: the Gathering and includes previews of land cards from the upcoming Lorwyn set which releases in October

To celebrate the release of Magic: The Gathering® – The Tenth Edition fans of Magic: The Gathering both new and old are invited by Wizards of the Coast for a Worldwide Magic Game Day, which is to be held on July 14, 2007. There are already 1,000 Hobby Shops across the United States that are participating in the Game Day. To find out where: Click Here. At the game day, there will be league playing, learning demos, promo cards available, tournaments, Magic Contests, prizes awarded, and so much more.

Technorati Tags: Magic: The Gathering, Core Set, Tenth Edition, Wizards, com