Technology changes daily, and because of our nature, we fight to keep up. Remember the days of the old black and white televisions that you had to actually get up off the couch to change the channels on? Those days are long gone, thanks to mammoth jumps in technological advances. Today, we have HDTVs and now the new 3DTVs, and that folks is the future of television: 3D News3D TVs.

People have always had a fascination for going to the cinema and watching a 3D movie; but, now we can do this from the comforts of our own living rooms. This development in the television world has brought 3D viewing home for the masses. This is even being developed for gaming, cellphones, and computers.

3D televisions bring home the experience of watching movies in the theater. This means more realistic movie-watching, and even regular television is in three dimensions. You do have to wear special glasses to obtain the full effect, but this is to be expected.

In 2011, however, the technology of 3D television viewing is expanding. In 2010, all manufacturers created special glasses that could only be used with their brand of television set. The first innovation being seen this year is universal glasses that work with all makes and models. Shortly, however, technology is being developed that will do away with the need for glasses all together. These are already being highlighted in the Japanese markets, and will soon be in the states.

As far as the 3D entertainment industry as a whole, Nintendo is already jumping on board with the newest version of the DS, the 3DS. The focus is still on television, but this is notable because it shows how popular this viewing method is becoming. Leading television manufacturers already have prototypes on display. Experts are saying that these latest development in television technology is not only going to be a boon for the industry, but it will come at a very affordable price, as well. Mobile 3D televisions will be the next wave of the future, set for release in late 2012.

This technology has been harnessed in every arena from 3D games to 3D conversion. The future of this industry is indeed very bright, and sales by 2015 are expected to top $100 billion.

The main focus right now is to provide more programming on local television that will be in the 3D format for these new televisions. It is expected that to begin with, people will mainly use this technology for the viewing of movies, but imagine all your favorite television shows in 3D, as well. Xbox is even set to release their own 3D games very soon.

Being able to watch a three dimensional television is a pleasurable experience, and new content is being added to all the major networks all the time. To find out more information, visit the various websites of the different television manufacturers to see when your favorite will be releasing the television of your dreams. There is nothing better.

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"Yes... the past"... Lestat De Lioncourt

The past can be both haunting, and inspiring. As I think back to the movies of my youth, as I am sure is true with most people, I find a strong sense of comfort, happiness and excitement. Movies, at once, helped me escape the not so pleasant side of life, and were themselves, legitimate life experiences. Only serious movie freaks will know what I am talking about when I say that.

One of the movies that affected me in a childish, and yet at the same time, transcendental way when I was a kid, was Tron. It's always been very surprising to me how few people, especially guys born in the 80's, did not grow up with Tron as a part of their library of borrowed imagination. Which is basically another way of saying, you were not a nerd, either overt, or semi-closeted. If nerdiness never grabbed you, then I truly think you missed out on a wonderful part of life as a young man (sorry girls).

Anyway, I've eagerly been awaiting the release of Tron: Legacy. I opted out of not going opening night, which now having seen it, I truly regret. I thought of a lot of things while watching this movie, which if nothing else, is a grand feast for the senses. One of the things I thought about was the 2009 film Avatar, a movie that I walked out of in disgust and disappointment. This coming from James Cameron, who has given us so many greats. The consensus among people who enjoyed Avatard, as I call it, is that the world Pandora, some of the "can do" attitudes of the characters, and the special effects were enough to make it thoroughly enjoyable. It being a James Cameron movie, I expected great things. Can you blame me? Instead I saw nothing of remote value or interest in the world of Pandora, so you can guess what I thought of the movie as a whole. I thought it totally sucked, in case I haven't made that clear by now.

Now, let's look at Tron: Legacy, a movie that I assume people will see for many of the same reasons as Avatar. They're fun to look at, especially with the resurgence of 3d appropriate movies. Overall, the reason to see Tron: Legacy, is because it is probably the best looking and sounding movie ever made. I'm struggling right now to think of one better.

I saw this movie with two close friends last night. One grew up loving the original 1981 cult -classic. The other had not even seen it (not meant to be an insult. As I mentioned before, many have not seen the original). Overall, they both seemed to enjoy it. I did as well, but we all had some problems with it. The kid was, well, terrible and boring. How many characters like this is Hollywood going to throw at us? A tough kid with a motorcycle, a hoodie, and gets into trouble. He might have been more interesting in the hands of a more capable actor, and I emphasize might have been. There is a significant amount of cheesiness. Ok, no biggie. I wasn't expecting poetry, nor would have I wanted it. But thankfully, the kid (Sam) is overshadowed by "The Grid", which is the world created inside computers and video games. And believe me, "The Grid" in Tron Legacy is something to behold.

I tried to explain the original Tron to one of my pals last night. I ended up sounding like a babbling fool. At first I thought I was just doing a bad job explaining it, and I was. However, I quickly realized that I have tried to explain the plot and the universe of Tron to other people with similar results. After reading Ebert's review of Tron: Legacy, I felt less like a fool. The simple fact is, trying to explain the plot of either Tron movie is basically impossible. Tonight we decided that the only way to explain to a person what the Tron movies are about, is to take an unfortunate turn for the simple, and say: "It's about what it would be like to be in a computer or video game".

The world of Tron Legacy is so mesmerizing, electric and exciting in a peculiar way, it should be thought of as a character itself. I'm going to quote a great movie man and close friend of mine when he discussed the Braveheart soundtrack. "It defies logic and understanding". Apply this quote to Daft Punk's contribution to Tron, and you will see what I mean. The stars of Tron Legacy are not the the actors (but Olivia Wilde has an otherworldly beauty and presence which makes her a perfect fit for a movie of this type). The stars are the special effects team and Daft Punk, working seamlessly to create a world unlike I've ever seen. But, for me, there is something more at work here.

I see movies for many different reasons. My favorite films are the ones that produce a profound feeling that goes beyond simple entertainment. I think I'm prepared to say that Tron Legacy is one of those movies. I remember when I saw a frisbee in my childhood home, my first thought wasn't: "There's a frisbee. Lets find someone to play catch with". No, no, even though I do enjoy tossing the disc. My first thought was: "That is my Identity Disc that I can use to destroy Master Control and make this a free system again. Let's play Tron." It reminded me of another time, when playing was my job, we were getting our first glimpse into the world of video games, and imagination was God.

Some of you will see Tron Legacy and hate it. I guess that's understandable. Those of you who loved Tron Legacy and are interested in the original, than "welcome to The Grid". And, for those few of you out there who loved both Tron movies as I did, then I hope hearing (a sadly masked Tron) make his classic statement of solidarity with his creator, made you cheer and fist pump as we did in the theater tonight.

"I FIGHT FOR THE USERS". Man, even sounds badass taken out of context.

Ian Dunham, here. I blog about films regardless of their release date for Zerosun Pictures.

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The movie, Terminator Salvation, came out in 2009. It is a Warner Bros. production and is considered one of their most viewed films. It is a prequel to the later Terminator movies that have been hits for generations. There was much anticipation from terminator fans about the release of this film. The film features Sam Worthington, playing Marcus Wright and Christian Bale, playing John Connor. The film was rated PG-13 because of its intense sequences of sci-fi violence and language.

The movie takes place in the year 2018. Skynet has destroyed mostly all of humanity and the remaining survivors live underground to escape the terminators, an army of machines that have taken over the world. In 2003, Marcus Wright is on death row at the Longview State Correctional Facility and is convinced to donate his body to research by Dr. Serena Kogan. In 2018, he befriends a teenager named Kyle Reese and a little girl named Star. They help him to survive the lethal machines and begin to travel together.

A group of survivors called the resistance are trying to figure out a way to bring the machines down. They discover a signal that may dismember the machines so that they can be destroyed. The resistance is led by John Connor, who seems to be the key to taking four machines out. The struggle to survive is on and there are only a handful of humans versus millions of machines. The survivor's know that the only way to make it out alive is to go into the heart of Skynet. As they embark on this deadly mission, they learn the truth behind the reasons behind four annihilation of mankind.

The Terminator Salvation movie made almost $52,000.00 during its opening weekend and grossed over $370,000.00 worldwide by September 2009. Most fans rated the movie with four out of five stars or five out of five stars. They felt that it stayed with the same theme as the older movies but a few hitches in the plot. Terminator fans were impressed with the movie's graphics. The overall opinion of the movie was very good and it was well received. Some of the reviewers believed that it was a little unrealistic how the humans beat the machines, but I don't think you could have made this a prequel if they lost. This is a must see Warner Brothers production.

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It's still many months away from being released, but fans are already getting frustrated with the Avengers movie. Whilst the movie cannot possibly live up to fan boy expectations, it wasn't too long ago people were really excited about seeing the world's finest superheroes united on screen. My question is, what's changed?

Similar to next year's The Dark Knight Rises, leaked videos and photos are already swarming from the The Avengers film. What seems to be the cause of the criticism are the recent pictures showcasing our first look at Captain America fighting alongside Hawkeye and Black Widow. I'll skip my initial concerns for Cap's goofy looking costume, to get to the main point. Nothing looks spectacular. I'm sure Iron Man and The Hulk will look impressive, but Hawkeye and Black Widow look entirely out of place, and to be honest quite dull. When you have a team of war machines, super soldiers, gods and monsters, two assassins seem to come up short. I'm not saying they shouldn't be in the movie, but considering no one has been greatly overwhelmed by the performances and cameos from Black Widow and Hawkeye so far, is it likely they're going to blow us away with scene stealing performances next year? Perhaps Marvel should have considered this when they set out creating their cinematic universe. What the Avengers needed, is Ant-Man and Wasp.

If Whedon had originally chosen to include Hank and Janet Pym in the Avengers movie it would have added a whole new dynamic to the team. The two original Avengers founding members would have created a sub-plot far more interesting for older viewers. I'm not suggesting Whedon should have looked at the Ultimates series and have Hank unleash an army of ants on his wife, but considering their unstable relationship, including Hank and Janet would have really added some much needed substance into Marvel's cinematic universe. Would the movie suffer from having a congested cast if Ant-Man and Wasp were included? Mark Millar's Ultimates series managed to handle all members of the team just fine. Joss Whedon's excellent Astonishing X-Men run proved the man in the director's chair could handle ensembles brilliantly. I don't believe it's a question of what might work for the comic book medium might not work for film. After all, these are meant to be comic book movies!

One thing I have to praise Joss Whedon for is that he isn't giving anything away too soon. Yes we have set-pics, and we know Loki is the main villain, but we still don't know what threat brings this team together. There have been rumours of shape- shifting aliens, sea monsters and frost giants but that's all speculation. Thanks to leaked photos and plot details, we already know most of the plot line for The Dark Knight Rises. Considering it's still many months away, I'd rather not know too many story details about the Avengers at this point.

Too summarise I think it's a little too soon to be judging The Avengers movie. We haven't even gotten our first full-length trailer yet, and fans are bashing based on leaked pictures. I'll admit, there are factors that could have been improved on, and I'm not a big fan of the film's roster. You have to give Marvel some credit though. They've put a huge amount of work into making this movie happen; therefore perhaps we should just be happy with what we're being given. It won't pack the substance of The Dark Knight but it's not like we've got a Justice League movie to look forward to.

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There is much buzz about the forthcoming Superman reboot, The Man of Steel which will be directed by Zack Snyder and hit screens in 2013. It's still some way off but Superman has always had the ability to get the geeks, nerds and fanboys, of which I am one, in a spin. And so in this post, a single blog entry, we will turn you into an Instant Superman expert.

These days he may not have the cool of Batman, but Superman was the first superhero and in many ways he is still the best. He's been around since 1938 and since day one has been the most recognisable superhero of them all. Created by science fiction buffs, Jerry Siegal and Joe Schuster, Superman's entry into print was arduous. When Action Comics 1 was published in June 1938, the character of Superman had been developing in the minds of his creators for more than five years, and had been turned down by publishers umpteen times. The Man of Tomorrow, it seemed, was too far ahead of his time for the conservative publishers of the period. It's hard to imagine now, in this age of superheroes, just how unique a concept Superman was, but put yourself in the mindset of a population where westerns and crime stories were the height of fashion, then this story of an alien who gains super powers on Earth and travels around in a skin-tight costume,righting wrongs and upholding the American way, seems radical indeed.

The character had originally been conceived to fill in the funnies section of newspapers, and when the story was bought by DC several newspaper strips had to be joined together to make a complete story - it worked and Superman was an immediate success. The man of steel's alter ego was firmly based on the then popular comedy actor, Harold Lloyd

The Superman of these early years was different to the character as we know him today - the biggest difference is that he couldn't fly but was able to leap over incredible heights and distances.

During the 1940′s the character was developed and many of the key elements of the Supesiverse were brought to the fore - Louis Lane as the love interest for instance was an immediate success and the character of today is recognisable in these early strips. The character of Lex Luthor was accidentally drawn without hair for a newspaper strip version of Superman and an icon was born.

When the war broke out during this decade Superman's villains, up to that point run of the mill masked bandits, suddenly took on relevance as Superman was called into service with many patriotic war based stories. Supes was taking his brand of truth, justice and the American way to the Nazis who were decimating Europe.

The 1950′s saw the public becoming bored with costumed heroes as horror comics became increasingly popular, but Superman along with several other big name characters survived and indeed prospered throughout the decade. The character's powers increased throughout the stories of the 1950′s. And he ended the decade as a kind of demigod - everything about him became super and the character could now boast:

Unlimited super strength, speed, stamina, endurance and durability.
Extreme longevity
Enhanced mental processes, defences, and genius level intellect.
Unlimited physical senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing).
Ability to perceive the entire electro-magnetic spectrum and various other forms of energy.
Flight
Flight across the universe to distant galaxies and solar systems,flying through space warps near earth and emerging many light years away.
X-ray vision
Heat Vision
Precise muscle control and vocal control.
Freezing/hurricane breath.
Super-Ventriloquism
Super-Hypnosis

The decade saw a new writing team which introduced elements that would quickly become part of the brand - The Fortress of Solitude was invented by writer, Otto Binder who had been poached from rival title, Captain Marvel and Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen also made his first appearance during the decade.

The 1960′s may have been the silver age for comics but it was the golden age for Superman, and when Otto Binder left the title in 1960 he left behind much of the groundwork that writers of the title would find useful in the years to come.

By this period the character had now become well known in mediums other than comic books - he had conquered radio, TV and the early morning cinema screens. Kirk Alyn had become the first actor to portray Superman on the screen in 1948′s Superman which was a serial filmed for the Saturday morning cinema shows. But it wasn't until the 1951 TV series that an actor really became synonymous with the character. With George Reeves in the title role the series ran for 104 episodes, from 1952-1958.

The 1970′s would not only see Superman: The Motion Picture, which even today stands as one of the best superhero movies ever made, but also reveal that Superman was beaten up by Muhammad Ali in one of the most surreal comic books ever. There were a troubled few years mid decade when a new creative team tinkered with the character and delivered an almost unrecognisable supesiverse - Clark Kent now worked for a TV news station and was an anchorman and many of his powers were removed to make him more vulnerable. However falling sales soon meant that the older elements were brought back - Though Superman's powers were never quite as great as they had been previously.

It was during the 1980′s that Superman was really reborn in the comics - The Crisis on infinite Earth storyline saw much of the DC universe rebooted. After this Superman found himself in the capable hands of writer, John Byrne who steered the character through come classic adventures. One even had Superman kill when he executed three criminals from Krypton - things would never be the same again.

The 1990′s dawned and by now comics had changed so greatly from the 1940′s titles that they were almost a different species, and no matter how many reinventions Superman had he was still firmly grounded in the 1950′s. The answer was to kill him - 1992′s Death of Superman arc was a sensation and sales hit an unheard of six million copies of a single issue (Superman 75). The character did return as a long-haired bruiser in The Return of Superman but DC milked the death and there were many follow ups though none were quite as successful as the death and return arc.

And now we enter the new millennium with Superman now bigger than ever - the Smallville TV series has won Emmies, there have been several big screen movies with three different actors playing the character, though thus far Christopher Reeves remains the definitive screen Superman. And in 2013 we will see yet another big screen version of Superman when Superman: The Man of Steel hits screens around the world.

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Product placement in the movies is nothing new. Although the number and value of placements has increased since the early Hollywood years and although many recent movies such as I, Robot and the Transformers Movie may be perceived to employ product placements more extensively and brazenly than movies from previous decades, the practice itself predates the rise of the Hollywood movie industry and is likely to be as old as cinema itself. In this article we explore some early examples of product placement in the movies.

Early cinema (ca. 1896-1900's) focussed primarily on satisfying the curiosity and amazement of the audience at the spectacle of moving pictures. Often coming at the end of a Music Hall billing, the audience's enjoyment of 'cinematic attractions' was likely absorbed at least as much in the novelty of the film-going experience as it was in the subject of the film itself. It was several years before more narrative forms of cinema became dominant. Early forms of cinema were particularly ideally suited to product placement and, indeed, it is often argued that early cinema shares more in common with TV advertisements than it does with more modern films.

Advertisers were quick to realise the potential of cinema as a media for promoting brands. In the early years product placement could afford to be brazen. Brands could be promoted openly and the filmmaker could be confident that their work would find an audience that would be keen to watch it. Even if it was, essentially, an advert. An interesting early example of this is a 1897 film featuring Admiral Cigarettes. Four men (one of them, bizarrely, wearing a traditional American-Indian headdress) are seated next to a large packet of Admiral Cigarettes. They chat casually. A woman in a navy uniform (though, strangely, minus the trousers) suddenly bursts from the box and, somewhat clumsily, showers the stage with cigarettes. The men unfurl a banner saying 'WE ALL SMOKE' and point to the giant Admiral Cigarettes billboard that forms the backdrop.

A good early example of product placement within a narrative context can be seen in the Edison Manufacturing Co produced movie Streetcar Chivalry of 1903. A young woman enters a crowded streetcar and a group of men shuffle up to enable her to sit down. An older, less attractive woman then enters the streetcar and the men ignore her by, humorously, pretending to read newspapers. The woman struggles to stay on her feet as the streetcar moves about and on several occasions falls on top of the men. Eventually two of the men leave and she too gets to sit down. All the while the audience are able to see the various overhead advertising placards for Edison Manufacturing Co products such as the 'Kinetoscope'.

Notable Hollywood silent era films to feature product placement include Fatty Arbuckle's 1919 film The Garage in which Red Crown Gasoline appears. The first film to win the academy award for best picture, Wings (1927), contains plugs for a few products including chocolate. In this film a dashing young airman is shown coolly munching a chocolate bar. The audience does not have to wait long to discover which particular brand our rugged hero prefers. After one bite he tosses the bar down onto a pair of socks. Helpfully, we are treated to a close up of the chocolate on said pair of socks and we learn that this particular airman opts for Hershey's when he wants something sweet.

The Marx Brothers comedy Horse Feathers (1932) contains a scene where the product being placed is the subject of the joke. A woman falls from a canoe and asks for a life saver. Groucho Marx tosses her a Life Savers sweet (for the benefit of non-US readers, Life Savers are ring shaped mints somewhat similar to Polo mints). Less obvious, but not necessarily less conspicuous, methods of product placement were necessary for later genres. The classic noir film Gun Crazy (1950) features a thrilling robbery at the payroll department of a meat processing plant. It could be argued that the Armour logo is somewhat unnecessarily prominent throughout this sequence. We also wonder whether it always has to be a Bulova clock that Bart and Laurie glance up to.

As long as there has been cinema there has been a medium for product placement. The challenge for the advertiser and the filmmaker is to present the brand to the audience in a way that does not detract from the narrative quality of the film. If product placement is overdone then there is the risk of a negative reaction from the audience. Perhaps the best advert for any brand would be for it to be placed in a high quality film. It seems likely that the best quality films, if they feature product placement, will carry it off with taste and discretion. Almost certainly, an audience rapt in a great movie like Gun Crazy will not take offence at the presence of Armour and Bulova logos during key scenes. What is difficult to measure is the extent of the increased awareness for the brands in question in the minds of the audience. Certainly it seems likely that association with a movie like Gun Crazy can only be a good thing.

More articles and chat of this ilk at http://www.trashmyad.com/

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So, we have another film that utilizes the P.O.V camera angles, similar to the styling of the very popular, The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. It is pretty cool to see a zombie film shot this way. Shortly before Quarantine hit theaters we saw the straight-to-DVD release of Diary of The Dead, which was also shot using the P.O.V angles. Quarantine was a much better movie, in my opinion. That's why I'm going to review Quarantine first. Some people complain about this type of film, but the person behind the camera in Quarantine is a cameraman for a television/news show. This means that the cameraman has some experience behind a camera. Therefore, things don't get too shaky on us. Which is of course, is a good thing. The use of this type of camera styling definitely gives films a more realistic feeling to it, if done correctly. Quarantine also changes things up a bit by having a ton of jump-scenes. Mix that with the realistic camera and you have some pretty intense moments. I saw a ton of people jumping and screaming in the theaters. This film obviously scared a lot of people. I also heard people verbally expressing their fears while watching the movie. It seemed people had a great time while watching this film in theaters.

Through the whole film, the cameraman basically follows _Jennifer Carpenter's character. Get used to seeing her; she's obviously the main character of the movie. So, we're basically tossed into this run-down apartment building and no one has a clue as to what is going on. This is the setting for pretty much the whole film. It doesn't take long at all for some action to begin, once we're inside the apartment building, anyways. Inside the apartment building things are pretty dark. At times, it's honestly a little too dark. This is where the realistic camera angles and the surplus of jump-scenes come into play. Some of the scenes are set up cleverly and you don't see some of them coming. The zombies also move pretty fast in this movie, just like the ones in the Dawn of The Dead remake. This also makes things seem pretty intense for the audience. Once things get going, you don't get a whole lot of time to rest.

However, with these types of movies you never get much of a story. It's usually characters thrown into a horrible situation and they don't have time to investigate, or figure out exactly what's going on. There are very few parts where we get any story at all, actually. Unfortunately, near the end of the movie is where the story begins to unfold. That doesn't last long at all, though. The bit of story we do get was definitely intriguing, though. I wish we could have gotten a bit more.

There were also a few cheap laughs in this movie which had people cracking up in the theater. I enjoy some cheap laughs, but it seems like they went a bit out of the way to toss those in. The characters act pretty typical. No one knows what's going on, why the building is quarantined and why no one seems to be helping them as there are a few injured/sick people in the building. So, they run around the building trying to find ways out, while avoiding the infected.

Of course, Quarantine is an American remake of a flick known as [REC], which came out shortly before Quarantine. I honestly do not know why people hated on this film and enjoyed [REC]. The movie is basically a shot-for-shot remake. Yes, I've watched both films and have compared them. The only difference I really noticed was the ending. I will say that [REC] had the better ending. Maybe someday I will also write a review for [REC]. I will have to watch it again, though, because I have only watched it one time.

Quarantine is good. It's nice to see a zombie movie in the P.O.V. style and it is packed with a ton of scenes that really make people jump. However, if you're looking for story, you're not going to find much in Quarantine. Also, I just have to say that Jennifer Carpenter, in my opinion, showed off some great acting skill. She did very well in this one. Overall, I give Quarantine 7 out of 10.

http://www.TalkHorror.com

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With his prominent cheek bones, sunken cheeks and aquiline nose, Peter Cushing is undoubtedly one of the most striking and iconic faces in the history of horror films. Coupling his dapper physical appearance with his quiet, well-spoken manner, Cushing has often been described as "the gentleman of horror." As a lifelong Peter Cushing fan, I would certainly agree with that appellation, as I believe he brought a certain kind of class and inherent quality to each role he played, be it a horror part or otherwise.

My earliest memories of watching a Peter Cushing movie go back to the late sixties, when I first saw him in the Hammer horror movies I grew to love so much. As a small boy staying up late to watch Appointment With Fear every Monday evening at 10.30 pm, I was instantly struck by this fantastic British actor with the compelling face, a man who could play either Baron Frankenstein or Dracula's arch nemesis, Dr Van Helsing, with equal charm and charisma. In those far off days, I had to be content with an old black-and-white TV set, so watching Mr Cushing in that context was thrilling enough in itself. But then, when we finally got our colour telly in 1975, and I was then able to view all those wonderful Hammer horror movies in glorious technicolor - well, that was an even bigger joy than my initial exposure to them on my old black-and-white set way back in the sixties!

It wasn't just the Hammer movies that I loved Mr Cushing in, for he did make some excellent appearances in the Amicus films too. Amicus were the main rivals to Hammer when it came to producing top-quality horror movies, and my favourite Cushing role in these portmanteau films was that of the tragic ex-garbage man Arthur Grimsdyke in Tales From The Crypt(1972), who is hounded into committing suicide by the cold-hearted actions of a snooty neighbour, who takes exception to the way Grimsdyke befriends local children and harbours dogs in his house, picking dirt out of what is, after all, just a simple case of a lonely, harmless old man playing the kindly uncle to the local kids. This is, without doubt, one of Cushing finest roles, and I really felt sorry for Mr Grimsdyke when his tormentor finally drives the poor old man to hang himself. But of course, this being a Cushing horror movie, and one where the character has been tampering with a Ouija board, it didn't all end there, for one year later, the rotting corpse of Grimsdyke rises from the grave to exact a grisly revenge on his ruthless neighbour, ripping out his heart and leaving it for his shocked father to find the next morning, wrapped up in a blood-soaked cloth bearing a Valentine's poem written in blood. Classic Amicus stuff!

Next to all his Hammer movies, the Cushing Amicus films take special pride of place on my DVD shelf. Whenever I look at my DVD collection, I often think to myself that when I used to watch Peter in all those fantastically creepy films years ago, I never once thought that one day I would actually own them all in this format, always there to watch whenever I want to.

It wasn't often that Peter Cushing played a baddie, but when he did, he could really impress, just as unforgettably as he could when he played the kindly gentleman roles. The movie that sees Mr Cushing at his most ruthless and nasty is, for me, the 1969 classic Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. In fact, of all the Frankenstein films he starred in, this is the one that really portrays the Baron at his darkest, stooping to such shocking acts as rape and murder. He blackmails a young couple to assist him with his ever-fanatical experiments, and when the girl, Anna (played by the lovely Veronica Carlson), inadvertently sets the monster free, he cold-bloodedly knifes her to death. Alongside the tragic image of poor Mr Arthur Grimsdyke hanging by his neck in Tales From The Crypt, the scene where poor Anna is lying dead with Frankenstein's scalpel protruding from her stomach in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed certainly ranks high in my list of Cushing movies which have the most shock value.

Of course, everybody knows that Peter Cushing did play many other roles outside the horror genre, and has appeared in countless stage productions portraying such literary characters as Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Oh yes, and who could forget his occasional guest appearances on The Morecambe and Wise Show, where he persistently harassed the two comedians for his "money." However, it is for his awesome performances as Baron Frankenstein and Abraham Van Helsing, along with all his other horror roles, that I shall mostly remember him. He made those parts his own - just as his great friend Christopher Lee did with Dracula and Boris Karloff did with the Frankenstein Monster - and nobody, but nobody, could fill his shoes in that respect.

The horror movie industry of today is, sadly, a much poorer place without Peter Cushing, the "gentleman of horror."

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Fair Game 4/5
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn

Leave factual accuracy apart- everyone has a right to know a different perspective on the reasons told causing war on a country. This movie does that honestly and raises many questions boldly. Can a war, and hence death and destruction, be enforced on country on basis of a suspicion? Were there other opinions among CIA ranks about presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Can people raise their honest voice if some privileged ones are cheating on their nation? It is easy to reject such ideas as conspiracy theories but it should be left on people to judge the diverse opinions themselves.

Post 9/11, Bush administration is looking to dismantle weapons of mass destruction. They believe that Saddam Hussein has made nuclear and biological weapon. They have reports that some Aluminum tubes which may be used for nuclear fission are available with Iraq. Some experts believe that those tubes cannot be used for nuclear weapons but the secretary of state and other government officials present it as on obvious proof of presence of WMD.

Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is a CIA agent and is working around the globe to track terror organizations and presence of nuclear weapons. Her husband Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn) is a former diplomat and is an expert on Africa. Plame is working to know the nuclear capacity of Iraq. With the help of family of a scientist in Iraq she learns that Iraq do not has any nuclear program running. Their program was destroyed by America in the Gulf War. The Iraqi Scientist says" We don't even have spare parts to fix a tank- they must know that".

CIA gets reports that tons of Uranium has moved from Niger to Iraq. CIA on recommendation of Plame sends Wilson (on account of his knowledge of the area) to Niger to know about movement of Uranium. He goes there and reports against the movement of Uranium. He gets frustrated when he hears the president, George W. Bush, telling about Saddam's nuclear weapons and provides uranium movement as its proof.
Wilson writes an article "What I did not find in Africa". That article angers the White house and they hit back. They reveal the identity of Valerie Plame and tell that Wilson was sent by her wife and not by CIA. They do personal attacks on them which puts huge strain on the married life of the two. This also brings tragic repercussions on the life of people that were on field in Iraq for Plame. Wilson keeps on his offensive against the wrong information presented by the Bush administration on Iraq issue. He gives television interviews, addresses public sessions and writes articles. The film ends at cheering on truth and justice.

Naomi Watts' acting is the real soul of this movie. She is subtle, restrained and impressive. Sean Penn is immensely watchable as his character develops.

He says at an address "The responsibility of a country is not in the hands of a privileged few. We are strong, and we are free from tyranny as long as each one of us remembers his or her duty as a citizen. Whether it's to report a pothole at the top of your street or lies in a State of the Union address, speak out! Ask those questions. Demand that truth. Democracy is not a free ride, man. I'm here to tell you. But, this is where we live. And if we do our job, this is where our children will live. God bless America"

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Have you ever wondered what would occur if the core elements of Black Swan and Paranormal Activity were mixed together with an added dash of classic and Japanese horror themes? The result is the disturbingly wonderful haunted house ride of Insidious.

Renai, Josh and their three children are beginning to settle into their new home. Dalton, the oldest of the children, explores the cause of a curious noise emanating from the attic. While pulling the light switch, he steps on a rotten rung of a ladder, which proceeds to break under the weight, and the child comes crashing to the ground. Renai and Josh doctor his wounds and tuck him into bed that evening. The following morning, they discover Dalton in a coma-like state, which cannot be explained by his doctors. Henceforth, a series of unexplainable events occur to the family, leading them to move houses and enlist the help of a psychic in pursuit of answers regarding their son.

This film could be best described as a cinematic version of 'Frankenstein's Monster' in so far that it incorporates several successful themes previously employed by other widely known films, such as, The Matrix, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Crow, just to name a few. These borrowed themes manifest to form a rather entertaining scarefest; however, much like 'Frankenstein's Monster,' this film has been rejected by a number of audiences and prominent critics.

The cast and crew of Insidious could easily be described as an 'all star lineup.' Director James Wan, best known for his work with the Saw franchise, does a superb job as his attention to detail resonates throughout the film. Leigh Whannell, also from the Saw franchise and Wan's film school friend, served as the screenwriter for the film. The film's producer is Oren Peli, the writer/director of Paranormal Activity. Josh, the husband, is portrayed by Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, Little Children). Renai is played by Rose Bryne (28 Weeks Later, Knowing). Dalton is portrayed by Ty Simpkins (Little Children). Needless to say, this crew is rather qualified.

Despite such a talented cast and crew, this film has one noticeable flaw: the majority of supernatural events are not adequately explained, especially those during the first half of the film. This does not hinder the experience of the film, mainly, because the audience will be too engaged in the wildly evolving story to even care.

Outside of that seemingly logical detour, this film is nothing but amazing. It is able to build tension with ease and enhance it with the occasional interjection of comic relief. Insidious is the triumph of this well assembled cast and crew.

Rating: 9/10

Brett Mullins is a studying economist, philosopher, coffee obsessor and film lover. He currently writes for Disturbing Films, a branch of 5 Corpse Productions. Look forward to other works from this author in the near future.

You can visit Disturbing Films at http://www.disturbingfilms.com

Also, you can visit 5 Corpse Productions at http://www.5corpse.com

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