TV Show Info:
Writer: Catherine Johnson
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Cast: Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Dominic Cooper
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Universal Studios

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: July 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: December 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

Long has the time passed since musicals were made on a regular basis. In the 1960s and 1970s, many of Broadway’s top shows were converted into film sensations. Some were highly successful, like the beloved classic, The Sound of Music. Others, weren’t quite as successful and were more corn fed than anything. So, in this day in age, it’s rare to see a full fledged musical adapted to movie.

I’d never seen Mamma Mia! on or off Broadway. I used to be in the scene, being a former theatre geek, who also happens to know how to sing. I just never got to see this show. That being said, I was both apprehensive and nervous about seeing this movie. First, most of the cast is made up of actors I respect. C’mon Meryl Streep and Bootstrap Bill in the same movie? How cool! Second, who knew if any of them could sing or not? Singing is kind of important in a musical, after all.

I’ll be honest, the singing is a bit hit or miss. There are a few cringe worthy moments, especially for Pierce Brosnan. No offense to Pierce. I liked him as Sam, but I wish they would have had someone else sing for him. During certain songs when he is singing solo, it sounds like he has a chicken bone stuck in his throat and he’s trying to regurgitate it as he sings.

Seriously, Pierce should have had someone sing for him. I can only blame the director for this one. Of course, while I spent a few moments cringing, it wasn’t so bad it ruined this energetic, fun movie for me. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed it. I just recommend putting on the subtitles while he sings and buying earplugs, just so you don’t get embarrassed (for him) listening to his garbling.

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Rosie O’Donnell is bringing the classic variety show back to television Wednesday, November 26th at 8/7c on NBC! She will also have a slew of celebrity guests, which include: Alanis Morrissette, Jane Krakowski, Elmo, Ne-Yo, Liza Minnelli, Anti-Gravity with the Lombard Twins, Kathy Griffin and more.

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Developer: Adobe Systems Inc.
Release Date: October 27, 2008
Retail Price: Adobe Flash CS4 Upgrade – $199, Adobe Flash CS4 - $699, Adobe Master Collection Upgrade – $899 Adobe Master Collection – $2499
Available for Purchase on: Amazon for $693.99 – The Adobe Website for $699

In the past few years I’ve become a competent designer. Well…at least in my own mind. I’m a self-taught web designer. I started out in PSP (of all programs) though I hate to admit I ever used such a substandard program. It wasn’t long before I started using Photoshop. This was way back in 2002. I was new to Photoshop and while I was told that all of the “pros” were using the program, I found it to be much harder to learn than the previous programs I’d used.

Still, I was persistent. I wanted to use what the pros were using. In time and with a lot of help from tutorials (as well as other designers) I became quite proficient in Photoshop. From there, the next logical step was to learn Flash. I was absolutely fascinated with Flash. I started trying to learn Flash back in late 2002. I was obviously quite dependent on tutorials and assistance from other designers in these early days. Flash was in one of its earliest editions, but it was offering a revolutionary new approach to design and illustration. I definitely wanted in on the Flash bandwagon.

Sometime in 2003, I found an excellent Flash tutorial website, Cartoon Smart. The site was (and still is) run by a man named Justin Dike. For a fair price, I was able to receive easy to follow and in depth lessons in how to do many of the things I wanted to learn to do in Flash. Since 2003, I’ve been a loyal fan and customer of Justin’s. I highly recommend all of his tutorials, no matter your level of proficiency in Flash. While I know quite a bit more, and have become quite competent with Flash on my own, I still find Justin’s lessons invaluable. I often buy new lessons and modify what he teaches to suit my own designs and illustrations. Without him, I don’t feel I’d know Flash nearly as well as I do today.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr.
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: August 4, 1950
DVD Release Date: November 11, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $16.99

The first time I ever heard about Sunset Boulevard was about the musical version. Having seen both that and this 1950s, Billy Wilder film, I have to say that you simply cannot beat the classics. While the musical is spectacular, the film puts it to shame. The splendid casting of William Holden and Gloria Swanson just emphasizes the magnificence of this film. When you think classic cinema, this should be on the list,  because they just don’t make these kind of movies anymore.

Sunset Boulevard was nominated for a total of 11 Academy Awards, and it won three for art direction, music and writing. The film noir genre has long since faded into oblivion, sadly, considering how well this film turned out. This is one of the last great film noirs. Billy Wilder hasn’t directed or written another film quite as powerful as Sunset Boulevard. In truth, it is his pièce de résistance.

The cast of Sunset Boulevard is what makes this film so spectacular. Besides Holden and Swanson, two of the best actors of all time, the cast includes Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Cecil B. DeMille, Hedda Hopper and Jack Webb. There are also cameos by popular, silent film stars Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson. With a standout story, memorably spectacular performances, and an undeniably emotional score, all of the elements of perfection come together in Sunset Boulevard.

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I’ve been using Flash for years. In fact, it’s one of my favorite programs to use for anything from web design to playing with graphics. I have no formal training when it comes to design. I just try to use my creativity and intuitive nature to figure out what I’m doing. Back in the day, you had to know a little bit about how Flash worked in order to use it. I struggled for some time, trying to figure out simple design concepts.

Like many other, struggling, self-taught designers, I scoured the web for tutorials, affordable courses, and anything else I could find. This brought me to the Cartoon Smart website. I’ve had a personal work relationship with Justin, the founder of Cartoon Smart for years, only he didn’t know about it until recently. You see, it’s Justin who has taught me everything I’ve needed to know about using Flash. Justin has taught me everything from animation techniques to Actionscript. Every step of the way, as I’ve learned Flash, Justin has been there.

Justin has been creating Flash Tutorial/Training lessons since before 2003. I know this because I have payments for lessons dating as far back as that year. I took some of his earliest courses and feel I’m all the better for it. Justin’s courses are unique because they make it easy for people of nearly any learning style to learn how to use Flash.

Those who are visual learners can watch the video and then copy what Justin does in their own projects. Auditory learners can listen to the instructions Justin gives on his videos. They are casual, informal and downright entertaining. Hands on learners have the opportunity to jump right in and get to using Flash as Justin is explaining how to do it. These tutorials are just so comprehensive, nearly anyone can and will be able to learn how to use Flash, thanks to Justin.

On the Left: Dominick - mid-tutorial on Part One On the Right: Justin's Completed Part One Tutorial Images

*Click on the Image above to see it in a bigger, easy to view form.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Billy Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, Ernest Lehman
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams, Martha Hyer, Joan Vohs, Marcel Dalio, Marcel Hillaire, Nella Walker
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: October 1954
DVD Release Date: November 11, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $16.49

Gone are the days of old Hollywood, when the movies were nearly as grand as the actors who performed in them. Luckily, we have DVDs to watch and re-watch these movies that reflect the exquisite performances in timeless, classic movies. One of these actresses is Audrey Hepburn.

I first saw Audrey in the movie, Charade. I love Cary Grant. He has to be at the top of my list of favorite actors. I found the pair to be exhilarating together and the film made me interested in Audrey, as an actress. From there, I watched My Fair Lady, The Children’s Hour, and Sabrina. Just looking at the array of titles I’ve listed above it’s interesting to consider how different these four movies are. The roles Audrey plays in these movies are so diverse, they really are capable of showing her range, as an actress.

I’m not big into romantic films, but I will give any classic a whirl. I’ll be honest. I liked Sabrina. The 1995 remake with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford simply cannot hold a candle to the original. It’s hard to beat any Billy Wilder movie, let alone one that stars Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden.

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LI Reviews is proud to be giving away three copies of SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 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 sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of November 27, 2008, which means you have until November 26, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
Famed Japanese auteur Takashi Miike, best known for cult classics Audition, Ichi the Killer, and The City of Lost Souls, redefines the spaghetti Western with SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, a tale written in blood. Two clans, the white, Genji clan, led by Yoshitsune, and the red, Heike clan, led by Kiyomori, battle for a legendary treasure hidden in a desolate mountain town. One day, a lone gunman, burdened with deep emotional scars but blessed with incredible shooting skills, drifts into town.

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The new CD, “UNDENIABLE” by Alvin and the Chipmunks, will be available on November 5. You can find a video for the Chipmunks’ song, “Shake Your Groove Thing” below.

Technorati Tags: Video, Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Undeniable, Shake Your Groove Thing, Song, CD

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Check out the latest webisode, “Surveillance”, from the hit NBC television series, My Own Worst Enemy.

Let us know what you think of this webisode by leaving a comment!

Technorati Tags: My Own Worst Enemy, Surveillance, Webisode, Episode, NBC, television show, series, Christian Slater

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Every year AMC (American Movie Classics) hosts a week filled with haunting and Halloween-y type of films. This year, the fun has already started, with some of the best, classic horror movies reserved for the week leading up to Halloween.

Halloween is this Friday, October 31, 2008.

Here’s a list of the movie schedule for Halloween Week FearFest on AMC. You’ll have to check your television guide for specific channel listings.

Monday, October 27

2:00 AM - Pet Sematary Two (1992) TV14
4:00 AM - Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1965) TV14
7:00 AM - Damien: Omen II (1978) TV14
9:30 AM - Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) TV14
12:00 PM - An American Werewolf in London (1981) TV14
2:00 PM - Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood (1996) TV14
4:00 PM - Pet Sematary Two (1992) TV14
6:00 PM - Panic Room (2002) TV14
8:00 PM - House on Haunted Hill (1999)
10:00 PM - Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007)
11:45 PM - Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood (1996) TV14

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