Tag: movies

0

Science Fiction Films

The Woman in Black vs. Chronicle

While I normally do an extensive amount of research on a single film before writing a review, I believe both of these film science fiction films stand on their own without mention of anything extra-- perhaps to sway my audience one way or another. In my opinion this was a very successful weekend in movies as I attended a showing of both the Woman in Black and Chronicle this opening weekend. The movies for the most part are incomparable, much like apples and oranges, both taste great in their own way.  With everyone on a tight budget and the prices of theaters going up the big question is, what movie should I see?

If you’re going to take my word for it, I’d go with Chronicle. The movie received mostly positive reviews-- as I was convinced after visiting the rotten tomatoes ( www.rottentomatoes.com ) website that I should see both. Admittedly the preview for the Woman in Black, staring Daniel Radcliffe (who we know played Harry Potter in all eight Harry Potter films for the last eleven years), took away most of the scares for the film, but it did not steal from the plot. On the other hand, the preview for Chronicle, staring a new cast of actors who most of us are unfamiliar with, did it no justice whatsoever.

While the Woman in Black remains a bit predictable, Radcliffe is a solid actor portraying an attorney sent to shift through mountains of paper in an old house said to be cursed, Chronicle is a heartwarming and crestfallen tale about three boys who discover something amazing and gain supernatural powers; the boys struggle to deal with these new powers and keep faith in their strange friendship.  It’s documentary type shots make the film unique and most importantly a film you won’t forget as soon as you leave the theater. On a scale of one to ten, the Woman in Black is a seven and one on that same scale, Chronicle is most certainly, a definite, nine-- worth every penny.

Genice Pinckney

Spin Live Weekly

   

0

Foreign Films

Three Foreign Films that will have a lot of Buzz in 2012

THE FLOWERS OF WAR

The Flowers of War is a Chinese film based on the novel “The 13 Women of Nanjing” by Geling Yan. The Flowers of War is a Chinese produced film that ironically stars Christian Bale.  The film is set in 1937 in Nanjing, China.  The story is told during the Nanjing Massacre and the crux of the plot concerns a group of people who fight to escape the massacre by finding safety in a church compound. Christian Bale’s international star power will definitely bring some attention to this foreign film. The film was released in China on December 16, 2011 and is anticipated to be released in the US and UK sometime early 2012.

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY

In The Land of Blood and Honey will get tons of attention not necessarily because of the story or content, but because of the person that was behind the camera directing. Angelina Jolie makes her directorial debut in this foreign language film that chronicles the relationship of a Bosnia soldier and a Bosnia woman during The Bosnia War. The soldier is a captive in a Bosnia camp that he once oversaw as a soldier and has to deal with the complex relationship that he now has with a Bosnia woman in which he once had a relationship. The release date for the film was December 23, 2011.

A SEPARATION

A Separation is an Iranian made film; this film is about a married couple that separates while struggling with the dilemma of either choosing to move out of Iran for a better life for their child, or staying in Iran to take care a deteriorating parent that has Alzheimer’s disease.  This film will get buzz not just because of the acclaim it’s already received internationally, but because it’s a product of a country that many in the West are convinced is the 21^st century’s biggest threat to Democracy: Iran. The film was released March 16, 2011, but it will probably get a wider release and viewership after the 2012 awards season in the United States.

Anthony Thomas

--

Spin Live Weekly

0

Two Non-Mainstream Films

American Beauty Watching Kevin Spacey play a forty-something male suburbanite in the midst of a midlife crisis completely changed how I viewed what most people call the American Dream. On the surface, “Lester” (Spacey’s character) seemed to have accomplished the American Dream: A beautiful, professionally accomplished wife, a witty teenage daughter and a large-attractive home and successful career. However, beneath this pretty surface, his wife was cold, prude and materialistic, his daughter hated his guts, and the company he worked for tried to make him grovel just to keep his job after fifteen years of faithful service. Well of course, “Lester” had enough of this personal Hell and rebelled. Lester felt as if he had been locked in a prison that he created for himself and he spent most of the film trying to break out of that very prison. Lester confronts his wife about her detestable and vain behavior, he quits his job in spectacular fashion, he starts smoking marijuana and begins to lust after a popular underage girl. Although many of the things “Lester” did in “American Beauty” to rebel from his prison may not have been the best things to do for a number of reasons, the crux of the films satirical message was that the picture-perfect life of a well paying job, beautiful wife and kid, and expensive suburban home doesn’t necessarily translate into joy in one’s life.  The film critiqued many stale and static ideas of success, happiness and beauty, and challenged viewers to look within themselves for those things and to seek joy in any way possible. I’ve tried to live by the film’s message ever since I saw it twelve years ago. School Daze “School Daze” was not one of Spike Lee’s most celebrated films, but it certainly was one of his most ambitious films as far as themes he examined. African-American intercultural racism, classism, sexism and the effects of Black color complexes are things I have yet to see addressed in any meaningful way since “School Daze”. On the surface, “School Daze” seemed just like a goofy Black comedy, but beneath the surface, the film asked serious questions about the need for Black colleges, the purpose of Black Fraternities and Sororities, what are viable aesthetics for Black women—not to mention questions about Black sexism and relationships between Blacks who attend college and those who don’t.  The film threw lots at the audience to ponder and I appreciated that when I initially saw the film. Like most Spike Lee’s films, all the right questions were asked and no easy answers were given, and this put the audience in a position to do something revolutionary by today’s standards: Think.   By nature, I’ve  always been curious about what’s beneath the surface, and both “American Beauty” and “School Daze” are two non-mainstream films that asked deep-seated questions about two things I had always thought about:  Who am I as an African American man, and more, importantly, what makes me happy?  Anthony Thomas -- Spin Live Weekly   Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us

0

Mindy McCready

Custody battles are not easy.  This is a fact that country singer Mindy McCready http://www.mindymccready.com/site/ has learned the hard way.  It’s a story we hear often:  A mother or father feels they are not getting treated fairly by the courts or the other parent and decide to take matters in their own hands.  After suicide attempts, drug overdoses, jail time and probation violations, rehab, affairs with baseball stars, sex tape releases, and domestic assaults, Mindy McCready can now be added to the statistics.  Lucky for her the end result may be a positive in her favor whether it’s deserved or not. Mindy McCready wanted to begin her career early so she got her GED so she could leave school.  She moved to Nashville at the age of 18 and signed to BNA Records and started recording.  In 1996 she released her debut album, Ten Thousand Angels, and sold two million copies.  Following up in 1997, McCready released her second album, If I Don’t Stay the Night, which sold 825,000 copies.  Then in 1999, McCready’s third album, I’m Not So Tough, met with less success only selling 144,000 copies.  With this commercial failure it was no wonder her label dropped her soon after.  McCready tried her luck again by signing with Capitol Records and putting out a fourth album.  This 2002 self titled work was another sales disaster which caused her to be dropped from Capital Records http://www.capitolrecords.com/.  In June of 2009, McCready signed on to appear on the reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and in March 2010 McCready released her fifth album, I’m Still Here. It’s possible that the problems with McCready’s failing record sales would run hand in hand with her personal life.  She had an abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight, which followed with numerous suicide attempts, drug problems and constant arrests.   In March 2006, McCready gave birth to her and McKnight’s son, Zander Ryan McCready. Now you would think that having a child would slow her down and keep her out of trouble.  In 2007, after more legal trouble, McCready finally saw jail time. She was released in December after serving four months only to be sentenced again for another probation violation in June 2008.  This time she served 30 days.   This would be around the time she lost custody of her son, Zander, to her mother and with McCready’s history this is not surprising. After bouts with drugs and rehabs, McCready has been fighting her mother for custody of Zander since early 2010.  She has gone through the motions of proving her fitness to be a competent mother by passing various exams, tests and evaluations.  Sometimes, whether it’s right or wrong, a parent can wait but so long for the courts to see things their way; especially when they suspect abuse by the party that has custody.  McCready’s parents are divorced and because of the estranged relationship with her mother, McCready sees Zander while she visits with her father in Florida.  During a late November visit, McCready took the opportunity to liberate her son from her mother’s alleged abuse.  After almost more than a week being “missing”, McCready and Zander were found, safe and sound, in Arkansas Friday evening, December 2.  Now, after all that, a juvenile court judge in Arkansas ruled in McCready’s favor on Monday, December 5.  Leaving the courthouse she said, “I can’t talk about it, but I can tell you all I’m a happy girl.  I’m a happy girl right now.  I love Judge Harrod, I’ll tell you that.  I love that man.  He’s a good man.” To add to the custody drama that is the soap opera of Mindy McCready’s life she announced last week that she is pregnant with twins. God help these kids.  I would like to hope she puts the drugs, suicide attempts, and other drama behind her and focus on these children. Don’t fight a custody battle if you are not prepared to win at life and life for the child.  McCready’s history would give me pause in any decision if I were a judge.  I would like to direct you to her website http://www.mindymccreadyfans.com for more information, however, there’s not much there except pictures from when she was making hits. http://www.vyzionradio.com/request-line/  Kenny Walker Jr -- Spin Live Weekly Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us    

7

10 Ways People Think

#1: Successful people are Cause people and unsuccessful people are Effect people.

Successful people believe that they create their lives.  Unsuccessful people believe that life just happens to them.  What side of the Cause and Effect equation are you on?  Do you believe that you create your destiny and that you are in control of your life or do you believe that your destiny is controlled by others and what happens to you is because of what someone else is doing or has done? Cause (Successful) people invest the majority of their time and energy accepting what happens, looking at the situation, learning from it and making different and better decisions the next time.  Effect (Unsuccessful) people invest the majority of their time and energy complaining about what is going on in their lives and blaming everything and everyone else for their problems instead of learning the valuable lessons and making better decisions. #2: Successful people focus on opportunities; unsuccessful people focus on obstacles. Do you self-talk yourself out of the things you truly desire?  Do you find yourself focusing on all the reasons why something will not work instead of concentrating and focusing on all the reasons why it will?  This is a major difference between the thinking of successful people and unsuccessful people.  If there is something in your life you truly desire to accomplish, find all the reasons why you will be successful at it and if necessary, find someone who is doing or has done what you desire to do successfully and model what they are doing or what they did.  You don't have to recreate the wheel to be successful.  You just have to find and follow the blueprint of a successful wheel. #3: Successful people play to win; unsuccessful people play not to lose. There is a tremendous difference between playing to win and playing not lose.  When one plays to win, losing is not a variable in the equation; therefore, the focus is totally on the outcome desired which is accomplishing the objective successfully.   When one plays not to lose, “What if” becomes a variable in the equation and instead of completely focusing on a successful outcome, the mind begins to wonder and doubt finds an opening to creep in.  Once there, doubt can quickly and easily transform into worry and worry into fear; and, as we know, fear when not addressed properly can be crippling. #4: Successful people act in spite of fear; unsuccessful people allow fear to stop them. It is not necessary to attempt to completely rid yourself of fear to become successful.  Instead, be willing to come outside of your comfort zone and do what is necessary to accomplish what you desire.  Fear is a part of life and when managed and dealt with properly, it does not have to be an obstacle that is difficult to alleviate, or that blocks you from accomplishing your goals. #5: Successful people are committed to a dream or goal; unsuccessful people want a dream or goal. There are three levels of desiring something (Level 1: Want; Level 2: Choose; Level 3: Commit).  Let's use wealth for an example. Level 1: I want to be wealthy Level 2: I choose to be wealthy; and Level 3: I commit to being wealthy. As you can see, there’s a tremendous difference between Level 1 and Level 3.  Wanting something and committing to something are two different levels of desire.   When you commit to something, you set into motion a shift in energy that will begin to attract what it is you’re committing to.  Commitment along with working right, then working smart, then working hard is a powerful combination that will propel you towards the lifestyle you truly desire to live. #6: Successful people think both; unsuccessful people think either or.  When opportunities present themselves, you do not always have to choose between which one to accept.  You can be wealthy and happy.  You can be God-Fearing and rich.  You can be direct and considerate.  You can say, "No" and still be nice.  Successful people understand and embrace being a model of success.  They display how one can be happy, wealthy, nice, kind, God-Fearing, spiritual, considerate, rich, giving, etc. all together.  #7: Successful people constantly learn and grow; unsuccessful people think they already know. In too many cases, it’s difficult to get unsuccessful people to do things differently because they believe they already know what to do.  The fact of the matter is, if an individual is not as successful as they desire to be, there is something they don’t know. Successful people are constantly taking action when it comes to increasing their learning.  They embrace the understanding that if someone is doing something successful they desire to do, they need to find out exactly what that individual is doing and do it.   #8: Successful people associate with positive successful people; unsuccessful people associate with negative unsuccessful people. Successful people are constantly associating themselves with people who are more successful than they are so that they can learn what these individuals have done or are doing to obtain their level successful. Your environment is absolutely critical to your success.  The individuals you associate with are a huge part of that environment.  I’m not stating you have to completely separate yourself from everyone in your life who is not going in the same direction of success you desire; however, I am stating you have to be in control of who and what influences you. #9:  Successful people are flexible in their thinking and behavior; unsuccessful people are not. Successful people quickly adapt to change.  Being flexible in one’s behavior and understanding that change is a necessity is an extremely important variable in the equation of success.  Those who find it difficult or impossible to change with changing times will quickly find themselves becoming the victim instead of the victor. Understanding what changes are necessary is just as important as the ability to accept change.  There are newer trends occurring around us constantly from moment to moment especially with technology and society evolving as quickly as they are.   #10:  Successful people model themselves after other successful people; unsuccessful people model themselves after other unsuccessful people. Whoever has your ear has your destiny.  This is a simple statement but it’s oh so powerful.  Who are you listening to?  Who are you striving to be like?  If you desire wealth, a better relationship, more influence, a better job, or a more fulfilling life, who are you learning from? Successful people understand that they do not have to recreate the wheel.  They understand that all they have to do is find someone who is doing or who has done successfully what they desire to do and model their behavior.  Unsuccessful people, all too often, listen to people who are in worse shape then they are.  How can an individual who has never accomplished what you desire to accomplish assist you with accomplishing it? Does this mean you should limit your interactions with the individuals in your life; you are close to, those who are not going and growing in the same direction as you?  It doesn't mean that at all.  However, it does mean you have to be extremely selective in reference to what you allow to soak into your subconscious mind.   K. L. Alston, MA Best Selling Author, Certified Master Peak Performance Coach, Certified NLP Practitioner and Master Trainer   Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us    

1

Vision

“The ability to see things yet unseen…. Every great achievement begins with a vision, a dream of something exciting or different, a feeling that inspires and motivates you to aim higher and beyond anything that you have ever achieved before. What is your vision for your life? Imagine for a moment that you have no limitations on what you can be or do. Imagine that you have all the time and all the money, all the knowledge and experience, all the skills and resources, all the friends and contacts. If you could have anything in your life, what would it be? Project forward five years and imagine that your life is now perfect in every way. What does it look like? What are you doing? Who is there with you? Who is no longer there? Describe your ideal future as if it was perfect in every respect. Take a breath. Gave you something to think about, didn't I? Now, onto the key to success... After years of searching, I met a wise and wealthy man who sat me down and told me the key to success. He also explained the reasons for failure and under-achievement in life. As he spoke, I immediately recognized the truth in what he said. And his discovery about success was quite simple, as all great truths seem to be. What he told me was this: “The key to success is for you to set one big, challenging goal and then to pay any price, overcome any obstacle, and persist through any difficulty until you finally achieve it.” By achieving one important goal, you create a pattern, a template for success in your subconscious mind. Forever after you will be automatically directed and driven toward repeating that success in other things that you attempt. By overcoming adversity and achieving one great goal in any area, you will program yourself for success in other areas as well. In other words, you learn to succeed by succeeding. The more you achieve, the more you can achieve. Each success, especially the first one, builds your confidence and belief that you will be successful next time. The fact is that you can accomplish almost any goal that you set for yourself if you persist long enough and work hard enough. The only one who can stop you is yourself. And you learn to persist by persisting in the face of great adversity when everyone around you is quitting and every fiber of your being screams at you to quit as well. For example... When you subject certain chemicals to intense heat, the chemicals will crystallize and form a completely new substance, a new composition in which the crystallization process is irreversible. A lump of coal, for example, becomes a diamond under intense prolonged heat and pressure. In the same way, you become a person of great strength by persevering in the crucible of intense difficulty until you finally succeed. Each time you force yourself to persevere, rather than giving up; your character “crystallizes” at a new, higher level. Eventually, you reach the point where you become unstoppable... ... but no one starts out as a diamond. It's the early process of motivating yourself to set and achieve that FIRST goal that moves you one step closer to becoming a diamond and one step further from a lump of coal. Brian Tracy CEO Brian Tracy International Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us      

1

John Carter

We all love the anticipation of new films, new collaborations, and the thrill of a new adventure. I’ll admit, Disney’s John Carter, set to release on March 9, 2012, may not seem like that from the previews being shown before movies like Breaking Dawn or Tower Heist, but if you look deeper, one may see the makings of a true 3D masterpiece. Disney and Pixar have teamed up once again to bring life to the Barsoom series, a fictional depiction of a troubled Mars by author Edgar Rice Borroughs. The film John Carter is said to be based on the first installment, The Princess of Mars, where John Carter makes his first appearance. The original book was published way back in 1917. Now it is true, there have been some straight to DVD movies made from these books, but never a project this big. Andrew Stanton, the director and a screenplay writer for Disney’s John Carter, is well known for bringing to life award winning movies such as Wall-E and Finding Nemo. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking this will be an animated adventure or a simple story for children. This film will reach out and touch people of all ages and, despite Stanton’s knack for audiences of a younger age, this project should also prove that he is capable of doing so much more. John Carter will be played by Taylor Kitsch. Regardless of whether or not you know Kitsch’s name, he has proven that he can take a character right off the page as he did in the 2009 film, X-Men Origins when he became Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit. He expressed interest in playing Gambit again, soon after and I honestly hope that chance is given. The leading lady is the beautiful Lynn Collins who also played in X-Men Origins as Wolverines love interest. So as you can see, this cast is not void of diversity as it also includes actors like Mark Strong and William Defoe. Another thing to look forward to is the soundtrack. The composer for the films name is Michael Giacchino who has won Grammy and Emmy awards for his genius. But what you may find yourself most interested in after watching the trailer is the song playing in the background, which does such a great job of drawing in the audience. The song is called “My Body is a Cage”, originally by Arcade Fire, but redone by a man named Peter Gabriel. The lyrics and music are inspiriting; the film and music are bound in epicness and it is hard to find yourself anything but excited for the release. But it makes you wonder, why start advertising so far in advance? Keep your eyes open for this one; it’ll be worth the wait. Disney’s John Carter will be in theaters March 9, 2012, presented by Disney and Pixar. You can learn more about this film on the Disney website, http://disney.go.com/johncarter/   Genice Pinckney Spin Live Weekly Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us    

0

Herman Cain

So it has come down to this.  Herman Cain, http://hermancain.com, is reassessing his GOP candidacy for president.  This decision should come in the next few days after almost two months of accusations of past sexual harassments and a more recent story of a 13 year adulterous affair.  In a conference call Tuesday morning, November 29, Cain announced to his staff that he is reassessing his presidential campaign. Most people dismiss Herman Cain a presidential hopeful based on his former employment as CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, however, he has quite an interesting and experienced background.  Cain’s education consists of a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Morehouse College in 1967.  He then attended Perdue University for his graduate studies and received a Master of Science in computer science in 1971. During that time Cain worked full-time as a ballistics analyst for the US Department of the Navy.  Since this time, Cain has accumulated an impressive resume.  He has been a business executive, syndicated columnist, and a radio host in Atlanta, Georgia.  From 1986 to 1996, Cain served as chairman and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, for which he is well known.  Cain also worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, serving as deputy chairman of the board of directors from 1992 to 1994 and as chairman from 1995 to 1996.  Cain was then president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association from 1996 to 1999.  He has served on the board of directors of several companies, including Aquila Inc., Nabisco, Whirlpool, Reader’s Digest, and AGCO, Inc. Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan has been one of the driving forces behind his campaign.  This is a plan that would replace the current tax code with a 9-percent business transactions tax, a 9-percent personal income tax, and a 9-percent federal sales tax.  This plan has been criticized for shifting the tax burden from the rich to the poor.  Since then, Cain has adjusted the plan to be 9-0-9 for the poor saying that “if you are at or below the poverty levels …then you don’t pay that middle 9 on your income.” As of late, the Herman Cain campaign has been tarnished with accusations of sexual harassment by at least four women.  Two of which, Sharon Bialek and Karen Kraushaar, have come forward publically.  The latest nail on the coffin has been from Georgia businesswoman Ginger White claiming to have had an extramarital affair with Cain for the last 13 years.  All of these accusations have been denied by Cain and his camp.  Cain has confirmed that White is a friend and that he did assist her financially.  Cain has, however, canceled a private dinner with some media heavyweights scheduled for Saturday, December 3.  The who’s who of broadcasting guest list included Matt Lauer, Barbara Walters, Bill O’Reilly, Greta Van Susteren and more. If Cain does decide to drop out of the presidential race this would shift votes towards the other hopefuls.  Presently, Gingrich is ahead in the polls with 23.9%, Romney in second with 21.3%, Cain follows with 15.5%; Perry and Paul tie next at 8%, Bachmann at 4.8%, and Huntsman and Santorum with 2.3%.  More than likely, Cain dropping out will shift his votes to the two front runners giving Gingrich and Romney a broader lead over the others. Watch for more news from Herman Cain’s campaign over the next few days and check his website for updates at http://hermancain.com . Kenny Walker Jr Spin Live Weekly Vyzion Internet Radio spins worldwide and national Dj mixes 24/7. So the party never stops! From the car, the office, the gym, or your home, you can listen to Vyzion radio anywhere. Vyzion Internet Radio is comprised of an international team that is delivering the best of entertainment, music, and news. We offer free IPhone and Droid Apps Contact us at 1-800-957-9650. Need content for your website? Contact us