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Items tagged "Pop Culture":

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    The Vampire Diaries Character Profile Four: Katherine Pierce Lucky girl Nina Dobrev getting to play not one, but two characters in the same show! Talk about stretching the acting muscles. And she does so well, I might add. While Elena seems a little meek and mild and in the background somehow, Katherine is anything but and again, is as opposite to Elena as Damon is to Stefan. Katherine is an exciting character and again, adds fuel to the slow-burning fire surrounding the mysterious and supernatural history of Mystic Falls. She’s mean, but not in an obviously crass way. We learn that she’s a vampire, and the reason for both Stefan and Damon turning into vampires and both falling in love with her. She’s an articulate manipulator of the highest calibre, masterful at playing the game to win, no matter what the odds. As long as she is in control of the situation, all is well. For Katherine, it’s always about control. And she’s a survivor. In some ways, I do see this one similarity in Elena as well. Strong and willful, it’s just that Katherine shows it openly and doesn’t care about hurting people. I guess when you’ve been a vampire for hundreds of years, caring about humans and feelings doesn’t really come into the equation any more. Good stuff! Another juicy character to get our hands dirty with. You’ll love to hate Katherine and Nina Dobrev does an excellent job of portraying her. And if you thought the love triangle in Twilight was complicated, you ain’t seen nothing yet boys and girls!

    The Vampire Diaries

    Character Profile Four: Katherine Pierce

    Lucky girl Nina Dobrev getting to play not one, but two characters in the same show! Talk about stretching the acting muscles. And she does so well, I might add. While Elena seems a little meek and mild and in the background somehow, Katherine is anything but and again, is as opposite to Elena as Damon is to Stefan.

    Katherine is an exciting character and again, adds fuel to the slow-burning fire surrounding the mysterious and supernatural history of Mystic Falls. She’s mean, but not in an obviously crass way. We learn that she’s a vampire, and the reason for both Stefan and Damon turning into vampires and both falling in love with her.

    She’s an articulate manipulator of the highest calibre, masterful at playing the game to win, no matter what the odds. As long as she is in control of the situation, all is well. For Katherine, it’s always about control. And she’s a survivor. In some ways, I do see this one similarity in Elena as well. Strong and willful, it’s just that Katherine shows it openly and doesn’t care about hurting people. I guess when you’ve been a vampire for hundreds of years, caring about humans and feelings doesn’t really come into the equation any more. Good stuff! Another juicy character to get our hands dirty with.

    You’ll love to hate Katherine and Nina Dobrev does an excellent job of portraying her. And if you thought the love triangle in Twilight was complicated, you ain’t seen nothing yet boys and girls!

    Tags

    #Katherine Pierce#Vampires#Vampire Diaries#The Vampire Diaries#TV Shows#Pop Culture#Nina Dobrev

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    date:
    Nov 18, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    4:15:00 (3 months ago)

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    The Vampire Diaries Character Profile Three: Damon Salvatore So with Elena and Stefan developing their relationship, it would seem a little like bad timing for the evil and morally-challenged brother Damon to appear on the scene for Stefan, but it couldn’t be more perfect for us viewers. Say goodbye to the boring and hello to things getting more interesting in Mystic Falls. Damon Salvatore’s arrival brings a welcome reprieve. The budding romance between Elena and Stefan is all well and good in doses but seriously, I think most of us have had enough of the lovey-dovey Twilight-like crap for now, we want something bad, nasty and juicy to happen with these characters. Damon is the polar opposite in many ways to goody-good Stefan and this is obvious from the beginning. The more we learn about the brothers and their mysterious past (and how this will ultimately affect and impact Elena’s future), the more we begin to see that not all is as it seems. This is, of course, a good thing for us because it means a lot of ups and downs in terms of where the story is going. Straight lines are always boring and we don’t want that. We want intrigue, excitement and blood and we want it in copious amounts. Damon promises all of this and more, his mischievous grin (sprinkled with just a touch of malice) tells us so! Hooray for Damon, and more of him I say!

    The Vampire Diaries

    Character Profile Three: Damon Salvatore

    So with Elena and Stefan developing their relationship, it would seem a little like bad timing for the evil and morally-challenged brother Damon to appear on the scene for Stefan, but it couldn’t be more perfect for us viewers.

    Say goodbye to the boring and hello to things getting more interesting in Mystic Falls. Damon Salvatore’s arrival brings a welcome reprieve. The budding romance between Elena and Stefan is all well and good in doses but seriously, I think most of us have had enough of the lovey-dovey Twilight-like crap for now, we want something bad, nasty and juicy to happen with these characters.

    Damon is the polar opposite in many ways to goody-good Stefan and this is obvious from the beginning. The more we learn about the brothers and their mysterious past (and how this will ultimately affect and impact Elena’s future), the more we begin to see that not all is as it seems.

    This is, of course, a good thing for us because it means a lot of ups and downs in terms of where the story is going. Straight lines are always boring and we don’t want that. We want intrigue, excitement and blood and we want it in copious amounts.

    Damon promises all of this and more, his mischievous grin (sprinkled with just a touch of malice) tells us so!

    Hooray for Damon, and more of him I say!

    Tags

    #Damon Salvatore#Ian Somerhalder#The Vampire Diaries#TV Shows#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 18, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    3:58:50 (3 months ago)

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    The Vampire Diaries Character Profile Two: Stefan Salvatore Ah Stefan. Are you more than just a pretty face? Well, for the most part, not really. In fact, you kind of match your pretty little girlfriend Elena in that respect because you’re both matches made in heaven for who can be the most boring teenager in Mystic Falls. Ya’ know for a place that has vampires running around and a really creepy history about it, Mystic Falls is really just kinda full of fail. You’d expect it to be a whole lot more interesting than it is. So vamp meets girl who looks exactly like girl from his past, falls obsessively in love with her, but then plans are thwarted (THANK GOD) by mean and nasty-hot vamp brother who arrives on the scene (FINALLY - some GOOD shit is about to happen!) Yay for Damon (who we shall be paying a visit to shortly), but poor Stefan. He seems like such a nice little vamp. If only nice little vamps would show their bad sides every now and then… like they’re supposed to. Afterall, vampires ARE technically demons, right? Well, I suppose that depends on who you’re talking to and what vampire lore you believe but yeah… Now onto Damon Salvatore!

    The Vampire Diaries

    Character Profile Two: Stefan Salvatore

    Ah Stefan. Are you more than just a pretty face? Well, for the most part, not really. In fact, you kind of match your pretty little girlfriend Elena in that respect because you’re both matches made in heaven for who can be the most boring teenager in Mystic Falls.

    Ya’ know for a place that has vampires running around and a really creepy history about it, Mystic Falls is really just kinda full of fail. You’d expect it to be a whole lot more interesting than it is.

    So vamp meets girl who looks exactly like girl from his past, falls obsessively in love with her, but then plans are thwarted (THANK GOD) by mean and nasty-hot vamp brother who arrives on the scene (FINALLY - some GOOD shit is about to happen!)

    Yay for Damon (who we shall be paying a visit to shortly), but poor Stefan. He seems like such a nice little vamp. If only nice little vamps would show their bad sides every now and then… like they’re supposed to.

    Afterall, vampires ARE technically demons, right? Well, I suppose that depends on who you’re talking to and what vampire lore you believe but yeah…

    Now onto Damon Salvatore!

    Tags

    #Stefan Salvatore#Paul Wesley#The Vampire Diaries#TV Shows#Television Shows#Television#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 18, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    3:39:48 (3 months ago)

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    The Vampire Diaries Television Show IMDB Link Three Seasons (to date in the U.S.A) Instead of giving a blow-by-blow account of everything that I’ve been able to see (living in NZ) of The Vampire Diaries, I thought I’d look at some of the characters that make up the show so far and discuss them instead. This might also include tidbits about why they make the show interesting, entertaining and/or fun to watch. But to start, I think it’s a good idea to briefly intro the show, how I got interested in it, what kind of show it is and then get into the character profiles. To be clear, again, like Twilight, I was initially uninterested in TVD until a friend of mine put me onto the show (a male friend who insisted it was better than Twilight). I decided to give the show a go and must admit, it did take a while to grow on me. I didn’t think much of it after having read the first book from the author L.J Smith (which is VERY different in almost every way to the television show). They’ve done good things with TVD and it’s become a “tween” success. But I have to say, the storyline in places is a bit dull and it’s the characters that are interesting so I’ll focus on the major characters rather than the story for now. In order: Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev)

    The Vampire Diaries

    Television Show

    IMDB Link

    Three Seasons (to date in the U.S.A)

    Instead of giving a blow-by-blow account of everything that I’ve been able to see (living in NZ) of The Vampire Diaries, I thought I’d look at some of the characters that make up the show so far and discuss them instead. This might also include tidbits about why they make the show interesting, entertaining and/or fun to watch.

    But to start, I think it’s a good idea to briefly intro the show, how I got interested in it, what kind of show it is and then get into the character profiles.

    To be clear, again, like Twilight, I was initially uninterested in TVD until a friend of mine put me onto the show (a male friend who insisted it was better than Twilight). I decided to give the show a go and must admit, it did take a while to grow on me. I didn’t think much of it after having read the first book from the author L.J Smith (which is VERY different in almost every way to the television show).

    They’ve done good things with TVD and it’s become a “tween” success. But I have to say, the storyline in places is a bit dull and it’s the characters that are interesting so I’ll focus on the major characters rather than the story for now.

    In order:

    Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev)

    Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley)

    Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder)

    Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev)

    Tags

    #The Vampire Diaries#TV Shows#Television Shows#Vampires#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 18, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    3:18:00 (3 months ago)

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    Rosa is KICK ass. Check out the trailer if you haven’t seen it already! It is absolutely phenomenal! If you’re a fan of anime/animated movies with a sci-fi/futuristic/horror feel, you’ll love Rosa. Do it, do it NOW ;)
    Source: rosamovie.blogspot.com

    Rosa is KICK ass. Check out the trailer if you haven’t seen it already! It is absolutely phenomenal!

    If you’re a fan of anime/animated movies with a sci-fi/futuristic/horror feel, you’ll love Rosa.

    Do it, do it NOW ;)

    Tags

    #ROSA#Animated Movies#Movies#Movie Posters#Jesus Orellana#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 17, 2011 (a Thursday)
    time:
    4:57:00 (3 months ago)

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    MOVIE REVIEW Title: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One Year: 2011 Genre: Drama, Romance, Adventure, Fantasy IMDB Link WARNING: May Contain Spoilers! So we are now coming to the end of the Twilight Saga (some may be happy to hear that) but there are many, many fans who will be very sad (no, really) to see the end of Bella, Edward and Jacob’s twisting love-triangle. I won’t go over the last few movies because quite frankly, if you haven’t kept up with twi-fever, where the hell have you been the last few years? But understood if you’d rather die a hundred horrible deaths than see a Twilight film. Not everyone is a fan. Breaking Dawn is the most overly romantic movie of the lot. So if you’re really not into the mushy stuff, best avoid this one because for the first hour or so, it’s full of it and I do mean FULL of it. And I was quite surprised to see almost full nudity taken on by Kristen Stewart’s Bella in one particular scene (surprised but in a good way). The books (if you’ve read them you’d understand why I’m making this point), really don’t talk about the sex in a raunchy way and to see Kristen Stewart completely naked brings the character of Bella a lot more to life than the book ever could. Of course, the nudity is extremely tastefully done; you don’t see full frontals, you see a bit of boob and no butt. So in that respect, it does keep in tone with the books’ rather modest (and overly romantic) undertones. Which, given the target audience, is probably a good thing. So the remainder of the film after the hoopla of the wedding and the sex scene focuses on Bella’s upcoming expectancy (yes, she gets pregnant) and this was probably the highlight of the movie for me. All of the scenes relating to Bella’s struggle with the half-vampire, half-human “demon” inside of her are really incredibly well-done. The special effects used to make Bella appear painfully emaciated were incredible and I was really surprised by how great the “delivery” scene was portrayed from book to screen. It isn’t the easiest thing getting the words of a writer into a script and into the minds of movie-goers but the scriptwriters did a damn fine job of Breaking Dawn. In fact, almost the entire Twilight series was exceptionally well-done in terms of keeping to the content of the books. I don’t know if that was because of Stephanie Meyer’s direct input or because of the great writing team hired to do the work but either way, I was and am impressed. But I actually found the lovey dovey stuff was really drawn out and for a midnight viewing, unless you are a TRUE twifan (which I am not), you’d be struggling to be entertained. You might ask why I was attending a midnight screening if I wasn’t really a fan? Well, I like to get the jump on movies if I don’t get to attend the previews so I can review them as early as possible :) Simple as that, really. I am looking forward to the final movie if only to see how they capture on film what I consider to be the best part of the books. If they screw up the last part of this, I swear, I might actually cry. No, really. So, to summarise, Breaking Dawn Part One really isn’t a movie for anyone else other than fans of the books/movies/Twilight in general really. It’ll make anyone else probably cringe or cry or yell or scream in agony (yes, it can be considered that bad in parts). But as mentioned above, there are some great redeeming qualities in this movie, you’d have to have read the books to see what those are though. The movies alone really don’t do the story justice, and that has always been my stance on it. PCR Rating: 6/10 Image via IMPAwards.

    MOVIE REVIEW

    Title: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One

    Year: 2011

    Genre: Drama, Romance, Adventure, Fantasy

    IMDB Link

    WARNING: May Contain Spoilers!

    So we are now coming to the end of the Twilight Saga (some may be happy to hear that) but there are many, many fans who will be very sad (no, really) to see the end of Bella, Edward and Jacob’s twisting love-triangle.

    I won’t go over the last few movies because quite frankly, if you haven’t kept up with twi-fever, where the hell have you been the last few years? But understood if you’d rather die a hundred horrible deaths than see a Twilight film. Not everyone is a fan.

    Breaking Dawn is the most overly romantic movie of the lot. So if you’re really not into the mushy stuff, best avoid this one because for the first hour or so, it’s full of it and I do mean FULL of it. And I was quite surprised to see almost full nudity taken on by Kristen Stewart’s Bella in one particular scene (surprised but in a good way). The books (if you’ve read them you’d understand why I’m making this point), really don’t talk about the sex in a raunchy way and to see Kristen Stewart completely naked brings the character of Bella a lot more to life than the book ever could.

    Of course, the nudity is extremely tastefully done; you don’t see full frontals, you see a bit of boob and no butt. So in that respect, it does keep in tone with the books’ rather modest (and overly romantic) undertones. Which, given the target audience, is probably a good thing.

    So the remainder of the film after the hoopla of the wedding and the sex scene focuses on Bella’s upcoming expectancy (yes, she gets pregnant) and this was probably the highlight of the movie for me. All of the scenes relating to Bella’s struggle with the half-vampire, half-human “demon” inside of her are really incredibly well-done.

    The special effects used to make Bella appear painfully emaciated were incredible and I was really surprised by how great the “delivery” scene was portrayed from book to screen. It isn’t the easiest thing getting the words of a writer into a script and into the minds of movie-goers but the scriptwriters did a damn fine job of Breaking Dawn.

    In fact, almost the entire Twilight series was exceptionally well-done in terms of keeping to the content of the books. I don’t know if that was because of Stephanie Meyer’s direct input or because of the great writing team hired to do the work but either way, I was and am impressed.

    But I actually found the lovey dovey stuff was really drawn out and for a midnight viewing, unless you are a TRUE twifan (which I am not), you’d be struggling to be entertained. You might ask why I was attending a midnight screening if I wasn’t really a fan? Well, I like to get the jump on movies if I don’t get to attend the previews so I can review them as early as possible :) Simple as that, really.

    I am looking forward to the final movie if only to see how they capture on film what I consider to be the best part of the books. If they screw up the last part of this, I swear, I might actually cry. No, really.

    So, to summarise, Breaking Dawn Part One really isn’t a movie for anyone else other than fans of the books/movies/Twilight in general really. It’ll make anyone else probably cringe or cry or yell or scream in agony (yes, it can be considered that bad in parts). But as mentioned above, there are some great redeeming qualities in this movie, you’d have to have read the books to see what those are though. The movies alone really don’t do the story justice, and that has always been my stance on it.

    PCR Rating: 6/10

    Image via IMPAwards.

    Tags

    #Breaking Dawn Part One#Twilight#Movie Reviews#Movies#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 17, 2011 (a Thursday)
    time:
    10:39:00 (3 months ago)

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    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One I’ve seen all the movies, I’ve read all the books but I’m not really your typical Twifan. I’m going to see this in a few hours (because I live in New Zealand, lucky me!) and I’ll be reviewing it when I can tomorrow. The books were a lot better than the movies, especially the last two. If you’ve avoided the movies, I’d recommend the books (but not before you’ve read Game of Thrones first!) By the way, this poster is shite (the image, not the quality lol!) Thanks to the awesome team at IMPawards (again) serving up the coolest database of Movie Posters around :)
    Source: impawards.com

    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One

    I’ve seen all the movies, I’ve read all the books but I’m not really your typical Twifan. I’m going to see this in a few hours (because I live in New Zealand, lucky me!) and I’ll be reviewing it when I can tomorrow.

    The books were a lot better than the movies, especially the last two. If you’ve avoided the movies, I’d recommend the books (but not before you’ve read Game of Thrones first!)

    By the way, this poster is shite (the image, not the quality lol!)

    Thanks to the awesome team at IMPawards (again) serving up the coolest database of Movie Posters around :)

    Tags

    #Twilight#Breaking Dawn Part 1#Breaking Dawn#Movies#Kristen Stewart#Robert Pattinson#Pop Culture#Movies#Movie Posters

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 16, 2011 (a Wednesday)
    time:
    6:47:00 (3 months ago)

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    So… whatever happened to? “V” This show came out in 2009. I still don’t know why it died the horrible death that it did. I absolutely loved this show and was hooked completely until they cruelly took my drug of choice away and I was forced to go cold turkey. I mean come on, it had Morena Baccarin in it, the hottest alien in AGES! I guess even that wasn’t enough to save it. Le sigh. There really hasn’t been anything good in the sci-fi arena since BSG, and I doubt there will be anything that good again. Or will there?

    So… whatever happened to?

    “V”

    This show came out in 2009. I still don’t know why it died the horrible death that it did. I absolutely loved this show and was hooked completely until they cruelly took my drug of choice away and I was forced to go cold turkey.

    I mean come on, it had Morena Baccarin in it, the hottest alien in AGES! I guess even that wasn’t enough to save it.

    Le sigh. There really hasn’t been anything good in the sci-fi arena since BSG, and I doubt there will be anything that good again.

    Or will there?

    Tags

    #V#TV Shows#Pop Culture#Morena Baccarin

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 16, 2011 (a Wednesday)
    time:
    6:25:22 (3 months ago)

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    Homeland. Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin - great cast. Although this hasn’t come to New Zealand shores yet, it’s been getting great reviews in the States and it looks exactly like the type of show I’d really enjoy. For those of you who don’t know what Homeland is about, Damian Lewis plays the role of Nicholas Brody who was captured in Iraq, tortured almost to death for eight years and who finally returns home to a changed world. He returns to his family who are happy to have him home and to a country who he thinks (for the most part) worship him as a hero but little does he know, not everyone is convinced of his story. Claire Danes plays the part of CIA agent Carrie Anderson who becomes somewhat obsessed with finding out the truth about Brody, no matter what the cost.

    Homeland. Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin - great cast. Although this hasn’t come to New Zealand shores yet, it’s been getting great reviews in the States and it looks exactly like the type of show I’d really enjoy.

    For those of you who don’t know what Homeland is about, Damian Lewis plays the role of Nicholas Brody who was captured in Iraq, tortured almost to death for eight years and who finally returns home to a changed world. He returns to his family who are happy to have him home and to a country who he thinks (for the most part) worship him as a hero but little does he know, not everyone is convinced of his story.

    Claire Danes plays the part of CIA agent Carrie Anderson who becomes somewhat obsessed with finding out the truth about Brody, no matter what the cost.

    Tags

    #Homeland#Television Shows#TV#Pop Culture#Claire Danes#Damian Lewis

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 16, 2011 (a Wednesday)
    time:
    4:58:00 (3 months ago)

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    Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. I took a look at the trailer and here’s what I thought about it. I’m thinking about getting the book, what do ya’ll think? Yay or nay on the book?

    Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. I took a look at the trailer and here’s what I thought about it.

    I’m thinking about getting the book, what do ya’ll think? Yay or nay on the book?

    Tags

    #The Hunger Games#Movies#Movie Posters#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 16, 2011 (a Wednesday)
    time:
    1:28:20 (3 months ago)

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    If you have a fav movie poster you’d like to see, feel free to make a request and I’ll see what I can do about finding it on the net :) Even if it’s an old one, just msg me and I’ll see what I can do! Speaking of older movies, THE LOST BOYS is one of my favs and continues to be one of my all-time fav movies EVER. Why? BECAUSE it’s so kick-ass good! If you haven’t seen it, you really, really should. That is all.
    Source: impawards.com

    If you have a fav movie poster you’d like to see, feel free to make a request and I’ll see what I can do about finding it on the net :) Even if it’s an old one, just msg me and I’ll see what I can do!

    Speaking of older movies, THE LOST BOYS is one of my favs and continues to be one of my all-time fav movies EVER.

    Why? BECAUSE it’s so kick-ass good! If you haven’t seen it, you really, really should.

    That is all.

    Tags

    #The Lost Boys#Movies#Vampires#Movie Posters#Pop Culture

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 16, 2011 (a Wednesday)
    time:
    10:55:32 (3 months ago)

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    DVD REVIEW Title: The Company Men Year: 2010 Genre: Drama IMDB Link Format: DVD WARNING: May Contain Spoilers! The Company Men has a really good cast and if you’re anything like me, you might expect the movie to be better than average because of this. Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper feature in this movie about men who “give their lives to their jobs” only to realise that sometimes, there’s more to life than the “American Dream”. Being of the Non-American variety here, I had to look up what the “American Dream” was really all about to get a complete understanding of some of the underlying themes of this movie - which are actually pretty damn important if you want to get to the core of what makes this movie so good. And it is, it’s REALLY good so go look it up if you’re not entirely sure. It’s nice to see a movie that actually relates to what’s actually going on outside your window. The Company Men portrays one particular reality of what it’s like to lose everything you have and how to survive the aftermath of that loss. Although it’s focused on the the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) which for many, may not seem like a “reality”, I’m sure there are people out there that can relate to losing something of extreme material value; perhaps not as important as their job, their house, their car or even their family in some circumstances, but suffice to say if you’ve experienced loss, you’ll more than likely relate to the subject matter in this movie. Ben Affleck is great as are Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner who hasn’t really been in a decent movie in a long while (well, not one that I’ve seen recently anyway). It’s good to see Affleck returning to roles that he can deliver without too much fuss and it’s always nice to see Tommy Lee Jones in anything at all. A great flick for the drama fans out there and a decent movie all-round for anyone wanting a well-made reality dvd to settle down and watch on a late night or lazy Sunday. PCR Rating: 4/5

    DVD REVIEW

    Title: The Company Men

    Year: 2010

    Genre: Drama

    IMDB Link

    Format: DVD

    WARNING: May Contain Spoilers!

    The Company Men has a really good cast and if you’re anything like me, you might expect the movie to be better than average because of this. Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper feature in this movie about men who “give their lives to their jobs” only to realise that sometimes, there’s more to life than the “American Dream”.

    Being of the Non-American variety here, I had to look up what the “American Dream” was really all about to get a complete understanding of some of the underlying themes of this movie - which are actually pretty damn important if you want to get to the core of what makes this movie so good. And it is, it’s REALLY good so go look it up if you’re not entirely sure.

    It’s nice to see a movie that actually relates to what’s actually going on outside your window. The Company Men portrays one particular reality of what it’s like to lose everything you have and how to survive the aftermath of that loss. Although it’s focused on the the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) which for many, may not seem like a “reality”, I’m sure there are people out there that can relate to losing something of extreme material value; perhaps not as important as their job, their house, their car or even their family in some circumstances, but suffice to say if you’ve experienced loss, you’ll more than likely relate to the subject matter in this movie.

    Ben Affleck is great as are Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner who hasn’t really been in a decent movie in a long while (well, not one that I’ve seen recently anyway). It’s good to see Affleck returning to roles that he can deliver without too much fuss and it’s always nice to see Tommy Lee Jones in anything at all.

    A great flick for the drama fans out there and a decent movie all-round for anyone wanting a well-made reality dvd to settle down and watch on a late night or lazy Sunday.

    PCR Rating: 4/5

    Tags

    #Movies#Movie Reviews#Drama#Pop Culture#Popular Culture#Entertainment#Ben Affleck

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    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 14, 2011 (a Monday)
    time:
    3:10:00 (3 months ago)

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  13. flip ↔ ×
    DVD REVIEW Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Year: 2011 Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy IMDB Link Format: DVD WARNING: May Contain Spoilers! I’ve been a fan most of the Pirates’ movies but I think I’m one of those movie lovers that thinks that the best of this franchise has been and gone. I didn’t think the previous movie was as good as the one that started it all and Johnny Depp (whom I think is an excellent actor), just seemed to be overdoing his role. With Keira Knightly making her exit and Penelope Cruz taking on the role of the love interest for Depp’s Captain Jack, I was willing to give the franchise another go, I mean afterall, it IS about Pirates, and Pirates are cool, right? I’m always a little skeptical of how a Disney movie will fare for the older viewers in the crowd. There’s always that over-the-top adventure theme that Disney does so well which seems perfect for Pirates of the Caribbean (and the kiddies), but now it seems all just a little too familiar. It’s nice to see new villains and Penelope Cruz is great in her role and pulls off the whole sexy yet gritty (and a lil’ grimy) con-artist pirate’s daughter convincingly. And Depp and Cruz certainly have some sizzling on-screen chemistry. Blackbeard’s arrival is also a nice little highlight as are the scenes involving the beautiful Mermaids who turn out to be evil, nasty little sirens out for blood. With some pretty good special effects, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides certainly has a lot going for it, and if you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy the DVD immensely. I just found the story a little less exciting and a little too “samey” to be better than “good” and I don’t really see where this franchise can possibly go from here (despite the millions it has made at the box office). I’m giving it a 3 outta 5 because it’s pirates, it’s Depp and Cruz brings some of her panache and hotness to the screen that Keira really didn’t. PCR Rating: 3/5

    DVD REVIEW

    Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

    Year: 2011

    Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy

    IMDB Link

    Format: DVD

    WARNING: May Contain Spoilers!

    I’ve been a fan most of the Pirates’ movies but I think I’m one of those movie lovers that thinks that the best of this franchise has been and gone. I didn’t think the previous movie was as good as the one that started it all and Johnny Depp (whom I think is an excellent actor), just seemed to be overdoing his role.

    With Keira Knightly making her exit and Penelope Cruz taking on the role of the love interest for Depp’s Captain Jack, I was willing to give the franchise another go, I mean afterall, it IS about Pirates, and Pirates are cool, right?

    I’m always a little skeptical of how a Disney movie will fare for the older viewers in the crowd. There’s always that over-the-top adventure theme that Disney does so well which seems perfect for Pirates of the Caribbean (and the kiddies), but now it seems all just a little too familiar.

    It’s nice to see new villains and Penelope Cruz is great in her role and pulls off the whole sexy yet gritty (and a lil’ grimy) con-artist pirate’s daughter convincingly. And Depp and Cruz certainly have some sizzling on-screen chemistry.

    Blackbeard’s arrival is also a nice little highlight as are the scenes involving the beautiful Mermaids who turn out to be evil, nasty little sirens out for blood.

    With some pretty good special effects, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides certainly has a lot going for it, and if you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy the DVD immensely. I just found the story a little less exciting and a little too “samey” to be better than “good” and I don’t really see where this franchise can possibly go from here (despite the millions it has made at the box office).

    I’m giving it a 3 outta 5 because it’s pirates, it’s Depp and Cruz brings some of her panache and hotness to the screen that Keira really didn’t.

    PCR Rating: 3/5

    Tags

    #Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides#Movies#Movie Reviews#Pirates of the Caribbean#Penelope Cruz#Johnny Depp#Disney#Pop Culture#Pop Culture Reviews#DVD Reviews

    Info

    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Nov 4, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    5:06:00 (3 months ago)

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  14. flip ↔ ×
    DVD REVIEW Title: Heartbeats Year: 2010 Genre: Drama, Romance IMDB Link Format: DVD WARNING: May Contain Spoilers! At first glimpse, I wasn’t really sure what Heartbeats was all about. Reading the synopsis left me a little intrigued. The movie is subtitled (because it’s filmed in a part of Canada where people speak French) and I tend to pay a lot more attention to subtitled movies in ways I normally wouldn’t if the film was in English. Things like gestures the characters make, their facial expressions, the way their bodies move - these things all become more important than words. And that’s a good thing because Heartbeats is a little slow to get started. The first 20 minutes is really kinda boring but once you come to grips with what is going on between the two main characters (Marie and Francis), things start to get interesting. Francis (played by Xavier Dolan who also directed the movie) is gay and Marie is his best friend. They meet and instantly fall head-over-heels in love with ridiculously good looking Nicolas (played by Niels Schneider). The issue is that “Nico” doesn’t seem particularly interested in anyone or anything but himself. He’s pretty self-absorped; the type of guy that knows his good looks are the key to getting whatever (and whomever) he wants. He doesn’t come off as fake though, or painfully transparent. He’s a little like a wild child that’s just lost in the wonder of the world and Francis and Marie just happened to stumble upon him - unfortunately. As we observe the changes occuring in both Francis and Marie (the way they dress, the way they act, the way they greet each other) - all of which is a direct result of their obsessive lust for Nicolas, Heartbeats finally comes alive with a rhythm that’s unmistakably unique. As they fall deeper and deeper into love/lust with Nicolas, their frustrations take hold and the inevitable happens. They end up wrestling each other on the ground like two little kids fighting over a shiny new toy. After witnessing this, Nicolas pulls out the “cold shoulder” card - removing himself from the couple and getting as far away as possible. I pondered this for a while, thinking that perhaps Nicolas was, in his own way, completely unaware of their feelings for him, and was genuinely shocked and even perhaps hurt that they could treat each other so badly. But then I started to think that perhaps Nicolas’ instinct for survival kicked in. Perhaps Nicolas understood that the fun and games with Francis and Marie had come to an end. With their feelings now blatantly exposed, Nicolas would no longer be in control of the situation and it was time to get the hell out. Heartbeats was also a little more difficult to get into because it seemed to be part movie and part doco with interview segments interrupting the normal flow of the movie. Each interview seemed to highlight an individual’s personal experiences with love, mirroring much of what Francis and Marie seemed to be experiencing with Nicolas. If nothing else, Heartbeats did get me thinking about my own experiences with love, and how awfully painful and frustrating love can sometimes be when you really examine it. I enjoyed Heartbeats. It was refreshing, it was different and it was quite raw in its presentation and delivery. PCR Rating: 6.5/10

    DVD REVIEW

    Title: Heartbeats

    Year: 2010

    Genre: Drama, Romance

    IMDB Link

    Format: DVD

    WARNING: May Contain Spoilers!

    At first glimpse, I wasn’t really sure what Heartbeats was all about. Reading the synopsis left me a little intrigued. The movie is subtitled (because it’s filmed in a part of Canada where people speak French) and I tend to pay a lot more attention to subtitled movies in ways I normally wouldn’t if the film was in English. Things like gestures the characters make, their facial expressions, the way their bodies move - these things all become more important than words.

    And that’s a good thing because Heartbeats is a little slow to get started. The first 20 minutes is really kinda boring but once you come to grips with what is going on between the two main characters (Marie and Francis), things start to get interesting.

    Francis (played by Xavier Dolan who also directed the movie) is gay and Marie is his best friend. They meet and instantly fall head-over-heels in love with ridiculously good looking Nicolas (played by Niels Schneider). The issue is that “Nico” doesn’t seem particularly interested in anyone or anything but himself. He’s pretty self-absorped; the type of guy that knows his good looks are the key to getting whatever (and whomever) he wants.

    He doesn’t come off as fake though, or painfully transparent. He’s a little like a wild child that’s just lost in the wonder of the world and Francis and Marie just happened to stumble upon him - unfortunately.

    As we observe the changes occuring in both Francis and Marie (the way they dress, the way they act, the way they greet each other) - all of which is a direct result of their obsessive lust for Nicolas, Heartbeats finally comes alive with a rhythm that’s unmistakably unique.

    As they fall deeper and deeper into love/lust with Nicolas, their frustrations take hold and the inevitable happens. They end up wrestling each other on the ground like two little kids fighting over a shiny new toy. After witnessing this, Nicolas pulls out the “cold shoulder” card - removing himself from the couple and getting as far away as possible.

    I pondered this for a while, thinking that perhaps Nicolas was, in his own way, completely unaware of their feelings for him, and was genuinely shocked and even perhaps hurt that they could treat each other so badly.

    But then I started to think that perhaps Nicolas’ instinct for survival kicked in. Perhaps Nicolas understood that the fun and games with Francis and Marie had come to an end. With their feelings now blatantly exposed, Nicolas would no longer be in control of the situation and it was time to get the hell out.

    Heartbeats was also a little more difficult to get into because it seemed to be part movie and part doco with interview segments interrupting the normal flow of the movie. Each interview seemed to highlight an individual’s personal experiences with love, mirroring much of what Francis and Marie seemed to be experiencing with Nicolas.

    If nothing else, Heartbeats did get me thinking about my own experiences with love, and how awfully painful and frustrating love can sometimes be when you really examine it.

    I enjoyed Heartbeats. It was refreshing, it was different and it was quite raw in its presentation and delivery.

    PCR Rating: 6.5/10

    Tags

    #DVD Reviews#Heartbeats#Movie Reviews#Movies#pop culture#pop culture reviews#film#film reviews

    Info

    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Oct 21, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    4:29:00 (4 months ago)

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    New Tumblr PCR Blog is GO!

    For all of those readers wondering why the site has been down and inactive for a few days - I apologise. I’ve been slowly transferring what used to be PCR to my new Tumblr blog and now it is finally working!

    I decided on tumblr because it is a great format for blogging. I’ve been using Wordpress for a long time but it’s no longer a viable platform for me. So this is now PCRs new look and home. I’ll be slowly updating the site with new reviews (which is why it has taken a while to get some of these published).

    Welcome back to the new look PCR.

    Thank-you for all your support, I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!

    -Julie

    Tags

    #Pop Culture Reviews#PCR#Pop Culture#Movies#Movie Reviews#DVDs#DVD Reviews#New Zealand Movie Buff#Movie Lover

    Info

    posted by:
    popculturereviewsdotnet
    date:
    Oct 21, 2011 (a Friday)
    time:
    3:15:55 (4 months ago)

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