Enjoy family gaming with these 10 Best Xbox 360 Family Games! These game picks are very enjoyable and you won't feel guilty for ignoring the kids! The majority of these great games can be purchased at budget prices, and each will provide hours of family fun.

Just don't get mad when your ego is bruised because you got powned by your 6 year old in Sega Superstars Tennis or Viva Pinata. . . You have been warned!

Lego Rock Band: Now the entire family can enjoy the road to rock stardom! Contains some old favorites as well as some current hits, this game has tunes the whole family will love. Feature's Rock n' Roll challenges such as: Defeating a giant robot, demolishing a skyscraper, or storm summoning; all using the power of rock! Also features customization for your whole band. Climb the ladder to success by earning better equipment, vehicles, and furniture for the rock bands hangout. Has an easier skill level for the youngsters. *Note-This game requires a guitar peripheral

Viva Pinata: Create a living garden! Influence and control the environment in order to create your own unique pet paradise! The contents you choose to create your world's environment will determine which pinata species will be attracted to live there; as each has there own special requirements. Plant tree's and plants, use ornaments, and build structures in order to create the prefect pinata paradise. You will need to bond with and understand each unique personality type in order for them to live in and thrive in your community. Excellent choice for a night of family gaming!

Rated: Everyone

Lego Indiana Jones + Kung Fu Panda (2 Game Set): Kung Fu Panda-Master the unique kung fu fighting styles and abilities of Po, Shifu, and the "Furious Five". Level up in order to collect achievements and upgrades with special moves. Earn upgrades to build Po's agility, speed, and strength. Lot's of fun for sure! Lego Indiana Jones-The adventure of the Indiana Jones films with the fun of Lego's. You can relive moments from the movies such as escaping from the snake pit! Unlock familiar favorite characters and create new one's with all unique features. Use Indy's whip to activate levers, attack, swing across chasms, and more. Play with friends or family members to battle enemies and escape from sticky situations.

Microsoft Children's Miracle Network Games Bundle (includes 3 games! ): Viva Pinata Party Animals, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Shrek The Third.

An incredible value, TON'S of fun for the kid's and family alike, great for parties too. Very popular games, especially for ages 3-10. Each game is individually packaged, so they make great stocking stuffers! And 100% of Microsoft's net proceeds from this Family Games pack go to support local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Sega Superstars Tennis: Features 16 of Sega's most popular characters such as Nights, Sonic, Ai Ai, and more! Hours of family gaming fun with (up to) 4 player multiplayer games, tournaments, and even unlockable special events. My kids and I love playing this game together on family gaming night, and so will yours! Notable kids favorites are such things as each playable character has a special "superstar ability" which unlocks temporarily to give a winning edge and guaranteed laughs. Also there are a choice of 10 different courts to play on, such as: Sonic's lush Green Hill Zone, Ulala's Space Channel 5 world, carnival, House of the Dead: Mansion, and others. There are even 4 tournament modes for unlocking extra bonus content. Also of note: The soundtrack consists of classic Sega songs reproduced in full Dolby Digital 5. 1, and my daughters LOVE the music! This game is sure to bring your family hours of racket smashing fun!

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4: Experience your favorite Harry Potter movie moments through the video game! Explore classic movie settings including Hogwartscastle, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade. LEGO Hogwarts castle is an incredible, 3-D environment and the most detailed LEGO game location ever created. Be a wizard and play as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger or any one of over 100 possible character options. Learn magic by attending magic classes, learning to cast spells, mixing potions, flying around on broomsticks, and completing special tasks to earn points. Even features multiplayer co-op, so your team can play through Harry's first 4 years at Hogwart's together both online and off.

Cars-Pretty simple, and simply FUN! All the same voice actors from the movie are featured in the game. Rip roaring racing fun playing as your favorite Cars character while helping Lightning McQueen capture the cherished Piston Cup Championship! Have fun racing through and tearing up the town of Radiator Springs for hours on end. Probably more for the 4-10 year old crowd, I had fun helping the kids play this so we could see the cut scenes.

Lego Indiana Jones 2-The Adventure Continues: Features the wit and non-stop action of Indiana Jones mixed with the fun and creativeness of Lego's! This second installment follows the escapades of Dr. Jones' from the jungles of South America to the Peruvian Ruins and beyond. This game provides a truly amazing and unique gaming experience as it not only allows the player to create their own custom levels, but it allows players to combine these levels with those already part of the game, a TRULY CUSTOMIZED gaming experience like no other! Provides new Kingdom of the Crystal Skull playable characters such as Mutt Williams, and use special abilities such as Oxley's Crystal Skull Power. All new levels with all new vehicles, such as planes, boats and mine carts! Even Indie's whip has new powers, such as grabbing the bad guys and throwing them over his shoulder. It is even helpful for solving puzzles as well! 2 player co-op encourages parents to experience the fun as well.

SpongeBob's Truth or Square: A funny game about (what else? ) the laughable hijinks that occur when Spongebob loses Mr Krabs top secret Krabby Patty recipe!

In a fit of desperation from losing the formula, Spongebob joins force with Plankton to fight to retrieve the formula, although Plankton wants the formula for himself. Together they utilize Plankton's memory machine to jog Spongebob's memory and hopefully find the secret Krabby Patty formula in time for the Krusty Krab's Eleventy Seventh anniversary. Levels are based upon different episodes from the cartoon.

Great looking all new levels, excellent multiplayer game play, and wonderfully accurate skill level settings make this game a winner for the whole family!

LEGO Batman: Fight on the side of good as Batman or Robin; or evil as Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze or one of 8 other super villians. Will you fight to save Gotham City or to destroy it? The choice is yours! The villains have escaped Arkham Asylum. Fight your way across rooftops and through sewers with new moves, special superhero power-suits (the magnetic suit was my kids favorite), and unique weapons for each playable character. Build your own Lego versions of the Batmobile, Batboat, and even the Batwing. Designed for standard two-player drop-in/out cooperative play, the game feature's 18 different levels throughout 3 different story arcs. You and your kids are sure to want to play this game together again and again, as you will have a blast like we did! I really hope you and your family have as much fun with your family gaming as we have playing these great games. we have played 7 of these titles together and the other 3 picks (#1, 4, and 6) have been added because of recommendations by personal friends and/or family members who have actually played them.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Soren, a young owl, is enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. When Soren and his older brother Kludd fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones, Soren makes a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians -- Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

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Religion

The Greek population is composed of 97% Christian Orthodox (with the remaining 3% comprising of Roman Catholic, Muslims and Jews). According to the history of Orthodoxy it was St Paul who first came to the Greek world to preach Christianity in 49AD. But the real founder of Orthodoxy was Emperor Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity in the 4th century. Officially and as in all European countries the Greek State and the Orthodox Church are separate, however the Greek Orthodox Church has great power in Greek society.Baptism

Children of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Orthodoxy sees baptism as more than a mere washing but a rebirth. Baptism is by full immersion because the word "baptizo" means - to immerse. During the service the water is blessed and the infant fully immersed in the water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. According to the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church ONE name of Orthodox Christian origin should be given to the child at the time of baptism. The child is anointed with olive oil and then dressed in the new clothes especially purchased for this occasion alone. Four locks of hair are cut from the child's head in the sign of the cross. The role of the God parents is an important one, since the infant is unable to make the necessary confession of Faith, the Godparents stand and accept the responsibility.Marriage

Within the Orthodox Church marriage is seen as an act of God in which he sanctifies the joining of two people into one. Marriage in the Orthodox Church has two distinct parts: The Betrothal and The Crowning.The Betrothal includes: The exchange of the rings, the procession, the declaration of intent, and the lighting of candles. The priest blesses the rings, holds them in his right hand, and makes the sign of the cross over the Bride and Grooms heads. The exchange of rings symbolizes the unbreakable bond of Christian Marriage and the rings are placed on their right hands, for it is the right hand of God that blesses and it was the right hand of God to which Christ ascended.The Crowning includes: The readings from the epistle and gospel, the Blessing of the Common Cup, the Dance of Isaiah, and then the Removal of the Crowns. The focal point of the crowning ceremony is the exchanging of the wedding crowns (stefana) which are joined by a ribbon symbolizing the unity of the couple and the presence of Christ who blesses and joins the couple and establishes them as the King and Queen of their home. The priest takes the two crowns and blesses The Bride and The Groom, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and then places the crowns on their heads. The Koumbaro (best man) then steps behind the Bride and Groom and interchanges the crowns three times as a witness to the sealing of the union. Wine is then drunk by the couple from the Common Cup which serves to impress upon the couple that from that moment on they will share everything in life. Whilst three hymns are chanted the priest leads the Bride and the Groom in a circle around the table (the Dance of Isaiah) on which the Gospel and the Cross are placed. The circle symbolizes eternity and the triple circling honours the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of the Ceremonial Walk, the priest removes the crowns thus ending the marriage ceremony.There is no exchange of vows. There is a set expectation of the obligations incumbent on a married couple, and whatever promises they may have privately to each other are their responsibility to keep. Finally there is the greeting of the couple. Divorce is rare in the Orthodox Church.National Holidays

1st January - New Years Day6th January - Epiphany

Orthodox belief acknowledges this as the day of the baptism of Jesus and this is where the day's association with water stems from, so it is on this day that the traditional blessing of the waters takes place. Part of the ritual is when the Priest throws the cross into the cold January waters and young men brave the icy temperatures to dive in and retrieve it. The one who brings the cross to the surface will enjoy good luck for the entire year.30th January - Three Heirarchs Day

This school holiday commemorates St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian and St John Chrysostom, although each Saint has their own special day to honour them individually the 30th January honours them collectively as the Patron Saints of Education as they are considered the Fathers of Orthodox Education and Literacy.25th March - This day has dual status as both a National and Religious holiday:- The Feast of the Annunciation

Marks the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God.

- Greek Independence Day

The celebration of the start of the Greek Revolution when the Greeks rose up against the oppressive Ottoman Empire which had occupied Greece for 400 years. After a long and bloody struggle, independence was finally granted by the Treaty of Constantinople in 1832.Easter

The Greek Orthodox Easter is calculated on the Julian calendar whilst the Western Church uses the Gregorian calendar and this is why the festivities do not usually occur on the same day. Greek Orthodox Easter should fall on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox and this is why Easter and the holidays related to it are moveable feasts.Clean Monday

This is the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Lent which occurs at the beginning of the 7th week before Easter Sunday Referred to as 'clean' because Christians are called upon to begin the Holy season with 'clean hearts and good intentions'. Marks the beginning of the Lenten Fast the period during which the Greeks abstain from eating meat, fish, poultry and diary. Families take to the beaches and countryside to celebrate with outdoor picnics and the widespread custom of flying kites.Megali Evthomatha (Holy Week)

The Holy week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday and Church services commemorating the last week in the life of Jesus Christ are held everyday.Holy Thursday

Thursday mornings service commemorates the Last Supper and the Betrayal of Christ and is the day the Greeks prepare the Red Eggs. Hard boiled eggs are dyed red to signify the blood of Christ.Good Friday - The Procession of the Epitaphios of Christ.

The Epitaphios is a large piece of cloth embroidered with the image of Christ. On this day Greek women and children go the Church to decorate the symbolic coffin (that will carry the Epitaphios) with flowers. Christ's burial is re-enacted in Church and in the evening the Epitaphios is taken from the Church and carried through the streets in a solemn procession.Easter Saturday

The Saturday midnight mass is the one dedicated to the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Each person takes an unlit candle to the Church. Just before midnight the Church lights are extinguished. At exactly midnight the Priest comes from behind the altar carrying a candle lit with the Holy light of the Resurrection. He will announce 'Christos Anesti' (Christ has arisen) to which the reply is 'Alithos Anesti' (Truly he has risen) and he will light the candle of someone inside the Church and then the flame is passed from candle to candle filling the Church with light. The Church bells ring joyfully and fireworks are set off. People carefully return home with their lighted candles and before entering their houses make a cross with the candle smoke on the front door in order to bless its inhabitants. They will feast on Magiritsa a thick soup made from Lambs sweetmeats and herbs and crack the red eggs. Each person takes an egg and challengers attempt to crack each others eggs. The owner of the last uncracked egg is assured good luck for the rest of the year.Easter Sunday

Visits are made to family and friends and the Easter meal which is truly a feast is shared with everyone. Spit roast lamb is the centrepiece of the table accompanies by salads, rice dishes, vegetable dishes and breads. Retsina, wine and ouzo flow ensuring that celebrations last throughout the day and into the night.Easter Monday

A more low key day with everyone preparing to return to work and school.1st May - Labour Day

The day when flower festivals take place in many parts of Greece and many Greeks collect flowers to make wreaths to hang from their doors.15th August - Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Also known as the Feast of the Dormition it is the biggest Holy day of the summer as it Commemorates the ascent into Heaven of the Virgin Mary after her death.28th October - Ohi Day

The famous 'No' day in 1940 that commemorates the Greek Dictator Ioannia Metaxas rejection of the Italian Dictators demand to allow Axis bases on Greek territory, thus entering Greece into World War II on the side of the Allies.25th December - Christmas Day

Although gaining in significance, Christmas is not considered as important as Easter to the Greeks as the Faith itself centres around the Resurrection rather than the birth or death of Jesus Christ.26th December - Boxing DayName Days

In Greece a person's Name Day is considered more important than their birthday and is always celebrated. Great significance is attached to the naming of a child and the process of choosing a name follows fairly rigid conventions. Children are never named after their parents but more usually after their grandparents, with the eldest son in the family being named after his paternal grandfather and the eldest daughter being named after her paternal grandmother.Names are usually of religious origin. According to the Greek Orthodox tradition nearly every day of the year is dedicated to a Christian Saint or Martyr. When someone is named after one of these Saints, this day becomes their name day and is celebrated.Some popular name days:

7th January - Yiannis/Yianna

10th January - Grigoris

17th January - Antonis/Antonia

3rd February - Stamatis/Stamatia

10th February - Charalambous

25th March - Evangelos/Vangelis

15th April - Leonidas

23rd April - Yiorgos/Yiorgia

5th May - Irini

21st May - Constantinos/Constantina/Eleni

29th June - Petros/Pavlos

7th July - Kyriaki

20th July - Elias/Eliana

24thJuly - Christina

6th August - Sortiris/Sortira

15th August - Maria/Despina (married)

30th August - Alexandros

14th September - Stavros/Stavroula

17th September - Sophia

29th September - Kyriakos

20th October - Artemis

23rd October - Iakovos

26th October - Dimitris/Dimitra

8th November - Michalis/Angelos/Gavriel/Stamatis

14th November - Philippos/Philippa

21st November - Maria/Despina (unmarried)

30th November - Andreas

5th December - Savvas

6th December - Nikos/Nikolas/Nikoleta/Nikolina

27th December - Stephanos/StephaniaEach island or area in Greece has a patron saint, and people living in that area often name a child after its Patron Saint, for example:

St Dimitrios - Thessaloniki

St Andrew - Patras

St Dionysos - Zakynthos

St Gerassimos - Kefalonia

St Spyridon - Corfu

St Nectarios - Aegin

The Green Hornet

As the son of LA's most prominent media magnate, who dies mysteriously, Britt Reid inherits his father's vast empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father's more inventive employees, Kato, Britt sees a chance to do something meaningful in his life: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, Britt and Kato plan to pose as criminals themselves. Britt becomes the vigilante Green Hornet, and Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, an indestructible car, equal parts firepower and horsepower. The Green Hornet and Kato quickly make a name for themselves. And, with the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case, they begin hunting down the man who controls LA's gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky.

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The Problem with Most Christmas Gift Lists

In your search for the perfect Christmas gift idea for friends and family, you might be finding it to be an overwhelming task. After all, you need to be a mind reader to figure out what everybody really wants. Christmas shouldn't be a stressful time of year, so why not choose a simple and popular solution?Gift Cards - The Solution

In a recent survey, gift cards (otherwise known as certificates) were the number one choice for a Christmas present in 67% of the people surveyed. The main reason cited was that they had received presents that were not suitable and that they would like to choose their own. Also, in the year that the survey was conducted, 9 out of 10 American families either purchased or received a gift certificate and that over $100 billion had been spent on these certificates that year. Teens have embraced this idea more than any other demographic segment, with over 98% having received or purchased one. The average amount spent was approximately $50.Whether it is a Christmas gift for him or her, you never have to worry if they will like it. They are sure to find a unique Christmas gift for themselves. You can even personalize them by including them in a Christmas greeting card. If you purchase one online, you will often be given the choice of sending it by mail, email or printing it on your computer. It's the perfect idea for men, women, girls, boys and even babies. These are also great for Christmas stocking stuffers and if you are looking for a cheap Christmas gift you can decide how much you want to spend.Be Careful Which One You Buy

Not all cards are created equal. Some have an exorbitant fee to just purchase one. These include those issued by most bank and credit card companies. These fees can be as high $15! It gets worse. There are also monthly maintenance fees which are nothing more than the companies jargon for monthly profit fees. These monthly fees eat away at the card's value until sometimes, there's nothing left. If that doesn't erode the entire purchase value then the expiry date will. In some cases the expiry is as short as 6 months.Be sure you find a certificate with no fees and no expiry date!Choose a Card that Offers Great Selection Online

The other problem you might encounter, is that some certificates only give the recipient access to one type of product at one store. In the same survey, it was found that one of the major reasons why people didn't use their gift cards was that they didn't have the time to go to the store or they couldn't find anything to buy that they liked. For example, what if you bought someone a certificate from an electronics store but what they really needed was some new clothes? Online stores are the best choice since they can shop from their computer and have it shipped to their home.The Amazon Gift Card - The Best Choice

This card has everything you are looking for. As far as my family Christmas list goes, I give my daughter the Amazon gift card as a Christmas present every year and she loves it because it has no fees, no expiry date, millions of products, and hundreds of categories to choose from. Kid's love the excitement of online shopping! Amazon is the largest and most trusted online retailer in the world and I always feel safe knowing that if there are any problems, they will always take care of it.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adele Blanc-Sec)

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Almost anyone who has been to Ireland on vacation will tell

you that vacationing in the "Emerald Isle" is an unforgettable

experience. There is something about the friendliness of the

people, the haunting beauty of the land, and the incredible

history that makes you want to return again and again.

I found myself in that situation in the summer of 2000, as

finally, after several years of failed attempts to return to

Ireland (I had gone there in 1994), five of us decided to go

for a 10-day trip. We decided to go in May, 2001, which gave

us more than enough time to plan a route.One day, while looking at a map, I noticed a small town

called Dunmore East on a strip of land jutting into the ocean

south of Waterford. I was intrigued by this place and

envisioned a weathered old hamlet that was

quintessentially Irish. This, I hoped, would be one town in

which we would definitely stay.We almost never made it to Dunmore East, thanks to a

bizarre series of events. On the way out of Dublin (where we

had stayed the first night), one of our cars suffered a

blowout, and soon our two cars were hopelessly separated.

We returned to the B&B in Dublin, hoping our two friends

would get in touch. The next morning we heard from them,

and were once again on our way, but we had lost a day. We

quickly passed through the Wicklow Mountains and, after

what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into Waterford and

continued along the winding road toward Dunmore East.

After ten miles of driving through rolling farmland and

windswept ridges, we finally saw houses and lights in the

distance. We pulled into Dunmore East just as the sun was

setting behind us. Coming down the hill into town, we saw

the ocean in front of us. This was indeed a spectacular

location.Our B&B was on the main street overlooking the harbor. It

was foggy, and we could just make out the green cliffs that

formed the harbor. Down the hill from the B&B was an inn

and a pub on the water. Winding lanes, a church and old

cemetery, a park, and thatched-roof houses all added a

unique charm to the village.Seaside villages can often have an eerie, surreal

atmosphere to them at dusk, and Dunmore East was no

exception. The combination of waning light and

ever-increasing fog caused the town to take on a haunting

look. Across the street from the B&B, there was a small park

with a memorial overlooking the cliffs and the harbor. A

single streetlight just added to the incredible scene. I must

have taken a half roll of film at that spot, trying to get the

perfect picture of a truly unique place.While in the pub at the mouth of the harbor, we met friendly

locals and European tourists. Like the owners of the B&B,

they were surprised that Americans would know about

Dunmore East. They said that the town tends to cater to

Europeans, and that people from the U.S. are rarely found

here. Ironically, one of the owners of the B&B was a New

Jersey native who fell in love with the village.Dunmore East is the type of place where you park your car

upon arriving, and do not use it until you leave. It is a very

walkable town, with everything being within a 1-square-mile

radius. I spent the afternoon of our second day there doing

just that, and discovered places in town that people in cars

would clearly miss. For instance, there was a sprawling

park with benches, paths down to the rocky coast, and

grassy areas for lying in the sun. There was also a winding

road that ended up at a small beach called (I believe),

"Ladies View." It was a pristine place with views of the

harbor, driftwood along the beach, and salt spray in the air.

I continued my walk along a coastal road, and soon found

myself walking into a business district. I had accidentally

discovered "downtown" Dunmore East! Apparently, we were

staying in the harbor part of town, which we had mistaken

for the village itself. The center of town was very charming,

with several old shops, a few pubs, and some more

winding lanes.On our second and final night in Dunmore East, we ended

up eating at one of the pubs in the center of town. After

dinner, we walked back to the B&B through the mist and fog,

wishing that we could stay a few more nights. But alas, we

had to move on, and though we found some terrific places

in the next several days, nothing beat this little seaside

village south of Waterford.

Compound nouns are nouns that have been created by joining two words together.There are three types.- Joined (input / bathroom / waterpark)

- Open (post office / real estate / night watchman)

- Hyphenated (mother-in-law / jack-in-the-box)When you are teaching compound nouns to your students it makes sense to spend the bulk of your time exploring the joined kind.This is because open ones are easy to understand. They are really just commonly used adjective noun pairs.In turn, hyphenated ones are rare. It is usually enough to introduce them and show a few examples.With that in mind, here are some joined compound noun lesson ideas!1. Write a mix of simple words on the board and ask your students to use them to create as many compound nouns as they can. Try these words - air back side hand bed death watch bed ear ache farm yard hand foot step hair line cut half way home made. After a few minutes ask four or five students to suggest other words to add to the list.2. Focus on one word and see how many different endings you can find. For example: earache, eardrum, earlobe, earmarked, earmuff, earphone, earring, earshot.A fun way to get younger students to come up with the answers is to offer cloze sentences that can only be answered with a compound noun that starts with word. For example: I have a very bad ear_____. A bad ear infection can cause the ear_____ to burst. I have an ear_____ that is pierced with two earrings. I have ear______ the page I want you to read.Other good starting words are earth, grand, hand and head. A dictionary is a quick way to look up all the possible combinations.3. Challenge your students to think of 100 compound nouns by the end of the week.This works well if they have a page titled "100 Compound Nouns". They can start by ruling 4 or 5 columns and writing the numbers 1 to 100. This can be done each day as a class activity or as homework. A dictionary is a great resource for this activity.This could be extended the following week by asking each student to contribute to a class collection. The words could be written on cards and pinned to a notice board or written on a large piece of cardboard. Setting a goal of 300 or more words can help to motivate the students.This extension activity could also be a great small group task for those self-motivated students that thrive on challenges.

Halloween is held on October 31st which is the last day of the Celtic calender.

2. The Halloween custom has evolved from the ancient Celts belief that the border between this world and "the Otherworld" becomes thin on All-Hallows-Eve. People wore costumes to disguise themselves and avoid harm.

3. The day after Halloween is called All Saints Day. Christians dedicate this day to all those saints who don't have a special day of their own.

4. All hallows is another way to say all saints. All-Hallows-Eve means the night before All-Saints Day.

5. The first evidence of the use of the word Halloween comes from Scotland in the early 16th century. It was slang for All-Hallows-Eve.

6. The colours orange and black represent Halloween because orange is the colour of pumpkins (and autumn) and black is associated with death.

7. The tradition of carving a jack o' lantern started in the United Kingdom. They were carved on All Hallows Eve and left on the door step to ward off evil spirits.

8. The original jack o' lanterns were carved from a swede or a turnip.

9. Jack o' lanterns were named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs.

10. Carving gourds into elaborately decorated lanterns dates back thousands of years to Africa. They were intentionally brought to the New World via prehistoric migration through Asia.

11. A record for the most simultaneously lit jack o' lanterns was set on October 21, 2006 when 30,128 jack-o'-lanterns were simultaneously lit on Boston Common.

12. The world's largest jack o' lantern was carved from the world's largest pumpkin (at the time) on October 31, 2005 in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania, United States by Scott Cully. The pumpkin weighed 1,469 lb (666.33 kg),

13. Today the record for the world's largest pumpkin is held by Nick and Kristy Harp whose pumpkin weighed in at 1,725 lbs (782.45 kg).

14. Trick-or-treating is the Halloween custom where children dressed in costume go door to door asking for candy with the question, "trick or treat?" The "trick" is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the home-owners or their property if no treat is given.

15. Many people believe, trick or treating evolved from the Middle Ages custom of giving freshly baked soul cakes to children who went door to door on All-Hallows-Eve offering prayers.

16. It was believed that each soul cake eaten represented a soul being freed from purgatory.

17. In Sweden, children dress up as witches and go trick-or-treating on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter).

18. In Northern Germany, Norway and Southern Denmark children dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating on New Year's Eve in a tradition called"Rummelpott".

19. In Scotland, children are only supposed to receive treats if they perform tricks for the households they go to. This normally takes the form of singing a song or reciting a funny poem.

20. For a number of years (in the late 19th century and early 20th century) Halloween in the U.S became synonymous with vandalism.

21. In 1912, Boy Scout clubs and other community organisations came together to encourage a safe Halloween celebration. School posters at this time called for a "Sane Halloween".

22. In an effort to prevent damage to their properties, householders began to offer children treats if they promised not to play "tricks".

23. By the end of the 1930's trick or treating had become widespread.

24. Research done by the U.S National Confectioners association in 2005 revealed that 80% of adults and 93% of children went trick or treating on Halloween.

25. The first screen depiction of Trick or Treating was in Disney's cartoon, "Trick or Treating". In this cartoon Huey, Duey and Louie try to trick their Uncle, Donald Duck into giving them candy.

26. In 1964 a New York housewife annoyed by Halloween started giving out packages of inedible objects to children whom she believed were too old to be trick-or-treating. The packages contained items such as steel wool, dog biscuits and ant buttons (which were clearly labelled with the word "poison"). Though nobody was injured, she was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to endangering children.

27. In 1970, the New York Times published an article that claimed that "those Halloween goodies that children collect this weekend on their rounds of 'trick or treating' may bring them more horror than happiness". It provided examples of potential tamperings. The examples were speculative but led to a ground swell of fear.

28. By the 1980s, US and Canadian parents fear that trick or treating children could eat compromised candy reached a peak. In 1985, an ABC News/Washington Post poll that found 60% of parents feared that their children would be injured or killed because of Halloween candy sabotage.

29. Apart from one incident-actually an act of premeditated murder by a trick-or-treater's father-there have been no recorded incidents of malicious and deliberate tampering of candy during Halloween.

30. In 1970, a 5-year-old boy from the Detroit area found and ate heroin his uncle had stashed. The boy died following a four day coma. The family attempted to protect the uncle by claiming the drug had been sprinkled in the child's Halloween candy.

31. In 2008, candy was found with metal shavings and metal blades embedded in it. The candy was Pokemon Valentine's Day lollipops purchased from a Dollar General store in Polk County, Florida. The candy was determined to have been manufactured in China with faulty equipment.

32. In the U.S, Halloween accounts for 25% of the year's candy sales.

33. In the U.S, nearly $2 billion is spent each year on Halloween candy.

34. Candy corn is the most popular Halloween candy.

35. Candy corn was created by the U.S Wunderlee Candy company in the 1880's.

36. Snickers bars are the most popular candy bar sold on Halloween.

37. Snickers bars were created in 1930 by the Mars family. They named it after their family horse.

38. Research conducted by the U.S National Retail Federation found that in 2005 - 53% of Americans bought a Halloween costume, spending an average of $38.

39. The first mass produced Halloween costumes appeared in the 1930's in the U.S.

40. Originally Halloween costumes were scary characters like vampires, ghosts, skeletons, witches and devils.

41. Today, Halloween costumes are often inspired by science fiction, television, cinema, cartoons and pop culture.

42. According to the U.S National Retail Federation the most popular Halloween costume themes for adults are, in order: witch, pirate, vampire, cat, and clown.

43. In 2009, the most popular Halloween character for Adults and Children was Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

44. In 1966, The TV series Batman was so popular, a fabric company issued patterns for costumes.

45. Apple bobbing is a traditional Halloween game. The game is played by filling a tub or a large basin with water and putting apples in the water. Because apples are less dense than water, they will float. Players then try to catch one with their teeth.

46. Apple bobbing is becoming less popular, possibly because more and more people regard it as unsanitary.

47. Girls who place the apple they bobbed under their pillows are said to dream of their future lover.

48. On 19 February, 2008, New Yorker, Ashrita Furman, bobbed 33 apples in one minute to establish a world record.

49. Agatha Christie's mystery novel, "Hallowe'en Party" is about a girl who is drowned in an apple-bobbing tub.

50. New York City hosts the United States' largest Halloween celebration, known as The Village Halloween Parade. The evening parade attracts over two million spectators and participants.

The Tourist

"The Tourist" revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Venice, Frank pursues a potential romance but soon finds himself the pursued as he and Elise are caught in a whirlwind of intrigue and danger.

View the original article here

When Geeks Go Outside

One of the coolest things about camping for me is the toys. Over time, I've ridden trail bikes, driven four-wheel drives, camped in storms, camped in remote areas, camped on mountains and camped by the beach. I can't think of a trip where a gadget of some type hasn't been involved. Gadgets make life easier, cooler and definitely more fun.

 

Think you're too tough? Think again!

Now I know there are those "man vs. wild" type campers out there that complain that you don't need fancy gadgets when you go camping. However look at Bear Grylls, the original "man vs. wild", does he not have a very cool survival knife? If you've ever seen those things in the shop you'll discover it's got about 5 different gadgets built in. Camping gadgets are not only fun and cool, I'd go as far as saying they are "essential".If you've done any camping at all you've probably used a GPS a million times, you've probably lit a fire without matches, you've probably cooked or eaten using titanium materials and you've probably used a LED head lamp. We probably don't consider these to be gadgets, but they are!

 

Geeky and I know it

I'm not ashamed to say that I spend a good 70 - 80 hours a week consuming the internet, working in my super geeky business, gaming, and generally obsessing over all things online. While I consider my self a geek and spend an enormous amount of time online, I also love getting outside.While I obviously take all my "i" devices camping, I also love taking an assortment of cool gear as well. Here's just a sample of the geeky gadgets I take camping:Wind up LED torch - Yep never need batteries, ever! Wind up technology and LED technology gets better every year. With current technology you simply never need to buy batteries.

Solar recharger - Everyone's "i" device runs out of steam except me! Yes Solar has scope to improve however 4 - 6 hours in the sun will fully change most "i" devices

Titanium cooking and eating gear - Super lightweight and incredibly strong, nothing beats titanium if you're a geek.

Night vision mono scope - Because it's just cool to see what's running around out there. I don't use a super expensive "special forces" version just a basic mono scope to have some fun.

Survival knife - For everything from surviving a zombie apocalypse to cutting up an apple.

Portable coffee brewing machine! - Geeks need their fuel right!There is an impressive array of cool camping toys and gadgets to head out into the bush with. Look around next time your camping; you wont be the only one taking technology outside!

The Adjustment Bureau

On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas--a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself--the men of The Adjustment Bureau--who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

View the original article here

The Fighter

"The Fighter" is the life story of boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund, chronicling the brothers' early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Mass., through Eklund's battle with drugs and Ward's eventual world championship in London. It is the inspirational tale of these two brothers who, against all the odds, come together to train for the historic title bout that will unite their fractured family, redeem their pasts and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride.

View the original article here

Solving the cancer issue is like a puzzle. You hear many things, but it is sometimes difficult to put the pieces together. In his recent book, Dr Tullio Simoncini, an Italian Oncologist says,

"Much evidence indicates that this is the road to take: the analogy between psoriasis - an incurable disease of the skin that many treat as fungus - with tumors, which is also an incurable disease of the organism; the symptomatological overlapping of systemic candidosis and cancer; and the strict genetic relationship between mycetes and neoplastic masses. These are all elements that support and confirm the point of view that all types of cancer, as happens in the vegetal world, are caused by a fungus."The good Doctor goes on to explain, "A fungus infection - that of the Candida species - could supply the explanation for why a tumour occurs; and it is in this direction that research should move in the attempt to solve the problem of cancer once and for all."*Dr Simoncini regularly attends medical conferences and does interviews to explain what's wrong with conventional cancer theories and treatments, to present his fungal theory of cancer and to describe case studies involving patients healed with sodium bicarbonate, a powerful anti-fungal. His book, Cancer is a Fungus: A revolution in the therapy of tumors (Edizioni Lampis), is available in Italian, Dutch and English from the website (see below)So, is the cause of cancer a common fungus? A yeast infection as common as Candida?

Other reports and articles seem to be supporting this information.
"Grapes' Anti-fungal Agent May Fight Cancer" 3/16/02

"Grape Skin Protein Kills Cancer Cells" 6/9/04

"Chlorophyll Derivative May Cut Liver Cancer Risk"

The CBS News story, "Fungus Among Us May Cure Cancer"

"Plants, Fungi, Sea Creatures Tested In Hunt For Cancer Drug" - Frederick, Maryland, Dec. 20, 2004
Follow the money. If Cancer is a fungus, then the American Cancer Society would be out-of-business.Follow the money. Billions of dollars in research would be down the drain, and the drug companies would have nothing for which to make a new drug.IF taking a simple, common and inexpensive product like Yeast Balance from Enzymatic Therapy or Candida Gone from Renew Life, or Yeast-Cleanse from Solaray, or many other products from your health food store may be the answer. We are not doctors or pharmacists and we do not prescribe, but you can be sure that a good yeast cleanse will be part of my health regime in the future.*Excerpt from the book, "Cancer is a fungus", by Dr Tullio Simoncini, Oncologist ©2007.

Mexico the country of Salsa, Tortillas and Corruption;

I first arrived in Mexico City in February 2002 as an instructor for the WFB - the World Federation of Bodyguards. A Mexican security service had contracted Anders Sorenson, the Norwegian WFB instructor and I, to set-up a training program for BG's in Mexico.I came through customs and the weapons search, shaking my head at the Mexican officials who only spoke Spanish, making my visa interview a complete waste of time.That was one of my first lessons about Mexico; almost all Mexicans dream of going to the US to live however, the vast majority speaks nothing but Mexican Spanish. This lack of English knowledge goes all the way from the basic uneducated labour worker to the university-educated attorney at law!The Assassination:On my second day in Mexico, I witnessed a Mexican Assassination complete with a "Hollywood-Movie" car chase. Sitting in our chauffeur driven vehicle, I was enjoying the sights in the city of Morelia, Michoacan, when I suddenly heard the well-known sounds of automatic rifle fire. A few seconds later a Bronco jeep, riddled with bullet holes sped past us. The jeep rammed into a vehicle right in front of us and stopped momentarily. The front seat passenger was hanging half out of the shattered side window, half his head gone with brain mass showing, in the rear a woman slumped covered in blood. Then the driver regained his senses and sped off down the street ramming other cars as he fled.The sounds of automatic fire bursts came again but much louder and nearer. Seconds later a black jeep sped by, with two shooters hanging out the windows firing automatic bursts from AR-15's. By now, from the rear seat, I was yelling at our chauffeur to give chase and try to ram the second vehicle; however, the chauffeur were paralyzed with shock and did not react, until Anders slapped him back to reality.When we finally gave chase we just glimpsed the assassins jeep, take a right turn at an intersection 30 metres away. Our chauffeur was whining about it being to dangerous to get close to the assassins, however he managed to give a speedy chase. As we turned right at the intersection we witnessed 10-15 heavily, armed Police officers surround the assassins jeep.The driver of the Bronco jeep were slumped dead over the steering wheel, he had done all he could to evade the attack site and escape the assassins. Realizing the assassins would not relent, the driver had driven with the horn flaring into the no-parking zone, surrounding the heavily guarded high-security police detention centre, where he knew help were immediately at hand.The assassination turned out to be a drug cartel hit, the dead man in the front were a cartel leader, the woman in the rear was his wife and the driver was his personal bodyguard. The three assassins were arrested and charged with three counts of murder; they all pled guilty and subsequently each received a 12-year prison sentence, with parole after 8 years.My real surprise about the assassination was the fact that the assassins continued their attack after the target had evaded the attack-site.This contradicts all "normal" modus operandi for professional assassins, as giving chase across town exposes the whole assassin team to witnesses and law enforcement. Months earlier, I would have argued that this type of "spray and pray" car chase could only happen in a Hollywood movie.When I discussed this matter with the CEO of the local TV-Azteca, he told me the reason for the continued attack, was that the assassins had more fear of botching the hit, than being arrested by the police. They knew that their Cartel leader would not accept failure and that he would reward their loyalty and commitment. They received the best legal defence money could buy, bribes to the attorney and judges, grease to the prison guards etc. Eight years in prison was simply not such a bad deal for the assassins! This is a similar situation to what is happening in Russia, where standard CP preventive methods, just will not protect your ass either.The assassination proved to be a blessing in disguise, at least to Anders and I, who suddenly were the two most "wanted" persons in Morelia city. We had requests and questions about training, coming in from police VIP protection teams and security managers for the filthy rich. The WFB could not have arrived in town on a better day.Being the flavor of the month:Everyone in protection and his dog wanted to see what we had to offer in the training field. Everyone was very interested but also very sceptical about our training, the Mexicans are wary off gringos with the solutions to all their problems. Very candidly, they told us that they had "enough" experience with no-good American (US) templates for everything. Our schedule was quickly filled with meetings followed by training contracts.In the next months we provided training seminars and courses to corporate VIP protection units and various police departments in the states of Michoacan and San Luis Potosi. The Police departments we provided training to included state SWAT teams and Ministerial Hostage Rescue Teams. These courses were hosted by the State Police Academies and we even held a seminar for the Army during Army Day.Kidnapping Industry:Mexico has more than its fair share of drug related crime, robberies, kidnaps and assassinations. In 2002 Mexico became the number 1 country for kidnappings, taking the lead over even Columbia, a position Mexico held until toppled by China in 2004. There are currently about 4000 kidnappings a year in Mexico. A report published in 2002 by the Mexican Ministry of Justice, found that former or serving Police Officers were involved in the planning or cover up of 80% of all kidnappings.Training the Police:One of the interesting facts about Mexico is the enormous amount of Police Officers pr capita. Even in a medium size state such as SLP there are more than 3000 State Police Officers. Add that on top of a heavy presence of City, Federal and Ministerial Police Officers. For a "European" the shear amount of Police Officers and independent departments are staggering and the jurisdictions are often over lapping and confusing. There are almost zero communication between the different departments and Petty rivalries are commonplace, between departments of the State Police and the Federal and Ministerial Police.During a course for the Ministerial Police HRT, we had to stop early because the course was held at the State Police Academy, which were shared by State and the Ministerial Police. However the State Academy chief were annoyed with the Ministerial Police and decided suddenly that they could not use the firing range as it was officially under supervision of the State Police etc.This is one thing foreigners need to bear in mind in Mexico, politics are part of everything and corruption is not a dirty word. Every "chief" were looking for "what's in it for me" and if you could provide him with something he wanted, there were ends to what you could do. Firearms are a very delicate matter in Mexico, only the Police and Army has the right to bear arms. Bodyguards are not officially allowed to bear arms, but if you know the right "chiefs" the law means nothing.However that does not prevent other Police departments from having a say about you carrying arms. During our third course in Mexico, we were training a Corporate VIP Protection unit of the Industrial Police. The Industrial Police were simply a "name" for a unit sponsored by the wealthy in a certain state; they would hire their Bodyguards and then have them "hired" on paper by the Industrial Police. This way the Corporate VIP protection units could legally carry arms. The Bodyguards would thus receive a salary from the Industrial Police and a substantial cash bonus by the corporation they were working for.Weapons or rather a lack of weapons:Another interesting problem in Mexico is the acquirement of weapons as the only "body" who have the legal right to import arms and ammunition is the Army. Even the Police Departments have to purchase or lease their weapons and ammunition through the Army. This unfortunately means that the prizes for legal weapons and ammunition are absolutely outrageous. The Army uses its monopoly to fund its own weapons and ammunition purchases and needs, thus the Army have "free" weapons and ammunition due to the tax they levy on the Police.One result of this is that you can now see Soldiers brandishing new MP-5s used for guard duty, while the local Police SWAT team are still relying on UZIs and Beretta M-12s. It also results in an outrageously low amount of ammunition allowed for training Police Officers in the use of firearms. The majority of Police Officers fire less than 20 bullets a year and in one state, I witnessed the weapons training and the following weapons certification of Police Cadets, after having fired only 12 bullets from a revolver! More than two thirds of the Cadets did not hit their target with more than 2 bullets out of 12, from a 10 meter distance! After this I was "scared" when around armed Police Cadets, I jokingly told the local Chief of Police, to please not attempt to rescue me should I be kidnapped.Among the interesting aspects of Mexican "Bodyguarding" we found that the vast majority preferred to stick their gun in the back of the pants, gangster style. And avidly claimed that this was the safest and easiest method of carrying a handgun, however during training courses the guns would be dropping all over the place. The main reason for this is that the Bodyguards are not assigned a firearm, but usually pass it between when changing shifts, thus they are to "cheap" to buy their own holster. We made it "clear" that this was unacceptable and students only made the mistake of "tugging" their gun in once!Bodyguarding the Mexican style:Another interesting aspect of Mexican "Bodyguarding" is the fact that many VIPs prefer (demands) to drive their own vehicle, thus the Bodyguards are merely following in a back up vehicle. There were daily stories of smart ass VIPs (usually the sons of the wealthy) simply out-driving the Bodyguards, the sons were of course driving Ferrari's or other sport cars. One Fortune 500 VIP we trained for preferred to drive himself around in a two seat Mercedes Cabriolet, which of course made protecting him hell for the BGs.Those readers who have access to the first issue of Protection News, can see a picture of the WFB adapting its Embus and Debus training to accommodate the VIP driving his own car. We also found that most wealthy VIPs had a huge luxury bus, which they used for cross state travelling inside Mexico. Due to this we had to improvise and adapt Embus and Debus drills to accommodate this and teach linear assault on busses, during the Counter Assault Team training.A True Life Experience:Mexico was a breath of fresh air to me as a European CPO, everything were different from working in Europe and the threat level were far higher and by experience we learned that the BGs can not rely of the Police. The vast majority of BGs and Police Officers I met and trained with (several hundreds) were all highly motivated and good guys, who really wanted to learn. They were all sick with the way things were in Mexico and especially the corruption, but there were little they could do about it. Mexico is truly a land of opportunity for the European BG training provider, as long as you accept the rules of business; "corruption" and status quo. If you want to earn money in Mexico, simply go there on vacation and drop in for a visit, by the VIP security managers and local Police Chiefs and soon you will find yourself immersed in the Mexican BG business.One night when I was having a drink with a local Police Chief, I complained about the obvious drug trafficking. The chief looked at me and said; when I started this job I got a mail package, within it were two packages, one contained $10.000 the other a bullet! When I asked what he did about it, he quietly said; well I am still here...

The first capital city of the Confederacy and an important link

in the renowned Cotton Belt, Montgomery is today more

widely known for its role as the unwilling host to the historic

Civil Rights marches, inspired by a local seamstress, Rosa

Parks, who was too tired to give up her bus seat on her way

home from work one day in December 1955. Her calm

defiance attracted the admiration of the city's popular

preacher, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who emerged on the

local and national stage when he organized the famed

Montgomery Bus Boycott, which ignited the national Civil

Rights movement. Centrally located on the south bank of the

Alabama River, this capital city is emblematic of the historic

clashes from its role in the 1860's War Between the States

and its involuntary part in the Civil Rights movement 100

years later. Within one city block remnants of these

historical events compete in their respective historic

structures, memorials, monuments and

museum exhibits.Things to See in Montgomery:o State CapitolThis 1850 Greek Revival Capitol is famous for two events:

First, in February 1861 on the front portico, the new Southern

Confederacy inaugurated Jefferson Davis as the President

of the Confederate States. The second event taking place on

the same spot 104 years later, March 1965, Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr. ended his Selma-to-Montgomery Civil

Rights march. Beyond this historic portico the doors open to

a grand foyer flanked by a pair of white spiral staircases

curling up three stories. The Capitol's pink and gold

neoclassical Rotunda features a glorious stained glass

skylight. Eight large murals designed in the late 1920s by

Alabama artist Roderick MacKenzie decorate the walls. The

murals show scenes from Alabama's history, such as the

arrival of deSoto, the French settlement, early pioneers,

antebellum life, the Confederacy and commercial

development.Check it out . . . The original "Governor's Suite" and the

"Secretary of State Suite," on the first floor preserve

furnishings and documents from the period of

1870s-1880s, presenting a tactile peek into the past.Check it out . . . On the Capitol grounds, 50 flagpoles wave a

flag from each state on a semicircular walkway called the

"Walk of States." Beneath each flag lies a stone

nameplate--donated by each state from material

indigenous to its terrain. A few of the stones are

semiprecious, such as turquoise from New Mexico.o State Archives and History MuseumFounded in 1901 the Alabama Department of Archives and

History was the first state archival agency in the nation. The

museum, housed in a beautiful turn-of-the-century building

with marble walls and staircases of Tennessee gray and

Alabama white marble, displays changing exhibits relating

to Alabama history, including interpretive hands-on

galleries. Of particular note is the 19th century gallery on the

second floor featuring unusual items, such as human hair

jewelry made by Mrs. Jefferson Davis, antebellum quilts,

and the Alabama State Bible. A room dedicated to former

Vice President William Rufus King is also on the second

floor. King, a North Carolina native, was born April 7, 1786

and at the age of 29 served as a North Carolina

representative in the US Congress. He resigned in

November 1816 to accept a post in Russia. When he

returned, he became ill and moved to Cuba to recuperate. In

1819 he moved to Alabama and when Alabama became a

state in December of that year, he was elected to represent

the new state in the US Senate, and reelected more three

times before being appointed Minister to France in 1844. He

was elected again to the US Senate in 1848 but resigned in

1853 to serve as Vice President under Franklin Pierce. He

took the oath of office on March 4, 1853 but died soon after,

on April 18, 1853. The room dedicated to William Rufus

King displays some of his personal clothing, furniture,

china, and silver, and other items he collected from his

foreign posts. It also displays documents that reveal

fascinating things about this relatively unknown political

figure and the times in which he lived.o First White House of the ConfederacyA simple, unassuming dwelling, the First White House of

the Confederacy was the makeshift executive mansion

donated by a local merchant and hurriedly established to

serve as temporary living quarters for the newly elected

President Jefferson Davis and his family who lived there

three months before the Confederate capital moved to

Richmond. Conveniently located across the street from the

State Capitol, the White House of the Confederacy allows

self-guided tours. All the rooms on the first and second floor

are open to visitors. Period furnishings, personal items

belonging the Davis family, photographs and documents

present a keen insight into the early days of the Civil War,

the South's prominent leader and his personal struggles.o Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist ChurchDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Began his ministry at the Dexter

Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which served as

headquarters for the 1956 bus boycott. A large mural in the

church basement depicts the influential people and

landmark events of Civil Rights movement from the 1950s

to 1970s. A short film supplements the mural.o Civil Rights MemorialJust outside the Southern Poverty Law Office, kitty-corner to

the State Capitol and a block from the Dexter Avenue King

Memorial Baptist Church, is the impressive The Civil Rights

Memorial, designed by sculptor, Maya Y. Lin, who also

designed the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.,

and dedicated on November 5, 1989. Etched on a round

altar of smooth black granite is a chronology of the Civil

Rights events and the names of 80 martyrs who died in the

struggle for racial equality. Water bubbling from the altar's

center flows over the timepiece past the words of Martin

Luther King (paraphrasing the Bible), "Until justice rolls

down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." A

beautiful and emotional memorial.o Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor MuseumThe Olympian Center, featuring a replica of the Greek

Temple of Hera, is the centerpiece of this 20-acre flower

garden ablaze in colors all year long.o Alabama Shakespeare FestivalLocated in the expansive green gardens of Wynton M. Blount

Cultural Park, the nationally-acclaimed Alabama

Shakespeare Festival is the fifth largest in the world.

Presenting both classic and contemporary productions, it

also offers year-round educational programs. The Alabama

Museum of Fine Arts is also on the grounds. With its acres

of ponds, gardens, museums and theaters, the Wynton M.

Blount Cultural Park is the place to go for art and nature.o Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald MuseumHoused in the modest home where the Fitzgeralds lived in

the early 1930s while Scott wrote "Tender is the Night," the

museum features personal belongings, furniture,

photographs, and manuscripts of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald

and the rare diaries and unpublished paintings done by his

talented, Montgomery-born wife Zelda. Each room contains

memorabilia that speak volumes of their unusual

personalities and strange life together. On the screened-in

side porch of this old rambling house, the museum plays a

film of their sad story, told through interviews of surviving

relatives and friends.ALABAMA TOURIST INFORMATION: (800) 252-2262

Grown Ups

"Grown Ups" is about five men who were best friends when they were young kids and now are getting together for the Fourth of July weekend to meet each others' families for the first time. Picking up where they left off, they discover why growing older doesn't mean growing up.

View the original article here

Edge of Darkness"

My 0-10 rating: 7

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Director: Martin Campbell

Screenwriter: William Monahan, Andrew Bovell, based on the 1985 six-hour British TV miniseries

Starring: Mel Gibson, Bojana Novakovic, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston

Time: 1 hr., 57 min.

Rating: R (strong bloody violence, vulgarity)With gripping gravity and a driven sense of deep drama, Mel Gibson is back in bloody action.A steady urgency and a welling motive of uncompromised revenge fuels the basic but well detailed plot development, earning the film a decent nod of respect in its accomplishment of condensing a six-hour British TV serial into a two-hour movie. Gibson, it is obvious from his character's breathtaking, burning will toward retribution against very bad men, wants this to work.It does, and in the gloom of night-time Boston in heavy rain and raging car killings and gut-tearing shootouts, your spirit will be well purged of hope for civilized behavior between greedy men caught up in mortal stress.Gibson is as intense as he's ever been, his face looking hardened, heavily seasoned yet capable of sensitivity. The script keeps him caught up in a methodical tracking of murder. However, the many oh-so-Hollywood contrivances in the action are so glaring as to deny the film any credibly high rating.Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson), veteran homicide detective and loving single father of his 24-year-old daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic), is shattered when he bears witness to her being gunned down on the steps of his home.The general assumption, by himself and the police, is that it was he, not Emma, who had been the intended target. But, as Thomas, wracked with grief and guilt, begins tracking the murderer, he is uncovering some surprising aspects of his daughter's involvements, perhaps shedding light upon her recent uncharacteristically tense demeanor and episodes of nausea and nosebleeds, Thomas is thinking there may be a lot more to this. Did she have a secret life of which he'd been totally unaware?She was, he is to learn, working for a security-research compound with top nuclear secret ties to the government. It is becoming apparent that it is headed by the overbearingly willful Jack Bennett (Danny Huston) and further that major corruption is involved. Thomas will also find himself in the path of a fixer, that is, an evidence cleaner-upper named Darious Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who obviously doesn't really care about Thomas' efforts as long as they don't become obstacles in his own goals. The corporate and government cover-up now expands.All performances radiate the compulsions of desperate men, each drawing from the spiraling thrust of the other. The film draws you well into its darkness.

Watch - Into the Blue [Blu-ray]

Best Buy


Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Fun Finding Treasure

By CrowTurtle
One truly great thing about this movie is that it is not in the least pretentious, overblown, pompous, puffed up, or heavy handed. Neither does it hit you over the head with an overload of CGI and special effects nor wallow in personal issues like so many film today.

This movie is basically a swimming trunks and bikini action adventure flick. so, if want some good shots of Jessica Alba (Sam) in a bikini swimming - this movie is for you.

But there is more to "Into the Blue" than that. And it is not a teenager kind of film (i don't think there is one teenager in it, although ofcourse they may enjoy it like anybody else). Jessica Alba was probably about 23 years old when she was making the movie - and Paul Walker (Jared) was at least 31.

i'm not going into basic plot details (that has been done by others here) - just some fun observations.

Sam has a kissy-kissy ralationship with boyfriend Jared. in the first half of the film this actually becomes a turn off - it was funny when one of the characters actually tells them to basically 'knock it off ' when they start in on one of their run-of-the-mill kissing scenes. one thing more about turn-offs in the movie, *(SPOILER - WITHOUT TELLING YOU WHO OR HOW)* when one of the main characters gets seriously injured and dies there is hardly any real or true concern for her life expressed by anyone.

But the film does mangage to finally get into some actual story-telling with some good twists and turns. a bit far-fetched and drawn out near the end but that's what makes it fun!!.

So for me "Into the Blue" gets 4 stars; it has a good moral to it - about the real treasure found in one's own heart, it had good nature photograghy of the ocean -- and it was just plain fun!!

It turned out to be pretty good.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
One and only one reason

By Ryan M. Pikarski
There is mainly one reason to buy this movie, the action is so/so, the plot is grossly contrived, but the saving grace for this film is in the underwater camera work. By that I am referring exclusively to the way the cameraman follows Jessica Alba around from behind underwater as she swims. There is no nudity, there needs to be no nudity, this is simply a film about the hottest woman in known existences butt. Its super high def Jessica Alba, you'll be on the slow mo button half the film anyway so I doubt you'll notice an actual story.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
The Beauty and Danger of the Deep

By Grady Harp
INTO THE BLUE surprises. Despite an opening sequence that is frightening and grisly, this film starts with the feeling that it is another pretty people at the beach flick - mindless, but visually attractive 'what I did last summer on the waves' story. But stay tuned: this is a film of visual splendor and tense intrigue and action that is up there with the best of them.

Amidst some of the most spectacular underwater sea photography on record blooms a story of friends with polar priorities: Jared (Paul Walker) and Sam (Jessica Alba) live the simple life in the Bahamas, sport diving, looking for lost treasure ships as a hobby; visiting lawyer friend Bryce (Scott Caan) and his just-met current squeeze Amanda (Ashley Scott) have dubious pasts and are out for the quick buck no matter the dangers. This quartet spends the first part of the film diving and playing underwater with the glorious sea life until the unexpected discovery of a submerged airplane (recall the opening sequence) containing vast amounts of cocaine changes the playing board. Jared and Sam won't deal in drug trafficking while Bryce and Amanda are unable to resist. Once this strident mark is hit the movie becomes a fast paced intrigue of good vs evil, crime, police corruption, all mixed with chase sequences both on land and underwater. Tragedies occur, priorities alter and the polarities among friends are tested.

Even if the story of sunken treasure and drug trafficking weren't as well written as they are, this film would be well worth the time spent just watching some of the finest underwater choreography on a stage both fascinating and gorgeous and with a cast of beautiful bodies in synch with the splendor. The cast is good and certainly beyond even the eye-candy appeal of each of the actors. Peter Zuccarini's underwater cinematography deserves Oscar attention; Shane Hurlbut controls the above water cinematography well. But director John Stockwell is to be commended for the pacing of this edge-of-the-seat story - and that is saying a lot for a film that is close to two hours long! Yes there are chinks in the mortar of the story and moments where the audience must suspend belief (just how long can Paul Walker hold his breath anyway?), but in the end this is a film that deserves serious attention from the movie audience. It is better than you would expect! Grady Harp, December 05
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Watch - The Town (Two-Disc Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

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90 of 100 people found the following review helpful.
Honor (As Well As Romance, Retribution and Remorse) Among Thieves

By K. Harris
Ben Affleck returns to his old stomping grounds--the working class neighborhoods of Boston--for his second directorial effort "The Town." A solidly constructed crime thriller, "The Town" is at its most successful when it's exploring the specific dynamics of the area in question. Affleck has a sense of the place, the language and rhythm of its inhabitants, that lend an authenticity to the film that elevate it beyond typical genre fare.
That's why he has achieved success working in an area and with characters identifiable to his own upbringing. His previous Boston efforts include "Good Will Hunting" (a screenplay Oscar for Affleck) and "Gone Baby Gone" (Affleck's acclaimed first feature as a director). "Gone Baby Gone," in many ways a standard detective plot, was a huge revelation for being surprisingly hard edged and cynical (it helps to be adapted from a Dennis Lehane book with similar qualities)--and it is that cynicism that made it one of my favorite films of its year.

Now adapting Chuck Hogan's "Prince of Thieves," Affleck casts himself as the stoic lead Doug MacRay. Raised in the Charlestown area, MacRay has been unable to break away from the legacy of his youth, his father, and local crime bosses. He runs a successful crew in robbing banks and armored cars. On a job gone wrong, a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) is temporarily taken hostage. When MacRay's best friend on the job (Jeremy Renner) becomes concerned she might know something to identify them--Affleck sets off to observe her as she lives uncomfortably close to the crew. But getting a little too cozy, he starts to idealize her as an opportunity to escape the life he now feels trapped in. One more big score and maybe he can get a fresh start.

Affleck plays the role with a tight lipped intensity and calm. It's left to the dynamic Renner to provide the menace and unpredictability within this tale. Turning on a dime, Renner is terrific here (as he almost always is--even in lesser films). Small roles by Chris Cooper, Blake Lively, and Pete Postlethwaite help illuminate how MacRay, while basically a decent guy, went wrong. Jon Hamm adepts himself well as MacRay's FBI foil. The cast is uniformly excellent, the action sequences are well choreographed, and the grittiness feels real and alive. However, the romance between Affleck and Hall (so inherent to the plot) is actually the least successful element of the film. The biggest lapse of logic comes after Affeck has identified that he's being tailed by the FBI. Instead of laying low--both for her sake and to appear uninvolved--Affleck continues to date Hall openly, even lunching in a sidewalk cafe. And when she learns the truth, I'm not sure her character has been developed sufficiently to make her choices appear logical.

In the scope of the picture, however, these are small gripes. "The Town" is most assuredly a successful and rich thriller for adult audiences. Affleck displays range and restraint as a director--and if that's not enough, there's a terrific cast working at the top of their game! Check it out! KGHarris 9/10.


58 of 65 people found the following review helpful.
Applause

By L. Power
I went into this movie knowing absolutely about it, there was little advance hoopla that I can recall, that usually accompanies a major motion picture.

The idea of mask wearing, semi automatic toting nuns at once seems invigorating and slightly surreal, but the viciousness, and sloppy impulse control of one of the robbers played brilliantly by Jeremy Renner (of Hurt Locker) immediately brings us crashing into the reality of what's happening.

These hardened ruthless criminals hide behind a funny mask, and will eliminate anyone who gets in their way. So they kidnap the attractive female bank manager played adorably by Rebecca Hall for leverage, and let her go.

Upon checking her drivers license, and discovering she lives in their neighborhood, the psycho wants her eliminated to cover their tracks. Ben Affleck's character takes the card and decides to investigate her, and discover what she knows. One thing leads to another, and the lives of everyone involved starts to move in ever decreasing circles as the FBI investigation starts closing in.

The story is brilliantly told, and the theater audience responded to the irony of the conversations between the criminal and his unknowing victim.

Ben Affleck's character seems a little at odds with his criminal life, and you wonder why he is a bank robber, nevertheless he has a well developed dark side, and is very resourceful, resourceful enough to be the the architect.

But you also get the sense that here is a guy could go straight if he chose to, and that dilemma of wonder is what makes this movie so great. He makes the good choice of distancing himself from an addicted ex girlfriend, yet makes bad choices as well. But in order to get to that place of going straight he is forced to make criminal but understandable choices, some of which may surprise you.

You can tell that this is somewhat of a passion project. The movie is set in Boston as was Goodwill Hunting for which he won the Oscar for Best screenplay with Matt Damon. Here Affleck shows he is perhaps the under admired element of that partnership as he wears not only a mask but the multiple hats of Director, Actor, and Writer, and as the architect of this movie pulls all those elements together.

The Town is one of those movies that just works on every level, without falling into the trap of just another formula caper movie. In some ways the mask wearing robbers reminded me of the the Presidential mask wearing robbers of Point Break (Pure Adrenaline Edition)starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

As I think back on the best movies of the last several months I think of the over the top antics in Machete, the intellectual stimulation of Inception, and now the mystery and dilemmas of The Town. The Town manages to convey some Indie style while not following the typical Hollywood formula.

It would be remiss not to mention the brilliant ensemble cast, Jon Hamm of Mad Men as the FBI agent, and Jeremy Renner. Particularly though I found Rebecca Hall to be an amazing and beautiful talent. According to the imdb star meter her popularity has risen 570% in the past week. She also starred as Vicky in the Woody Allen movie Vicky Christina Barcelona, and I predict her star will continue to rise.

If you like this movie I think you will also love Point Break [Blu-ray]The Bank Job, and The Lookout, a personal favorite.

And at the end of the movie the audience applauded. I hope this was helpful. This is definitely one to catch in the theater. I think you will love it.





45 of 55 people found the following review helpful.
A Crime Thriller With Depth!! Go See It!

By Kevin Currie-Knight
I've wanted to see The Town ever since I saw the first previews of it. First, the story seemed quite intriguing: what happens if a man falls in love with the woman he anonymously took hostage while robbing a bank? Another thing that made me want to see this film is that, unlike many crime dramas, this one seemed to escape the artificially polished Hollywood-ish feel. I had to see it.

...And I was correct on all counts! The Town, which was co-written, directed, and features by Ben Affleck, was every bit of what I thought it would be. The directing was very "real" feeling (especially capturing the working-class feel of Charlestown, MA very well). The script was quite good, not once seeming over-the-top or under-developed. The cast and acting was very good.

But I reserve a separate paragraph for talking about the plot and its execution. This film is somewhere between a crime thriller, a character study, and a romance. It has enough teeth to excite those who like car chases and heists but enough depth of emotion to satisfy those who want strong characters and plot lines. The story revolves around Doug McRay, who robs banks with his friends from Charlestown. On one heist (the movie opener), they deviate from the plan and take a hostage. After letting her go (she never saw them), Doug decides to follow her and talk with her. They end up starting a relationship. The questions: how can Doug keep this secret, and how can he get out of his life of crime?

The plot's execution was very well done: fast enough, slow enough. By the end, you have really identified with Doug McRay and may end up feeling as conflicted as he.

For its great story line, believable direction, and its originality, I give The Town 5 stars and recommend it highly to you.
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Watch - Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

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179 of 191 people found the following review helpful.
Director's Cut Differences

By Senor Zoidbergo
The director's cut runs approximately 3 minutes longer, and inserts a few new scenes, but no major plot points. This is NOT the major unrated cut that McG has referred to in past interviews, where he suggested that 30-40 minutes of additional footage would be added. We'll probably see that in a future edition.

Here are the major differences between the theatrical version and the director's cut (spoilers follow).

1) In the opening action scene, when John Connor is leading his unit into the flooded underground Skynet base, a T-1 terminator (nice touch from T3) suddenly appears behind them. His men destroy it before it can do any damage. I'm glad this scene was cut; it inadvertently breaks the tension too quickly.

2) When John pulls his little "frogman stunt", he is seated before the Resistance Command generals, and General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) berates John. Ashdown says, "I don't believe in prophecy, not when one can re-write the future", pulls out his gun and points it at John's head. I liked this scene, because it illustrates John's present and minor role in the Resistance, especially with Command being skeptical of his "predictions".

3) Blair Williams/Moon Bloodgood's topless scene; really just a side shot as she washes herself in the rain in a non-sexual manner, and Marcus glances at her briefly.

4) Marcus/Blair Williams/redneck fight; the action is a little longer, and a little more brutal. Marcus stabs one of the attackers with a screwdriver, and we see the impact, as well as the victim painfully removing the screwdriver. Also, Marcus uses another one of the attackers as a human shield against another's shotgun blast.

5) Marcus/Blair Williams campfire scene is slightly longer with additional dialogue between the two.

6) Captured humans at Skynet; when one of the prisoners attempts an escape and is shot, we see the bullet impacts.

7) John Connor's speech to fellow Resistance members to not obey Ashdown's orders to attack is extended with a few sentences about his mother. I liked this scene, not sure why they cut it. It ties T2 in, and shows the impact of Sarah Connor. (Is this where Christian Bale had his stage lights tantrum?)

8) Marcus/T-800 fight scene is slightly longer, shows Marcus getting pummeled a bit more by the T-800. Also, John tries to revive Marcus an additional time, before collapsing in exhaustion.

I would like to add that I enjoyed Terminator 4; much better than the campy T3, and just a shade under T2. The action was definitely there, and McG included a lot of thoughtful touches from the past movies, e.g. photograph of Sarah Connor, the origin of John's scars, John's like for Guns N'Roses, Sarah Connor's taped voice recordings (actually Linda Hamilton's voice), use of and of course the Arnold cameo. Who can say no to Michael Ironside? What I didn't like was Blair Williams' geisha makeup which she wore during air combat. It made no sense, and was probably one of the deleted portions. Bryce Dallas Howard was believable as Kate Connor, but her screen time was too short. Hopefully, a future cut will show more of her relationship with John.

Some have said that Christian Bale's performance was wooden, or that John Connor's role was overshadowed by Sam Worthington's role as Marcus Wright. I disagree with both counts; Bale played Connor as he should have been; grizzled, scarred, gruff. Given that we know so much already about the future and John's role from prior Terminator movies, it makes sense to have another character portray the center protagonist role. I also liked the idea of the audience first seeing John as a minor Tech-Com officer, steadily rising through the ranks and gaining influence.

Additionally, the movie's opening and closing scenes had a poetic touch to it, which I appreciated. Marcus begins the film about to be executed, giving his body to a cybernetic program. The film ends with the same shots of needle plungers being depressed, albeit for a different reason. Marcus leaves the world as a cyborg, but giving his body to a human cause.

I did have one concern about the movies; how come the Arnold T-800 didn't die when John Connor shot the molten steel onto its head? Turns out there's a perfectly scientific explanation (McG consulted a metallurgist).

Here's McG's answer: "There are different characteristics of molten steels, and that was an earlier steel process after it had been separated from the coke. We went over this with a metallurgist, discussing which metals burn at which degrees. And also, if it had stayed on [the T-800], perhaps it would've melted him, but it was frozen quickly enough by the [liquid nitrogen]. Plus, we make the transition from the molten metal to the cooling property so quickly -- as a function of the T-800 being on [John] Connor -- that it wouldn't have had time to melt the existing titanium exoskeleton in time."

In conclusion, if you're a diehard Terminator fan, go ahead and pick up this version. Otherwise, wait for the (hopefully) longer extended cut.


85 of 107 people found the following review helpful.
Terminator Salvation Extended cut

By J. C.E.
The movie was good, a few bad lines, but mostly the editing was really off, they shouldn't have cut the time down to under 2 hours and made it a PG-13 flick. That was a big mistake, that's like making Rambo a G-rated film, it's just not right. Christian Bale is good as John Connor, he gives an alright performance, but he could have done a little better. Anton Yelchin (Young Kyle Reese) did a superb job portraying the young hardened soldier who will eventually go back to protect young Sarah Connor, but not in this film. The movie is good, but due to editing and script changes here and there, caused the movie's poor performance at the box office. It's still a good film to watch, it gives us a fresh new look at the world post Judgment Day. It's NO James Cameron film by a long shot, but still decent with good action. Just don't expect to follow the plot as it has it's ups and downs by the different writers that wrote the screenplay. Expect a future blu-ray/dvd Terminator Salvation: Extended Cut (I don't know what they will call it) to contain most of the deleted scenes 30-40 mins worth with the original ending and an alternate storyline to debut sometime in late 2010. It's an alternate version of the film, much like Donner's Superman II cut. This only has 3 mins added, with Moon Bloodgood's breasts and a couple of F-Bombs in this sad director's cut.
22 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
An Imperfect, But Still Above-Average Summer Actioner

By Brendan A. MacWade
The Terminator franchise is an odd beast. Since the original 1984 feature, it has been sold to three (soon to be four) different production companies and two different studios. The only times the plot and dialogue have blended well together were in the first two movies, thanks to the care and writing skill of the younger James Cameron. Since then, the timeline, plot, and characters of Terminator have gone through mutations and minor changes, either to the delight or disappointment of fans (usually the latter). For a franchise that doesn't have millions of fans like Star Trek or even Battlestar Galactica, Terminator still has legs. And Terminator Salvation was a great opportunity to tie some loose ends left over from the last movie and TV series, and reboot the franchise in the hopes of producing a John Connor trilogy.

This film is either the first film of a second trilogy, or an intermediate movie while the future of the franchise goes up for bid in a Hollywood auction in 2010. So how is this movie?

First the bad news. Some of the dialogue, as is the case in too many action films, is poor. I've always believed movie producers should hire more than script doctors. They should hire an experienced screenwriter or playwright to give the dialogue a go-over. The plots are usually okay. But the words coming out of character's mouths can always use an upgrade. Again, I look at Aliens as a model in how smart action movie dialog should be written. At least the dialogue in Terminator Salvation holds together for the first 20 minutes of the 117 minute director's cut.

Slightly less bad news - if the director prefers to be known as 'MCG' (Joseph McGinty Nichol), and whose previous works were the two Charlie's Angels films, you know he's going to spin his wheels and show-off a little bit. And MCG does. But he also proves for the first time that he is capable of assembling top-grade action sequences that are both thrilling and comprehensible (unlike Christopher Nolan, who seemed incapable of directing a good action sequence in The Dark Knight, IMO). MCG seems to have done his homework. His attention to detail setting-up and executing action sequences is similar to the directors he grew-up with (George Lucas, Brian DePalma, John Woo, James Cameron). If I were the executive producer, I would have wanted Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) to direct, or at least a director who didn't give himself a nickname.

And finally, the movie does go off the rails a bit towards the end. The second half of the movie is poor and cliched. Christian Bale gets more screen time in the second half, but the final acts test the boundaries of medical and physical plausibility. Also the second half is weighed-down by b-movie explosions, obvious homages to the first two Terminator movies, and brief tips of the cap to The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, and Aliens (not so brief with the last movie, as the entire climax seems to replicate Ripley's Rescue). The first half of the film is clearly better than the second half. At least the two halves are bridged by a most impressive (and original) chase and battle sequence in which all the great elements of the film come together beautifully. That sequence is simply crackerjack.

But everything else in the movie I see as good news, in varying amounts. Masio Kassar remained as executive producer (from T2 and T3) and hired as much Terminator talent as he could - namely the editor and an apprentice of Stan Winston's. The casting is fine. The photography, despite being handled by a disliked, unorthodox DP, is excellent, and matches the film's bleak theme and outlook. The sound design is close to brilliant, with the machines sounding radically different from the previous three movies to awesome effect. Danny Elfman's restrained score stays off the soundtrack during most action sequences, allowing the jet engines and explosions to speak for themselves. Art direction and costumes are all first-rate. Special effects are almost all top-notch, with the exception of a few cheap explosions and some of the aircraft shots.

Some plot weaknesses and poor dialogue aside, this is a wonderfully bleak movie. Mankind is almost doomed. The machines are smarter and sometimes more brutal than the previous films. The machines are not always consistent in their speed (hey they have to take their time to aim at our heroes), but they are always quick to destroy human vehicles before humans, and that is a very welcome bit of smart military strategy on their part. And some humans are fairly brutal as well.

It's tough for a studio to have a bleak movie as its summer tent pole, but that's what Terminator Salvation was to Warner, which struck box office gold a year earlier with The Dark Knight. Terminator Salvation failed to crack the # 1 spot in its opening weekend. But it will be remembered for being the best Terminator feature in 18 years, and that is saying quite a lot.
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