Get Smart-A Review

Maxwell Smart -- a gung-ho but bumbling analyst for U.S. intelligence agency CONTROL -- has always dreamed of being a superstar field operative like Agent 23. When the crime syndicate KAOS exposes the identities of CONTROL's agents, the Chief is forced to make Smart's day by sending him on a mission to thwart a plot for world domination. To help him out, the Chief partners the overeager Smart with sexy veteran Agent 99. Will her brains and beauty, along with his... enthusiasm... be enough to save

Three Good Reasons

• Steve Carell: action hero! Michael Scott of The Office has been writing himself into adventure scripts for years -- now it's time to live the fantasy. Coming soon: Threat Level: Midnight!
• Anne Hathaway had to take a walk on the cinematic dark side to shake her Princess Diaries image, but in this movie she's back to making us laugh. Her wry deadpan style is an ideal fit for the stylish and unflappable Agent 99.
• This movie contains enough explosions, shattering glass, tuxedos and world domination plots to meet your recommended summer allowance of spy movie mayhem.

Bet You Didn't Know

As a child, Steve Carell used to hide in the hall closet patiently, just for the pleasure of jumping out and startling his father when he came to hang up his coat. Every. Single. Time.

Viewers Rating

B+

Face Of Shiseido drops Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie has been dropped from Japanese cosmetics giant 'Shiseido's ad-campaign.

The company now wants a new face for its products and has in fact roped in British supermodel model Agyness Deyn to fill in the 33-year-old actress' place.

It was in 2006 that Jolie was signed as the brand's ambassador, and after two years of appearing in commercials and print ads for Shiseido, she has been replaced by Deyn.

Reports suggest that Deyn would be representing the company as its spokesmodel in their Fall 2008 Maquillage ad campaign.

Meanwhile, the 'Tomb Raider' star has also parted ways with fashion house St. John last month after a three-year contract with the company.

Journey To Center Of The Earth

Trevor is used to being laughed at. He's the type of guy whose colleagues use finger-quotes when describing him as a "scientist." But the joke's about to be on those guys, because apparently the center of the earth contains fish and dinosaurs and stuff! When Trevor's brother disappears, the only clues to finding him are the notes he scrawled in a copy of Jules Verne's classic adventure novel. Trevor takes a leap of faith and journeys to the uncharted worlds beneath the surface in search of his missing bro.

Three Good Reasons

• Witness moviemaking history! This is the first narrative live-action movie to be shot in digital 3D, and the dazzling special effects make full use of the technology.
• for a great family bonding session, as the mix of action and humor will appeal to adults and older kids alike.
• It's possible that Tomb of the Dragon Emperor didn't quite satisfy your need to see scary things chasing Brendan Fraser.

Bet You Didn't Know It

The former Soviets are the ones who have actually explored furthest into the earth's crust, with the 8-mile-deep Kola Superdeep Borehole, started back in 1970. Sorry, no dinosaurs.
The most exciting thing they discovered was some trapped subterranean water and hydrogen gas.

Disney's Next Plan-A Camp Rock

Tweens ready for another summer at “Camp Rock” should start packing their bags, as a sequel is in the works. Pending a script, production will begin in spring or summer 2009, according to Hollywood repoorter .

The Disney Channel original movie starred rockers the Jonas Brothers and was a showcase for Access Hollywood rising star Demi Lovato, widely touted as the next Miley Cyrus. Both are launching their own TV shows on the network, “J.O.N.A.S.” and “Welcome to Mollywood,” respectively.

The “Camp” premiere was a hit last weekend, scoring 8.9 millions views on Friday and another 3.6 million on ABC on Saturday night, making it Friday’s highest rated show and the year’s biggest cable entertainment program.

But it pales in comparison to the channel’s “High School Musical 2,” which scored a staggering 17.3 million viewers last year and has its own sequel due in October.

Next Month Big Release

HANCOCK


What happens when a wisecracking, homeless, alcoholic superhero meets a determined PR exec? Hancock, who just saved the life of idealistic Ray Embrey, is about to find out. Embrey is determined to rehabilitate the down-and-out Hancock, clean up his image, and make him into a true hero the world can adore. Embrey's wife Mary, on the other hand, isn't so sure it's a worthy endeavor, particularly when Hancock starts hitting on her in the midst of his big comeback. The "Big Blue Boy Scout" he ain't.

Three Good Reasons

• Will Smith and Jason Bateman are both masters of dry comic timing. This is the first time we've had the chance to see them play off of each other, and the results should be classic.
• The market's a bit flooded right now with weighty epics of tortured-yet-beloved superheroes... so it's a bit refreshing to get a look at great power without great responsibility.
• It's the Fourth of July weekend. That means three things: cookouts, fireworks, and Will Smith blockbusters.

Bet You Didn't Know

That poor stranded gray whale that Hancock tosses back into the ocean in the trailer? The one that lands on a sailboat? That whale would weigh about the same as two city buses (with passengers).

Summer Special

WANTED


This Month's Hot Release

Wesley Gibson is living a pathetic, bleak, colorless cubicle existence until his father's death sets into motion a series of stunning revelations. Revelation One: a super-hot chick is actually checking him out. Two: the aforementioned chick, "Fox," worked with Dad, who by the way was a superstar assassin answering to a supernatural authority. Three: Wesley has inherited Dad's special talents, which unsurprisingly involve killing people. Four: Dad was murdered, and it's Wesley's job to avenge him and set things right. Unless, of course, he's really attached to that day job.

Three Good Reasons

• 1An ordinary desk monkey, approached by a deadly babe and told that he has a special destiny? Obeying the instructions of a sonorous guru to protect a world oblivious to its enslavement by a higher power? Nah... that'll never work.
• 2We know Angelina Jolie is a great mom, and a philanthropist, and a respected dramatic actress. But what we really want to see her do is kick some butt again.
• 3In addition to the usual bullets, cars, and explosions, the action incorporates parkour, or "free running": precise methods of movement and obstacle navigation that will blow your mind.

Bet You Didn't Know

In the graphic novel the movie is based on, the characters are more like comic book super-villains than assassins. The character of "The Fox" is inspired by Batman's adversary/flame Catwoman. Angelina Jolie, who plays Fox in the movie, is said to answer to the nickname "Catwoman" in real life.

A Legend

MARLON BRANDO

An Academy Award-winning American actor whose body of work spanned over half a century. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors of all time. As a young sex symbol, he is best known for his roles as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desireand Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront, both directed by Elia Kazan in the early 1950s. In middle age, his well-known roles include his Academy-Award winning performance as Vito Corleone in The Godfatherand Colonel Walter Kurtz in Apocalyps Now the latter two directed by Francis Ford Coppola in the 1970s.

He made a strong impression in 1951 when he brought his performance as Stanley Kowalski to the screen in Kazan's adaptation of Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for that role, and again in each of the next three years for his roles in Viva Zapata! in 1952, Julius Caesar in 1953 as Mark Antony, and On the Waterfront in 1954. These first five films of his career established Brando as perhaps the premier acting talent in the world, as evidenced in his winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role three consecutive years, 1951 to 1953.

In 1953, he also starred in Lee Falk's play Arms and the Man. Falk was proud to tell people that Marlon Brando turned down an offer of $10,000 per week on Broadway, in favor of working on Falk's play in Boston. His Boston contract was less than $500 per week. It would be the last time he ever acted in a stage play.

Brando became a hero for the younger generation by playing motorcycle rebel Johnny Strabler in 1953's The Wild One. He created the rebel image for the rock-and-rollera. Brando's explosive screen presence exuded a raw sexuality that drew repeat ticket purchases among female theater goers of all ages. Theater managers related accounts of sold out weekday matiness where small children ran up and down the aisle making motorcycle noises while their mothers sat transfixed.

Director Nick Ray took the gang image from the movie The Wild One and brought it to his movie, Rebel Without A Cause, and thus emphasized Brando's effect on youth.

Aspects of the rebel culture that included motorcycles, leather jackets, jeans and the rebel image, which inspired generations of rebels, came thanks to that film and Brando's own unique image and character. The sales of motorcycle related paraphernalia, leather jackets, jeans, boots and t-shirts skyrocketed throughout the country. The film had a similar effect on overseas audiences. Local authorities and religious figures lamented the effect it was having on the youth of their respective countries.

Under Kazan's direction, and with a talented ensemble around him, Brando won the Oscar for his role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront. For the famous I coulda' been a contender scene, Brando convinced Kazan that the scripted scene was unrealistic, and with Rod Steiger, improvised the final product.

Brando followed that triumph by a variety of roles in the 1950s that defied expectations: as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, where he managed to carry off a singing role; as Sakini, a Japanese interpreter for the U.S. Army in postwar Japan in The Teahouse of the August Moon as an Air Force officer in Sayonara, and a Nazi officer in The Young Lions Although he won an Oscar nomination for his acting in Sayonara, his acting had lost much of its energy and direction by the end of the 1950s.

His performance as Vito Corleone in 1972's The Godfather was a mid-career turning point. Director Francis Ford Coppola convinced Brando to submit to a "make-up" test, in which Brando did his own makeup (he used cotton balls to simulate the puffed-cheek look). Coppola was electrified by Brando's characterization as the head of a crime family, but had to fight the studio in order to cast the temperamental Brando, whose reputation for difficult behavior and demands was the stuff of backlot legend. However, Paramount studio heads wanted to give the role to Danny Thomas in the hope that Thomas would have his own production company throw in its lot with Paramount. Thomas declined the role and actually urged the studio to cast Brando at the behest of Coppola and others who had witnessed the screen test.

Eventually, Charles Bludhorn, the president of Paramount parent Gulf + Western, was won over to letting Brando have the role; when he saw the screen test, he asked in amazement, "What are we watching? Who is this old guinea?"

Brando won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, but turned it down, becoming the second actor to refuse a Best Actor award (the first being George C. Scott for Patton). Brando boycotted the award ceremony, sending Native American Rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to state his reasons, which were based on his objections to the depiction of Native Americans by Hollywood and television.

The actor followed with one of his greatest performances in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1973 film, Last Tango in Paris, but the performance was overshadowed by an uproar over the erotic nature of the film. Despite the controversies which attended both the film and the man, the Academy once again nominated Brando for the Best Actor.

His career afterward was uneven. He was paid one million dollars a week to play the iconic Colonel Kurtz in 1979's Apocalypse Now. He was supposed to show up slim, fit, and to have read the book Heart of Darkness. He showed up weighing around 220 pounds and hadn't read Heart of Darkness. This is why his character was shot mostly in the shadows and most of his dialogue was improvised. After his week was over, director Francis Ford Coppola asked him to stay an extra hour so that he could shoot a close up of Brando saying, "The horror, the horror." Brando agreed for an extra $75,000. After this film his weight began to limit the roles he could play.

1940's Classic Movie - Casablanca

During World War II, Europeans who were fleeing from the Germans, sought refuge in America. But to get there they would first have to go Casablanca and once they get there, they have to obtain exit visas which are not very easy to come by. Now the hottest spot in all of Casablanca is Rick's Cafe which is operated by Rick Blaine, an American expatriate, who for some reason can't return there, and he is also extremely cynical. Now it seems that two German couriers were killed and the documents they were carrying were taken. Now one of Rick's regulars, Ugarte entrusts to him some letters of transit, which he intends to sell but before he does he is arrested for killing the couriers. Captain Renault, the Chief of Police, who is neutral in his political views, informs Rick that Victor Laszlo, the European Resistance leader, is in Casablanca and will do anything to get an exit visa but Renault has been "told" by Major Strasser of the Gestapo, to keep Laszlo in Casablanca. Laszlo goes to Rick's to meet Ugarte, because he was the one Ugarte was going to sell the letters to. But since Ugarte was arrested he has to find another way. Accompanying him is Ilsa Lund, who knew Rick when he was in Paris, and when they meet some of Rick's old wounds reopen. It is obvious that Rick's stone heart was because of her leaving him. And when they learn that Rick has the letters, he refuses to give them to him, because "he doesn't stick his neck out for anyone"

The Happening- A Review

The Story

Elliot Moore is an under appreciated schoolteacher whose marriage is on the rocks. But nothing helps you forget your worries like a sudden global apocalypse! When people begin dying en masse, rumors fly about terrorist attacks or botched government experiments, but soon it becomes obvious that even the government couldn't botch things this badly. Confused and terrified, with their links to the rest of the world rapidly vanishing, Elliot and his family must go on the run in what is fast becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Three Good Reason

• This is writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's first R-rated thriller, so odds are you too will be seeing dead people. Lots and lots of grotesque, horrific dead people.
• 
  
• Mark Wahlberg is an acclaimed actor who looks great with "what the heck is going on" lines etched on his brow. Shyamalan wrote the part of Elliot specifically for him.
• 
  
• The hints are that the disaster in the film is an environmental one, so perhaps the movie will scare a few young city-dwellers into trading in their Hummers.

Veiwers Rating

C

Euro 2008

Van der sar says Caution

Holland captain Edwin van der Sar says he is too long in the tooth to be carried away by his team's sensational start to Euro 2008.
The Dutch have taken the tournament by storm in smashing a total of seven goals past 2006 World Cup finalists Italy and France to secure top spot in Group C and cruise into the quarter-finals.

Along with Spain and Portugal, they are now favourites to lift the title, with their vast array of forwards in sublime form and their often suspect defence holding up in their opening two matches.

But skipper Van der Sar, a veteran of more than 120 caps for his country, is preaching caution ahead of the knockout stages.

"We are only in the quarter-finals," the Manchester United goalkeeper, 37, warned.

"I have been going around for a long time and to be in the quarter-finals is nice, but it doesn't bring you any silverware.

"It's a great start for us - nobody expected us to come out and beat the world champions and then France.

"We will enjoy it but we still have to focus on our next game. And then we still have maybe three more games to play."

Holland produced a lesson in counter-attacking football to blow away France in Bern on Friday, the same way they destroyed Italy four days earlier in the same city.

Les Bleus have not conceded four goals in a match since 1982, and their defence has been one of the strongest in world football over the past few years.

But it could not cope with the brio and pace of the Dutch attacks, especially in the second half of the 4-1 victory at the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.

Dirk Kuyt had opened the scoring with a simple header from a corner in the eighth minute, but it was after the break that the Oranje really put on a show as France pushed forward and left gaps at the back.

Second-half substitutes Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie exposed the French by finishing off flowing team moves in some style, before Wesley Sneijder added gloss in injury time with a trademark strike from long range.

"Holland must have had five or six chances, and scored four goals," said France right-back Willy Sagnol, who set up Thierry Henry for Les Bleus' only riposte.

"We had 10 of them (chances) and it finished 4-1 - it doesn't reflect the match.

"But if they continue like that, they will go far."

It could all have been so different had Henry, returning from a thigh injury, made the most of a host of opportunities that came his way at the start of the second half.

The first saw his goalbound effort strike the hand of Andre Ooijer, but French penalty appeals were waved away by German referee Herbert Fandel.

Henry was then set free by Florent Malouda's spectacular overhead kick but, one on one with Van der Sar, the Barcelona star lofted his lob clear of the bar.

The former Arsenal skipper's glancing finish in the 71st minute made it 2-1 but Robben's glorious strike just seconds later restored Holland's two-goal cushion and the game was up for the French.

"We have a good all-round team," said Holland coach Marco van Basten.

"We have an excellent goalkeeper, strong defenders, intelligent players in midfield and an excellent attack.

"The team spirit is really, really good. We played excellently against Italy and to offer a performance against France four days later is a feat.

"This indicates there is a great team spirit."

France now need to beat Italy in their final game to stand a chance of finishing second in the group.

But even a victory over their old rivals in Zurich on Tuesday would be made redundant if Romania, who are a point ahead of Les Bleus, defeat what will surely be a second-string Dutch team on the same night.

"When everything is going well, life is beautiful and everyone is happy," said philosophical France coach Raymond Domenech.

"When you lose, life is not so beautiful. In high-level football, you have to keep on hoping.

"The team is still here, there is another match left."

After four years in charge, Domenech could face the boot if France fail to qualify for the knockout stages but he is putting those concerns to one side for the moment.

"My big worry is the next match against Italy," he added.

"That is more important than the future of the staff and the manager."

Britney Spears Set To Be Nominated For Emmy Award

Britney Spears is all set to be nominated for an Emmy Award, for her cameos in US television sitcom - 'How I Met Your Mother.'

While the 26-year-old popstar is walking a recovery path, things are looking brighter for the 'Toxic' star, as producers of the show are pushing for her to be nominated for an Emmy.

Spears is now part of the official ballot as a possible nominee to receive an award for her two guest appearances on the sitcom.

Running for nomination, the singer turned actress will be joining the likes of Mary-Kate Olsen for 'Weeds', Alyssa Milano for 'My Name is Earl' and 'Scrubs' star Sarah Chalke for guest-starring as Brit's boss on the show.

Out of 41 actresses, only a few will be short-listed as final nominees before the September ceremony.

Incredible Hulk Review

The Story

What began as a sequel has become a complete do-over for our not-so-jolly green giant. This time around, Bruce Banner is on the run from General Thunderbolt Ross as he desperately searches for an antidote to the gamma radiation that has given new meaning to "anger issues." As if it's not bad enough that his ultra-ripped bod is designated official military property, a new nemesis emerges! When Emil Blonsky toys with the power that has made Banner into the Hulk, it transforms him into a true abomination.

Three Good Reason

• Edward Norton, whose struggles to deal with rage made him famous in Fight Club and American History X, is the perfect choice to play an ordinary guy with an all-consuming alter ego.
• If the first attempt at a Hulk movie left you feeling a little green, good news! This version has a whole new cast, a whole new mood, and even a whole new retelling of The Hulk's origin.
• The filmmakers have said this movie is directly inspired by the "Incredible Hulk" TV show from the 1970s. If you need proof, listen carefully to the music at the end of the latest trailer.

Viewers Rating

B-

James Bond's martinis secret to be reveiled

In order to celebrate the birth anniversary of Ian Fleming, the creator of the world's most famous secret agent, Professor Charles Spence and Dr Andrea Sella will be unveiling the secrets of 007's favourite drink and a range of other cocktails at a lecture at the Cheltenham Science Festival in England on June 4.

Spence is a psychologist who has worked with molecular gastronomist Heston Blumenthal to unravel the secrets of how we interpret taste, while his fellow Bond fan is a chemist at University College London.

In Canada in 1999, a group of students at the University of Western Ontario decided to test Bond's preference in a series of experiments on gin and vodka martinis, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

They studied the martini's ability to deactivate hydrogen peroxide , a substance used to bleach hair or disinfect scrapes and a potent source of the free radicals linked to ageing and disease.

The detailed chemistry is not fully understood but martinis were much more effective than their basic ingredients, such as gin or vermouth, at deactivating hydrogen peroxide - and about twice as effective when shaken.

In their analysis of the results, published in the British Medical Journal, the team concluded, reasonably enough, that Bond's excellent state of health "may be due, at least in part, to compliant bartenders".

And Sella believes that shaken martinis are not only healthier but also taste better.

This is due to what experts call "mouth feel". The shaken martini has more microscopic shards of ice, making its texture more pleasing. He plans to test this hypothesis at the Cheltenham Festival, where he is expecting no shortage of volunteers.

'The Sigma Protocol' is penned by iron man writers

The film focuses on an American economist who becomes the target of professional assassins, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

When a U.S. intelligence agent investigating his case finds herself discredited, the two end up on the run and uncover a multinational conspiracy manipulating the global economy and world events.

The book was one of the last books written by Ludlum, who is the creator of the studio's ultra-successful 'Bourne' franchise.

The project was set up at the studio several years ago, and at one point had Jonathan Jakubowicz on board to write and direct.

Paul Sandberg and Strike Entertainment's Marc Abraham and Eric Newman are producing.

USD 1 million were offered to lindsay lohan to admit she's a lesbian!

There were already rumours of her having a close relationship with best pal DJ Samantha Ronson, and when they were spotted kissing and cuddling one another at the Cannes Film Festival last month (May08), the rumours intensified.

The offer had apparently been made by OK! magazine to Lohan, however editors at the magazine have refused to confirm the reports.

From Lohan's side, her representatives revealed to the New York Post that the offer was true.

"They sent offers and we passed," Contactmusic reported New York Daily as quoting the representative.

The whole episode started just days after Lohan's mother Dina gave the pair her blessing that is if they really were lovers.

"If she's happy, I'm happy. That's all I'll say," Dina said.

"Samantha's great. I've known her and her family for 10 years," she added.

Meanwhile, more rumours have come up about the two, the latest being that the two of them are planning an engagement, though neither sides are confirming anything.

Anand went down to Ivanchuk in Leon chess final

Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand paid for costly blunders at crucial junctures to lose a closely-fought final and relinquish the Magistral Ciudad De Leon chess crown to Vassily Ivanchuk in Leon, Spain.

Ukrainian Grandmaster Ivanchuk, fresh from his triumph in the MTel Masters, scored a 2.51.5 victory to deny the Indian his eighth title in Leon.

The first game set the tone of the match as Ivanchuk took the lead over the world champion with the black pieces.

Anand launched a kingside attack against the Taimanov variation of Sicilian defence, but could not make much headway as Ivanchuk created sufficient counter play on the queen side.

The Indian drifted into a disadvantageous position as Ivanchuk’s heavy pieces penetrated down the queenside. The game came to a rather abrupt end when Anand made a serious miscalculation on the 38th move which cost him a piece and brought about his immediate resignation.

Anand bounced back in the second game with a thumping victory in 26 moves from the black side of the Sicilian defence. Ivanchuk adopted a positional approach against the Sicilian Najdorf and Anand neutralised it easily with skillful play.

Ivanchuk was left without a concrete plan and lost an exchange in his attempt to stir up some activity for his pieces. Anand consolidated his advantage and Ivanchuk resigned in a hopeless middlegame position.

The third game was the most keenly contested, but was marred with some errors from both sides. The two Grandmasters repeated the opening from their first game with Anand varying from that game on the 17th move.

His improvement fetched him a small advantage but the position was quite complicated.

Ivanchuk exchanged queens on the 24th move but failed to equalise. Anand won a pawn, but later made some technical errors in the endgame and allowed Ivanchuk to escape with a draw.

The fourth game created a sensation as Anand lost it in just 16 moves to hand over the crown to his opponent. Ivanchuk decided not to test Anand’s play in the Sicilian defence and played the Queen’s Pawn Opening.

Anand chose to reply with the Nimzo Indian defence and the game proceeded along an established theoretical path. Anand then got a slightly inferior position due to a transposition of moves but the game seemed to be headed for a long fight.

A terrible blunder on the 14th move, however, cost Anand a piece and realising the hopeless nature of his position, he resigned two moves later.

BookMark at :

Cinthol ad has more action than ‘Dhoom 2′: Hrithik

From free-running to bungee jumping to diving into the ocean, Hrithik Roshan is seen doing all that in the Cinthol ad. He says he accepted the offer because it was about movement and progress.

“There was more action in the Cinthol ad than in ‘Dhoom 2′. It was so much fun. I [...]

Hell boy is back (Hellboy 2 : The Golden Army)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 film directed by guillermo del torm. The film is a sequel to 2004's Hell boy, also directed by Del Toro. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is written by Guillermo del Toro and Mike Mignalo Universal Pictures finances and distributes the film, which has a target release date for july 11 2008.

he Golden Army begins when an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken; Hell on earth is ready to erupt. Hellboy II tells the tale of a ruthless elven prince who treads the world above and the one below, defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. It's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders.

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) will travel between the surface world and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal, along with his expanding team pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones), and protoplasmic mystic Johann Krauss (James Dodd), the newest member of the BPRD. Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who is accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him.

Check out this new trailer of dark knight