Author: Jason Zingale (Page 97 of 154)

Jessica Alba GQ cover

Alba is front-runner for GQ’s Best Cover of All-Time

June 27, 2007 /

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, GQ recently launched an online contest asking readers to vote for their favorite covers, spanning a wide range of categories and going as far back as the magazine’s debut year.

Jessica Alba GQ coverThe votes have been tallied and the five finalists have been revealed: Orlando Bloom for Best Debut (2004), Brad Pitt for Best Leading Man (2005), Jessica Alba for Sexiest Woman (2005), Richard Gere for Most Stylish (1980), and 007 himself, Sean Connery for Most Iconic (1966).

Voting has officially opened on the final to determine the best cover of all-time, and not surprisingly, Jessica Alba has already secured a massive lead. One glance at the image to the right and you’ve no doubt already rushed to the bathroom with Kleenex in hand, but it’s not over yet, and as soon as female voters realize they’re simply canceling out each other’s votes amongst the four male candidates, Brad Pitt will certainly gain some ground.

Check out the other finalists and head to GQ to vote.

Actors, Actresses, News

In case you missed the avalanche of “Dark Knight” news over the weekend…

June 19, 2007 /

…here’s a handy guide to get you back up to speed.

1) I’ll start with the lamest of them all: Batman will be riding a Bat-Cycle. ‘Nuff said, really.

2) Batman’s suit has undergone a serious upgrade, and while it’s dangerously close to falling into Schumacher territory, it certainly works.

3) Anthony Michael Hall as The Riddler? The Scarecrow returns? It’s possible, but both still rumors at this point in time.

4) And finally, a spy report from the set of “The Dark Knight,” where the insider not only gives details on a key scene from the movie, but also talks a lot about Heath Ledger’s Joker.

Action Movies, Movies, News

Trouble in paradise

June 17, 2007 /

The creators of “Entourage” took a big risk this week when they chose to shoot the entire episode in the style of a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary, but for the most part, it went over pretty well. The only real issue that I had was with the inclusion of Drama, Turtle and Ari in the confessionals, because no real documentary would even think about interviewing the older brother, best friend or agent of any particular actor. Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to cram the entire production of “Medellin” into a single half-hour is impressive, especially since the audience has yet to see Vince in action.

A majority of the episode revolved around director Billy Walsh’s expected dictatorship over the production – from the decision to shoot the film himself (after beating up the DP) to rewriting the ending – and though Walsh never disappoints Vince with his nut job brilliance, he certainly looked like he was about to pass out from all the stress. Tension builds when Walsh requests Academy Award nominee Stephen Gaghan (“Traffic”) to rewrite the script, but when Eric finally secures the $275,000 to fly him out to Columbia, Walsh finishes it on his own. A waste of money? Perhaps, but I can’t help but think that the sheer idea of Gaghan messing with Walsh’s baby was motivation enough for the young upstart to begin writing.

Aside from that, there really weren’t any major revelations on the story side of things, but I would like to point out a few things that I especially liked about the episode:

1) Did anyone notice the title of the DIY producer’s book that Eric was reading? It was called “Is That Something You Might Be Interested In,” by Bob Ryan.

2) Was it just me, or did Vince look more like Ron Jeremy than a menacing drug lord?

3) Drama can steal an entire episode with just one line. In this case, his cameo at the end of the film as a Columbian soldier ranks among his top three. (in Spanish) “Let’s go kill this motherfucker!”

As for the movie itself, I wasn’t impressed. It felt a little too much like “Scarface” and every other gangster film I’ve ever seen. Then again, if you were as unlucky as me and caught the title of one of the season’s final episodes, then you know exactly how things are going to turn out. I’d suggest you stay away from the ‘ol IMDB for the next few months, but if you absolutely must, please keep your mouth shut for the sake of everyone else.

Entourage, External TV, TV

DVD Spotlight: Shaw Brothers Classic Collection

June 15, 2007 /

While Bob and Harvey Weinstein have yet to capture that same box office magic they experienced during their impressive stint at Miramax, the brotherly duo can relish in the fact that their upstart DVD label, Dragon Dynasty, is doing just fine. Released with the idea of presenting classic and contemporary Asian cinema to a wider audience, the latest additions to the Dragon Dynasty family feature some of the greatest (and most recognizable) Shaw Brothers movies ever produced. Of course, any true fan of the genre probably owns multiple copies of all four films on DVD, but with their glorious re-release, each film has been remastered and restored, as well as accompanied by brand new special features including interviews with the cast/crew, and audio commentaries by The RZA, director Quentin Tarantino, and film critics Elvis Mitchell, David Chute and Andy Klein.

The first title in the group is certainly the most obvious, as “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” is widely considered the greatest kung fu movie ever made. Starring Gordon Liu as a student whose village is ravaged by a neighboring clan, the film follows his character as he embarks on a grueling martial arts program through the 35 chambers of the Shaolin Temple. So why the mention of a 36th chamber, you ask? Well, you’ll have to watch the film to find out, but one thing’s for sure: what the movie lacks in plot, it more than makes up for with some of the coolest action sequences of its time.

The other three titles scheduled for release include “King Boxer: Five Fingers of Death” (credited as the movie that started the kung fu avalanche in America), “The One-Armed Swordsman” (best known for introducing one of the most popular characters in Chinese cinema) and “My Young Antie” (a movie that not only featured a kung fu heroine for the first time, but also integrated comedy into the story). While I had never seen any of these three films before they arrived on my doorstep, I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how well they held up to today’s standards of filmmaking. The Shaw Brothers can be likened to Robert Rodriguez in many ways, as they most certainly know how to stretch a budget and produce an entertaining film.

It’s unfortunate that the Weinsteins don’t have current plans to release all four films in a box set, because I can’t imagine anyone that would pass up the chance to purchase them together for a discounted price. Still, for the remastered transfers of the movies alone, there’s not a single self-respecting fan of the genre that won’t at least consider picking these up. The inclusion of audio commentaries by self-proclaimed kung fu fanatics like The RZA, Quentin Tarantino and David Chute certainly helps the case, but it shouldn’t be the main selling point. Then again, if you were never a fan of the late-night kung fu movies that aired on your local cable access channel, but you really enjoyed Tarantino’s two-part homage to the Shaw Brothers catalog of films, this may just be the perfect place to start.

External Movie DVDs, Movie DVDs, Reviews

Sweet Child of Mine

June 5, 2007 /

Well, that wasn’t exactly what he all had hoped for, now was it? Then again, it certainly doesn’t make the wait for the final season any shorter, either. The spotlight remained on Vic this week as he struggled to stay on the force. Despite a seemingly effective blackmail of Aceveda (after securing the original memory card containing the infamous photo from Cruz), the former captain continued his claims that he couldn’t help with his current situation. He did, however, offer up a suggestion: play the autistic child card with the head of the appeals (the only man with the power to turn the vote), who just so happens to have a grandchild with the same disease.

Not content with using his children as an excuse, Vic turns to his last resort: crack the San Marcos case wide open. After tailing the one-armed delegate to a money drop with some Mexican intelligence former who’s joined up with the Mexican mob, Vic uncovers a plan that involves the Mexicans buying up land in Farmington as a means to both launder money and do illegal business. The smell of crooked politicians is too much for Aceveda to pass up, and so he teams up with Vic on the hunt.

Unfortunately, Vic doesn’t have the kind of time needed to investigate a case of such proportions the right way. Instead, he goes straight to the source, pulling over the aforementioned intelligence officer to discover a trunk filled with boxes of blackmail-quality material. The guy didn’t go down without a fight, though – attempting to drive away before Vic jumped through the window and beat his ass – and now it looks like Vic finally has the case needed to guarantee his future at the Barn. A worthy story arc for the final season? You bet. Despite butting heads several times in the past, the Vic/Aceveda dynamic has always been one of the best thins about the series, and I can’t wait to watch the two of them working together again.

And if that’s not enough, he might even get a final nudge from Claudette’s end. Granted, the weary captain called for more of a Vic-type when she so gloriously booted Hiatt from the job, but with his recent good behavior, she might just be willing to accept the fact that he’s going to be around a little longer than originally anticipated. Billings, on the other hand, isn’t so keen on sticking around. In fact, he’s actually informed Claudette of his intentions of suing the department for injuries rendered during the Vic/Kavanaugh brawl a few months back. He’s not stupid, either, as he made sure to document complaints about headaches and neck cramps every chance he got with Dutch, but can a place like Farmington really afford a $3.2 million lawsuit. Methinks not, which means Billings will surely return for one last confrontation with Dutch before the show is gone for good.

And what of Shane? Well, he managed to escape yet another season unharmed, and without a confrontation with Vic, no less. It certainly looked like he had it coming after kidnapping Corrine and Cassidy (at gunpoint) and locking them in the back of a semi, but Vic has pushed that to the back burner for the time being. Shane’s actions were actually well intentioned (the Armenian mob was going to kill them), but all Vic is going to remember is that puddle of blood in his house. Of course, the blood was from Shane shooting the Armenian assassin sent to kill Vic’s family, but he’ll never know that he was protecting them. In fact, Vic thinks that Shane was sending him a message, and it’s only going to go downhill from there. For both men.

After making a deal with Rezian (the gas station attendant killer he recently put in jail) that would allow him to stop Diro’s retaliation, Shane finds himself between a rock and hard place. He’s officially become Rezian’s bitch, working off the money train debt by doing favors for the Armenians. Vic, on the other hand, will probably kill Shane the next time he sees him. Then again, Shane might just be able to make things right if he can convince Vic that he was responsible for the safety of Corrine and Cassidy, but what are the chances Vic will actually believe him?

External TV, The Shield, TV

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