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Hidden Netflix Gems – The Grand

June 9, 2012 /

While most sports movies tend to take themselves very seriously, with triumphant underdogs and platitude-filled speeches in their third acts, some sports just inherently lend themselves to comedy. Bowling is a great example of this, as evidenced by the success of films like the Farrelly brothers’ Kingpin and the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski. Poker is another, though the game itself is so relatively inactive that it’s debatable whether it should even be called a sport, and Zak Penn‘s underrated improvisational comedy The Grand takes full advantage of a poker tournament’s many humorous possibilities.

Similar to the revered work of Christopher Guest and his regular ensemble of actors in films like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, Penn assembles a talented ensemble cast and gives them direction on who their characters are, then leaves the dialogue and the development of situations largely up to them. In fact, the poker tournament at the center of the film is a real tournament, and its outcome was undetermined in the script; the winner at the end of the film actually just beat the other actors, regardless of narrative expectations. This approach gives the film extra vitality and excitement, and with so much room to breathe, the cast creates lively, hilarious characters that often riff on and expand their real public personae.

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Movie Comedies, Movie DVDs, Movies

You Don’t Have To Be A Millionaire To Make A Difference

June 9, 2012 /


Image Courtesy of Flickr

A lot of people operate under the silly belief that you have to be extremely wealthy to be able to help people. While it is true that the people who produce astonishing wealth tend to have the habits that make charitable efforts the most effective, you don’t need to be rich to make a big difference. In fact, if you take on and model some of the habits that wealthy people tend to have, both your giving efforts and your earning efforts will receive a boost.

Thinking Ahead

When you think ahead, as Christine Gibbs does, you can plan for things that may happen instead of thinking only about what has happened and what is happening right now. While a lot of people don’t put a lot of thought into the future beyond preventing problems, with a little bit of positive foresight you can accomplish some great things.

What a lot of folks don’t realize about the wealthy is that this is one of their biggest advantageous traits over most other people. Instead of just focusing on today, focus on what your contributions can be doing tomorrow; even next year or several years down the line. With a long term goal, today’s efforts seem like time well spent.

Providing Value to Others

Some people believe in the zero sum mentality that comes out of scarcity. If you think scarcely, you’ll naturally believe that everything you give to someone else will hurt you in some way. Interestingly enough, the wealthiest members of almost every society in the world understand that when they give to others, they’re also helping themselves to gain more in life.

Providing value is the same as giving to others. When someone starts a business with the intention to serve others, that individual can make a fortune simply by providing value. When you give to others, you can experience the same emotional benefit, and possibly advance society as a whole. While there’s no guarantee that giving to a charity will make you or society richer, it almost never hurts.

Sticking it Out

One of the other major advantageous traits that wealthy people have is the above average ability to stick it out regardless of initial failures or problems that come up. Life is full of problems and no one has ever been able to escape all of them. This is a fact of the adult world. However, the more problems you can push through and overcome, the better you tend to do in life.

Maybe you aren’t making as much money as you’d like to make. Maybe you aren’t experiencing much fulfillment at work, and you feel like a zombie. But when you give to other people and keep making the effort, ultimately it pays off.

New Media

Box Office Preview: ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Madagascar 3’

June 8, 2012 /

Prometheus

“Prometheus” is the story of a team of explorers who “discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth.” Which makes sense because I feel like I’ve been hearing about it since the dawn of man. This is one of my biggest problems with the Hollywood hype machine, even when a movie is (supposedly) good, I start to hate it before it even comes out simply because I’m sick to death of hearing about it. Anyway before I get too off topic, the rest of the synopsis is that the clue leads the explorers “on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.”

If we read between the lines a bit, what we get is this: Ridley Scott (the man who gave us “Alien” and “Blade Runner” returns to sci-fi, which is probably a good thing. In fact, “Prometheus” was originally intended to be an “Alien” prequel. Luckily, that notion was abandoned, because prequels suck. Instead, Scott says the film shares “strands of “Alien’s” DNA” and takes place in the universe but creates and explores its own mythology.

Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof (of “Lost” fame) wrote the film, and its stars include Noomi Rapace (the original “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series), Michael Fassbender (the British dude who fucked up three in “Inglorious Basterds“), Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba. “Prometheus” has been certified fresh and stands at a 74 on the Tomatometer, so check it out if your a fan of the genre or any of those involved.

Madagascar 3

It’s the second sequel to an animated children’s movie. It still stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith as a lion, zebra, giraffe, and hippopotamus, respectively. And they’re all still trying to return to blissful captivity in a New York zoo after being shipwrecked in Madagascar and a host of other misadventures. So if you’re the kind of person who a) thinks animated films are only for children or b) enjoys the unexpected at the theater, “Madagascar 3” isn’t for you, right? Let’s ask Bullz-eye’s David Medsker:

A culture change is clearly taking place at DreamWorks Animation. After spending years making films that made lots of money but had no soul, the studio slowly but surely began making smarter films and, for the first time ever, one of their films outclassed a Pixar movie released in the same year (“Kung Fu Panda 2” vs. “Cars 2”). The first two films in the “Madagascar” franchise were definitely products of the old regime; there was lots of busyness, but little to sink one’s teeth into. When grown-ups dismiss animated films as kid’s movies, it’s movies like “Madagascar” and its sequel that they’re referring to.

Aw, rats… But wait, there’s more:

Which is what makes “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” such a pleasant surprise. For starters, the movie is batshit crazy… It is so ridiculous that it becomes sublime.

See what I did there? A little preview switcheroo for ya. Medsker seems to believe there’s a changing of the guard going on over at Dreamworks, and the rest of the movie reviewing establishment seems to agree. “Madagascar 3” is at a 75 percent on the Tomatometer, and Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post (who gave the film three and a half out of four stars) wrote: “From time to time the improbable occurs: A sequel outdoes its original.”

I think my sheer hatred of all thinks sequel is giving me an ulcer, perhaps “Madagascar 3” will make me (and those like me) just a little less cynical. Alright, let’s not get crazy here, probably not, but Madagascar 3 just might be one of those exceptions that proves the rule.

Movies

Hondo Blu-ray Giveaway

June 6, 2012 /

American icon John Wayne stars in the powerful and exciting Western classic “Hondo,” debuting on Blu-ray June 5 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Renowned actress Geraldine Page made her feature film debut as the strong-willed Angie Lowe, an isolated female rancher caught between warring Native American tribes. When Cavalry rider Hondo Lane (Wayne) comes upon Angie and her son, he becomes their designated protector and finds himself embroiled in Angie’s personal drama, as well as the growing danger from the nearby Apache. Boasting superb acting (including an Academy Award-nominated performance by Page), spectacular scenery and a compelling story, “Hondo” is an unforgettable cinematic experience.

In celebration of its release, Premium Hollywood is giving four lucky winners a copy of the new Blu-ray. Click here to enter for your chance to win, and then be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on new contests and giveaways.

CONTEST ENDS: June 20th

External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Movies

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