Melrose Place DVDs
Melrose Place on DVD:
Complete First Season
Complete Second Season
See a Complete List of TV Shows on DVD
Complete First Season
Complete Second Season
See a Complete List of TV Shows on DVD
Girls Next Door DVDs
Girls Next Door on DVD:
Complete First Season
Complete Second Season
See a Complete List of TV Shows on DVD
Complete First Season
Complete Second Season
See a Complete List of TV Shows on DVD
Pop Culture Roundup May 4, 2007
Gordon Scott, who played Tarzan in a series of 1950s films, has died.
Scott made 24 movies including "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" (1957), "Tarzan's Fight for Life" (1958), "Tarzan and the Trappers" (1958), "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" (1959) and "Tarzan the Magnificent" (1960).
The cast in the 1959 movie included Sean Connery and Anthony Quayle.
-----------------------
Maryland's school teachers are being urged to use comic books to help children learn to read.
'Reading is such an important activity for all children, and using comic book-related lessons offers teachers an important new tool to draw students into the world of words,' said state Superintendent Nancy Grasmick. 'This project enhances other work that goes on in the reading class.'
Comic books and graphic novels should not replace other forms of literature, but they can be an entry point for some reluctant readers, Grasmick said.
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Liv Tyler will play Betty Ross opposite Ed Norton's Bruce Banner in the new "Incredible Hulk" film.
The movie will unfold with Ross estranged from Banner (Norton), but with the pursuit of the Hulk heating up and Banner on the run trying to cure his condition, Ross finds herself swept back into his life.
------------------------
Dial B for Burbank begins a series looking at The Shadow art of comics great Jim Steranko. We have our only little gallery of Steranko-illustrated Shadow paperbacks here.
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The BBC is at work on a TV documentary about legendary comics artist (and Spider-Man co-creator) Steve Ditko.
The long list of those interviewed for the documentary include: Jerry Robinson, John Romita, Neil Gaiman, Paul Levitz, Ralph Macchio, Flo Steinberg, Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Stan Lee, Cat Yronwode and others, all filmed in the U.K., New York City and Los Angeles.
Scott made 24 movies including "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" (1957), "Tarzan's Fight for Life" (1958), "Tarzan and the Trappers" (1958), "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" (1959) and "Tarzan the Magnificent" (1960).
The cast in the 1959 movie included Sean Connery and Anthony Quayle.
-----------------------
Maryland's school teachers are being urged to use comic books to help children learn to read.
'Reading is such an important activity for all children, and using comic book-related lessons offers teachers an important new tool to draw students into the world of words,' said state Superintendent Nancy Grasmick. 'This project enhances other work that goes on in the reading class.'
Comic books and graphic novels should not replace other forms of literature, but they can be an entry point for some reluctant readers, Grasmick said.
---------------------
Liv Tyler will play Betty Ross opposite Ed Norton's Bruce Banner in the new "Incredible Hulk" film.
The movie will unfold with Ross estranged from Banner (Norton), but with the pursuit of the Hulk heating up and Banner on the run trying to cure his condition, Ross finds herself swept back into his life.
------------------------
Dial B for Burbank begins a series looking at The Shadow art of comics great Jim Steranko. We have our only little gallery of Steranko-illustrated Shadow paperbacks here.
-------------------------
The BBC is at work on a TV documentary about legendary comics artist (and Spider-Man co-creator) Steve Ditko.
The long list of those interviewed for the documentary include: Jerry Robinson, John Romita, Neil Gaiman, Paul Levitz, Ralph Macchio, Flo Steinberg, Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Stan Lee, Cat Yronwode and others, all filmed in the U.K., New York City and Los Angeles.
Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!
Yep, get yerself down to your local comic book shop to celebrate the medium and pick up some free reads (buy something while you're there, too, for crying out loud).
Here's a list of this year's free offerings from various publishers:
Archie Comics Archie Comics Little Archie 2007
Bongo Comics Bongo's Free for All 2007
Dark Horse Comics Umbrella Academy Zero Killer Pantheon City 2007
DC Comics Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century 2007
Dynamite Entertainment The Lone Ranger / New Battlestar Galactica Flip Book 2007
Gemstone Publishing Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse 2007
IDW Transformers the Movie Prequel # 1 2007
Image Comics Astounding Wolf-Man # 1 2007
Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man Swing Shift 2007
TOKYOPOP Tokyopop Choose Your Weapon 2007
Antarctic Press Pirates vs. Ninjas # 1 2007
Ape Entertainment Ape Entertainment’s Comic Spectacular 2007
Arcana Studio Arcana Studio Presents 2007
Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog 2007
Aspen MLT Worlds of Aspen 2007
Blatant Comics Last Blood # 1 2007
Boom! Studios Hunter’s Moon / Salvador Flip Book 2007
CastleRain Entertainment Jack the Lantern: Ghosts 2007
Comic Genesis Comic Genesis 2007
Comic Shop News, Inc Comic Shop News 2007
DC Comics Justice League of America # 0 2007
Devil’s Due Publishing Family Guy / Hack / Slash Flip Book 2007
Digital Webbing Digital Webbing Jam # 1 2007
Drawn and Quarterly Lynda Barry Sampler 2007
Fantagraphics Books The Unseen Peanuts 2007
First Second Books The Train Was Bang On Time 2007
Heroic Publishing Liberty Comics # 0 2007
Impact Books Impact University Volume 3 2007
Keenspot Entertainment Keenspot Spotlight 2007
Legion of Evil Press Comics Festival 2007
Maerkle Press Love and Capes # 4 2007
Marvel Comics Marvel Adventures Three-In-One 2007
Oni Press Whiteout # 1 2007
Renaissance Press Amelia Rules! Hangin’ Out 2007
Rude Dude Productions Nexus Special 2007
Sky-Dog Press Buzzboy / Royboy Red: The Buzz & The ‘Bot 2007
Too Hip Gotta Go Wahoo Morris # 1 2007
Topshelf Productions Owly & Korgi 2007
TwoMorrow Publishing Comics 101: How to & History Lessons from the Pros 2007
Viper Comics Viper Comics Presents: Josh Howard’s Sasquatch 2007
Virgin Comics Ramayan 3392AD 2007
Wildcard Ink Gumby Special 2007
Wizard Entertainment Wizard’s “How to Draw” Sampler 2007
You can learn more about the even at the official FCBD site. Punch in your zip code to help find a comic shop near you.
TwoMorrows Publishing also is offering some online freebies this weekend only. Go to their site to see PDFs of some of their great publications:
Alter Ego #65
Back Issue #21
Jack Kirby Collector #47
Write Now #14
Draw #12
Rough Stuff #3
Here's a list of this year's free offerings from various publishers:
Archie Comics Archie Comics Little Archie 2007
Bongo Comics Bongo's Free for All 2007
Dark Horse Comics Umbrella Academy Zero Killer Pantheon City 2007
DC Comics Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century 2007
Dynamite Entertainment The Lone Ranger / New Battlestar Galactica Flip Book 2007
Gemstone Publishing Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse 2007
IDW Transformers the Movie Prequel # 1 2007
Image Comics Astounding Wolf-Man # 1 2007
Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man Swing Shift 2007
TOKYOPOP Tokyopop Choose Your Weapon 2007
Antarctic Press Pirates vs. Ninjas # 1 2007
Ape Entertainment Ape Entertainment’s Comic Spectacular 2007
Arcana Studio Arcana Studio Presents 2007
Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog 2007
Aspen MLT Worlds of Aspen 2007
Blatant Comics Last Blood # 1 2007
Boom! Studios Hunter’s Moon / Salvador Flip Book 2007
CastleRain Entertainment Jack the Lantern: Ghosts 2007
Comic Genesis Comic Genesis 2007
Comic Shop News, Inc Comic Shop News 2007
DC Comics Justice League of America # 0 2007
Devil’s Due Publishing Family Guy / Hack / Slash Flip Book 2007
Digital Webbing Digital Webbing Jam # 1 2007
Drawn and Quarterly Lynda Barry Sampler 2007
Fantagraphics Books The Unseen Peanuts 2007
First Second Books The Train Was Bang On Time 2007
Heroic Publishing Liberty Comics # 0 2007
Impact Books Impact University Volume 3 2007
Keenspot Entertainment Keenspot Spotlight 2007
Legion of Evil Press Comics Festival 2007
Maerkle Press Love and Capes # 4 2007
Marvel Comics Marvel Adventures Three-In-One 2007
Oni Press Whiteout # 1 2007
Renaissance Press Amelia Rules! Hangin’ Out 2007
Rude Dude Productions Nexus Special 2007
Sky-Dog Press Buzzboy / Royboy Red: The Buzz & The ‘Bot 2007
Too Hip Gotta Go Wahoo Morris # 1 2007
Topshelf Productions Owly & Korgi 2007
TwoMorrow Publishing Comics 101: How to & History Lessons from the Pros 2007
Viper Comics Viper Comics Presents: Josh Howard’s Sasquatch 2007
Virgin Comics Ramayan 3392AD 2007
Wildcard Ink Gumby Special 2007
Wizard Entertainment Wizard’s “How to Draw” Sampler 2007
You can learn more about the even at the official FCBD site. Punch in your zip code to help find a comic shop near you.
TwoMorrows Publishing also is offering some online freebies this weekend only. Go to their site to see PDFs of some of their great publications:
Alter Ego #65
Back Issue #21
Jack Kirby Collector #47
Write Now #14
Draw #12
Rough Stuff #3
Pop Culture Roundup May 3, 2007
Here's a new costume shot from the new Iron Man film. Looks pretty spiffy.
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Deal alert: Amazon is offering the Elvis Costello Collector's Box Set, featuring all the latest remasterings of Costello's 1977 to 1986 albums plus the new compilation Rock and Roll Music for $128.98 (reg. $167.76).
--------------------
Here's an interview tracing the history of those freebie comics at Big Boy restaurants.
In 1956, Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel, created a comic for the Big Boy restaurants. It was written by—are you ready for this?—Stan Lee! And it was drawn by Bill Everett, the artist who created The Sub-Mariner in comic’s Golden Age. Lee and Everett were, of course, the team that created Daredevil.
Another notable artist on the book was Dan DeCarlo, who beautifully drew Betty and Veronica [of the Archie comics] for a number of years. Dan’s rendition of Big Boy’s girlfriend, Dolly, looks not unlike a young Betty Cooper!
Additional fact: Lee's Spider-Man co-creator Steve Diko drew an Big Boy issue in 1997.
-----------------------
Fred Hembeck celebrates his 100th column by chatting with the Hulk.
------------------
Deal alert: Amazon is offering the Elvis Costello Collector's Box Set, featuring all the latest remasterings of Costello's 1977 to 1986 albums plus the new compilation Rock and Roll Music for $128.98 (reg. $167.76).
--------------------
Here's an interview tracing the history of those freebie comics at Big Boy restaurants.
In 1956, Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel, created a comic for the Big Boy restaurants. It was written by—are you ready for this?—Stan Lee! And it was drawn by Bill Everett, the artist who created The Sub-Mariner in comic’s Golden Age. Lee and Everett were, of course, the team that created Daredevil.
Another notable artist on the book was Dan DeCarlo, who beautifully drew Betty and Veronica [of the Archie comics] for a number of years. Dan’s rendition of Big Boy’s girlfriend, Dolly, looks not unlike a young Betty Cooper!
Additional fact: Lee's Spider-Man co-creator Steve Diko drew an Big Boy issue in 1997.
-----------------------
Fred Hembeck celebrates his 100th column by chatting with the Hulk.
Lost clues: "The Brig" ep. 19, season 3
Synopsis:
We learn that Locke and the Others have all gone on some sort of camping trip, bringing with them Locke's captive father, Anthony Cooper.
Ben tells Locke that he must kill Cooper in order to divorce himself from the past--to do away with the physically and emotionally crippled man he once was. Cooper is the man who destroyed Locke's life, now it's time to seize it back, Ben says.
The Others seem to view Locke as someone special. He was once paralyzed, but can now walk again. They admire him. But they are disappointed when Locke can't bring himself to do what Ben orders.
Later, though, the Other Richard Alpert talks to Locke. He says Ben wanted Locke to look weak in front of the rest. Ben fears Locke's abilities. Richard then hands Locke a file on one of the other crash survivors, saying this person can do what Locke bring himself to do--kill Cooper.
That person is Sawyer. As suspected for a while now, Cooper the "real Sawyer," the con man who swindled Sawyer's parents, leading Sawyer's dad to kill himself and his wife.
Locke goes back to the beach camp and confronts Sawyer. He says he's taken Ben captive and that he wants Sawyer to kill Ben. Locke also starts revealing some of the things he's learned by reading Sawyer's file. Confused and angry, Sawyer follows Ben to the wreckage of the old slave ship, the Black Rock, where there's a hooded captive in the brig.
Sawyer steps into the brig, believing the captive to be Ben and Locke suddenly shuts the door, locking Sawyer in with the captive.
Sawyer unmasks the prisoner and discovers it's not Ben, but Cooper. Cooper, we learn, was apparently abducted by the Others following a car crash. He thinks he's dead and that he's in hell. That's why he's been confronted by Locke, who he believes died in the plane crash. And, in the course of the discussion, Sawyer discovers who Cooper really is.
Cooper taunts Sawyer, calling him weak. Growing more and more angry, Sawyer loses control and strangles the prisoner. Locke then lets him out and they part ways. Before that, however, Locke tells Sawyer that Juliet is a spy and gives him the cassette recorder Juliet's been using to send messages to Ben.
Back on the beach, Desmond, Charlie, Jin and Hurley are treating the injured parachutist--keeping her presence secret because they don't trust Jack and Juliet. They bring Sayid into their confidence, however, thinking he might be able to get the parachutists satellite phone working again. We learn that the parachutist's name is Naomi and that she's been looking for Desmond on behalf of Penelope Widmore. She says the rest of her team is on a ship near the island.
Kate soon learns about Naomi, too. And, although she's been urged to keep the secret, she immediately tells Jack, in Juliet's presence, what's going on: There's a new person on the island who's trying to rescue them. She has a phone and there's a ship nearby.
Jack and Juliet's response is very odd. Jack is very interested in the satellite phone and and Juliet says about Kate "maybe we should tell her?" but Jack interrupts saying "Not yet."
Clues, observations, speculation:
* What do Jack and Juliet's comments mean? Do they mean that there's no way the phone will work due to the electrogmagnetic disturbance caused by the Hatch explosion? Do they know something about the island's location and realize any rescue attempt is somehow futile? What's the deal?
* Are the Others aware of Penelope's efforts to locate Desmond? What's the Widmore-Dharma connection?
* Rousseau goes to the Black Rock for some dynamite while Locke, Sawyer and Cooper are there. Locke let's her take as much as she wants. What does she plan to do with it? Does she plan to attack the Others, who took her daughter? Why isn't Locke concerned?
* Both Cooper and Naomi again make reference to the plane crash wreckage having been discovered complete with dead passengers. Was this evidence staged by the Others? Or is everyone really dead? And, if they're dead, how can they die even more? Sawyer kills Cooper. Ana Lucia and Libby are killed. So is Mr. Eko. Nikki and Paulo are apparently dead. And there are more. Faked wreckage seems the more likely scenario. But why?
* Is Ben really worried about Locke's potential influence over the Others, or is Richard Alpert just using that scenario to manipulate Locke?
* Do the Others view Locke as some sort of divine figure? Do they think he's "Jacob"?
* Ben stands up from his wheelchair and starts walking with a cane. Is his recovery due to Locke's presence, as he tells Locke?
* Why does Ben bring so much stuff with him when he goes camping? He had bookshelves and an entire office in his tent.
* And what's up with the whole camporee thing anyway? Why have the Others left their village? Do they ever plan to go back?
* What's motivating the Others? Spiritual beliefs? Fear? What's their community all about? It's disturbing and odd seeing the bunch of them, including Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the tail section, all standing in a group wanting to see Locke kill his father. Are newcomers like Cindy brainwashed or indoctrinated in some way? A person from the outside world wouldn't easily fall in line with their worldview. Or was Cindy an Other spy from the get-go?
* Cooper tells Sawyer some of his various aliases: Adam Seward,Anthony Cooper, Ted McLaren, Tom Sawyer, Louis Jackson...
We learn that Locke and the Others have all gone on some sort of camping trip, bringing with them Locke's captive father, Anthony Cooper.
Ben tells Locke that he must kill Cooper in order to divorce himself from the past--to do away with the physically and emotionally crippled man he once was. Cooper is the man who destroyed Locke's life, now it's time to seize it back, Ben says.
The Others seem to view Locke as someone special. He was once paralyzed, but can now walk again. They admire him. But they are disappointed when Locke can't bring himself to do what Ben orders.
Later, though, the Other Richard Alpert talks to Locke. He says Ben wanted Locke to look weak in front of the rest. Ben fears Locke's abilities. Richard then hands Locke a file on one of the other crash survivors, saying this person can do what Locke bring himself to do--kill Cooper.
That person is Sawyer. As suspected for a while now, Cooper the "real Sawyer," the con man who swindled Sawyer's parents, leading Sawyer's dad to kill himself and his wife.
Locke goes back to the beach camp and confronts Sawyer. He says he's taken Ben captive and that he wants Sawyer to kill Ben. Locke also starts revealing some of the things he's learned by reading Sawyer's file. Confused and angry, Sawyer follows Ben to the wreckage of the old slave ship, the Black Rock, where there's a hooded captive in the brig.
Sawyer steps into the brig, believing the captive to be Ben and Locke suddenly shuts the door, locking Sawyer in with the captive.
Sawyer unmasks the prisoner and discovers it's not Ben, but Cooper. Cooper, we learn, was apparently abducted by the Others following a car crash. He thinks he's dead and that he's in hell. That's why he's been confronted by Locke, who he believes died in the plane crash. And, in the course of the discussion, Sawyer discovers who Cooper really is.
Cooper taunts Sawyer, calling him weak. Growing more and more angry, Sawyer loses control and strangles the prisoner. Locke then lets him out and they part ways. Before that, however, Locke tells Sawyer that Juliet is a spy and gives him the cassette recorder Juliet's been using to send messages to Ben.
Back on the beach, Desmond, Charlie, Jin and Hurley are treating the injured parachutist--keeping her presence secret because they don't trust Jack and Juliet. They bring Sayid into their confidence, however, thinking he might be able to get the parachutists satellite phone working again. We learn that the parachutist's name is Naomi and that she's been looking for Desmond on behalf of Penelope Widmore. She says the rest of her team is on a ship near the island.
Kate soon learns about Naomi, too. And, although she's been urged to keep the secret, she immediately tells Jack, in Juliet's presence, what's going on: There's a new person on the island who's trying to rescue them. She has a phone and there's a ship nearby.
Jack and Juliet's response is very odd. Jack is very interested in the satellite phone and and Juliet says about Kate "maybe we should tell her?" but Jack interrupts saying "Not yet."
Clues, observations, speculation:
* What do Jack and Juliet's comments mean? Do they mean that there's no way the phone will work due to the electrogmagnetic disturbance caused by the Hatch explosion? Do they know something about the island's location and realize any rescue attempt is somehow futile? What's the deal?
* Are the Others aware of Penelope's efforts to locate Desmond? What's the Widmore-Dharma connection?
* Rousseau goes to the Black Rock for some dynamite while Locke, Sawyer and Cooper are there. Locke let's her take as much as she wants. What does she plan to do with it? Does she plan to attack the Others, who took her daughter? Why isn't Locke concerned?
* Both Cooper and Naomi again make reference to the plane crash wreckage having been discovered complete with dead passengers. Was this evidence staged by the Others? Or is everyone really dead? And, if they're dead, how can they die even more? Sawyer kills Cooper. Ana Lucia and Libby are killed. So is Mr. Eko. Nikki and Paulo are apparently dead. And there are more. Faked wreckage seems the more likely scenario. But why?
* Is Ben really worried about Locke's potential influence over the Others, or is Richard Alpert just using that scenario to manipulate Locke?
* Do the Others view Locke as some sort of divine figure? Do they think he's "Jacob"?
* Ben stands up from his wheelchair and starts walking with a cane. Is his recovery due to Locke's presence, as he tells Locke?
* Why does Ben bring so much stuff with him when he goes camping? He had bookshelves and an entire office in his tent.
* And what's up with the whole camporee thing anyway? Why have the Others left their village? Do they ever plan to go back?
* What's motivating the Others? Spiritual beliefs? Fear? What's their community all about? It's disturbing and odd seeing the bunch of them, including Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the tail section, all standing in a group wanting to see Locke kill his father. Are newcomers like Cindy brainwashed or indoctrinated in some way? A person from the outside world wouldn't easily fall in line with their worldview. Or was Cindy an Other spy from the get-go?
* Cooper tells Sawyer some of his various aliases: Adam Seward,Anthony Cooper, Ted McLaren, Tom Sawyer, Louis Jackson...
Review roundup: Spider-Man 3
Entertainment Weekly:
...after the danger and majesty and romantic brio of Spider-Man 2, those adrenalized rooftop ballets feel, more than ever, like sequences: hermetic action miracles cooked up in the effects lab, with a story patched around them. Sam Raimi, directing his third Spidey adventure (the script is by Raimi, his brother Ivan, and Alvin Sargent), tosses together the rivalries, criminals, and amorous mishaps like salad, and he contrives a way to make Spider-Man into a figure of ''alienated'' vengeance without ever risking the tiniest sliver of audience market share.
Boston Globe
Describing ‘‘Spider-Man 3’’ as busy is an understatement. It sets out to accomplish a lot, maybe too much: The film lasts well over two hours, and toward the climactic fight sequence fatigue starts to set in.
To their credit, though, Raimi and his big, hard-working crew are determined to dazzle (the budget is rumored to be almost $300 million), even at the risk of bombarding us with pleasure, people, images, action, and real feeling. The movie has the curious effect of leaving you over-fulfilled. When it’s done, any appetite for another event picture, even one half as well made as this, is temporarily curbed.
USA Today
It's an action-packed tale with the emotional heft and humor we've come to expect from the series. The first two-thirds of the film grabs and keeps our attention, moving at just the right pace. But ultimately it's about 15 minutes too long with an overblown climax.
...Director Sam Raimi keeps trying to top what he has created before, but in the final face-off, he seems to trade his agility for spectacular confrontations in favor of a bombastic and exaggerated battle sequence.
Still, that is offset by the rewards of stylish continuity that come from having the same creative team at the helm. Raimi continues to delve deeper into Spidey's psyche. Spider-Man 3 adds new colors to his humanity and heroism. He turns from revenge toward compassion and forgiveness, and there's nothing wrong with that as a subtle message.
(Australia) Courier-Mail
SAM Raimi's third Spider-Man movie for Sony falls somewhere below the entertainment level of the previous Spider-Man adventures.
....Despite several new faces being added to the stock cast headed by Tobey Maguire in the title role and Kirsten Dunst as his girlfriend, Mary Jane, none adds anything particularly special to the comic book hero's latest outing.
Philadelphia Weekly
Bigger, louder and a good deal longer than its delightful predecessors, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 makes just about every wrong move in the sequel playbook, substituting scope and scale for the warmth and wit that made those two previous pictures so memorable. This lumbering third installment finds a trio of villains jockeying for screen time amid several half-developed storylines and a darker, self-serious tone that veers into the overwrought.
...after the danger and majesty and romantic brio of Spider-Man 2, those adrenalized rooftop ballets feel, more than ever, like sequences: hermetic action miracles cooked up in the effects lab, with a story patched around them. Sam Raimi, directing his third Spidey adventure (the script is by Raimi, his brother Ivan, and Alvin Sargent), tosses together the rivalries, criminals, and amorous mishaps like salad, and he contrives a way to make Spider-Man into a figure of ''alienated'' vengeance without ever risking the tiniest sliver of audience market share.
Boston Globe
Describing ‘‘Spider-Man 3’’ as busy is an understatement. It sets out to accomplish a lot, maybe too much: The film lasts well over two hours, and toward the climactic fight sequence fatigue starts to set in.
To their credit, though, Raimi and his big, hard-working crew are determined to dazzle (the budget is rumored to be almost $300 million), even at the risk of bombarding us with pleasure, people, images, action, and real feeling. The movie has the curious effect of leaving you over-fulfilled. When it’s done, any appetite for another event picture, even one half as well made as this, is temporarily curbed.
USA Today
It's an action-packed tale with the emotional heft and humor we've come to expect from the series. The first two-thirds of the film grabs and keeps our attention, moving at just the right pace. But ultimately it's about 15 minutes too long with an overblown climax.
...Director Sam Raimi keeps trying to top what he has created before, but in the final face-off, he seems to trade his agility for spectacular confrontations in favor of a bombastic and exaggerated battle sequence.
Still, that is offset by the rewards of stylish continuity that come from having the same creative team at the helm. Raimi continues to delve deeper into Spidey's psyche. Spider-Man 3 adds new colors to his humanity and heroism. He turns from revenge toward compassion and forgiveness, and there's nothing wrong with that as a subtle message.
(Australia) Courier-Mail
SAM Raimi's third Spider-Man movie for Sony falls somewhere below the entertainment level of the previous Spider-Man adventures.
....Despite several new faces being added to the stock cast headed by Tobey Maguire in the title role and Kirsten Dunst as his girlfriend, Mary Jane, none adds anything particularly special to the comic book hero's latest outing.
Philadelphia Weekly
Bigger, louder and a good deal longer than its delightful predecessors, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 makes just about every wrong move in the sequel playbook, substituting scope and scale for the warmth and wit that made those two previous pictures so memorable. This lumbering third installment finds a trio of villains jockeying for screen time amid several half-developed storylines and a darker, self-serious tone that veers into the overwrought.
Lennon tribute album benefits Darfur relief efforts
The two-CD set Instant Karma is out June 12. It's available for pre-order now for from Amazon. Details:
[The album] boasts a stellar line-up of 23 world-class artists from a variety of genres putting their own unique spin on classic songs from Lennon's solo songbook.
The artists -- who come from the worlds of rock, pop, hip-hop and country -- include longtime activists U2 ("Instant Karma"), Green Day ("Working Class Hero"), R.E.M. ("#9 Dream") and Jackson Browne ("Oh My Love"); female pop powerhouses Christina Aguilera ("Mother"), Avril Lavigne ("Imagine"), and Corinne Bailey Rae ("I'm Losing You"); country stars Big & Rich ("Nobody Told Me"); alternative favorites Snow Patrol ("Isolation"), The Flaming Lips ("(Just Like) Starting Over"), Postal Service ("Grow Old With Me") and Regina Spektor ("Real Love"); best-selling rockers Aerosmith ("Give Peace a Chance"), Lenny Kravitz ("Cold Turkey") and Los Lonely Boys ("Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"); and pensive singer-songwriters Jakob Dylan with Dhani Harrison ("Gimme Some Truth") and Ben Harper ("Beautiful Boy").
The rights to Lennon's songs were generously donated by Yoko Ono, who has donated all music publishing royalties. Amnesty International chose to harness the power of Lennon's music to inspire a new generation of activists to stand up for human rights. Proceeds from CD and digital sales will support Amnesty International and its campaign to focus attention and mobilize activism around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, and other human rights crises.
"It's wonderful that, through this campaign, music that is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation," Ono says. "John's music set out to inspire change, and in standing up for human rights, we really can make the world a better place."
[The album] boasts a stellar line-up of 23 world-class artists from a variety of genres putting their own unique spin on classic songs from Lennon's solo songbook.
The artists -- who come from the worlds of rock, pop, hip-hop and country -- include longtime activists U2 ("Instant Karma"), Green Day ("Working Class Hero"), R.E.M. ("#9 Dream") and Jackson Browne ("Oh My Love"); female pop powerhouses Christina Aguilera ("Mother"), Avril Lavigne ("Imagine"), and Corinne Bailey Rae ("I'm Losing You"); country stars Big & Rich ("Nobody Told Me"); alternative favorites Snow Patrol ("Isolation"), The Flaming Lips ("(Just Like) Starting Over"), Postal Service ("Grow Old With Me") and Regina Spektor ("Real Love"); best-selling rockers Aerosmith ("Give Peace a Chance"), Lenny Kravitz ("Cold Turkey") and Los Lonely Boys ("Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"); and pensive singer-songwriters Jakob Dylan with Dhani Harrison ("Gimme Some Truth") and Ben Harper ("Beautiful Boy").
The rights to Lennon's songs were generously donated by Yoko Ono, who has donated all music publishing royalties. Amnesty International chose to harness the power of Lennon's music to inspire a new generation of activists to stand up for human rights. Proceeds from CD and digital sales will support Amnesty International and its campaign to focus attention and mobilize activism around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, and other human rights crises.
"It's wonderful that, through this campaign, music that is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation," Ono says. "John's music set out to inspire change, and in standing up for human rights, we really can make the world a better place."
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