THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
I’m not really a fan of motion capture films — all of the ones I have seen have generally disappointed me — so when I heard that this film was going to be motion captured, I groaned. However, this movie blew me away. From the opening title credits right until the end, this film had me glued to my seat. It brought me back to when I use to watch the Tintin cartoon as a child and well, it was just good olde fashioned fun.

This film features the single best shot of Spielberg’s career and proves that Spielberg is a master of what he does. This should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination because it is just so much fun. The best motion capture film ever made. I’m looking forward to the sequel. A definite must see for all fans of Spielberg, Tintin, and/or animation fans. It’s just that good.

You can check out our full crop of Mini-Movie Reviews by heading over to this link. Also, don’t forget to post a comment to let us know your thoughts on Tintin!

“From executive producer J.J. Abrams (FRINGE, “Lost,” “Star Trek,” and the recent blockbuster “Super 8”) comes ALCATRAZ, a thrilling new series that follows a unique trio investigating the mystifying reappearance of 302 of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners and guards, 50 years after they vanished.”

“…a chilling new drama revolving around America’s most infamous prison”. Watch Now at 141tv

“Iraq war veteran WALTER SHERMAN (Geoff Stults) gained a reputation in his army days as being the go-to guy for tracking down insurgents and deserters and finding improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Unfortunately one IED found Walter before he could find it, resulting in severe brain damage with a lasting and unexpected effect. Walter transformed from someone skilled at the standard recovery of people and things to someone much more extraordinary: a Finder.” Watch Now at 141tv

“Based on the blockbuster feature film and best-selling novel by world-renowned author John Grisham (“The Pelican Brief,” “The Client”), “The Firm” continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the events of the film and novel. As a young associate, McDeere brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob — and his life was never the same. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection program, Mitch and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future — only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere.” Watch Now at 141tv

“Charming, fast talking Marty Kaan and his crack team of MBA-toting management consultants are playing America’s 1 percent for everything they’ve got. They put the con in consulting as they charm smug, unsuspecting corporate fat cats into closing huge deals, and spending a fortune for their services. Twisting the facts, spinning the numbers, and spouting just enough business school jargon to dazzle the clients, there’s no end to what this crew won’t do to and for each other, while laughing all the way to the bank. Starring Academy Award® Nominee Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, nothing is sacred in HOUSE OF LIES, a hilarious, irreverent send-up of corporate America today.” Watch Now at 141tv

“Remembering important moments in the lives of Llanview’s residents.” After 43 years, One Life to Live comes to a close. Watch Now at 141tv

Finally I get a chance to review a website that has nothing to do about Web Hosting. This week I was introduced to Lucky Land and was asked to take the time and review the website. Lets start with the website’s logo:

I have to say, it is a bit disappointing and reminds me of logos from the websites of the early nineties. I have no problem with the colors or the basic concept of the logo, but with a name like “Lucky Land” you could do so much more. You could use aspects of an amusement park or carnival games. Something flashy or modern even. People remember cool logos, this one is a bit too bland and forgettable for my taste. Lets move on to the basic site features.

At its core, the website is an information hub about online and live card and slot machine gaming. It has five key articles, they are “Online vs Offline casinos”, “Different games”, “Party Casino”, “Bonuses”, “Slot games”, and “Software”. Here is a screenshot from the website’s main page:

The articles are between 300 and 500 words each. They are written to be accessible to everyone that might check out the website. They are far from complicated which is good, but sadly that also causes them to be not as in depth as they could be. Or should be.

You can click here for Lucky land, let us know in the comments if the website is helpful to you!

Release Date: January 20, 2012
Studio: Sony, Screen Gems
Director: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter, Storm)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, India Eisley, Michael Ealy, Kris Holden-Ried, and Stephen Rea.
Plot: [Underworld Awakening] brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. 

Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Thoughts: The Underworld series ranks right up there with the Resident Evil movie series in terms of guilty pleasures. It is awful, yet at the same time strangely addictive and entertaining. Plus, it’ll be great to see Kate Beckinsale return as the vampire who loves squeezing herself into skin tight leather and shooting guns with an endless supply of bullets. It hits theaters at the end of January. It is a little surprising that Scott Speedman’s Michael Corvin isn’t returning along with Beckinsale, but maybe that is just a little surprise that the action flick has in store. We’ll have to wait and see.

Dark Horse Comics is teaming up with writer Brian wood and artist Becky Cloonan to bring Conan the Barbarian back to comics with an adaptation of “Queen of the Black Coast”. The recent film might not have done so hot, but I think fans of the character will (or should) give the new series a chance. I’ve been a big fan of Conan in all of its forms and I like that “Black Coast” shows a different time for the character, read the series description:

In this sweeping adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s fan-favorite “Queen of the Black Coast,” Conan turns his back on the civilized world and takes to the high seas alongside the pirate queen Belit, setting the stage for an epic of romance, terror, and swashbuckling. This is Conan as you’ve never seen him, with the combination of one of Robert E. Howard’s greatest tales and the most dynamic creative team in comics!

Check out Conan fighting the ocean on February 8th, 2012.

Wow, it has been a while since I was asked to do one of these. I might be a little rusty when it comes to reviewing web sites, but lets see what I can do. Find web hosting is a directory that helps visitors do just what the website name says; find web hosting. The website is completely free to use and their about section says that their focus is to “provide clear, objective information to help you find the right web hosting provider to support your personal or business needs.“

Their directory of top web hosts is put together through a variety of information, including price, money back offer, set up/domain costs, bandwidth, performance, reviews and overall score. Above is a picture of the website’s main page. The color scheme of blue and silver works well and is consistent throughout the website.  In fact, the whole website is very clean and well put together. Sections are easy to find and there is a lot of information presented, yet it does not feel like it is an information overload.

The top menu bar includes links for “Compare Hosts”, “Forum”, “Resources”, “About”, “News”, and “Contact”. As you can imagine the “Compare Hosts” section is the most useful for someone actually looking for a web host. “Resources” is also informative, with articles such as Do It Yourself Graphics, Page Optimization and SQL Server Databases. Themain direction of top web hosts includes sections such as “Business Hosting”, “Cheap Hosting”, “Green Hosting”, and “Ecommerce Hosting” to name a few.

If you give the directory a chance, please come back and let me know how useful it was for you by leaving a comment below!

Release Date: January 13, 2012
Studio: Anchor Bay
Director: Xavier Gens (Frontier(S), Hitman)
Starring: Lauren German, Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Eklund, and Rosanna Arquette.
Plot: In this graphic and violent  post-apocalyptic thriller, nine strangers- all tenants of a New York high rise apartment- escape a nuclear attack by hiding out in the building’s bunker-like basement.

Trapped for days underground with no hope for rescue, and only unspeakable horrors awaiting them on the other side of the bunker door, the group begins to descend into madness, each turning on one another with physical and psychosexual torment.

As supplies dwindle, and tensions flare, and they grow increasingly unhinged by their close quarters and hopelessness, each act against one another  becomes more depraved than the next. While everyone in the bunker allows themselves to be overcome by desperation and lose their humanity, one survivor holds onto a thin chance for escape even with no proise of salvation on the outside.

Thoughts: This sci-fi flick originally saw release in March via South by Southwest, then also screened at the San Diego Comic Con. I have not yet seen it, but it looks like an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic sub genre. The visuals look awesome and the cast features genre fan favorite Michael Biehn and the underratted Gilmore Girls and Heroes alum Milo Ventimiglia. I’ve always loved the concept of strangers locked in a single location as the world around them ends. The character study of what they might do as things get worse and worse is very interesting. You can check out the opening scene of the film over at its official website.