Product: Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6

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I recently bought this 8GB SDHC card for my Canon SD1000 camera. The card works very well and I’ve had no problems with it so far. If you’re in the market for an affordable high quality SDHC card, this may be the one for you. Sorry, I kind of sounded like a used car salesman right there, didn’t I? I assure you that I don’t work for Transcend. But, here’s why I think this card is awesome:

Pros:

-Affordable!

-Large 8GB capacity

-Class 6 read/write speed (which is the fastest speed currently available)

-Lifetime warranty (at least that’s what the package says

-Transcend is a reputable company that’s been making memory products for a very long time. ( I swear to the tech Gods that I don’t work for them!)

Cons:

- I can’t think of any right now. The closest thing to a “Con” that I can think of is that if you buy this card now, it will probably become cheaper in a month or so No, make that 2 weeks.

IMPORTANT SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT SDHC MEMORY CARDS:

-SDHC cards are not compatible with most older SD cameras, SD devices, or SD card readers.

-SDHC cards are rated by speed using different “classes”. There are currently three data transfer speed classes available for SDHC cards. These classes are “class 2, class 4, and class 6″. For example, “Class 2″ would have the slowest read/write speed while “Class 6″ has the fastest read/write speed. So if you have a device in which speed may play a crucial role, make sure you buy a higher “class” SDHC card. Again, this SDHC card has the fastest read/write speed available right now. Class 6 has a minimum read/write speed of 6mb/sec… while Class 2 has minimum speed rating of 2mb/sec, and Class 4 is 4mb/sec. Starting to see the pattern?

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SD CARDS” AND “SDHC CARDS?

SDHC is basically an upgrade to the older SD cards. The reason they upgraded it was to achieve greater data transfer speeds AND capacity than previously possible with normal SD cards… and to do this, they had to redesign the card (which is why it’s not compatible with normal SD devices). This was necessary because digital cameras and digital video cameras these days have higher resolutions, which equate to larger file sizes and faster data transfer needs.

I hope I haven’t confused everybody by going into this much detail, but I can’t help being the nerd that I am. If you are confused, don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will try my best to answer your questions. Also, any feedback is always welcome!

Conclusion: Buy the card if you have a new device that uses SDHC. It rocks! (This message has been approved by the “Duke of New Mexico”)

I recently purchased a Canon Powershot A720IS digital camera that is capable of recognizing and using up to 2 TERRABYTES of memory card (in the future) so I wanted to get the largest memory card I could install for now. I wanted to use the camera both on dry land and with an underwater housing for shooting stills and video on dive trips. Camera specs said an 8 GB SDHC card would record one hour of hi res video at 30 fps. Or nearly 2300 hi res stills at 8 megapixels.

A test of the Transcend 8GB SDHC card in the camera ended up shooting 70 minutes of full screen, 30fps digital video that could not be distinguished from my DV camcorder video quality. Playback from the memory card to the TV was so fast & efficient there was never a single “stutter” on the screen. The card speed is genuinely FAST as advertised. Low level formatting of the card allowed for very acceptable rapid-fire sequential still photo shooting speeds when light levels were bright enough that the flash was not needed/used. Something like 2 photos every 3 seconds. Files were flawless in display, both for stills and video.

This product was significantly lower in price than the Kingston 8GB SDHC card I originally bought with the camera. I’ve used both interchangeably and cannot see any different in the speed or capacity and quality of imagery is identical. For the money I’ll stick with Transcend and am looking forward to getting their 16GB card once the price drops substantially below the $100 mark. That would provide nearly 2 1/2 hours of video on my still camera or 4600 highest quality stills. I’m afraid my camcorder will be collecting dust much of the time. A big advantage to video on the card is there are NO MOVING PARTS, e.g. a mini DV tape cassette and camcorder or VCR playback unit needed to dump the video and stills to my Mac for editing and burning DVDs. I just stick the card in the MicroMate USB card reader, plug it in the computer and bingo, ready to sort thru and dump to the hard drive. Since the card is formatted by a Canon camera it automatically boots up the Canon Viewer software too. That should work the same for other brands of still cameras formatting this chip.

Product: Celestron Accessory Kit for FirstScope Telescope

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While the telescope is excellent, the accessory kit was of little practical use. The scope that attaches for use in finding stars is of little or no value. It is hard to look throught it as the telescope base is so close that one can not get their head in position to use it. The software would not run properly and the extra lenses were of little value. The moon screen is okay but by itself it is not worth the price.

I agree witht the other review. The spotter scope is cheaply made. It mounted on the telescope fine, of the 3 screws that hold the spotter one would not even screw in fully not holding in the mount properly. The image is also upside down making it difficult to find objets to focus on in the day time. I read somewhere else that someone used a “red dot reflex” scope for a bb-gun and worked well with this telescope. Will probably be my next purches for this telescope.

Product: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver)

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Compare Prices on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver)

I originally bought a Sony DSC-S950, for around half the price of this camera, but I returned it the same day due to a faulty flash bulb. I decided to upgrade to the W290, because I wasn’t very happy with the S950 – it felt cheap, and lacked features.

I’ve put together this list of pros and cons of this camera. Don’t let the seemingly long list of cons scare you though, as they are all quite minor and not even important enough for me to rate this camera anything less than 5 stars. I just felt it was necessary to list everything I could think of. Sorry, I couldn’t properly review the HD Video capability, because I don’t have the HD cables (see below), and my computer seems to be too slow to properly play back HD video.

Pros:

-BRILLIANT colors! I am very very impressed with the colors in my shots, especially when shooting outdoor scenery shots (which is primarily what I purchased this camera for).

-Night-time shots using a tripod turn out very well also, giving as much detail as one could see with their naked eye.

-Smile shutter, as mentioned in previous reviews, works flawlessly. One thing that doesn’t seem to be mentioned anywhere, is that when it’s in Smile Shutter mode, it will continue to snap photos automatically as long as it keeps detecting smiles, which is very cool. So if you are taking a group picture, and you’re one of those people that likes taking 3 shots of the same thing “just in case”, just keep on smiling and the camera will take care of that for you.

-there’s a 3-shot burst mode, where it automatically takes 3 pictures when you click the button: one with your default EV, one at -1EV, and one at +1EV (or different intervals even, if you choose). That once-in-a-lifetime shot you take will have 3 different versions automatically, and you can choose the one you like the most and delete the rest later.

-The Intelligent Auto mode works fantastically, it takes a lot of the stress out of taken urgent pictures. The only time I ever don’t use it is when I have plenty of time to plan for a shot.

-Startup time is great! I’ve seen other complaints from people that say this camera takes too long to startup and be ready to use, but those people must be the most impatient people ever, because this thing is faster than any other camera I’ve owned, digital or otherwise. When you click the power button, the lens fires out lightning fast and the screen immediately displays the picture and is ready for action. Probably takes about 0.5 seconds from pushing the button to being ready to use.

Cons:

-Plastic cover on LCD screen protrudes from the camera body, making it more easily scratched. I would recommend getting some screen protectors, as I’m about to do.

-the jack for the all-in-one cable is on the bottom of the camera, which will be great once a dock is available, but in the meantime it’s a very inconvenient place to plug in the cable. It forces you to lay to camera on either the lens side, or the LCD side (which, as mentioned above, is designed in such a way that it could be scratched quite easily without a screen protector)

-Doesn’t come with HD video cables, only the typical yellow/red/white RCA analogue cables. Seeing as how this camera records HD video, it would be nice to be able to play it back in HD on my tv without burning it to a DVD first. You can buy the HD cables from sony if you really need them, though.

-Comes with an NP-BG1 battery, which disables the camera’s ability to show you the remaining minutes. You have to buy the optional NP-FG1 battery to see that. That’s the only difference, both batteries have the same capacity. It was obviously designed that way to force us to buy a second battery… but that was fine with me, since I planned on buying one anyways.

I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone looking for a great quality point-and-shoot digital camera!

This camera works great! I have only had it a week but it is great. The smile detection works pretty well. I noticed subjects that wore hats had troubles with their smiles being detected, possibly due to extra shading from the bill of the hat, but for my one-year-old daughter, it took almost 10 pictures in 30-45 seconds automatically while she was having a laughing fit. A lot quicker than I could do. I also like how the portrait mode takes 2 pictures to try and get one without eyes blinking, and if it detected a blink, it alerts you to that. The HD video shoots pretty smoothly. I haven’t gotten a chance to check out what it looks like on TV, but it shot well. I was worried about being able to keep this steady when taking pictures, but I do better with this camera than I did our old Canon Powershot A530 (it was taking upwards of 5 minutes to charge the flash for one picture with brand new batteries!…thus being the purchase of a new camera).

It takes a couple seconds for the camera to turn on, so if you think you may have a shot to quickly take, be prepared and turn the camera on early. Also, I am nervous about the rechargeable battery versus just dropping in new AAs. It seems like the battery takes a little too long to charge fully, but so far I have just charged it while sleeping.

Overall I am extremely satisifed with this camera. I mainly need a camera to capture my daughter’s memories and will mostly send them out over e-mail and print out 4×6 images for my wife’s scrapbook. This camera is giving me hope it will take pictures well. The picture quality looks great and it seems slightly faster than my old Canon for taking successive pictures.

Download & Watch The Verdict at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch The Verdict Online Now!

During the first 25 years of his career, Paul Newman played characters who were confident and self-assured. Being a great actor, Newman was always able to infuse his characters with frailties and vulnerabilities that made them well-rounded and three dimensional. From Rocky Graziano to Cool Hand Luke to Doug Roberts (The Towering Inferno), Newman played self-confident characters who were strong and took charge of a situation. Perhaps this lack of frailty is the reason why Newman was able to play much younger characters well into his 50’s (in 1981’s Absence of Malice, the audience fully accepted that the then 56 year old Newman could be romantically involved with the then 35 year old Sally Field).

In The Verdict, however, Newman is almost shocking in his hesitancy and self doubt. As attorney Frank Galvin, life has beaten him down so much, he seems like a man far older than his years who is afraid to do anything for fear that tragedy and bad luck will once again crush him. For the first time, Newman seems more like a victim than a survivor — stammering, hesitant, weak, alcoholic and defeated. Even his courtroom summation at the end of the film is halting and hesitant. In a film full of fine actors (James Mason, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, Milo O’Shea, Lindsay Crouse, etc.), Newman still manages to give the best performance. It’s an unbelievably great performance and a great companion piece to The Hustler — “Fast Eddie” Felson after life has chewed him up and spit him out.

Unfortunately, Paul Newman, once again, did not win the Oscar for Best Actor — Ben Kingsley won for Ghandi. Unlike with The Hustler, however, Newman wasn’t really robbed, but was actually the victim of bad luck. Kingsley was born to play Ghandi and gave the performance of his life. In most other years, Newman probably would have run away with the Oscar. In 1982, however, he had the bad luck to be up against an actor who literally became one of the most revered and admired men in history. While no one can say that Kingsley didn’t deserve the honor, it is still a shame that Paul Newman did not win an Oscar for his flawed, weak and defeated Frank Galvin.

(For Part 1 see The Hustler)

THE VERDICT may date back to 1982, but few courtroom films since then can come close to matching the powerful production in this near perfect film written by David Mamet and directed with tension, grit, and tenderness by Sidney Lumet. Paul Newman’s performance as the alcoholic has-been lawyer called upon to try a case of medical malpractice is one of the finest acting performances in history. He is more than ably abetted by his sidekick Jack Warden. The lawyer for the defense is the haughty and evil James Mason and the real surprise in the cast is Milo O’Shea in a terrifyingly real role of a smarmy Judge. Charlotte Rampling, still one of today’s finest actresses, plays the understated love interest. Minor roles become major when they are in the hands of such gifted actors as Lindsay Crouse and Julia Bravasso. But one unsung hero of this fine film is the cinematographer who manages to make every shot appear like a Renaissance painting, so sensitive is he to light and shadow and frame composition.

THE VERDICT is a powerful story of the underdog’s struggle for truth in the judicial system and as such is a reminder of how the Law, when stripped to its essentials, is there to protect us. There is no pat ending, only a feeling of breathlessness as all of the details of the story are left to our imagination – well, almost. A strikingly powerful, meaningful, brilliantly executed film.

In a career of unforgettable portrayals, “The Verdict” stands as Paul Newman’s pinnacle; as a shattered idealistic lawyer, on an alcoholic road to self-destruction, finding a chance at redemption, he is absolutely perfect. With respect to Ben Kingsley, Newman SHOULD have won the ‘Best Actor’ Oscar in 1982!

Directed by Sidney Lumet, from a remarkably candid screenplay by David Mamet, this is a film that never makes a wrong step. Newman’s ‘Frank Galvin’ is not heroic, or even likable, in the film’s opening scenes, but he finds, in a simple malpractice suit, an injustice so blatant that he sees an opportunity to redeem himself…but he’ll have to defeat a rich, duplicitous law firm (headed by legendary James Mason), argue before an indifferent judge (Milo O’Shea), and, worst of all, face betrayal from within his tiny circle of friends, if he has any hope of rising out of his personal ‘hell’.

With a superb cast, including the remarkable Jack Warden as his ex-mentor/best friend, and Charlotte Rampling, as the woman he trusts far too much, “The Verdict” is raw, powerful, and occasionally disturbing, but never dull!

This new two-disc edition is certainly THE version to own, with commentary by Newman and Lumet, and an entire disc of extras, including Lumet and Newman’s personal recollections, and several ‘Making of’ documentaries, from 1982, and today. You’ll never find a more complete presentation of a truly extraordinary film!

There are few films that I can watch, again and again, and never grow tired of…”The Verdict” is one. Bravo to Newman, Lumet, Mamet, and everyone involved in creating this classic!

Download & Watch The International (2009) at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch The International (2009) Online Now!

THE INTERNATIONAL is a film that wants to be two kinds of movies at once, and somewhat drops the ball on being either very effectively.

This tells the story of an effort by law enforcement officials to bring down The International Bank of Business & Commerce, the IBBC. This bank, we’re told right from the start, is involved in weapons trading and many shady deals involving violent overthrows of governments and so forth. They don’t really make money off the arms dealing, they make money handling the debt of the newly emerging governments. They are a ruthless bunch, operating like a shadowy intelligence agency…assassinating those who stand in the way, bribing others. There is no way to bring them to justice, it would seem, because they have their fingers in every pie, and will kill anyone who might get in their way.

So first, THE INTERNATIONAL wants to be an “intelligent” thriller, with lots of suspense generated by the political and economic machinations of men in business suits talking in hushed tones. We see the good guys and the bad guys both discussing with each other the ramifications of one course of action or another. There is lots of globetrotting, with scenes in Luxembourg, France, Italy, the US & Turkey. These scenes are only moderately interesting, because in the end, the schemes of the bank are only drawn out in the most simplistic terms (the movie wants us to FEEL that everything is richly detailed and complicated, but it really isn’t). AND, most importantly, the actions of the bank don’t really feel entirely credible. Not that a financial institution wouldn’t align itself with some really bad guys…but the whole thing really just feels like a half-baked Roger Moore-era James Bond kind of plot.

The other half of the movie wants to be an action thriller of the BOURNE ilk. But the action and gunplay and forensic police work is mostly quite staid and uninspired. With one notable exception. There is a fabulously elaborate, visceral and exciting gun battle set in the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. Naturally, it relies on the old standby that all bad guys are terrible shots and good guys seldom miss…but it’s a thrilling, old-fashioned sequence that makes the rest of the movie almost worthwhile.

Also worthwhile is the always solid presence of Clive Owen. Here’s a guy who can really act, when given the chance. He can be charming, he can be soulless…but he’s seldom boring (and he’s always vaguely half-shaved…talk about swarthy). Yet true stardom has eluded him, because the truly best material doesn’t go his way…or when something flat-out brilliant like CHILDREN OF MEN lands on his lap, no one goes to see it. Owen is the right man for THE INTERNATIONAL, though. He’s capable of handling the talky dialogue. He seems vaguely impatient with all the chatter and politics, and just wants to get on with taking some people DOWN. And when the action does kick in, he’s not just an impervious gunslinger…we see real fear and real hurt. We believe that he is a hero who COULD get killed. He brings a humanity to the most “Hollywood” of scenes and he brings movie star glamour to the most mundane of scenes. It’s an interesting dichotomy.

Owen is the star of the film…no question. He is in nearly every scene, and director Tom Tykwer likes to give us lots of close-ups. But Owen is assisted by a sold supporting cast, including the always welcome Naomi Watts. Her role is seriously underwritten and probably could have been handled by anyone…but it’s nice to see her anyway. The silky-voiced, menacing Armin Muehler-Stahl also shows up as one of the head honchos from the bank. This guy has THAT character down pat, and he’s also always welcome.

Tykwer can be a great director (RUN LOLA RUN is a propulsive film in the best possible way)…and the gunfight shows where his true talents lie. He doesn’t bring much zest to the talkier scenes, and I hope someone notices this and gives him a more action-packed thriller to helm.

Overall, I enjoyed THE INTERNATIONAL, but for most of its 118 minutes, I was quite aware that what I was seeing was not going to leave much of an impression. It’s a solid but seldom exciting movie. It wants to think it has captured the flavor of our times, but it isn’t rooted enough in believability. If you like Clive Owen, I’d say it’s worth a look. If you’re not a particular fan…then there’s very little reason to spend time on it. It’s a near miss.

“The International” is a good and honest movie. Hollywood generally doesn’t release movies that are fairly original and intellectually respectful to the audience. The story deals with world bank corruption and how it’s not the money that motivates them, but rather the power of enslaving nations and people with debt. If you know anything about the fractional reserve system of current banking, then this movie makes a lot of sense. I am surprised that Hollywood would release a movie like this.

The movie doesn’t try to be more then it is. It does, however, take the audience on a journey to explain how the current economic situation could possibly be manipulated. The movie does follow some cliches, but I felt they were handled in original and artistic ways. The Guggenheim scene was very interesting and an original place to stage a Hollywood shootout. The story from start to finish is solid and easy to follow. There were no huge plot twists, however the character resolutions have their complexities and the finale is a little peculiar, but still gratifying and complete.

Clive Owen gives a wonderful and believable performance as a man over the edge and determined to expose the truth of this cloak and dagger organization. Naomi Watts does a good job as a supporting character and doesn’t get in the way of the story, but she amplifies it when necessary.

I greatly enjoyed this movie. I skipped seeing it at the theater because it looked a little long, but after watching it on DVD my worries that the plot would be thin were put to rest. The story keeps the flow going and the audience interested the whole time.

“The International” is a socio-political thriller that seems very prescient coming at a time when so many banks are failing and the world seems even more of a precarious place than usual. This film about an investigation of a bank’s shady dealings seems more and more like a possibility given that nowadays, legal business dealings might not afford as much of a profit.

The film stars Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, who play, respectively, an Interpol agent and a NY City Assistant DA, who are investigating the IBBC, an international bank suspected of being involved in illegal arms deals. The bank works quickly to silence any opposition or any employee who tries to inform of the bank’s activities. Owen and Watts find themselves thwarted at every turn, until the likelihood of bringing the bank to justice becomes bleaker and bleaker.

Owen smolders as only he can as an angry, hard-nosed cop who dogged pursuit of the IBBC has already cost him his job as a cop with Scotland Yard, and one would imagine, a whole lot more. Watts maintains steadiness and aplomb as she puts her life and career in jeopardy to work with Owen. Fine supporting performance by Armin Mueller-Stahl as one of the bank’s principals and Brian F. O’Byrne as The Consultant, the bank’s assassin round out the film, which has a spectacular set-piece shootout at the Guggenheim Museum.

Fans looking for a constant rock ‘em, sock ‘em action thriller like the Bourne movies may be disappointed with The International, but it is a paranoid, sharply plotted film that has interesting characters and a great story.

Download & Watch Coraline at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch Coraline Online Now!

My husband and I rented the dual sided version of the film a couple days ago as well as bought two pairs of the dual color 3D glasses.

The film was absolutely beautiful designed and animated. It was also delightfully balanced between trippy and creepy. I’d definitely say that if parents have young children, they should preview the film prior to showing it and use their personal judgment. The narrative has the same threads of menace that haunts original Brother’s Grimm tales. The film at times can be rather disturbing. My husband and I humorously traded off with the line, “That is messed up!” several times through out the film. My only critique with the film is that the resolution falls too swiftly and maybe too neatly into place.

The reason my review is three stars is that I fail to see the reason behind packaging the DVD with a 3D version of the film. Even on a HD plasma with unimpaired vision, the dual colored glasses just did not work for me at all. I knew going in that the home television would lose the incredible effect of what dual projection in a theater could create, so I didn’t have high expectations. I was merely curious if the industry had gotten better at implementing it over time.

I went in to watching the 3D version expecting to at least get a sense of scene depth similar to an old school View-Master. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get that. None of the 3D effects worked for me. Even with a darkened room, my eyes would water while they constantly fought to refocus and make sense of the dual colors. I had to stop watching after about twenty minutes in, because my eyes were just exhausted. The 3D versions also dulls the color scheme. This really doesn’t do the original film justice at all. It was rather shocking to see the vivid color difference switching from 3D to the 2D version.

In Conclusion: Skip the 3D gimmick and enjoy the 2D version.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment have announced the US DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Coraline on 21st July 2009. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, this stop-motion animation written and directed by Henry Selick follows an adventurous girl who finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.

Available on single-disc DVD, two-disc Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray Disc, all include both the 2-D and 3-D version of the main feature and come packaged with 4 pairs of 3D glasses. Features are outlined below…

Single-Disc DVD

* 2-D and 3-D Presentations

* 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen

* English, French and Spanish DD5.1 Surround

* English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles

* Feature Commentary with Director Henry Selick and Composer Bruno Coulais

2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD – As above plus a bonus disc with the following content:

* Digital Copy of Coraline 2-D Version (Expires 07/31/2010)

* Deleted Scenes

* The Making of Coraline

* Voicing the Characters

Blu-ray Disc – This is a Blu-ray Combo release which comes bundled with a standard-def DVD that includes the 2-D version of the film (AV specs as per the DVD releases), audio commentary, and a Digital Copy of the film. Features include:

* 2-D and 3-D Presentations

* 1080P 1.85:1 Widescreen

* English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

* French and Spanish 5.1 DTS Surround

* English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles

* U Control – Picture in Picture (2-D Feature Only)

* U Control – Tours and Voice Sessions (2-D Feature Only)

* U Control – Picture in Picture Animatic (2-D Feature Only)

* Deleted Scenes

* The Making of Coraline

* Voicing the Characters

* Creepy Coraline

* Feature Commentary with Director Henry Selick and Composer Bruno Coulais

* D-Box

* BD Live – My Scenes Sharing

* BD Live – The World According to Henry

* Disc 2: DVD with standard-def 2-D version of the film, audio commentary & 2-D Digital Copy of the film (expires 31st July 2010)

This uncommon animation starts with tween-aged angst, the kind that demands independence but still wants mom and dad close by. Her busy parents don’t have much time for her, though, and her new, remote home doesn’t offer much reward for her explorations (other than some rather kooky neighbors). So, even if it’s not wholly conscious, Coraline wishes for a nicer place and parents that pay more attention.

As the movie’s tagline says, “be careful what you wish for.” Like Alice down the rabbit hole, Coraline finds a secret passage to a more magical place. Soon, however, the magic turns dark. That’s where the brilliant animation really comes into its own. The stop animation (or at least the look of it) bring to mind Tim Burton with a macabre touch of Brothers Quay. You know your child best – skittish ones might find some of the imagery a bit much. Still, kids’ stories (like Alice in Wonderland) have always had dark edges. That deliciously spooky sense, plus some great animation, really set this movie apart from the usual.

– wiredweird

Download & Watch Garden State at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch Garden State Online Now!

Zach Braff’s impressive directorial debut “Garden State” features an excellent soundtrack, a downright hilarious performance from Natalie Portman and a true message for anyone who feels like they’ve been sleepwalking through life. I left the theater feeling very glad that I’d seen it, for it spoke to me. Of course, like the characters in the film, now that I’ve faced some issues that were plaguing me, I’m at a loss as to what to do next.

But maybe that’s the point. “Garden State” merely shows its main character beginning to escape the issues that essentially imprison him because that’s all it really can show.

The four days that occur in the film merely jar Andrew, played by Braff, out of his complacent, medicated state – and, at its end, he’s only begun to deal with how to live his life. He’s started to be active, not passive. He’s choosing what he wants. But he’s unclear what to do next.

Of course, I’m talking about the film as though it were a psychological experiment. Because the movie made me think.

But the film’s greatest strengths are its just-quirky-enough characters, unlike the oddballs presented in other films like “Napoleon Dynamite.” The film also has a real sense of humor, an affection for its title location and a romance that feels more sweet, enlightening and comfortable – rather than irrationally passionate.

“Garden State” is an interesting feat, and I highly recommend a trip to the theater.

As most of my moviegoing experiences these days have been, I sat in a room full of college students who lined up hours in advance to see Garden State. And we watched in utter amazement, sadness, excitement, laughter…not even because it was THAT good, but because we were watching perfect reflections of ourselves on screen.

After the screening, Zach Braff (who had, he told us, been sitting behind the audience the entire time) talked to us about his film, answered some twenty-odd questions, and truly revealed why this film was a piece of art. Yes, Braff himself was almost as entertaining as the movie itself. But Garden State still held its own.

Braff’s debut film as writer, director and star, the film involves the protagonists’ (Braff) journey to re-find himself as he travels back to his home town in New Jersey. Previously defined by his tidbit roles as a Hollywood actor and his parentally diagnosed psychological illnesses, Braff rekindles old friendships and makes new ones along the way. Natalie Portman, who gives an outstanding performance, plays possibly the most well written female role I’ve seen in a long time. The energy exuded from her presence on screen is unmatchable and a wonderful contrast with Braff’s underplay of his character.

The plot has its moment, but is nowhere near the dynamic adventure of an oscar winning story. However, the little things carry the film. The music, for example, is AMAZING; Braff’s choice of soundtrack is most certainly one of the success stories of his film.

The film is not without faults, such as lack of exploration in certain storylines (especially concerning the protagonist’s father and the introduction of numerous characters who are never fully developed). However, the film’s unique and intense direction and cinematography coupled with some brilliant acting make this film a must see. Especially for the college generation.

Not perfect, but highly recommended.

Zach Braff has succeeded in doing something that is quite rarely done well, especially on a first attempt – he wrote, directed and starred in his first film – and the whole thing works amazingly well. Braff plays Andrew Largeman (”Large” to his friends), a small-bit actor biding his time in a ritzy Asian restaurant between acting gigs, waiting for another big break. His medicine cabinet looks like he could open his own pharmacy – mind altering drugs such as Vicodin, Paxil, Lithium, Darvoset and others – which leave him in an emotionless rut.

His father (Ian Holm) leaves what sounds like a final, desperate message for him on his answering machine, his mother has died – from drowning in the bathtub. He leaves his drugs behind and heads home to Newark to attend the funeral. Two of his loser buddies from high school days are the drugged-out grave diggers at the cemetery and he stops to say hello and is invited to a party… anything to avoid talking to his father who he has successfully avoided for 9 years.

The party is a drugged-out nut-fest with some fold-yourself-in-half humorous scenes that follow the next morning when he awakens after his night-long stupor. The film is more of an experience than just a movie – glimpses into the quirky, odd little eccentricities of normal, everyday people.

As the drugs (both prescription and illicit) finally find their way out of his body, Andrew finds himself awakening to life anew. He is starting to feel things for the first time in memory… even pain is a welcome friend when contrasted with emptiness. Just as his head begins to clear the haze, he finds Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl fighting her own family and neurological demons and closeted skeletons. The two make fast friends and find themselves taking a journey that is more wild than any drug or siezure induced experience that either of them have ever been through.

The R rating is appropriate – there is paint-peeling language, a plethora of illegal drugs, and a raunchy sex scene (not between the lead actors – rather a view of the Garden State’s underbelly)… so this is not a family film.

There are many tender and bittersweet moments. It’s amazing that Braff was able to pack in so much into one film with so many characters, and enable you to get emotionally involved with nearly all of them, particularly the leads. I will be shocked if he doesn’t at the very least get an Oscar® nomination for best screenplay for this freshman effort – this is a stunning piece of filmmaking and a film well worth seeing and experiencing.

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Comedian Lance Barton (Chris Rock) makes a fool of himself on stage one night and gets booed off. When biking home that night, he accidentally gets hit by a truck and is sent to heaven. In heaven, he gets the opportunity to go back `down to earth’, only in someone else’s body. To Lance, when he looks in the mirror, he sees himself, but when other people see him, he’s Charles Wellington, the most richest man on earth, and the most unliked by everyone. Lance sees this and during his stay on earth, tries to make peace. One thing leads to another, and he gets the girl Sontee Jenkins (Regina King), who at the beginning was mad at Charles (Lance) for not caring about hospitals (or something along those lines). This film also stars Jennifer Coolidge as Charles Wellington’s wife, and Wanda Sykes as the maid Wanda. Wanda was so funny in every scene she was in. So was Jennifer. Everything they did was so natural!

Hilariously outrageous! One of Chris Rocks best! This movie sees him dying too early only to be brought back in an old white guys body! But here’s the punch line, he’s a comedian in the movie as well! I was in stitches, definately a must see if you like Chris Rock’s dynamic style of comedy.

If you want to pick one movie to see of 2001 It has got to be down to Earth! If you want to see Chris Rock do his best performance. If you want to laugh all day and night Its got to be this. this is one of the funniest movies since Big Daddy and Happy Gilmore. Please see this movie.

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Let’s face it. We’re not watching this sort of movie for great character development or intriquite plot twists. This sort of movie is all about women in bikinis, or less. This movie is an excellent piece of work, if judged with that in mind. The women are many and Hot, the situations are funny and provocative, and the outfits are skimpy, revealing and imaginative. There are few movies in this genre that can top this one. If you are a fan, Don’t hesitate to buy this flick!

this movie was good until the bob sagetish moral, meaning of life, message to the people or whatever u wanna call it came in the script.

it is like full house with nudity. if youre bored and wanna see some nudity, or girls from the early 90 in bikini. make your day.

Start with the first Bikini Summer movie. It’s the same movie only way better. You won’t have to put up with some boring subplot about helping a couple of homeless people. That could have been a nice Disney movie but doesn’t belong in Bikini Summer. And the first movie has more nudity – even a couple of full-frontal scenes. I think that gives an extra dimension to movies like this.

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