12 Rounds starring WWE star, John Cena, is already out on video.  I can’t believe how fast this came out!  I wrote about it being in theaters just a few months ago.  Can you remember a time when it took at least 6 months for a movie to come out on VHS?

WWE Studios (a division of World Wrestling Entertainment) is actually responsible for releasing this movie about a detective named Danny Fisher who, after his girlfriend is kidnapped, must navigate his way through “12 rounds” of a carefully plotted game designed by international terrorists.

On the DVD you will get both the rated and unrated versions and (yes, there is more) you will also get to see two alternate endings.  It also includes a behind-the-scenes look at John Cena’s stunts, a gag reel and audio commentaries with the director, writer and John Cena.

I know that when this originally came out, I said that I wouldn’t even watch it when it came out on DVD and I’ve got to say that nothing has changed.  The reviews for this movie were mostly terrible so I think I’ll avoid it.  If you do want a copy, you can order one from Amazon.

Have you ever heard of Nostradamus?  If you have, chances are that you’ve read or heard something about his predictions that sent chills down your spine.  Born in 1503, he was a French apothecary and prophet/seer whose book Les Propheties made him known worldwide.

While some have dismissed his prophecies as misinterpretations or coincidences, there are many people who believe what he wrote.  One of his well-known predictions was the the end of the world would come in 2012.  He isn’t the only one.  The Mayan Calendar also places great significance on that year.  It’s unclear if they are suggesting that the earth with be destroyed or if some major change will occur (read more at www.2012endofdays.org).  Either way, I find it incredibly interesting and scary at the same time!

Interestingly, earlier this week (July 2) marked the 443rd anniversary of Nostradamus’ death so I’m thinking the release of this Nostradamus 2012 DVD was meant to coincide with that.

On the DVD, which was produced by The History Channel, provides “a detailed, historical investigation of this chilling prophecy… that casts the doomsday warning in a frighteningly modern context.”

I know it’s going to terrify me but I am probably going to have to watch this out of sheer curiosity.  What do you think of the predictions?

image: Amazon

The Fourth of July is tomorrow and after doing yard work, enjoying a barbecue and the fireworks, I like to sit back and relax and watch some patriotic movies.  I know that a lot of people just celebrate the fact that it’s a holiday but it is also our country’s birthday!  Here are some films that you could pick up to commemorate the occasion.

The first is kind of a no-brainer.  Independence Day starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman (as the American president) and Jeff Goldblum came out on July 2, 1996 and, while it’s been more than a decade, the film never ceases to entertain and evoke the spirit of patriotism.

The film, which is among the top 20 highest grossing films of all time, is about an alien invasion on Earth.  The alien aircrafts take position over our major cities which leads to large-scale evacuations and eventually a plan to fight back against the threat on… the 4th of July, of course!

It’s funny, it’s cheesy, it’s family friendly and it’s action-packed.  What more could you ask for?

Whether you watch the 1962 version or the 2003 made-for-tv adaptation, The Music Man is a great film for Independence Day.  The plot revolves around traveling salesman, “Professor” Harold Hill, who arrives in River City, IA, in the weeks just prior to the Fourth of July celebration of 1912.

He successfully convinces the town that, in order to save their youth from the “danger” associated with the new pool table, the youngsters must learn to play instruments and perform in a band – with him as the leader!  Parents begin handing over money to the stranger who promises to deliver band instruments and uniforms while he teaches the children how to play.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t know the first thing about instruments and, before long, he’s facing exposure and arrest.  It wouldn’t be so bad if the town (including love interest, Marian) hadn’t been so welcoming.

It’s a great family musical with catchy songs like “Ya Got Trouble” and “Seventy-Six Trombones.”

The Patriot starring Mel Gibson is another excellent option.  The film focuses on the real events of the American Revolution (with a little Hollywood “magic” sprinkled in to add some drama) which, of course, is important since it led to America’s independence from the British empire.

The film is set and was actually filmed in South Carolina and follows the story of Benjamin Martin, a war hero whose family gets caught in the middle of the Revolutionary War after his eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), enlists in the military.

If you are one of those people who knows a lot about the lives of celebrities, try to ignore the fact that many of the film’s stars were either born and raised in England or Australia and aren’t actually American at all.

Either way, it is a really great movie and was well-received by viewers and critics - it nominated for Academy Awards for “Best Sound,” “Best Cinematography,” and “Best Original Music Score.”

Those are my three best suggestions but I’d love to hear what you watch and do to celebrate the holiday.  Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!

images: Amazon

The new season of Animal Planet’s Untamed and Uncut premieres Sunday, July 5th at 9pm and I’m sure it will be an exciting episode.  In case you haven’t seen it, the show takes you on a journey with people who have had amazing animal encounters – it does get a little intense so if you are squeamish about this sort of thing, you should probably steer clear.

I love the show because it uses computer graphics to break down the incredible videos so that viewers can understand exactly what happened.  It’s extraordinarily fascinating this season’s first episode, “Teeth, Talons and Terror,” looks like it won’t disappoint.  Here’s an overview of what to expect:

• Shark Break-In - A great white crashes into a shark cage trapping two divers off the coast of Baja California.
• Bull Spins Cowboy - Bull Lucky Strike knocks out Cowboy Robson Polermo and flings him into the air.
• Destined for Disaster - A horse descended from Man O’ War is trapped in mud and the only way out is a risky flight across a California canyon.
• Hawk vs. Cockatoo - At the Los Angeles Zoo, a Harris hawk is released early attacking a cockatoo and its handler.
• Icy Dog - A Great Pyranees is trapped and freezing on a chunk of melting ice in Indianapolis.

Need more?  Check out this video a the great white shark attack!

image: Netflix

To be very honest, I haven’t read a Megan Fox interview where she came off as a humble, intelligent young woman.  One or two comments might be explainable but when virtually everything that comes out of your mouth is offensive enough to have entire sites dedicated to your weird quotes (check out this Top 10 list  on Coed Magazine).

Here’s one of my favorites (from the June 2009 issue of Elle): “I’ve lived the life of a 35-year-old since I was 18. I’m so suspicious of boys-slash-men. I just don’t like them or trust them.  They’re boys; they’re easily toyed with. I tell stories and have them eating out of my hand.”  I’m sorry but I just find that terribly arrogant and slightly insulting.

Why have I embarked on this little rant?  I read an interview with Transformers director, Michael Bay, and he commented on something she said recently.  While I agree with her when she says that he focused more on special effects than acting, I didn’t appreciate this little gem: “I mean, I can’t s— on this movie because it did give me a career and open all these doors for me. But I don’t want to blow smoke up people’s a–. People are well aware that this is not a movie about acting.”

In response, Bay had the following to say to the Wall Street Journal:  “Well, that’s Megan Fox for you,” Bay tell the “She says some very ridiculous things because she’s 23 years old and she still has a lot of growing to do.  You roll your eyes when you see statements like that and think, ‘Okay Megan, you can do whatever you want. I got it… Nick Cage wasn’t a big actor when I cast him, nor was Ben Affleck before I put him in Armageddon. Shia LaBeouf wasn’t a big movie star before he did Transformers — and then he exploded. Not to mention Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, from Bad Boys. Nobody in the world knew about Megan Fox until I found her and put her in Transformers.  I like to think that I’ve had some luck in building actors’ careers with my films.”

In case you don’t get the references, this very accomplished director brought movies like The Rock, Armageddon and Bad Boys to the big screen.  I think that every one of those films had decent acting and a good storyline (I won’t comment on Bad Boys II…).

Bay is right – I certainly had never heard of Megan Fox before Transformers and I’m disappointed by her lack of gratitude.  I know the sequel wasn’t as great as expected but that’s no reason to bite the hand that feeds you.  Hopefully, she will learn to be grateful before it’s too late unlike some other young actors (ahem, the cast of The O.C. comes to mind).

image: Paramount Pictures

U2 is getting ready to embark on their 360 Tour.  We already know that the ticket sales have been very strong despite the current state of the economy.  They released the song “Magnificent” in May which is the second track from No Line on the Horizon, their twelfth studio album.

Yesterday, I was sent some behind-the-scenes video and if you enjoy learning about what it takes to put on what some are calling “the largest rock and roll touring stage production that’s ever been put together.”

From the video, it certainly looks like it’s going to be enormous.  I wish I could go and see it live but the closest tour stop is a nine hour drive. 

The video below gives you a sneak peek into the Take a sneak peak at the stage construction, sound bites from band manager Paul McGuinness and tour producer Arthur Fogel.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Christian Slater could be returning to television.  He most recently appeared in the NBC spy drama My Own Worst Enemy (I never got to see it).  Despite good reviews, the show was canceled. 

Now he’s in negotiations to star in The Forgotten, a new series which will air on ABC and will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.  The plot revolves “around a group of amateur detectives led by a former cop (Slater) whose 11-year-old daughter was kidnapped three years before.”

I think that has the potential to be a pretty good show.  I think that any time the lead character has some personal association with their job (like Fox Mulder being so driven in the X-Files since his sister Samantha was abducted by aliens) it can make the role so much more intense as long as it’s written properly.

The show is expected to launch on September 22, 2009 and will air on Tuesdays at 10pm. 

The 39-year-old actor is probably best known for his roles in Heathers, Interview With the Vampire and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves among others.

image: Zuma Press

NBC News is launching a new television show that will probably make me never want to leave my house.  The Wanted, which premieres on July 20, 2009 at 10pm, sounds like a cross between Cops, Dog The Bounty Hunter and America’s Most Wanted.  Yeah, scary.

The show will feature an elite team of “specialists in counterterrorism, foreign intelligence, war crimes and investigative journalism profiling suspected international terrorists” who will hunt down war criminals.  I don’t know about you but that sounds perfect for my Monday night television viewing (note the sarcasm).

The network’s executive producer, David Corvo, said the they “hope this program sheds light on an overlooked story” since it is “surprising how many people with serious accusations against them are living openly and avoiding any sort of judicial process.”

I have some real reservations about this show (aside from the fact that I find the subject matter very intense).  I think that a major problem is that this could alert criminalists to fact that they are being hunted and it can expose the procedures used to track them down.  I don’t know how they plan to get around that but I’m hoping they have thought of this.

Crane, who is a former US Intelligence official, said that the show is about “seeking justice for the many victims of terrorism and atrocity around the world” and that “it will start a national conversation, an important dialog about war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and international terrorism, as well as the indifference and political cynicism that hampers international criminal law and the quest for justice.”

image: Zuma Press (the above image is not from the show)

Public Enemies was released in theaters today and I think it looks like an incredibly intriguing and interesting film.  Based on the non-fiction book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 by Bryan Burroughs, it tell the story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) who “set his sights on American gangsters John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) in an attempt to curb a rampant Midwest crime spree during the 1930s.”  The film was directed by Michael Mann and was filmed mostly in Wisconsin.

image: Universal Pictures

I think that casting for this movie is great.  Johnny Depp could definitely look like he comes from that time period and I am interested to see how he pairs with Christian Bale on-screen.  I’m also happy to see Channing Tatum being given a chance at a meatier role.  I think that he’s really been type-cast as a “pretty face” rather than a talented actor although I think his turn in Fighting could change that perception.  The strong cast is rounded out by French actress, Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar for her performance in La Vie en Rose.

I really liked the first Ice Age movie.  I thought it was a creative film that could entertain children and keep their parents laughing at the same time.  When the sequel, Ice Age: The Meltdown rolled around, I wasn’t thrilled since I thought it might ruin the first movie but I could understand them wanting to try to continue the series.

Although Meltdown killed at the box-office by raking it more than $68 million in its opening weekend, critical reception was lukewarm and generally not as favorable as it had been for the first film.

20th Century Fox

I don’t know if they are trying to redeem themselves or if 20th Century Fox is just greedy but the third installment, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, opens today and it will probably do well at the box-office since we are heading into a holiday weekend (in Canada today is already a holiday).

The 3-D film features an impressive cast but a weak plot.  Manny (Ray Romano) is anxious to get everything ready for the new baby he and his wife, Ellie (Queen Latifah), are expecting which makes Sid (John Leguizamo) feel a little broody.  What does he do to fill his paternal needs?  He steals dinosaur eggs and ends up in an underground world where dinosaurs are living.  From that point on, it sounds like Sid embarks on a Jurassic Park type of adventure while he waits for his friends to rescue him.

I truly hope that Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs delivers.  The reviews have been mixed with Rotten Tomatoes assigning it a rating of 33% fresh while Roger Ebert gave it 3.5/4 stars and says “it’s the best of the three films.”

Check out the trailer and decide for yourself.  If you’ve seen it, let me know what you thought!