Review - FastTVDownloads.com

I reviewed FastTvDownloads because my growing Media Center "My Movies" extension was filling up quickly with alot of my favorite movies. (nearing 2,500!!). Anyway, I decided earlier today that I was going to review instead the definitive way to download tv shows legally!

First off, this service does include a few music downloads and movie downloads but it seems to me that its main, and best focus is television show downloads. There is millions of files from a lot of new TV shows, about a couple years of watching to do folks!!

There is also no bandwidth or download limits so you can pretty much download anything and for as long as you want. Also thrown in is automatic stop and resume so that really...you can actually download shows 24/7. Like a lot of other recent services there is also a helpful burn tool to easily burn all these shows for use on your television. The price is very cheap and definitely saves alot of gas just on running to the video store alone!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Score - 5/5 No better place to download all your favorite t.v. shows legally in full episodes!

W. Movie Review

With a production budget of 25 million, W. the story of George W. Bush has only made 12.8 million so far. This movie was very unsatisfying, It was neither hilarious nor critical enough when it came to George Bush's life. I mean, people where literally falling asleep in the theater.

As it was Oliver Stone who did the JFK movie, I expected it to be a lot more critical of Bush's huge failures in the white house. The story skipped over 9/11 and only briefly touched on the 2000 election in Florida. They basically told us what we already knew about Bush.

They also painted him out to be never good enough for his father. He is always trying to appear better than his older brother Jeb as well. I really don't think anyone feels sorry for him and don't know why Stone is trying to humanize Bush and make him out to be an ignorant southerner. You don't graduate Yale while being stupid and ignorant. They also skipped over the fact that Bush and Kerry where both Skull and Bones members. They only say that Bush was in a regular fraternity at Yale.

I wanted to get my money back after the first ten minutes, but part of me hoped they would delve deeper and make the story more interesting. No such luck. The movie title should have been "Just Claim Ignorance". Because that is what they did when it came to discussing the WMD's and justification for Iraq. They also made it like W. had a personal vendetta against Saddam because of what his father had gone through against him. Well if that was true why didn't they just shoot Saddam instead of giving him a trial?

They portrayed Carl Rove as a nerdy political adviser who could't understand people. Condoleeza Rice was made out to be innocent through ignorance as was Colin Powell who argued against going into Iraq. While Dick Cheney was played by Richard Dreyfus, so he was slightly sinister in parts, but not enough to despise him.

This movie won't catch up to its budget because it is too soft on Bush for democrats and not funny enough for republicans. It is like watching a semi documentary replay of everything Bush did in his administration but no insight into why he really did it. Going into Iraq for oil, that is not the real reason or we would have taken the oil. Control of the region may be realistic, but they didn't delve into that theory enough. It is a sub par flick and you should save your money for any other movie that's out right now.

Going to see W.

Hey guys! I am going out tonight to see "W." - I will be sure to let you know what I think of it. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is the Oliver Stone movie about George W. Bush.

Review - 99 Million Movies

I was a little disappointed with the 99 Million Movies service. First off...there is no where near 99 frickin MILLION movies here. I would however say that there is at least a million - which is a good thing.

The service does have a lot of newer movies which is always a good thing. However, I can't help but feel that this product is sort of "tailored" to those film noir movies of yesteryear. Alot of the movies available are from the 40's and 50's - movies that have fallen out of copyright and into the public domain. Meaning that anyone can download the movies for free and legally! If you are into these sort of movies then I would think of 99 Million Movies as more of a conduit in order to find all these rare and hard to find gems. If you love film noir, 70's or 80's movies then you will love this service and I highly suggest that you buy it. However, if you are like alot of people out there and are only interested in the blockbuster movies of 2008 this is not for you.

Overall another really good service but I wish it would not have "lied" on its name...One Million Movies would have been more than sufficient!

Check It Out Here!

Score - 3/5 , if you like older, rare movies then 5/5!

The Bucket List Movie Review

BOTTOM LINE: Strong, emotional and heart-felt film with superb performances from Nicholson and Freeman as the unlikely duo taking on life one more time before they kick the bucket.

THE GOOD: The idea of taking stock of your life and asking yourself if you've actually lived it to its fullest is an old one that's been given a beautiful treatment by director Rob Reiner in this film. What's so good about this film is presenting the theme, "there's no time like the present!"; even if it means in the case of Carter (Freeman) and Cole (Nicholson) that they only have six months to live. The masterstroke of the film of course was to cast both Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson as the unlikely odd couple who end up living life to the fullest in the final months they have left. It could have been all silly and contrived but instead we get two rock-solid, genuine performances from two of Hollywood's heavy-weight actors in sequences that are believable and amusing. The funniest scene? Perhaps when Freeman tells Nicholson he's never been with another woman other than his wife. Nicholson's mischievous response of, "that's definitely going on the list!" makes for a good laugh. "The Bucket List" is filled with such glorious moments, and it manages to do it while imparting a message that getting caught up in life's trivialities should never stop you from experiencing life the right way. Nicholson's billionaire businessman character is testament to that; he's been married four times, has an estranged daughter and lives alone - but he has a lot of money. Freeman has a wife, family and peace of mind - but he's poor. The two go together perfectly. One genuine surprise in the film is that you actually get a sense of what it's like for someone who's sick - early on we see scenes of Cole's character reacting to chemo treatment which are not pleasant, as we do Carter's. "The Bucket List" is a film that makes you think about life, gives you a good laugh, gives you two enjoyable acting performances, and doesn't overstay its welcome or go over the top.

THE BAD: It always seems inevitable that a film like this will enter into sentimental territory towards the end of the film and "The Bucket List" is no exception. Rob Reiner has tended to go in this direction in a number of his previous films but thankfully the sentiment is not poured on in bucket loads (pardon the pun). That said however, despite some schmaltzy scenes at the end which basically make you feel good about life and the lives of the characters, the film is blessed with having two real solid acting stars making completely believable performances; so in the end, it's not all that bad.

Film Making with No Budget Kit & Tips

One of my greatest hobbies in high school was getting together with a few friends and making a short film. The film topics ranged from the philosophical journeys of a young man growing up in rural Iowa to "Who Killed The Cheerleader?" Needless to say these were fun little "past times" to be involved in. We had our own script writer, camera crew, director, actors, everything...but NO BUDGET! However we were just having fun and would usually only show the shorts to family and friends or post it on YouTube(which back then was just starting up)!

Now, with the explosion of YouTube and other "tube" sites amateur movie making is actually becoming a worthwhile cash cow to get involved in. That is why today I am sort of leaning away from my usual review of products and services devoted to movie watching and instead focusing on Film Making - with NO or low budget.

I found a product called "No Budget Filmmaking Ultra Pack" and was instantly excited at what it might...or might not entail. This ebook of a sorts includes pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about making movies. I took a few film classes earlier in my college days and this book covered alot of the techniques I learned there - and some I had never even dreamt of. If you have ever been interested in shooting movies this is the guide for you! It includes pretty much everything you would ever need or want to know. It talks about camera angles, casting, lighting, how to find talent, how to tailor your creativity, etc. etc. If I had bought this about four years ago I can honestly say I would never have shelled out the hundreds of dollars for film school.

One thing that I didn't like however was that...yes...it is in "ebook" form - which for many just screams "SCAM!" But I am here to lay those thoughts to rest, this is the real deal and I guarantee you will not be let down. If this was a real book you could pick up at Walmart or Target I would rate it 5/5 but since it is in ebook and I really don't like to read off my screen I dropped it one point. Be sure to check it out though it is really interesting, especially if you don't have money. :)

CHECK IT OUT RIGHT HERE!

Scored 4/5!

Have you made a movie using this guide? Let me know about it!! Post a link to your video in the comments field.

Saw V - Movie Review

Jigsaw is back in this fifth installment of the bloody suspense filled franchise known as Saw. Well, of course this movie starts off pretty much where the last one left off. Officer Hoffman is left looking like the surviving hero after Jigsaw's reign of terror is seemingly over. What Hoffman doesn't know is that he is not the only survivor left. Agent Strahm who is left for dead escapes a trap that was supposed to get rid of him for good. Meanwhile, at another location 5 seemingly unconnected people find themselves trapped in a room where they are faced with a new set of Jigsaw games. This leaves 2 questions to be answered, will Agent Strahm be able to foil Hoffman's master plan and can these 5 trapped people survive Jigsaw's deadly games, what will happen?

Pros

The movie does give a lot more detail on the background of Jigsaw and explains how Mark Hoffman got involved with the notorious trap setter. The movie does not take long to get started and it keeps you guessing what will happen next. Once again, even without the big named actors, the acting in Saw V is excellent. They did leave the questions that most likely will be answered in Saw VI.

Cons

Much like Saw 3 and 4, this film is really starting to get a little to far fetched. The thing that made the first 2 Saw films is that they had a certain realistic quality that seems to be fading away in movies 3, 4 and 5. Saw V comes across as if they really didn't have a real direction that they wanted to go in and was almost just making things up as they went along. Yes, they did have your typical typical bloody Jigsaw games, they wasn't that many of them, and the one's that they did have were not that great. I also felt like they did not focus enough on the 5 people that were trapped in the room. It almost seemed like the 5 people had no purpose whatsoever. Finally, I felt that the ending could've been a lot better, especially considering that there is going to be a Saw VI.

Conclusion

Saw V is a good movie on it's own, but the problem is, that the first 2 Saw movies set the bar so high that it seems that the makers of Saw are struggling to meet it, and this Saw is a perfect example of that. They really need to take it back to the basics in Saw VI, otherwise the Saw legacy may be in real danger. I give this one a 2 out of 5.