Neil Diamond - Diamond Tops Uk Album Charts For First Time & other

Sunday 7 September 2008

The Hulk

Months before The Hulk director Ang Lee proclaimed he�d rely solely on CGI to create his colossal star, fanboys from Portland to Poughkeepsie worried about how the not-so-jolly green heavyweight would look on screenland. Early trailers fuelled meditation that Hulk would resemble Shrek, which made consecrate Hulk-a-maniacs selfsame angry. And as we know, you wouldn�t like them when they�re angry.

In the words of the immortal Public Enemy, don�t believe the hype. Nothing you�ve seen does Lee�s finished product justice. For the most part, the Hulk looks fantastic. He has texture, and he certainly has mass. There�s the occasional slippage to video game-quality graphics, only the aftermath of Hulk�s actions, the devastation left in his wake, win over us of his existence. Until you�ve seen the Hulk smash a tank car and wrestle a whirlybird in midair, you ain�t seen nothing.

Lee catches newcomers up at a fevered clip. In 1966, initiate scientist David Banner enjoys breakthroughs in the field of operation of immune system alteration. He of necessity a human guinea hog, but his supervisors prevent it, forcing Banner to run tests on himself. When Banner and his wife conceive a child, the father suspects he�s passed his mutated genes onto his offspring, Bruce.

Years later, scientist Bruce (Eric Bana) unwittingly follows in his father�s footsteps. Working alongside early flame Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly), the mild-mannered brain analyzes cell regeneration information until the day he�s exposed to extreme doses of gamma radiation. As a resultant role, Bruce�s emotional damage and suppressed childhood memories manifest themselves physically in the form of a massive green teras when he�s angered.

At a time when expectations for comic book movies were low, X-Men director Bryan Singer earned respect for not ruination Marvel Comics� unique vision. Now, Lee�s obligated to go one giant leap further, and he successfully elevates the comic rule book adaptation to an artwork form without forgetting his source. Amazing frame wipes effectively fructify the film�s mood, as new scenes enter and exit in circles and squares lifted from the pages of comic books.

Not mental object with the basic �Hulk smash� attack, Lee and his team of screenwriters introduce moral quandaries we�re meant to chew on between rampages. Digs at the military�s inclination towards dominance through advanced implements of war will sting the most patriotic of viewers. Nerds will revel in the passionate debates involving a scientist�s natural desire to control nature.

Ever the perfectionist, Lee leaves no stone (or enormous boulder) left wing unturned. He receives quality acting across the display board, particularly from an overachieving Nick Nolte as Bruce�s deranged dada. The grizzled thespian plays Banner as more a �mad scientist� than a concerned paternal figure. He�s a living, breathing court to B-movie evil geniuses, the ones who cackle at the sky when they hatch devious plans to take over the world. Still, the loudest response comes from a Lou Ferrigno walk-on cameo. He�ll always be our Hulk.

Sad to say, Lee�s Hulk can�t sustain its emotional impulse. The film succumbs to its bloated 2-plus-hour run time regular as it introduces one of the comic�s most recognizable foes while egg laying the basis for a sequel. The fact that another installment is comprehended � even anticipated � speaks to how far Lee has come, though, in delivery this emerald green caption to life.

Aka Hulk.

Hey, that's my gondola!

Monday 18 August 2008

Oasis To Give Away Free Album Track From Today

Oasis fans who pre-order a transcript of the band's new album 'Dig Out Your Soul' via iTunes will receive an exclusive record album track.

The exigent gratification

Friday 8 August 2008

Emma Watson Center of Attention at Polo Party

Harry Potter star Emma Watson was the center of male attention during a classy polo equal at the weekend.

The teen -- wHO plays Hermione Granger in the boy wizard film franchise -- was snapped in the company of at least three young men, only reportedly rebuffed their advances.

Emma, 18, caught the attention of Italian actor Roberto Agnillera, with whom she sat in the royal box to watch the match; Michael Walker, an 18-year-old wHO has merely left Eton and is waiting to find out if he has north Korean won a place at Cambridge University; and Francis Boulle, a philosophy student at Edinburgh University.

Boulle, 19, was seated succeeding to Watson at lunch and said afterwards, "She was very sweet and we had a caboodle in common."

However, despite all the interest from members of the opposite sexual practice, Emma left her male admirers thwarted when she went abode with a female friend.

An onlooker told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "It was very funny to see - she's clearly hard to beget."

More info

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Game makers in talks for Beatles catalog

Fab Four's music still not licensed for download

DENVER -- As the music world continues to wait for the Beatles to bring their iconic catalog to iTunes for digital sale, talks reportedly are under way that may see the Fab Four's music included in video games first.
According to a report in the Financial Times, representatives for the Beatles are in discussions with the creators of the "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" music video games.
Both games allow users to download and play new music on a regular basis, though tracks bought for the game can't be transferred to a portable MP3 player or computer.
The Beatles catalog at this point is considered the Holy Grail of digital licensing, given the group's unwillingness thus far to make the catalog available in any digital retail format.
Of the two, "Guitar Hero" has been more aggressive at releasing special expansion packs dedicated to specific bands. The "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" game will hit retail shelves before the end of this month, and is reportedly working on a Metallica version for the holiday season.
"Rock Band," meanwhile, has a more expansive downloadable sales effort, with new tracks released every week, and is the only game offering full album downloads as well.
Any Beatles deal with either game would have to pass muster with both EMI Music and Apple Corps.

Thursday 19 June 2008

Metallica names new album Death Magnetic

Metallica's new album will be titled Death Magnetic and is expected in September.

The news was revealed over the weekend via the band's website, www.metallica.com.

No new material has been played live at the band's handful of recent shows, but British journalists have heard rough mixes of six untitled songs, several of which cross the seven-minute mark.

Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) was produced by Rick Rubin and is the follow-up to 2003's St Anger, which has sold 1.76 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Following its Friday headlining slot at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, the band is taking a month off before hitting the European festival circuit through late July.

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