Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics
- Appalled by the fuzzy science rampant in today's movies, the critical smartypants behind this site aren't afraid to stand up and educate Hollywood moviemakers. Comprised of scientists and average Joe brainiacs, these critics have come up with a special rating system to catalog physics gaffes: GP=Good Physics, PGP=Pretty good physics, RP=Retch, and XP=Physics from an unknown universe. Their reviews carefully explain why a movie sucked or didn't suck, scientifically
speaking, of course. They praise "Road to Perdition" and "Titantic", while panning the likes of "Armageddon", "A.I.", and "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace". Learn why they find flashing bullets, audible space explosions, and visible laser beams intellectually offensive. Die-hard Keanu fans determined to suspend disbelief are advised to forgo this "Matrix" nitpick. -
(Added: 17-Oct-2002) [Rate It]
Internet Movie Database
- Did you ever find yourself in a conversation saying, "that actor who looks like the guy who starred in the movie about the snakes"? Here's a site that can help you with movie info of all types, past and present. There's a database with a search engine for titles, actors, characters, quotes, bios, and plots. Find out what's opening this week
and what's hot at the box office. Get a recommendation from the robot, and read about the goofs they never caught in your favorite films. -
(Added: 13-Aug-2003) [Rate It]
Japander.com
- This site defines a Japander as "a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use." Watch Hollywood stars from Dan Aykroyd to Catherine Zeta-Jones shill for Japanese drinks, cars, and other products. Madonna wields a samurai sword and claims she's "pure" in support of some clear, drinkable product. A half-naked Harrison Ford hangs out in a steam room and praises the taste of a good, cold frosty beer. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays mah-jong to promote "Genki" drinks. Winona Ryder gets giggly in bed with her Caffe Latte packaged drink. And there are three full pages of Brad Pitt -- most clips find him hawking Edwin, which, we suspect, is a brand of jeans given how much the camera lingers on Pitt's posterior. Some might call them sellouts; we just call them entertaining. -
(Added: 6-Sep-2002) [Rate It]
Jump The Shark
- Q. What is jumping the shark?
A. It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it "Jumping the Shark." From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same. -
(Added: 7-Nov-2003) [Rate It]
LikeTelevision.com
- A great place to check out video features is at LikeTelevision.com. Obscure movie clips, 50s sci-fi camp, classic televison
clips, current weather conditions are all available here with PC streaming video technology. But of all this site offers, nothing tops their selection of classic TV commercials. Vintage ads for Cheerios, Ovaltine, and classic cars are all here, under the "Top Picks" section. -
(Added: 19-Oct-2001) [Rate It]
List of problems solved by MacGyver
- For TV viewers of a certain age, nothing says dashing industriousness and scientific know-how like the name "MacGyver." In the late '80s, secret agent/ DIY wunderkind Angus MacGyver, played with aplomb by Richard Dean Anderson, managed to extricate himself from a host of life-threatening predicaments with little more than binoculars and cigarettes (the pilot); a chewing gum wrapper (episode 8, season 1); or a newspaper, magnifying lens, and watch crystal (episode 1, season 2). And that's just three shows. Now, for those who have since wondered whether he really did all that--and whether they actually ran it on prime-time TV--Wikipedia serves up an annotated list of problems solved by the engineering prodigy. Read it and weep, Indiana Jones. -
(Added: 5-Feb-2007) [Rate It]
Makeup Gallery
- This site gets under the skin of Hollywood and examines how stars are transformed into wretched creatures, space aliens, or bearded ladies. "Before" and "after" shots capture the transformation from actress to character, and with more than 5,000 images from some 600 movies and TV shows, the parade of altered pretty faces is almost endless. You'll find a chunky Julia Roberts in the fat suits section, a bevy of animals in the beast in me area, and a couple of well-known actresses portraying women many years their senior in the old before their time section. If you're looking for someone in particular, check the actress index for a list of all the actresses featured and the movies in which they were "made up." The site impresses with its level of detail and number of photos, but we have one question: Where are the real men? -
(Added: 14-Jan-2003) [Rate It]
Men's Journal: The 50 Best Guy Movies of All Time
- We're suckers for movie lists, no matter how silly or chauvinistic. Even though this one makes a few regrettable choices, we appreciate that each film on the list cites a key scene (e.g., the chainsaw number from "Scarface") and a key line ("Leave the gun; take the cannolis"). We were pleased to see classics like "Bullitt", "Dr. No", and "The Searchers" included in this catalog of testosterone-driven flicks. But "Blade"? Please. Whither "Das Boot"? Why not "Breaker Morant"? And no "Point Blank"? For shame. Still, we applaud the "Men's Journal" message: "True guy movies don't like to hit you over the head with their message. They just like to hit you over the head." -
(Added: 30-Dec-2003) [Rate It]
MOVIE-A-MINUTE
- If you're too busy, too poor, or just too lazy to watch movies, well...even this site can't really help you. Because even though it specializes in breaking down movies into a few dozen words, you'll
appreciate its accuracy and wit only after seeing the real thing. The bane of scriptwriters everywhere, this site extracts the essence of their masterpieces of plot and dialog and leaves you thinking, "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." -
(Added: 3-Jun-2001) [Rate It]
Music From TV Commercials
- You won't find "plop plop fizz fizz" on this site, but you will
find hundreds of pop, rock, jazz, and classical tunes that have
served as background music for TV commercials. Over 150 contributors
have helped identify the tunes, and, as a result, the site owner
has discovered a plethora of great new music (starting with Delibe's
"Lakme" in a British Airways ad). Check out the five most popular
songs of the past 30 days, or cruise the music from summer 2002
ads that aired during the NBA Finals and the World Cup. Travel back
to spring for songs such as Led Zeppelin's "Rock & Roll" in Cadillac
ads and Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By" in Mitsubishi commercials. Venture
back to 1996 to discover the Iggy Pop songs used by Guinness, FTD,
and Royal Caribbean Cruises and marvel at the ubiquity of Moby's
mellow-techno music. Sellouts? Who are we to judge? -
(Added: 4-Sep-2002) [Rate It]
