Friday, January 13, 2012

Formula 51 : Widescreen Edition

  • Widescreen
THIS IS THE STORY OF ELMO MCELROY, A STREETWISE AMERICAN MASTER CHEMIST, WHO HEADS TO ENGLAND TO SET UP HIS LAST BIG DEAL - TOINTRODUCE A NEW DESIGNER DRUG TO THE EURPOEAN MARKET.MCELROYSOON BECOMES EMBROILED IN A WAR OF DOUBLE-DEALING AS HE'S ESCORTED AROUND LIVERPOOL'S UNDERWORLD.Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on th! e rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff ShannonFORMULA 51: THIS IS THE STORY OF ELMO MCELROY, A STREETWISE AMERICAN MASTER CHEMIST, WHO HEADS TO ENGLAND TO SET UP HIS LAST BIG DEAL - TOINTRODUCE A NEW DESIGNER DRUG TO THE EURPOEAN MARKET.MCELROYSOON BECOMES EMBROILED IN A WAR OF DOUBLE-DEALING AS HE'S ESCORTED AROUND LIVERPOOL'S UNDERWORLD. *** - **** S.W.A.T: An arrested drug kingpin is transported by a Los Angeles Police Department S.W.A.T. team, led by Jackson's character, out of the city and into federal custody. Plans go awry when the kingpin offers $100 million to anyone who can free him. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Oliver Martinez.Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy Bri! tish kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff ShannonWildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving ! Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yie! ld a for tune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff Shannondvd

After Midnight

  • Fiction
  • Thriller
"(A 100-page True Crime Short with photographs) John Berendt's runaway bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, put the historic city of Savannah on the map and after publication. Tourists flocked to the city to see the mansion where flamboyant designer and antiques dealer Jim Williams shot to death his young, gay lover. While Berendt described the natives of the city as remarkably decadent and exotic, the book skimmed the amazing dark side of Jim Williams himself.

Savannah owes Jim Williams an enormous debt of gratitude for his remarkable restoration of historic houses. A brilliant and intensely interesting charismatic figure, Williams brought style and sophistication to a city that had been lacking. The rich and famous like Jacqueline Onassis and the Rockefellers made special trips to bargain for his extraordinary antique treasures. However, W! illiams was also a smooth predator who robbed and exploited a number of the wealthy socialites who provided him with the status and money he craved. Williams was fortunate that he never ultimately faced charges of theft, fraud, exporting stolen goods, and procuring underage boys for prostitution.

The wonderful world of Jim Williams came crashing down one night after he shot his lover Danny Hansford. Williams stood trial four times for premeditated murder. Still, with a passionate and dedicated prosecution facing the best defense lawyers money could buy, what really happened that night remains a mystery.

""Finally! The real story of one of the most bizarre cases in modern crime history. Marilyn Bardsley has nailed it. The movie was Hollywood. The book was...a stretch. After Midnight is the unvarnished truth.""
â€"Chuck Hustmyre, bestselling crime novelist and screenwriter, A Killer Like Me and House of the Rising Sun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marilyn Bardsley is the editor of RosettaBooks’s Cr! imescape series and the former executive editor and founder of Time Warner's Crime Library, the premiere true crime site on the Internet. She has written extensively on true crime and is an expert on serial killers.

ABOUT THE SERIES

From the best true crime authors in the business, many of whom have seen their books made into major motion pictures, comes Crimescapeâ„¢ â€" a new collection of compelling short nonfiction crime eBooks from leading independent eBook publisher RosettaBooks. Taking readers into the dark minds of criminals and the tense hunt to bring perpetrators to justice, Crimescape authors stand apart from other true crime writers because they have personal experience in crime investigations, whether as police detectives, investigative reporters, forensics professionals or criminal psychologists. As riveting storytellers, Crimescape’s writers give readers all the information they need to understand relevant clues and the interwoven influences in! each criminal case.

“What makes for a good true-crime story? Interesting characters, an engrossing plot, situations that often teeter between life and death. But here’s the MacGuffin about true crime: What you’re reading actually happened. Sometimes truth really is more compelling than fiction. And that’s why you will enjoy reading Crimescape’s true crime series.”
â€"Paul Alexander, # 1 bestselling author of the Kindle Singles Accused, Murdered and Homicidal"
"(A 100-page True Crime Short with photographs) John Berendt's runaway bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, put the historic city of Savannah on the map and after publication. Tourists flocked to the city to see the mansion where flamboyant designer and antiques dealer Jim Williams shot to death his young, gay lover. While Berendt described the natives of the city as remarkably decadent and exotic, the book skimmed the amazing dark side of Jim Williams himself.

S! avannah owes Jim Williams an enormous debt of gratitude for hi! s remark able restoration of historic houses. A brilliant and intensely interesting charismatic figure, Williams brought style and sophistication to a city that had been lacking. The rich and famous like Jacqueline Onassis and the Rockefellers made special trips to bargain for his extraordinary antique treasures. However, Williams was also a smooth predator who robbed and exploited a number of the wealthy socialites who provided him with the status and money he craved. Williams was fortunate that he never ultimately faced charges of theft, fraud, exporting stolen goods, and procuring underage boys for prostitution.

The wonderful world of Jim Williams came crashing down one night after he shot his lover Danny Hansford. Williams stood trial four times for premeditated murder. Still, with a passionate and dedicated prosecution facing the best defense lawyers money could buy, what really happened that night remains a mystery.

""Finally! The real story of one of the most biz! arre cases in modern crime history. Marilyn Bardsley has nailed it. The movie was Hollywood. The book was...a stretch. After Midnight is the unvarnished truth.""
â€"Chuck Hustmyre, bestselling crime novelist and screenwriter, A Killer Like Me and House of the Rising Sun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marilyn Bardsley is the editor of RosettaBooks’s Crimescape series and the former executive editor and founder of Time Warner's Crime Library, the premiere true crime site on the Internet. She has written extensively on true crime and is an expert on serial killers.

ABOUT THE SERIES

From the best true crime authors in the business, many of whom have seen their books made into major motion pictures, comes Crimescapeâ„¢ â€" a new collection of compelling short nonfiction crime eBooks from leading independent eBook publisher RosettaBooks. Taking readers into the dark minds of criminals and the tense hunt to bring perpetrators to justice, Crimescape authors stan! d apart from other true crime writers because they have person! al exper ience in crime investigations, whether as police detectives, investigative reporters, forensics professionals or criminal psychologists. As riveting storytellers, Crimescape’s writers give readers all the information they need to understand relevant clues and the interwoven influences in each criminal case.

“What makes for a good true-crime story? Interesting characters, an engrossing plot, situations that often teeter between life and death. But here’s the MacGuffin about true crime: What you’re reading actually happened. Sometimes truth really is more compelling than fiction. And that’s why you will enjoy reading Crimescape’s true crime series.”
â€"Paul Alexander, # 1 bestselling author of the Kindle Singles Accused, Murdered and Homicidal"
Sanna and her ravishing friend Gerti would rather speak of love than politics, but in 1930s Frankfurt, politics cannot be escaped--even in the lady's bathroom. Crossing town one evening to meet up with Gerti's! Jewish lover, a blockade cuts off the girls' path--it is the Fürher in a motorcade procession, and the crowd goes mad striving to catch a glimpse of Hitler's raised "empty hand." Then the parade is over, and in the long hours after midnight Sanna and Gerti will face betrayal, death, and the heartbreaking reality of being young in an era devoid of innocence or romance.

In 1937, German author Irmgard Keun had only recently fled Nazi Germany with her lover Joseph Roth when she wrote this slim, exquisite, and devastating book. It captures the unbearable tension, contradictions, and hysteria of pre-war Germany like no other novel. Yet even as it exposes human folly, the book exudes a hopeful humanism. It is full of humor and light, even as it describes the first moments of a nightmare. After Midnight is a masterpiece that deserves to be read and remembered anew.Sanna and her ravishing friend Gerti would rather speak of love than politics, but in 1930s Frankfurt, po! litics cannot be escaped--even in the lady's bathroom. Crossin! g town o ne evening to meet up with Gerti's Jewish lover, a blockade cuts off the girls' path--it is the Fürher in a motorcade procession, and the crowd goes mad striving to catch a glimpse of Hitler's raised "empty hand." Then the parade is over, and in the long hours after midnight Sanna and Gerti will face betrayal, death, and the heartbreaking reality of being young in an era devoid of innocence or romance.

In 1937, German author Irmgard Keun had only recently fled Nazi Germany with her lover Joseph Roth when she wrote this slim, exquisite, and devastating book. It captures the unbearable tension, contradictions, and hysteria of pre-war Germany like no other novel. Yet even as it exposes human folly, the book exudes a hopeful humanism. It is full of humor and light, even as it describes the first moments of a nightmare. After Midnight is a masterpiece that deserves to be read and remembered anew.Nat "King" Cole endured more than his share of scorn and rebuke from all man! ner of fans and critics. He wasn't jazzy enough to satisfy many, not white enough to please the pop cultural obsession with Anglo- and Euro-American stardom. In answer to all of this, Cole simply proceeded, crooning beautifully even after he'd walked away from the piano and become primarily a vocal sensation. This 1956 collection is famous as Cole's riposte to the critique that he wasn't jazzy. The session brings several Swing Era stars on board: violinist Stuff Smith, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, trombonist Juan Tizol, and alto saxophonist Willie Smith. The horns and violin fronted a semistandard jazz setup of guitar, drums, and percussion, along with Cole's own considerable chops on piano. As an improviser, Cole heavily influenced a generation of ivory ticklers, including Oscar Peterson and others, and here he shows himself a stellar pianist. His runs bespeak Cole's utter perfection on the keyboard. This is a crucial document. --Andrew Bartlett Sanna and her ra! vishing friend Gerti would rather speak of love than politics,! but in 1930s Frankfurt, politics cannot be escaped--even in the lady's bathroom. Crossing town one evening to meet up with Gerti's Jewish lover, a blockade cuts off the girls' path--it is the Fürher in a motorcade procession, and the crowd goes mad striving to catch a glimpse of Hitler's raised "empty hand." Then the parade is over, and in the long hours after midnight Sanna and Gerti will face betrayal, death, and the heartbreaking reality of being young in an era devoid of innocence or romance.

In 1937, German author Irmgard Keun had only recently fled Nazi Germany with her lover Joseph Roth when she wrote this slim, exquisite, and devastating book. It captures the unbearable tension, contradictions, and hysteria of pre-war Germany like no other novel. Yet even as it exposes human folly, the book exudes a hopeful humanism. It is full of humor and light, even as it describes the first moments of a nightmare. After Midnight is a masterpiece that deserves to be read and rem! embered anew.No Description Available.
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Release Date: 20-SEP-2005
Media Type: DVD

"Our sister is marrying a vampire."

When the ever practical Caroline Cabot first hears those words from the lips of her fanciful youngest sister, she accuses Portia of having a wild imagination.

But when she discovers their sister Vivienne is actually being courted by Adrian Kane, the mysterious viscount rumored to be a vampire, she decides to accept his invitation to a midnight supper and do some sleuthing of her own. To both her delight and her dismay, she soon finds herself falling under Kane's bewitching spell.

After all, what's a proper young lady to do when her sister's suitor arouses more than just her suspicions?