Movie Info ( From Rotten Tomatoes)

1944. To help win the war, the Pentagon brass has no choice but to consider the untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are about to be shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. These intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country – and the fate of the free world.

My review:

I went into the theater yesterday morning with a clear mind, amid reading and hearing some negative reviews. I was also apprehensive after hearing some of the dialog and music in the trailer. Fortunately the music was not in the soundtrack and the dialog made me cringed only a few times. This was a decent movie, although not great, but entertaining. The characters were presented without the typical stereotypes, there was no modern slang, no rap lingo, and they kept it in the period of the 40s.

Were there moments of cheese? Yes. Some of the dialog from the main characters and yes, of course there is one single bad guy German pilot who shows up for every air battle, spouting dialog that was almost like, “ you may have won this round Africans.” “We’ll meet again Africans!” This fact didn’t take too many points away from the movie for me. This film seemed to follow the format of a war film from the 40s and the 50s.

The CGI didn’t disturb me as much as I thought it would. As a matter of fact, it worked.  The air battles were fast, furious, and effective. This was a good use of the technology.

This is not a period piece or a historical biography, despite the prologue and the epilogue denoting the historical significance. This was an entertainment piece with historical reference, and I am ok with that. For a more historical film, watch the made for HBO movie, The Tuskegee Airmen.

This was a definite rental for me, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I walked away from the theater after watching this film without the regret or disappointment that I thought that I would have.

What is it with Johnny Depp being able to pull off some of the freakiest looks ever, and yet, we still love him?!

Although he may not sparkle like some other vampires we all know and love, Depp still looks like quite the striking bloodsucker, if we do say so ourselves.

So, what’s the deal with the undead makeover?

MORE: Who’s Loving Johnny Depp Now, With Vanessa Paradis (Allegedly) Out of the Picture?

A movie, duh!

Warner Bros. has released this new shot of Depp as Barnabas Collins in Tim Burton‘s (of course) upcoming adaptation of Dark Shadows, a gothic TV soap that aired from 1966-1971.

Depp’s nightwalker character was buried alive in the 1700s and freed in the 20th century—you can imagine the changes that happened in that time—and so the film follows his run-ins with various monsters, werewolves, witches and ghosts.

We’re getting a Beatles meets Edward Scissorhands vibe in this look, and we dig it.

Are you feeling his latest transformation? Let us know in the comments!

When I was younger, I honestly didn’t think that when I grew up, I would wake up in the morning excited to go to a job that I felt a great love for. And yet, these days when my alarm goes off and it’s time to get out of bed, I feel a great surge of excitement run through my veins, because I feel that I am setting out to do the work that I was truly meant to do! Of course, my journey to discovering this path wasn’t smooth, and I had many doubts along the way if I would be cut out to work in 3d animation production. So, if you are considering a career in this line of work, and would like to know some of the major things that leave me excited to wake up each morning, I’d like to share with you what they are!

1. The combination of novelty and variety in work assignments, with exacting attention to detail as we seek to work toward our finished products.Whether we’re working on a piece of very particular character animation, or a detailed rendering of an architectural design, the work is seldom exactly the same day to day…and I love that!

2. Using my creative talents to make a measurable impact in the world. It is an incredible feeling to look on the internet and see a piece that I’ve had a hand in creating–nothing can replace this feeling in terms of pride. How amazing that through 3d animation production I get to influence others…every day! I can’t express how long it took for me to realize the value of passion in the work place. That extra level of care for what you are doing will cause you to make the cut every time and to go above and beyond. It’s a win-win situation.

3. Working with a team of people at a 3d animation service who are also excited about what they do. When I go into work every day, there isn’t a sense, either from me or my colleagues, that we’re there because we have to be. We’re there because we love what we’re doing, take pride in it, and are eager to serve our customers.

In sum, I feel fortunate to have lucked out so much in my choice of career…now, if only I could get my personal life on the right track…

Mark Hurst has been working in the field of 3d animation for years. He is an expert designer and enjoys writing about the 3d animation service industry and his 3d animation company.

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Heavy D dies at 44; singer who shaped rap music.

Heavy D was the frontman of Heavy D and the Boyz, which fused New Jack Swing with reggae. He later became a record executive and had a successful acting career.

Rapper and actor Heavy D, who played an influential role in shaping rap music in the late ’80s and early ’90s with a fusion of New Jack Swing and reggae, has died. He was 44.

Heavy D, who was born Dwight Arrington Myers, died Tuesday in the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after collapsing on the walkway outside his Beverly Hills home, according to law enforcement sources. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is investigating the cause of death.

Myers, who was 6 feet 3 and weighed more than 300 pounds at one point, anointed himself the “Overweight Lover,” but he had slimmed down in recent years.

PHOTOS: Heavy D | 1967-2011

He burst on the scene in the late 1980s as the frontman of the hip-hop group Heavy D and the Boyz, which he formed with neighborhood friends Eddie F (Edward Ferrel), G-Whiz (Glen Parrish) and Trouble T-Roy (Troy Dixon).

The Boyz were the first group signed to burgeoning Uptown Records, and their 1987 debut, “Living Large,” reached the No. 10 spot on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Their 1989 album “Big Tyme” went platinum and yielded the hits “We Got Our Own Thang,” “Somebody For Me” and “Gyrlz, They Love Me.”

They went on to release three more albums and recorded the theme songs for the TV shows “In Living Color” and “MADtv” before Myers embarked on a solo career.

Born May 24, 1967, in Jamaica, Myers was the youngest of six children. His mother Eulah, a nurse, and father, Clifford, a film technician, moved the family to Mount Vernon, N.Y., when he was young.

He found success in the music industry despite having dropped out of school after the eighth grade. Myers garnered praise for his radio-friendly, playful flows and was embraced as an unlikely sex symbol by female fans who called him a “big teddy bear.”

Suave and profane-free in his raps, Myers was often heralded as the “Barry White of rap” — an image he played up on hits such as “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Big Daddy” and “The Overweight Lover’s in the House.” But by no means did he consider himself soft.

“I’m not one of those pop guys. That’s for wimps like Vanilla Ice,” he told The Times in 1991. “I aim my music at the hip black, hip-hop audience. In my kind of rap, I like to make these statements — like rapping [about] sexism and paying tribute to black women or raising consciousness of kids about the ghetto. Making those statements and being heard — that’s one of the best things about being a rapper.”

It wasn’t long before industry players wanted to tap into his charm. Heavy D landed on a remix of Janet Jackson‘s hit single “Alright,” and he went on to lend a verse to Michael Jackson’s 1992 smash “Jam.” He also collaborated with Cee-Lo, Q-Tip, Quincy Jones and B.B. King.

“I am in total disbelief….I was so blessed to not only meet him, but to collaborate with him,” said R&B singer Brandy, who teamed with Myers on a remake of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” for Jones’ 1995 “Q’s Jook Joint.”

Read More > Heavy D dies at 44; singer who shaped rap music.

Mark Kassen And Chris Evans Star In Puncture The Movie
By Jason Bacot

The movie Puncture is set to arrive at the big screen soon, and it will star Chris Evans and Mark Kassen. While most of us already will have seen Chris’s work previously, this might be the first time that you will have had an opportunity to watch Mark in such a large dynamic role.

By the way, Chris Evans is also starring in the sure to be blockbuster, Captain America. The screenplay for Puncture the movie was excellently written by Chris Lopata. The directors are Adam Kassen and his brother Mark, one of the stars of the film.

It is kind of like rolling up two movies into one picture, because there are two different dramas played out in it. While this approach does not work in quite a few instances, in this film, the actors, directors, and writer pulled it off perfectly.

The movie is based on a real life court case that was started by Jeffrey Dancort. He was an inventor, who created a new type of much safer syringe. This happened in the 1990′s, when AID’s and the HIV virus were spreading around the world quite rapidly, which was causing a great deal of fear in the general public.

One of the ways that you could catch these diseases was by being injected with the blood of somebody that already had it. At the time, the doctors and nurses that gave patients shots were accidentally sticking themselves with the needles.

Due to these pinpricks from the needles, quite a few of them actually caught HIV from these types of mishaps. So, the doctors and nurses where very concerned about this, and were exceptionally excited to hear that a new much safer syringe was available.

However, when the inventor tried to sell it to the hospitals, that is when he discovered that it was impossible. At the time there was a company called the Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) that represented all of the major firms that supplied both drugs and medical products to the hospital.

One of the reasons that this group was in existence, was to keep all other companies that were not involved with it out of the hospitals. In essence, it was an excellent example of precisely how big businesses in America should not work.

When the inventor discovered this totally legal blockade that stopped his ability to sell his product, he hired the attorneys Mike Weiss and Paul Danziger. The film was remarkably well researched and digs deep into the court case and reveals things about doing business in America that is hard to believe.

It really takes an in depth look into the minds of the executives that run some of the country’s largest corporations, and exposes some of the dirty underhanded tricks that they will stoop to just to make money.

The movie Puncture is quite riveting and should keep most movie goers in their seats trying to figure out how everything is going to turn out. If you are into real life court case dramas, then you certainly do not want to miss this movie.

Are you looking to get more information on the Puncture Movie and when its coming out? If so, you can check out the movie Puncture online at PunctureMovie.com immediately!

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Watch the ‘Apollo 18′ trailer

Official NASA records say that 1972′s Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the moon, but newly uncovered footage of a secret defense department flight may explain why we haven’t gone back. Opens Sept. 2.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42236865#42236865

The Wayans Family Newest Star: Damon Wayans Jr
By Defoncia Herndon

Who can forget Homey the Clown or Men on Films? These were two of the best comedy sketches ever dreamed up and the latter, teamed up two of America’s best comedians: Damon Wayans and David Grier. They were incredible in their roles. “In Living Color,” was one of the best comedy shows in the world, way ahead of its time. From Jim Carrey to David Grier, the show was loaded with talent. Damon Wayans transformed Homey the clown into a comedy icon. Now he has passed the torch to his son.

I was watching the show, “Happy Endings,” and I couldn’t help but to notice the African-American actor on it. His mannerisms, voice and delivery looked so familiar but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. The show is directed by Fred Savage and has an awesome cast. I was very impressed with the writing on it, and the characters were so real, that I felt as though I knew them. They were very easy to relate to and the plot was great. After watching the African-American male, I finally figured it out. The man’s name was Damon Wayans Jr., and it all made sense.

He looked just like his father, the only difference was that he had hair. It’s amazing how, the same family that provided us with such hits as “Hollywood Shuffle,” and “The Last Boy Scout,” are now gearing up to take us into another realm of television. Their body of work speaks for itself and it has left an everlasting mark on Hollywood. If Damon Wayans Jr, continues on his path of success, one day we might be “giving him two snaps and a kiss.”

Defoncia Herndon is an Administrator of 21 Blackstreet and the Owner of Herndon Marketing. He can be reached at Defoncia76@gmail.com

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Design 3D Animations – What Will I Need?
By Justin L Sternad

As a hobby or as a career, 3D animation has had some exciting advancements over the years. As a result of advancements, this field has yielded some pretty amazing computer software titles. Animation has come a long way from rudimentary Thaumatropes to more complex 3D animation films by studios across the globe.

A computer is one piece of equipment needed to design 3D animations. The equipment you purchase or currently own should be capable of handling the software package that you intend to use for the animating process. Also, know your computer’s limitations and upgrade-ability as this will affect which system you purchase. You may need to add more memory or buy additional storage hardware. Complex renderings require a large amount of memory and space. You will be doing a lot of modeling and rendering so be prepared by having enough memory and storage space available to you.

A feature rich software package is the second item you will need to design 3D animations. One of the fastest growing areas within the field of computer animation is software. As the technology behind computer hardware simplifies, animation software is constantly improved to keep up with projects which in turn are becoming more complex. For the animator, this means that there is a vast variety of software to choose from. Just as in the case of the computer hardware, the animator should become familiar with the limitations and features of the prospective software package he or she intends to purchase. The following list is some of the more popular software titles currently available for 3D animation:

3D Studio Max – This full-featured 3D modeling, animation, rendering and effects package has everything needed to create high-quality content.

Maya – This software package is immensely popular amongst animator’s for its 3D modeling, animation, rendering and effects.

Modo 302 – This software package features advanced polygon, subdivision surface, modeling, sculpting, 3D painting, animation and rendering. It has proven itself to the.

E-on’s Vue 7 xStream - This software package offers a complete tool set for creating rich and realistic natural environments and integrating them into any professional production pipeline, including 3D Studio Max and Maya.

Blender - Students, hobbyists and professionals can take advantage of this software package for modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, UV unwrapping, shading, physics and particles, imaging and compositing, and real-time 3D/game creation.

The technologies employed to design 3D animation are but tools used to simplify the animation process. Without a skilled artist in the studio, nothing would be designed. Artists need proven, reliable technology in order to design the awesome 3D animations of tomorrow.

3D animations design requires a depth of knowledge. Some of it artistic in nature, while the rest highly technical and specific to the field. There are literally millions of sources to get information on the topic of 3D animations design. Here is more on the topic Design 3D Animations.

Justin L. Sternad

Squidoo Lensmaster

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 Sourced from: FROM THE MINDS OF INDIE FILMMAKERS