Edwards Design Solutions

PG-13 (for martial arts action, some violence) – 2hr. 35min.

I have just enjoyed watching the Forbidden Kingdom on the weekend, starring martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Many review sites, including Rotten Tomatoes, give the film mixed accolades as it was originally thought to be made as a serious Kung-Fu flick for adults. The truth is, it’s meant to be a family friendly fantasy.

A masterful retelling of the ancient Chinese folktale “Journey to the West” is not the goal of the Forbidden Kingdom, but it is the reproduction of a fanciful “dream” version the main character has of the old story. Of course who can blame the embellishments along the way, as is the norm from both Hollywood and Hong Kong story writers alike? This tall tale of the Monkey King is common among the yarns of the East and it is nearly as impressive as the fight sequences and the vast amounts of “Wire-Fu” that are common in Woo-ping Yuen films (i.e. Crouching Tiger, Matrix, Kill Bill).

But being westernized, the story smacks of a 1980′s “Neverending Story” remake, where a local boy (Michael Angarano) gets roughed up by bullies and forced to do things he wouldn’t normally do. Throw in the fact that he’s a lover of martial arts movies, with the dream of being anything more than the inept wannabe, and there is a new feel to an otherwise over-used main character story.

Of course the mundane becomes fantastic when he finds himself tossed head-long into one of the oldest eastern folktales, as the protagonist on his way to save the Monkey King, the Drunken Master and find his own enlightenment. He even learns his Kung-Fu along the way and finds a sweetheart to boot.

If you like Jackie and Jet, and don’t mind the nuances (or major flaws) of the main character, than you’ll enjoy the Forbidden Kingdom as much as I did and you won’t mind letting the kiddies watch either!

Well for those movie buffs, and more specifically Bond aficionados, the next installment in the James Bond franchise looks deeper and even more engaging then its predecessor. I have argued on other sites, not this one though, that Daniel Craig has brought renewed and much needed life back into the Broccoli storehouse. Let’s not get confused however, I am a minor Bond geek with strong ties to Sir Sean Connery’s portrayal of Ian Fleming’s daring super-spy.

I even enjoyed some of Sir Roger Moore’s and Pierce Brosnan’s films. I am a big fan of Timothy Dalton’s pair of movies as well as George Lazenby’s only stint in the Secret Service. Without spending any more time on Casino Royale and the rest, here’s the latest teaser of the upcoming smash hit due in November, the Quantum of Solace.

Well it’s that time of year again! Football season is upon us and after 4 weeks of preseason doldrums and the opening weekend of the 2008 season, there’s no shortage of drama. This includes on the field and off the field action, as well as fantasy news, injury reports and who’s who for this years’ broadcaster limelight.

To start off with, this is my third season of fantasy football and my second as League President of the Pennsylvania Football Federation. We cater to anyone that loves the game, who will be active each week with roster changes and of course, Steeler Nation members! We have no apparent shortage of those either this year, with myself (Queen City Outlaws), A-Town Fallen, Steeler Gal and PITTSBURGH STEELERS. There’s also an Eagles fanatic (HeavyHittin Birds), and a few odds and ends like the Slatington Slugs and Dillsburg Pickles – Ya gotta love that one!

Next up, are the week one injuries! Holy cow, who would have thought that Tom Brady would be out in the first 15 minutes of the regular season?! But that’s not all, Nate Burleson, Drew Bennett and even Vince Young (of the more notable injuries) are out for either a month or the season!

As of week 1, my Outlaws are off to a killer 0-1 start. I plan on having a much better turn out for week 2!

Chevy has been known in the past as the killer of the electric car. In the mid to late 90s, Chevy had produced a limited number of electric cars in California: the EV1. After a brief time in the spotlight, for both the media and the lessees, the cars were systematically returned to Chevy and crushed!

Now, only after a dozen years or so, Chevy has returned to the alternative fuel market with a large number of technologies and platforms to offer in a few of their automotive offerings. Continue reading »

PG-13 (for war violence) — 1hr. 30 min.

Well, I just finished watching an excellent movie. I had heard of Saints and Soldiers back when it was first released in 2005. At the time, the money wasn’t available to see it in the theater, so I had intended to see it when it was released to DVD instead. Life of course had once again gotten the better of me and I had obviously forgotten about it, until yesterday.

A coworker, who happens to be a National Guardsman, mentioned this movie was available on Hulu. I went to look into it and I was surprised to see the movie cover/poster was the movie I had wanted to see those many years ago. I had obviously not remembered the title of the movie, but the picture (as so many really good pictures do) speaks volumes about the movie.

If you happen to be a movie buff, even a minor one such as myself, than this movie is for you. Being a war movie fan helps too, but this movie doesn’t rely on the genre as it easily holds its own among so many glitzy big-budget epics of today’s cinema. Even as a lower budgeted independent film, “Saints” kept me riveted and watching every second. The timing of the film is well-paced with a few minor lulls, but these are necessary to build the credibility of the characters and capture the essence of war in the era of World War II.

I enjoy a good action film, but I have found recently that I really enjoy watching movies that aren’t full of foul language or sex. I understand, being a veteran myself, that war is hell and I can certainly appreciate the appropriate usage of a well-timed barrage of foul language. I find however, with the more time goes by, the more garbage Hollywood squeezes into PG, PG-13 and even R movies. Originally set to be rated R, the film has been re-edited for the PG-13 rating.

Synopsis:
“Saints and Soldiers” is a dramatic, intense and heroic WWII film about members of the Greatest Generation struggling to be both good men and good soldiers.

In mid-December 1944, while Hitler’s Army blitzkriegs through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, American sharpshooter Corporal Nathan Greer, known as Deacon, finds himself held captive with over one hundred other American soldiers in a snow-covered field. As panic and confusion ensue, the German soldiers open fire on the American prisoners in the historical event now known as the Malmedy Massacre. Greer, his friend Staff Sergeant Gordon Gunderson and a handful of others escape the massacre by hiding in the nearby woods. The small band of soldiers come across a British Intelligence pilot who has been shot down and stranded, who is in possession of valuable information to be delivered to Allied Forces.

With few weapons, no food and a strained camaraderie, the tiny band must take on the unforgiving winter to fight their way back to Allied occupied territory.

Not only has my search for TV online been successful, but I was interested in using a published source for a college paper and I found a new website, Mygazines, that has an excellent service! You can, once again, create a free account to view articles in recently published magazines. The system is Flash-based and is quite easy to use. Full magazines and special articles are available for viewing at your convenience. The selection of print media is vast, with magazines from North America, South America, Europe

Titles include Popular Science, Maxim, Sports Illustrated, Better Homes and Gardens and so much more! Books are also slowly, but steadily, being added to the site. Go check it out, you may never buy another magazine again.