Alan Rapp

360

/ / Home Video
  • Title: 360
  • IMDB: link

360-dvdWith 360 director Fernando Meirelles and screenwriter Peter Morgan offer an ensemble piece featuring several tangentially related stories about love, sex, and money. The idea to weave separate elements such as these together is hardly a new one, but (as is often the case with this type of film) not all the stories measure up, and despite the film’s insistence that it has some great wisdom to impart by throwing all these characters together, in the end 360 is still something of a mess.

The stories involve a man (Anthony Hopkins) searching for his lost daughter who meets a young woman (Maria Flor) who has recently broken up with her boyfriend (Juliano Cazarré) on a flight to the United States, an aspiring prostitute (Lucia Siposová) and her sister (Gabriela Marcinkova), a recently released sex offender (Ben Foster) stuck in a Colorado airport, a couple (Jude Law, Rachel Weisz) each having secret affairs, and a dentist (Jamel Debbouze) struggling with his feelings for his assistant (Dinara Drukarova) who is married to the driver (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) of a Russian gangster (Johannes Krisch).

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Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow #19

/ / Comics

snake-eyes-and-storm-shadow-19-cover“Target: Snake Eyes” comes to a head as both Helix and the Coil seek out the Arashikage Clan‘s home in Cambodia, although for very different puproses. Helix continues her search for Snake Eyes only to be taken down by Storm Shadow and his ninja while Serpentor and the Soft Master lead the Coil into Arashikage’s home hoping to wipe out the entire clan for good.

The issue is filled with action including the new Cobra Commander‘s attempt to kill the Baroness for her recent failure, Snake Eyes squares off against Rika‘s son who wants revenge for what he sees as Snake Eyes’ traitorous actions that led to her death, Helix temporarily holding her own against the ninja, and Snake Eyes coming face-to-face with a betrayed Storm Shadow.

Another strong issue that sets up a possible Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow showdown in the next issue of G.I. JOE or perhaps another temporary reliance as the ninja clan will need all the help it can get to survive Cobra‘s latest attempt to destroy them. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Ame-Comi Girls #2 (featuring Batgirl)

/ / Comics

ame-comi-girls-2-coverI will admit the entire idea of Ame-Comi Girls is goofy as hell, and that’s part of the charm. One thing in short supply since DC Comics launched their New 52 is accepting and embracing the fact that comics are supposed to be fun. From the digital comics that were based on the anime-inspired figures from DC Collectibles, the Ame-Comi version of the DCU is female-centric, and in this issue features Batgirl and Robin facing off against Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and the villainous Duela Dent.

The writing isn’t great, although it’s better that many of the New 52 books from the past year, but one thing it delivers, oddly enough given its set-up, is easily recognizable characters. We get the basic archetypes for Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and (the original version) of Harley Quinn. Catwoman seems to be based off a more current interpretation, and I would have preferred by Robin to be blonde and named Stephanie Brown, but I’ll take what I can get.

The comic’s major weakness is its choice of resurrected best forgotten C-list character in Duela Dent. That said, there’s still plenty of fun to be had, and quite a bit of story jammed within the pages of the comic. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Covert Affairs – Lady Stardust

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Covert Affairs – Lady Stardust
  • tv.com: link

“This is a mistake, but at least we’ll make it together.”

covert-affairs-lady-stardust

In the Third Season finale Annie (Piper Perabo) calls on the help of Auggie (Christopher Gorham) and one of Barber’s local assets to help free Eyal (Oded Fehr) who is being held by Khalid (Haaz Sleiman) in Amsterdam. In order to get the information Khalid demands in exchange for Eyal’s safe return, Annie gets herself beaten and breaks into the U.S. Consulate to retrieve confidential information about CIA assets working undercover in Khalid’s operation.

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