Some movies of carnage open our minds to war, death and history in a valid way, like Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima films. And then there are the bloody piles of raw meat for finger-lickin' oafs, like "Apocalypto" and "300." "300" has even more death than Mel Gibson's Mayan epic, a gain that adds up to a minus. Zack Snyder of "Dawn of the Dead" (the 2004 version) filmed Frank Miller's graphic novel, about the brave 300 ... [full story]

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Put down the Crystal Geyser, loser. The hydrating hip, including Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx and reportedly Paris Hilton's dog, drink couture water that costs up to $90 a bottle. Yep, the day has arrived when natural spring water - bottled at the source in of all places Dandridge, Tenn. - is more expensive than some fine wines. That's because it's Bling H2O, which comes in limited-edition, wine-sized corked frosted bottles embedded ... [full story]

Game: "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes" Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment System: Windows XP Cost: $50 ESRB rating: T Review rating: 3 stars From the developers of "Everquest" comes another fantasy-based, multiplayer online role-playing game that lets players explore worlds filled with mythical creatures and exotic landscapes. Unlike most modern games of the genre that copy the trend of making adventuring easy, "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes" is aimed more for the hard-core gaming market. Don't expect any ... [full story]

"Under My Roof" by Nick Mamatas; Soft Skull Press; 151 pages; $13. Never mind the Great American Novel - what about the Great American Suburban Novel? You could argue for John Updike's Rabbit Angstrom books, collectively, or John Cheever's stories, collectively, and make a very good case for a number of others, as well. But somewhere in there, as of now, you almost have to include Nick Mamatas' "Under My Roof," an oddball, occasionally hilarious, ... [full story]

Groundbreaking Drama Series to Begin Production This Summer On the heels of a year highlighted with industry recognition and critical acclaim for its award-winning original programming including Weeds, Dexter, and Brotherhood, Showtime has ordered a fifth season of its hit drama series The L Word, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. Twelve new episodes are set to begin production this summer and premiere on Showtime sometime in early ... [full story]

Italian Filmmaker Pasquale Scimeca's Story of a Jewish Scholar Banished From His Homeland Amidst the Spanish Inquisition to Be Released on DVD on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 Xenon Pictures announces today the March 20, 2007 DVD release of the feature film, The Passion of Joshua the Jew, from Italian filmmaker Pasquale Scimeca, whose debut feature, Il Giorno di San Sebastiani, won a Golden Globe Award(R). His latest film is a spiritually inspiring drama that also ... [full story]

Aug. 14, 2006, was a warm, bright, sunny day in Vancouver, British Columbia. Anne Heche was happily making the most of it during a break in the shooting of her new comedy-drama series "Men in Trees." Heche, 37, plays cute, blond and perky "relationship coach" Marin Frist who has just dumped her cheating fiance and is keeping a low profile in tiny Elmo, Alaska, where men outnumber women 10 to one. The show had been ... [full story]

Virginia Madsen compares fairly to Mother Earth. How to tell? Easy. Looking at 45 on the good side of 35, she sits next to a revolving, glowingly blue ball. It's our home planet, at the San Diego Aerospace Museum. Billy Bob Thornton, her co-star in "The Astronaut Farmer," went into obscurely private orbit, costing us his visit and his thoughts about playing Charlie Farmer, the film's farmer turned self-launching astronaut. But the blond, radiant Madsen ... [full story]

NEW RELEASES   'BLACK SNAKE MOAN' - Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson star in the drama 'Black Snake Moan.' CNS Photo courtesy of Bruce Talamon. BLACK SNAKE MOAN -- Perhaps not since Susan George slathered her body all over Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" (1971) has an actress achieved such sluttiness as Christina Ricci in "Black Snake Moan." The title alone should warn off Ricci's early fans, who loved the moon-faced cutie of "The Addams Family" (1991). ... [full story]

Christina Ricci is just 27, and she has already been a celebrity for more than half her life. She first found fame as a little girl in two hits, "Mermaids" and "The Addams Family," before blossoming into a remarkably versatile young actress with mature performances in such films as "The Ice Storm," "The Opposite of Sex" and "Buffalo 66." Ricci was also fabulous in "Monster," the film for which Charlize Theron glammed-down and won the ... [full story]

Perhaps not since Susan George slathered her body all over Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" (1971) has an actress achieved such sluttiness as Christina Ricci in "Black Snake Moan." The title alone should warn off Ricci's early fans, who loved the moon-faced cutie of "The Addams Family" (1991). That girl is gone. Now, as sexpot Rae, Ricci is slenderly nubile and runs around clothed in sweat, a skimpy half-top and tiny panties.   'BLACK SNAKE MOAN' - ... [full story]

Movie Review of "WILD HOGS" It's "City Slickers" on cycles. A foursome of Cincinnati middle-aged males swap the humdrum for the thrum-thrum of their Harleys. The British term for these guys is "BAMBI" (Born Again Middle-Aged Bikers), weekend warriors who go to the large biker gatherings by trucking their bikes, rather than riding them. Sssh—don't tell.   John Travolta, William H. Macy, and Tim Allen star in “Wild Hogs” As with most comedies, it's not just the ... [full story]

While the "Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (Fox, 3 stars) arrives on DVD with five extended or deleted scenes, a tour montage and deleted footage montage - there is one scene you won't see here. That would be the acceptance speech by Sacha Baron Cohen at the annual Golden Globes dinner not long ago. 'BORAT' - At a Roanoke, Va., rodeo, Borat mangles the National Anthem -- ... [full story]