Posts Tagged entertainment
A Good Review Of The War Film Saving Private Ryan
Posted by Lance Walter in Arts on June 27, 2010
By reading into an article such as this one, I can venture a guess that you are looking to learn a good bit about the impressive film “Saving Private Ryan” and why you might care to watch it or learn more about it. The truth is, there are several different reasons that this film is so impressive, and most of them will be brought out in the upcoming paragraphs, along with a plot synopsis.
It is no surprise that the man behind all of the action of this impressive film was none other than one of the most decorated directors of all time: Steven Spielberg. From his impressive feats to bring emotion to the audience through visual displays unlike anything they had ever seen before, this film does not disappoint.
Just by watching the first thirty minutes of the film, you will see one of the most graphic, exciting and dramatic opening sequences that might have ever been captured on film. This is meant to be a soldier’s first hand view of D-Day. So you head from the boats to the other side of the beaches at Normandy along with several different soldiers and see the horror of war first hand.
When the action plateaus here, you are introduced to the main character of the piece, Captain John H. Miller and his company of men from all over the United States. They soon learn their new orders, which are to be the search and rescue unit to locate a paratrooper named Private James Ryan. However, this proves to be a rather difficult task in war torn Europe.
Why are they trying to find Private Ryan? Well, his three brothers all serve in the military and have all recently been killed in action. So Ryan is given a pass to go home and be with his grieving family and prevent his mother from losing all four of her sons to World War II. Miller’s company is less than shy about telling him what they feel about looking for the Private, and if they think he deserves a free ticket home.
Through the course of the film, you share triumph and tragedy with the men of this company. You learn more about their lives before the war, and their plans for when it is all said and done. When they do reach Ryan, he is given the news and still refuses to leave his current company. They are responsible to secure an Allied bridge. If Ryan leaves, they may not be able to do this and Miller’s company aids them in making a heroic stand that is both a tragedy and a triumph rolled into one.
This is a blatant representation of war. This is the full range of emotions that someone in World War II might have experienced. You will cry along with them, laugh with them, celebrate with them, and fear for them when they fear for themselves. This film is littered with incredible performances, like Matt Damon as Private Ryan, Tom Hanks as Capt. John Miller and Tom Sizemore as Sgt. Mike Horvath.
If you cared to learn more about Saving Private Ryan, than this article should have given you a great introduction to this film and given you a reason to watch it if you haven’t. While there are so many things to appreciate about this movie, you will likely appreciate something unique and special as so many have.
Just as a note: When you change to a different guitar, be prepared to relearn where the Pinch Harmonics sound. New Movie Downloads Practice the song through a few times and practice breathing in between lines of the verses. The iPod MP3 Download ResourceYou must know that there is no such thing as free iPod MP3 music downloads.
Additional Resources
- Can “combat Conditioning” Improve Your Appearance? | Weight Training Coach Wendell Bullard
- The Movie Hit Saving Private Ryan With Tom Hanks | The Online Resources Directory Database
- Saving Private Ryan Blu-ray Review | BlurayDaily.com
NFL Flashback: Arizona Beats Green Bay In A Thriller
Posted by Ross Everett in Sports on June 20, 2010
The Green Bay Packers entered the NFL playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams, and mounted a 21 point second half comeback to force overtime against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Things looked good when Green Bay won the toss, but only moments later their season was over after an Aaron Rodgers fumble that Karlos Dansby returned 17 yards for the game winning score. It was a strange ending to a classic offensive display.
Arizona sent much of the NFL football betting public home unhappy as well with their 6 point outright victory. The Cardinals had opened as -2′ home favorites but public sentiment favoring Green Bay had moved the line so significantly that Arizona was a +2′ home underdog by kickoff. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 5-4 both SU and against the NFL pointspread at home this season. Obviously, the 96 points the two teams put on the board went well OVER the posted total of 48′.
Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner improved his postseason record to 9-3 SU with one of the most impressive performances in league history. Warner finished with 379 yards passing and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. Amazingly, Warner had more TD passes (5) than incomplete passes (4). After the game, he reflected on his performance:
“We knew how tough it was going to be on our defense with all the weapons they have offensively and how they’ve been playing. It was just one of those games where I felt great. I loved our playing. I felt like I was seeing everything well and it accumulates to 51 points.”
Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers might be remembered more for the game ending fumble than his own impressive performance, but he matched Warner play for play in what will certainly go down as one of the best quarterback duels in NFL playoff history. Not surprisingly, the entire Packers’ team along with head coach Mike McCarthy took the loss hard:
“It’s clearly one of the toughest losses I’ve been a part of. I’m very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow.”
Quarterback Rodgers was in no mood to reflect on his excellent numbers, but was instead focused on reliving the decisive final play:
“I was trying to unload it. I should have held on to the ball. I was looking at the front side for Driv [Donald Driver]. It looked like he was getting grabbed a bit. Then I was looking for James [Jones] and they were driving in on him as he was running a little in cut, so I kind of pulled the ball back and someone hit my arm.”
Arizona will head to New Orleans to face the Saints at the Superdome next Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals are a +7 road underdog with the total set at 57. The two teams haven’t met since 2007, a game won by the Saints 31-24 on their home field.
Ross Everett is a freelance writer specializing in NFL football betting, harness racing, donkey basketball and model railroading. He is a consulting handicapper for Oddsbay and provides daily free sports picks to a number of Internet and broadcast media outlets. He lives in Las Vegas with three dogs and a retired racing wombat.
Denver Shuts Out Arizona In Battle Of Winless Teams
Posted by Ross Everett in Sports on June 20, 2010
The Arizona Cardinals haven’t looked anything like a Superbowl team in the NFL preseason. They entered their final exhibition contest against the Denver Broncos looking for their first win. The Broncos controlled the contest on both sides of the ball en route to a 19-0 shutout victory over the struggling Cards. Denver managed to improve their preseason record to 1-3, while Arizona ended the exhibition campaign winless at 0-4.
Arizona was installed as -3 road favorites, but NFL preseason bettors who backed Denver ended up collecting the money with the outright win. The Broncos scored 16 of their 19 points in the first half, and the eventual outcome”straight up or against the spread”was never really in doubt after that.
Denvers biggest issue has been injuries, with their starting QB Kyle Orton and backup Chris Simms both out of action. Orton is suffering from a cut and dislocated finger on his throwing hand, while Simms is recovering from a sprained ankle. That provided a great opportunity for rookie Tom Brandstater, and he may find himself playing next Sunday for real. Afterwards, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was full of praise for his young signal caller:
“For a rookie quarterback, and I’ve had a chance to coach a number of them, he’s really done a nice job. It’s not too big for him, the game’s not too big for him, the huddle’s not too big for him. He operated with that first unit pretty good.”
Brandstater is keeping it all in perspective:
“Things happen — just last week alone with the Kyle injury. That’s a pretty freak accident that no one can predict at all. I’m glad I got my shot and hopefully I did some good with it. I’m trying to make this team. I still haven’t guaranteed myself a spot in this team and I’m trying to do everything I can to make it just like every guy on the team is.”
Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt tried to put a positive spin on a dismal preseason:
“We’ll clean it up. I still feel good about our football team and the way we’ve been working.
Kurt Warner, meanwhile, was just looking forward to starting the regular season:
“I never really felt like I got into a rhythm today for whatever reason. I’m looking forward to game-planning a team, putting in some plays and some things we’ve done in the past that we really haven’t done in preseason. I’m looking forward to all of that. But you still don’t leave preseason extremely excited about what we’ve accomplished.”
Arizona will try to put their dismal preseason behind them when they kick off the 2009 NFL campaign at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The Cards are a -6 point home favorite, with the total set at 46. Denver will play on the road against the Bengals at Cincinnati in their regular season opener. Cincinnati has been installed as a -4 home favorite with the total set at 43.
Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and NFL football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Phillies Sign Ryan Howard To Hefty Contract Extension
Posted by Ross Everett in Baseball on June 20, 2010
Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard has two years remaining on his current contract with the club, but the team had no interest in potentially losing him as a free agent. For that reason, the Phillies have worked out a hefty contract extension with Howard that will pay him an average $25 million a year for the next five years. The 30 year old Howard has played his entire career with the Phillies, leading the team to two consecutive World Series including a victory in 2008.
Howard spoke of his loyalty to the team as a primary reason that he jumped at the deal without hesitation:
“That wasn’t a very hard decision.”
“I tell you what, it’s a great feeling to have that security and know where you’re going to be. I feel what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years, I feel pretty confident that down the road, I’ll be right where I want to be and still doing the same things.”
He then threw in a playful jab at the notoriously demanding Philadelphia fans:
“Hopefully there’s no riots taking place back in Philly.”
Even Philadelphia’s GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. was in a joking mood:
“As part of this deal, he has agreed to buy a second home for me.”
He then gave a more serious take on Howard’s contract:
“We just felt it was good timing for us. We felt No. 1, he’s one of the elite offensive players in the game. We could have waited another year and a half or so and dealt with it later on, but the fact of the matter is we decided he is that important to our organization and to our club and to our future.”
Howard’s agent Casey Close was also upbeat:
“This is a very good contract for him. The reason he felt the time was right was he loves his teammates, he loves the city. He wanted to be a part of something special for a long time to come.”
As was team manager Charlie Manuel:
“This is absolutely great. We signed Ryan Howard quite a few years ago and that means we’re keeping him. He’s one of our guys, he is a Phillie. It’s big for our team. That’s what you set out for. He’s very worthy of it. He is a great player and he is going to continue to be a great player for a while. Everything about it’s good.”
There is some risk involved for the ball club-despite a team option for the 2017 season they’re banking that Howard will remain a high level offensive player. The size of the contract, if nothing else, would make him almost impossible to trade should the team decide to go in a different direction.
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
NFL Clarifies Rules Surrounding Dallas Cowboys’ Video Screen
Posted by Ross Everett in Sports on June 20, 2010
The Dallas Cowboys are settling into their new $1.15 billion dollar home stadium, but much of the talk in the NFL preseason has been about the massive video screen hanging directly over the field of play. In the opening game in the facility, Tennessee Titans punters hit the screen several time in practice and once during the game. That set off a bit of a controversy about the height of the video screen, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones rebuffing suggestions that the board was hung too low.
On Friday, the NFL Rules Committee sided with Jones, indicating that the board was of adequate height. The league will revisit the issue in the off-season based on what happens during the 2009 campaign.
Jones has maintained that much of the concern is due to the sheer size of the board, which was hung 90 feet off the field of play”5 feet higher than NFL mandated guidelines. Hes also suggested that Tennessee punters were intentionally trying to hit the board, requiring an effort to kick the ball almost straight up.
The NFL has ruled that if a ball hit the display during play, the clock will be reset and down will be replayed. The replay official will have the authority to review plays to determine if the board came into play during the last two minutes of a half, and the coaches will be able to challenge a play involving the video screen at other times during the game by throwing the red flag. This is similar to rules that already exist for live balls that hit skycams or scoreboard components.
In a statement announcing the rules surrounding the video board, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commented on the situation:
“We will continue to address the particular circumstances in Dallas, giving full consideration to the competitive, safety and fan experience issues involved. The Cowboys have been fully cooperative as we have addressed this subject, and we will continue to work closely with the club on a longer term resolution.”
On his weekly radio show, Cowboys owner Jones gave his take on the NFLs ruling:
“I don’t see it as ultimately an issue. You can anticipate the ball hitting the board from time to time. There’s no reason why this can’t be something for punters to deal with very similar to the way you’d deal with the wind in your face or with elements; rain, sleet or snow.”
Jones is hesitant to move the screen for, among other reasons, the huge cost of the engineering project”estimates suggest that it could cost as much as $40 million dollars to raise the screen. Former Cowboys coach Jimmie Johnson has also made his opinion known, and he’s a big fan of the massive video screen:
“If there’s anything wrong, it’s that people are going to watch the video board and not the game. It is so dominating, but I think it’s so cool. I think it’s great.”
The Cowboys play their final preseason game at the new stadium this Saturday as they host the San Francisco 49ers.
Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.