Real Steel Reviews

Although the marketing looks like Transformers 4, Real Steel is the real deal, a Rocky with robots that ought to have audiences standing up and cheering. The crux of this slightly sci-fi story set in a world where human boxing is outlawed is that 11-year-old Max (Dakota Goyo) is forced to bond with his estranged father Charlie (Hugh Jackman), an impulsive, bad luck former heavyweight contender, when they back a down-and-out robot for one more round in the ring. Underneath the busy, noisy action beats a human heart pumping with the red-blooded emotions that have worked for boxing films since the original Champ first grabbed moviegoers in the '30s. This exciting, funny and heartwarming movie is for everyone—and with family movies standing tall at the box office, it should muscle a nice fall run. Expect great word of mouth and strong returns, possibly even a knockout punch at the ticket window.

Sylvester Stallone has mined this boxing arena underdog story at least six different times with various Rocky retreads. Sure, it's a shopworn tale of redemption, but there's always a new twist. The twist in director Shawn Levy's take (let's call his Robby) is that it's set in 2020 where the ring is now dominated by giant steely-eyed robots. Jackman's Charlie Kenton is a down-on-his-luck woulda-been contender now reduced to the humiliating role of hustling small time robots in any fight he can drum up for them. His stable is not exactly the pick of the litter either—when you call them a pile of junk, you're just being literal. As if he's not having enough trouble tending to his scrap metal life, here comes son Max-a boy he barely knows-who turns out to take after his dad: he discovers a near-dead robo-boxer, christens him Atom, and nurtures him into fighting shape and into a bout with the World Robot Boxing League champ, the indomitable Zeus.

With Charlie's cynicism about Atom's chances at full tilt, Max proves the robot's worth and through the process begins to repair the relationship he never had with his dad. At its core, Real Steel is really a father-son story about redemption-and while that's as familiar as a boxing movie about a comeback king, Levy (Night At The Museum) gives the tale real cinematic scope and weight. Unlike Transformers, the spectacular metal-on-metal set pieces, all gears and shrapnel, aren't meant to carry the day alone. Levy knows this is a human story—really—set in this not-so-distant steel universe. Sure, compare it to Transformers but that match-up only makes Real Steel look even better. The screenplay by John Gatins is grounded in traditional fight films and struggling family dynamics. Its inspiration isn't the toy box or video games, but rather the little known Richard Matheson short story, "Steel" that became a 30-minute Twilight Zone episode in 1963 starring Lee Marvin as a flesh-and-blood boxer in a steel-and-wires world. The iron framework of that idea is here, but the father/son angle is all new-and in fact it's the wholly invented new character of Max that really drives the action, thanks in no small part to a remarkable kid performance from Goyo, a major discovery from a Toronto open audition. Jackson is also terrific and appealing, despite making Charlie a character on the ropes and a terrible father. Evangeline Lilly and Hope Davis have small roles and the woman and former woman in his life, but the love triangle forged here is between Charlie, Max and Atom. With excellent cinematography, effects and pacing, Real Steel is a real winner.

Distributor: Touchstone Pictures/ Dreamworks

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Hope Davis, Anthony Mackie, James Rebhorn, Kevin Durand

Director: Shawn Levy

Screenwriter: John Gatins and Jeremy Leven

Producers: Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Shawn Levy

Genre: Drama/Family/Action

Rating: PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language

Running Time: 126 minutes.

Release Date: October 7, 2011

Dream House reviews

ni Robinson, Daniel Bobker, Ehren Kruger. 

Will Atenton - Daniel Craig

Ann Patterson - Naomi Watts

Libby - Rachel Weisz

Jack Patterson - Marton Csokas

Dr. Greeley - Jane Alexander

Boyce - Elias Koteas

Trish - Taylor Geare

Dee Dee - Claire Astin Geare

Chloe Patterson - Rachel Fox

Dr. Medlin - Brian Murray

Nothing's quite as it seems in "Dream House," an initially teasing variation on the haunted-house movie that pivots in a radically different, uninspired direction. As an aspiring novelist with wife and kids in a large abode in deep winter, Daniel Craig does everything to dispel comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," with a finely tuned performance, but the film flattens as it tries to explain his character's psychological state. Universal's promo campaign necessarily suggests a different pic than delivered, and this, plus depressed word of mouth, will equal B.O. foreclosure.

David Loucka's screenplay hinges on a dramatic twist at the halfway mark that fundamentally alters everything seen until that point; in retrospect, the device is considerably more clever in conception and execution than its overall ramifications. Script is not without dramatic potential, and indeed has drawn the talents of director Jim Sheridan, Craig and his fellow thesps Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Marton Csokas and Elias Koteas. But impressive as the combination may seem on paper, having Sheridan direct this sort of genre fare reps a clear miscasting of helmer and subject, as he displays no particular feel for the material and is unable to overcome the story's generic approach, lack of striking psychological ideas, and literal-minded denouement.

Book editor Will Atenton (Craig) has decided to leave his Manhattan publishing house to write his long-in-the-works first novel in the newly bought suburban home he shares with loving wife Libby (Weisz) and their cute young daughters, Trish and Dee Dee (actual sisters Taylor and Claire Astin Geare, respectively). All is bliss until the first sign of trouble with across-the-street neighbor Jack (Csokas), who's fighting for custody of only daughter Chloe (Rachel Fox) with divorced wife Ann (Watts) and who shoots daggers at Will for no apparent reason.

Composer John Debney's classically romantic cues early on shift in a more horror-movie direction as the girls think they see figures outside, the wind-whipped trees bang against the house and Will starts to hear voices. The domestic tranquility is finally broken by the odd spectacle of Will rousting a group of punkish (and badly made-up) teens from his basement, and of a threatening man evidently stalking the family from the front yard.

Further indication that the picture we're seeing isn't quite in focus comes from the quizzical, sometimes wordless interactions between Will and Ann, who clearly recognizes him even though he treats her as just a kindly new neighbor. Amplifying the growing dread, Will learns that five years ago, a family was gunned down in the house; the husband was the prime suspect but assigned to a mental hospital for lack of evidence. A brief and effective scene confirms that what haunts "Dream House" are not ghosts but matters of the mind.

The film's second half focus predominantly on Craig's increasingly worn and tortured face as he begins to absorb the dimensions of the puzzling situation around him. In theory, this is a smart role choice for the actor, pushing him into fresh emotional zones; in reality, Craig merely keeps his head above water as the movie implodes in a string of misjudged scenes, excessively literal exposition al passages and setpieces that have none of their intended impact.

Weisz is most affected by this negative turn in fortunes, though her role isn't much to begin with; Watts' Ann, who could have been a rich counterpart to Will, is similarly underwritten and under-realized. Csokas and Koteas prove classy casting choices for menacing but one-dimensional men.

Working in widescreen, ace cinematographer Caleb Deschanel reaffirms his ability to establish a range of moods and tones by subtly manipulating light and natural conditions, and creating a palpable sense of space. Other tech credits are merely standard, including subpar special effects and some audibly post-dubbed dialogue.

Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), Caleb Deschanel; editors, Glen Scantlebury, Barbara Tulliver; music, John Debney; music supervisor, Dave Jordan; production designer, Carol Spier; art director, Elinor Galbraith; set designers, Michael Madden, Aleks Marinkovich; set decorator, Peter Nicolakakos; costume designer, Delphine White; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat/SDDS), Bruce Carwardine; supervising sound editor, Tom Bellfort; re-recording mixers, Gary Summers, Daniel Leahy; visual effects supervisors, Dion Hatch, Marc Kolbe; special effects supervisors, Neil Trifunovich; visual effects, Cosa VFX, Digiscope, EFX/Prasad, Gradient Effects, Spin VFX; stunt coordinator, John Stoneham, Jr.; assistant directors, Walter Gasparovic, Myron Hoffert; casting, Avy Kaufman. Reviewed at AMC Century City 15, Los Angeles, Sept. 30, 2011. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 92 MIN.

Footloose reviews

A Paramount release presented with MTV Films, Spyglass Entertainment of a Dylan Sellers, Zadan/Meron, Weston Pictures production. Produced by Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Sellers, Brad Weston. Executive producers, Timothy M. Bourne, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman. Directed by Craig Brewer. Screenplay, Dean Pitchford, Brewer.

Ren MacCormack - Kenny Wormald

Ariel Moore - Julianne Hough

Rev. Shaw Moore - Dennis Quaid

Vi Moore - Andie MacDowell

Willard - Miles Teller

Chuck Cranston - Patrick John Flueger

Rusty - Ziah Colon

Wes Warnicker - Ray McKinnon

  

Paramount's "Footloose" reboot never quite cuts loose enough to distinguish itself from the original. Treating the 1984 hit as a kind of sacred text, co-writer/director Craig Brewer -- having irreverently helmed "Hustle & Flow" and "Black Snake Moan" -- merely goes through the motions of updating the toe-tappin' tale of small-town high schoolers driven to dance despite the local minister's fire-and-brimstone rules against stepping out in public. Sneaked two weeks in advance by an evidently confident Par, the mid-October release stands to play marginally better among current kids than former ones, who've almost literally seen it before -- and with peppier actors.

Easy on the eyes where the Reagan-era Kevin Bacon was edgy, bigscreen newcomer Kenny Wormald (MTV's "Dancelife") swivels his hips persuasively as big-city transplant Ren McCormack, but that's about as far as it goes. As the Tennessee preacher's daughter, Ariel, who finds a kindred hellraiser in Ren, Julianne Hough ("Burlesque") fares better, particularly in scenes opposite stern-looking Dennis Quaid as the overprotective Rev. Shaw Moore - plus she can dance. Nevertheless, when the music stops, young Hough is saddled, like her co-star, with the impossible task of making 27-year-old verbiage sound fresh.

Among Hollywood remakes, Brewer's cover version may not be as fetishistic as Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot recapitulation of "Psycho," but it comes close. Dialogue, hardly the original's strong suit, is repeated practically verbatim from the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford (credited here as co-writer with Brewer). As early as the opening credits, a hip-hop-inflected version of Kenny Loggins' title tune -- as well as Brewer's proven affection for the grittier side of contemporary Southern culture -- momentarily raises hopes of a funky "Footloose" that the pic proper dashes in short order.

Brewer begins with a miniature prequel to the original. Dramatizing the high-volume kegger that results in several teen fatalities and the subsequent puritanism of fictional Bomont, Tenn., the director ham-handedly invokes 9/11 and the Patriot Act before proceeding to follow the first "Footloose" step by step.

Sporting wayfarers and a new waver's thin necktie, handsome orphan Ren steps off the Greyhound from Boston to live in Bomont with his aunt (Kim Dickens) and uncle (Ray McKinnon), who gives the kid a familiar-looking VW as a fixer-upper. No sooner is the yellow bug up and running than Ren's iPod-powered car stereo gets him busted for disturbing the peace in the middle of nowhere.

The pic's first musical scene is set at a drive-in movie theater where Bomont kids, including crushed-out Ren and Ariel (Hough), kick up their heels in a style that's slightly more bumping and grinding than that of their '80s predecessors. Later, Ren, pissed about having narrowly escaped a false drug possession charge, lets out his aggression through a gymnastic dance routine in an abandoned warehouse -- a virtual carbon copy of Bacon's star-making workout helmed by Herbert Ross (to whom the remake is dedicated).

Aided by choreographer Jamal Sims, Brewer's musical staging is subtly less theatrical than Ross', but it hardly constitutes a reinvention. By default, the pic's most unique musical passage is a cute scene of grade-school girls, including Ren's nieces, blasting Deniece Williams's "Let's Hear it for the Boy" out of a Barbie boombox while Ren's flatfooted pal Willard (Miles Teller) struggles to keep up with their moves.

Unlike the original, the remake -- which culminates to familiar effect in the footloose kids' fancy-free liberation from the good reverend -- seems to add up to something less than the sum of its teen-angst parts. If anything, Brewer's pic comes across as slightly milder than Ross', with Ariel's abuse by her former beau (Patrick John Flueger) being toned down for 2011. Likewise, Amelia Vincent's widescreen shooting appears soft. The new soundtrack, notwithstanding some incidental pop-rock, country, and blues tunes, leans heavily on revamped versions of the original songs, none of them hugely memorable.

Sneak-previewed print caught had Wormald and Hough briefly stepping out of character before the end credits to solicit positive tweets and Facebook postings from the audience.

Camera (color, widescreen), Amelia Vincent; editor, Billy Fox; music, Deborah Lurie; production designer, Jon Gary Steele; art director, Chris Cornwell; set decorator, Dena Roth; costume designer, Laura Jean Shannon; sound (Dolby/Datasat Digital/SDDS), Mary H. Ellis; supervising sound editors, Greg Hedgepath, Frank Smathers; re-recording mixer, Mike Prestwood Smith; stunt coordinator, Lonnie Smith; special effects coordinator, David Fletcher; visual effects supervisors, Dottie Starling, Mike Uguccioni; visual effects, Wildfire VFX; choreographer, Jamal Sims; assistant director, Marty Eli Schwartz, Joe Camp III; casting, Laray Mayfield, Julie Schubert. Reviewed at AMC Southdale 16, Edina, Minn., Sept. 30, 2011. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 113 MIN.

Go Bananas over Apes by Audiences

Twentieth Century Fox’s latest re-boot of The Planet of the Apes franchise is neither a sequel nor a prequel but it does have the built in brand recognition from the original series of films spawned from the 1968 sci-fi classic starring Charlton Heston.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes featuring James Franco is a fresh interpretation of the original series of films and has no connection to Fox’s 2001 Planet of the Apes re-boot which starred Mark Wahlberg.  There was no monkeying around with these apes as they climbed to the top of the chart with a much bigger-than-expected $54 million this weekend.  The film was also a hit internationally earning $23.4 million in just 25 markets and took first place in 9 of 11 markets (where rankings are available).  The film expands in 15 new markets next weekend.

Sony Pictures Animation’s The Smurfs in 3-D nearly made some cantankerous cowboys very blue last weekend when they rustled up an unexpected tie for first place with Cowboys & Aliens.  When the dust settled the little blue dudes landed in a close second place finish for the weekend, but led the midweek box office race and now have a higher North American gross than their high profile competitor.  A very strong 41% second weekend hold gives the film $21 million for Friday through Sunday and a domestic gross of over $75 million.  In just 10 days the film has generated $128.9 million worldwide with $52.7 million from the overseas markets.

The Universal/DreamWorks co-production of Cowboys & Aliens took the number one spot last weekend after a fierce battle against the tenacious Smurfs, but landed in third place with $15.7 million in this, its second weekend.  Directed by Jon Favreau and boasting an impressive talent roster both in front of and behind the camera, the film will finish the weekend with around $67 million.

The sixth R-rated comedy to hit theaters this summer and the second starring the ubiquitous Jason Bateman, Universal’s The Change-Up co-starring Ryan Reynolds puts a new spin on an old twist with a debut gross of $13.5 million.  From Freaky Friday to 17 Again and countless films in between, this time the formula gets the R-rated treatment and The Change-Up capitalized on solid date crowd appeal this weekend.

Fifth place played host to three potential contenders with Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger coming out on top with $13 million.  Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 and PG-13 rated comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. were close behind with $12.2 million and $12.1 million respectively. 

Good news for the industry with a solid month of up-trending box office that puts the summer-to-date revenue advantage 4.39% ahead of last year and attendance up by just over 2%. 

Specialized film spotlight:  After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the critical favorite Bellflower (Dist. by Oscilloscope Films) had its theatrical debut this weekend on 2 screens and performed well with a solid $28,000 for the weekend (including many sold-out shows).  The film was also a hit at SXSW back in March and has gotten rave reviews from every major news outlet with each praising its innovative storytelling, unique visual style and terrific performances from the up and coming cast.  Be sure to check out Bellflower directed by Evan Glodell as it expands to over 500 theaters through August and into September.  I spoke with one of the producers and stars of the film Vincent Grashaw this morning and he seemed thrilled with the results and is looking forward to the expanded release of the film in the coming weeks.

Real Steel Review

Real Steel – the new sci-fi sports flick from Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy – is set in the year 2020. Its vision of the future looks remarkably similar to the present, save for the fact that the sport of boxing has been taken over by pugilistic robots. There are no robot butlers, taxi drivers, or senators – just boxers. Apparently, technology in 2020 has advanced enough to allow for the creation of massive mechanized beings of astonishing dexterity, but humanity has found no use for them beyond the boxing ring.

Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a has-been boxer turned small-time robot-fight promoter. A consummate hustler who’ll do anything for a buck, Charlie’s fallen on hard times of late. Opportunity arrives in the diminutive guise of 11-year-old Max (Dakota Goyo), his estranged son, who turns out to be something of an electronics wunderkind. Together they work to fashion Atom, an obsolete, ramshackle “sparring robot” left to rot in a junkyard, into a contender.

Anyone who’s seen an underdog sports movie – or any movie, for that matter – made in the last half-century can fairly easily ascertain how this one plays out. (The story borrows tropes from The Champ, Rocky, and Over the Top wholesale.) Atom proves surprisingly capable in the ring, compensating for his inferior technology with grit, perseverance, and an ability to absorb massive amounts of punishment. Under the guidance of Charlie and Max, he makes an improbable run through the ranks, eventually earning a one-in-a-million shot at the World Robot Boxing championship. 

Real Steel was executive-produced by Steven Spielberg; it bears his unmistakable imprint. Levy judiciously deploys Spielberg’s patented blockbuster mix of dazzling special effects and gooey sentiment, wrapping it all in a highly polished if wholly synthetic package. Still, Real Steel might have amounted to so much glossy hokum were it not for its champion, Hugh Jackman. Other actors might eye such a project as an opportunity to coast for an easy paycheck, but damned if Jackman isn’t completely invested. The film’s underdog storyline isn’t nearly as inspiring as watching its star so gamely devote himself to selling material that will strike anyone over the age of 12 as patently ludicrous. His efforts pay off handsomely: Real Steel is about as rousing and affecting as any film inspired by Rock’em, Sock’em Robots can expect to be. (The filmmakers claim lineage to a short story-turned-Twilight Zone episode, but who are they kidding?)

Terra Nova Review

REVIEW:- Who knew Alfred Hitchcock was a part of the 10th Pilgrimage? Last week, I wondered about how Terra Nova was going to settle down from its highly anticipated and dense series premiere. I think we got a pretty good idea of how things are going to go in “Instinct.” At the moment, there are two external threats to Terra Nova: the dinosaurs, and the Sixers. This week, it was the dinosaurs' turn to cause trouble with an obvious nod to Hitchcock's The Birds as the structure and “A” storyline of the week.

I like a good ode to Hitchcock as much as anyone and I thought Terra Nova did it about as best they could. The problem that this show is going to face week-in, week-out is that this kind of episode – and the type of tense, “scary” action that has made up a large chunk of Terra Nova's first 3 hours – is really hard to keep going. This can't – and shouldn't – be a science fiction/action version of House, where a problem/threat arises and through the brilliance of smart people and a semi-miraculous discovery/solution, it is all tidied up 42 minutes later. I liked the discovery that Terra Nova was built on the Pterosaurs' breeding ground. I did not like the solution involving pheromones. Sloppy writing took us out of the moment, as Malcolm and Elisabeth played with 3D graphics to somehow come up with the perfect pheromone to save the colony and solve all their problems. I will say it again – television is about characters. If you don't give audiences someone to root for (or against) – someone to want to watch every week – it doesn't matter how great your visual effects are or how tense and well directed your action is. Predictability – especially for a new show such as this – is bad. This isn't a legal or cop procedural that thrives on that sort of format.

While I wasn't crazy about this week's “A” story, I actually though the secondary stories were better. Josh, in particular, was much less annoying and grating. In fact, he showed an almost heroic side when he saved Zoe in the midst of the Pterosaurs in the Shannon home. We also saw a quieter side to his relationship with Skye and his conflicted feelings and guilt about his former girlfriend back on Earth 2149. The Shannon girls weren't really the focus of this episode, but I thought on the whole the Shannon children were better written and portrayed in this episode versus the premiere.

I also liked the introduction of Malcolm as a rival to Jim for Elisabeth’s affections. It provides a sound reason for the Shannons' presence in Terra Nova and adds another unknown variable into a relationship that may have been more strained by Jim's incarceration than previously thought. It gives the writers of Terra Nova yet another story thread to build on as time moves forward. I actually kind of liked that we couldn't get a real beat yet on Malcolm. It's fairly obvious that Jim had it right and that he still has designs on Elisabeth, but Jim's surprise arrival did take him aback and now he has to slow-burn it a bit. We'll see how Elisabeth feels as the weeks progress. I also liked the running gag of Jim and Elisabeth constanly being interrupted by the Pterosaurs and Zoe while trying to be intimate.

On the whole, this episode felt a bit like filler, which happens in television. It's not really surprising given the effort and scale of last week's 2-hour premiere, but Terra Nova has to snap into place eventually. This week we ignored the Sixers, the drawings at The Falls and the more interesting history of the Terra Nova colony and the character of Nathaniel (which we and the Shannons still don't really know). They should also do a better job of getting us to really know the Shannons at a quicker pace. It's okay for Terra Nova to occasionally have these “dinosaurs attack the camp/people” episodes and the homage to The Birds was actually a pretty nice touch. Eventually though, this show is going to have to kick it into a higher gear in terms of story and character development and break out of the constraints of only having 42 minutes of air time. Actual cliffhangers might help; a non-episodic format wouldn't hurt either. I hope it doesn't try to condense every story into 42 minutes of air-time. There's only so many times the citizens of Terra Nova can be attacked and under siege only for everything to be perfectly fine again at the end of the hour, before people start doubting that there is actually any danger or threat. Eventually, we are going to have to feel there are real consequences and threats being faced; otherwise, we might start rooting for the dinosaurs.

                               

The 411: Dinosaurs-attack-the camp episode with a nice homage to Hitchcock's The Birds. This week the Shannon children were less annoying, but the writing wasn't all that much better. Mysteries and interesting plot points established in "Genesis" were ignored in this episode, with a self-contained story about a group of flying dinosaurs that attack Terra Nova because it is built on their breeding ground. Perhaps the best part of the episode was the introduction of Dr. Malcolm Wallace, the chief of Terra Nova's science department and a possible rival to Jim for Elisabeth Shannon's affections. Hopefully this episode was just a bit of filler and a way to settle things down before the larger story arcs of the season take shape and become the focal point. Effects -- as usual -- were great. Not a great episode, but hopefully we get deeper into Terra Nova's mysteries and enigmatic characters (especially Nathaniel) next week.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]  legend

Jackson doctor's girlfriend called to testify

Prosecutors on Tuesday called the girlfriend of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death to detail the physician's busy schedule on the day the singer died and her own interactions with the late King of Pop.

Nicole Alvarez told jurors during the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray that the doctor had first told her that he was Jackson's personal physician for a year before the singer's June 2009 death.

Alvarez beamed as she described meeting Jackson for the first time in Las Vegas, where Murray maintains a medical practice.

"I was speechless," Alvarez said. "I couldn't believe I was meeting Michael Jackson."

Alvarez said she and Murray met Jackson several other times, including after the birth of the couple's young son.

Alvarez said after April 2009, Murray would frequently leave her apartment at night and return early the next day. She said she knew Murray was working as Jackson's personal doctor while the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts.

Phone records displayed in court Monday showed Murray called Alvarez four times the afternoon of Jacksons' death in 2009, including once while he was in the ambulance with Jackson's lifeless body on the way to the hospital.

Murray has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors are keeping jurors focused on the doctor's phone records from the day Jackson died, attempting to show that Murray was trying to juggle his medical practice, personal life and superstar patient all at the same time.

Authorities contend he gave the singer a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives. Murray's attorneys claim Jackson gave himself the fatal dose. If convicted, Murray faces four years behind bars and the loss of his medical license.

Earlier Tuesday, a woman who was speaking on the phone with Murray on the day the singer died said the call was interrupted and the physician was no longer paying attention to her.

Sade Anding said she heard voices, coughing and mumbling on Murray's end of the line. She told jurors that it sounded like his cell phone was in his pocket. Anding said Murray called her at 11:51 a.m. on June 25, 2009. About five or six minutes into their call is when she noticed Murray was no longer paying attention.

"There was a pause," Anding said. "That's when I realized he was no longer on the phone."

"I heard mumbling of voices, it sounded like the phone was in his pocket," she said. "I heard coughing, and nobody answered."

Testimony Monday was heavily centered on the calls Murray made and received on the day Jackson died, with witnesses ranging from the Houston-based cardiologist's patients, a doctor seeking advice and a woman who had dated Murray.

To this point, witnesses have been relatively brief, filling in prosecutors' timeline of the hours leading up to Jackson's death. Two people who phoned Murray that morning offered glowing appraisals of Murray.

The phone records have revealed the special relationship Murray kept with his patients.

Houston-based Dr. Joanne Prashad told jurors she called Murray the morning of Jackson's death to inquire whether it would be safe to operate on a patient whom Murray had treated. Prashad said she was surprised that Murray remembered the patient and the exact dosage of medicine that he was taking.

Murray's lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff asked Prashad whether Murray's recall was unusual for a doctor.

She said yes. "I was impressed," Prashad said.

Another patient, Antoinette Gill, told jurors she had called Murray's cell phone for a referral, but didn't reach him.

Neither did Bridgette Morgan, a former lover who, according to court documents, called Murray to follow up on his promise to purchase her a plane ticket for her birthday.

Her relationship with Murray was not discussed in front of jurors. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled earlier this year that prosecutors could not describe the relationship Murray had with certain women or how he met them.

The records overall reveal a doctor who was on his phone a lot in the hours before Jackson's death.

Another former patient, Robert Russell, testified that the doctor had returned a phone message to him at 11:49 a.m. -- just 15 minutes or so before he emerged from Jackson's bedroom frantically seeking help.

He had been on the phone with his medical practice for 32 minutes before that, and was also sending emails about his $150,000 a month contract to serve as Jackson's personal physician during the comeback tour.

Five of the eight witnesses called Monday testified about Murray's phone records. Jurors also heard from two emergency room doctors who interacted with Murray after Jackson was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Both doctors said Murray never mentioned giving Jackson propofol. Cardiologist Dr. Thao Nguyen said Murray didn't provide much information about his treatment of Jackson, but urged doctors to try everything they could to revive him.

"Dr. Murray asked that we not give up easily and try to save Michael Jackson's life," she said. "... In Dr. Murray's mind, if we called it quits, we would be giving up easily."

In the end, Nguyen and colleague Dr. Richelle Cooper told jurors, Jackson was dead by the time he arrived in the emergency room and nothing more could have been done.

Aniston of Rage

Actress Jennifer Aniston admits she once threw a chair at a director, infuriated by his behaviour on the set with a script supervisor.

"I threw a chair at a director. It wasn't my proudest moment. He was treating a script supervisor horribly... When the director walked in, I threw a chair at him," dailystar.co.uk quoted her as saying.

"I missed, of course. I was like, 'You can't speak to people like that.' I can't tolerate it," she said.

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Yesterday, Johnny Depp was left eating his words when the internet erupted in outrage after he compared photo shoots to rape in the November issue of Vanity Fair. Even the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) -- the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization -- were shocked by Depp's comments and said he should know there is a definite distinction between posing for a photo and being raped. In a statement regarding the incident, RAINN's spokesperson, Katherine Hull, explained, "While photos may feel at times intrusive, being photographed in no way compares to rape  a violent crime which affects another American every two minutes. RAINN welcomes the opportunity to speak with Mr. Depp and educate him about the real life experiences faced by survivors every day, and ways that he can work with RAINN to help."

Depp wisely apologized to the organization, admitting, “I am truly sorry for offending anyone in any way. I never meant to. It was a poor choice of words on my part in an effort to explain a feeling. I understand there is no comparison and I am very regretful. In an effort to correct my lack of judgment, please accept my heartfelt apology." RAINN accepted the Hollywood star's remarks and commented they hope to work with him in the future to help rape victims get the help they need.

Depp is certainly not the first celebrity (and probably won't be the last) to make an absolutely ridiculous or offensive comment to the media. When your in the public spotlight so frequently, you're bound say terrible things. And while it's commendable that Depp apologized right away, it still doesn't excuse what he said and he may have lost some loyal fans in the process because rape is such a sensitive subject, and he really should have known better. Let's just hope he's learned from this and will try the whole think before you speak concept during his next interview.

It appears a Perry Mason film project is in the works at Warner Bros, with Robert Downey Jr's production team heavily involved. This news will likely be greeted with the "Hollywood has in fact completely run out of original ideas" response or if you're a Robert Downey Jr fan and the news that he could be playing the defense attorney is true, you might willing to cut him some slack until we hear more about the project. Or, maybe you think the idea of a reboot of Perry Mason isn't a half bad idea. Whatever your response, we could be seeing a Perry Mason film set in the 1930s but based on an original idea by Downey Jr and David Gambino in a few years.

Transformers Dark of the moon Download

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The Decepticons is back, this time new enemies will rise in the new movie of the Transformers. The movie is also known as “Transformer 3 Dark of the Moon”. In this third movie, more special effects, more enemies and more exciting. The most controversies are talked in third Transformers, Megan Fox was not in the trailer, is she died or maybe she lost and there is a new girl with some, is she the new girlfriend of him. Well let’s find out more about this today.

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