Top 10 Best DVD Movies August 2012

Top 10 Best DVD Movies August 2012

1. Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt 6. 21 Jump Street + UltraViolet Digital Copy
2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 7. Mirror Mirror
3. Batman Begins (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition) 8. Monumental In Search of America’s National Treasure
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 9. American Reunion (Unrated)
5. The Three Stooges: The Movie 10. Wrath of the Titans


1. Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt

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Jesse Stone’s involuntary retirement ends when the young sheriff who replaced him is blown up in the town police car. The loyal staffers who worked for Jesse have abandoned the department and Jesse must try to solve the case on his own.

It’s a big crime, and startling, coming in the film’s first moments amid some mindless chatter between two police officers. Stone isn’t one of them; as the story begins, he is in reluctant exile – “retirement” doesn’t seem like the right word for this fellow – with just his dog for company. But the crime leaves Paradise police chief-less, and the town string pullers ask Stone to put on the chief’s badge again to work the case. Stars Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Robert Carradine and William Devane

2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

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Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective. Around the globe, headlines break the news: a scandal takes down an Indian cotton tycoon; a Chinese opium trader dies of an apparent overdose; bombings in Strasbourg and Vienna; the death of an American steel magnate… No one sees the connective thread between these seemingly random events – no one, that is, except the great Sherlock Holmes, who has discerned a deliberate web of death and destruction. At its center sits a singularly sinister spider: Moriarty. Holmes’ investigation into Moriarty’s plot becomes more dangerous as it leads him and Watson out of London to France, Germany and finally Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead, and moving perilously close to completing his ominous plan. If he succeeds, it will not only bring him immense wealth and power but alter the course of history.

3. Batman Begins (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

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Batman Begins discards the previous four films in the series and recasts the Caped Crusader as a fearsome avenging angel. That’s good news, because the series, which had gotten off to a rousing start under Tim Burton, had gradually dissolved into self-parody by 1997’s Batman & Robin. As the title implies, Batman Beginstells the story anew, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) flees Western civilization following the murder of his parents. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard (Liam Neeson in another mentor role) and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it. But are there forces even more sinister at hand?

Cowritten by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan (Memento), Batman Begins is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a great debt to the graphic novels that preceded it. It doesn’t have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of Spider-Man 2 (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like most “first” superhero movies. But it’s certainly the best Bat-film since Burton’s original, and one of the best superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton brought to the character. Michael Caine provides much of the film’s humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes (Dawson’s Creek) is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. Also featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane.

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

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The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the film all Harry Potter fans have waited 10 years to see, and the good news is that it’s worth the hype–visually stunning, action packed, faithful to the book, and mature not just in its themes and emotion but in the acting by its cast, some of whom had spent half their lives making Harry Potter movies. Part 2 cuts right to the chase: Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has stolen the Elder Wand, one of the three objects required to give someone power over death (a.k.a. the Deathly Hallows), with the intent to hunt and kill Harry. Meanwhile, Harry’s quest to destroy the rest of the Horcruxes (each containing a bit of Voldemort’s soul) leads him first to a thrilling (and hilarious–love that Polyjuice Potion!) trip to Gringotts Bank, then back to Hogwarts, where a spectacular battle pitting the young students and professors (a showcase of the British thesps who have stolen every scene of the series: Maggie Smith’s McGonagall, Jim Broadbent’s Slughorn, David Thewlis’s Lupin) against a dark army of Dementors, ogres, and Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter, with far less crazy eyes to make this round). As predicted all throughout the saga, Harry also has his final showdown with Voldemort–neither can live while the other survives–though the physics of that predicament might need a set of crib notes to explain. But while each installment has become progressively grimmer, this finale is the most balanced between light and dark (the dark is quite dark–several familiar characters die, with one significant death particularly grisly); the humor is sprinkled in at the most welcome times, thanks to the deft adaptation by Steve Kloves (who scribed all but one of the films from J.K. Rowling’s books) and direction by four-time Potter director David Yates. The climactic kiss between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), capping off a decade of romantic tension, is perfectly tuned to their idiosyncratic relationship, and Daniel Radcliffe has, over the last decade, certainly proven he was the right kid for the job all along. As Prof. Snape, the most perfect of casting choices in the best-cast franchise of all time, Alan Rickman breaks your heart. Only the epilogue (and the lack of chemistry between Harry and love Ginny Weasley, barely present here) stand a little shaky, but no matter: the most lucrative franchise in movie history to date has just reached its conclusion, and it’s done so without losing its soul.

5. The Three Stooges: The Movie

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Though it’s a reboot of a classic slapstick series, The Three Stooges fits right into Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s filmography. Throughout their comedies, especially Dumb and Dumber, they’ve always championed the clueless and clumsy, and that describes this trio perfectly: Moe, Larry, and Curly (Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso, taking over from Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Jim Carrey). In the prologue or first “episode” (two more will follow), an unseen character drops three babies off at a Catholic orphanage. At first, the nuns (Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson, and Larry David–yes, Larry David) take delight in the spirited infants with the strange hairstyles, but 10 years later, their antics have worn thin. A well-heeled couple (Stephen Collins and Carly Craig) considers adoption, but things don’t work out, so 25 more years pass, during which they become the orphanage’s bumbling handymen, which necessitates further head-bonks, nyuk-nyuk-nyuks, and woo-woo-woos. When the threat of closure comes to the only home they’ve ever known, the boys set out to save the day. This leads them to a wealthy woman (Sofía Vergara), her lover (Craig Bierko), and her father-in-law (Collins), encounters that bring them to the attention of MTV’s Jersey Shore, which provides a solution to their dilemma. The Farrellys may have their hearts in the right place, but The Three Stooges ranks as their weakest effort to date. The cast does what they can, but the script is terminally unfunny, and the frenetic direction only drives the point home.

6. 21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

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When 21 Jump Street premiered on Fox in 1987, it offered a cool-kid twist on the cop drama formula. This new-era reinvention keeps the cops, but trades earnest drama for raunchy comedy. At Sagan High, Schmidt (newly scrawny Jonah Hill, fresh off an Oscar nomination for Moneyball) was a brainy guy with no game, while Jenko (ever-brawny Channing Tatum, funnier than expected) was a popular jock with bad grades. Five years later, they reconnect at police academy, where enemies become friends when they pool their resources, but after their first bust goes bad, the deputy chief (Nick Offerman) ships them off to Jump Street, where their youthful looks lead to an undercover sting operation at Sagan (apparently, no staff members recognize the former students). Due to a mix-up, Schmidt ends up with the theater kids and Jenko with the science nerds. Through a production of Peter Pan, Schmidt meets Molly (Brie Larson), who introduces him to her drug dealer boyfriend, Eric (James Franco’s deadpan brother, Dave). Now, they just need to track down Eric’s supplier to shut the whole operation down. Along the way, Schmidt discovers his inner performer and Jenko his inner geek, but these new personas threaten the case, generating several Superbad-style laughs, so it’s too bad the finale devolves into bloodshed more befitting a John Woo crime caper, though the snappy chemistry between Hill and Tatum papers over some of the holes in the script–along with a foul-mouthed Ice Cube and one rather famous original cast member.

7. Mirror Mirror

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Mirror Mirror is another traipse through the fairy tale of Snow White, this time without animation or songs. Oh, there’s a poisoned apple, and a magic mirror, and a houseful of dwarfs living in the woods, not to worry–and of course, there’s a wicked queen, embodied by Julia Roberts in witchy mode. The pure-as-driven-you-know-what heroine is played by Lily Collins, and here poor Snow is expelled as always from the magical castle and left in the forest, where she comes upon the dwarfs. Now here’s easily the best part of the movie: the seven dwarfs are boisterous highwaymen, stealing from passersby while wearing springy stilts (the spirited crew includes Danny Woodburn, from Seinfeld, and Jordan Prentice, from In Bruges). Also giving it a game try is Armie Hammer (The Social Network), as the prince who wanders into the middle of the tug-of-war between queen and princess. Hammer’s charming, and the movie has the superficial visual gloss of director Tarsem Singh’s previous efforts (including The Fall). But the breezy tone and tongue-in-cheek approach are ultimately so facile they leave you with nothing much to care about, and the Disney cartoon classic seems dark and tough-minded by comparison. Dopey, you never looked so good.

8. Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure

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Monumental is the story of America’s beginnings. Presented, produced, and starring Kirk Cameron, the 90-minute true story follows this father of six across Europe and the US as he seeks to discover America’s true “national treasure” – the people, places, and principles that made America the freest, most prosperous, and generous nation the world has ever known.

9. American Reunion (Unrated)

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Back in 1999, the first American Pie hit on a winning formula for delivering raunch to the masses, buffering its grosser-than-gross moments with a disarmingly fresh-faced sweetness. The fourth theatrical installment in the series may have some trouble limboing under the bad-taste bar in this post-Jackass era, but the core decency remains. You’ll likely smile more than gag this time around, but that’s far from a bad thing. Set some 13 years after the original, the story finds the gang (Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas) all grown up and stuck in various ruts. Hoping to rekindle their hormonal spark, they meet up again for their high school reunion. No pastries may be defiled this time around, but please observe a moment of silence for a once-innocent ice chest. Directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, previously the masterminds behind the increasingly gonzo Harold & Kumar series, leave their surrealist tendencies at home, instead focusing on ways to give their newly mature cast room to stretch (particularly Alyson Hannigan, who knocks her blue material out of the park) and finally figuring out a way to get Christopher Guest veterans Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge to share a scene. MVP honors, however, still go to Seann William Scott, whose character’s utter refusal to grow up has now taken on a strangely honorable quality, culminating in a hysterical finale that feels like a fitting close to the saga. The times may have changed, but Stifler, bless him, remains a force of nature.

10. Wrath of the Titans

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Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson star once again as gods at war in “Wrath of the Titans”, under the direction of Johnathan Liebesman. A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kaken, Perseus (Worthington) the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson) is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramrez), switch loyalties and make a deal, with kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen gob Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

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Copyright David Masters 2012

 

Top 10 Best TV Shows on DVD August 2012

Top 10 Best TV Shows on DVD August 2012

Forget channel surfing and dealing with commercials. Watch the your favorite shows uninterrupted.

1. Breaking Bad: Fourth Season 6. True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
2. Downton Abbey Season 2 Unedited Version 7. Leverage: The Fourth Season
3. MacGyver – The Complete Series 8. Eureka: Season Five
4. Sherlock: Season Two 9. White Collar: Season Three
5. Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season 10. Damages: The Complete Fourth Season

1. Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season

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The first murder happens barely five minutes into the episode that opens this fourth season of Breaking Bad. There will be many others. That’s no surprise; this show didn’t become one of the most highly acclaimed TV series of its time because of its light, frothy tone, and central character Walter White (multiple Emmy winner Bryan Cranston) won’t remind anyone of Grandpa Walton. Those who watched the first three seasons will be familiar with Walt’s story by now: a former chemistry teacher, he was diagnosed with cancer and turned to manufacturing 99% pure methamphetamine, ostensibly so his family could stay afloat after he died (the cancer is now in remission). Walt’s devolution into the hard-core criminal known as Heisenberg is pretty much complete by now, but the brilliance of this character is that he appears to be deeply conflicted. Is he the tough guy he acts to wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), bragging about his role in “a business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ” and proclaiming, “I am not in danger–I amthe danger”? Or is he just a dude in way too deep who loves his family, and buys a gun he barely knows how to use, and whose actions have collateral consequences he never imagined? One thing is certain: Walt wants to stay alive, an increasingly dicey proposition given his relationship with his drug-lord boss, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). It takes the entire season for that struggle to be resolved; by the end, we know a lot more about Walter, and very little of it is good.

There’s plenty else going on this season, of course. Walt is forever struggling with his partner, the wayward Jesse (Aaron Paul), especially once Gus tries to convince Jesse that he can cook the meth just as well without Walt. Skyler, who last season finally learned what her husband’s up to, convinces Walt that they should buy a carwash–mostly to launder money, not automobiles (Walt also goes along with her plan to pretend that he earned the money to buy the place by being a professional blackjack hustler). And his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank (Dean Norris), who was badly injured in season three, recovers enough to resume his investigation into the identity of the infamous Heisenberg. Whatever the storylines, Breaking Bad continues to feature superb acting by all, outstanding direction and production values, and a wonderful eye for detail (one example: when Walt takes over the carwash, he breaks open the frame containing the prior owner’s first dollar and uses it to buy a Coke). The typically generous assortment of bonus material includes audio commentary for all 13 episodes, eight featurettes, deleted scenes, and 21 Inside Breaking Bad mini-docs, in which cast and crew discuss various aspects of the show.

2. Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey Season 2 (Original U.K. Unedited Edition)

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Season 2 of the Emmy® Award-winning Downton Abbey returns as The Great War rages across Europe, and not even the serene Yorkshire countryside is free from its effects. The men and women of Downton are doing their part both on the front lines and the home front, but the intensity of war only serves to inflame the more familiar passions love, loss, blackmail, and betrayal.

…it remains a glorious, escapist entertainment which, as the fabric of society is torn asunder, the economy crashes around our ears and the autumnal rain lashes down, should at least keep us distracted until Christmas. –Andrew Pettie, The Telegraph
Sex, blackmail, girls in nice frocks and now a war. Downton Abbey just got even better. –Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

3. MacGyver – The Complete Series

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All seven seasons, 139 eppisodes.

Special features include MacGyver Movies of the Week: – Lost Treasure of AtlantisTrail to Doomsday

Like James Bond–but without the high-tech gadgets–Angus MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) is one of those rare beings who can avert any crisis without mussing a hair. (The rest of us should be so lucky.) In the pilot alone, the secret agent dismantles a missile using a paper clip and fashions a rocket thruster out of a pistol. Is there anything MacGyver can’t do? As the first season of ABC’s long-running adventure series proves, the answer is a resounding no. MacGyver’s secret: the everyday items he “finds along the way,” like matches or gum wrappers, and the ingenuity to put them to a myriad of uses (a background in physics and chemistry doesn’t hurt). Unlike Alias‘ Sidney Bristow, he isn’t a multi-linguist, a martial artist, or a master of disguises. Wits are MacGyver’s weapon of choice.

Produced by Henry Winkler (Arrested Development), The Complete First Season includes all 22 episodes from 1985-1986 (alas, there are no extras). MacGyver is joined by Phoenix Foundation director of operations Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar), who is introduced in “Nightmares.” Also, his grandfather, Harry Jackson (John Anderson), makes his first appearance in “Target MacGyver,” while friend Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher of Desperate Housewives) makes hers in “Every Time She Smiles” (they will appear more frequently in future seasons). Other notable guest stars include Joan Chen (The Last Emperor) in “The Golden Triangle,” Nana Visitor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) in “Hellfire,” and John De Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation) in “The Escape.”

MacGyver ran for seven seasons and was followed by two made-for-TV movies in 1994, Lost Treasure of Atlantis and Trail to Doomsday. In 1997, after a short-lived series for UPN (1995’s Legend), Anderson landed the lead in an even longer-running series, Stargate SG-1, based on the sci-fi extravaganza with Kurt Russell.

4. Sherlock: Season Two

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There is nothing elementary (a Holmesian cliché that this exceedingly smart and savvy series wisely shuns) about Sherlock. This sophomore season exceeds the pleasures and promise of the Emmy-nominated first season with three feature-length mysteries that fully test Holmes’s mettle and cunning, and shake his very high self-regard. The first and third episodes do full justice to two figures who loom large in the Holmes canon. The first is Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), a.k.a. “the Woman,” in “A Scandal in Belgravia,” a ripping and naughty yarn involving a high-class dominatrix and some scandalous royal photos. The second, of course, is Moriarty (an Emmy-worthy Andrew Scott) in “The Reichenbach Fall,” who hatches a mad scheme to bring about Holmes’s ruination. The middle mystery is perhaps Holmes’s best-known, “The Hounds of Baskerville,” a psychological thriller that lacks the other two’s worthy central adversaries, although Holmes’s rare moment of bafflement sets the stage for the seemingly game-changing finale that has Dark Knight echoes. Sherlock‘s high concept–transplanting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master consulting detective to 21st-century London–is brilliantly realized, but at the heart of this series’ success is the casting and chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson, who chronicles their adventures in–what else–a blog. While some may make innuendo about the nature of their relationship, it is their friendship that unfolds by degrees that holds the most fascination. “I don’t have friends,” Holmes confesses to Watson in one of his rare quiet and less prickly moments. “I have one.” Sherlock benefits from repeat viewings, not so much to decipher clues, but to savor the brilliant wordplay. Series three cannot arrive fast enough.

5. Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season

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Game of Thrones, the first book in author George R.R. Martin’s sprawling fantasy saga A Song of Fire and Ice, serves as the basis for this brawny, lusty series about courtly intrigue and civil war in a sprawling fantasy kingdom. TV and fantasy veteran Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, Sharpe’s Rifles) leads the massive cast as the warrior-noble Eddard Stark, who reluctantly assumes the role as the Hand of the King after the mysterious death of his predecessor. The King, Robert Baratheon, has leadership of the lands of Westeros, a mythical country plagued by severe, decade-long shifts in weather. His rule is challenged by the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd), who trades his own sister (Emilia Clarke) for the allegiance of the Dothraki, a savage nomadic tribe led by Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa of the 2011 Conan the Barbarian). A shocking secret kept hidden by Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey, 300) leads to an upset in the balance of power and, ultimately, a challenge to the House of Stark to bring control to the bloodshed that threatens to overtake Westeros.

Fantasy has been a tricky genre for television–the scope required to bring the sweep and imagination to life is usually better suited for the big screen. But Game of Thrones neatly sidesteps the issue by virtue of the quality of the production at every level. Though the series is steeped in fantastic elements, from direwolves to dragons, series creators David Benioff (who wrote Troy and The Kite Runner, among others) and author D.B. Weiss (Lucky Wander Boy) have rooted the drama in the emotional landscape of its characters, which brings the end result closer to Benioff’s humorous description of the show as “The Sopranos in Middle-Earth.” Intricate plotting and direction with an eye for realism by a host of HBO veterans, including Tim Van Patten, Alan Taylor, and Daniel Minahan, underscores that notion, as does its stellar cast, which includes Mark Addy as Headey’s husband, King Robert, Iain Glen as the faithful knight Ser Jorah Mormont, and Aiden Gillen (The Wire) as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. However, the proceedings are handily won by Peter Dinklage’s Emmy-nominated turn as the cunning Tyrion, whose intellect is constantly disregarded due to his size. Of course, viewers can also tune in to simply enjoy the more visceral elements of Game of Thrones, which features quite a bit of medieval-style carnage, as well as an at-times unnecessary level of nudity, which feels like a network decision based on the amount of flesh on display in their other successful shows. Regardless, Game of Thrones is an entirely addictive experience for both fantasy and drama fans alike throughout its debut 10 episodes, all of which are featured on this multi-disc set.

6. True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season

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Price: $34.96
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Alan Ball’s pop supernatural series True Blood expands its scope to an epic scale with its fourth season, which spreads its vast network of characters, human and otherwise, across the map while bringing aboard a host of new personalities, including a magic store owner-cum-white witch (Fiona Shaw) with a dangerous secret. Shaw’s transformation from a mousy magic practitioner to vessel for the soul of a long-dead Spanish sorceress is the most intriguing storyline in the fourth season, which also concerns the return of Sookie (Anna Paquin) from the Faerie Kingdom and her subsequent romantic yearnings for Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), which naturally upset her beau and newly minted vampire king of Louisiana, Bill (Stephen Moyer). Though these two arcs alone would be sufficient for most series, season four also manages to fit in a fairly ridiculous bit of business involving Sookie’s brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten), who becomes a sort of stud for a commune of were-panther women seeking offspring, as well as the fate of Arlene’s (Carrie Preston) baby, which begins to share some personality traits with its father, deceased serial killer Rene. It’s a lot to pack into just 12 episodes, and as a result, some storylines that deserve to be fleshed out, like the relationship between fledgling vampire Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and human Hoyt (Jim Parrack), are left on the back burner while less effective but flashier ones, like Jason’s bout with the were-panthers, are granted a larger spotlight. The result is an uneven season in comparison to its predecessors, but that shouldn’t bother die-hard True Bloodfans, as the show’s steady diet of sex, death, and morbid humor is still operating on full blast.

The five-disc Blu-ray edition of True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season is fleshed out by a wealth of informative and entertainment extras that provide a detailed look at the series’ execution from the perspective of creator-executive producer Alan Ball, as well as key members of the cast and crew. Ball is front and center on the majority of the supplemental features, from commentary with Anna Paquin on “If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’?” to the 28-minute Final Touches, a postproduction documentary roundtable that explores the central themes and creative requirements of the season. Moyer, Skarsgård, Woll, Shaw, and Sam Trammell, who plays shapeshifter Sam, also contribute to five additional commentary tracks, and a vast number of the show’s supporting cast reprise their characters in the Enhanced Viewing mode, which offers both video and text commentary on individual episodes. Much of this is quite amusing and well crafted, though they can only be accessed through the Enhanced Viewing option and not separate from their respective episodes. The little details are also key to the True Blood Lines, a thumbnail encyclopedia of the show’s immense cast of characters, organized by their particular species (human, vampire, etc.), that traces how each are connected to the rest of the Bon Temps population. Each episode also gets a brief summation from the show’s writers and producers in the Inside the Episode featurettes. A pair of double-sided DVD copies and digital copies rounds out this impressive set.

7. Leverage: The Fourth Season

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The stakes have never been higher in this all-new season of Leverage, the thrilling crime drama that puts you at the heart of the action.

Timothy Hutton returns as Nate Ford, now more determined than ever to fight injustice with the help of his elite team of crack con artists.

8. Eureka: Season Five

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They can bend the laws of nature. They can push science to the absolute limit. But there’s one force they can’t change: their destiny. Return to the small town with big secrets as the geniuses of Eureka venture beyond everything they’ve ever known in the fifth and final season of one of TV’s most beloved shows. From searching for the lost Astraeus crew to experiencing a disaster drill that proves all too real, it’s anything but life as usual in the seemingly idyllic town. And as the final moments tick by, one question looms large for everyone: will Eureka be shut down for good? Guest starring sci-fi fan favorites Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day, this three-disc set is a fitting, mind-boggling send-off for the community that never “officially” existed.

9. White Collar: Season Three

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Matt Bomer is back for another thrilling season of high-class capers and criminal intrigue on TV’s slickest, sexiest show, White Collar! Bomer returns as suave con man turned FBI consultant Neal Caffrey, racing to stay one step ahead of the feds even as he helps his partner, Agent Peter Burke, bring down some of the world’s most clever criminals. The stakes are at an all-time high as Neal struggles to come to terms with his own checkered past, but will his greatest con cost him everything? Featuring DVD-exclusive extras, the white hot Season Three of White Collar is a whole new bag of tricks!

10. Damages: The Complete Fourth Season

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You Save: $18.31 (40%)

The change of network for the legal thriller Damagesdoesn’t appear to have hurt its core appeal–the fireworks ignited by Glenn Close’s dogged, morally ambiguous attorney Patty Hewes–in the series’ fourth season, which aired on DirecTV after three years on FX. Malfeasance on the part of a private security firm working with the US military in Afghanistan is the central case in season four, with Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) once again in uneasy cahoots to bring down the company’s bullish man in charge (John Goodman). In doing so, they attract the attention of an icy mercenary (Dylan Baker, fascinatingly malevolent) determined to keep them off the blood trail that links Parsons’s friend (Chris Messina), a former soldier-for-hire in the grip of posttraumatic stress after his experiences with the firm, to Goodman. As in previous seasons, the main case is the nucleus for several orbiting side plots, including Patty’s struggle with her son (Zachary Booth) over custody of her grandchild, as well as Baker’s personal connection to the case, all of which underscore the series’ recurring theme: everyone has a secret, and most likely, it will be their undoing.

As with previous seasons of Damages, the fourth season benefits greatly from its mix of regular players and guest actors, which include Judd Hirsch as a dipsomaniacal PI, Tom Noonan as a deceptively charming ex-cop, and Fisher Stevens as Patty’s court-appointed therapist, and the show’s trademark shifting timelines still create considerable tension as they inexorably snake together at the season’s end. If there’s any complaint to be had, it may be that the network shift seems to have reduced some of the show’s production value: the direction occasionally feels static, while sets and locations have a stage-bound feel that undercuts the show’s sense of realism. That may have little impact on die-hard fans, who come to Damages to watch Close’s finely tuned blend of legal demolition derby and predatory backroom maneuvers. Extras are limited to a pair of brief featurettes, one on the making of the new seasons, the other focusing on Close as she discusses Patty’s path to season four. Deleted scenes and an outtake reel round out the three-disc set.

Click Here for More Best Selling TV Shows

Copyright David Masters

 

Top 10 Best DVD Recorders August 2012

Top 10 Best DVD Recorders August 2012

1. Toshiba DR430 DVD Recorder 6. Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo
2. Sony VRDMC6 DVDirect DVD Burner 7. LG 80 GB Code Free Multi Region DVD Recorder
3. Magnavox ZC320MW8 DVD Recorder 8. Protron Progressive Scan DVD Recorder
4. Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder 9. Magnavox DVD Recorder & 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR
5. Sony VBD-MA1 DVDirect MA1 Blu-Ray Recorder 10. RCA DRC8052N DVD Recorder


1. Toshiba DR430 DVD Recorder (Black)

List Price: $119.99
Price: $95.25
You Save: $24.74 (21%)

  • Video up conversion up to 1080p resolution via HDMI
  • Tunerless Single Disc DVD Recorder
  • USB Terminal
  • Dual Format Recording
  • 1 Year and 90 days Labor warranty

With the DR430, converting and archiving your favorite home movies to DVD is simple. You can also experience your DVD movie collection in near HD quality with the DR430’s 1080p up conversion via HDMI. Video up conversion up to 1080p resolution via HDMI takes your current DVDs to a new level, for an amazing viewing experience on today’s HDTVs. One Touch Recording makes recording your favorite show simple. Just connect the DR430 to your cable or satellite box and you are set to record with the push of one button . Multi-format recording and playback provides the utmost in recording media convenience with compatibility with the most popular formats (DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW). Auto Finalize simplifies the recording process by automatically finalizing your recording for playback on standard DVD players. HDMI-CEC makes controlling multiple components easy. Just connect your recorder to other compatible devices using an HDMI cable, and then control them using one remote, no additional programming or setup required! Front DV Input makes it easy to save your precious memories from your camcorder to DVD. Simultaneous Playback and Recording: You can play back a recorded title during current recording or the timer recording on the same disc.

2. Sony VRDMC6 DVDirect Compact Size DVD Burner with AVCHD Recording

List Price: $199.99
Price: $182.45
You Save: $17.54 (9%)

  • Transfer Home movies and digital photos to DVD
  • Record HD video from Sony AVCHD HDD/MS Handycam Camcorders
  • Record digital photos as a slideshow or for storage
  • Connect to any compatible camcorder, VCR or DVR
  • 4:3 Full Screen and 16:9 Wide Screen support

Transfer home movies and digital pictures to DVD, quickly and easily without a PC. Connect with virtually any camcorder, VCR, even DVR for recording video DVDs playable in standard DVD players. Built in slots accept the 5 most common memory cards for recording digital pictures to DVD as a slideshow or for photo storage. Record high definition AVCHD video from Sony HDD or Memory Stick Handycam camcorders to DVD playable in Blu-ray Disc compatible devices. In The Box – DVD Recorder (VRD-MC6); AC Adaptor; AC Power Cord; Warranty Card; Manual.

3. Magnavox ZC320MW8 DVD Recorder

Price: $99.99

  • Records on DVD +R/+RW & -R/-RW
  • Progreesive Scan
  • Compatible Speed x2 to x16 DVD+R/DVD-R
  • Component Video Output
  • S-Video Output/Digital Audio Out (Coaxial)

The perfect DVD Recorder for any set-top box with line-in recording from cable/satellite boxes.

4. Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black

List Price: $229.99
Price: $142.90
You Save: $87.09 (38%)

Have both VCR and DVD recording and playback options without the clutter. The versatile DVR620 takes the fuss out of saving your videotapes to DVD and enhances DVD picture quality to near HD with 1080p up conversion via HDMI. Remote included. Plays DVDs from region 1.

5. Sony VBD-MA1 DVDirect MA1 MultiFunction Blu-Ray Disc/DVD Recorder

Price: $298.00

  • Record HD video from Sony AVCHD camcorders/cameras
  • 2.7-inch LCD screen to preview videos and photos
  • Real-time DVD recording from camcorder, VCR, and DVR
  • Built-in slots for Memory Stick and SD media
  • Connect to computer for use as an external Blu-ray Disc writer

Save your home videos and photos onto Blu-ray Disc media without a PC. From video tapes to digital images, the VBD-MA1 preserves your memories quickly and easily. Record high-definition AVCHD video from your camera or camcorder. Built-in slots accept multiple memory cards. Preview videos and photos on the 2.7-inch LCD screen.

6. Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo

List Price: $119.99
Price: $78.00
You Save: $41.99 (35%)

  • One Touch Recording
  • ColorStream Progressive outputs
  • Simultaneous DVD playback and VHS record
  • JPEG Viewer
  • 14-Bit/108MHz
  • Interfaces/Ports-Component Video-Yes:Interfaces/Ports-Composite Video-Yes:Interfaces/Ports-Digital Audio Coaxial Out-Yes:Controls/Indicators-Language Supported-English, French, Spanish:Controls/Indicators-Remote Control-Yes
  • Technical Information-Number of Discs-1:Technical Information-Media Formats-VHS, DVD-RW, CD-RW:VCR-Number of Heads-4:Video-Video Signal Format-NTSC:Video-Video Formats-DVD Video, Video CD:Video-Picture Control-Zoom:
  • Video-Scanning Modes-Progressive Scan:Video-Digital to Analog Video Converter-14-bit – 108 MHz:Audio-Sound System-Dolby Digital, DTS:Audio-Audio Formats-MP3:Audio-Digital to Analog Audio Converter-24-bit – 192 kHz:Image-Image Formats-JPEG:
  • What’s in the Box: Remote Control,A/V Cable (RCA),90-Day Labor / 1-Year Parts Warranty

Fitting more entertainment value into less shelf space just got easier. With a DVD/VCR combo player, you get the connectivity and features without the clutter. One Touch Recording for the VCR provides a simple and convenient way to make a recording. Simply connect your DVD/VCR to your cable or satellite box and then to your monitor/TV and you are set to record a tape with the push of one button!

7. LG RH1777 80 GB Code Free Multi Region DVD Recorder 110-240 Volts for World Wide Use.

List Price: $399.99
Price: $279.99
You Save: $120.00 (30%)

  • Records in “ALL” regions format for worldwide compatibility
  • Plays PAL on PAL TV or Multi-System TV
  • Plays NTSC on NTSC TV or Multi-System TV
  • Records PAL to PAL Records NTSC to NTSC
  • 110-240 volts 50/60 Hertz dual voltage for use World-Wide

The DVD made on this model will be all regions you can play it on any DVD player in the World, even on PAL DVD players. You can send the DVD made on this recorder to a PAL or NTSC country.

8. Protron Progressive Scan DVD Recorder

List Price: $149.95
Price: $83.99
You Save: $65.96 (44%)

  • Brand Name: Protron
  • Model: PD-DVR100
  • Audio Output Mode: Stereo
  • DVD Media Load Type: Tray
  • Color Name: Silver

Records Up To 6 Hours Of Video Modern Design To Fit Modern Environment Plays Dvd Vcd Svcd & Audio Cd/mp3 Discs I.link Digital Connection Equipped With Dolby Digital Tv Guide Includes Remote Control With 2 Aaa Batteries Ac Power Cord 1 Dvd+rw Rf Coaxial Cable 3-strand Component Video Cable 2 Audio Cables Component Video Cable & Owner Manual

9. Magnavox ZV427MG9 DVD Recorder & 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR with Line-In Recording.

Price: $199.00

  • Dust off those video tapes and enjoy VHS movie formats with the Magnavox DVD Recorder & 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR.
  • It features 1080p upconversion.
  • 1080p Up conversion and 2-way dubbing

Magnavox combines a DVD Recorder with a 4-Head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR, making a great addition to your home entertainment center. With video features like HDMI 1080p Up-Conversion along with progressive scan capability and satellite link recording, Magnavox ensures that you get the most for your money.

10. RCA DRC8052N DVD Recorder

Price: $109.99

  • Record from multiple sources
  • HDMI w/HD upconversion
  • DV-input
  • DivX certified
  • Interactive user interface

RCA’s DVD Recorder makes it easy to record your favorite movies and television shows to DVD for later viewing and archiving. The HDMI interface ensures a simple and superior one-cable digital connection, plus upconversion of images to stunning high definition.

Click Here for More Top Selling DVD Recorders

Copyright 2012 David Masters

 

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for July 2012

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for July 2012

These are the hottest fitness workouts right now… delivered conveniently on DVD

1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body 6. 10 Minute Trainer: Busiest People
2. P90X: 90-Day Extreme 7. rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs
3. X-TrainFit At Home Women’s Workout 8. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts
4. Prenatal Fitness Deluxe DVD Set 9. 60 Day SlimDown Moms Into Fitness
5. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate Ultimate 10. Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT 8 Weeks


1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program

List Price: $169.99
Price: $144.80
You Save: $25.19 (15%)

  • Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs for a great workout
  • Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 workout DVDs packed with plyometric drills
  • Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your max
  • Perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest
  • Free online support tools help you stay motivated with round-the-clock access to fitness experts and peer support

Shaun T’s Insanity workout is the best of its kind. No other workout can get you these types of results in just 60 days… Guaranteed!Shaun T’s Max Interval Training techniques are a step ahead of every other fitness program ever designed. You get you a lean, muscular body in a short amount of time. The Insanity Workout is a difficult workout, but the results are phenomenal.Brand New, Factory Sealed Box Set. Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs that all contain a GREAT workout. You don`t need exercise equipment. All you need is just a little space and a big heart!You will receive:-Elite Nutrition Manual -Fitness Guide -Fit Test Tracker -Workout Calendar 10 Insanity Workout DVDs1: Dig Deeper & Fit Test:To start, Shaun T will put your body to the test and see what you’re made of.2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit:Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat-inducing cardio.3: Cardio Power & Resistance:Build lean muscle and upper-body definition with strength-training and insanity workout power moves.4: Cardio Recovery:Shaun T goes easier on you once a week so you’re ready for the next Insanity Workout round.5: Pure Cardio & Abs:Skip the intervals-this nonstop cardio workout is all extreme.6: Cardio Abs:Do explosive intervals of cardio and core moves for rock-hard abs.7: Core Cardio & Balance:Take a break after month 1 of the Insanity workout and gear up for month 2 with this workout.8: Max Interval Circuit:The interval circuit that’s more intense than anything you’ve ever done before.9: Max Interval Plyo:Push your legs ’til they beg for mercy with power and plyo, all at your MAX.10: Max Cardio Conditioning & Abs:Get pushed to your limit with this extreme cardio workout. Click Here fore More Insanity

2. P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program

List Price: $150.00
Price: $139.80
You Save: $10.20 (7%)

  • Get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated
  • Muscle Confusion technique accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus
  • Collection of 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts
  • Also includes comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options
  • Personal trainer Tony Horton will keep you engaged every step of the way

P90X is a revolutionary system of 12 highly intense workouts, designed to transform your body. * Chest and Back * Plyometrics * Shoulders and Arms * Yoga X * Legs and Back * Kenpo X * X Stretch * Core Synergistics * Chest, Shoulders and Triceps * Back and Biceps * Ab Ripper X * Cardio X Extra DVD for a quick overview of the complete P90X Extreme Home Fitness training system is included. To get you started, you will also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed to help you lose fat; a detailed fitness guide, packed with valuable fitness information to help you get the most out of your program; and a calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated. Click Here for More P90X

3. X-TrainFit At Home Workout – Women’s Complete Fitness – 8 DVDs

List Price: $89.98
Price: $29.98
You Save: $60.00 (67%)

What is XTF At Home? X-TrainFit At Home Training is a high intensity fitness program that is designed to be completed within the privacy of your own home or on the road. Very little equipment is just a set of dumbbells or exercise bands. Over 12 weeks, you will use the 8 intense workouts on the 8 DVDs to shred fat and sculpt and tone muscle. Don’t worry, you won’t be bulking up, you’ll be building a slimmer, fitter you. Each video demonstrates a modified level of difficulty throughout ranging from level 1 for beginners to level 4 for advanced users. You can pick a modification level that challenges you then try and push it to the next level when ready. You will complete the videos with varying frequency and in varying order depending on the period of the program you are in as outlined in the quick start guide provided. You will also receive the complete 60 page Training Guide, Motivational Poster, and access to online support from a certified XTF Trainer. 8 Intense Workouts Circuit Burnout – is a body sculpting routine that provides a full-body workout using a combination of cardio and toning to get the maximum result. 81 Mins Cardio – an intense cardio workout designed to burn calories and fat. 54 Mins Hard Core – builds the six pack abs that are the billboard for every great looking body. 54 Mins Chest & Back – sculpts the upper-torso into the physique you have always wanted. 63 Mins XTF Legs – strengthens and tones the lower body while building lean muscle. 53 Mins XTF Arms – focuses on building lean and defined arms, as well as toned shoulders. 49 Mins Yoga – builds strength and flexibility in a relaxing and meditative flow that aids in muscle recovery. 42 Mins Stretch – Recover with this rejuvinating session which will aid in muscle recovery and help reduce risk of injury. 26 Mins. Click Here for More X-Train Fit at Home for Women

4. Prenatal Fitness (Deluxe 3 DVD Set – Prenatal Yoga, Pilates & Strength Training)

List Price: $39.99
Price: $19.99
You Save: $20.00 (50%)

Prenatal Fitness Deluxe 3 DVD Set contains everything you could possibly want to stay healthy, fit and rejuvenated during your pregnancy. This set comes with 3 full-length DVDs: 1) Prenatal Workouts – Fit & Toned 2) Prenatal Pilates and 3) Prenatal Yoga. In total, there are over 40 workouts that are customized for each trimester. These DVDs deliver unparalleled value and expert instruction for the health of you and your baby. Great for beginners and more advanced students alike.

Disc 1

PRENATAL WORKOUTS – Fit & Toned (5 Routines)

This DVD delivers 5 strength and cardio workouts that help you keep fit during your pregnancy and beyond. Workouts are modified for each trimester. Workouts include:

– Upper Body Workout – Lower Body Workout – Total Body Workout – Pilates Workout – Stretching Routine

Disc 2

PRENATAL PILATES COMPLETE (Over 15 Routines)

PRENATAL PILATES COMPLETE delivers over 15 routines customized for each trimester that change with your needs throughout your pregnancy. Prenatal Pilates helps to improve strength, balance, flexibility and coordination while keeping fit and healthy. Modified and less challenging routines are included for beginners. Complete sections on Pilates principals and explanations of all the poses. Routines range from 10 to 30 minutes to fit into any schedule.

– Over 15 routines broken up into each trimester – Review of Pilates Principals – Remedial Pilates section to review each pose – low-energy and modified routines – strength focused routines

Disc 3

PRENATAL YOGA (Over 20 Routines)

“This DVD is superb…certainly one of the best prenatal instructional videos available”- Yoga Journal

This unique Iyengar-style Prenatal Yoga DVD includes over 20 routines that are 20 to 60 minutes in length and is the perfect yoga program to help keep you and your baby healthy, fit and feeling well throughout your pregnancy. Routines are customized for each trimester.Whether you are new to yoga, (or just new to prenatal yoga), this DVD provides expert, step-by-step instruction, to allow you to safely and comfortably experience the benefits of yoga in each trimester and as you prepare for childbirth.

Please note that there are many styles of yoga. This style is not a flow or hot yoga, but more slow and therapeutic. This is called ‘Iyengar’ style. These routines are specially designed to ensure that you can begin and progress with prenatal yoga throughout your pregnancy. For your comfort, safety and to provide the maximum benefit, the following items may be beneficial: Yoga mat, folding chair, blankets, pillows and a belt.

Prenatal Yoga Highlights:

– 20 customized and target routines – Routines designed specifically for each trimester – A special section on yoga and fertility – Yoga practices from 20 to 60 minutes – Guidance and cautions specific to each trimester – Routines to alleviate morning sickness, lower back pain, digestive issues and other common pregnancy issues. Click Here for More Prenatal Fitness

5. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate: The Ultimate Experience DVD Set

List Price: $129.99
Price: $89.85
You Save: $40.04 (31%)

  • Enjoy this revolutionary and highly popular fitness program from the comfort of your own home.
  • Easy-to-follow steps for more than 30 rhythms, including merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia, hip-hop, and belly dance.
  • Comes with maraca-like Zumba Toning Sticks to sculpt your body while dancing.Two-in-one DVD feature lets you listen to verbal cueing or music only.
  • Easy-to-follow choreography and muscle engaging routines.Workouts include a breakdown of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout.

Bigger, bolder, and edgier, the Zumba® Fitness Exhilarate DVD collection is revolutionizing the at-home fitness experience by combining raw energy with cutting-edge design, lights, and sounds to take you on an unforgettable, exhilarating journey to a healthy and happy lifestyle.

As Jam-packed with red-hot dance steps, pulsating Latin and international rhythms, and feel-it-to-the-core routines, this invigorating dance-fitness party will have you movin’, rockin’, and shakin’ the weight off to the exotic rhythms of salsa, cumbia, samba, reggaeton, merengue, and more. With music-video style visuals and live musical accompaniment, these multisensory fitness DVDs put you right in the middle of a Zumba® Fitness-Party. And thanks to its nonstop, easy-to-follow choreography and muscle-engaging routines, you’ll torch hundreds of calories per hour and sculpt your body from head to toe–without feeling like you’re working out.

The seven-disc DVD collection features seven total-body workouts and each routine utilizes varying levels of intensity to deliver a body-energizing workout that you’ll want to move to again and again. The set includes breakdowns of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout, a 45-minute “Activate” workout, the “Ripped” workout featuring the Zumba® Toning program and breakthrough Zumba Sentao program, a 60-minute “Exhilarate” dance-fitness party, the “Mix” workout featuring rhythms from all over the world, and a massive Zumbathon® Fitness-Concert live class. Click Here for More Zumba Fitness

6. 10 Minute Trainer: Tony Horton’s Workout for the Busiest People Fitness DVD Program

Price: $89.95

  • Series of efficient workouts designed to tone body in 10 minutes per day
  • Stacks your fat-burning cardio, total-body toning, and ab exercises into one routine
  • Includes easy-to-follow eating plan that helps you lose weight and tone body
  • Comes with pro-grade resistance bands with Comfort Flex handles
  • Customized workout calendar, bonus abs routine, and on-the-go workout cards

Having trouble finding the time to work out? Turn to Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Training system, a series of ultra-efficient workouts designed to tone and trim your body in just 10 minutes per day. Hosted by personal trainer Tony Horton, the workouts take a unique approach to your fitness. Instead of starting with your cardio and then working your different body parts one at a time like most long workouts, Horton stacks them, so you get your fat-burning cardio, total-body toning and sculpting, and ab workouts at the same time. The breakthrough Super Stacking Technique–which employs resistance bands for maximum efficiency–is like multitasking for your muscles. To further boost your workouts, Horton added an easy-to-follow eating plan that helps you lose weight and tone your body from head to toe. The 10-Minute Training system is ideal for everyone from busy moms and dads to CEOs to traveling business professionals. Click Here for More 10 Minute Trainer

7. rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs

List Price: $199.99
Price: $84.98
You Save: $115.01 (58%)

  • 60 days of progressive workouts on an 8-DVD workout system
  • 60-Day Nutrition Guide
  • Wall Chart Exercise Guide
  • Work out with Georges St. Pierre, MMA World Champion
  • Work out with Jillian Michaels, America?s Toughest Trainer

Featuring suspended rotation, rip:60 forces your body to stabilize and balance throughout your workout for maximum muscle activation. You’ll not only lose weight and strengthen muscles, but you’ll increase flexibility, power and endurance. With this ultimate at home workout system, you’ll completely transform your body in just 60 days!

Included:

  • rip:60 straps
  • 8 Workout DVDs
  • rip:60 for Runners DVD
  • rip:60 Nylon Carrying Bag
  • Jillian Michaels Fat Shredding DVD
  • Georges St. Pierre Lean Muscle DVD
  • rip:60 Power Yoga Workout DVD
  • 60 Day Nutrition Guide
8 Workout DVDs: The rip:60 workout DVDs create an 8-week, scientifically designed progression of movements for a complete, total-body transformation. Weeks 1 through 4 focus on strength. You’ll learn the right moves and increase your strength endurance. DVDs 5 through 8 target your overall power. You’ll develop incredible power endurance with explosive moves that maximize muscle activation.
60-Day Nutrition Guide: Fuel your body with the 60-Day Nutrition Guide. It’s full of delicious, healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes that go hand-in-hand with your workout plan. You’ll get exactly what you need to feel great and get the most out of your rip:60 workouts.
Wall Chart Exercise Guide: Get step-by-step instruction on specific exercises with this wall chart. Designed by a Certified Personal Trainer, you’ll get the expertise you need to maximize your rip:60 workout time!
Travel Bag: Perfect for travel, this nylon travel bag easily stores the rip:60. It’s ready for an intense workout wherever you go! Click Here for More on the rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs

8. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts Set

Price: $71.99

  • Get amazing flat abs with hip hop dance moves and diet secrets from Shaun T
  • Burn calories and shed fat with fun, hip dance moves set to music
  • Easy-to-follow weight loss plan can help you lose up to 3 inches off your waist quickly
  • Also includes measurement card, tape measure and 30-day workout calendar

Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program, which includes four DVDs, a step-by-step nutrition guide, 30-day workout calendar, and six-day slimdown plan. Workouts include:

(1)SECRETS TO FLAT ABS: Shaun shares his targeted training technique, TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN, which activates your upper, middle, and lower abs and obliques at the same tiem so you get beautiful, flat, sexy abs!

(2)FAT BURNING CARDIO: This is not your mama’s aerobics video. A mazimum calorie burn that targets your ABS, so you burn off the fat while revealing a tight, toned, sexy midsection. Shaun’s energy, hot music, and exciting moves like the “throw down” and “up-rock” make the time fly by.

(3)AB SCULPT: Are you ready for your very own six-pack? Shaun teaches you the most innovative standing ab and core moves you’ll ever experience! With Shaun’s TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN technique you’ll really fire up those ab muscles and melt the flab!

(4)TOTAL BODY BURN: This head-to-toe workout combines cardio with total body sculpting, while you target your midsection – so you burn off the fat and reveal a tight, toned body … Say goodbye to love handles and say hello to a slimmer waist and flat, sexy abs!

(5)HIPS, BUNS, AND THIGHS: Slim your upper and lower abs while you target those stubborn lower-body problem areas. Forget boring lunges and dreaded squats – Shaun’s dynamic Hip Hop moves like “the freak” and “drive the car” not only get results but they make it fun! So now you can slim your hips, trim your thighs, lift your booty, and get back into your skinny jeans FAST!

(6)LAST MINUTE ABS: Ready, Set, GO! Just give Shaun 5 minutes and you’re guaranteed an ab workout that’s fast, fun, and effective. Plus, you’ll be singing out loud to this famous tune and before you know it you’re not only done, you’ve got great abs too! Perfect when you’re short on time but still want to work on that six-pack! *BONUS LEARN TO DANCE Routines.

Other items in this package include:

  • Step-by-Step Nutrition Guide:Shaun T shares his secrets for how you can lose weight faster and still eat the foods you love.
  • 30-day workout calendar:You can freestyle your Hip Hop Abs workouts, or follow Shaun T’s schedule designed to get you jaw-dropping abs and to tone your entire body fast.
  • Measurement card & tape measure:Use these tools to chart your progress as the inches melt away.
  • Results on the Run diet guide:You can still eat at your favorite fast food restaurants–guilt free. Shaun T shows you the best stuff to order when you’re on the go.
  • 6-Day SlimDown plan:Want to start losing in a hurry? Jump-start your weight loss with Shaun T’s easy-to-follow plan and lose up to 3 inches off your waist in your first week.
  • Learn to Dance: Shaun T shows you 2 full Hip Hop dance routines that will rev up your metabolism while you learn the latest moves he’s been teaching the hottest names in music for their videos (Take It to the Dance Floor; Last Minute Dance). Click Here for More Hip Hop Abs

9. 60 Day SlimDown with Lindsay Brin & Moms Into Fitness

List Price: $49.99
Price: $26.73
You Save: $23.26 (47%)

This Cutting Edge System will boost your metabolism and have the pounds melting off within the first 10 days. Get started today with the 3-phase Nutrition Plan any mom can follow, a detailed Fitness Calendar and Progress Tracker.  Check your fitness level on Day 1 & Day 60 with the Fitness Test to see the stronger, leaner, new you.
In Phase 1 all workouts can be done in 30 minutes or less.  Then in Phase 2 you will challenge your body even more so you continue to shred your core – and lose even more fat!  All in 45 minutes or less.  Also included, a bonus Phase 3 so you learn how to see results after the initial 60 Days.
In 60 days you will Super Charge your body for the Ultimate Slim Down.

The 3-Phase Meal Plan is simple.   No grocery lists, no tofu and broccoli, we’re talking REAL meals!   Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Cheese, Smoothies, Shrimp Tacos and much, much more!  The recipes are designed for the whole family to enjoy.  Then in Phase 3 Lindsay teaches you how to do it on your own, easy as 5-4-3-2-1.
You can even use the 60 Day System if you are breastfeeding!  Simply follow a few rules in each of the 3 Phases of the Nutrition Plan.
Each DVD will challenge your body in a different way with so many workouts your body will continue to get leaner and leaner.  Postnatal Boot Camp will have you doing Intense Interval Training to jumpstart that body!  In the CFS Method DVD you will train your core to fire from the inside-out, creating ab muscles that work like a Corset.  Then Core Metabolic Jumpstart will have your metabolism boosting while shredding the core.  And Shed 5 Fast will melt off the pounds! Click Here for More 60 Day SlimDown

10. Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT 8 Week Ultimate Home Training Program

List Price: $99.99
Price: $79.99
You Save: $20.00 (20%)

  • 7 Workouts on 6 GSP RUSHFIT DVDs
  • GSP RUSHFIT Nutrition Guide
  • GSP RUSHFIT Workout Guide
  • 3 GSP RUSHFIT 8 Week Training Calendars: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
  • Collectors Edition RUSHFIT DVD Slipcase

RUSHFIT is a fast, efficient, effective workout program designed to give you maximum results in the quickest time possible. Full-body MMA-style conditioning circuits are the new standard in advanced training and sport conditioning. Build endurance, increase core strength, and add muscle while burning up calories during these fast paced 45 minute workouts. Try to keep up with Georges St-Pierre as his trainer Erik Owings pushes you and Georges through a series of intense cross training circuits.
The RUSHFIT DVDs are targeted at all fitness levels for both men and women and allow you to increase the intensity and pace over time. Add muscle, get ripped and lean, and drop the extra pounds during this 8 week program that will help you get results – FAST. The ONLY required equipment is a small assortment of dumbbells or hand-held weights ranging from 5lbs to 30lbs. That’s it!
TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION. Click Here for More Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT DVDs

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Copyright 2012 David Masters

 

Top 10 Best TV Shows on DVD July 2012

Top 10 Best TV Shows on DVD July 2012

Forget channel surfing and dealing with commercials. Watch the your favorite shows uninterrupted.

1. Breaking Bad: Fourth Season 6. Burn Notice: Season Five
2. Downton Abbey Season 2 Unedited Version 7. The Big Bang Theory: Fourth Season
3. True Blood: Fourth Season 8. Dexter: The Sixth Season
4. Sherlock: Season Two 9. White Collar: Season Three
5. Damages: The Complete Fourth Season 10. Pretty Little Liars: Second Season

1. Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $59.99
Price: $29.32
You Save: $26.67 (48%)

The first murder happens barely five minutes into the episode that opens this fourth season of Breaking Bad. There will be many others. That’s no surprise; this show didn’t become one of the most highly acclaimed TV series of its time because of its light, frothy tone, and central character Walter White (multiple Emmy winner Bryan Cranston) won’t remind anyone of Grandpa Walton. Those who watched the first three seasons will be familiar with Walt’s story by now: a former chemistry teacher, he was diagnosed with cancer and turned to manufacturing 99% pure methamphetamine, ostensibly so his family could stay afloat after he died (the cancer is now in remission). Walt’s devolution into the hard-core criminal known as Heisenberg is pretty much complete by now, but the brilliance of this character is that he appears to be deeply conflicted. Is he the tough guy he acts to wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), bragging about his role in “a business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ” and proclaiming, “I am not in danger–I amthe danger”? Or is he just a dude in way too deep who loves his family, and buys a gun he barely knows how to use, and whose actions have collateral consequences he never imagined? One thing is certain: Walt wants to stay alive, an increasingly dicey proposition given his relationship with his drug-lord boss, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). It takes the entire season for that struggle to be resolved; by the end, we know a lot more about Walter, and very little of it is good.

There’s plenty else going on this season, of course. Walt is forever struggling with his partner, the wayward Jesse (Aaron Paul), especially once Gus tries to convince Jesse that he can cook the meth just as well without Walt. Skyler, who last season finally learned what her husband’s up to, convinces Walt that they should buy a carwash–mostly to launder money, not automobiles (Walt also goes along with her plan to pretend that he earned the money to buy the place by being a professional blackjack hustler). And his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank (Dean Norris), who was badly injured in season three, recovers enough to resume his investigation into the identity of the infamous Heisenberg. Whatever the storylines, Breaking Bad continues to feature superb acting by all, outstanding direction and production values, and a wonderful eye for detail (one example: when Walt takes over the carwash, he breaks open the frame containing the prior owner’s first dollar and uses it to buy a Coke). The typically generous assortment of bonus material includes audio commentary for all 13 episodes, eight featurettes, deleted scenes, and 21 Inside Breaking Bad mini-docs, in which cast and crew discuss various aspects of the show.

2. Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey Season 2 (Original U.K. Unedited Edition)

List Price: $44.99
Price: $21.53
You Save: $23.46 (52%)

Season 2 of the Emmy® Award-winning Downton Abbey returns as The Great War rages across Europe, and not even the serene Yorkshire countryside is free from its effects. The men and women of Downton are doing their part both on the front lines and the home front, but the intensity of war only serves to inflame the more familiar passions love, loss, blackmail, and betrayal.

…it remains a glorious, escapist entertainment which, as the fabric of society is torn asunder, the economy crashes around our ears and the autumnal rain lashes down, should at least keep us distracted until Christmas. –Andrew Pettie, The Telegraph
Sex, blackmail, girls in nice frocks and now a war. Downton Abbey just got even better. –Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

3. True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $59.99
Price: $34.96
You Save: $25.03 (42%)

Alan Ball’s pop supernatural series True Blood expands its scope to an epic scale with its fourth season, which spreads its vast network of characters, human and otherwise, across the map while bringing aboard a host of new personalities, including a magic store owner-cum-white witch (Fiona Shaw) with a dangerous secret. Shaw’s transformation from a mousy magic practitioner to vessel for the soul of a long-dead Spanish sorceress is the most intriguing storyline in the fourth season, which also concerns the return of Sookie (Anna Paquin) from the Faerie Kingdom and her subsequent romantic yearnings for Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), which naturally upset her beau and newly minted vampire king of Louisiana, Bill (Stephen Moyer). Though these two arcs alone would be sufficient for most series, season four also manages to fit in a fairly ridiculous bit of business involving Sookie’s brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten), who becomes a sort of stud for a commune of were-panther women seeking offspring, as well as the fate of Arlene’s (Carrie Preston) baby, which begins to share some personality traits with its father, deceased serial killer Rene. It’s a lot to pack into just 12 episodes, and as a result, some storylines that deserve to be fleshed out, like the relationship between fledgling vampire Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and human Hoyt (Jim Parrack), are left on the back burner while less effective but flashier ones, like Jason’s bout with the were-panthers, are granted a larger spotlight. The result is an uneven season in comparison to its predecessors, but that shouldn’t bother die-hard True Bloodfans, as the show’s steady diet of sex, death, and morbid humor is still operating on full blast.

The five-disc Blu-ray edition of True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season is fleshed out by a wealth of informative and entertainment extras that provide a detailed look at the series’ execution from the perspective of creator-executive producer Alan Ball, as well as key members of the cast and crew. Ball is front and center on the majority of the supplemental features, from commentary with Anna Paquin on “If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’?” to the 28-minute Final Touches, a postproduction documentary roundtable that explores the central themes and creative requirements of the season. Moyer, Skarsgård, Woll, Shaw, and Sam Trammell, who plays shapeshifter Sam, also contribute to five additional commentary tracks, and a vast number of the show’s supporting cast reprise their characters in the Enhanced Viewing mode, which offers both video and text commentary on individual episodes. Much of this is quite amusing and well crafted, though they can only be accessed through the Enhanced Viewing option and not separate from their respective episodes. The little details are also key to the True Blood Lines, a thumbnail encyclopedia of the show’s immense cast of characters, organized by their particular species (human, vampire, etc.), that traces how each are connected to the rest of the Bon Temps population. Each episode also gets a brief summation from the show’s writers and producers in the Inside the Episode featurettes. A pair of double-sided DVD copies and digital copies rounds out this impressive set.

4. Sherlock: Season Two

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Price: $19.96
You Save: $10.02 (33%)

There is nothing elementary (a Holmesian cliché that this exceedingly smart and savvy series wisely shuns) about Sherlock. This sophomore season exceeds the pleasures and promise of the Emmy-nominated first season with three feature-length mysteries that fully test Holmes’s mettle and cunning, and shake his very high self-regard. The first and third episodes do full justice to two figures who loom large in the Holmes canon. The first is Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), a.k.a. “the Woman,” in “A Scandal in Belgravia,” a ripping and naughty yarn involving a high-class dominatrix and some scandalous royal photos. The second, of course, is Moriarty (an Emmy-worthy Andrew Scott) in “The Reichenbach Fall,” who hatches a mad scheme to bring about Holmes’s ruination. The middle mystery is perhaps Holmes’s best-known, “The Hounds of Baskerville,” a psychological thriller that lacks the other two’s worthy central adversaries, although Holmes’s rare moment of bafflement sets the stage for the seemingly game-changing finale that has Dark Knight echoes. Sherlock‘s high concept–transplanting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master consulting detective to 21st-century London–is brilliantly realized, but at the heart of this series’ success is the casting and chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson, who chronicles their adventures in–what else–a blog. While some may make innuendo about the nature of their relationship, it is their friendship that unfolds by degrees that holds the most fascination. “I don’t have friends,” Holmes confesses to Watson in one of his rare quiet and less prickly moments. “I have one.” Sherlock benefits from repeat viewings, not so much to decipher clues, but to savor the brilliant wordplay. Series three cannot arrive fast enough.

5. Damages: The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $45.99
Price: $27.68
You Save: $18.31 (40%)

The change of network for the legal thriller Damagesdoesn’t appear to have hurt its core appeal–the fireworks ignited by Glenn Close’s dogged, morally ambiguous attorney Patty Hewes–in the series’ fourth season, which aired on DirecTV after three years on FX. Malfeasance on the part of a private security firm working with the US military in Afghanistan is the central case in season four, with Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) once again in uneasy cahoots to bring down the company’s bullish man in charge (John Goodman). In doing so, they attract the attention of an icy mercenary (Dylan Baker, fascinatingly malevolent) determined to keep them off the blood trail that links Parsons’s friend (Chris Messina), a former soldier-for-hire in the grip of posttraumatic stress after his experiences with the firm, to Goodman. As in previous seasons, the main case is the nucleus for several orbiting side plots, including Patty’s struggle with her son (Zachary Booth) over custody of her grandchild, as well as Baker’s personal connection to the case, all of which underscore the series’ recurring theme: everyone has a secret, and most likely, it will be their undoing.

As with previous seasons of Damages, the fourth season benefits greatly from its mix of regular players and guest actors, which include Judd Hirsch as a dipsomaniacal PI, Tom Noonan as a deceptively charming ex-cop, and Fisher Stevens as Patty’s court-appointed therapist, and the show’s trademark shifting timelines still create considerable tension as they inexorably snake together at the season’s end. If there’s any complaint to be had, it may be that the network shift seems to have reduced some of the show’s production value: the direction occasionally feels static, while sets and locations have a stage-bound feel that undercuts the show’s sense of realism. That may have little impact on die-hard fans, who come to Damages to watch Close’s finely tuned blend of legal demolition derby and predatory backroom maneuvers. Extras are limited to a pair of brief featurettes, one on the making of the new seasons, the other focusing on Close as she discusses Patty’s path to season four. Deleted scenes and an outtake reel round out the three-disc set.

6. Burn Notice: Season Five

List Price: $49.98
Price: $27.60
You Save: $22.38 (45%)

A new day breaks for Michael Westen when he’s reinstated by the CIA, but his good fortune is impossibly short-lived. Framed for murder and blackmailed by a diabolical foe, Michael and his team must do whatever it takes to clear his name and catch a killer. As the danger builds, Michael finally comes face-to-face with the man who burned him, leading to an explosive finale, after which nothing will ever be the same. Featuring an exclusive extended episode, deleted scenes, and so much more, Burn Notice Season Five will reveal more shocking secrets than ever before!

7. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $44.98
Price: $22.63
You Save: $22.35 (50%)

The superb sitcom The Big Bang Theory launches into its fourth season with an expanded cast and a whole new set of social dynamics to go with it. It’s a little unsteady at first: Sheldon (the ever-inspired Jim Parsons) denies having a girlfriend in the similarly intellectual Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik, a long way away from Blossom), which leads to several Sheldon-dominated episodes–and as marvelous a character as Sheldon is, he can be too much of a good thing. Fortunately, things soon take a clever turn: Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Howard’s girlfriend Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), and Amy become, ever so awkwardly, friends, providing an ingenious counterpoint to the socially hapless quartet of Sheldon, Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj (Kunal Nayyar). Amy’s emotional disconnection but fervent curiosity provides a delicious variation on Sheldon (without in any way replacing him) that gooses the show up to a new level. But episodes without her are still enjoyable–this is one of the best-written and -acted comedies on television. Though there is an odd increase in bodily function humor (perhaps the writers are trying to counter the jokes about comic books and theoretical physics), inventive stories abound: Sheldon becoming obsessed with cats; Amy’s complete bafflement at becoming aroused by one of Penny’s ex-boyfriends; grappling with Wil Wheaton over 21 extra seconds of Raiders of the Lost Ark; the plundering of Sheldon’s World of Warcraft account; Leonard getting involved with Raj’s sister Priya (Aarti Mann), much to Raj’s discomfort; and much, much more. The balance of the ensemble grows increasingly skillful over the episode, giving everyone a chance to shine.

Special Features: Actor on Actor: The Big Bang’s Theory of Relativity Featurette -This fun and light-hearted piece features the stars of the show conducting interviews with each other detailing their experiences working on one of the hottest comedies on television. The Barenaked Ladies on Big Bang Theory Featurette – Having created one of the greatest theme songs in recent history, the Barenaked Ladies bring it home when they come to the set of the Big Bang Theory to record a music video for the song. Featuring an interview with the band, behind the scenes footage of the filming of an episode, and clips from the new video itself, this piece carries with it all of the fun and energy you could expect from both the band and the show. The History of Everything Music Video Gag Reel

8. Dexter: The Sixth Season

List Price: $54.99
Price: $37.86
You Save: $17.13 (31%)

The explosively popular Dexter is back with a vengeance for a sixth season of startling suspense and unexpected twists. It’s been a year since last season’s shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, and mild mannered criminologist-cum-grisly serial killer Dexter Morgan has come to terms with who he is. But his existence is shattered when he crosses paths with an enemy unlike any he’s faced before. A delusional religious zealot with unflinching convictions, this new adversary soon draws Dexter into a dangerous game that could well end in disaster.

A likeable Miami police forensics expert moonlights as a serial killer of criminals who he believes have escaped justice.

9. White Collar: Season Three

List Price: $39.98
Price: $15.99
You Save: $23.99 (60%)

Matt Bomer is back for another thrilling season of high-class capers and criminal intrigue on TV’s slickest, sexiest show, White Collar! Bomer returns as suave con man turned FBI consultant Neal Caffrey, racing to stay one step ahead of the feds even as he helps his partner, Agent Peter Burke, bring down some of the world’s most clever criminals. The stakes are at an all-time high as Neal struggles to come to terms with his own checkered past, but will his greatest con cost him everything? Featuring DVD-exclusive extras, the white hot Season Three of White Collar is a whole new bag of tricks!

10. Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Second Season

List Price: $59.98
Price: $35.88
You Save: $24.10 (40%)

High school is a turbulent time for any teenager, but factor in the murder of a good friend and constant stalking by a relentless blackmailer, and four Rosewood teens are living unbelievably stressful, dangerous lives. In the second season of Pretty Little Liars, Emily, Hanna, Spencer, and Aria are crumbling under the constant pressure of A’s relentless texts and the knowledge that A inexplicably knows every little detail of their lives, including their thoughts, and is watching and anticipating the girls’ every move. The season opens with Ian, the girls’ prime suspect for murdering Alison, falling from the bell tower, but the girls’ relief is short-lived as Ian’s body disappears and the police refuse to believe their account of what happened. Eventually the mystery around Ian clears up, but just when it looks like Alison’s murder has finally been solved, the girls discover that things are once again not what they seem. Meanwhile, Spencer’s family is falling apart, with Melissa now pregnant and husbandless and Alison’s brother Jason stirring things up by moving back in next door. Aria and Ezra’s relationship gets even more complicated, and Aria’s brother Mike finds himself in trouble with the law, while their parents find themselves tested like never before. Emily’s shot at a swimming scholarship get derailed, and she ends up moving in with Hanna and her mom, who have their own problems, thanks to Hanna’s dad’s impending remarriage and move. Add in a therapist, assorted boyfriends and girlfriends who get pulled into the mess to varying degrees, Jenna’s chance to regain her sight, Hanna’s new stepsister, increasing parental suspicion, and the never-ending interest of the local police, and there’s plenty of drama, and trauma, for these Rosewood teens, who’ve never felt more alone. The last few episodes of the season culminate in the discovery of A’s identity, and it looks like A’s reign of terror over the four girls will finally end–unless.…

What makes this series based on the books by Sara Shepard so addictive is the constant intensity of suspense and mystery, and the realization that these girls are basically not that different from the average teenager struggling to discover their own identity and sense of self-worth. The fact that these teens have been pushed to such extremes by desperate circumstances leaves viewers contemplating the frightening thought of just how they might react in a similar situation. (Ages 13 and older)

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Copyright David Masters

 

Top 10 DVD Movies for July 2012

Top 10 DVD Movies for July 2012

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 6. John Carter
2. 21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) 7. Courageous
3. Wrath of the Titans 8. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol
4. Mirror Mirror 9. Safe House
5. Act of Valor 10. The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)


1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

List Price: $28.98
Price: $9.99
You Save: $18.99 (66%)

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective. Around the globe, headlines break the news: a scandal takes down an Indian cotton tycoon; a Chinese opium trader dies of an apparent overdose; bombings in Strasbourg and Vienna; the death of an American steel magnate… No one sees the connective thread between these seemingly random events – no one, that is, except the great Sherlock Holmes, who has discerned a deliberate web of death and destruction. At its center sits a singularly sinister spider: Moriarty. Holmes’ investigation into Moriarty’s plot becomes more dangerous as it leads him and Watson out of London to France, Germany and finally Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead, and moving perilously close to completing his ominous plan. If he succeeds, it will not only bring him immense wealth and power but alter the course of history.

2. 21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

List Price: $30.99
Price: $17.96
You Save: $13.03 (42%)

When 21 Jump Street premiered on Fox in 1987, it offered a cool-kid twist on the cop drama formula. This new-era reinvention keeps the cops, but trades earnest drama for raunchy comedy. At Sagan High, Schmidt (newly scrawny Jonah Hill, fresh off an Oscar nomination for Moneyball) was a brainy guy with no game, while Jenko (ever-brawny Channing Tatum, funnier than expected) was a popular jock with bad grades. Five years later, they reconnect at police academy, where enemies become friends when they pool their resources, but after their first bust goes bad, the deputy chief (Nick Offerman) ships them off to Jump Street, where their youthful looks lead to an undercover sting operation at Sagan (apparently, no staff members recognize the former students). Due to a mix-up, Schmidt ends up with the theater kids and Jenko with the science nerds. Through a production of Peter Pan, Schmidt meets Molly (Brie Larson), who introduces him to her drug dealer boyfriend, Eric (James Franco’s deadpan brother, Dave). Now, they just need to track down Eric’s supplier to shut the whole operation down. Along the way, Schmidt discovers his inner performer and Jenko his inner geek, but these new personas threaten the case, generating several Superbad-style laughs, so it’s too bad the finale devolves into bloodshed more befitting a John Woo crime caper, though the snappy chemistry between Hill and Tatum papers over some of the holes in the script–along with a foul-mouthed Ice Cube and one rather famous original cast member.

3. Wrath of the Titans

List Price: $28.98
Price: $14.96
You Save: $14.02 (48%)

Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson star once again as gods at war in “Wrath of the Titans”, under the direction of Johnathan Liebesman. A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kaken, Perseus (Worthington) the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson) is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramrez), switch loyalties and make a deal, with kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen gob Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

4. Mirror Mirror

List Price: $29.98
Price: $18.96
You Save: $11.02 (37%)

Mirror Mirror is another traipse through the fairy tale of Snow White, this time without animation or songs. Oh, there’s a poisoned apple, and a magic mirror, and a houseful of dwarfs living in the woods, not to worry–and of course, there’s a wicked queen, embodied by Julia Roberts in witchy mode. The pure-as-driven-you-know-what heroine is played by Lily Collins, and here poor Snow is expelled as always from the magical castle and left in the forest, where she comes upon the dwarfs. Now here’s easily the best part of the movie: the seven dwarfs are boisterous highwaymen, stealing from passersby while wearing springy stilts (the spirited crew includes Danny Woodburn, from Seinfeld, and Jordan Prentice, from In Bruges). Also giving it a game try is Armie Hammer (The Social Network), as the prince who wanders into the middle of the tug-of-war between queen and princess. Hammer’s charming, and the movie has the superficial visual gloss of director Tarsem Singh’s previous efforts (including The Fall). But the breezy tone and tongue-in-cheek approach are ultimately so facile they leave you with nothing much to care about, and the Disney cartoon classic seems dark and tough-minded by comparison. Dopey, you never looked so good.

5. Act of Valor

List Price: $29.98
Price: $19.96
You Save: $10.02 (33%)

Act of Valor aims to capture the experience of Navy SEALs as they combat the schemes of a Chechnyan jihadist who wants to send suicide bombers into American stadiums and shopping malls. Their efforts take them all over the world, from Costa Rica to Somalia to the South Pacific. For added authenticity, eight real Navy SEALs have been cast in the lead roles. In terms of tactics and equipment, Act of Valor is rigorously authentic. What marks this as fantasy is the perfection of the missions (there are no civilian casualties; every sniper takes out his target in a single head shot–there are a lot of exploding heads in this movie) and absolute moral clarity (the wild-eyed jihadist and drug cartel foot soldiers are unquestionably evil; one of the main characters carries his grandfather’s folded flag from World War II). The performances of the SEALs, though well intentioned, make you appreciate the complexities of Arnold Schwarzenegger. What’s smart about Act of Valor is that it doesn’t waste much time with setups or dialogue, but heads straight into the missions. However, much of these missions are filmed like a first-person-shooter video game, which lends a sense of immediacy but undercuts the sense of reality. Still, all in all, Act of Valor is a sincere attempt to express admiration for the men and women risking their lives in the military.

6. John Carter

List Price: $29.99
Price: $17.99
You Save: $12.00 (40%)

Disney’s megabudget foray into a new CGI franchise of epic sci-fi mythology arrives with a massive marketing push and an interesting pulp pedigree that will probably inspire as many fans as it will naysayers. This impressively crafted piece of escapist fantasy is based on a character and series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs that is runner-up to his primary creation, Tarzan, and the 20-plus volumes he wrote about that iconic ape-raised jungle adventurer. Burroughs churned out books in both series concurrently for roughly his entire adult life in the first half of the 20th century. John Carter is a former Confederate Civil War captain and fortune-hunting ne’er-do-well who through a weird incident of astral projection is plopped down on the red planet, where he becomes a passionate warrior against beasts and humanoids for the security of a home world known to its inhabitants as Barsoom. John Carter presents this origin setup in a clever prologue that finds the cranky Carter on the run from frontier military authorities as well as a band of marauding Indians. Carter is played by Friday Night Lights star Taylor Kitsch with great bravado. His character undergoes radical change when confronted with something he can finally care about. It doesn’t hurt that an exotic princess of Mars is part of the prize package that comes from his battle against evil and ultimately doing the right thing. John Carter is a visual feast (especially in well-conceived 3-D) with an array of digital and motion-capture techniques that create an eye-popping world of strange creatures, astounding architectural vistas, aerial panoramas, and luminous landscapes. All the extraordinary detail is not surprising considering that Pixar superstar Andrew Stanton is at the helm (he also directed Finding Nemo and WALL-E). There’s a lot going on in the script, and it sometimes feels as though too much work was done in the editing suite to streamline a story that is often overly complicated. Barsoom is ruled by three species, all with their own political and social agendas. There are the humans whose city-state cultures are threatened by civil war and the aggression of Tharks, a race of giant green-skinned, four-armed warriors with horrific tusks and a deeply bellicose intellect. Separate from both are the mythic Therns, a cultlike sect of über-beings who seek to manipulate all of Barsoom into their own submission. Added to the mix are a variety of outrageous animal creatures both vicious and sublime that make for an extremely motley ensemble of beasties. The huge cast of characters, species, and names becomes a bit confusing to keep straight in all the rapid-fire exposition. Fortunately the movie doesn’t ever stop long enough to allow much time for thinking; there’s something new and exciting to look at in virtually every scene. Because of some fantastical leaps of physics and gravity, Carter’s Martian body possesses super strength and the ability to make single bounds over huge distances. His powers not only make him a godlike presence to the natives of Barsoom, they also provide for some dizzying feats of movie magic. The most bravura element of the conceptual design is a fleet of massive solar-powered flying machines that recall something out of H.G. Wells or a steampunk fantasy. These colorful, insectlike machines soar and float in the gold-hued Martian atmosphere with thrilling precision. Even though the multitude of beings, names, and alliances may sometimes elicit a glassy-eyed response, there’s plenty of attention-grabbing exactitude to behold in John Carter. There’s also a good chance that the fans will make it worth Disney’s while to shell out another hundred million to keep the saga going.

7. Courageous

List Price: $30.99
Price: $16.91
You Save: $14.08 (45%)

What is the true mark of a man? The male stars of the moving sleeper hit Courageous are all sheriff’s deputies in a small Georgia town, putting their lives on the line every day. Yet as Courageous deftly shows, the true measure of a man’s courage and heart lies in the daily choices he makes, especially as a husband and father. Courageous is a film that examines faith, commitment, and the preciousness of life. If that sounds simplistic, Courageous, made by the same filmmakers who made the Christian film Fireproof and others, is in fact mostly nuanced, sophisticated, and very well acted. Directed by Alex Kendrick, who also cowrote the screenplay with his brother Stephen, and who costars as well, Courageous blends believable action scenes and drama with just enough comedy to keep things from being ponderous. The opening sequence, in fact, is one of the best car-chase scenes in recent film memory–and the “reveal” at its conclusion will bring tears to viewers’ eyes. In fact, Courageous is a weeper of a film, but only because its message is so true and deeply felt. Each of the four deputies–played by Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes, and Ben Davies–wrestles with choices big and small, and finds his faith tested in the darkest of times. Courageous is an excellent faith-based film suitable for teens and older (there’s a death in the film that may be disturbing to very young viewers, though it’s handled off-screen). The Blu-ray disc contains lots of extras, including a thoughtful commentary with Alex and Stephen Kendrick, a making-of featurette that’s as inspiring as the film, outtakes, and a hilarious short called “Courageous in 60 Seconds” that underscores that the filmmakers have an all-important sense of humor. Anyone seeking a quality faith-based film experience will be enormously moved by the heart of Courageous.

8. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol

List Price: $29.99
Price: $10.95
You Save: $19.04 (63%)

The second half of the first decade of the 21st century has been kind of tough for Tom Cruise. That’s tough in a way over and above the hardship of living the legacy of one of history’s top movie stars–a job more demanding than any mere mortal could imagine. But after two fruitful collaborations with Steven Spielberg (Minority Report and War of the Worlds), his stature took a beating from the one-two hits of those wacky PR gaffes and that string of relative box-office disappointments (Lions for Lambs, Valkyrie, Knight and Day), which seemed to start with the third installment of his Mission: Impossible franchise in 2006. It’s hard to say with a straight face that taking in only $398 million worldwide is a disappointment, but it was a low for the series, which some later saw as a prelude to his potentially dimming stardom. But on the cusp of turning 50, it looks like Tom Cruise has put the licking behind him and entered a new phase of self-conception with an upcoming array of roles, starting with a more maturely controlled version of superspy Ethan Hunt in the sleek and supercharged Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. The things Cruise has done right in M: I part four include toning down his youthful, arrogant preening and letting his castmates share more of the spotlight (Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon Pegg all have some terrifically shiny moments). He also lets the unique creative vision of director Brad Bird shine through in a first live-action outing for the acclaimed helmer of Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Still looking much younger than his years (that hair! those pecs! those abs!), Cruise is playing more age-appropriately, letting a little wisdom and grace seep into his charisma so the wattage of his mere presence smolders a little deeper. It’s a nice nod to a graying generation that says you can get older and still be cool. All that is not to say he doesn’t play up his action-star chops to the max. In a mostly inconsequential narrative arc that has something to do with purloined nuclear launch codes, an important metal briefcase, satellite uplinks, and global annihilation that leaps from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai, Cruise is as dangerously nimble as he has ever been. He dangles one-handed from the tallest building in the world, bounds off ledges, springs out of speeding vehicles, tumbles and careens up and down the levels of an automated parking garage, and generally sprints and jumps his way across the movie with only a scratch or bruise to show for it. Also on the outlandish upside is a happily stereotypical villain straight out of Connery-era Bond and as many bleeding-edge gadgets as the art department techno-geeks could dream up. A running gag is that many of these electronic fantasy tools fail at just the wrong moment, which is part of a larger wink acknowledging how utterly preposterous yet ingeniously conceived this behemoth of a movie really is. The gadgetry is not limited just to the miraculous props. Ghost Protocol employs CGI fakery of the highest order from the sub-industry of effects contractors that ratchet up the standard of computing power and software design, one-upping each successive action-adventure extravaganza. The loving detail that goes into blowing up the Kremlin or rendering a photo-realistic sandstorm erupting across the enhanced skyline of an Oz-like desert city is nothing short of miraculous. What’s more astonishing is that Tom Cruise closes the deal with a selling power that’s as new and improved as the laminates on his multi-million-dollar teeth.

9. Safe House

List Price: $29.98
Price: $17.99
You Save: $11.99 (40%)

The first hint that Safe House will be a notch above the typical thriller comes from the list of supporting actors: Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Rubén Blades–that’s a smart cast. Then the movie starts quietly: Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) holding his girlfriend’s hand, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) having a drink with an old friend… then that friend gives Frost a microchip and Safe House takes off, accelerating with every scene as legendary rogue agent Frost ends up in the hands of newbie Weston, who’s just supposed to watch the safe house where prisoners are held for interrogation. But now Weston is racing across Cape Town and Johannesburg, pursued by ruthless killers, his loyalties tested and manipulated by the infinitely charming Frost. Director Daniel Espinosa skillfully orchestrates jolting action sequences and distills quieter scenes down to their mesmerizing essence. Washington and Reynolds both give their characters emotional complexity and a sense of actual thought going on behind their charismatic movie-star eyes. The plot has its clichés (legendary rogue agent, crucial microchip, CIA corruption and whatnot), but this cast and director make Safe House a genuinely gripping thriller.

10. The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

List Price: $30.99
Price: $14.99
You Save: $16.00 (52%)

Can true love really conquer all? That is the question hovering over the genuinely touching, affecting drama The Vow. Based on a true story (which itself might have made a great documentary), The Vow is a showcase for the splendid acting talent of Rachel McAdams and a breakthrough role for Channing Tatum, under the deft direction of Michael Sucsy (the feature version of Grey Gardens). The story is deceptively simple: Happy young married couple Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) are, well, happy. Then a car accident puts Paige into a life-threatening coma, and upon awakening, she finds she has lost the previous five years of memories–including of being married to, or ever in love with, her beloved Leo. With lesser actors or with a more heavy-handed director, The Vow might have been predictable, melodramatic, or flat–and yet, the talents of the two stars, and the crisp, light-handed direction, make The Vow an enjoyable, deeply affecting love story. McAdams is as winning as always, reminiscent of her early work in The Notebook, and here, as a brunette, channeling a young Jennifer Garner. But it’s Tatum on whose shoulders The Vow must succeed, and he is a revelation. His persona as a tough guy’s guy is perfect here, as a “softer” actor would have led The Vow straight into Lifetime Movie Network territory. The viewer relates to Leo, including his obvious frustration, discomfort, and even moments of terror. Sam Neill and Jessica Lange (who glowed in Sucsy’s Grey Gardens) make memorable supporting appearances. But it’s McAdams and especially Tatum who make The Vow the believable, delicate, and loving journey it is.

Click Here for More Top Movies

Copyright David Masters 2012

 

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for June 2012

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for June 2012

These are the hottest fitness workouts right now… delivered conveniently on DVD

1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body 6. Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT 8 Weeks
2. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate Ultimate 7. Firm Express 15 Pounds in 30 Days
3. P90X: 90-Day Extreme 8. TurboFire: 90-Day Intense Workout
4. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts 9. rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs
5. Brazil Butt Lift by Beachbody 10. ChaLEAN EXTREME Workout DVDs


1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program

List Price: $169.99
Price: $144.80
You Save: $25.19 (15%)

  • Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs for a great workout
  • Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 workout DVDs packed with plyometric drills
  • Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your max
  • Perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest
  • Free online support tools help you stay motivated with round-the-clock access to fitness experts and peer support

Shaun T’s Insanity workout is the best of its kind. No other workout can get you these types of results in just 60 days… Guaranteed!Shaun T’s Max Interval Training techniques are a step ahead of every other fitness program ever designed. You get you a lean, muscular body in a short amount of time. The Insanity Workout is a difficult workout, but the results are phenomenal.Brand New, Factory Sealed Box Set. Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs that all contain a GREAT workout. You don`t need exercise equipment. All you need is just a little space and a big heart!You will receive:-Elite Nutrition Manual -Fitness Guide -Fit Test Tracker -Workout Calendar 10 Insanity Workout DVDs1: Dig Deeper & Fit Test:To start, Shaun T will put your body to the test and see what you’re made of.2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit:Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat-inducing cardio.3: Cardio Power & Resistance:Build lean muscle and upper-body definition with strength-training and insanity workout power moves.4: Cardio Recovery:Shaun T goes easier on you once a week so you’re ready for the next Insanity Workout round.5: Pure Cardio & Abs:Skip the intervals-this nonstop cardio workout is all extreme.6: Cardio Abs:Do explosive intervals of cardio and core moves for rock-hard abs.7: Core Cardio & Balance:Take a break after month 1 of the Insanity workout and gear up for month 2 with this workout.8: Max Interval Circuit:The interval circuit that’s more intense than anything you’ve ever done before.9: Max Interval Plyo:Push your legs ’til they beg for mercy with power and plyo, all at your MAX.10: Max Cardio Conditioning & Abs:Get pushed to your limit with this extreme cardio workout. Click Here fore More Insanity

2. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate: The Ultimate Experience DVD Set

List Price: $129.99
Price: $89.85
You Save: $40.04 (31%)

  • Enjoy this revolutionary and highly popular fitness program from the comfort of your own home.
  • Easy-to-follow steps for more than 30 rhythms, including merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia, hip-hop, and belly dance.
  • Comes with maraca-like Zumba Toning Sticks to sculpt your body while dancing.Two-in-one DVD feature lets you listen to verbal cueing or music only.
  • Easy-to-follow choreography and muscle engaging routines.Workouts include a breakdown of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout.

Bigger, bolder, and edgier, the Zumba® Fitness Exhilarate DVD collection is revolutionizing the at-home fitness experience by combining raw energy with cutting-edge design, lights, and sounds to take you on an unforgettable, exhilarating journey to a healthy and happy lifestyle.

As Jam-packed with red-hot dance steps, pulsating Latin and international rhythms, and feel-it-to-the-core routines, this invigorating dance-fitness party will have you movin’, rockin’, and shakin’ the weight off to the exotic rhythms of salsa, cumbia, samba, reggaeton, merengue, and more. With music-video style visuals and live musical accompaniment, these multisensory fitness DVDs put you right in the middle of a Zumba® Fitness-Party. And thanks to its nonstop, easy-to-follow choreography and muscle-engaging routines, you’ll torch hundreds of calories per hour and sculpt your body from head to toe–without feeling like you’re working out.

The seven-disc DVD collection features seven total-body workouts and each routine utilizes varying levels of intensity to deliver a body-energizing workout that you’ll want to move to again and again. The set includes breakdowns of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout, a 45-minute “Activate” workout, the “Ripped” workout featuring the Zumba® Toning program and breakthrough Zumba Sentao program, a 60-minute “Exhilarate” dance-fitness party, the “Mix” workout featuring rhythms from all over the world, and a massive Zumbathon® Fitness-Concert live class. Click Here for More Zumba Fitness

3. P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program

List Price: $150.00
Price: $139.80
You Save: $10.20 (7%)

  • Get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated
  • Muscle Confusion technique accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus
  • Collection of 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts
  • Also includes comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options
  • Personal trainer Tony Horton will keep you engaged every step of the way

P90X is a revolutionary system of 12 highly intense workouts, designed to transform your body. * Chest and Back * Plyometrics * Shoulders and Arms * Yoga X * Legs and Back * Kenpo X * X Stretch * Core Synergistics * Chest, Shoulders and Triceps * Back and Biceps * Ab Ripper X * Cardio X Extra DVD for a quick overview of the complete P90X Extreme Home Fitness training system is included. To get you started, you will also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed to help you lose fat; a detailed fitness guide, packed with valuable fitness information to help you get the most out of your program; and a calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated. Click Here for More P90X

4. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts Set

Price: $71.99

  • Get amazing flat abs with hip hop dance moves and diet secrets from Shaun T
  • Burn calories and shed fat with fun, hip dance moves set to music
  • Easy-to-follow weight loss plan can help you lose up to 3 inches off your waist quickly
  • Also includes measurement card, tape measure and 30-day workout calendar

Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program, which includes four DVDs, a step-by-step nutrition guide, 30-day workout calendar, and six-day slimdown plan. Workouts include:

(1)SECRETS TO FLAT ABS: Shaun shares his targeted training technique, TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN, which activates your upper, middle, and lower abs and obliques at the same tiem so you get beautiful, flat, sexy abs!

(2)FAT BURNING CARDIO: This is not your mama’s aerobics video. A mazimum calorie burn that targets your ABS, so you burn off the fat while revealing a tight, toned, sexy midsection. Shaun’s energy, hot music, and exciting moves like the “throw down” and “up-rock” make the time fly by.

(3)AB SCULPT: Are you ready for your very own six-pack? Shaun teaches you the most innovative standing ab and core moves you’ll ever experience! With Shaun’s TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN technique you’ll really fire up those ab muscles and melt the flab!

(4)TOTAL BODY BURN: This head-to-toe workout combines cardio with total body sculpting, while you target your midsection – so you burn off the fat and reveal a tight, toned body … Say goodbye to love handles and say hello to a slimmer waist and flat, sexy abs!

(5)HIPS, BUNS, AND THIGHS: Slim your upper and lower abs while you target those stubborn lower-body problem areas. Forget boring lunges and dreaded squats – Shaun’s dynamic Hip Hop moves like “the freak” and “drive the car” not only get results but they make it fun! So now you can slim your hips, trim your thighs, lift your booty, and get back into your skinny jeans FAST!

(6)LAST MINUTE ABS: Ready, Set, GO! Just give Shaun 5 minutes and you’re guaranteed an ab workout that’s fast, fun, and effective. Plus, you’ll be singing out loud to this famous tune and before you know it you’re not only done, you’ve got great abs too! Perfect when you’re short on time but still want to work on that six-pack! *BONUS LEARN TO DANCE Routines.

Other items in this package include:

  • Step-by-Step Nutrition Guide:Shaun T shares his secrets for how you can lose weight faster and still eat the foods you love.
  • 30-day workout calendar:You can freestyle your Hip Hop Abs workouts, or follow Shaun T’s schedule designed to get you jaw-dropping abs and to tone your entire body fast.
  • Measurement card & tape measure:Use these tools to chart your progress as the inches melt away.
  • Results on the Run diet guide:You can still eat at your favorite fast food restaurants–guilt free. Shaun T shows you the best stuff to order when you’re on the go.
  • 6-Day SlimDown plan:Want to start losing in a hurry? Jump-start your weight loss with Shaun T’s easy-to-follow plan and lose up to 3 inches off your waist in your first week.
  • Learn to Dance: Shaun T shows you 2 full Hip Hop dance routines that will rev up your metabolism while you learn the latest moves he’s been teaching the hottest names in music for their videos (Take It to the Dance Floor; Last Minute Dance). Click Here for More Hip Hop Abs

5. Brazil Butt Lift by Beachbody

Price: $7.80

  • Brazil Butt Lift – Workout DVD (English and Spanish)
  • 3-DVD workout system designed to reduce, shape, and lift your behind
  • Proven TriAngle Training method works all 3 major buttocks muscles
  • Combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and signature lower-body sculpting moves
  • Includes such workouts as Bum Bum, High & Tight, Sculpt, and Cardio Attack

Trainer to world-famous supermodels, Leandro Carvalho combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and his own signature lower-body sculpting moves to lift, firm, and shape your behind for a rear view you’ve only dreamed about. Leandro’s proven TriAngle Training method works all three major muscles of the buttocks from multiple angles to reduce your hips and saddlebag area, slim your thighs, and lift your butt without bulking up your thighs. You can even customize the workout plan to turn your current shape into the one you’ve always wanted. Click Here for More Brazil Butt Lift

6. Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT 8 Week Ultimate Home Training Program

List Price: $99.99
Price: $79.99
You Save: $20.00 (20%)

  • 7 Workouts on 6 GSP RUSHFIT DVDs
  • GSP RUSHFIT Nutrition Guide
  • GSP RUSHFIT Workout Guide
  • 3 GSP RUSHFIT 8 Week Training Calendars: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
  • Collectors Edition RUSHFIT DVD Slipcase

RUSHFIT is a fast, efficient, effective workout program designed to give you maximum results in the quickest time possible. Full-body MMA-style conditioning circuits are the new standard in advanced training and sport conditioning. Build endurance, increase core strength, and add muscle while burning up calories during these fast paced 45 minute workouts. Try to keep up with Georges St-Pierre as his trainer Erik Owings pushes you and Georges through a series of intense cross training circuits.
The RUSHFIT DVDs are targeted at all fitness levels for both men and women and allow you to increase the intensity and pace over time. Add muscle, get ripped and lean, and drop the extra pounds during this 8 week program that will help you get results – FAST. The ONLY required equipment is a small assortment of dumbbells or hand-held weights ranging from 5lbs to 30lbs. That’s it!
TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION. Click Here for More Georges St-Pierre RUSHFIT DVDs

7. The Firm Express Lose 15 Pounds in 30 Days DVD Kit

List Price: $119.98
Price: $70.43
You Save: $49.55 (41%)

  • Burn up to 3X more fat
  • Revolutionary 8-second mini burst
  • Quick results, 30 day, four cycle system specifically sequenced to optimize weight loss
  • Sculpt thighs, buns, abs, and upper body to perfection
  • 24/7 Fat burning – Continue to burn calories long after workouts are over

The Firm has packaged this workout program in a thirty-day, 4-cycle system arranged in a unique progression specifically sequenced to optimize weight loss and sculpt long, lean muscles. Each cycle includes three revolutionary workouts for a total of 12 power-packed DVDs based on cutting-edge fitness and designed to help you achieve maximum results in minimum time. Also included is a bonus DVD with two workouts that are designed to kick start your metabolism and jump start your weight loss.

During each cycle, The Firm Express will ignite your metabolism by blending cardio and sculpting together with mini bursts that rev the metabolism to produce an after-burn effect so you’ll keep burning calories even after your workout is complete. It’s The Firm’s fastest and most effective weight loss plan yet. Click Here fore More on The Firm Express DVD Set

8. TurboFire: 90-Day Intense Cardio Conditioning & Interval Training Workout DVD Program

Price: $139.99

  • Chalene Johnson’s TurboFire includes 12 workouts on 11 DVDs

TurboFire is the intense new cardio conditioning program from fitness innovator Chalene Johnson. She’ll help you get leaner with exercises that burn up to 9x more fat and calories than regular cardio does. And with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes, TurboFire will pick you up and push you past your limits.

Chalene’s New to Class option also gives you the breakdown on how to do each move with the right form.

So forget the excuses. Forget the gym. Now the hottest classes in Southern California come to you. Click Here for More TurboFire

9. rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs

List Price: $199.99
Price: $84.98
You Save: $115.01 (58%)

  • 60 days of progressive workouts on an 8-DVD workout system
  • 60-Day Nutrition Guide
  • Wall Chart Exercise Guide
  • Work out with Georges St. Pierre, MMA World Champion
  • Work out with Jillian Michaels, America?s Toughest Trainer

Featuring suspended rotation, rip:60 forces your body to stabilize and balance throughout your workout for maximum muscle activation. You’ll not only lose weight and strengthen muscles, but you’ll increase flexibility, power and endurance. With this ultimate at home workout system, you’ll completely transform your body in just 60 days!

Included:

  • rip:60 straps
  • 8 Workout DVDs
  • rip:60 for Runners DVD
  • rip:60 Nylon Carrying Bag
  • Jillian Michaels Fat Shredding DVD
  • Georges St. Pierre Lean Muscle DVD
  • rip:60 Power Yoga Workout DVD
  • 60 Day Nutrition Guide
8 Workout DVDs: The rip:60 workout DVDs create an 8-week, scientifically designed progression of movements for a complete, total-body transformation. Weeks 1 through 4 focus on strength. You’ll learn the right moves and increase your strength endurance. DVDs 5 through 8 target your overall power. You’ll develop incredible power endurance with explosive moves that maximize muscle activation.
60-Day Nutrition Guide:  Fuel your body with the 60-Day Nutrition Guide. It’s full of delicious, healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes that go hand-in-hand with your workout plan. You’ll get exactly what you need to feel great and get the most out of your rip:60 workouts.
Wall Chart Exercise Guide:  Get step-by-step instruction on specific exercises with this wall chart. Designed by a Certified Personal Trainer, you’ll get the expertise you need to maximize your rip:60 workout time!
Travel Bag: Perfect for travel, this nylon travel bag easily stores the rip:60. It’s ready for an intense workout wherever you go! Click Here for More on the rip:60 Home Gym and Fitness DVDs

10. ChaLEAN EXTREME Workout DVD Program: Burn Fat, Boost Your Metabolism & Get Lean

Price: $114.95

  • PHASE 1: BURN – Burn Circuit 1, Burn Circuit 2, Burn Circuit 3
  • PHASE 2: PUSH – Push Circuit 1, Push Circuit 2, Push Circuit 3
  • PHASE 3: LEAN – Lean Circuit 1, Lean Circuit 2, Lean Circuit 3
  • EXTREME CARDIO: Burn Intervals, Burn It Off, Recharge
  • CORE POWER: Extreme Abs, Ab Burner

The ChaLean Extreme workout DVD Set is a complete weightless and exercise system that works on the basic biological fact that muscle burns fat. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Using the ChaLean workout method you can burn up to 60 percent of your body fat in just three months and see visible results every 30 days–guaranteed.

The ChaLean DVD set comes with 15 workout that teach you the proper form and technique for the resistance moves you’ll be doing in the program, whether you’re using weights or bands. The Muscle Burns Fat Guidebook makes it easy to follow the program–equipped with calendars, the guidebook shows you which workout to do each day and how much weight to lift. The Fat-Burning Food Guide shows you what to eat in each phase of the training to maximize fat burning and get the most out of your workout. The Thigh Toner Band adds oomph to your lower body workout for extra toning and the Body Fat Tester measures your month-to-month fat burning progress.

Get ready to burn fat and get lean with ChaLEAN Extreme, the new extreme workout system that transformed everyone in the test group with 3 simple words: MUSCLE BURNS FATTM. It’s a fact. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. You can burn up to 60% of your body fat in just 3 months and see visible results every 30 days!

Phases mentioned above, plus:

  • MUSCLE BURNS FAT GUIDEBOOK with workout calendars to show you which workout to do each day and how much weight to lift.
  • THIGH TONER BAND adds some extra “oomph” to your lower-body resistance training.
  • BODY FAT TESTER to measure your body fat at each stage and help you see how much you’ll lose month to month!
  • FAT-BURNING FOOD GUIDE shows you what to eat in each phase to maximize fat burning.

Chalene’s personal

Click Here for More Best Selling Fitness Workout Programs

Copyright 2012 David Masters

 

Top 10 DVD Movies for June 2012

Top 10 DVD Movies for June 2012

1. Act of Valor 6. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies
2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 7. Thor
3. John Carter 8. This Means War
4. Safe House 9. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I
5. Red Tails 10. Captain America: The First Avenger


1. Act of Valor

List Price: $29.98
Price: $16.99
You Save: $12.99 (43%)

Act of Valor aims to capture the experience of Navy SEALs as they combat the schemes of a Chechnyan jihadist who wants to send suicide bombers into American stadiums and shopping malls. Their efforts take them all over the world, from Costa Rica to Somalia to the South Pacific. For added authenticity, eight real Navy SEALs have been cast in the lead roles. In terms of tactics and equipment, Act of Valor is rigorously authentic. What marks this as fantasy is the perfection of the missions (there are no civilian casualties; every sniper takes out his target in a single head shot–there are a lot of exploding heads in this movie) and absolute moral clarity (the wild-eyed jihadist and drug cartel foot soldiers are unquestionably evil; one of the main characters carries his grandfather’s folded flag from World War II). The performances of the SEALs, though well intentioned, make you appreciate the complexities of Arnold Schwarzenegger. What’s smart about Act of Valor is that it doesn’t waste much time with setups or dialogue, but heads straight into the missions. However, much of these missions are filmed like a first-person-shooter video game, which lends a sense of immediacy but undercuts the sense of reality. Still, all in all, Act of Valor is a sincere attempt to express admiration for the men and women risking their lives in the military.

2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (+ Ultraviolet Digital Copy)

List Price: $28.98
Price: $14.96
You Save: $14.02 (48%)

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective. Around the globe, headlines break the news: a scandal takes down an Indian cotton tycoon; a Chinese opium trader dies of an apparent overdose; bombings in Strasbourg and Vienna; the death of an American steel magnate… No one sees the connective thread between these seemingly random events – no one, that is, except the great Sherlock Holmes, who has discerned a deliberate web of death and destruction. At its center sits a singularly sinister spider: Moriarty. Holmes’ investigation into Moriarty’s plot becomes more dangerous as it leads him and Watson out of London to France, Germany and finally Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead, and moving perilously close to completing his ominous plan. If he succeeds, it will not only bring him immense wealth and power but alter the course of history.

3. John Carter

List Price: $29.99
Price: $16.99
You Save: $13.00 (43%)

Disney’s megabudget foray into a new CGI franchise of epic sci-fi mythology arrives with a massive marketing push and an interesting pulp pedigree that will probably inspire as many fans as it will naysayers. This impressively crafted piece of escapist fantasy is based on a character and series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs that is runner-up to his primary creation, Tarzan, and the 20-plus volumes he wrote about that iconic ape-raised jungle adventurer. Burroughs churned out books in both series concurrently for roughly his entire adult life in the first half of the 20th century. John Carter is a former Confederate Civil War captain and fortune-hunting ne’er-do-well who through a weird incident of astral projection is plopped down on the red planet, where he becomes a passionate warrior against beasts and humanoids for the security of a home world known to its inhabitants as Barsoom. John Carter presents this origin setup in a clever prologue that finds the cranky Carter on the run from frontier military authorities as well as a band of marauding Indians. Carter is played by Friday Night Lights star Taylor Kitsch with great bravado. His character undergoes radical change when confronted with something he can finally care about. It doesn’t hurt that an exotic princess of Mars is part of the prize package that comes from his battle against evil and ultimately doing the right thing. John Carter is a visual feast (especially in well-conceived 3-D) with an array of digital and motion-capture techniques that create an eye-popping world of strange creatures, astounding architectural vistas, aerial panoramas, and luminous landscapes. All the extraordinary detail is not surprising considering that Pixar superstar Andrew Stanton is at the helm (he also directed Finding Nemo and WALL-E). There’s a lot going on in the script, and it sometimes feels as though too much work was done in the editing suite to streamline a story that is often overly complicated. Barsoom is ruled by three species, all with their own political and social agendas. There are the humans whose city-state cultures are threatened by civil war and the aggression of Tharks, a race of giant green-skinned, four-armed warriors with horrific tusks and a deeply bellicose intellect. Separate from both are the mythic Therns, a cultlike sect of über-beings who seek to manipulate all of Barsoom into their own submission. Added to the mix are a variety of outrageous animal creatures both vicious and sublime that make for an extremely motley ensemble of beasties. The huge cast of characters, species, and names becomes a bit confusing to keep straight in all the rapid-fire exposition. Fortunately the movie doesn’t ever stop long enough to allow much time for thinking; there’s something new and exciting to look at in virtually every scene. Because of some fantastical leaps of physics and gravity, Carter’s Martian body possesses super strength and the ability to make single bounds over huge distances. His powers not only make him a godlike presence to the natives of Barsoom, they also provide for some dizzying feats of movie magic. The most bravura element of the conceptual design is a fleet of massive solar-powered flying machines that recall something out of H.G. Wells or a steampunk fantasy. These colorful, insectlike machines soar and float in the gold-hued Martian atmosphere with thrilling precision. Even though the multitude of beings, names, and alliances may sometimes elicit a glassy-eyed response, there’s plenty of attention-grabbing exactitude to behold in John Carter. There’s also a good chance that the fans will make it worth Disney’s while to shell out another hundred million to keep the saga going.

4. Safe House

List Price: $29.98
Price: $16.99
You Save: $12.99 (43%)

The first hint that Safe House will be a notch above the typical thriller comes from the list of supporting actors: Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Rubén Blades–that’s a smart cast. Then the movie starts quietly: Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) holding his girlfriend’s hand, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) having a drink with an old friend… then that friend gives Frost a microchip and Safe House takes off, accelerating with every scene as legendary rogue agent Frost ends up in the hands of newbie Weston, who’s just supposed to watch the safe house where prisoners are held for interrogation. But now Weston is racing across Cape Town and Johannesburg, pursued by ruthless killers, his loyalties tested and manipulated by the infinitely charming Frost. Director Daniel Espinosa skillfully orchestrates jolting action sequences and distills quieter scenes down to their mesmerizing essence. Washington and Reynolds both give their characters emotional complexity and a sense of actual thought going on behind their charismatic movie-star eyes. The plot has its clichés (legendary rogue agent, crucial microchip, CIA corruption and whatnot), but this cast and director make Safe House a genuinely gripping thriller.

5. Red Tails

List Price: $29.95
Price: $14.96
You Save: $14.99 (50%)

Aerial spectacle gives this World War II drama a lift. Based on the true adventures of the Tuskegee Airmen, who battled Nazis in the air and racism on the ground, Red Tails is built around four pilots, each with a character-type-appropriate nickname: the daredevil is named Lightning (David Oyelowo), the likable boozer is Easy (Nate Parker), the kid trying to prove himself is Junior (Tristan Wilds), and the joker is called, uhm, Joker (Elijah Kelley). While these four chafe at their lousy assignments at the front, Colonel Bullard (Terrence Howard, applying his steely rasp to fervent, inspirational speeches) fights back in Washington to give these men a chance to prove themselves… and when they get that chance, prove themselves they do. This is a crucial bit of history–racial integration in the military was a key step leading to the civil rights movement decades later. Regrettably, this powerful material has been reduced to ham-fisted clichés, groaning under the weight of clumsy exposition. Such flimsy hokum is particularly surprising coming from co-screenwriter Aaron McGruder, creator of the sharply satirical The Boondocks; one suspects that the heavy hand of producer George Lucas was a factor. Nonetheless, when Red Tails takes to the air, the movie–like the pilots–shows its mettle. Though the digital effects are inexplicably uneven, the dizzying dogfight choreography will make your nerves tingle.

6. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies

List Price: $19.98
Price: $14.96
You Save: $5.02 (25%)

The year is 1907. It is 10 years after the Phantom’s disappearance from the Paris Opera House. He has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island. In this new electrically-charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar. All that is missing is his love – Christine Daa‚. Now one of the world’s finest sopranos, Christine is struggling in an ailing marriage to Raoul. So, it is with excitement she accepts an invitation to travel to New York and perform at a renowned opera house. In a final bid to win back her love, the Phantom lures Christine, her husband, and their young son Gustave from Manhattan, to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island… not knowing what is in store for them.

7. Thor

List Price: $29.99
Price: $14.96
You Save: $15.03 (50%)

Of all the folks in long underwear to be tapped for superhero films, Thor would seem to be the most problematic to properly pull off. (Hypothetical Hollywood conversation: “A guy in a tricked-out, easily merchandisable metal suit? Great! An Asgardian God of Thunder who says stuff like thee and thou? Um, is Moon Knight available?”) Thankfully, the resulting film does its source material rather proud, via a committed cast and an approach that doesn’t shy away from the over-the-top superheroics. When you’re dealing with a flying guy wielding a huge hammer, gritty realism can be overrated, really. Blending elements from the celebrated comic arcs by Walter Simonson and J. Michael Straczynski, the story follows the headstrong Thunder God (Chris Hemsworth) as he is banished to Earth and stripped of his powers by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) after inadvertently starting a war with a planet of ticked-off Frost Giants. As his traitorous brother Loki (the terrific Tom Hiddleston) schemes in the wings, Thor must redeem himself and save the universe, with the aid of a beautiful scientist (Natalie Portman). Although director Kenneth Branagh certainly doesn’t skimp on the in-jokes and fan-pleasing continuity references (be prepared to stick around after the credits, Marvel fans), his film distinguishes itself by adopting a larger-than-life cosmic Shakespearean air that sets itself apart from both the cerebral, grounded style made fashionable by The Dark Knight and the loose-limbed Rat Packish vibe of the Iron Man series. Glorying in the absolute unreality of its premise, Branagh’s film is a swooping, Jack Kirby-inspired saga that brings the big-budget grins on a consistent basis, as well as tying in with the superhero battle royale The Avengers.

8. This Means War

List Price: $29.98
Price: $14.96
You Save: $15.02 (50%)

Spy flick meets romantic comedy in this surprisingly entertaining film about two CIA agents who find themselves in competition for the affections of the same beautiful woman. Agents FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are accustomed to using whatever means necessary to complete a mission–and that mentality has a tendency to bleed over into their personal lives. The two agents are also close friends, so when they discover they’re both dating Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), they enter into a gentleman’s agreement that stipulates they not interfere with one other, allow Lauren to choose the best man for her, and walk away from Lauren if seeing her begins to affect the men’s friendship. The agreement quickly degenerates into a pissing contest of epic proportions thanks to the men’s competitive natures and the arsenal of government resources at their disposal. Oblivious to the rivalry and the high-tech circus going on around her, Lauren desperately tries to figure out which of the two men is right for her. Her married friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) offers plenty of advice, assuring Lauren that just because she’s dating two guys at the same time, “You’re not going to hell, but if you are, I’ll be there to pick you up.” What makes this film so good is its perfect blend of high-action spy caper, laugh-aloud humor, and romance–all skillfully delivered by a talented cast.

9. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I (Two-Disc Special Edition)

List Price: $30.99
Price: $12.59
You Save: $18.40 (59%)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 delivers strongly for the rabid fan base who have catapulted the young adult novel series and subsequent movie adaptations to the worldwide phenomenon that it’s become, but it alienates a broader audience with a lack of any real action. Similar to the tone of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the first film of the two-part Twilight conclusion is heavy on romance, love, and turmoil but light on fight scenes and gruesome battles. The movie doesn’t waste any time getting to the goods and opens with Bella and Edward’s much-hyped wedding scene. It works–the vows are efficient and first-time franchise director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) moves the party along quickly and amusingly with a well-edited toast scene and some surprisingly moving moments between Bella and her father, cast standout Billy Burke. The honeymoon plays as a slightly awkward soft-focus made-for-TV movie, with a lot of long moments spent staring in the mirror and some love scenes that feel at once overly intimate and completely passionless. It’s a relief when Bella retches on a bite of chicken she’s cooked herself and quickly concludes she’s pregnant with a potentially demonic baby. From bliss to horror, the Cullens return to Forks, where Bella spends the second half of the movie wasting away and Edward and Jacob are aligned in their anger and frustration over her decision. Throw in some over-the-top scenes with Jacob and his pack–including a strange showdown where the wolves communicate in their canine form by having a passionate nonverbal fight in their minds (a plot point that works much better in print, it’s portrayed in the film via aggressive voice-over)–and the film overshoots intensity and goes straight to silly. The birth scene is horrific, but not as gruesome as in the book, and by the end, Bella has of course survived, though is much altered. The final scene features a delightfully campy Michael Sheen as Volturi leader Aro and makes it clear that the action and fun in Breaking Dawn, Part 1 is ready to start. Fans will just have to wait until Part 2 to get it.

10. Captain America: The First Avenger

List Price: $29.99
Price: $14.68
You Save: $15.31 (51%)

The Marvel Comics superhero Captain America was born of World War II, so if you’re going to do the origin story in a movie you’d better set it in the 1940s. But how, then, to reconcile that hero with the 21st-century mega-blockbuster The Avengers, a 2012 summit meeting of the Marvel giants, where Captain America joins Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk and other super pals? Stick around, and we’ll get to that. In 1943, a sawed-off (but gung-ho) military reject named Steve Rogers is enlisted in a super-secret experiment masterminded by adorable scientist Stanley Tucci and skeptical military bigwig Tommy Lee Jones. Rogers emerges, taller and sporting greatly expanded pectoral muscles, along with a keen ability to bounce back from injury. In both sections Rogers is played by Chris Evans, whose sly humor makes him a good choice for the otherwise stalwart Cap. (Benjamin Button-esque effects create the shrinky Rogers, with Evans’s head attached.) The film comes up with a viable explanation for the red-white-and-blue suit ‘n’ shield–Rogers is initially trotted out as a war bonds fundraiser, in costume–and a rousing first combat mission for our hero, who finally gets fed up with being a poster boy. Director Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) makes a lot of pretty pictures along the way, although the war action goes generic for a while and the climax feels a little rushed. Kudos to Hugo Weaving, who makes his Nazi villain a grand adversary (with, if the ear doesn’t lie, an imitation of Werner Herzog’s accent). If most of the movie is enjoyable, the final 15 minutes or so reveals a curious weakness in the overall design: because Captain America needs to pop up in The Avengers, the resolution of the 1943 story line must include a bridge to the 21st century, which makes for some tortured (and unsatisfying) plot developments. Nevertheless: that shield is really cool.

Click Here for More Top Movies

Copyright David Masters 2012

 

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for May 2012

Top 10 Fitness Workout Programs for May 2012

These are the hottest fitness workouts right now… delivered conveniently on DVD

1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Workout 6. Supreme 90 Day System
2. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate 7. The Butt Bible (3 Disc Set)
3. P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme 8. X-TrainFit At Home Women’s Fitness
4. Brazil Butt Lift by Beachbody 9. TurboFire: 90-Day Intense Cardio
5. 10 Minute Trainer: Busiest People Fitness 10. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts Set


1. INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program

List Price: $169.99
Price: $144.80
You Save: $25.19 (15%)

  • Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs for a great workout
  • Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 workout DVDs packed with plyometric drills
  • Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your max
  • Perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest
  • Free online support tools help you stay motivated with round-the-clock access to fitness experts and peer support

Shaun T’s Insanity workout is the best of its kind. No other workout can get you these types of results in just 60 days… Guaranteed!Shaun T’s Max Interval Training techniques are a step ahead of every other fitness program ever designed. You get you a lean, muscular body in a short amount of time. The Insanity Workout is a difficult workout, but the results are phenomenal.Brand New, Factory Sealed Box Set. Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs that all contain a GREAT workout. You don`t need exercise equipment. All you need is just a little space and a big heart!You will receive:-Elite Nutrition Manual -Fitness Guide -Fit Test Tracker -Workout Calendar 10 Insanity Workout DVDs1: Dig Deeper & Fit Test:To start, Shaun T will put your body to the test and see what you’re made of.2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit:Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat-inducing cardio.3: Cardio Power & Resistance:Build lean muscle and upper-body definition with strength-training and insanity workout power moves.4: Cardio Recovery:Shaun T goes easier on you once a week so you’re ready for the next Insanity Workout round.5: Pure Cardio & Abs:Skip the intervals-this nonstop cardio workout is all extreme.6: Cardio Abs:Do explosive intervals of cardio and core moves for rock-hard abs.7: Core Cardio & Balance:Take a break after month 1 of the Insanity workout and gear up for month 2 with this workout.8: Max Interval Circuit:The interval circuit that’s more intense than anything you’ve ever done before.9: Max Interval Plyo:Push your legs ’til they beg for mercy with power and plyo, all at your MAX.10: Max Cardio Conditioning & Abs:Get pushed to your limit with this extreme cardio workout. Click Here fore More Insanity

2. Zumba Fitness Exhilarate: The Ultimate Experience DVD Set

List Price: $129.99
Price: $89.85
You Save: $40.04 (31%)

  • Enjoy this revolutionary and highly popular fitness program from the comfort of your own home.
  • Easy-to-follow steps for more than 30 rhythms, including merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia, hip-hop, and belly dance.
  • Comes with maraca-like Zumba Toning Sticks to sculpt your body while dancing.Two-in-one DVD feature lets you listen to verbal cueing or music only.
  • Easy-to-follow choreography and muscle engaging routines.Workouts include a breakdown of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout.

Bigger, bolder, and edgier, the Zumba® Fitness Exhilarate DVD collection is revolutionizing the at-home fitness experience by combining raw energy with cutting-edge design, lights, and sounds to take you on an unforgettable, exhilarating journey to a healthy and happy lifestyle.

As Jam-packed with red-hot dance steps, pulsating Latin and international rhythms, and feel-it-to-the-core routines, this invigorating dance-fitness party will have you movin’, rockin’, and shakin’ the weight off to the exotic rhythms of salsa, cumbia, samba, reggaeton, merengue, and more. With music-video style visuals and live musical accompaniment, these multisensory fitness DVDs put you right in the middle of a Zumba® Fitness-Party. And thanks to its nonstop, easy-to-follow choreography and muscle-engaging routines, you’ll torch hundreds of calories per hour and sculpt your body from head to toe–without feeling like you’re working out.

The seven-disc DVD collection features seven total-body workouts and each routine utilizes varying levels of intensity to deliver a body-energizing workout that you’ll want to move to again and again. The set includes breakdowns of basic steps, a 20-minute “Rush” workout, a 45-minute “Activate” workout, the “Ripped” workout featuring the Zumba® Toning program and breakthrough Zumba Sentao program, a 60-minute “Exhilarate” dance-fitness party, the “Mix” workout featuring rhythms from all over the world, and a massive Zumbathon® Fitness-Concert live class. Click Here for More Zumba Fitness

3. P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program

List Price: $150.00
Price: $139.80
You Save: $10.20 (7%)

  • Get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated
  • Muscle Confusion technique accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus
  • Collection of 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts
  • Also includes comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options
  • Personal trainer Tony Horton will keep you engaged every step of the way

P90X is a revolutionary system of 12 highly intense workouts, designed to transform your body. * Chest and Back * Plyometrics * Shoulders and Arms * Yoga X * Legs and Back * Kenpo X * X Stretch * Core Synergistics * Chest, Shoulders and Triceps * Back and Biceps * Ab Ripper X * Cardio X Extra DVD for a quick overview of the complete P90X Extreme Home Fitness training system is included. To get you started, you will also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed to help you lose fat; a detailed fitness guide, packed with valuable fitness information to help you get the most out of your program; and a calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated. Click Here for More P90X

4. Brazil Butt Lift by Beachbody

Price: $7.80

  • Brazil Butt Lift – Workout DVD (English and Spanish)
  • 3-DVD workout system designed to reduce, shape, and lift your behind
  • Proven TriAngle Training method works all 3 major buttocks muscles
  • Combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and signature lower-body sculpting moves
  • Includes such workouts as Bum Bum, High & Tight, Sculpt, and Cardio Attack

Trainer to world-famous supermodels, Leandro Carvalho combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and his own signature lower-body sculpting moves to lift, firm, and shape your behind for a rear view you’ve only dreamed about. Leandro’s proven TriAngle Training method works all three major muscles of the buttocks from multiple angles to reduce your hips and saddlebag area, slim your thighs, and lift your butt without bulking up your thighs. You can even customize the workout plan to turn your current shape into the one you’ve always wanted. Click Here for More Brazil Butt Lift

5. 10 Minute Trainer: Tony Horton’s Workout for the Busiest People Fitness DVD Program

Price: $89.95

  • Series of efficient workouts designed to tone body in 10 minutes per day
  • Stacks your fat-burning cardio, total-body toning, and ab exercises into one routine
  • Includes easy-to-follow eating plan that helps you lose weight and tone body
  • Comes with pro-grade resistance bands with Comfort Flex handles
  • Customized workout calendar, bonus abs routine, and on-the-go workout cards

Having trouble finding the time to work out? Turn to Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Training system, a series of ultra-efficient workouts designed to tone and trim your body in just 10 minutes per day. Hosted by personal trainer Tony Horton, the workouts take a unique approach to your fitness. Instead of starting with your cardio and then working your different body parts one at a time like most long workouts, Horton stacks them, so you get your fat-burning cardio, total-body toning and sculpting, and ab workouts at the same time. The breakthrough Super Stacking Technique–which employs resistance bands for maximum efficiency–is like multitasking for your muscles. To further boost your workouts, Horton added an easy-to-follow eating plan that helps you lose weight and tone your body from head to toe. The 10-Minute Training system is ideal for everyone from busy moms and dads to CEOs to traveling business professionals. Click Here for More 10 Minute Trainer

6. Supreme 90 Day System

Price: $25.00

Ordinary workouts lose steam because muscles plateau so you stop seeing results. Supreme 90 Day employs muscle confusion to accelerate results. Each routine brings on muscle shocking moves so your body stays challenged, so you keep getting stronger! You get the complete 10 DVD system by award winning producer Cal Pozo, Supreme Nutrition by New York Times best selling author Tosca Reno plus Free Online Support! The body you’ve always dreamed of is just 90 days away! Click Here for More Supremem 90 Day System

7. The Butt Bible (3 Disc Set)

List Price: $24.99
Price: $18.74
You Save: $6.25 (25%)

Pauline Nordin is an international top fitness model & personality. With a background in personal training, Pauline was the trainer for the Nordic version of the popular TV program “Biggest Loser”. Pauline moved from Sweden to America to pursue her dreams and shortly thereafter completed her first fitness system, the Fighter Diet. Her passion lies in perfecting her physique and building a strong mind with a superhero’s discipline, dedication, patience and willpower. Pauline aims to inspire people to follow her unique sense of discipline and has transformed the bodies of followers around the world. With her newest system, The Butt Bible, Pauline seeks to inspire, push her audience out of their comfort zone, and always asks for more to achieve the best results possible. With recent testimonies we have found The Butt Bible is a perfect combination of butt workouts, which include inner thighs, butt lifts, sexy abs & butt all with the convenience of do it yourself workouts. With Pauline’s ambitious drive she will continue to deliver the utmost best workout videos.

Smokin’-hot trainer, Pauline Nordin, guarantees she can reshape any butt in just 6 weeks. Everyone can achieve a fantastic backside just by training the muscles the right way. It does not matter how much time you put in at the gym or how many diets you try, weight training is the key to building a round, shapely butt. Pauline’s proven system of circuit-style workouts will build a strong foundation from which a strong, beautiful, functional body can be crafted. The best part about this system is that you only need to commit to working out 4 days a week! Put in the work and you’ll be totally amazed at your transformation! Click Here for More Butt Bible

8. X-TrainFit At Home Workout – Women’s Complete Fitness – 8 DVDs

List Price: $89.98
Price: $29.96
You Save: $60.02 (67%)

What is XTF At Home? X-TrainFit At Home Training is a high intensity fitness program that is designed to be completed within the privacy of your own home or on the road. Very little equipment is just a set of dumbbells or exercise bands. Over 12 weeks, you will use the 8 intense workouts on the 8 DVDs to shred fat and sculpt and tone muscle. Don’t worry, you won’t be bulking up, you’ll be building a slimmer, fitter you. Each video demonstrates a modified level of difficulty throughout ranging from level 1 for beginners to level 4 for advanced users. You can pick a modification level that challenges you then try and push it to the next level when ready. You will complete the videos with varying frequency and in varying order depending on the period of the program you are in as outlined in the quick start guide provided. You will also receive the complete 60 page Training Guide, Motivational Poster, and access to online support from a certified XTF Trainer. 8 Intense Workouts Circuit Burnout – is a body sculpting routine that provides a full-body workout using a combination of cardio and toning to get the maximum result. Cardio – an intense cardio workout designed to burn calories and fat. Hard Core – builds the six pack abs that are the billboard for every great looking body. Chest & Back – sculpts the upper-torso into the physique you have always wanted. XTF Legs – strengthens and tones the lower body while building lean muscle. XTF Arms – focuses on building lean and defined arms, as well as toned shoulders. Yoga – builds strength and flexibility in a relaxing and meditative flow that aids in muscle recovery. Stretch – Recover with this rejuvinating session which will aid in muscle recovery and help reduce risk of injury. Click Here for More X-TrainFit At Home Workout

9. TurboFire: 90-Day Intense Cardio Conditioning & Interval Training Workout DVD Program

Price: $139.99

  • Chalene Johnson’s TurboFire includes 12 workouts on 11 DVDs

TurboFire is the intense new cardio conditioning program from fitness innovator Chalene Johnson. She’ll help you get leaner with exercises that burn up to 9x more fat and calories than regular cardio does. And with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes, TurboFire will pick you up and push you past your limits.

Chalene’s New to Class option also gives you the breakdown on how to do each move with the right form.

So forget the excuses. Forget the gym. Now the hottest classes in Southern California come to you. Click Here for More TurboFire

10. HIP HOP ABS DVD Set – 6 Workouts Set

Price: $71.99

  • Get amazing flat abs with hip hop dance moves and diet secrets from Shaun T
  • Burn calories and shed fat with fun, hip dance moves set to music
  • Easy-to-follow weight loss plan can help you lose up to 3 inches off your waist quickly
  • Also includes measurement card, tape measure and 30-day workout calendar

Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program, which includes four DVDs, a step-by-step nutrition guide, 30-day workout calendar, and six-day slimdown plan. Workouts include:

(1)SECRETS TO FLAT ABS: Shaun shares his targeted training technique, TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN, which activates your upper, middle, and lower abs and obliques at the same tiem so you get beautiful, flat, sexy abs!

(2)FAT BURNING CARDIO: This is not your mama’s aerobics video. A mazimum calorie burn that targets your ABS, so you burn off the fat while revealing a tight, toned, sexy midsection. Shaun’s energy, hot music, and exciting moves like the “throw down” and “up-rock” make the time fly by.

(3)AB SCULPT: Are you ready for your very own six-pack? Shaun teaches you the most innovative standing ab and core moves you’ll ever experience! With Shaun’s TILT, TUCK & TIGHTEN technique you’ll really fire up those ab muscles and melt the flab!

(4)TOTAL BODY BURN: This head-to-toe workout combines cardio with total body sculpting, while you target your midsection – so you burn off the fat and reveal a tight, toned body … Say goodbye to love handles and say hello to a slimmer waist and flat, sexy abs!

(5)HIPS, BUNS, AND THIGHS: Slim your upper and lower abs while you target those stubborn lower-body problem areas. Forget boring lunges and dreaded squats – Shaun’s dynamic Hip Hop moves like “the freak” and “drive the car” not only get results but they make it fun! So now you can slim your hips, trim your thighs, lift your booty, and get back into your skinny jeans FAST!

(6)LAST MINUTE ABS: Ready, Set, GO! Just give Shaun 5 minutes and you’re guaranteed an ab workout that’s fast, fun, and effective. Plus, you’ll be singing out loud to this famous tune and before you know it you’re not only done, you’ve got great abs too! Perfect when you’re short on time but still want to work on that six-pack! *BONUS LEARN TO DANCE Routines.

Other items in this package include:

  • Step-by-Step Nutrition Guide:Shaun T shares his secrets for how you can lose weight faster and still eat the foods you love.
  • 30-day workout calendar:You can freestyle your Hip Hop Abs workouts, or follow Shaun T’s schedule designed to get you jaw-dropping abs and to tone your entire body fast.
  • Measurement card & tape measure:Use these tools to chart your progress as the inches melt away.
  • Results on the Run diet guide:You can still eat at your favorite fast food restaurants–guilt free. Shaun T shows you the best stuff to order when you’re on the go.
  • 6-Day SlimDown plan:Want to start losing in a hurry? Jump-start your weight loss with Shaun T’s easy-to-follow plan and lose up to 3 inches off your waist in your first week.
  • Learn to Dance: Shaun T shows you 2 full Hip Hop dance routines that will rev up your metabolism while you learn the latest moves he’s been teaching the hottest names in music for their videos (Take It to the Dance Floor; Last Minute Dance). Click Here for More Hip Hop Abs

Click Here for More Best Selling Fitness Workout Programs

Copyright 2012 David Masters

 

Top 10 DVD Movies for May 2012

Top 10 DVD Movies for May 2012

1. One For the Money 6. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) 7. Chronicle
3. The Grey 8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I
4. Underworld: Awakening (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) 9. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol
5. Thor 10. Iron Man 2 (Single-Disc Edition)


1. One For the Money

List Price: $29.95
Price: $14.96
You Save: $14.99 (50%)

A film based on the incredibly popular Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, One for the Money reveals an unexpectedly versatile Katherine Heigl. This model-turned-actress is best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy and for starring in various lighthearted romantic comedies, but here Heigl takes on the meaty role of Plum, a laid-off lingerie buyer who turns bondswoman in a desperate attempt to pay the rent and put food on the table. Heigl is surprisingly believable as a blue-collar working girl who thinks fast on her feet and is not afraid to throw herself into the middle of even the most dangerous situation–especially if it means getting what she wants. Of course, Stephanie’s impulsiveness manages to get her into all sorts of awkward and potentially life-threatening situations. Throw in her desire for payback against an old boyfriend, a sleazy cousin, a gang of ruthless criminals, a couple of most unexpected allies, and a quirky family who can think of little more than setting her up with a good husband, and you’ve got an enticing blend of drama, action, and comedy. Debbie Reynolds is quite funny as Grandma Mazur, Daniel Sunjata makes a great Ranger, and there’s definitely a nice chemistry between Heigl and Jason O’Mara. Bonus features include an 11-minute making-of featurette, a 10-minute look at some real-life “bond girls,” a gag reel, and one deleted scene.

2. The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

List Price: $30.99
Price: $17.96
You Save: $13.03 (42%)

Can true love really conquer all? That is the question hovering over the genuinely touching, affecting drama The Vow. Based on a true story (which itself might have made a great documentary), The Vow is a showcase for the splendid acting talent of Rachel McAdams and a breakthrough role for Channing Tatum, under the deft direction of Michael Sucsy (the feature version of Grey Gardens). The story is deceptively simple: Happy young married couple Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) are, well, happy. Then a car accident puts Paige into a life-threatening coma, and upon awakening, she finds she has lost the previous five years of memories–including of being married to, or ever in love with, her beloved Leo. With lesser actors or with a more heavy-handed director, The Vow might have been predictable, melodramatic, or flat–and yet, the talents of the two stars, and the crisp, light-handed direction, make The Vow an enjoyable, deeply affecting love story. McAdams is as winning as always, reminiscent of her early work in The Notebook, and here, as a brunette, channeling a young Jennifer Garner. But it’s Tatum on whose shoulders The Vow must succeed, and he is a revelation. His persona as a tough guy’s guy is perfect here, as a “softer” actor would have led The Vow straight into Lifetime Movie Network territory. The viewer relates to Leo, including his obvious frustration, discomfort, and even moments of terror. Sam Neill and Jessica Lange (who glowed in Sucsy’s Grey Gardens) make memorable supporting appearances. But it’s McAdams and especially Tatum who make The Vow the believable, delicate, and loving journey it is.

3. The Grey

List Price: $29.98
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The plane crashes (boy, does it crash) in the remote Alaskan nowhere, and the rough-and-tumble oil wildcatters who survive must fight their way to safety. That in itself might be enough from which The Grey could fashion a suspenseful thrill-ride, but the movie has one more ace up its sleeve. Wolves! A pack of them, starving and considerably irritated that these outsiders have blundered into their territory. And while it is true that most real-world wolves are hardly man-eaters, director Joe Carnahan and cowriter Ian Mackenzie Jeffers are really not all that interested in reality. Despite some hair-raising moments and a healthy spattering of gore, The Grey is an existential action picture, and the wolves function only as all-purpose predator (being computer-generated, they never really look real anyway). What’s really at stake are the souls of these men–how they get along together, and how they face death. Yes, there is always something faintly absurd hanging around this movie; it’s like a Jack London story adapted by Luc Besson. But out of its pulpy mash, Carnahan extracts something gutsy. It certainly helps that he’s got the mighty Liam Neeson on board as the most capable of the survivors; Neeson exudes the kind of authority that the average action hero can only play-act. Dallas Roberts and Dermot Mulroney add color, and Frank Grillo jumps off the screen as the most belligerent of the desperate crew. It’s possible for a movie to have an absurd premise yet carve something unexpectedly philosophical out of that: The Incredible Shrinking Man and Rise of the Planet of the Apes come to mind. Add this one to that oddball list.

4. Underworld: Awakening (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

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Ultimate Vampire Warrioress Selene (Kate Beckinsale) escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

5. Thor

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Of all the folks in long underwear to be tapped for superhero films, Thor would seem to be the most problematic to properly pull off. (Hypothetical Hollywood conversation: “A guy in a tricked-out, easily merchandisable metal suit? Great! An Asgardian God of Thunder who says stuff like thee and thou? Um, is Moon Knight available?”) Thankfully, the resulting film does its source material rather proud, via a committed cast and an approach that doesn’t shy away from the over-the-top superheroics. When you’re dealing with a flying guy wielding a huge hammer, gritty realism can be overrated, really. Blending elements from the celebrated comic arcs by Walter Simonson and J. Michael Straczynski, the story follows the headstrong Thunder God (Chris Hemsworth) as he is banished to Earth and stripped of his powers by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) after inadvertently starting a war with a planet of ticked-off Frost Giants. As his traitorous brother Loki (the terrific Tom Hiddleston) schemes in the wings, Thor must redeem himself and save the universe, with the aid of a beautiful scientist (Natalie Portman). Although director Kenneth Branagh certainly doesn’t skimp on the in-jokes and fan-pleasing continuity references (be prepared to stick around after the credits, Marvel fans), his film distinguishes itself by adopting a larger-than-life cosmic Shakespearean air that sets itself apart from both the cerebral, grounded style made fashionable by The Dark Knight and the loose-limbed Rat Packish vibe of the Iron Man series. Glorying in the absolute unreality of its premise, Branagh’s film is a swooping, Jack Kirby-inspired saga that brings the big-budget grins on a consistent basis, as well as tying in with the superhero battle royale The Avengers.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger

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The Marvel Comics superhero Captain America was born of World War II, so if you’re going to do the origin story in a movie you’d better set it in the 1940s. But how, then, to reconcile that hero with the 21st-century mega-blockbuster The Avengers, a 2012 summit meeting of the Marvel giants, where Captain America joins Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk and other super pals? Stick around, and we’ll get to that. In 1943, a sawed-off (but gung-ho) military reject named Steve Rogers is enlisted in a super-secret experiment masterminded by adorable scientist Stanley Tucci and skeptical military bigwig Tommy Lee Jones. Rogers emerges, taller and sporting greatly expanded pectoral muscles, along with a keen ability to bounce back from injury. In both sections Rogers is played by Chris Evans, whose sly humor makes him a good choice for the otherwise stalwart Cap. (Benjamin Button-esque effects create the shrinky Rogers, with Evans’s head attached.) The film comes up with a viable explanation for the red-white-and-blue suit ‘n’ shield–Rogers is initially trotted out as a war bonds fundraiser, in costume–and a rousing first combat mission for our hero, who finally gets fed up with being a poster boy. Director Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) makes a lot of pretty pictures along the way, although the war action goes generic for a while and the climax feels a little rushed. Kudos to Hugo Weaving, who makes his Nazi villain a grand adversary (with, if the ear doesn’t lie, an imitation of Werner Herzog’s accent). If most of the movie is enjoyable, the final 15 minutes or so reveals a curious weakness in the overall design: because Captain America needs to pop up in The Avengers, the resolution of the 1943 story line must include a bridge to the 21st century, which makes for some tortured (and unsatisfying) plot developments. Nevertheless: that shield is really cool.

7. Chronicle

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If you should come upon a glowing, possibly extraterrestrial object buried in a hole, go ahead and touch the thing–you might just get superpowers. Or so it goes for the three high-school buds in Chronicle, an inventive excursion into the teenage sci-fi world. Once affected by the power, the guys exercise the joys of telekinesis: shuffling cars around in parking lots, moving objects in grocery stores, that kind of thing. Oh yeah–they can fly, too: and here director Josh Trank takes wing, in the movie’s giddiest sequence, as the trio zips around the clouds in a glorious wish-fulfillment. It goes without saying that there will be a shadow side to this gift, and that’s where Chronicle, for all its early cleverness, begins to stumble. Broody misfit Andrew (Dane DeHaan), destined to be voted Least Likely to Handle Superpowers Well by his graduating class, is documenting all this with his video camera, which is driving him even crazier (the movie’s in “found footage” style, so everything we see is from a camcorder or security camera, an approach that gets trippy when Andrew realizes he can levitate his camera without having to hold it). Trank and screenwriter Max Landis (son of John) seem to lose inspiration when the last act rolls around, so the movie settles for weightless battles around the Space Needle and a smattering of mass destruction. Still, let’s give Chronicle credit for an offbeat angle, and a handful of memorable scenes.

8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I (Two-Disc Special Edition)

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 delivers strongly for the rabid fan base who have catapulted the young adult novel series and subsequent movie adaptations to the worldwide phenomenon that it’s become, but it alienates a broader audience with a lack of any real action. Similar to the tone of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the first film of the two-part Twilight conclusion is heavy on romance, love, and turmoil but light on fight scenes and gruesome battles. The movie doesn’t waste any time getting to the goods and opens with Bella and Edward’s much-hyped wedding scene. It works–the vows are efficient and first-time franchise director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) moves the party along quickly and amusingly with a well-edited toast scene and some surprisingly moving moments between Bella and her father, cast standout Billy Burke. The honeymoon plays as a slightly awkward soft-focus made-for-TV movie, with a lot of long moments spent staring in the mirror and some love scenes that feel at once overly intimate and completely passionless. It’s a relief when Bella retches on a bite of chicken she’s cooked herself and quickly concludes she’s pregnant with a potentially demonic baby. From bliss to horror, the Cullens return to Forks, where Bella spends the second half of the movie wasting away and Edward and Jacob are aligned in their anger and frustration over her decision. Throw in some over-the-top scenes with Jacob and his pack–including a strange showdown where the wolves communicate in their canine form by having a passionate nonverbal fight in their minds (a plot point that works much better in print, it’s portrayed in the film via aggressive voice-over)–and the film overshoots intensity and goes straight to silly. The birth scene is horrific, but not as gruesome as in the book, and by the end, Bella has of course survived, though is much altered. The final scene features a delightfully campy Michael Sheen as Volturi leader Aro and makes it clear that the action and fun in Breaking Dawn, Part 1 is ready to start. Fans will just have to wait until Part 2 to get it.

9. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol

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The second half of the first decade of the 21st century has been kind of tough for Tom Cruise. That’s tough in a way over and above the hardship of living the legacy of one of history’s top movie stars–a job more demanding than any mere mortal could imagine. But after two fruitful collaborations with Steven Spielberg (Minority Report and War of the Worlds), his stature took a beating from the one-two hits of those wacky PR gaffes and that string of relative box-office disappointments (Lions for Lambs, Valkyrie, Knight and Day), which seemed to start with the third installment of his Mission: Impossible franchise in 2006. It’s hard to say with a straight face that taking in only $398 million worldwide is a disappointment, but it was a low for the series, which some later saw as a prelude to his potentially dimming stardom. But on the cusp of turning 50, it looks like Tom Cruise has put the licking behind him and entered a new phase of self-conception with an upcoming array of roles, starting with a more maturely controlled version of superspy Ethan Hunt in the sleek and supercharged Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. The things Cruise has done right in M: I part four include toning down his youthful, arrogant preening and letting his castmates share more of the spotlight (Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon Pegg all have some terrifically shiny moments). He also lets the unique creative vision of director Brad Bird shine through in a first live-action outing for the acclaimed helmer of Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Still looking much younger than his years (that hair! those pecs! those abs!), Cruise is playing more age-appropriately, letting a little wisdom and grace seep into his charisma so the wattage of his mere presence smolders a little deeper. It’s a nice nod to a graying generation that says you can get older and still be cool. All that is not to say he doesn’t play up his action-star chops to the max. In a mostly inconsequential narrative arc that has something to do with purloined nuclear launch codes, an important metal briefcase, satellite uplinks, and global annihilation that leaps from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai, Cruise is as dangerously nimble as he has ever been. He dangles one-handed from the tallest building in the world, bounds off ledges, springs out of speeding vehicles, tumbles and careens up and down the levels of an automated parking garage, and generally sprints and jumps his way across the movie with only a scratch or bruise to show for it. Also on the outlandish upside is a happily stereotypical villain straight out of Connery-era Bond and as many bleeding-edge gadgets as the art department techno-geeks could dream up. A running gag is that many of these electronic fantasy tools fail at just the wrong moment, which is part of a larger wink acknowledging how utterly preposterous yet ingeniously conceived this behemoth of a movie really is. The gadgetry is not limited just to the miraculous props. Ghost Protocol employs CGI fakery of the highest order from the sub-industry of effects contractors that ratchet up the standard of computing power and software design, one-upping each successive action-adventure extravaganza. The loving detail that goes into blowing up the Kremlin or rendering a photo-realistic sandstorm erupting across the enhanced skyline of an Oz-like desert city is nothing short of miraculous. What’s more astonishing is that Tom Cruise closes the deal with a selling power that’s as new and improved as the laminates on his multi-million-dollar teeth.

10. Iron Man 2 (Single-Disc Edition)

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After the high-flying adventures of the first Iron Man picture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he’s had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he’s installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve in Iron Man 2, not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There’s an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran characters will join forces, a requirement that slows down whatever through-line the movie can generate (although fanboys will have a good time digging the clues laid out here). Actually, the main plot is no great shakes: another Iron Man suit is deployed (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film, gets to climb inside), Stark continues to bicker with assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a weaselly business rival (Sam Rockwell) tries to out-do the Iron Man suit with an army of Vanko-designed drones. Mickey Rourke is a letdown, burdened by a wobbly Russian accent and looking skeptical about the genre foolishness around him, and Scarlett Johansson has to wait until the final couple of reels to unleash some butt-kickin’ skills as the future Black Widow. That climax is sufficiently lively, and the initial half-hour, including Stark’s smirky appearance before a Senate committee and a wacky showdown at the Monaco Grand Prix, provides a strong, swift opening. But the lull between these high points is crying for more action and more Downey improv.

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Copyright David Masters 2012