Tower Heist - It's Not Just a Robbery, It's Payback

Tower Heist

Tower Heist was brought into being around 6 years ago when Eddie Murphy had an idea for an all black Oceans 11 starring himself and others like Martin Lawrence and Chris Tucker, but as the idea was being formulated Eddie decided to leave the project and director Brett Ratner eventually came up with the film we have now with Murphy rejoining the cast.

The film centers around a high rise exclusive apartment building where apartments cost millions to buy and residents are waited on hand and foot, the place we would all love to live. The filming took place in New York City, on a budget of $85 million and Trump International Hotel & Tower was used for exterior filming.

Donald Trump allowed film makers access to some of his exclusive properties with one giving them the idea for Shaw's apartment, they also interviewed staff that work at some of the most exclusive apartment buildings so that they could get a feel for how they are run, from doormen, to maids and kitchen staff.

Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) has worked as building manager for a number of years and is loved by everybody even the billionaire owner Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) but when Shaw is arrested by the FBI for fraud in which it turns out he has lost or stolen $2 billion, and placed under house arrest in his penthouse apartment an act that if I am ever arrested it is the place I would love to be placed under house arrest. It has a rooftop swimming pool with a mural of a hundred dollar bill on its floor and Shaw has a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso supposedly owned by Steve McQueen in the apartment. Josh needs to break the news to the employees that he has invested all their savings with Shaw and chances are it is all gone and Shaw will most likely go free.

Josh feeling let down by Shaw a man he trusted has it out with him and is fired, along with his brother in law Charlie (Casey Affleck) who is the buildings concierge, and the new lift boy Enrique (Michael Pena). Josh gets together with these ex employees and the maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe) who it turns out has some skills at breaking into safes, after the buildings doorman Lester attempts to kill himself because he has lost his life savings.

The plan is to break into Shaw's penthouse where Josh is sure he is hiding $20 million, as none of the crew have any criminal skills apart from Odessa Josh turn to an old childhood friend Slide(Eddie Murphy) who is a petty criminal and together the attempt to put together a plan to rob secure penthouse that is guarded by the FBI. Eddie Murphy seems to be back in his old school street smart comedy performance along the lines of Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs.

The plot is a good one and with the likes of Matthew Broderick playing a broke investor squatting in the building who joins the crew and Tea Leoni playing the lead FBI role as the tough female lead. The trailers for the movie look promising and the soundtrack by Christophe Beck sets the mood for the film some of the scenes give the impression of a great movie but I dont want to spoil the movie by giving away scenes but Eddie Murphy is back to his best and gels well with the other stars who all play their roles perfectly.

Without having seen the movie, just the trailer, and scenes I think it looks a great film, it has a PG13 rating for language and sexual content and a 104 minute run time released by Universal the official site is Tower Heist.

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Top 5 Famous DNA Tests

DNA tests are not usually mainstream news on the world's media, but that isn't to say there aren't important or high profile DNA testing cases to report. In fact, over the last few decades DNA testing has played a growing role in the way we analyse the past and the way we interpret our future. Be it the determation of paternity through DNA Paternity testing or in establishing wider DNA links such as DNA forensic cases, our top 5 famous DNA tests reveal just how relevant DNA testing really is.

5. James Brown - The so-called 'Godfather of Soul' James Brown was subject to one of the most high profile DNA testing cases in recent history. The testing considered whether alleged children of the musician were in fact fathered by him, and a number of separate DNA paternity tests were processed in order to establish paternity. Of the 12 test submitted, only 2 have turned up to be positively identified as Brown's offspring - one of which is now a 45-year old woman.

4. Eddie Murphy - Modern comedy legend Eddie Murphy was involved in a high profile DNA testing case which particularly attracted the media spotlight and filled glossy column inches. His test was to establish paternity of the daughter of Melanie Brown (a.k.a. Mel B) of Spice Girls fame during a separation process. It was determined, following the collection and processing of samples from the child, mother and alleged father, that Eddie Murphy was indeed the father of his ex-partner's child.

3. Anna Nicole Smith - TV personality and model Anna Nicole Smith was thrust to the forefront of media scrutiny in her high-profile celebrity DNA testing case, where the paternity of her daughter was put to question. Initially, partner Howard K. Stern nominated himself as the likely father on national television, sparking the media storm surrounding the testing process - although DNA paternity testing methods ultimately proved ex-husband Larry Birkhead as the biological father of the child.

2. Marie Antoinette - French Queen and icon of history, Marie Antoinette was recently subject to advanced DNA sampling and testing techniques. DNA from a hair supposed to have been that of Antoinette was collected and tested with DNA obtained from the heart of King Louis XVII. Thanks to the advancement of DNA processing technologies, the samples were able to be matched to determine that a genetic link did in fact exist between the DNA samples, confirming the identity of the hair.

1. Thomas Jefferson - Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States of America, and is widely considered as one of the leading Founding Fathers of the modern constitution. However his image has been somewhat marred by allegations with origins of over 200 years that he had fathered children to his slave, Sally Hemmings. After DNA samples were recovered from relevant parties, it was determined that the alleged child Eston Hemmings did in fact share genetic material on the male side with Thomas Jefferson, although no firm conclusions were drawn as to whether that connection was with Jefferson personally.

In conclusion, it is clear to see from the above examples, the power of DNA testing and the role this has, and will continue to have, in our lives.

Kevin Camilleri writes articles for dna paternity test. Other articles written by the author related to paternity testing, home paternity test and paternity test kit can be found on the net.

Busted - Musicians Who Sang The Wrong Tune

Just as there are highly talented musical acts that never make the big time, there are musical acts that make the big time, only to never go anywhere. Some of these acts make the big time and make a fool of themselves, while others make the big time, make an impact, and make a quick getaway. Some are lucky enough to have at least one hit, while others are stuck with a few mediocre hits that come back to haunt them decades later. Some are loved for a while, only to fall from grace quickly, and some just never gain acceptance. The following is our list of the top five busted musicians, bands and solo acts who sang the wrong tune.

Milli Vanilli: Ah, Milli Vanilli. Just like our parents remember where they were when Elvis died, those of us who were children of the 1980's remember where we were when Milli Vanilli's secret came out. The singers that brought us "Girl You Know It's True," Milli Vanilli won a Grammy in 1990 for Best New Artist. This, however, was short lived after it was revealed that their talent had less to do with music, and more to do with lip singing. Still, those of us who were true fans didn't blame it on the duo; we blamed it on the rain.

Ashley Simpson: While performing on Saturday Night Live in fall of 2004, Ashley Simpson was caught pulling a "Milli Vanilli" when it was revealed she wasn't actually singing. This was followed by an ill-received performance at the Orange Bowl and a slug of condemnation. Still, Ashley Simpson has two huge things working for her: she's released two number one albums and she's young enough to bounce back from any criticism accrued. Plus, she can benefit from having her manager, who also happens to be her father, on her side. He seems just a tad crazy.

O-Town: A group that came together through the reality series, Making of the Band, O -Town got on the literal band wagon just a bit too late. As the boy band fad started to fade into the night, O-Town found that they were unable to gain substantial success. The group was together for only a short time and though they did release two albums, O-Town disappeared from the scene as quickly as they came into it. This is, however, old potatoes: the manager of the group, Lou Pearlman, apparently has more pressing worries on his mind.

Eddie Murphy: We love his stand up, we love his movies, we even love when he lends his voice to an animated donkey. We just don't love his music. Though he can actually hold a note quite well, the songs Eddie Murphy released have to be tunes that even he looks back on and says..."wha???" Still, Eddie did have two hits with "Put Your Mouth on Me" and "Party all the Time." The latter song was voted, in 2004, as number eight on the list of 50 Worst Songs of All Time by Blender magazine.

Gerardo: After playing the part of Ricky in the film, Can't Buy me Love, Gerardo Mejia became a singer...sort of. He was known more for his sexy appearance, his six packed abs, and his dance talent than he was for his booming voice. Still, he reached the top of the charts with his hit "Rico Suave," a hit that - admit it - you know you've sang along with. One of the first performers to merge Latin and English, Gerardo occasionally calls himself the "Latin Frank Sinatra." Uh....right.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://iturbocharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture ? and a gift for stalking ? she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.

Shrek Forever After

The theory is that Shrek Forever After is to be the last movie starring everyone's favourite green ogre voiced by Mike Myers. The title sounds pretty finale, but then again there are five movies called Final Destination, so you know. Still, whether or not this is the end, the fact is that this is a pretty good chapter in the life of Shrek and company.

Shrek is now living in his swamp with his wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and his three kids while his friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) drop in for a visit every day. On paper, he has a good life: a good house, nice kids, a great wife and a few pals. Yet, married life is getting to Shrek. He has no time for himself, Fiona keeps asking him to unclog a sewage pipe, the kids need their diapers changed, and Donkey keeps coming home uninvited with his half-donkey half-dragon mutant kids for play dates. (I still think these offsprings are the weirdest fairy tale creatures ever animated and quite frankly are a little disturbing to look at. Come on! A donkey plus a dragon? What do you tell the kids when they ask where mutant Donkey-Dragons come from?) To top it all off, a tour bus, or in this case tour carriage, keeps driving by while a guide is explaining to a bunch of tourists that in this swamp there lives a harmless ogre who is now married to a princess and neither of them would ever hurt a fly. Step right up folks! Watch the amazing harmless green muscle mountain! After a few days, that becomes annoying.

Eventually, Shrek snaps at his children's birthday party and leaves wishing he had never rescued Fiona in the first place. They say "beware what you wish for" but in a world populated with fairy tale creatures, that should be a law. Little does Shrek know that there is an evil little gnome, troll, or whatever the hell he is, called Rumpelstiltskin who knows about Shrek's troubles and gives an offer he should probably refuse, but doesn't because otherwise there would be no movie.

Shrek therefore signs a deal that makes him feared by all of mankind once again for one full day, in exchange for a day of his past. What Rumpel neglected to tell him, clever ego-tripping maniac that he is, is that the day Shrek gave away completely alters the past and creates a new present. Shrek is now wandering through a parallel universe where Rumpel in now king, ogres are hunted by witches, Donkey never met Shrek, and Puss in Boots needs help from Jennie Craig. The only way out: Shrek must once again woo Fiona and give her a kiss that will prove he is her true love. Hey, it worked before.

Despite a plot that is clearly inspired by Its a Wonderful Life (how corny was that particular masterpiece) this last Shrek movie has some funny moments and decent action scenes. A particularly inspired casting choice is Craig Robinson as Cookie, the cook for the ogre rebels fighting Rumpel. His chief concern is how close his food stand will be to the battle field once the fighting is over. Apparently, there is nothing like a little ass-whooping to make a bunch of ogre warriors hungry. Eddie Murphy still delivers some pretty good lines every now and then, and his character has a nice chemistry with Antonio Banderas' character. It probably can't be called on screen chemistry since these two actors are heard but never actually seen on screen.

The surprising thing is how good Walt Dohnr is at voicing Rumplestilskin. If you have no clue as to who Walt Dohnr is, that is not surprising since so far his body of work consists of supporting voices for Shrek the Third, and writing and art department credits on a few other animated movies. He voices Rumple as an evil egocentric who has the ability to suck you into a bad deal. Sounds like a salesmen on Wall Street.

The fact that DreamWorks gave the role of the villain to what is essentially an unknown actor confirms what I have been suspecting for a long time: Mike Myers is grossly overpaid for this particular role.

Dr Dolittle Film Review

Dr. Dolittle is a 1998 family comedy set in San Francisco. It stars Eddie Murphy as Dr. John Dolittle, Ossie Davis as Archer Dolittle, Oliver Platt as Dr. Mark Weller, and Peter Boyle as Calloway. The producers are John Davis (Garfield), Joseph M. Singer (Daylight), and David T. Friendly (My Girl). The director is Betty Thomas (I Spy).

The story is about a man named John Dolittle who lives in San Francisco. He can talk to and understand animals. His father thought there was something wrong with him and had the family dog taken away. Years passed and John never spoke to animals until one night after treating a patient, he accidentally hit a dog. When the dog got up and called him a "bonehead", he thought he was hearing things. The next day during a business meeting, he overheard some pigeons talking and panicked.

After the meeting he saw the dog from the previous night being taken to the pound and followed him to save him from being put to sleep. After he has a vet check the dog out, John decides to release it but the dog won't go away. He calls his family and, having overheard the dog barking, think he has bought them a dog. John takes Lucky the dog to his daughter's camp to show her. Later on, just before going to sleep, some animals come to John's door seeking help. They overwhelm him so he decides to help each of them, unbeknownst to his wife and daughter who are sleeping in the next room. After he finished, he was talking to Lucky about how alive he felt when he was treating the animals when an alcoholic monkey tells him about a suicidal tiger nearby. He agrees to help the tiger.

All is well until one day some rats outside his office ask him to help. John takes them into the office and treats one. That's when his wife and colleagues see him talking to the rats and think he is crazy. So they have him committed, temporarily. Meanwhile, the tiger is getting worse so Lucky rushes over to the hospital to tell the doctor but he doesn't want to hear it. He wants to block out all the animal voices and return to his normal life. But after overhearing a conversation between his daughter and father about being different, he has second thoughts.

There is a secret life message hidden in Dr. Dolittle. It is "Don't hide from who you are". Some people may think you are weird because of what you may be like or what you may do, but don't let it stop you. If you try to suppress who you are, you will end up miserable as John Dolittle was before he rediscovered his gift of communicating and understanding animals. At first, people thought he was crazy because he spoke to animals but soon they began to accept him for who he is and realize that this was his gift.

One other feature that caught my attention was the use of popular comedians as the voices of the animals. For example, Norm MacDonald was the voice of Lucky, the Dolittles' family dog. Ellen DeGeneres played Dolittle's dog when he was a child. Gilbert Gottfried appeared as the voice of the compulsive dog that Dolittle treats in the beginning. Chris Rock was Rodney's voice, Maya Dolittle's guinea pig. Paul Reubens also made a cameo appearance as the raccoon. This was probably done to add a sense of familiarity to the film and, thus, attract a wider audience.

To wrap, Dr. Dolittle is a film for the whole family. It entertains the old as well as the young audiences.

Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.

DVD Pick: Tower Heist

Heist movies are a firm favorite. Though not every movie turns out to be an Inside Man or an Ocean's 11, there are some that have a lot of potential, and you would definitely love to see what they do with the characters that are so succinctly portrayed. We just got our hands on such, and we'd definitely say that this one has a future to itself. Here is a review of Tower Heist, starring Ben Affleck, Eddie Murphie, and others.

Tower Heist is set in an all service apartment service, where only the rich and the famous come to live. Ben Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the floor manager, who has an affable air around himself, and is friends with everyone, from the bellboy to the manager of the hotel. In this hotel, like everyone where the rich and famous live, lives a billionaire investment banker, Straw, played by Alan Alda who takes time to give Kovacks tips on how to hire people.

It all comes crumbling down when the billionaire investment banker is caught by the SEC on insider trading, stock fraud, and a number of other cases. Of course, it should make no difference to Kovacks and Gang, he was just a person living in the hotel, but it turns out that Kovacks had given away the pension of the entire hotel to the billionaire to get it tripled. Stiller not only gets into a personal quagmire with everyone around, but his professional life suffers too, when he smashes a very valuable car in the investment banker's room, because one of his ex-colleagues tried to commit suicide, after he loses all his money to his investment ideas.

Kovacks now makes a ragtag team out of the three who followed him into the room to confront the billionaire, after he finds out from a sympathetic FBI agent that they have not yet got their hands on the cash cache that such frauds usually have. How he does that forms the rest of the movie.

To be frank, the movie is not quite intelligent as The Inside Man, and is not even quite as much racy as Fast and the Furious 5, but it has its sparkling moments. Stiller has all the awesome dialogues, and Eddie Murphy portrays a character in the right manner after a long, long while. Casey Affleck performs nicely as the on-off frenemy for Ben Stiller, and Matthew Broderick as the disgraced investment banker gives a good character to the movie too.

This movie is not for the hardcore heist fans, but for those who like a little bit of comedy about a bunch of madcap fellows who try to do something illegal - it might just be the DVD they would like to watch.The heist in itself is not all that great and there are several loopholes to the movie, but Stiller and Murphy do carry the movie on their shoulders.

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Norbit Movie Review

Last weekend, I visited my sister Saundra for a Memorial Day celebration. Our normal time together is always fun and exciting because we tend to shop until we drop. Nevertherless, we did find the time to watch Eddie Murphy's movie Norbit. In fact, my sister insisted that the family watch it together, maybe to encourage some family bonding. Well, this is my Norbit movie review of the good, the bad and the ugly with a few suggestions of improvements.

First, I think Eddie Murphy is a talented actor and comedian. I appreciate that he is able to play so many characters in a movie and make it almost believable to his audience.

Eddie plays the main character Norbit, a dazed and confused orphan that grows up to marry a large possessive woman. Oh yes, her character is also played by Eddie Murphy. In fact, he plays a series of characters, such as the Chinese man who owned the orphan home, one of his wife's brothers and one of the senior citizens. I think it's creative to play other characters and to a younger audience this is the type of humor they want to see. However, to the adult movie viewer, I think Eddie sometimes plays with racial undertones, such as the Chinese man saying that he may want to open a dry cleaners towards the end of the movie. C'mon, why does it have to be a Dry Cleaning business? What are you trying to say? Again kids will not get the hidden messages but adults will.

Secondly, I think the movie has a great plot and subplot. The main plot is Norbit's childhood sweetheart is trying to buy the orphan home but his wife's brother's have other ideas for owning the property. The subplot is Norbit's unhappiness with his marriage and his inability to confront his wife. I think this contributes to the rising action and climax of the story. Not to mention, that it keeps you entertained throughout.

Another positive aspect of the movie is the casts. I am a big Cuba Gooding Jr. fan. So I would recommend watching the film to see him in a comedy. Cuba is a diverse actor that has tried various genres to increase his many talents.

Lastly, despite my issues with some of the undertones, I think Norbit is a fun and enjoyable movie that is great for families.

Sophie Jaclis exposes her readers to a wide range of topics, from Dating, Movie Reviews, Health and Fitness issues, Online Marketing tips, and New Affiliate Programs. Her motto is to keep things simple, informative and straight to the point. Please visit http://www.lisajac.com/dating-chat-room and http://www.lisajac.com/moviereviewsforfamilies for the latest information and free ebook downloads.

Beverly Hills Cop (Movie Review)

Starring in arguably his most memorable role, Eddie Murphy lights up the big screen with his 1980's blockbuster hit Beverly Hills Cop. Showcasing the unique comic talents of a young career on the rise, the former Saturday Night Live cast member's smiling humor and charismatic onscreen presence take an adequate screenplay and turn it into a smash film. Appearances by Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot (as the trendy 'Serge') combine with Murphy's antics to make Beverly Hills Cop a hilarious and highly entertaining movie...

Eddie Murphy plays the role of Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit police officer who witnesses the murder of a close friend on the force during a botched drug bust. Linking the murders back to Beverly Hills, Foley takes an extended vacation from his job in Detroit. But rather than relax, he makes his way to Beverly Hills where he plans on conducting his own investigation.

In pursuit of the murderers, Foley uncovers a massive drug smuggling operation run by one of the elite socialites of Beverly Hills. Digging for the truth, the Detroit cop is forced to butt heads with the Beverly Hills police department and confront the drug ring's various henchmen. Despite direct orders from their superior, Beverly Hills cops Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) eventually change from adversaries of Foley (attempting to halt his illegal investigations) to willing participants in his uncovering of the illegal drug ring. In the end, Foley finds the murderer, but will he get his revenge? Will the Beverly Hills police arrest him before he does? You'll have lots of fun finding out...

Complimented by a hit soundtrack which features four smash hits (Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On," The Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance," Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude," and Harold Faltermeyer's breakthrough hit "Axel F"), the film's action and suspense sequences play out to the backdrop of adrenaline pumping beats and synthetic keyboard sounds. The music itself provides a small glimpse in the musical experimentation of an age that witnessed the convergence of high technology and sound. In a way, Beverly Hills Cop typifies the decade of the 1980s, but it does so without being so overly engrossed in the cultural fads of the day as to be outdated and ridiculous in the eyes of a modern audience. This is one of the core strengths of the film and one of the reasons millions of fans enjoy watching reruns of the movie on cable.

One of the more unique films of the 1980s, Beverly Hills Cop created a new sub-genre of film by splicing the serious action/suspense genre with the comedic personality/comedy genre. As a rare talent, Eddie Murphy is uniquely positioned to pull off the coup, carrying the film on the back of his personal likeability and hilarious brand of comedy. Performances by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton serve to compliment Murphy, and together, the three form a relatable, "average guy" click that audiences feel inclined to root for. As a result, the viewer is never bored, whether being entertained by mere suspense or hilarious comedy. Without a doubt, Beverly Hills Cop is one of the top ten comedies of its decade, and that's why it's a definite must-see movie...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Beverly Hills Cop (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/beverly-hills-cop-dvd.html].

Famous Actor Comedians: Stand-Up and Become an A-Lister

Some of the big names in Hollywood had their share of humble beginnings, some of which started at Los Angeles comedy clubs or any club in the nation for that matter. Before they earned the right to appear on the big screen or in some popular TV series, they had to try their luck with the live audience, with Improv shows in particular.

Come to think of it, the thought of starting out at Los Angeles comedy clubs en route to becoming a Hollywood A-lister isn't at all farfetched. Acting, like stand-up comedy, is a performance art with less immediate pressure, as TV and movie actors aren't faced with a tough live audience. Still, some of these celebrities return to their roots from time to time:

Eddie Murphy

In a discussion about stand-up comedians turned actors, Eddie Murphy's name would probably be the first one to come up, and rightfully so. He has made his mark in nearly every field he has entered. Comedy Central recognizes Murphy as one of the ten best stand up comedians of all time. Due to his success on-stage, he made it to the popular sketch comedy Saturday Night Live. He then went on to star in big screen classics, such as 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor and Shrek. Now he is trying his hand at directing, producing and even singing.

Robin Williams

Mainstream hits and cult classics are both avenues for work in the case of this talented actor and stand-up comedian. Robin Williams has starred in big productions like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, and also portrayed complex and conflicted characters in cult hits like One Hour Photo and Death to Smoochy. In spite of his impressive acting ability, nobody can deny his talent for comedy.

Truth be told, Williams has and still is doing stand-up comedy, and has broken records when it comes to ticket sales. Deciding not to solely go for the raunchy and nasty themes of improv, he uses his stellar wit to mix at least a hint of elegance to his routines, which are well recognized by his audience.

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler is a living, breathing example of comedy. He can turn anything that can be injected with humor into gold, and this ability has transcended into a stellar movie career, which includes box office hits like The Waterboy, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and 50 First Dates. Every good thing has to start somewhere, and in Sandler's case it was at the comedy clubs in New York. He eventually drew fame locally, and his break came when actor Dennis Miller recommended him to Saturday Night Live, after which the rest is proverbial history.

The lives of these three performers, apart from other celebrities who had similar beginnings, started humbly, as they simply pursued their love for comedy. They didn't wait for a big break. They made their own breaks in front of a live audience, constantly improving on their material and routine. With a strong passion for comedy, you just might be the next big thing in Hollywood. Why not start your career with the Los Angeles comedy clubs near your area?

Alison covers the entertainment industry for working and aspiring actors and comedians in Los Angeles, Ca. From her home just minutes from the Hollywood Sign, Alison follows entertainment and industry news. Getting your start in the comedy clubs means you're going to want to build up your tool set as much as possible. Enroll in a Los Angeles Acting class at a reputable school like Lesly Kahn. Finding the best acting classes los angeles has to offer is a step towards building a great live act as well as for work on sitcoms.

Beverly Hills Cop Movie Review - Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Aston

"Beverly Hills Cop" is a very funny murder mystery / comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Inspector Axel Foley, a former car thief turned cop. This is my favorite film starring Eddie Murphy. He does a terrific acting job in this film and his comdey routines are among his best.

The movie begins in Detroit, where Axel Foley is working as an undercover cop. He tries to bust a couple of drug dealers on his own and ends up getting mistakenly pulled over and stopped by his own department, following a huge chase involving a great deal of property damage. His boss is on the verge of firing him.

Shortly thereafter, Axel gets a visit from his old friend Mikey, who's still involved in crime. Mikey shows Axel some untraceable German bonds he's stolen from his new workplace in Beverly Hills, but Axel ignores him and the two go out to the bar. When they return, Axel is knocked unconscious and Mikey ends up getting killed by a hit man. Once he recovers, Axel wants to investigate the crime, but his boss won't let him. He tells his boss he needs a vacation, which he gets, but is told that if he investigates Mikey's murder, he can forget about coming back.

Axel drives his dilapidated 1969 Chevy Nova to Beverly Hills. He manages to get into a fancy hotel by fooling the clientelle. From the start, he suspects Mikey's boss Victor Maitland of the murder, so he goes to his office to interrogate him, but Victor's guards pick him up and throw him out the window. The police then come and arrest Axel, having been told that he jumped out the window. Shortly thereafter, the police learn that Axel is a cop, so they release him into their custody. Axel's friend Jeanette comes to bail him out.

During the next few days, Axel gathers up evidence of a drug scam organized by Maitland. Inspectors Taggert and Rosewood, two Beverly Hills detectives, try to follow him, but he manages to get away from them twice, first by secretly placing a banana in their tail pipe. The second time he sneaks up on them and persuades them to join him at a strip bar, where Axel stops an armed robber.

Axel manages to meet Victor at his private club, where he threatens him and ends up getting taken away once again. Axel nearly convinces the police to investigate Victor, but the chief of police insists they escort him out of town. While Rosewood is driving him out, Axel finally convinces him to investigate Victor. They go to his warehouse along with Jeanette, where they discover a crate full of cocaine. Rosewood is waiting outside in his car when Victor and his guard Mike enter the warehouse and discover Axel and Jenny. Victor kidnaps Jeanette while Mike tortures Axel.

After several minutes, Rosewood finally enters the warehouse and saves Axel. The two then follow Victor to his mansion. Taggert soon joins up with them there. He tries to stop them, but finally agrees to help them out. Taggert and Rosewood end up hiding behind a barrier and battling it out with a group of armed guards outside the compound, while Axel looks for Victor and Mike inside. Axel finds and kills Mike. Later he finds Victor with a gun pointed at Jeanette's head, but Axel manages to shoot him with help from Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil, who shows up at the last minute.

All ends well for Axel and Jenny. Lt. Bogomil cooks up a convincing story of how the arrest took place and writes a good report for him to send to Axel's boss in Detroit, so he can keep his job.

http://www.yourmoviepal.com/movies/daves-best-100-movies/Beverly-Hills-Cop.html Beverly Hills Cop - Dave's Top Movies

Axel F - A Ringtone That Will Live in Infamy

In December, 1984, Paramount Pictures released upon the unsuspecting and therefore unprotected masses, the film, "Beverly Hills Cop," a movie that to this day, portrays Eddie Murphy in one of his best roles. His character, Axel Foley, was a Detroit cop who, after his friend mysteriously died in Beverly Hills, came to the city in order to investigate the circumstances of the death. While there, he created a plethora of comedic situations that have not been rivaled, neither in sequels, nor in the dozens of cheap imitations of this film that have since been made.

It was also from this film that the famous theme song, Axel F, has become an mp3 download, and of late, a very popular ringtone for cell phones around the world. Both the ringtone and the composer of it won a Grammy award. The song was performed by Harold Faltmeyer, who played the song using multiple keyboards and three synthesizers.

There are many variations of the Axel F ringtone available. One is the Crazy Frog Axelf. A variation on this variation is the Axel F Crazy Frog Pop Corn Ringtone, which includes in it some extra pops and some added pings and dings. In this version, the bass section is almost mute but the entire theme is played with a staccato beat.

For those who appreciate the cops and robbers movie genre, the energetically-paced Axel F soundtrack or ringtone will fit right in by providing a subliminal fulfillment of the desire for the kind of action that type of film provides.

The Axel F. ringtones interestingly enough serve a dual purpose here. Not only does the song provide a smooth, upbeat rhythm for a jazzy sound that rocks the soul and soothes the spirit, but for those of us who actually heard the music back when it first came out, hearing the song anew gives us a landmark in time, a time about which to wonder. As some of us do about every December 7th, or November 22nd, or September 11th, we try and remember back when we first heard those rich, melodious bass and percussive vibrations singing out to us. We try to remember just where we were that day, what we were doing, who we were with, and perhaps even, why we aren't still with them.

The film, "Beverly Hills Cop" has grown somewhat dated since 1984, but Axel F's ringtones and the memories it engenders, will live forever.

If you like the theme song to the movie Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy, you just might think it's cool to have the Axel F Ringtone downloaded to your phone.

[http://axelfringtone.com]

Movie Review - Tower Heist (2011) (PG-13)

They Just Want Their Money Back

Brett Ratner's Tower Heist is a triumph of casting and performance over plot, which is admittedly far-fetched and rather ridiculous. It is, essentially, a cross between a crime caper and a revenge fantasy - and a timely one at that, given the recent Bernie Madoff scandal and the current Wall Street protests, which has left so many people in a state of unrest. Here is a movie intentionally designed to be a crowd pleaser; it's not an enriching experience, but it provides you with several good laughs, and it ends on an immensely satisfying note. When you leave the theater, you're more likely to reflect on the humor and the action than on the logistics of the story, or lack thereof. If you do stop and think about them, you will inevitably find that the movie is not physically, dramatically, or rationally possible.

What I savored was the wonderful comedic chemistry between all of the leads, which is not easy to achieve. Apart from a return-to-form for stars Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller (neither having been in a good comedy in years), we see great wit and energy from the likes of Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Peña, Téa Leoni, and many of the smaller supporting players. I grant you it's an odd bunch of people. Some of them, including Broderick, might even seem like ill-fitting casting choices. But if you give them half a chance, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you see. Watching them perform, I sensed that they were genuinely having fun during the shoot. If they weren't, well, that only proves what they're capable of as actors.

The story, as it were, involves the staff of a New York City high-rise discovering that they have fallen victim to a Ponzi scheme concocted by one of the tenants, a wealthy Wall Street businessman named Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). This would include the building's manager, Josh Kovacs (Stiller), who mistakenly trusted Shaw with not just his pension but also the pensions of the entire staff. Determined to get reparations, Kovacs assembles a team and plots to break into Shaw's penthouse suite and steal millions in stashed-away money. These include: Slide (Murphy), a petty criminal Kovacs regularly passes on the street; Charlie Gibbs (Affleck), the building's well-intentioned but bumbling concierge; Mr. Fitzhugh (Broderick), a desperately broke former Wall Street investor; Odessa Montero (Sidibe), a Jamaican maid on the verge of being deported; and Enrique Dev'reaux (Peña), a newly hired bellhop who's so likeable in large part because he's says such stupid things.

Breaking into the penthouse will not be so easy. Shaw is under house arrest, and the building is enforced with the world's best security and surveillance systems. The team must also sidestep the FBI, most notably Agent Claire Denham (Leoni), who has been assigned to Shaw's case. She and Kovacs will share some interesting if unnecessary scenes together, all of which hint at mild romantic feelings. At least, I think that's what was going on. It's also quite possible that Kovacs is trying to distract Denham in an effort to throw her off track. The possibility of a Saturday-night dinner date confuses matters slightly, and perhaps that was the point. I think it would have been better for Ratner to avoid this subplot altogether, since it's bogged down by its status as an obligatory plot device.

After some close calls and near double crossings - again, obligatory plot devices - all leads to Kovacs and his team trying to smuggle a Ferrari out of Shaw's apartment on Thanksgiving Day. I will not reveal how and why they do this, or even if they succeed, although I will say that part of this involves the car dangling from a window cable hundreds of feet above the streets, where the Macy's Parade floats by as scheduled. The best actor in this particular scene in Broderick, who, after doing it so well in The Producers, proves once again that people can be quite funny when they're in a state of panic.

It cannot be denied that the film gets sillier the further along it goes. But I can't overlook the fact that the movie gives us exactly what it promises, namely a tower and a heist. And I certainly can't forget about the performances, which may not be eligible for awards but kept me smiling all throughout (I was especially taken by Peña, who can play dumb with the best of them). It's amazing that this movie works at all, given the suspension of disbelief required of the audience; what it lacks in plausibility it more than makes up for in casting and performance, which are both integral to the success of any film. I can't say that I needed to see this movie, but then again, so few movies actually need to be seen. As escapist entertainment, Tower Heist does an adequate job delivering the goods.

Although Chris never officially studied film, film theory, or even journalism in college, his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Creative Writing has taught him to appreciate story, character, and the imagination - all aspects that apply to the movies, and if there's anything his years of living in Los Angeles has guaranteed him, exposure to movies would be at the top of the list. He has always appreciated the art of filmmaking, but it wasn't until 2006 that he began writing reviews on various websites for new releases. Still residing in L.A., his reviews can be read at his website, http://www.atatheaternearyou.net.

Movie Review of Tower Heist

Remember the days when a movie with Eddie Murphy in it was guaranteed to be hysterical? I know, it's been awhile. Aside from his 'Beverly Hills Cop' days, I feel safe saying that the last thing he was in that made me really laugh out loud was "Shrek"---there are a lot of "Donkey" quotes going on in my house, especially when someone mentions waffles or parfaits. Sadly, that little gem was followed by 'Daddy Day Care', and more disturbingly, 'Norbit', which I still haven't quite forgiven him for. I know he redeemed himself slightly in his 'Dreamgirls' role, but MY dream has been to see him get back to business and make me laugh. Well, welcome back Mr. Murphy---it's nice to see you again.

THE GOOD: The movie 'Tower Heist' is kind of like a modern day Robin Hood, only instead of taking down the Sheriff of Nottingham, it's Arthur Shaw (played by Alan Alda), the Bernie Madoff-esque character who has managed to line his pockets with his lowly employees pension funds. He surrounds himself with over the top luxury items and enjoys them all from his Penthouse apartment with floor to ceiling windows. And it's Alan Alda, so you'd like to believe that there's been some sort of a mistake and that he's actually a nice guy who's been wrongfully accused---the war cry of all Ponzi schemers. But it becomes increasingly clear that a nice guy he is NOT, and through a series of missteps and fueled by righteous indignation, the General Manager of the luxury apartments, Josh Kovacs (portrayed by Ben Stiller) takes it upon himself to lead a group of less than merry men to render a little vigilante justice to Mr. Shaw. Enlisting the help of Slide (played by Eddie Murphy), a small time criminal that Josh remembers from his childhood, the group set out to set things right for themselves and all the employees at the Towers. The concept of the movie, given the current economic climate and the lack of sympathy most people have for greedy people who take advantage of others so that they can own a Summer home in the Hamptons, is an intriguing one. Yes, we feel absolutely justified rooting for the people breaking the law, because THEIR illegal activity is only going to hurt the greedy piece of work that started the whole mess. And it seems more satisfying than just letting the court system slap their hands. Add to that some fantastic comedy from Murphy, who is allowed to return to his roots a little by using that old school humor that isn't always family friendly. A darker, more subdued version of Axel Foley, if you will. Another surprise of the film is the great one liners being delivered by Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), an ex Wall Street executive who is completely bankrupt and is looking to help out with the heist. His timing and deadpan responses were spot on, and I think it's safe to say that he was a big reason I found the movie as funny as I did.

THE BAD: A couple things worth mentioning here---although Murphy gives one of his better comedic performances in recent memory, he doesn't actually have that large of a role in the movie. He appears about midway through, and pops in from time to time. When he's onscreen, there is some real life in the film... but when he's gone, it lags a little. In fact, the cast is so large, that it felt sometimes like no one was getting their fair share of an opportunity to shine. As previously mentioned, Murphy and Broderick both had some great comedic genius going on, but because they had to share their screen time with others who weren't quite as funny, it seemed like a bit of a waste. The movie would have still worked with less character fillers, and quite possibly would have even raised the laugh factor a little. The other thing I found disappointing was the absurdness of the actual heist itself. I won't spoil anything for you, but it almost felt like the writers worked for MONTHS on the concept of the movie itself, and then 12 hours before filming said to themselves "well, we don't really have any ideas on HOW they're gonna get their money back, and we need SOMETHING... Anybody? Any ideas AT ALL? No? Alright, we'll just punt." And that's where it kind of fell apart for me personally. Had the laughs been a little more constant, I might have been able to overlook the improbability factor, but if I'm not laughing, it gives me too much time to think....and what I was thinking was "Really? REALLY?!"

THE UGLY: Dear Hollywood, there is actually a group of people in the world, however small you believe it to be, that don't find running jokes about the female anatomy all that humorous. We are the same people who stopped laughing hysterically when someone used the word "Boobs" when we were 9. Please attempt to bump up the bar just a tad. I'm not saying I don't enjoy a little immaturity now and then. I've been known to laugh at a lot of things after which someone will say to me "Grow up". But a 3 minute dialogue on childbirth and what it can do to a person's nether region is UN. NECESSARY.

If you can keep your mind open to the fact that this movie is definitely not intended to be based on realistic planning, and is purely for entertainment purposes, it's a safe bet that you'll be amused. And Eddie Murphy doesn't play a fat woman, so there's definitely that.

The Trophy Wife gives this movie 3 ½ trophies.

Tower Heist has a running time of 104 minutes and is rated PG13 for sexual humor and language (No F words---I was pleasantly surprised)

http://www.squidoo.com/trophywifetwocents

Get a trophy wife's view of things!

Shrek and the Mid-Life Crisis

It seems that Hollywood has decided to do away with trilogies and make quadrilogies instead. Why make money on a movie three times when you can make it a fourth time and milk it for what ever its worth? You don't need to come up with another original idea, the fans are already in place, just produce something, it doesn't even need to be good and people will still watch it. That's the feeling I got when I heard the fourth installment of Shrek was coming out.

Shrek the Third wasn't all that good. It wasn't as funny as the first two and was a little draggy. Now they are at it again, so I went to the cinema with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised though. Although it might not be as good as the first two Shreks it was definitely better than the third. Available in Tru3d, like most 3D movies you shouldn't sit too far away from the screen to get the full effect.

Without giving too much away, Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter is basically about Shrek having a bit of a mid life crisis. Like how most guys in their 40s suddenly want to date younger women and go out partying, Shrek longs to be a feared ogre once again. People now ask him to sign their pitchforks and do the Shrek roar just for fun.

Tired of being a mascot he then makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to be an ogre for a day. The catch is to get a day you need to give up a day. So you can pretty much guess what day Rumpelstiltskin decides to take. Shrek then gets thrown into an alternate reality where he never existed. Rumpelstiltskin is now king, ogres are now hunted, Fiona is the ogre leader, Puss is fat and Donkey, well is donkey.

Shrek then realises that he didn't know what he had till he lost it. Just like those guys in their 40s who have that mid life crisis and their wives finally throw them out. Bet they wished they listened to Kanye West and hollered "We want prenup!" when they had the chance.

Lucky for Shrek though when he signed the contract, like all Rumpelstiltskin contracts there is always an exit clause. So can Shrek get out of his contract before his time is up and save everyone? Its Shrek, what do you think?

All in all it was pretty entertaining and I while I felt this grumpy green ogre was perhaps stretching his on screen time I am going to miss this franchise. Watch it in 3D on a day you need a feel good movie.

My movie review rating: 3.5/5

For more Entertainment News, Movie previews and videos check out Dotcom.my

Movie Review: Tower Heist (2011)

The premise of a group of disgruntled hotel employees robbing a corrupt investor of $20 million in cash doesn't immediately bring to mind the workings of a laugh-out-loud comedy, yet Tower Heist provides just that. A colorful array of characters and inspired offbeat dialogue blend together with hilarious effect to create a film that carefully fleshes out its subjects and then begins to build scene after scene of increasingly clever lunacy. Ben Stiller opts for more of a straight-man role with his lead character and allows his cohorts to deliver the majority of the comical antics. With veteran comedy actors Eddie Murphy and Matthew Broderick, plus notable turns by Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, and Gabourey Sidibe, Tower Heist has no shortage of star power or laughs.

Devoted Tower Hotel manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) loves his hectic job of catering to the building's demanding clientele. But when Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), the hotel's penthouse resident and employees' pension investor, is exposed as a fraud and placed under house arrest by the FBI, Josh determines to get even. Devising a plan to take back $20 million from the extortionate businessman, Kovacs assembles a team of Tower employees including concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), elevator operator Enrique (Michael Pena), and maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe), plus easygoing former finance wizard Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) and professional thief Slide (Eddie Murphy) to attempt his outlandish scheme.

It comes as no surprise that Tower Heist is both funny and genuinely suspenseful, especially with Brett Ratner (the Rush Hour films) at the helm. The mix of humor and adventure certainly has its appeal, and here he shows once again that he knows how to fuse the two without either quality eclipsing the other. While the introduction of characters reveals typical traits for Stiller (as the mild-mannered, mistreated nice guy), Alda (a coolly calculating elitist snob) and Pena (the wisecracking, fast-talking, unqualified novice), it's Broderick and Murphy that steal the show, with unusual characteristics for each actor; a mousy, disheartened math wiz and a foulmouthed, mean-spirited conman, respectively. Broderick provides some of the funniest comedy relief quips and Murphy snags the exotic role of playing a stereotypically over-the-top hood that slowly transforms into the cheerier Beverly Hills Cop persona audiences find most endearing.

But the two strongest aspects of Tower Heist are the music and the editing, which ties into the smartly constructed screenplay. The catchy score by Christophe Beck is impressively thrilling and pays homage to the oddly appealing discordance of an uncommon time signature (something other than 4/4, not unlike Lalo Schifrin's famous Mission: Impossible tune). The editing is equally consequential, including a number of unexpected cuts, as if to avoid filming either difficult scenes or ideas that might rapidly diminish in hilarity. During burglary training and the actual robbery, shots end abruptly; perhaps the setup was leading to a fizzle, the details were never meant to be shown, or the editor knew it would be funnier to leave the audience hanging. The dialogue similarly goes off in a tangent, quite humorously, generally when ineptitude or the fairer sex sidetracks the characters' conversations. Stiller's comedies tend to poke fun at himself, but almost always in a more dignified manner than comedians like Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell. In this Ocean's Eleven-like farce, that approach is more rewarding, with laughs that are undeniably more lasting.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com

Movie Review - A Thousand Words (2012) (PG-13)

Don't Speak!

A Thousand Words is a film that strains mightily to be both funny and heartfelt but never manages to be either. And yet, like an underachieving high school student, I could see the potential. I just know that buried somewhere within this narrative catastrophe is a rich, complex fable with the power to register emotionally. The points are all there; what's missing is an appropriate, plausible way to make them. This could explain why the film was shelved after principal photography wrapped in 2008. The official reason for the delayed release is that it got lost in the shuffle when DreamWorks separated from Paramount and Viacom. While I have no doubt that this was a contributing factor, I can't help but feel that the film itself created a whole host of problems, ones the producers were worried couldn't be fixed. If this is the case, then it turns out they were right.

It tells the story of Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy), a Los Angeles literary agent. He's mean-spirited, demanding, and manipulative, and he talks nonstop at a hundred miles an hour. He's also a workaholic, although he makes it a point to not read the manuscripts he's sent. In fact, he has devised a system of reading only the first five pages and the last five pages; if the first five establish reliable characters and marketable plot point, and if the last five resolve everything, it's automatically a bestseller. All he really lives for is dressing sharply and making deals with other literary houses. He never listens to his wife, Caroline (Kerry Washington), who feels they should move away from their Hollywood Hills home into a more family friendly suburb for the sake of their infant son.

Currently, he's looking to rope in a New Age guru named Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), a Deepok Chopra parody who claims to have written a book but has thus far been unwilling to sell it. Jack goes to Sinja's ashram to work his magic, which involves underhanded tactics like saying he actually read the book. Somehow, Jack cuts his hand on the trunk of a Bodhi tree, which then magically transports itself into his backyard. It's then determined that whatever happens to the tree will happen to Jack. Example: If it gets sprayed with water, Jack will break into a sweat, and if a pair of squirrels scurry up the trunk, it will tickle Jack's body. And then there's the matter of the leaves; every word Jack speaks or writes down results in the loss of one leaf. Sinja warns him that trees die whenever they lose all their leaves. Jack quickly learns that he must choose his words carefully - or not say anything at all.

This provides the setup for a number of situations that could have been funny had they not been so forced. There are several scenes with Jack's tightly-wound assistant (Clark Duke), who at one point has to close a deal on Jack's behalf at a lunch meeting; he takes the strategy of doing what Jack would do far too literally, talking like a black stereotype and making crude physical gestures. There are also several scenes with a Starbucks employee, who must interpret Jack's exaggerated miming to fill his order. And then there's a cameo by comedian John Witherspoon as a blind man who steps into an intersection even though it's not his turn to walk yet. The oddest scene is when he sits in his therapist's office; the therapist is so used to not getting a word in edgewise that he finds he has nothing to say. So they both just sit there making comical expressions. Never mind the fact that it's never explained why Jack is in therapy at all.

And just like that, the film transitions from a manufactured slapstick comedy to a soppy drama. We meet Jack's mother (Ruby Dee), who always mistakes her son for her late husband, the same man who left his family when Jack was only a boy. It seems that Jack has been holding on to a lot of anger over the years. How the filmmakers believed such overtly dramatic material like dementia and abandonment issues could work in a comedy, I have no idea. And then there's Jack's marriage, which had been falling apart for quite some time. It has only gotten worse since Jack was forced to stop speaking. All leads to a sappy, tearjerker ending that combines personal awakening with spiritual awareness. Too bad it comes too late in the story for us to care one way or the other.

But that's the thing: We could have cared. I believe that if this story had been completely reworked as a dramatic parable, its lessons of letting go of the past and being open and attentive to your loved ones would have registered. As it is, they come off as greeting-card sentiments transplanted from an entirely different movie. Did the reshoots in 2011, a full three years after principal photography ended, contribute to this? Perhaps someone saw a rough cut of A Thousand Words and thought it was too silly for its own good. If that's the case, I'm afraid more harm was done that good. This movie is an absolute mess. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to keep this film on the shelf and let it disintegrate into nothing but scraps of celluloid.

Although Chris never officially studied film, film theory, or even journalism in college, his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Creative Writing has taught him to appreciate story, character, and the imagination - all aspects that apply to the movies, and if there's anything his years of living in Los Angeles has guaranteed him, exposure to movies would be at the top of the list. He has always appreciated the art of filmmaking, but it wasn't until 2006 that he began writing reviews on various websites for new releases. Still residing in L.A., his reviews can be read at his website, http://www.atatheaternearyou.net.

Movie Review: Tower Heist

"Tower Heist", Ben Stiller's latest movie will hit the screens on November 2, 2011. After Jim Carrey's "Fun with Dick and Jane" a dozen movies with similar synopsis flocked the screen. "Tower Heist" too has a similar script. But, we can certainly expect more from Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. News is afloat that Ben Stiller is paid $15 million for this movie. We hope the actor does justice to his payment.

Brett Ratner, the director of "Tower Heist" is no new face. He is quite famous for his Rush Hour series. He has a unique style of mixing humor with action. We can see his trademark action scenes and mind-blowing comedy in this movie too. Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller both are known for their exemplary humor sense. The other cast includes Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, and Gabourey Sidibe. Brian Grazer who enthralled us with his earlier productions like "A Beautiful Mind" and "American Gangster" is the producer of this movie.

The synopsis

Ben Stiller plays the character of Josh Kovacs, a worker in the luxurious Central Park condominium 'The Tower'. His crew manages the day-to-day activities of many well-secured residences in the condominium. One resident in the building Arthur Shaw, robs their pension money in a Wall Street scam. Alan Alda plays the role of Arthur Shaw. He is under house arrest in his deluxe penthouse for stealing more than two billion dollars in the scam.

"Fun with Dick and Jane" fame Tea Leoni plays the part of a FBI agent Claire Denham. She is responsible for guarding Arthur Shaw and capturing the stolen money. Arthur is waiting for the right moment to escape with the stolen money. The staffs of the condominium strongly believe he has hidden the money in his penthouse. They join together under Ben Stiller to hire a petty thief to steal the money from the high security house. Eddie Murphy is comical thief who manages to commit the crime amidst countless blunders.

The burglary takes place amidst the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The film's crew had taken painful steps to recreate the original parade with hundreds of amateur actors. All the leading artists in the film, including the Tea Leoni, Ben Stiller and Alan Alda are native New Yorker's. They have grown up witnessing the parade year after year. They co-operated fully with the director's effort to recreate the parade, sacrificing their Thanksgiving holidays.

"Tower Heist" trailer promises a complete family entertainer. The script and the cast had increased the expectations of the film widely. We have no doubt that, this humor cum action movie will be a great pre-festival entertainer.

Find out more movie comments for Tower Heist. More recently released movies trailer can be found at http://recentlyreleasedmovies.org

Taking Your Kids to the Movies - Imagine That, 2009

Seeing Eddie Murphy on the screen can't but leave you with a smile. He's bigger than life. He generates charisma, and he has a self-knowing warmth that extends from his days on SNL right through until Imagine That, his latest small masterpiece.

This is a movie about an everyday man. He's that father who's preoccupied with his job, the man who worked so hard to rise in the company, but he's also the man who had a wife who couldn't deal with it anymore so she left him. The problem is that he has a special young daughter named Olivia. She needs him, but Eddie Murphy will soon discover that he needs her more.

In this movie, Eddie Murphy is overly involved in his career. He's a financial advisor who discovers that his daughter has predictive powers about stocks.

Does this draw him closer? Yes, of course. Is it for right reasons? No. He gets closer to Olivia because he wants to win at the game of money. This movie is a set up for the great drama that working parents have during a divorce. "I'm working for you," but a child knows that he's working for himself.

Imagine That deliciously documents how Eddie Murphy negotiates with his daughter, plays with his daughter, and finds the answers to the future. In doing this, Eddie Murphy realizes that the goal he really is searching for is in Olivia's heart. This is a movie that every father and daughter should see together because they are almost guaranteed to enjoy it and take the movie's message to heart.

My name is Mark Banschick and I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist located in Katonah, NY. My recently published book, The Intelligent Divorce, is the first in a series of three, which demonstrates how to protect children when parents decide to split up.

For more information, please visit my website or Twitter page at: http://www.theintelligentdivorce.com/ and http://twitter.com/MarkBanschickMD

All About Eddie Murphy Movies

Eddie Murphy has already had a very long career that many people have diligently followed. He has many beloved fans and he has worked on a variety of different projects. Most of the Eddie Murphy movies are comedies and this is what people have learned to expect from this original comedian.

Eddie Murphy started his career as a stand up comedian with Raw and Delirious. This gave him the start he needed and made people take a closer look at his comedic skills and this put Eddie on the map.

Eddie then went on to make 48 Hours and this was his major breakout. Nick Nolte plays the cop and Murphy plays the criminal and the two become an unlikely duo to capture a crazy cop killer. He played the unforgettable Billy Ray Valentine in Trading Places and this was his first starring role. Beverly Hills Cop is one movie that Eddie Murphy was in that was wildly successful and a sequel was made for this film.

Coming to America was released in 1988 and was a major hit at the box office. This is the firs of the Eddie Murphy movies where Murphy not only played himself, but also several other characters and over the years he has been notorious for playing numerous roles in the films he is involved in. The Nutty Professor is another movie where he played both leading roles and also many other characters in the movie. In the Nutty Professor Murphy was 7 of the characters and he would go through full makeup to achieve this.

His most noted role lately is the voice of Donkey in the Shrek series. This is a highly successful series and there are four in the series so far, but it is very plausible that the series will continue and to find success. This movie with Eddie has humor for both children and adults adding to the success and it has been extremely popular making it a success all over.

There are many other Eddie Murphy movies that are not mentioned and it is prospected that his career will not fizzle out any time soon. Eddie has become a legend in the comedic business and many people will continue laughing in his honor long after his career is over. It is exciting to see what Eddie Murphy will do next and which way his career will turn.

"And now I would like to invite you to see more invaluable information on Eddie Murphy Movies at http://eddiemurphymovies.com

From Craig Thornburrow - A small business owner and big fan of Eddie Murphy"

Famous Celebrity Paternity Cases

Famous people. We constantly want to know what is happening with life, whether it's about the prosperity of their careers or the lowest point of their personal lives. In 2004, about 300,000 DNA paternity tests had been performed, but famous person paternity lab tests and instances have invariably been on the receiving end of the public's eye. What are one of the most discussed paternity conditions and what can we learn from these celebrities?

• Charlie Chaplin

It was 1945, when Charlie Chaplin was declared as pops of Carol Ann, the daughter of Joan Barry. Their child received monthly financial assist until she turned 21 years of age. Through this time, blood-grouping lab tests were employed to prove paternity. In blood-grouping, the youngster should have inherited the blood sort of either the mum or the father. As a result of this along with the laws of hereditary, Chaplin was singled by the court as the feasible dad.

• Eddie Murphy

Ginger Spice or Melanie Brown's effort to possess her daughter legally acknowledged by papa Eddie Murphy filled magazines and tabloids. Brown got pregnant or turn out to be public with the pregnancy after her divorce with Murphy in 2006. In 2007, DNA lab tests established that Murphy was indeed the dad of Brown's daughter.

• Larry Birkhead/ Howard K. Stern

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter was subjected to the media when determining the dad of the youngster. Five men came forward to claim paternity. But only two came face to face from the court: photographer Larry Birkhead and lawyer Howard Kevin Stern. In 2007, Dannielyn Hope's biological papa became for being Birkhead and was supplied the custody of their child.

• Boris Becker

The well known and former top tennis player, proven the father of the child of model Angela Ermakova. It is said in media incidents that Becker gave Ermakova $2.8 million. Becker first off denied becoming the father of the youngster, but after the DNA check, he admitted to possess fathered the youngster immediately after a "closet" encounter in a very restaurant. In 07, Becker went for and was granted joint custody of Anna soon after she raised questions about how Ermakova was raising their youngster.

• Chris Rock

Rock was happily married for 11 a long time, when Kali Bowyer claimed that her 13- year old son was Rock's little one. Bowyer demanded for a paternity analyze. Except for that she also provided her story to tabloids in exchange of money. Although, the DNA check resulted negative. Rock later on announced that it may be safer to donate all the money paid to Bowyer to charitable institutions.

• Steve Jobs

The wealthy Apple co-founder and CEO took two many years prior to he acknowledged daughter Lisa Brennan-Jobs from painter Chrisann Brennan. Jobs firstly claimed that he was sterile and infertile, but later recognized the daughter when the DNA test returned positive.

• Keanu Reeves

The most recent celebrity paternity analyze is with Keanu Reeves and Canadian, Karen Sala claimed that her four kids exactly where fathered by Reeves. They took a DNA test and also the result was that Reeves was not connected with any from the four children. Sala, later claimed that Reeves use hypnosis to change the results. The situation was dismissed as well as the woman was ordered to pay Reeves $15,000 for the legal expenses.

How would you like to read about the top pregnancy tips online? Visit pregnancy101.org and browse through the free pregnancy advice and be sure to check out pregnancy breast pain.

Top 20 Animation Movies - What Makes Them Tick?

Being in the animation industry, it is in my interest to keep abreast of which animated feature films are taking the most box office profits. Today I run by this list of the top 20 highest grossing animation movies of all time and I would like to share my views on why I think these movies did as well as they did. They will make up my recommended recipe for an animated feature box office hit.

1. Shrek 2 (3D) - $436,471,036

2. Finding Nemo (3D) - 339,714,978

3. The Lion King (2D) - 328,539,505

4. Shrek the Third (3D) - $322,719,944

5. Shrek (3D) - 267,665,011

6. The Incredibles (3D) - 261,657,004

7. Monsters, Inc. (3D) - 255,870,172

8. Toy Story 2 (3D) - $245,852,179

9. Cars (3D) - $244,082,982

10. Aladdin (2D) - 217,350,219

11. Ratatouille (3D) - $206,445,654

12. Happy Feet (3D) - $198,000,317

13. Ice Age: Meltdown (3D) - $195,330,621

14. Madagascar (3D) - $193,595,521

15. Toy Story (3D) - $191,780,865

16. The Simpsons Movie (2D) - $183,135,014

17. The Polar Express (3D) - $179,100,434

18. Ice Age (3D) - 176,387,405

19. Beauty and the Beast (2D) - $171,350,553

20. Tarzan (2D) - $171,091,819

Shrek - Top of the Crop

Shrek 2 takes the lead as you can see from the list. In fact, the Shrek trilogy takes the 1st, 4th and 5th positions, all in the top 5 positions. This is a very impressive feat and in my opinion, Shrek took the cake because the stories were really good and the gags were good. Of course it helped a lot that 4 major stars were casted - Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Mike Myers. In fact, of the Shrek trilogy, I enjoyed Shrek 2 the most, so personally I am not surprised that it performed the best out of the three.

3D versus 2D

From the list below, we can see that 3D movies take 15 of the spots, in comparison with its 2D counterparts that take only 5 seats. It would seem from this statistic that the audience is favoring 3D animation to 2D animation. Even 2D/3D fusion shows like Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Treasure Planet did not seem to please them enough. It would seem that The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Tarzen are only in the top 20 positions because of their strong family-orientated storylines and classic branding. The Simpsons Movie benefited basically through a huge fan base through its TV series. Barring such unique franchises, it would appear that a 3D show would trounce a 2D one any day. The animation studios seem to be echoing this sentiment as the quantity of 2D animated features produced has dwindled drastically in recent years.

A Strong Storyline

This is probably not new to you, but I will say it anyway. I think that one of the most important factors that will drive an animated feature would be a strong and compelling storyline. In fact I would go as far as to say that if you forgo everything else, you must have a great story to tell! Every single movie on the list tells an interesting story (well almost) and they all did well enough to make it to top twenty.

Laughter, the Best Medicine

People like to laugh. They like to laugh at others. They like to laugh at themselves. They just like to laugh. All things constant, I think Shrek takes three of the top five positions because of their gags and original jokes. And do not forget the two maestros of comedy - Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy - who performed the voiceovers for Shrek and Donkey respectively. How can you beat that lethal duo?

A Strong Voiceover Cast

It is a fact that a star-studded cast for the voiceovers is a crowd-puller, especially when the celebrities are well-liked and great performers. Again, refer to Shrek's cast. With Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, how can the movie go wrong?

The Importance of Recognizable Characters within the Show

This is just my theory, but I strongly believe that besides having a strong storyline, animated features should also showcase recognizable characters. And when I say recognizable characters, I don't mean plain human characters. I mean monsters. I mean animals. I mean super heroes. With characters that are more interesting than humans, they are instantly more recognizable. Look at the list closely. Besides a couple of the old 2D movies, which other movie had a cast that only had plain old human beings for its lead? Having interesting and identifiable characters will most definitely attract ticket sales because people want to pay to watch interesting characters in an animated feature, not plain old human being! I don't have to remind you again what a flop Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was, do I?

My Personal Favourites

In case you are wondering, my personal favorites are Monster Inc, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Shrek 2 and Ice Age in that order. My reason? They all have strong and compelling storylines. And I put them in this order according to how much I enjoyed each individual movie. I must say that Monster Inc gave me the best enjoyment factor!

Conclusion

So here's my recommended recipe for a animated feature box office success:

1. The movie must be done in 3D

2. It must have a compelling story to tell

3. Inject lots of humor into the show

4. Get a strong cast to be your voiceover talents

5. The character designs must be interesting and memorable

I hope that this article has been an interesting read. Please visit my websites to read more of my articles or simply to check out what I am doing.

Aldric Chang is the Founding Managing Director of the Mediafreaks Pte Ltd group and is best described as a creative entrepreneur with business interests in building free online adventure games, cartoon animation, interactive digital media, internet marketing, web 2.0 and music

Tower Heist Review

Judging by the trailer, Tower Heist looked like it could be hit or miss. Some of it looked funny and other parts made the film look like it would be corny. I know that you can't judge a movie by its trailer, so I was more than willing to see it anyway. It starred Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy together for the first time and also included a deep cast of solid actors, so that was interesting enough for me to at least to give it a chance.

Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is a Wall Street businessman who gets in trouble for scheming millions of dollars out of unsuspecting investors. A group of his victims actually work at the high-rise where he lives. Once they realize that they've been robbed of their pensions, they decide to get even by stealing back money that he may have hidden in a secret department in his apartment. Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) makes it his duty to the lead the team on this heist with the help of an old "friend" named Slide (Eddie Murphy), who also happens to be a career criminal. Getting together a team who wants to help is easy, but getting them to develop the fortitude to pull the heist off proves to be much more difficult.

Tower Heist is a film where the dialog is its primary source of comedy. The back and forth banter between the characters is entertaining and that's partially because the personalities were so different and they had unique things to bring to the table. All of them helped move the film along as we get to learn about them, parts of their personal lives and their relationships with one another. I'll also say that the characters are far more important to the movie than anything else, including the plot. They are the backbone of the film and it's obvious to see from the beginning.

While I acknowledge the entire cast and their positive contributions as a whole, it has to be said that Tower Heist truly comes alive when Eddie Murphy gets involved. I'm happy to say that this movie manages to brings back the Rated-R version of Eddie Murphy that's been missing for a long time. He appeared to return to his old form in this movie and that's a good thing. Murphy stole the show in every scene he was in and did some of what made him into a star. We haven't seen this version Eddie in a while and I wish he had more screen time. I hope he stays in these roles for the foreseeable future, because that would be good for business.

Although I do like Tower Heist, I wish that it was smarter than it was. It offered itself multiple chances to do that, but it rarely took advantage of those said chances. I'll also point out that it had a few blatant holes in the movie that can't be explained away easily if you tried, you'll have to see those for yourself. In the end, it was just a fun movie that I enjoyed. They brought back the real Eddie Murphy and added a lot of wise cracking jokes that made up for some of its flaws. It's not complicated and I don't think it was supposed to be. Tower Heist is a movie made for laughs and that's what you get.

Score: 3/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Brett Ratner

Cast:

Ben Stiller

Eddie Murphy

Matthew Broderick

Casey Affleck

Michael Peña

Gabourey Sidibe

Alan Alda

Tea Leoni

Film Length: 99 minutes

Release Date: November 4, 2011

Distributor: Universal Pictures

http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/

Movie Review of A Thousand Words

There was a time---many, MANY years ago---when putting Eddie Murphy in a movie was guaranteed to equal a big box office return and lots of laughs. Lately, however, it's hit or miss, and---let's be honest---quite a bit more miss than hit. Years after the fact, I am still trying to scrub the images of "Norbit" from my brain. However, I still find myself holding out hope that he will redeem himself from the long list of stinkers that have plagued the theaters since the mid '90's. And despite my ever present sarcasm, I am an optimist at heart, and chose to give Mr. Murphy another shot at things by seeing his new film, "A Thousand Words".

THE GOOD: Jack McCall (Murphy) is a big time publishing agent who spends his days smooth talking potential clients, while ignoring or belittling everyone else in his life. His main focus is himself, and he has no problem saying whatever he needs to in order to close the deal. But Jack is about to meet Karma, in the form of a tree----a tree whose life is, inexplicably, tied to his own. When he speaks, leaves fall from the tree, and he soon realizes that when those leaves disappear, he and the tree are both goners. What follows are semi-creative attempts to function in everyday interactions (professional, family and public) without uttering a word. As expected, complications are abundant, and Jack realizes he has to find a way to fix everything with as few words as possible.

There isn't a lot to rave about in this film, but I have to admit I was more than a little impressed with the young actor who plays Jack's secretary/assistant, Aaron (Clark Duke). In those moments when Murphy is forced into silence, Duke shows promise with his "young Michael J. Fox-esque" awkwardness and voice. There may be a future for this boy---although that may not be the case for Eddie.

THE BAD: I understand the point that the writers were trying to make with this idea, I really do. It's all about making what we say actually MATTER, and finding the words that help others more than ourselves. The problem is that they weren't very clear about their moral until the last 15 minutes of the film. To be fair, for a movie that had so little to offer for almost its entire lifespan, I felt some genuine emotion towards the end. It's just a case of too little too late. And, aside from the corniness of a magical tree sprouting up overnight in your yard, the main problem with the whole film is that Eddie Murphy is SILENT during a fair portion of it. We all know that he can be hysterical and has delivered some pretty memorable lines in the past, but a physical comedian he is NOT, so even with all the crazy faces and sign language he attempts in order to communicate, it fell flat without his trademark sarcastic wit.....although I'm not sure even some well placed lines could have saved this one, unless Murphy could have used those lines to make fun of the movie itself. That might have been fun.

THE UGLY: I suppose this next point is subject to debate, but it's my personal opinion that the raunchy, albeit brief, S & M scene between Jack and his wife was not integral to the plot of the movie and was basically unneeded. It just added one more awkward moment of Murphy saying nothing. Axle Foley would have at least given us a witty comment about the leather underwear.

The bottom line is that "A Thousand Words" doesn't hit an all time low for Eddie Murphy---I think that ship might have sailed with "Pluto Nash"---but it certainly isn't his finest performance by a long shot either. The good news is that he doesn't attempt to play numerous characters---but one of his strongest talents is his mouthiness---take that away and it's an uncomfortable silence.

The Trophy Wife gives this movie 2 trophies.

A Thousand Words has a running time of 91 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, language and some drug-related humor. (F word used once)

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Eddie Murphy: Funny Guy of a Million Faces

If you have been to any movie since the year 1982, you have seen Eddie Murphy at least once. At the very least, you have heard of the man who can list himself as a comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer and director on any resume that he writes. His career started before he made his first movie appearance, creating some of his most popular and heartwarming characters on Saturday Night Live from the 1980 season and continuing until 1984. His first major movie role came in 1982 when he costarred with Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. He would become the first SNL cast member to ever host the show while still part of the cast when he filled in for Nolte.

Eddie Murphy is not only funny but incredibly gifted at adapting the persona of other people. In one skit for SNL, he endured hours of makeup to take on the role of a white man to see how many places he could walk into and be accepted as such. He is so adept at taking on other characters that people are often shocked by how many roles he has taken on in a single film. For his role in the Nutty Professor, for instance, Eddie played the title character, his alter ego Buddy Love and the professor's entire family.

In addition to memorable roles on screen, this talented actor has provided voice work for animated classics, including the voice of Donkey in the Shrek series. Prior to that series, Murphy provided the voice for a dragon in Mulan, a Disney animated film. He is one of the highest grossing actors to date and although he has been nominated for several awards through the years, he did not manage a win until 2007, when he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Dream Girls. He received an Oscar nomination for that role as well.

The movies and other projects that Eddie Murphy has worked on have either been commercial and critical successes or total failures. There have been some that have straddled the line, either making money but being loudly panned, but for the most part, his roles have been love them or hate them. Some of his roles have been loosely based on people he knew or people that he admired.

In addition to movies and stand up specials, Murphy is also a singer and has released albums. He had one song that became a hit and was often played on popular radio stations during the height of his popularity. Indeed, Eddie Murphy is a truly a gifted artist.

"Now I would like to invite you to garner more valuable information on Eddie Murphy Movies at http://eddiemurphymovies.com

From Craig Thornburrow - A writer, small business owner and big fan of Eddie Murphy"

Coming To America (DVD) Review

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy manufactured a string of Hollywood blockbusters culminated in his 1988 comedy Coming To America. As far comedies go, this one's as good as it gets. Clever and witty, its hilarity only grows with time. Unlike most modern day comedies, it doesn't rely on outlandish physical humor, fart jokes, or other toilet bowl humor for laughs. Instead, it creates a somewhat realistic plotline ripe with one-liners, eccentric characters, and perfect comedic delivery on the part of its cast. Headlined by Murphy, audiences will enjoy an all-star cast that includes such faces as Arsenio Hall, Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson, and many others. Inevitably, any objective viewer would have to rate Coming To America as one of the top five comedies of the decade...

The film follows the life of Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), heir to the royal throne of Zumunda, who, upon reaching the preordained age of marriage, is introduced to a woman bred from birth to be his wife. But, much to the chagrin of his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), Akeem raises an objection. After discussing the matter, the king agrees to delay the marriage while Akeem takes a trip abroad to "sow his wild oats".

Desperate to avoid his arranged marriage and hoping to marry a woman he loves, Prince Akeem reveals his intentions to his servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall). Semmi agrees to travel abroad and assist Akeem in finding a wife who can be respected for her intelligence as well as her beauty. Spinning a globe, Akeem's finger lands on the world's perfect destination for finding a queen - Queens, New York.

In Queens, Akeem and Semmi settle into a rundown ghetto apartment complex and set out to find as many women as possible. When their search is fruitless, an older man suggests they go to church and meet some "good girls". It's here that Akeem's eye falls on Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), daughter of Cleo McDowell (John Amos), founder of Queens' most popular fast food establishment McDowell's (which bares an uncanny resemblance to McDonald's). Unfortunately, Lisa is dating Darryl Jenks, heir to his father's hair supply business and the most eligible bachelor in town according to Cleo and Lisa's sister Patrice (Allison Dean).

In an effort to get closer to Lisa, Akeem accepts a job at McDowell's where fellow employee Maurice (Louie Anderson) fills him in on the bright future beheld by a McDowell's employee. Forcing Semmi to work alongside him, Akeem and Semmi help foil a gunman (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to hold up the store. As Lisa and Akeem develop a relationship, her father voices his disapproval, viewing Akeem as nothing but a poor immigrant with no future.

When Semmi telegraphs King Joffer for more money, it prompts the King and his entourage to personally visit New York City in search of Akeem. Cleo does a complete one-eighty when he's informed of Akeem's identity, but King Joffer is insistent on his son's arranged marriage...

An ingenious and utterly entertaining comedy, Coming To America ranks highly as one of Eddie Murphy's best films, if not his best ever. Only Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours come close to dethroning Prince Akeem and his search for a worthy bride, but neither is quite on the same level with this film and its never-ending parade of hilarity. If you love to laugh, you can't go wrong with Coming To America, one of the best comedies of the 1980s decade...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Coming To America (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/coming-to-america-dvd.html].

The Top 10 Most Famous Men With the First Name of Ed Or Eddie Or Edward

The most famous men (based on online chatter) with the first name Ed, Eddie, or Edward are:

10. Ed McBain - Author (87th Precinct mystery series, Matthew Hope mystery series)

9. Ed Harris - Actor (Apollo 13, Pollock, The Hours)

8. Ed Wood - Director and Screenwriter (Glen or Glenda, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Bride of the Monster)

7. Edward Scissorhands - Title character from the movie Edward Scissorhands

6. Ed Westwick - Actor (Gossip Girl)

5. Eddie Izzard - Actor and Comedian (The Riches, Valkyrie, Live at the Ambassadors)

4. Edward Norton - Actor (Fight Club, American History X, The Incredible Hulk)

3. Ed Sullivan - Talk Show Host (The Ed Sullivan Show)

2. Eddie Murphy - Actor and Comedian (Beverly Hills Cop, Shrek, Dreamgirls)

...and the most famous man named Ed, Eddie, or Edward is...

1. Edward Cullen - Character in the Twilight Saga series of books and movies

Not making the top 10 were Ed Anger - Weekly World News columnist, Ed Bradley - Television Journalist (60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Night with Ed Bradley), Ed McMahon - Television Announcer and Personality (The Tonight Show), Ed Norton - Character on the TV series The Honeymooners, Ed O'Neill - Actor (Married... with Children, Modern Family, John from Cincinnati), Eddie Munster - Character on the TV series the Munsters, Eddie Van Halen - Musician most natably in the band Van Halen (Jump, Panama, Dance the Night Away), Edward Albee - Playwright (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Seascape, The Zoo Story), Edward Asner - Actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Roots), Edward Ferrars - character in Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility, Edward Furlong - Actor (American History X, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Before and After), Edward Hopper - American Painter (Nighthawks, Automat, Chop Suey), Edward Hyde - Character in the novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Edward Murdstone - Character in Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, Edward Rochester - Character in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre, and Edward Teach - Pirate in the early 1700s better known as Blackbeard.

A pretty good mix of occupations for the top ten Ed, Eddies, and Edwards with one talk show host (Ed Sullivan), one director (Ed Wood), one author (Ed McBain), two fictional characters (Edward Cullen and Edward Scissorhands), and five actors (Eddie Murphy, Edward Norton, Eddie Izzard, Ed Westwick, and Ed Harris).

This was an unusual top ten list in that there were no musicians in the top 10, with Eddie Van Halen just barely missing out. No surprise that Twilight fan favorite Edward Cullen topped the list. It is nearly impossible to beat the online popularity of Twilight these days, and within Twilight it is nearly impossible to beat the popularity of Edward.

I compiled this list by searching for each of the Ed, Eddie, and Edwards on a number of search engines and ranking them by the number of web pages, discussion forums, photos, videos, etc that are available online.

Larry Truett is a freelance computer programmer living in San Diego, California with his wife and their three cats. He enjoys hking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activities.

Get complete numerology for the names Ed, Eddie, and Edward at http://www.NameNum.com.

"I'm Rick James" (For Halloween)

Most people are familiar with Rick James as a recording artist of the 70's with such hits as "SuperFreak". However, in Dave Chappelle's "Chappelle's Show", a segment titles Charlie Murphy's Hollywood stories put him back on the public radar again. Even though the sketch was a story about Rick James, those of us who have seen it remember Dave Chappelle's portrayal more than we do the short cutaways to James himself.

This Halloween, a great recognizable and fun costume is Rick James from then Chappelle's Show skit. The premise of the skit was that Charlie Murphy, brother of the famous Eddie Murphy, was retelling stories of events when Eddie began to rise to fame. Eddie's brother, Charlie was a part of his entourage and spent a lot of time going out to clubs and partying with many other celebrities. It was during this volatile time in the 1980's that most of Charlie's stories take place. One of the most popular involves an interaction with Rick James in which a younger Charlie Murphy is pushed around by Rick James, and even punched in the forehead so hard that the imprint of James' "unity" ring is left there for a week. During the sketch Rick James, played by Dave Chappelle struts around the club declaring, " I'm Rick James!" which has now become a popular catchphrase among fans of the show.

To put together a Rick James costume you'll need to start with a good wig. James wore his hair in many long braids with beads on the end of each. The hairstyle is vaguely reminiscent of Cleopatra, in that it is dark hair that falls to about the shoulder, and includes braided bangs across the forehead. When you're choosing a wig, make sure that the shorter braids in front have beads on the end of them as well. This will help the effect of when you swing your hair to one side or the other, proclaiming your Rick James identity on Halloween night. There are good online sources for Rick James Wigs. Now that you have the hair all set, you'll need to take a look at what clothing would be best. The first time we see Rick James in that skit he is wearing a classic suit from the 80's. The cut is wide through the shoulders with angular shoulder pads, and narrow through the waist. The button is placed low and contributes to the triangular shape of the suit jacket. The pants worn at that time were styled very loosely and had pleats in the front by each hip. They were also slightly tapered and showed a lot of movement. To complete the look, you'll need a pair of well shined men's dress shoes and perhaps a gold chain or other jewelry as an accessory.

The only thing missing now, is the self-important, potentially-enebreated persona that Dave Chappelle perfected. If you don't feel like buying the recorded Chappelle's Show, you can find clips of the popular sketch at many different websites online.

To really Complete your Rick James costume, you may need a costume wig. The best way to find quality Cheap Costume Wig is to do a Google Search. You can also find fantastic Discount Afro Wigs the same way.