In an episode of the reality TV series ON THE LOT, which features upcoming filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DREAMWORKS, guest judge director, Michael Bay (THE ROCK, ARMAGEDDON, BAD BOYS, PEARL HARBOR, THE ISLAND) emphasized style and the need to always pull the camera back while filming.

His comments are well put into action in the latest summer Hollywood blockbuster, the eager-awaited TRANSFORMERS based on the old TV series.  There are lots to be observed in the background of each scene, be it flying debris, explosions or some neat trick.  Style is foremost in almost every segment.  Although the film may not make sense at times, TRANSFORMERS contains much (and I mean much) to please the eye. 

At one point in the middle of the movie, the escorted young hacker, Matt Farrell (Justin Long from ACCEPTED) questions senior detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) on what it is like being a hero.  McClane replies that the pay sucks, his wife has left him and nobody cares.  But someone has to do the job. 

LIVE FREE AND DIE HARD treads the old-fashioned movie hero – a loner with a cause for doing what is right, be it saving a town from bandits as in the old westerns, or in this case, updating the script to the present, saving the U.S. from cyber terrorists.  With a combination of old movie car chases, hand-to-hand combat with CGI and special effects, Len Wiseman’s (UNDERWORLD) fourth film in the DIE HARD series delivers the goods.

The second Fantastic Four Marvel comic book adaptation RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER continues the light, comic and corny spirit of the first film.  Again, the four - Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), the Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba), the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and the Thing (Michael Chiklis) are continuously bantering and poking fun at each other till they face a common enemy, which in this case is the Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne). 

SURF’S UP serves movie audiences insatiable of penguin stories another dish of CGI animation.  The premise is that surfing was actually invented by penguins. In the new film by Ash Brannon (TOY STORY) and Chris Buck (CHICKEN LITTLE), a documentary crew covers the behind the scenes and onto the waves of the Penguin World Surfing Championship.

Edith Piaf lived only to the tender age of 47.  But she left a legacy of songs about life, hope and despair so powerful that director and co-writer Olivier Dahan’s (CRIMSON RIVERS 2) film soars to life whenever her music or songs are heard on the soundtrack.