Lost Season 1

The show LOST has been aired since December 2004. It has spawned three seasons on DVD and currently is airing the fourth successful season on FOX. Lost started as a small drama pilot about a group of airline passengers that crash land on an island in the middle of the Pacific; only to find that each person has their own past that they are not all so eager to share with their fellow island mates. As time continues they discover more interesting challenges and surprises that await them on this, not so ordinary island.

LOST season 1 opens with a devastating plane crash on an island beach somewhere in the Pacific. The lead character Jack, (Matthew Fox) a spinal surgeon by profession, awakes in the jungle slightly off the beach. He is injured but realizes the frailty of the situation requires more immediate attention than his own wounds. He makes his way to the beach where we see a massive wrecked aircraft. Passengers are strewn about the rubble, some obviously dead, some wounded and in need of medical assistance, and many others wondering aimlessly about the beach in shock of the recent events. Jack, along with others (many of whom become the basis of main characters for the seasons to come) help clear as many people they can with the rubble crashing around them. Once the devastation is realized, the group of survivors begin to make sense of what has happened. They start to build shelters and collect supplies from the wreckage, searching for anything that may help them in the possible long stay they face on the island.

Jack, along with a group that has taken some control of the situation, Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Locke (Terry O'Quinn), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) help Jack to establish a medical facility to treat the passengers that are devastatingly hurt from the plane crash. They also set out to search the island for other survivors and for the front of the plane.

Threats are around every corner on the island, from the "monster"... a presence that uproots hundred foot trees and kills everyone it meets, to unfamiliar terrain, as well as the passengers themselves. Several problems arise between passengers and their fellow islanders. They attack each other and try to accuse each other to take out their frustrations. Jack and group are usually the mediators between the group which further pushes their status as leaders of the island.

Through the season, the writers bring us glimpses of each passengers past. Each showing something about their character or lifestyle which has defined their actions and character on the island. They show us how each person has developed into the relationships that have grown while on the island. And while on the island, they develop while interacting with each other, through troubles and triumphs, they learn to change and react to each other and how to learn from each others actions.

Several important plot turns and twists happen throughout the season, they find that there are other people on the island, a scientist who has been there for 16 years, as well as a violent, hostile group that call themselves the OTHERS. Not much is learned about either of these groups besides the fact that they are loners and are not friendly towards outsiders on their island. However, in he middle of Season 1, the Others attack the passengers, taking two of them hostage and leaving one for dead hanging ominously in the jungle vines. The other hostage, the pregnant Clair, is taken for weeks. She finally emerges in the jungle one night, suffering from amnesia and the fear that everyone is trying to harm her and take her baby.
Clairs baby is delivered soon after and seems to be fine. The others leave the passengers alone for the time being and don't seem to take any further action to take Clairs born baby.

However, the scientist Rousseau appears one day on the beach in search of Clair and her baby. She warns Clair that the Others will stop at nothing to take the child for their own, and signaled by a black tower of smoke from the other side of the island. This signal is a sign of imminent attack. The passengers feel they must hide from the attack, turning to Jack and Locke to protect them in their time of crisis. Locke informs Jack that he has unearthed a hatch in the middle of the jungle; a hatch that appears to lead underground but is locked from he inside and so far, has been impenetrable by Locke's efforts.

Rousseau leads Locke, Jack, Kate, and Hurly to the Black Rock... what they think is a deadly point on the island turns out to be a 18th century sailing vessel beached in the middle of the island. Inside, they discover cases of gunpowder which has chemically mixed with the moist air to become nitro glycerin. They use this explosive to breach the hatch just at dusk when the Others are set to attack.

Season 1 ends as Locke and Jack peer into the unknown hatch and the Others attack, not Clair and her baby on the island, but Michael, Jin, Sawyer, and Walt out on the raft they have built to sail off the island to find help. The Others shoot Sawyer, burn the raft and kidnap Walt, taking him on their gasoline powered boat (hinting that they have much better means than they are believed to have).

LOST wasn't originally a show i was interested in. I decided to rent the first disk of season 1 as season 4 started on television. I watched the first episode one night after work and stayed up the entire night to finish the disk. The next day i rented the next two disks and had them done by the next morning. Since then, i have watched through season three and am planning to catch up on season 4 online at FOX.com.
LOST is one of those shows that pulls you in with an interesting plot line and a twisting cast and story. I highly recommend renting the first season and seeing f you can get into LOST's story.

Enjoy

LOST season 1 - Recommended/ Buy It

Rambo (4)

A while back i went to see the new Rambo movie. Actually, it was the opening night, but that's useless knowledge, so back to the movie. Rambo, the final...maybe... chapter for John Rambo is an action packed masterpiece of a film for Stallone and cast. We open the story, Rambo is aboard his small fishing vessel in Thailand, and what used to be the war tempered man seems to have been ravaged by his years of fighting and tamed by a peaceful lifestyle living amongst monks and the local village people. A group of American missionaries on their way to Burma hire Rambo to guide their way down the winding rivers and take them to their destination, deep in the country's war zone. The ride begins shortly after, as they are stopped by river pirates, whom John quickly dispatches of in a classic Rambo fashion; and from this pivotal point, Rambo returns to his old, destructive (and just the way we love him) self.

Quickly through the non- important garble, the missionaries are captured by soldiers in a raid complete with gunfire, grenades, and full force mortar onslaught inside a small village where they are helping the locals with medical supplies and religious council. They are taken to an internment (POW) camp deep inside the jungle. The missionaries are kept inside bamboo cages and forced to watch as one of their own is devoured...

Rambo, unaware of this returns to his village, however, he is visited by a preacher (which seems to be oddly place in the middle of the humid, wet jungle, wearing a wool jacket) who informs him that he has lost contact with the group and fears that they have been captured and possibly tortured or killed by troops.

Rambo, along with a highly skilled team of mercenaries trek into Burma in search of the team. They find the prison camp and plan a route to rescue the hostages and return to the boat. Accompanied by superb training and an exceptional sniper (equipped with a .50 cal rifle), they quickly dispatch of the soldiers and rescue most of the missionaries.

With soldiers hot on their trail, Rambo leads two people into the jungle, showing them their path back to the boat, he leaves them to distract and kill the hunters following their trail. With high powered explosives and some superb tactics he easily leads them into a trap which, surprisingly levels an entire countryside. However, the other team is not as lucky in their escape. They are captured and the mercenaries are tortured, giving the missionaries the opportunity to attack; but in a great show of pure gunfire... Rambo takes control, and the onslaught that is John Rambo is unleashed. Complete with brains, blood, and an incredible amount of guts... the soldiers are mercilessly slaughtered.

Ending in bloodshed and triumph, Rambo (4) leaves audiences with a sense of satisfaction, if you cant get enough death in a movie (a whopping 236 kills throughout the 95 minutes movie). After a life of struggle and hardship, Rambo finally takes a long walk home, bringing a well earned close to his saga.


Rambo (4) - Recomended/ Buy It

Shooter

I went to see Shooter on the 25th. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as an ex- marine marksman, abandoned on foreign soil after a convoy of enemy soldiers ambushes his spotter and him while on a black-op mission. Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) secludes himself from civilization, hiding not only from the government that deemed him expendable, but from the memories of his friends death in battle, a death he blames on himself. However, Swagger is pulled back into his trade when the threat of a presidential assasination is revealed to him by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover). Swagger is betrayed and framed for the shooting, narrowly escaping capture by the Philidelphia police.

Healed from his injuries and fueled by revenge, he mounts an assault on the officials that initiated the attack. Meanwhile a rookie FBI angent who made first contact with the accused assasine begins to question the story that has been released to the media reguarding the shooting. He Begins to review tapes and timings along with police reports and whitness statements. Soon, the same men that have framed Swagger are after him; actions that result in the kidnapping and tortue of the agent. However, Swagger, who has a nack for showing up at just the right times saves the agent with a tripple homicide from a row boat using what else but a .22 modified for snipping capability.

Together Swagger and the agent begin to unravle the conspiracy behind the slaying. Workign with both the FBI and informants, they uncover a web of secrets that unveils curroption among representatives of the US government.

Shooter is a well balanced movie, bringing together aspects of not only action with the many exchanges of gunfire, but a genuine sense of suspence as the danger of capture and death lingers around every turn. I highly recomend you spend the time and money to see this movie in theaters, not only for the cinematic experience, but the numerous digital surround sound innovations bring new life to the already thrilling action.

Shooter- Recomended/ Buy It

300

300, what appeared to be one of the most promising movies of the year when advertised finally released on March 9th. Following a series of teasers and full length trailers that made a larger than life portrayal of the battle of Thermopylae Pass. With these trailers and occasional TV spots, 300 quickly became one of the most anticipated movies releasing this year.

I left my college class that morning fifteen minutes early in order to get to the theater in time for the movies start time, noon sharp. I got there right at noon and knew i would miss a few previews, which i mind because they give me an idea of what to see next. However, i didn't have to waste time buying a ticket, I'd had one for a week. Walking into the theater i was quite surprised, it was almost full (400+) people, all anticipating a spectacle that would leave us in shock and awe. The lights dimmed and we settled into our seats for the duration of the 115 minute film.

As the movie starts, we follow the life of a Spartan child, from birth selection to child rearing and training in battle. From their training, we follow Leonidas, the heir to the thrown of Sparta and leader of the great Spartan army.
The opening scenes of the movie alone are immensely gratifying. The child, facing his training to become a warrior must survive alone in the wilderness where he faces the harsh climate of the mountain along with the dangers that arise in the dark. With his mastery of fighting skill, we fast forward to his adult reign over the Spartan empire.

Leonidas receives an emecery from the Persian ruler Zerxies who brings warning of a Persian invasion. He brings a solution in order to spare the lives of the Spartan people. However, in the true fashion of the "never surrender" Spartans, Leonidas is reluctant to accept and delivers a message of his own to the "god king".
To this point in the movie, the plot seems to be set, an imminent war between the famed fighting Spartans and the overwhelming numbers of the Persian army.

The Spartans march the the hot gates, where they build a wall of stone and bodies to guide their foes into a narrow pass where they are better able to battle the thousands of soldiers. They fight for days, destroying every obstacle laid before them. The movies special effects play key roles in the battle scenes between these two fighting enemies. The monsters that are brought forth form the Persian bowls are incredible. They are designed for maximum wow effect while still allowing for a great spectacle show.

For each battle, the Spartans dominate the fights, using superior fighting skill and tactics, they destroy the army before them. Not until one of their own betrays them are they forced into submission, so we are led to believe. The great leader of the Spartans Leonidas brings the Persian god king before him and with the last moments of his life, reveals his cloud of deception and trickery. Faced with death or submission, the 300 Spartans fight till their last breath... leaving the audience with their final words, "It was an honor to fight by your side, and it was an honor to live by yours". They 300 are slaughtered at the hands of Persian archers, however, their deaths spark a fire under the Greek nation, uniting them to fight the hoard from their land and off the earth.

300 is one of the best movies for both storyline and for pure graphics and fight scenes. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in a good movie and an entertaining true story from history... carried to the extreme.

300 - Highly Reccomended/ Buy It