Previous
Features
The
Transporter
Move over, Vin
Diesel and The Rock, ’cause the Transporter is leaving Europe to take
care of business across the pond. Hong Kong action veteran Corey Yuen
is teaming up with French film phenomenon Luc Besson once again for
a second round of Transporter action. Currently in production, a bigger
and better film than the original has been promised, but one can only
expect it after seeing how the original Transporter was Yuen’s first
English-language directorial debut.
"The Transporter" starred
top-billed British action hunk Jason Statham–previously seen in "Snatch,"
and "The One"–playing a hard-driving courier for well-heeled
underworld clients. He follows simple rules: (1) Stick to the deal;
(2) Don’t ask names; and (3) Don’t look in the packages he transports.
All was well until he violated rule 3, discovering a Chinese beauty
(Qi Shu) in the trunk of his tricked-out BMW, and foiled a deadly
plot to smuggle Chinese slaves through the port of Marseilles. (Full
Story)
 |
Wasabi
Starring
Jean Reno, Michel Muller, Ryoko Hirosue, Carole Bouquet and Yoshi
Oida. Directed by Gérard Krawczyck. Written and produced
by Luc Besson. A TriStar release. Comedy/Action/Drama. French-language;
subtitled. Rated R for some violence. Running time: 94 min.
There has always been a dash of Asian
chic in French action auteur Luc Besson’s highly stylized visions,
though only recently has he openly embraced Asian talent, settings
and themes. This has yet to manifest itself in his work as a director,
but as a producer/writer it has become an increasingly prevalent
fixation, as seen in such efforts as "Yamakasi," the Jet
Li vehicle "Kiss of the Dragon" and "The Transporter,"
directed by longtime Jet Li collaborator Corey Yuen. None of these
films, however, quite find the same endearingly offbeat balance
as does "Wasabi," arguably the best script that Besson
has written in years and a worthy directing follow-up for "Taxi
2" director Gerard Krawczyk (who has since gone on to direct
"Taxi 3"). (Full
Story)
Actor
Gary Sinise Spearheads Effort to Aid Iraqi Children; ”Operation
Iraqi Children"
|
| Actor
Gary Sinise announced today that three major non-profit organizations
and FedEx Express are working together to deliver much-needed
school supplies to children in Iraq. This effort, Operation
Iraqi Children, is a grassroots organization co-founded by Sinise
and Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend.
|
KANSAS CITY,
Mo.–Actor Gary Sinise announced that 3 major non-profit organizations
and FedEx Express, the world’s largest express shipping company
and an operating company of FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX), are working
together to help schoolchildren in Iraq. It’s an effort coordinated
by Operation Iraqi Children, a grassroots organization co-founded
by actor Gary Sinise and Seabiscuit: An American Legend best-selling
author Laura Hillenbrand. Operation Iraqi Children, which was inspired
by conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers as well as
by Sinise’s recent tour of Iraq, encourages ordinary citizens to
send school supplies and Arabic translations of Seabiscuit to Iraqi
children. (Full
Story)
 Learn
More in 2004, Mia the Mouse: The Kidnap Caper
The
popular Mia the Mouse is on a French and Spanish learning adventure
that will invite you into her world to help solve a mystery as to
who kidnapped her precious Grandma and learn a new language as you
help Mia with the search in new places. (Full
Review)
Sonic
Adventure DX: Director’s Cut
 Sonic
Adventure is back! Now with all new graphics, better gameplay, 12
extra sonic games (that’s right, 12!), and more; Sonic Adventure
DX easily triumphs over any other game.
Dr.
Eggman has found a new way to try and destroy the world: a creature
called Chaos that, when it receives a chaos emerald, grows larger
and more powerful. Dr. Eggman is out to get all seven chaos emeralds
to create “Perfect Chaos” and take over the world…
and, of course, only Sonic can stop him. (Full
Review)
Rescue
Heroes: Billy Blazes
Bright
and colorful, fun and exciting; “Rescue Heroes: Billy Blazes”
will be the best present you ever gave your 4-8 year old. The game
offers a level of enjoyment where you’ll have the best fun
playing as a hero firefighter. Action hero Billy Blazes, gives kids
and the good guy in all of us a chance to become a real fire fighter,
as Billy takes on the adventures of saving lives and battling fires
for the inhabitants of Sky City. (Full
Review)
Madden
NFL 2004
Win
the coin toss and kick off a fight to the playoffs and your quest
for a Superbowl XXXVIII victory this season with EA Sports’
Madden NFL 2004 for PS2.
You can play as last year’s
winners the Tampa Bay Bucs, play in an underdog team like the Cincinnati
Bengals, take over ownership of the New York Jets, or be extra daring
and create your own team. (Full
Story)
 Get
into the Game – US Army
A
game bold enough to offer everything from basic shooting skills
to intense action intrigue invites gamers to take it to the max.
See if you have the right stuff to fight as a member of the Special
Forces on secret missions. Segueing from real life to videogame
and back again, the game and its website allow gamers to take a
look at what real Special Forces do. They "are either on a
real-world mission or training for one. Their missions are conducted
worldwide and usually classified" –America’s Army (Full
Review)
Pirates
of the Caribbean
Pirates, before they became the target of music moguls, they sailed
the high seas in search of adventure and booty. Hollywood has brought
us many a tale of these ocean scourges from Tyrone Power in “The
Black Swan” to “Treasure Island”. Disney in turn
made pirates into an interactive attraction years ago, and pirates
have peppered videogame consoles as well. (Full
Review)
 Games
to Toons
E3
is where the world of videogames takes center stage; and over its
9 year run, the expo has seen many a mascot and game character hoping
to launch the next hit series. Few game characters have been able
to achieve such prominence or longevity as Mario or Pacman, but
when they do, there’s a chance they’ll expand out of
their own realm onto television or film. Stepping outside the box
has always been risky for our digital friends, but at E303, two
videogame veterans showed they got what it takes to not only launch
new titles on multiple gaming platforms this year, but that they
can make a comeback on T.V.! (Full
Story)
 Actiontec
Gives it All…
After
you experience the benefits of high speed internet access, it’s
like you’ve totally forgotten what life was like without the
net. Instant page loads, fast downloads, music, and even on-line
videogame adventures are the new norm, but if you have another computer
in the house, reality comes to a screeching crawl, or in most cases,
a complete stop. (Full
Review)
 Top
Cop: Ninja Five-O
Taking
on the role of Joe Osugi (Ninja Five-O), it’s up to you to
attempt to thwart a series of terrorist attacks, hijackings, and
robberies that have taken place in various areas around New York
(…Well it looks like New York). Joe has teamed up with the
police force after learning that the attacks are headed by his old
Ninjitsu trainers who have turned their ways to evil after opening
an ancient chest filled with the four evil “Mad Masks”.
Ancient ninjas had stored them away after some of them wore the
masks, causing terror and destruction among their villages! (Full
Review)
Gaming
Extreme: E3 2003
E3:
three blistering days of sensory overload for the lucky few (62,000
of us) who attended. Getting bigger, brighter, and bolder, every
year the globe holds its breath to see what’s new, innovative,
and hot from the mini metropolis known as the Los Angeles Convention
Center. This year didn’t disappoint, with more stuff that
you can shake a joystick at. Not only did we see Microsoft draw
a sword and battle it out with Sony in the console wars with price
drops (Xbox and PS2 on par at only $179 U.S.), but we saw the Army
infiltrate via Blackhawk helicopter…. (Full
Story)
 Get
Into Disaster Report
What
would you do if disaster struck around you? Embedded journalists
from around the globe faced this question and much more as war raged
in Iraq, and here is your chance to become a reporter in the middle
of a crisis. “Disaster Report” pioneers a new genre
of video games by answering the ultimate “what if” and
asks you in turn “what now?” Taking the role as, Keith
Helm, a newspaper reporter looking forward to starting at his new
dream job, life changes swiftly and unexpectedly when a disastrous
earthquake hits Stiver Island. (Full
Review)
Metal
Gear Solid 2: Substance
In
a world ravaged by terrorism, high tech weapons of war, weapons
of mass destruction, and espionage, you bravely assume the role
of an ultra top secret hero who battles evils to defend the free
world in “Metal Gear Solid 2:Substance” for the Xbox.
So, get ready for the triple thrill challenge of the newest Metal
Gear story installment, a redux weighing full of new levels and
beyond belief extras. (Full
Review)
NBA
2K3: Hoop Dreams Defined
EA,
989 and the rest claim they got game when it comes to basketball
sims, but who’s the REAL champ? Need look no further than
SEGA’s NBA 2K3 for an all around amazing basketball experience
that’s THE slam-dunk choice for either your Xbox, PS2, or
Gamecube. Not only are the graphics top-notch, but the ESPN touch
will give you the feel that you’re watching a live game. (Full
Review)
The
Ever-Question on EverQuest
In early 1999, Sony Online Entertainment released
the game “Everquest” for the PC. The game not only did
incredibly well in sales, but has a huge subscriber base for its
on-line game service that connects thousands of gamers together
to play in a fantasy world full of monsters, demons, wizards, witches,
and warriors with magic powers. The graphics are not very impressive,
but the gameplay has been said to be so habit forming that many
have dubbed it “EverCrack”.
Now in 2003 EverQuest is back and
bigger on the PlayStation 2, a videogame system that sits in millions
of households across the world. (Full
Story)
 Noah
Puzzle Fun For Kids of All Ages!
RealOne
Arcade’s new release of “Noah’s Ark Deluxe” offers
kids and adults a simple game of rescuing God’s creatures great
and small. At first look, the game easily falls into the puzzle
genre, but incorporating the idea of the animals going in two by
two changes things up by giving you the role as matchmaker and animal
organizer. (Full
Review)
 NFL
2K3 Super Bowl
Since
Sega Sports launched the NFL 2K group, they have been climbing toward
perfection. Now with top-notch graphics and the innovation of bringing
in exclusive ESPN announcing and play-by-play commentary,
they have reached their goal to bring you the best football game
ever! NFL 2K3 is a big touchdown for Sega and is YOUR ticket to
more action during halftime or to make a great Super Bowl party
even better! (Full
Review)
You’re an elite
super spy, fighting to save freedom, but it isn’t always easy!
You’ll find yourself shadowing the enemy to penetrate terrorist
hideouts and using all your skills and wits to survive.
Quarter moonlit nights provide cover as you avoid detection, jump
roofs, and escape exploding buildings. Keys to tracking down the
enemy are secrets that you get only from your contacts. Your mission:
to seek and retrieve intel while staying as stealthy as possible!
(Full
Review)
 Ham-Hams
Unite!
Guest Review By Alex,
Age 12
Don’t
be fooled by the first part of the name! In fact this game is perfect
for all kids whose parents don’t want them to play some of
the much weirder Gameboy Color games out there. You play as a hamster
scurrying around trying to find all of his hamster friends in time
for a big surprise. (Full
Review)
 Sonic’s
Mega Collection
How
does twelve games for the price of one sound?
It may sound
too good to be true, but Sonic Mega Collection offers a mega selection
of classic Sonic titles as well as two hidden Genesis titles. Not
only is the disc packed with games, but you also get tons of Sonic
media and artwork. So, if you missed out on the games that rocketed
Sonic and SEGA to stardom, or even if it was before your time, here’s
your chance to discover the fun that people around the world have
enjoyed for years. (Full
Review)
 Documenting
Metal Gear Solid 2
Gearing up for
the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Konami has
released a new Metal Gear game of sorts. “The Document of
Metal Gear Solid 2” is an amazingly in depth DVD, that not
only takes you through the making and design of the game, but also
gives you a taste of Substance’s new action with 5 VR missions
that will be featured in the new suped-up re-release. (Full
Review)
SEGA’s
Head Coach Runs a New Gameplan
For over 4 decades SErvice GAmes
has been at the forefront of Electronic Gaming. From co-founder
David Rosen’s innovative strategies in establishing arcades
across Japan to the adaptation of SEGA’s Naomi arcade board
into a home console (the Dreamcast), SEGA has remained on top through
its daring game plans and sound leadership. And, in 1999 Sega of
America got a new head coach: Peter Moore.
After sending the Dreamcast to the showers
in 2001, Coach Moore decided it was time to restructure the team
at SEGA. A year later, we had a chance to catch up with him at E3
2002, to see how his game plan was going. (Full
Story)
US
Subs Receive Special Gift from Video Game Industry
Every
one of the 72 submarines in the American fleet now has a new state-of-the-art
video game console, plus about 20 of the current top-selling video
games, thanks to an unprecedented drive by the U.S. computer and
video game industry to show support and thanks to American troops
waging the war on terrorism, the Interactive Digital Software Association
(IDSA) announced (Full
Story)
|
