Movie of the Week Pt. II: The Prestige

Batman vs. Wolverine! Place your bets.

I don't want to say anything specific about the movie because I don't want to ruin it for anyone.

I figured out the secret early and it didn't ruin the movie for me in any way. I was just annoyed with myself for not figuring it out sooner.

All the actors were great, especially Michael Caine as Cutter.

I got a kick out of Christian Bale's character being name "Alfred."

Chris Nolan is slowly becoming one of my favorite directors. All his movies are about obession (even...no...especially Batman Begins).

There's so much more I want to say but I won't...but e-mail me if you want to talk offline about it.

Lost Season 3: "Every Man For Himself"

You got served, Sawyer.

What I Liked:

• The interactions between Jack and Juliet. I like that Jack is finally getting his backbone back.
  
• On the opposite end, Sawyer totally got his balls taken away from him.
  
• Once again, Ben can break anyone. I hope it's Kate's turn next.
• Two Deadwood folks on one episode (Paula Malcomson as Colleen and Kim Dickens as Cassidy).
• Even though I knew the pacemaker was fake (they couldn't operate on a gunshot wound, I doubt they could do heart surgery), it was funny seeing Sawyer's heart rate go up while Kate was changing (who's wouldn't?)
  

What I didn't like:

• The backstories are becoming more and more useless. This one was okay but again, if we didn't have it, I wouldn't have been mad.
• How they are treating the new castaways like they've always been there and we just haven't noticed.
• I didn't want Colleen to die. Not because of the character but because Paula Malcomson is such a great actress and it seems like such a waste.
  

What We Learned:

• Sawyer went to prison for the con he pulled in "The Long Con" episode
  
• Sawyer has a daughter named Clementine
• Juliet was a fertility doctor
  
• Ben can still manipulate the hell out of anyone
  
• There are TWO islands which explains why the castaways having a boat made them nervous
• Why they need Jack
• Desmond can still see into the future and change it as he sees fit
• Kate is more important to Sawyer than Sawyer is to Sawyer
  
• Ben hates needles
  

Questions:

• Again, what is the nature of Desmond's prescience?
• Where was Locke and Eko?
  
• Who's X-rays were those?
• Is operating on whomever's spinal tumor that is the "favor" Ben wants to ask of Jack?
  
• How did the castaways never notice another island?
• What side of the island is the second island on?
• Is the little Others community we saw in the first episode on this second island or is it on the one with the castaways?
• Why do they need Kate and Sawyer?
• Considering her field, did Juliet also attend to Claire when she was in captivity?
• What happens when the Others find out Sun is pregnant?
• Can The Others have children? Is that why they keep trying to steal them?
  
• Is Ben trying to spark something between Juliet and Jack?
• Was Kate lying when she told Sawyer she didn't really love him?
• How long will it take Sayid, Jin and Sun to get back to the beach?
• Will Danny take revenge on the castaways of Colleen's death?
  

Movie of the Week Pt. I: Babel

This movie should have been titled, "When It Rains It Pours..."

It took me awhile to decide if I liked this movie or not.

There were four separate stories all connected by a random shooting.

I thought everyone was good, especially Rinko Kikuchi who plays a horny, confused deaf-mute Chieko in Japan.

I forget sometimes how old Brad Pitt really is.

The only problem I really had was that the story in Japan, while good, was connected tenuously to the others.

I'm still trying to figure out the point of the whole movie but it was beautiful to look at.

Lost Season 3: "Further Instructions"

You've been missed, John.

What I Liked:

• Locke is back! The Hunter, not the Whiny baby.
  
• Boone!
• The trippy airport scene (it reminded me of the UK promo for the first season of Lost). Great metaphor with Ben, as the "baggage handler" (get it?), examining Jack while Sawyer and Kate flirt on the side.
  
• Hurley's back! "Dude"
• Charlie had some great lines:
• "You're not taking drugs are you John? I only ask because of this strict zero tolerance policy you've enacted. I wouldn't want you to have to start punching yourself in the face."
• "I used to get high and watch nature programs on the Beeb."
• "You are aware John that I detest you?"
• This episode felt more like old school Lost
  

What I didn't like:

• The backstory was okay. We get it. Locke is sucker. But now we now he's a hypocrite too in regard to Charlie
  
• I missed Ben and Juliet (that will be solved next week it appears)
• How they chose to introduce the two new Losties, Paulo and Nikki.
  

What We Learned:

• What happened to Locke, Desmond and Mr. Eko
• What became of the Hatch (it imploded)
  
• Where the other bear has been since he tried to eat Walt.
• Locke is a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to drugs

Questions:

• What is the nature and source of Desmond's prophetic new talent?
• Boone's comments regarding Claire, Charlie and Aaron - "They're okay...for now"
• How did Locke, Desmond and Mr. Eko survive the implosion of the Hatch?
• Where is the smoke monster? I was rewatching some of the first season and remember when it was knocking trees down ALL THE TIME. Did he get bored?
  
• Why did the polar bear kill an animal for food, leave it, return to it, chase Charlie and Locke but only drag Mr. Eko back to his cave but didn't even eat a toe?
• Who's toy truck was that in the polar bear's cave?
• How did Hurley make it back to that side of the island so fast?
• How long will it take Sayid, jin and Sun to do the same?
  
• After Locke almost killed Hurley, is every major character going to be accidentally killed by another?
• Did Eko really wake up or was the island talking to Locke?
• Why is Charlie such a twat?
• Is the island really have some mystical properties? I mean we all thought Locke was a bit off when he was hunting for the hatch and all in season one but his "sweat lodge" gave him a clear vision of what was going on all over the island and the polar bear.
• Is the show going to spend time with either the castaways or the Others or will the episodes be more intregrated?
  

Pay Yo Fare, Wesley

Actor Snipes faces indictment on tax fraud charges
Prosecutors file 8 counts accusing him of nearly $12M in tax evasion

By Greg Farrell
USA TODAY

This is one “bad guy” role that Wesley Snipes doesn't want. In a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors hit Snipes, the prolific actor and movie producer, with eight counts of tax fraud.

According to the indictment, Snipes allegedly not only avoided paying millions in income taxes from 1999 through 2004, but he fraudulently tried to get an $11 million refund for taxes paid in the 1990s.

Prosecutors also filed charges against two Florida men who acted as tax advisers to Snipes, Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile.

Snipes, who used to have a residence near Orlando, has starred in nearly 50 movies including White Men Can't Jump, New Jack City and the highly successful Blade series. But he reportedly also has run into a series of financial and legal difficulties. In this case, prosecutors allege that Kahn and Rosile convinced Snipes that under an unusual interpretation of federal law, known as the “861 argument,” only income derived from foreign-based activities was taxable. A U.S. court has never supported the argument.

Kahn founded a group known as American Rights Litigators and Guiding Light of God Ministries. Although GLGM described itself as a “Christian ministry and organization established to assist men and women in their pursuit of truth and freedom as Americans,” the government alleges GLGM is a for-profit operation that sells fraudulent tax schemes. According to the indictment, Snipes paid Kahn a consulting fee and paid to become a member of his American Rights Litigators group.

Rosile, an accountant whose CPA licenses to practice in Ohio and Florida were revoked, worked with Kahn to file tax returns for GLGM clients to claim refunds based on the “861 argument.” According to the indictment, if the government refunded money based on the “861” theory, Kahn would take 20% of the refund and pay half to Rosile.

Despite warnings from previous tax advisers that his movie-related income was taxable and the “861” scheme was bogus, Snipes apparently sided with Kahn and Rosile in 2000 and stopped paying income taxes, the indictment says. Using the “861 argument,” Snipes tried to recover $4 million in taxes paid for 1996 and $7 million for 1997. The government also claims that Snipes tried to pay some of his income taxes from 2000 to 2002 by sending $14 million in bogus checks to the U.S. Treasury.

Paul Perez, the U.S. Attorney in Tampa who filed the charges, said in a statement: “Those who intentionally and unlawfully harass the IRS through deceit, trickery and fraud undermine the collection of revenue that is vital to every aspect of the operation of our government.” The Associated Press reported that Perez said Snipes has not been arrested because authorities don't know his whereabouts. Two of the charges that Snipes faces each carry a maximum sentence of five years. The remaining six charges carry up to one year each.

A spokesman for Snipes could not be reached for comment. Kahn and Rosile also could not be reached.