In the new movie: The Personal Life of Pippa Lee which was a good movie except for one scene, and I'll get to that scene in a moment. I mean it had a lot complex cast of characters, intermixed with telling one's life story, Ken Follett couldn't have done better; someone spent a lot of time putting this together.

Molding the scenes so they'd flow and folks like me would be able to follow the theme, and there really were a number of themes, but the overall theme was of course Peppa Lee, and even a little insight was added to the overall production. First the insight, how true it can be: what I'd give to see my mother today, is what I should have given her when she was alive, because it would be a heck of a lot. But, I did give my mother a lot of me, so my wife has said, I often feel I should have given more, thus the movie makes you take inventory- so I have no regrets, but I can see how it would bother someone, had they not, especial watching this movie.

Seven-six year old, Alan Arkin, was great in the move, as was Winona Ryder, who looked like she had a case of bulimia, and Keanu Reeves was good as he normally is, and forty-four year old Robin Wright Penn, her acting was well done also, that is until near the last scene when she allowed Mr. Reeves to grab her crotch-so firmly. It didn't look good, and she didn't even have a bit of shame on her face, if I was her husband, and thank goodness I'm not, I'd strangle her for that scene. But I guess anything goes nowadays in the movies for a buck (and a little fame); I can't imagine what she'd do for an Oscar, or what she wouldn't do. It's just a very smelly scene that did not have to be in the overall well done move, it didn't need to happen, it didn't help the movie one bit, it degraded the whole move, and her-if she has any dignity left. But I know she'll never read this, or her husband, and too bad, because there is some insight in this for both of them.

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves enjoyed an "intimate dinner" together at a Beverly Hills restaurant on Wednesday night (26 October).

The pair ate at top eatery Craig's but left separately to avoid being photographed together.

Sandra — who was wearing black jeans, a white T-shirt and a loose-fitting black sweater rounded off with zebra-print heels — slipped out the back door, while jeans and blazer-clad Keanu left via the main entrance before driving off in a Porsche car.

The pair have been friends since co-starring in 1994 movie Speed. They last appeared on screen together in 2006 movie The Lake House.

Sandra was recently romantically linked to Ryan Reynolds — who she starred with in 2009 movie The Proposal — but she insisted he was "just a friend".

The 47-year-old actress — who has an adopted son Louis — filed for divorce from her husband Jesse James in April 2010 after she discovered he had cheated on her with several women.

Ryan — whose ex-wife is Scarlett Johansson — is now dating actress Blake Lively, who previously had a five-month relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sandra on 'date' with Keanu

Have you ever seen the movie Men In Black? Did you notice how the main characters there, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, carry the trench coats they were known to always wear in the film? How about Neo in the Matrix film? Will you agree with me when I say that Keanu Reeves is really admirable in that movie even more so because of the way he carried a long trench coat that is filled with style and glamour?

Although the trench coat was first manufactured for the British military army during the First World War, when only the dignified officers were given the right to wear them and it was not until much later that all the enlisted personnel were also given the chance to, presently it has slowly been gaining its unequaled popularity.

During that time, men's long coats, like the trench ones, were ideal to be worn because of their ability to give warmth. And since it was long, it has also been convenient for the purpose of the military to hide weapons. Although one disadvantage of the coat is that it kept on catching dirt and mud and was barely giving the personnel much time in keeping them clean.

Putting history aside, let us go back to Neo and the Matrix. What do you think made the trilogy a compelling hit aside from the interesting and unique plot of the story? Well, believe me, but it has something to do with incredibly stylish and the unique futuristic garb that is known as the men's long trench coat.

Let us discuss how the fashion sense in this movie and all the others that made use of men's coats and how it can help us in making a statement of our own, too. Let us see the different points that are worth raising for to define the men's long coats that the characters wore.

The color. Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity were always seen in the movie garbed with the color of black. This color has really fitted perfectly well in the theme of the story, which is dark, of course. Since all of them lived underworld, they need something, a color that would not show the dirt that they needed to pass through. Moreover, not to mention that it made them appear rather cool, too.

The length. Basically, the average length of an average trench coat is supposed to come to the knee only or a little slightly below. However, in the movie, they were shown to be considerably longer. In fact, Morpheus', like Neo's, long coats actually fell into the floor. This rather long length added to a taller and a more intimidating appearance of the main characters. In addition, if the typical men's long trench coats are usually belted, in the movie they were just hanging straight down for that even more cooler look.

The collar. Concentrating on the collar will lead us to the realization that Neo has actually sported two different types of collars for his long trench coat. One was high and Mandarin-like styled, while the other one was featured with wide lapels. Both styles indeed added a very dramatic stylish look that made the characters to come across really looking well in the movie screens.

The structure. The men's long trench coats that we had seen in the Matrix films are highly tailored and minimalist. There were no embellishments that made them appear fancy and that will draw the eye looking at it away from the clean and crisp lines. This actual stark minimalism style applies especially to the long coats that the main characters wear and fit perfectly well with the survivalist theme of the movie.

One of the most romantic films ever shown in the big screen-The Lake House tells the tale of two individuals, from different timelines, that develops a deep friendship with only a mailbox as their means of staying connected.

It has been years since they first co-starred in the action packed 1994 movie Speed. Back then was a picture of the fast driving Sandra Bullock and a cool crisp talking good-looking cop Keanu Reeves. Though the chemistry was great, Keanu never reprised his role in Speed 2. In this 2006 film remake of the Korean romantic drama, Mare (2000), these two Hollywood stars teams-up again as Alex Wyler and Kate Forster.

There goes the sigh and the day dreaming of someone who loves you even from a distance. In the film, Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Kate Forster, a tenant of the lake house who is about to move to a new address in Chicago. She leaves a message to the new tenant asking to deliver any mails in her name to her new address.

Keanu Reeves plays Alex Wyler, a talented yet frustrated architect who buys the Lake House, which is originally built by his father. As he arrives in the Lake house, he discovers the note from Kate. In the message, she wrote about a box and the paw prints on the walkway leading in the house. Seeing no prints or box, he writes her back stating that the house was unoccupied, that before he came, and that there was none of the things she claimed in her letter. It was not until two days later that Alex thought about Kate's note as a stray dog stepped on paint and left paw prints on the walkway. Meanwhile, upon receiving the message, Kate thought of Alex's note as a joke and asks the day for argument's sake. He then answers her of the day like that of Kate but of a different year-two years earlier.

Alex goes for a tenant background check on Kate trying to locate the address she left as to where to deliver her mails in case they were delivered to the Lake House. He then found a building of a luxury apartment under construction with an 18 months deadline to meet ahead.

With the tenant background check and the other events that happened, Kate and Alex finally disclose the fact that, though weird as it may, they are living in different timeline. They are two years apart as Alex lives in the year 2004 while Kate lives in 2006. Moreover, with that starts a love story that tries to defy even time.

Romantic in every way, the story of Alex and Kate is one for that DVD collection. It is as heartwarming as any romantic film as they try to meet each other and save each other's lives. This one movie cannot easily forget even with the passing of time.

Keanu Reeves is undoubtedly one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. Any film role that he portrayed would be a guaranteed blockbuster at the theatres. Unfortunately not all that he touched turned to gold.

In 1995, he played the lead character in a futuristic science fiction thriller, Johnny Mnemonic. The film was set in the not-so-distant future where information is the most precious commodity. The most valuable information is transported by data traffickers like Johnny Mnemonic who has undergone cybernetic surgery implanted in his brain.

The system allows him to store digital data too sensitive to risk transmission on computer networks. To keep the ultra sensitive information secure, the data is locked by a password known only to the intended recipient. Johnny enters into a trance-like state whenever the data is being uploaded or the passwords are being exchanged, making him unaware of the contents and unable to retrieve it.

With the cybernetic implants in his brain, he makes a modest living by physically transporting sensitive information for corporations, underworld crime rings or wealthy individuals. Professional mnemonic couriers like Johnny Mnemonic offer both security and confidentiality for the right price. This definitely raises the bar for door-to-door delivery

In the film, Johnny paid a heavy price of his own. He dumped his own memories to make room for the programs he intends to smuggle. To buy them back, he agrees to deliver the priceless data − the most important data of the 21st century.

Unfortunately, the information he holds in his head has already set an army of professional killers on his trail. But the massive upload is just too much for his brain and Johnny must find the secret codes to download the information as soon as possible − or die in the process.

Which brings us to an interesting question: Just how much information can your brain hold?

Well, this same question asked by a professor of psychology at Northwestern University and he responded to this question which was later submitted to Scientific American.

According to our professor, the human brain actually consists of about one billion neurons. Each neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, amounting to more than a trillion connections. If each neuron could only help store a single memory, running out of space would most definitely be a problem. You might have only a few gigabytes of storage space, similar to the storage capacity of an iPod or a USB flash drive.

Yet neurons combine so that each one helps with many memories at a time, exponentially increasing the brain's memory storage capacity to something closer to around 2.5 petabytes or a million gigabytes

Just to give you an idea how large a petabyte actually is; the largest hard disk drive that's available on the market for American consumers has a storage capacity of one terabyte. Now a terabyte holds about a thousand gigabytes (or a trillion bytes) of information. This means that you would need at least a thousand 1-terabyte capacity hard drives to match the storage capacity of a 1-petabyte hard drive (if one did exist).

So if your brain worked like a digital video recorder in a television, 2.5 petabytes would be enough to hold three million hours of TV shows. You would have to leave the TV running continuously for more than 300 years to use up all that storage space

No wonder Johnny Mnemonic bombed at the box office The writers got their assumptions all wrong. Johnny (a.k.a. Keanu Reeves) didn't have to dump his own memories to accommodate the highly classified information being downloaded into his brain. He had enough storage capacity to keep the downloaded information as well as his own memories with room to spare.

Maybe his cybernetic implants just needed an upgrade? Paging Steve Jobs.

There's no doubt that Katie Holmes has had a great career already at a young age. She is mostly known for her roles in dramas and comedies. However, occasionally she'll stray from the norm and do something a bit edgier like "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." In this gothic horror film, Holmes plays an interior designer who finds out the dark secret of the mansion they are living in and renovating. Let's look at some of the horror/thriller genre movies Holmes has had roles in.

"Disturbing Behavior"

Holmes' first role in a genre film was in 1998's "Disturbing Behavior." She played Rachel, who helped convince the new kid in town that there was something terribly wrong with the methods the adults, officials, and teachers were using to get its rebellious teens under control. "The Stepford Wives" obviously heavily influenced this movie. Holmes did a great job of playing a sulky angry adolescent in this decent thriller. David Nutter directed this film and it starred James Marsden, Nick Stahl, and Bruce Greenwood.

"The Gift"

Director Sam Raimi's "The Gift" featured Holmes in a small but very important part as the main subject of the film. She plays Jessica King who mysteriously disappears in a small country town. It doesn't take long to find out that something horrible happened to Jessica when the local clairvoyant in town begins getting visions of the girl's death. The movie has a star-studded cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, and Keanu Reeves.

"Abandon"

A little known film that Holmes did named "Abandon" has the actor giving a great performance that has not been seen by many people, unfortunately. The movie is based on a novel by Sean Desmond entitled "Adams Fall." Holmes plays a stressed-out college student named Katie. Katie has had to move on with her life after her boyfriend disappeared two years earlier with no explanation. Suddenly, the girl starts seeing him everywhere. It seems the boyfriend is back and stalking her. Benjamin Bratt plays a detective (what else?) who is helping her figure out what's going on. Stephen Gagman directed the movie. It also starred Zooey Deschanel and Gabrielle Union.

Katie Holmes has proven herself to be an actor to watch. She has shown she is willing to step out of her comfort zone to tackle some stranger roles and that shows a lot. For one, it shows how diverse her performances can be. Diversity is a key element in becoming a long-lasting actor in Hollywood.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

Zombies Beware! Alice is Back for 'Resident Evil: Retribution' 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' Not a Ghost Story Interview with 'Final Destination 5' Actor Miles Fisher

Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!

The Genre Films of Katie Holmes Before 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'

In this sixth of a 12 part series on horoscopes, we're going to look at the third of what are called the summer signs, Virgo the Virgin.

People who are born between August 22 and September 22 are Virgos. Their element is Earth, their quality is Mutable, their energy is Yin, their ruler is the Mercury, their color is blue, their gem is Sapphire, their main anatomical parts are the intestines and colon, their keywords are service, self-improvement and sacred patterns, their Tarot suit is Pentacles and their Tarot Major Arcana card is The Hermit.

Some famous celebrities who are Virgos are Salma Hayek, Cameron Diaz, Keanu Reeves, Sean Connery, Greta Garbo, Stephen King, Sophia Loren and River Phoenix.

Virgos are the most confusing sign of all. They can be totally calm on the outside while ready to blow a gasket on the inside. They have this constant need to fix what they feel is broken. Don't even try to get in their way when they're doing this. They are the ultimate problem solver and as far as they are concerned, there is no problem that can't be solved.

Virgos are very practical. You won't see them surrounding themselves with a lot of things that are non essential. They don't necessarily live in huts but fancy homes, clothes and cars just don't interest them. Just give them a vehicle that gets them from point A to point B and they're perfectly content.

One problem a Virgo has is thinking too much. They can analyze a problem until they are blue in the face and still never get anywhere with it. They question everything and look at the pros and cons of each situation under a microscope. They do make great detectives but sometimes they miss the forest for the trees.

A Virgo in love is one who seeks the perfect mate. They will never settle for anything other than perfection, which is why it takes them quite some time to find somebody who they are ready to settle down with for life. But once they do, they are very intimate. They are also great servants to their lovers. They just live to serve. Sometimes though this becomes a problem as they leave their partner with nothing to do.

Virgos are one of those signs that goes well with a number of different signs. They tend to look for other Earth signs like Taurus and Capricorn, but can get along equally as well with Scorpio, Gemini or Sagittarius.

A Virgo at work is truly a blessing. If you're lucky enough to have one on your team you are indeed very lucky. Their work ethic is second to none and they are always seeking self improvement at their jobs. They are great planners, organizers and finishers. They are very reliable so you can always count on them to do the best job possible.

Virgos are without a doubt very dependable people. You may not always know what's going on inside of them, but they'll never let you down if you need them to come through for you.

He comes across as so melancholic that fans around the world were once asked to participate in a Cheer Up Keanu Day.

Now Keanu Reeves’ first book may just be confirmation that he is as lonely and depressed as the media portrays him to be.

The actor has seen his fair share of hard times in the past, losing his long-term girlfriend in a fatal car accident not long after their daughter was stillborn.

So what do you do when it seems like life just isn’t going your way? In Ode to Happiness, it seems the Hollywood star has put pen to paper to get all the angst and despair out of his system.

“I draw a hot sorrow bath/in my despair room,” it begins.

Where else would you find “regret shampoo”, “pain soap” and “I hate myself face cream” than in the bathroom of the most depressed person in the world?

And if that still hasn’t got the need to wallow out your system, you could always slip into some “alone again silk pyjamas”.

But before you get the hankies out for a good cry, you probably ought to know that Reeves isn’t taking the poem too seriously.

According to the BBC, the poem was written as something of a joke and the 46-year-old is even hoping that people might be transformed in a positive way by reading it.

“It’s only personal in the sense of looking out and regarding my sense of humour,” he said.

“I don’t usually take baths in my despair room with a misery candle burning.”

He continues: “There is a kind of life experience in it. I was hoping people would find it relatable and hopefully transformative in a sense.

“It does start off being a true moment – that time when you’re melancholic or sad, that kind of very insular moment.

“Hopefully looking at this you can come out of it and become objective about what circumstances you’re going through and maybe have a smile about it.”

Accompanying the poem are pretty ink drawings by Alexandra Grant, a Los Angeles-based artist. Grant appreciates Reeves’ humour but also the real sadness contained within the poems.

“Our friend [Janey Bergman, editor of the book] sat at Keanu’s house one night listening to wonderfully sad self-pitying songs and Keanu, in the spirit of poking fun at them, began to write a poem,” she explained.

She added: “[The poem] needed images to match the power of the humour of each line, but also the sadness.”

If you want a copy, you’ll have to act fast. The print run has been limited to just 4,000 copies.

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An Ode to Happiness from Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has penned a poetry book which pokes fun at excessive melancholia.

The actor, who suffered personal tragedy when his long-term girlfriend died in a car crash, has gained a reputation for being gloomy and even sparked a Facebook campaign to cheer him up recently.

Now a poem that was written as a joke between friends has been turned into an art book with the help of Los Angeles based artist Alexandra Grant.

But while the literary efforts of the 46-year-old Matrix star might seem depressing and confirm his apparent unhappiness at a first glance, Keanu has said that it is actually his sense of humour.

"I draw a hot sorrow bath/In my despair room," the poem begins, followed by mentions of "regret shampoo", "pain soap", "I hate myself face cream" and "alone again silk pyjamas".

"Our friend [the book's editor Janey Bergman] sat at Keanu's house one night listening to wonderfully sad self-pitying songs and Keanu, in the spirit of poking fun at them, began to write a poem," Alexandra told the BBC.

The script was passed on to the artist, who illustrated each line with a simple blotted ink drawing.

Keanu has insisted that while he drew upon some life experiences, the desperate circumstances he describes in Ode To Happiness are sarcastically exaggerated.

"It's only personal in the sense of looking out and regarding my sense of humour. I don't usually take baths in my despair room with a misery candle burning," he said. “There is a kind of life experience in it. I was hoping people would find it relatable and hopefully transformative in a sense. It does start off being a true moment – that time when you're melancholic or sad, that kind of very insular moment. Hopefully looking at this you can come out of it and become objective about what circumstances you're going through and maybe have a smile about it."

© Cover Media

Keanu Reeves pens sarcastic poetry – Yahoo! News

With tonight's MTV Movie Awards, MTV News' crack interviewer Josh Horowitz needed to get his interviewing skills in tiptop shape, because, based on some of the recent chats he's had with big-time celebrities, he was far from prepared.

In the three MTV Movie Awards editions of "After Hours," Horowitz is run through the wringer to get his interviewing skills up to par. Apparently, over the past few months of junket interviews, from the Tribeca Film Festival to chatting with the cast of "Bad Teacher," Horowitz has performed a series of question faux pas that have made our friendly neighborhood celebrities a bit uncomfortable.

Sorry, Horowitz, but Keanu Reeves isn't a fan of suggestions that he should change his name, and Dwayne Johnson doesn't like hearing that he's packed on a few pounds and is now doughy. Cameron Diaz definitely doesn't want your bottom in her face, and Olivia Wilde has heard that she is pretty often enough.

Fortunately, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence have come in to put Horowitz in his place and teach him a thing or two about good reporting techniques — and how to be better than Mario Lopez. Step one: bronzer, bronzer and more bronzer.

Once Horowitz was tan enough, Lawrence demanded he lose the glasses. After he raised some concerns about the whole not-being-able-to-see thing, Lawrence replied angrily, "Mario Lopez is legally blind and that's never stopped him. Glasses off!"

After running him through a host of temperamental A-lister behaviors — demanding he ask her about her love life and then sweetly declining to answer his questions — McAvoy took over. Step two: Hit the gym.

Wearing an X-Men T-shirt and a tortured expression, Horowitz was put through McAvoy's rigorous workout regimen, including push-ups while being antagonized about interviewing Angelina Jolie and being riled up about Mario Lopez while hitting a punching bag.

The final step of McAvoy's training plan? A big ol' smooch on Horowitz's lips. Hopefully, that will be enough to put Horowitz on the right page for the Movie Awards.

MTV News has all of the highlights from the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. Relive the best moments, watch red-carpet interviews with your favorite stars and read all about what went on behind the scenes on the big night.

Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy Whip MTV News Reporter Into Shape

All together now: I know haiku. Keanu Reeves kicked off a new career as an author earlier this year with Ode To Happiness, a "grown-up picture book" revolving around tongue-in-cheek poem about his depression. And he's already got an idea for book number two. "I'm considering another idea I call Haikus of Hope. Basically like, 'I want to kill myself' and go from there. Going into such a dark place that you can somehow surprisingly find the light at the end of the tunnel—but a nice end of the tunnel. Not the end of the tunnel… 'I hang from a cherry tree… I hang.'" That's just great, Keanu…that's great.

Apparently the book won't just be for people who want Keanu to guide them through the happy end of the sad tunnel. "I'm gonna get deep into haiku, because often times people construe that in English it's five-seven-five syllables, but that doesn't have to hold true, so I want to play with the traditional Basho form. I like that: Haikus of Hope." Whatever keeps you awake between takes, dude.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Keanu Reeves Wants To Go "Deep Into Haiku" In Next Book

No, this is not an article about Keanu Reeve's latest sci-fi/thriller movie. What exactly is this you're reading? Well, read on and find out, Curious George.

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that is characterized by persistent difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services in year 2007, there were approximately 64 million Americans suffering from insomnia on a regular basis each year. Insomnia according to the source also occurs 1.4 times more commonly in women than in men.

And I have discovered that insomnia can be alleviated through hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments. Just ask Keannu Reeves. Yes, the Keanu Reeves who battled evil computers in the Matrix. Apparently, despite the multimillion-dollar contracts, Mr. Reeves can't get a decent shuteye.

And thus, he purchased his own portable hyperbaric chamber in his Hollywood Hills home and even sometimes at his movie set to administer the treatment. He already has undergone numerous sessions and has convinced his Street Kings co-star Naomi Harris to give the treatment a try.

But for us of humble beginnings, we shan't despair. Hyperbaric treatments are not just for Hollywood folks. There are, if you look closely, many ways to try out Hyperbaric chambers for ourselves.

One, there are single-bag chambers for rent at a cost of $2,000 a month. Then there are also double-bag hyperbaric chambers that come in at $2,675 a month.

But if you want one at your own disposal, single- bag chambers are available at $12,900, while double-bag chambers cost $16,900. Yes, they are quite pricey. But then again, getting a good restful sleep is worth all the expense, if you ask me.

Something's Gotta Give (2003) is a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. He plays Harry Sanborn, a 63-year old eternal bachelor who only dates women under 30, and she plays Erica Barry, a divorced playwright who is the mother of Marin (Amanda Peet), the girl Harry is currently dating. The movie starts with Marin and Harry driving to the Hamptons to spend the weekend in Erica's house, only to find out that Erica and her sister Zoe (Frances McDormand) were there to spend the weekend as well. To avoid the awkward situation, Harry volunteered to leave but Zoe suggested that they were all adults and they could all either hang out together or not. So the four stayed and when Harry and Marin were fooling around, Harry suffered a mild heart attack.

The three ladies brought him to the hospital where they met the good-looking Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves) who only seemed to have his eyes on Erica. The doctor suggested that Harry should stay nearby, as it is impossible for him to go back to the city yet due to his condition. Erica was the only one who could stay with him, and she hated the fact that she had to babysit Harry, but as she got to know him, she learned to like him more and more. He also revealed a side of himself that was endearing and he seemed to be the only person who "got" Erica. Meanwhile, Dr. Mercer was showing interest in Erica as well-he asked her out to dinner. So, was it going to be the eternal playboy or the hot young doctor?

I immensely enjoyed the movie because it was funny and the dialogue was cheeky and clever. I also loved how they have shown Erica's vulnerable side-like the scene when she asked Harry to cut her turtleneck open. Everyone thought she was uptight, cold and a tower of strength. Those were the qualities people admired most about her. However, they did not know that she also gets hurt, lonely and that she was just as human as the rest of us. She kept it all inside for so long and Harry was the only one who brought it out.

Jack Nicholson was also brilliant in the movie-but then his character was so similar to him in real life. I also loved how Erica discovered how desirable she was, given the fact that she was already of a certain age and yet both men in the story completely adored her. Her maternal qualities, her wit and being comfortable in her own skin really made her "a woman to love," as Harry told her. Love can happen at any age and if we know that what we have is real, we should not let the opportunity pass us by. This wonderful movie made me realize that.

If you want to understand the state of the American action movie in the years before The Matrix, know this: in 1998, there was a movie called Black Dog. for those who can't quite recall, Black Dog tells the story of a truck driver transporting a load of toilets from Atlanta to new Jersey. It stars, among others, Meat Loaf and country singer Randy Travis. this was not even one of the worst action movies of the year.

Needless to say, by the end of the millennium the action genre was in need of a shot in the arm. The action icons of the past two decades were either becoming caricatures of their former badass selves (Schwarzenegger as mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin), trying to reposition themselves as serious actors (Stallone in Cop Land), or selling Bowflex equipment (Chuck Norris as himself in the Bowflex infomercial). Meanwhile, the classic action franchises were withering. Just look at Lethal Weapon 4. The pitch meeting for that went something like this: "Guns! Riggs will act crazy! Chris Rock will ad-lib some jokes! Oh, and Murtaugh is still too old for this shit!"

Luckily, in 1999, The Matrix showed up and blew action fans' asses completely out of the water. why exactly was this weird movie about computer hackers, false realities, and a war of survival so cool, revolutionizing action flicks in the same way as Terminator 2 and Avatar? Let's answer with a pretend Q&a.

Was it because of Keanu Reeves?Maybe. you could argue Reeves was perfect for the role because the character of Neo takes advantage of his usual persona — he's dumbfounded by his own powers and the world around him. If Keanu did read for the part, I assume that the producers wanted to hear only his pronunciation of "whoa."

Was it because of Carrie-Anne Moss in black leather?Cue the fanboy drool. But as good as she looks in black leather, she alone couldn't change the action genre forever. Close. But not enough.

Was it because of bullet time?Hey, who invited the nerd? (I did; I'm the nerd.) Now we're getting closer. for those who don't remember or weren't obsessed with new film technology in the late nineties, The Matrix was the first movie to use bullet time, the amazing effect of the camera suddenly spinning 360 degrees around the action, giving the scene a 3-D-like quality. Bullet time showed up in every movie for the next five years (even Charlie's Angels), but The Matrix was the first — and you never forget your first time. But really cool special effects does not a good movie make. So it was not solely bullet time.

Was it because The Matrix is the perfect marriage of story with cutting-edge F/X?Ding, ding, ding! this is the toughest thing to do in an action movie. Moviemakers have too many tools at their disposal and are unable to work them into a good story, so they settle on including cool effects for their own sake. (Transformers, anyone?) But you can't simply put special effects into a nice story and expect great results (though I think we'd all like to see a version of Shakespeare in Love with 360-degree slo-mo shots of a dude writing a sonnet). The Matrix kicks so much ass because the revolutionary technologies that allowed the filmmakers to bend the universe to their will were used in a movie where the main character learns to — wait for it — bend the universe to his will.

In the world of The Matrix, the laws of physics are flexible. And thanks to the brand-new effects that were at the disposal of the Wachowski brothers, they could show that exact world — a world in which people could dodge bullets, run on walls, and, if you were the chosen one (like Neo), become a pulsating ball of light. The Matrix was a new kind of story with a new kind of technology and wicked cool gunplay. All in all, one of the top five action films of all time. And, of course, let us never forget Carrie-Anne Moss and the outfit.

Check out The Matrix Revolutions tonight, Wed., may 18 at 8PM | 7C and 11PM | 10C, part of AMC Can't Get enough The Matrix.

Nick Stevens tries to make funny about movies, pop culture, and sports as often as possible. he lists John McClane, Batman, and Tom Brady as the people with whom he'd most like to have beers. for more of his grown-up nonsense, visit his Tumblr page or follow him on Twitter.

The Matrix Saved Action Movies (Thanks, in Part, to a Leather-Clad Carrie-Anne Moss) – AMC Blog – AMC

Anyone that has seen the movie, "The Matrix" know first-hand that the outfits these characters wore are just plain cool. how can you go wrong with black on black?!? You can't! And when you think about it, these costumes can be worn any time and especially for this Halloween.

I personally like the way the Neo Matrix costume looks with the jacket that is open from the front-middle and down. So simple, yet a perfect match to the movie character. Imagine how cool this would look at your Halloween party…sunglasses and all.

The part of the 2nd Matrix movie where Neo gets the door and Agent Smith dropped of a "present" for him. then three other agents start beating down the steel door and try to take him on. with a simple stance and using very little effort, blocks all their punches and kicks. And I thought it was just simply hilarious when he pauses after the last strike and block and simply says, "Hmm, upgrades…" just great stuff. Keanu Reeves played his part very well, it's no wonder the Neo costume is still very popular these days.

Trinity had more of a skin tight look to her character when it came to her outfit. I think that the average woman would look great in the Trinity costume with simply some black gloves and some really great looking high heel boots. No need to get all decked out in skin tight black leather pants…that is unless you want to and feel comfortable enough to pull that look off. Her character set the tone from the very first five minutes of the Matrix movie with her signature "freeze frame" pan around the room jump/crane style kick. when I first saw this female warrior in action, I was like…what the heck was that…too cool!

Morpheus was the laid back, very suave and intellectual of them all. the finder of "The One" and the prophet that freed many of the minds stuck in the Matrix. Morpheus' costume is pretty simple, and anyone can don this outfit anyway they see fit. My personal advice would be to where purple dress pants, vest with a black shirt and gold tie, but that's just me. again, many ways to pull this look off…which is actually very practical.

I love this movie…actually the whole trilogy. And those that are fans will love the outfits. if you want more information about them, feel free to click the link below.

"Constantine" is a thoroughly enjoyable film. Surprisingly, it's has quite a subdued and quiet tone which one doesn't often find in a film adaptation of a comic book/graphic novel. I haven't read the original source material but from what I've heard Keanu Reeves looks and sounds nothing like the John Constantine fans have come to love from the comics and for this reason there has been a backlash to the film in the sense that there is a perception that the source material wasn't strictly adhered to. After watching the film, and the subsequent interviews with the filmmakers, it seems clear to me that they must have at least captured the spirit of the world and characters portrayed in the original Hellblazer comics and in this respect, the film succeeds amicably.

The title character, John Constantine, played with remarkably well by Keanu Reeves as the indifferent bad boy who likes to give the finger to the devil whenever he can, is what makes this film so special. He's the classic anti-hero. he doesn't help the innocent purely out of altruism; he's doing it to buy his way back in to heaven. Because of his special gift of being able to see angels and demons in the real world, Constantine attempted suicide when he was a kid and as such was sent straight to hell. however, the doctors just managed to revive him and as such he was pulled back in to the real world. Upon learning that even though he's alive, he's still going to hell because technically he's still considered a suicide, Constantine goes to work for God, deporting demons and angels who break the rules to hell, all the while hoping that this 'service' will get him back in to God's good books. It's a fresh take on a heroic character, particularly as he is portrayed by Keanu Reeves as a guy who really couldn't care less what's going on. one of the coolest aspects to this film is that all of this really scary stuff is going on but he just waltzes in just like it's another day at the office and takes care of business without giving it a second thought. one particularly good scene is when he performs an exorcism at the beginning of the film; when he extracts the demon from the girl, he gives the demon the finger before sending him on his way back to hell. perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story is that Constantine is actually dying from lung cancer due to his excessive smoking. as such, you don't even believe for a second he's in danger from all these fantastical elements. rather, you're waiting to see if he's actually going to see it through to the end before the cancer kills him.

Rachel Weisz plays Angela, a tough cop who is shocked by the apparent suicide of her twin sister Isabel. She is outraged when the Church decrees her soul be banished from the kingdom of God for committing suicide. Ultimately her path crosses that of Constantine's and together they track down what really happened to Isabel, a journey which leads them to a plot to bring back Mamon, the son of the Devil so he can bring hell to Earth. Weisz plays the character with a sense of toughness and empathy, and serves as Constantine's conscience throughout the story. In many ways, if it weren't for her character, Constantine would have gone to hell.

One cannot comment on this film without mentioning the Devil, as portrayed in this film. He's a very different, slimey character this time around but he manages to instil that sense of fun and danger. Constantine is the only soul the Devil would actually come to Earth to collect himself. In an interesting twist, he seems to be at odds with his own son who wants to usurp his father's kingdom and have hell on Earth himself. but it's the Devil's interplay with Constantine that makes it all worthwhile. Even here, Constantine couldn't care less who he's talking to, and at the end of the day, Constantine gets the last laugh, all while giving him the finger.

The look of the film is quite rich and detailed and contributes much to the atmosphere of the film. Many of the images, even simple ones like Constantine sitting on his bed looking out the window look wonderfully comic-book like, rich in detail and colour. It's beautiful to watch and kudos to the filmmakers for creating such a rich tapestry of images. Even the CG elements are well integrated.

As I mentioned before, the only real downside may be that the film didn't strictly adhere to the physical look of the world depicting in the comics; if you watch the documentaries on this DVD, you'll see what I'm talking about. I guess if you're a comic fan you'll have issues with this but I don't really think it's a negative on the film. overall, Constantine is an entertaining, cool and witty film with dark undertones that will keep you enthused throughout its running time.

Do you guys think that she reminds you of a Blonde Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis?

Not even with my eyes closed.

She reminds me of Paris Hilton in 60 years.

HahahahahahahhahaaaaHahahahahahhahaha ………NO. not even kinda.

Not at all.

You're kidding right? Cindy mcCain doesn't even belong in the same league as Jackie Kennedy much less look like her.

a little bit. she is very attractive, especially her heart. she is very giving, even when no one is looking.

No, she doesn't.

Although, it's amazing how her entire face lights up when she smiles. very pretty.

She barely reminds me of a blond Cindy McCain.

No. She's got nothing on Jackie, plus Cindy is old and crusty, like a breakable face porcelain old doll. she is also a drug addict and thief.

I'm so glad that trash is not representing us as our 1st Lady and someone with class like Michelle Obama is.

God no, she reminds me of F Murray Abraham's character in the Dracula movie with Keanu Reeves.

money doesn't equal class

Yes, she seems very gracious.

No, but she does remind me of a blonde, Marge Bouvier Simpson!

No. Kennedy had a lot more class. Jackie wouldn't be caught dead with Cindy's hairstyle.

OMG no, the thought made me cringe. Jackie was a naturally graceful and gracious woman, natural in her beauty with little use for cosmetics, who knew how to dress and was admired the world over before her husband even won the White House. she was a walking example of classiness and educated intelligence in action. she was never a drug addict and was a wife who was sorely tested by her husband's infidelities, not one of the loose women that "dated" her husband who had no compunction about being with a married man – like Cindy McCain.

Cindy and Jackie? It's like comparing apples and onions. sorry, but Cindy wouldn't make a pimple on Jackie's back end.

Yes and Michelle reminds me of Aunt Esther from Sanford & Son only Michelle is nastier & uglier.

ANDREW CLARKE Friday, June 30, 2006 2:24 PM

ANDREW CLARKE

Sandra Bullock plays a young doctor who, assigned to a small provincial medical facility, finds herself at sea and swimming against the tide in a large Chicago hospital. Keanu Reeves also stars.

Ten years ago Sandra Bullock arrived on our cinema screens with a bang in such films as Speed and Demolition Man.

She consolidated her position with well-written, genuinely funny, romantic comedies such as while you were Sleeping and then, in an attempt to do something different, went spectacularly off the rails with such dire message movies as 28 Days, Hope Floats and Murder by Numbers.

Keanu Reeves' up and down career is perfectly encapsulated by the Matrix movies. the first was clever, stylish and innovative, but the other two were increasingly flat copies.

The good news for these two performers, who first met on a hijacked bus in Speed, is that this is their best film in years. We can forgive the fact that it's a remake of a Korean film, Siworae, because the script by David Auburn is so well crafted and Bullock and Reeves deliver such engaging performances.

Bullock plays a young doctor who has just finished her training period and after having been assigned to a small provincial medical facility she finds herself at sea (and swimming against the tide) in a large Chicago hospital.

She loves her work but this leaves little time for affairs of the heart. the situation is not helped by the fact that she has just moved out of her beloved Lake House into an apartment close to the hospital.

Having had an accident victim die in her hands she drives out to her old home for a bit of peace and quiet and is astounded to find some mail for her there.

And in this innocent way she finds herself starting a long-distance, letter-based romance with young architect Alex Wyler – who she soon discovers also lived in the Lake House, but in 2004.

This magical mail box device is a good way to explore a time-travel romantic comedy and, to their credit, Reeves and Bullock play it dead straight and help to disguise all the logical plot holes and blur the edges on the many absurdities that crop up along the way.

The pair strike up a nice relationship which is characterised by their back and forth banter. When a friend quizzes Bullock over who her mystery admirer is, she deflects the questions with a smile and a quip: "Oh, it's a long-distance relationship."

Director Alejandro Agresti does exceptionally well in keeping the movie moving and helping the audience understand which year the action is taking place in. the action moves from 2004 to 2006 and ends up in 2008.

The film, which could be terribly sweet and sickly sentimental, is commendably restrained and is much better for it. the film only really succumbs to the temptation to be overly-emotional at the end.

The ever-busy Christopher Plummer is terrific as the crusty Louis Wyler, a leading Chicago architect from whose shadow Keanu's Alex Wyler is trying to escape.

Bullock and Reeves prove that they are still capable of turning in charismatic performances and can lend their roles some depth and believability.

The personal dynamics are what makes this film tick, along with some great dialogue and the rather clever, if fairly improbable, time-travel romance.

It doesn't pay to think too closely about what happens to on-screen, but providing you are prepared to go along with the flow, then it does make some kind of superficial sense.

If you are planning to see the film, then do avoid the trailer if you happen to come across it on television, or if it is in front of another movie, because it manages to give away several important plot twists and storytelling devices which work better if you don't know they are coming.

It's a great film for World Cup widows and anyone who enjoys a well-constructed romantic comedy, but I know one thing, I wouldn't want to live anywhere which any passing rambler can look into every room in the house.

Over at Ain't It Cool News, a reader reports on a recent key note speech at the London school of performing arts delivered by Reeves. according to the report, Reeves flat-out confessed that he's met with the Wachowskis about developing two new Matrix movies:

[Reeves] says he met the Wachowski's (no emphasis on the word brothers), for lunch over Christmas and stated that they had completed work on a two picture script treatment that would see him return to the world of the matrix as Neo. Says the brothers have met with Jim Cameron to discuss the pro's and con's of 3D and are looking to deliver something which has never been seen again. keanu stated that he still has an obligation to the fans to deliver a movie worthy of the title "The Matrix" and he swears this time that the treatment will truly revolutionise the action genre like the first movie. Wachowski's are working on a movie called "Cloud Atlas" at the moment, once that concludes they will talk again.

The report remains unconfirmed as of this writing, and it's entirely likely that Reeves' words are unfounded, misconstrued or just erroneously reported. Then again, those Matrix movies weren't exactly slouches in the moneymaking department, so we wouldn't put it past any studio to pursue additional sequels. Treat this as a rumor for now, but for the sake of argument, would you want to see two more Matrix movies?

[UPDATE: The London International School of Performing Arts tells Screen Rant that Reeves made no appearance, effectively debunking the Matrix rumors. So, that's that -- for now, at least!]

She's interviewed Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves and now she's landed her dream role – as an actor on Kiwi soap institution Shortland Street.

Meet Shavaughn Ruakere, the beautiful presenter turned actor best known in New Zealand as a presenter for what Now and C4.

after a two-year hiatus from the screen, the 32-year-old has recently landed the role of nurse Roimata Ngatai .

"A couple of years back I went 'I really want to act now'. I thought it would be best if I left presenting (at C4) because you worry that you'll go into auditions and they look at you as a presenter."

in the UK, Ruakere is known for her stint on SMTV, the London-based equivalent to what Now, except with an audience of a million viewers.

It was here she interviewed the aforementioned hunky celebrities, the cast of Harry Potter, Andy Serkis (Gollum) and various other stars.

Depp however was Ruakere's favourite."I really liked him, he had a hat on and those big round thick framed glasses and his goatee. It was for the second Pirates of the Carribean movie and I made him close his eyes and I dressed as a pirate. I said, `Are you peeking Johnny Depp? OK, open your eyes. Arrrrrrr!' and he was like, `Oh yeah, you can be in the movie'," says Ruakere, bursting into laughter.

Ruakere laughs so much it is intrinsic to her speech. she is a bundle of energy, her leg jittering the entire interview. Lively and fun, it is easy to see how she held audiences' attention as a presenter.

she literally fell into acting at 18, when an agent approached her while she was shopping in a clothing store. she landed her first job, on what Now, after one audition. this meant a move from Auckland, where she was a BA student, to full-time work as a presenter in Christchurch.

It's hard to believe, but Ruakere says she was painfully shy as a child. "I still have a lot of that hanging over me, a lot of people meet me and go `I don't believe that because you seem so bubbly', [but] I'm one of those typical introverts who has chosen an extroverted field to work in."

But she plays the entertainer among her family, too. "One of our marae is about 10 minutes out of Taranaki but its right next to a river and the ocean mouth and its my one spot in the world, it's my special, special spot."

started by her mum and her "cricket mad" dad the annual family holiday is open to extended family and friends (sometimes up to 80 people). the last weekend includes a family cricket match, a hangi, and this year, pa wars.

"Because I was a kid's presenter I am always the one who has to organise the entertainment. So we had pa wars, which was two obstacle courses we set up. the losing team had to jump in the river with their clothes on but then everyone jumped in the river with their clothes on. It was just so fun."

Ruakere's New Years resolution along with flatmate Nick D, is to get her drivers licence.

"I know we are so ridiculous. when you say to people you don't drive you may as well have said `I like to slaughter little kittens'."

But a serious accident on a Wellington motorway more than a decade ago made driving look like a dangerous endeavour.

"I built it up to be this massive responsibility. I was in a car crash where my friend came within an inch of his life. he was driving, and we just got sun strike… absolutely blinded by the sun and smashed into the back of a truck. there was nothing he could have done, it was completely outside of his control."

"I came to and I was looking at him and the entire windscreen had buckled in to a point on his throat and he was unconscious.

"This old woman grabbed me and took me to the side of the motorway. I had blood pouring down my face and I was bawling my eyes out and I didn't know if he was alive or dead. I was lying on the ground and then I heard `Oi, its that chick off what Now', and I looked up and this guy's pointing at me and going to his mates, `go have a look'," Ruakere says, laughing incredulously.

both she and her friend thankfully escaped without lasting injuries.

she grew up in New Plymouth, where her parents still live. Home now is a talent-filled flat in Grey Lynn with presenter and radio host, Nick D, musician Hollie Smith and boyfriend of three and a half years, Liam Greenway, landscape designer.

and very much a part of the family are the animals who reside there, the only babies Ruakere wants for a while.

"Maybe babies [but] definitely not yet. I am happy with animals at the moment."

One of her dogs, Leila, just two weeks shy of 15, just died, leaving a big gap for Ruakere and Liam who had her since she was a baby.

"She was such a lovely soul, Liam's had her forever. He's a real salt of the earth kind of dude."

there is also Clemency, the pug who came with the house.

she is so old Ruakere has to carry her to the park.

"She's close to 12 years old and you know what pugs look like. they are ridiculous. There's nothing closer to an actual monster. She's an abomination, but she's awesome."

Once a week the flatties manage to get together to share a meal.

"My boyfriend's a great chef and he makes amazing meals for us and we have to go around and say what the best part of our day was.

"It's a good thing because it reminds you that there was something really good in your day and you get to tell your mates and be grateful for your life."

So what's she been saying lately?

"I've been pretty happy about this for quite some time! Mine's the same each time. I was a good actor!"

– Sunday News