19-year-old Alice (Wasikowska) returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
Buzz:
I am one of those people who feels that Tim Burton's artistic vision is directly in line with Lewis Carroll's novels, and he is one of few filmmakers who can get away with asserting that a likable movie adaptation has never been made of this story. It is, of course, interesting to hear this from the man who made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ...
In Brooklyn, New York, three veteran cops (Gere, Hawke, and Cheadle) struggling with their own personal and professional dilemmas dispatched to a notorious housing project, where they will each collide with destiny.
Buzz:
Overture Films lost a bundle with Righteous Kill but the reunion of Ethan Hawke and his Training Day director Antoine Fuqua is pretty much a can't-miss shot at success, right? The trailer offers equal doses of machismo, stress, and style, though I paid the most attention when Don Cheadle shared the screen with Wesley Snipes, since their wedge of the story reads as though it has the most layers -- even though we've watched an infinite number of cops get way-too-undercover over the years. Also: Couldn't Mr. Fuqua direct a film like this in his sleep at this point in his career?
When a psychotic killer (Mortimer) disappears from a mental institution on Shutter Island, a pair of U.S. Marshals (Ruffalo and DiCaprio) race against the clock in order to track her down.
Buzz:
Strike through all those notions of awards-season glamor for this reunion of Marty and Leo, since reports of marketing-budget shortfalls and promotional challenges (aka DiCaprio's availability) shuttled the movie into the middle of winter. Don't think it'll hurt the thriller's box-office, though, since it's been testing through the roof. Nikki Finke digs out the scoop.
A comedy about a veteran NYPD cop (Willis) whose rare baseball card is stolen. Since it's his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, he recruits his partner (Morgan) to track down the thief, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.
Buzz:
So this is first time Kevin Smith has directed someone else's screenplay; technically we could get behind this idea if co-writers Robb and Mark Cullen were a little less green (they're making the jump from ho-hum TV shows). We hear the script was blacklisted, but nothing we've seen on celluloid makes us believe this story is a precious resource. Considering the project originally was set to star Robin Williams -- back when it was known as A Couple of Dicks -- and that Kevin Smith has received more attention for being too girth-y for Southwest Airlines than for being a movie director, maybe Warner Bros. was right to bury this one in the snow.
Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Studio:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Plot:
A paraplegic former marine (Worthington) accepts a unique mission that sends him to the planet Pandora, where, through a connection to a remotely controlled biological body, he learns the way of the indigenous Na'vi people. His link to this world puts him in direct opposition with his orders to infiltrate the Na'vi and remove the barrier between them and the precious ore desired by military and corporate interests.
Buzz:
James Cameron's response to upping the world of visual effects? He takes a new approach to 3D -- all the way down to creating his own cameras -- and augments the natural world by introducing new plant life and creatures to the aforementioned band of humans. It's the kind of anticipation that even makes President Roslin swoon. Meanwhile, Sam Worthington quietly has become new face of sci-fi. That makes us swoon.
As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton (Olyphant) tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife (Mitchell), and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival.
Buzz:
As distributor Overture Films is about to be sold off by its corporate parent, direct Breck Eisner is preparing to remake both Flash Gordon and The Brood as his next projects -- further proof that Hollywood's water supply is full of insanity-inducing toxins.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Stars:
Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan
Studio:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Plot:
Life changes in an instant for troubled 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Lerman) when he learns his birth father is the god Poseidon and he's looped in on a cross-country mission to settle a feud between his dad, Zeus, and Hades.
Buzz:
Harry Potter is going out of business, and Hollywood still hasn't found his successor. The Lightning Thief is book one in Rick Riordan's series of five proper novels to date; can Philsopher's Stone director Chris Columbus put this franchise into motion? The young adult in all of us could use a new hero, and Columbus's career needs a renaissance as well.
Intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine's Day.
Buzz:
New Line Cinema, working for Warner Bros. here, looks to repeat their He's Just Not That Into You success by hauling that movie's formula across country. The project lost Katherine Heigl in transport but replaced her with every other top actress who was not in the aforementioned movie. Can we hope for a little edge and unexpected plot turns here? Maybe a "hard PG-13"? Of course not. But you can rest assured that a sequel, New Year's Eve is coming in late 2011!
A hard-living country music singer (Bridges) makes a reach for salvation with the help of a journalist (Gyllenhaal) set in her attempt to find the real man behind the musician.
Buzz:
A late entry into this year's awards sweepstakes courtesy of Fox Searchlight and first-time director Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart doesn't sound like the story offers anything new, however, the idea of watching Bridges sing, drink, puke, cry, and redeem is undeniably appealing. Assuming Bridges will earn a Best Actor nomination, you might want to revisit Tender Mercies, the Oscar winner to which Heart is intimately linked.
A romantic drama about a soldier (Tatum) who falls for a co-ed (Seyfried) while he's home on leave. Their relationship is tested in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, an event that causes him to re-enlist for service.
Buzz:
Lasse Hallstrom is a perfect director pick for this adaptation of the novel by Nicholas Sparks, the John Grisham of romantic drama. Herein, Channing Tatum earns a chance to flex his dramatic abdominals, Amanda Seyfried wipes away her tears for what will be her weepy year (get ready for her Letters to Juliet in May), and Richard Jenkins lines up a potential second Oscar nomination for his part as supportive parent.
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Articles
Long Term Care Insurance
Written by Editor
by C Gordon-Eales
If you think that you won't qualify for Medicaid or full Medicare benefits due to large savings, assets or a high income, then long term care insurance could be the program for you. You don't want to end up relying on your children to help pay for these expenses.
With long term care insurance it will at least enable you to leave your loved ones a little something instead of sucking all your assets dry. Another plus is that if you can afford to pay the premiums you probably won't qualify for assistance so would truly benefit. If you currently have chronic health issues or have a family history of a long-term illness you would be far better off purchasing now rather than waiting. It will be too late to get an insurance policy after you have already developed a long-term illness or disability.
Should you at any point think that you might fall into any of these categories you might want to consider getting a plan earlier to be safe and covered. Most large insurance companies offer long term care insurance policies. As always, every state has different insurance regulations, therefore it is best to check with your state on specific determining factors and qualifications.
Long-Term Care Insurance is still fairly new on the market and many people don't even know that it exists or what it covers. Even those who have heard the term don't always know when benefits are paid, how they are designed, and who qualifies or needs coverage. Many people wait till they are past retirement age and closer to needing benefits before thinking about this type of insurance, by which time it is too late to get a great rate and qualify for higher benefits.
You need to start thinking of investing earlier in order to maximise your options. Nowadays it is becoming more common for people to start thinking about what will happen 30, 50, or more years ahead. Many people invest in 401Ks, IRAs, stocks and bonds, and other types of investments to prepare for the future thinking that this will pay for future living expenses and leisure activities once retired. Unfortunately things don't always go according to plan.
Picture the following scenarios.
1. You have an accident and need day to day help getting about your daily activities. Who's going to pay for that?
2. As you get older you require home help. You may decide you would rather live in your own home for as long as possible and therefore you would need to have enough money to pay for personal home care.
3. Some seniors enjoy assisting living facilities that provide 24 hour nursing care, but still let you be as independent as you can.
4. Then there are those instances where nursing home facilities are needed to tend to varying degrees of illness.
5. You may need long-term care to provide help due to a long-term illness or disability.
The average cost of these types of care can vary in cost from around $40-$100 thousand per year and sometimes more. This will very quickly eat into your savings and social security benefits. If you think Medicaid or Medicare will help, think again. Even if and when you qualify, your savings are now gone and they will only pay up to 50% of the cost, therefore someone has to come up with the rest. Long-Term Care insurance can help with these costs in the unfortunate event that you require nursing care.
This coverage will help provide nursing home care, home-health care, personal or adult day care usually for individuals above the age of 65 or those with a chronic or disabling condition that needs constant supervision. All of these types of long term care can be very expensive, that's why most people need insurance. Long term care insurance offers more flexibility and options than many public assistance programs. For example, on average facilities that provide skilled nursing care typically charge from $150 to $300 per day, or over $80,000 per year or more. Even custodial home care can cost over $9,000 a year if used three times a week. Most long term care insurance policies will cover only a specific dollar amount for each day you spend in a nursing facility or for each home-care visit. Therefore, when you are thinking about getting an insurance policy, it's essential that you read the policies carefully and compare the benefits to determine which long term care policy will best meet your own needs.
