Does Avatar deserve its Titanic appeal?


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In 1997, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave a certain film 11 Oscars — Best Picture included — because it broke box office records, presented dazzling special effects and broke just about everyone’s heart with its true-to-life tragedy. In reality, however, it was a bad film that has not withstood the test […]

Coming soon: 2010’s brightest prospects


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The year 2009 was a disappointment for movie lovers. It’s not because there were no good films to be seen — there were quite a few — but overall, most of the big-budget films from well-known directors stumbled, long-running franchises suffered from weak new installments and the good films passed us by unnoticed, lost amid […]

Weekend Picks


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thursday, january 21 Karaoke Dance Party 9 p.m. > The Hideout > FREE Every Thursday, the classy Westside lounge hosts Gold Dust Productions’ karaoke dance party. Complete with free tacos half-price drinks until midnight, it’s your spot to sing and dance the night away. Whale Watching 1:30 p.m. > Cabrillo Marine Aquarium > FREE with […]

Online spoilers ruin all the fun


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My name is Nicholas Slayton, and I was a spoiler addict. No matter how hard we try to wait for the endings and plot thickeners of our favorite movies, books and shows, spoilers abound. The largest source of these are the Internet, where everything from the twists to the season finale of 24 to the […]

New releases – DVDs in review


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No Impact Man Rating: not rated Length: 93 min. Now available Can anyone live without imported groceries? Without a car? Even without electricity? That’s what Colin Beavan decided to find out. In the fall of 2006, Beavan, his wife and his baby daughter began a year-long experiment to live off the grid in New York […]

Going raw: uncooked foods can add to any healthy diet


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“Guess what’s in it,” I told my dad as he licked the spoon and pondered my new batch of lime pudding. “There are only three ingredients.” The lime flavor was obvious, and I had already told him about my addition of the natural sweetener Stevia. “What could the third be?” he wondered. “Milk?” “Nope. Avocado.” […]