The gritty world-weariness that informs the first 10 minutes of the new sci-fi adventure "Babylon A.D." promises something along the lines of the daring, socially inquisitive "Children of Men," with the bonus of Vin Diesel killing people. Unfortunately, the film quickly degenerates into chases and gunfights and not much else.

This is not a terrible movie, but it's too familiar by half and too confusing by a third. Director Mathieu Kassovitz, best known stateside as Audrey Tautou's love interest in "Amelie" but also respected in Europe as a filmmaker ("La Haine"), does have a vision beyond the usual genre schlock. He presents a casually hopeless future in the movie's opening segment in a rugged, desperate Russia, the ugly other side of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."

The film, however, soon settles into a worn-out tale of a sullen bruiser (Diesel) reluctantly escorting a mysterious, angelic young person (Mélanie Thierry) to a far-off destination -- the promised land of New York.

Along for the ride is the girl's loyal guardian, a nun in an emerging religion who happens to be a martial arts expert (the always-intriguing Michelle Yeoh). Bad guys, betrayals, a hint of parkour -- yawn.

"Babylon" feels like an almost random pastiche of good and bad. There may be a deadly virus, or genetic engineering, or a virgin birth, or some combination of all, it's not clear.

There definitely are confounding set-piece fights, in which people don't take cover as bullets fly, and the sudden disappearance of the futuristic vision expressed early on.

The ending is abrupt. It follows a confusing final 20 minutes that imply a higher striving that may have been present in the source novel ("Babylon Babies"), but on screen there is merely that improbable gun battle and further echoes of "Blade Runner."

The film is in English, but one suspects something was lost in translation anyway: The French cut is reportedly about 10 minutes longer than the American edit's 91.

Kassovitz and the studio are apparently feuding over the finished product. There may be an interesting director's cut DVD down the line, but this theatrical version is less than riveting.

"Babylon A.D." MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some sexuality. Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes. In general release.

She fell to her knees by the door as the children spotted her and began begging for their freedom. A thick wooden bar was firmly wedged in place, and it took all her strength and leverage to force it up. The children crawled free of their prison, twelve in all. They stood together, most of them staring and hollow cheeked from their captivity.

"Do you think you can get everyone out of these woods and to the police?" She addressed one who seemed most aware. They'd probably been drugged to keep them quiet during the day. He looked to be the oldest, probably the missing foster child.

"They still have Nicky," he said, his tone dull though his eyes were becoming more alert by the moment.

"Get out of here. I'll worry about Nicky." He nodded after a moment, he and the other older children gathering the younger ones together.

"If you... um, get stuck in the woods, turn your clothes inside out," she whispered after them.

They didn't even pause or look back as they stumbled into the trees. Maybe they didn't hear her... or maybe they were just too traumatized to worry about how crazy she sounded.

Glory crept through the underbrush towards the bonfire as quietly as she could, cringing with every snapped twig. Between the darkness and the mist, the ground might well have been nothing more than wishful thinking and she'd never have known it. Still, she made it to the larger clearing without the old sorceress looking up. As Glory watched, the old woman as much drop as slammed the struggling child into the ground with as much force as she could muster, which thankfully was not much.

"About time you got back here, you worthless son of Yig." Tacita hissed without looking around. Glory raised the branch to strike even as the woman plunged the dagger towards the stunned child. Glory choked on a scream, but Tacita only drew the blade across his palm, raising a thin line of blood. "Great Tsathoggua! Accept the first of tonight's sacrifice!" She thrust the child away from her so that he lay sprawled in the dirt before the idol. There he whimpered as Glory stood frozen in shock.

Had the statue... moved? Was its loathsome grin... slightly wider?!

Shuddering, she tried not to look at the statue as she raised the tree branch higher to bludgeon the kneeling woman. Normally, she'd have had a big problem with hitting a little old lady with a tree branch, but she'd make an exception for a nasty old heiress who locked children in metal boxes. Before the branch could even pick up speed though, a long glistening tongue shot from the hairy toad god's gaping mouth, wrapping around Glory's only weapon and yanking it from her grasp.

Spinning around, Tacita made a sound, half growl and half scream of rage. "I do no know how you bested my servant, girl, but there will be time enough to punish him once I have dealt with you. You should have minded your own business."

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said I was just looking for my sister...?" Glory fell back as Tacita lunged at her with the sacrificial dagger. She only just managed to get her foot between them. The dagger came perilously close to her belly before she managed to thrust the lunatic away with her feet. The woman weighed hardly anything at all, but what she lacked in weight, she made up for with insane, wiry muscle.

"Honestly..." she panted. "This is just the kind of sick crap she'd get up to." The witch landed on her butt in the dirt near the tree line and stared at Glory in surprise. She was obviously used to a lot more respect and/or fear. Glory was honestly surprised she'd managed to kick her so far. Teeth from her macabre necklace littered the ground around the stunned sorceress and slowly slipped from the broken twine. "So... have you?" Glory asked, raising an eyebrow, all the while inching closer to the knife that lay between them.

"Have I... what?" she all but growled, slowly coming to her senses. Glory had tried to maintain eye contact, but now Tacita looked away from Glory's face and down toward her reaching hand.

"Seen my sister, you old hag!" Glory hissed as she dove for the blade. Her hand closed over the hilt even as the woman reached for it.

"What're you going to do with the knife, girl? I'm a friggin sorceress!" she snarled.

"Dunno... what do you think someone in my position would do at this point?" Glory queried, not really waiting for an answer before leaping forward.

The knife met with no resistance. The witch was gone and the dagger shuddered in the earth where she had been only moments before. Glory stared at the hilt sticking up from the cold earth in shock. Too late, she heard the scuff of a foot behind her.

Hands encircled her throat, trying to squeeze the life out of her. She tried to pull the fingers away, but they might as well have been granite for all the good it did her. Tacita chuckled maniacally as she began to drag Glory back towards the center of the clearing and her living idol.

"Did you expect me to sit still, girl? To wait for the killing blow? This isn't the first time I've had to deal with meddling busy-bodies like yourself! I'll have to start a new necklace with your teeth." The woman hissed, digging into Glory's throat with her sharp, manicured nails. Apparently her tattoos had no effect on a human, even one who'd given up any right to be considered human. "Oh no! I've been around a few times." She grunted with effort as she pulled Glory along, inch by painful inch. Glory didn't make it easy for her and more than once she gained a few inches of her own, but Tacita was abnormally strong despite her withered frame. Why had she not been able to control a two year old infant? Perhaps now that she had summoned the essence of her god into the idol, she was stronger. No doubt she could have killed Glory outright if that had been her desire, but just as she had labored so long to hold the child still just to cut his hand, the end she had planned for Glory would not be so swift as simple strangulation.

Glory was certain the ground shook as something heavy struck the ground somewhere behind her, or was it only the thudding of her heart as she struggled to be free that made her think that something, something tremendous had begun to unwind itself from its rocky perch. The child's cries had suddenly been cut short and a sickening slurping, crunching sound could be heard over Glory's pounding heart. She gasped and kicked out as she fought for breath, her heels making long furrows in the dark earth. She could hear her blood in her head like a sea shell held to her ear, but the old woman's fingers were like iron. There was no loosening them.

Even as her sight began to dim, Glory heard a horrendous CRACK! For a moment, she thought her neck had finally snapped, but and instant later, she was free and gasping in the dirt. What happened?

I'm a big fan of Vin Diesel. I've seen almost every movie that he has been in. I just think that he is one of the coolest bad asses around. I think that Marvel would be silly to pass him up for one of their villains. The man just knows how to play a bad ass. However, until that day, I will enjoy this other movies, including the Fast and the Furious 4; I saw the trailer and I'm ready. Bring it.

This weekend I saw Babylon A.D. (2008) and loved all but the last five minutes and some of the plot. Let me explain.

The movie was good. It will be added to my ever growing collection of Diesel films when it comes out on DVD. I was even thinking about seeing in the theater again before it disappears.

Vin Diesel plays Toorop a bounty hunter and transporter. The character comes off as a Richard B. Riddick without the ability to see in complete darkness, which is fine with me. He has been hired to transport a woman out of Eastern Europe and into the United States.

The plot takes a nose dive toward the end. It seemed like the writes got to a certain point in the script and had to ask, "What now?" They did not answer that question well. They ended up turning what could have been a really good story of a new evolutionary step in human and machine technology and turning it into a bad modern story of the Virgin Mary, complete with a corrupt religion that wanted to use her to legitimatize sect with a virgin birth.

However, the acting was well done. They actors were not still and did not look uncomfortable with all the crazy costumes and effects. The scenery was stellar. I really liked the Eastern Europe dystopian frenzy that gets the movie started.

I don't bring sound tracks up much, but this one was outstanding. I will be picking it up very soon. Well, I guess not. I just checked amazon.com and they don't have one. Crazy! I want it.

Anyway, go see it. Enjoy!

The Soulless Machine

Brandon Wilson is an adventurer and travel writer. From the Himalayas, to Mount Kilimanjaro, to the Camino de Santiago, to his most recent 2,620-mile trek from France to Jerusalem, Wilson has been in over a hundred countries and faithfully recorded his experiences in his books. He's the author of the award-winning titles Yak Butter Blues, Dead Men Don't Leave Tips, and Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace. In this fascinating interview, Wilson talks about his books, travels, writing habits, and his most rewarding and scariest moments as a travel writer.

Thanks for being here today, Brandon. Tell us a bit about yourself. When did your passion for traveling begin?

It’s always been there. I had my first taste of life on the road at six and haven't stopped. It all began in an old red and white Chevy with a burlap-covered water bag strapped to the front grill. With my father behind the wheel, we sailed wide-eyed across the wide expanse of an uncluttered America. I was hooked on travel, my sweet addiction.

What compelled you to put your travels into words—your love for writing or your desire to share your experiences with others?

Although I’ve always enjoyed sharing my travel experiences with others, this need became a necessity in 1992. An adventurous 1,000 km. trek across Tibet transformed into a journey with greater meaning.

Before attempting a trek the Chinese authorities called “impossible,” my wife and I learned that Tibetan people today are forbidden to walk to their sacred sites in Nepal. So we vowed to make it in their stead. For forty nights as we crossed the wild Himalayan plains, we stayed with poor Tibetan families, sipping yak butter tea around their fire, listening to their stories, and witnessing their faith and hardships firsthand. Upon returning, I was determined to share their story with the rest of the world. It was a message too important to be ignored. That story, their “message in a bottle,” became my first award-winning book, Yak Butter Blues. It’s the true tale of a culture pushed to the edge of extinction and the human link connecting us all.

Quite by accident, crossing Tibet also changed my outlook on travel and on life. Although I’d explored nearly 100 countries while checking must-sees off a checklist, trekking across Tibet was a transcendent experience. I was hooked on slow and “deliberate” travel, which nourished a connectedness with nature, and a Zen-like link to the spiritual.

How long does it take you to write each book? Do you write as you travel or after the trip has ended?

All my books are initially constructed from daily journals. I've always found it best to write each night while the events (and aching muscles) are fresh. In that way, I capture the passing thoughts and fleeting nuances along the way, events that otherwise melt together if you attempt to reconstruct it all months later. I write an hour or so each day, no matter how late, creating a running narrative that becomes a very first rough draft. Returning, I pour myself into the project, beating it into shape over the next year or so.

Tell us a bit about your books.

My books bridge the typical travel genre by infusing a destination with adventure, history, culture, the mystical, and a bit of social consciousness. I avoid using broad brush strokes to describe a place. Readers are tired of hearing about another beautiful sunset. And I can’t blame them. They expect to truly “experience” a place.

Traveling slowly, often on a small budget, I share the good, bad and gritty of each destination. That often brings out the good and bad in people—as well as myself. At the risk of sounding like a terrible person, I strive to expose it all—the ups and downs, as well as the small triumphs and laughs that make each day unique.

Some reviewers have called my three books a trilogy. Soon after Yak Butter Blues was published, Dead Men Don’t Leave Tips followed. This book provides an intimate look at Africa—the trials and tribulations of crossing an ever-changing landscape filled with quirky characters, raw challenges, and edge of your seat adventures. It’s not a guidebook, but a real uncensored, darkly humorous look at what it takes to cross some of the wildest places imaginable.

Unlike Tibet, we initially set off with a loosely organized safari guided by “experts” (who’d never been to Africa). That was our first mistake. Then again, Mark Twain once said, “You never really know whether you love or hate someone until you travel with ’em.”

As our seven-month overland dream safari quickly turned into a nightmare, we left the ship of fools and set off across Africa alone. And that made all the difference. Once outside the cocoon of group travel, our immersion in the controlled chaos of African life led from one wild adventure to another—from the heights of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the depths of war-torn Mozambique and beyond.

Hey, where else can you climb a volcano one day, photo stalk mountain gorillas the next, and dance with stoned pygmies soon after?

After Africa, I followed my passion for long-distance trekking down some of the world’s most renowned pilgrimage trails, including Spain’s Camino de Santiago, the Via Francigena from England to Rome, and St. Olav’s Way across Norway. Each year brought another path, another challenge. Each time, I relished slowing life down, reducing it to its bare essentials. Trekking became my Walden Pond. Long-distance hiking is a trampoline for the mind, as you process a lifetime of thoughts, emotions, memories, and sensations. Your senses become heightened. I delight in the minutiae of smells and sounds: the scent of an approaching cloudburst or hearing the scamper of a lizard in the brush. I've also found an inner peace through these treks. I've lightened up my pack—and metaphorically my life. It's something that remains with you, a sanctuary when life becomes too crazy once again.

The seeds for my new book grew from those experiences. Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace chronicles my recent 2620-mile trek with a 68-year-old Frenchman from France to Jerusalem. Following in the footsteps of First Crusades and legendary first Knights Templar, we set off to trek across eleven countries and two continents.

Unlike my other books, from the very start, I was determined to make the trek not only as a personal pilgrimage, but also as a walk for peace. I wanted to remind folks along the way about the necessity of solving our problems in a more enlightened manner than resorting to war.

As journeys go, it was far from easy. Following a thousand-year-old map, each day we were uncertain where we would eat or sleep. Temperatures ranged from freezing to nearly 100 degrees (F). There was also an ever-changing landscape and languages, but politics turned out to be the greatest unknown. By the time we arrived in Serbia, Israel had bombed Beirut Airport, southern Lebanon was being evacuated, there was a bombing attempt on the US Embassy in Damascus, and Western travelers were gunned down in Amman, Jordan. Oh, and an Ebola-like virus raged in central Turkey.

Still, without exception, in every country the people we met were curious and kind when they discovered the reason for our journey. Our message found great acceptance. Folks are so tired of endless war and some were moved to tears when they heard of our quest.

True to my initial objectives, I wanted Along the Templar Trail to not only chronicle this historic journey, but also provide a blueprint for others who'd like to walk this path of peace. So this book is my most personal and surprisingly philosophical. It interweaves observations, koans and brief encounters that are metaphorical in nature. Some readers will hear a resonance in these—others will see only the adventure.

The story unfolds at a walker's pace, since a journey such as this forces one to slow down and savor the beauty and tranquility of life. As in all my books, I want to engage the reader, to make them feel like they’re walking beside us and experiencing both the good and bad, small miracles, and moments of discovery along the way. I want to inspire no only those who will follow in our footsteps—but also those who travel in mind and spirit.

Eventually, I hope my story will re-launch this historic trail as an international path of peace that others may walk in brotherhood, regardless of nationality or religion, much as they follow the Camino de Santiago. Thousands will walk this same path each year, sharing blisters, food and conversation. Once they walk together, they’ll discover a connectedness, a personal peace. Then they’ll return to their families, jobs, communities and countries with greater tolerance and belief in our commonality as human beings. They’ll embrace the ideal of cooperation on our increasingly fragile planet.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your traveling adventures?

The more I travel, the more I learn about the world (and the more I learn I don’t know). Wherever I travel I truly enjoy meeting and sharing with local people and learning about their lives: former monks in Tibet, African villagers, or army officers and Palestinians in Israel. I am inspired by their strength, faith, optimism and universal hope for peace. If only we can re-channel that fortitude, we can reshape our society, re-prioritize our budgets, and wage a lasting peace. As many reminded me, only governments stand in the way.

Then again, the more I travel, the more I learn about myself. You never return home the same person as when you left.

Scariest moment?

The Tibetan journey taught me to never give up—even while pushing the limits of survival. We were shot at, trudged through a blizzard, slowly starved, never knew where we would spend the night—or if we’d be taken into police custody. Yet we learned to have faith; trust that the Universe would provide, that we were meant to be there, that there is some greater purpose to it all.

What's in the near future?

Only the wind knows—but my walking stick is calling once again from the corner.

Do you think you'll ever settle down?

What? (Have you been talking to my mother?) I never say “Never,” but this appears to be as settled as I’ll ever be—unless I find something more worthwhile or exciting.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?

Ignore the naysayers and conformists. Life is too short for regrets. Have confidence in your dreams. Follow your passions, wherever they lead. Small joys still exist in our world. Discover the moments of magic and serenity in secluded places. See the world for yourself without hesitation or fear. Discover a personal peace, and as Gandhi once said, “Be the change you would like to see in the world.”

Where are your books available?

They may be ordered from any bookstore or Internet bookseller worldwide. Signed copies may only be purchased at www.PilgrimsTales.com.

As hard as metal and just as dumb, Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race couldn't be further from producer Roger Corman and director Paul Bartel's goofy, bloody 1975 original, Death Race 2000. Basically a souped-up gladiatorial battle on a racetrack inside what's supposedly future America's toughest high-security prison, the pic maintains 2000's body count and a few character names, and dumps the rest -- including the humor. Fans of the remake may not care, and will pony up for any late-summer package of high-throttle thrills.

It's 2012, the U.S. economy is in meltdown, unemployment and crime are on the rise, and big, bad corporations have somehow taken over everything, including the prisons.

A rather meaningless action opener, showing how driver Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson) blows away an opponent named Frankenstein (voiced by David Carradine, from 2000), gets auds' heart rates pumping. Rooting interest emerges with former racecar driver and now steel-plant worker Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) being laid off, with his fellow employees inexplicably confronted outside the plant by overly violent SWAT-style cops.

Back home with wife Suzy and baby Piper, Ames is surprised by a masked intruder who murders Suzy and frames Ames. He's sent away to Terminal Island, home of the race, which is so heavily guarded that escape is futile. Much of this is explained to Ames by friendly but grizzled mechanic Coach (Ian McShane, reviving the same Yank accent he used in Deadwood). Big boss is warden Hennessey (Joan Allen), as tough as her well-manicured nails, while the local tough guys known as "the Brotherhood," led by Pachenko (Max Ryan), try to send Ames a message with their fists.

With Joe having bumped Frankenstein, Hennessey tells Ames she needs a new contender for her Death Race pay-per-view show. Her offer: Win the three-day match, and he goes free. The catch: Lose, and he dies, since only the race's sole survivor wins.

Coach and his pit crew, consisting of nerdy, brainy Lists (Fred Koehler) and Gunner (Jacob Vargas) prep Ames' Mustang -- so tricked out with armaments it makes the weapon cars in 2000 look like puddle jumpers -- while Ames is told to wear Frankenstein's metal mask as a way of maintaining the character's intrigue.

But like so much else in Death Race, this detail is sloppily ignored whenever the story or action conveniently requires it. Since 2000 was dumb on its face, Bartel played it for camp; Anderson (whose other futuristic, effects-heavy exercises include Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator), unfortunately, tries playing it straight.

Three race setpieces, styled as an "American Gladiators"-meets-"Ice Road Truckers" TV show, are the pic's main events, and Anderson trains all his firepower with a numbing assault of quick cuts, hyperactive zooms, closeups of crashes and mega-explosions, lathered with a metal score by ex-Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger.

The final race pits rivals Ames and Joe against the prison's full force -- such as it is. Pic's escape plot and grease-monkey-inflected happy ending are nothing more than a mindless way to place things in park.

After both Transporters, The Italian Job, Crank and this, Statham must be getting tired of acting behind the wheel. But he does maintain his ultra-low-fat, chiseled facade and low-end voice for full effect in a pic that demands little more. McShane and Allen handle their paydays with little damage, while Gibson and Ryan are big masses of muscle and badass.

Scott Kevan's widescreen lensing was overcooked in the lab to look as metallic as possible, and production designer Paul Denham Austerberry provides a stunning alteration of decaying Montreal industrial landscapes into the giant prison and race track.

Egypt

Cold blocks of granite stared back indifferently as the warm light of a passing torch caught their edges. The flame pushed back the darkness, growing and dying with lost breaths of air escaping the passageway ahead. Sand, kicked aside by the steady strut of sandaled feet, parted with the ancient floor and took to the air, playing in mad swirls. A luxurious length of material dragged behind. Its dye was richer than the summer sky at dusk and heavy, pulling the shoulders of its wearer back so that they stood a few inches taller.

The man's face strained as he forced a gold bangle over his large, masculine hand. The beaten object hung beautifully against his sun-worn skin, covering a scar of pale pink that zigzagged over his veins. Another thin band, striped with Lapis, knocked against it as Atum's arms swung by his side giving pace to his stride.

Atum's chin and nose stood equal in silhouette. His ornately woven false beard continued the jarring line, protruding like a horn. Several layers of necklaces swung over his bare chest, the longest and most delicate reaching his waist where a tight knot of linen covered his hips.

Suddenly his cloak billowed past him and the torch flames flattened, starved of fuel. Atum heard heavy breathing but found nothing when he turned and peered into the blackness.

The temple had gone quiet.

The corridors of Heliopolis should have been lit for the meeting of The Nine, bustling with slaves - but they were not. He was near the main chamber and so hurried past the elaborate walls depicting the past victories of his rule. The bodies of Tau'ri drowned in the Nile with jewel-set eyes set into the stone.

He found the entrance to the room and waited before entering, smelling a bitter odor. What remained of the alliance lay draped over their thrones with the contents of their bloodied chests dripping into their laps. A gold artifact protruded through each member's neck - the sacred Ank severing the Goa'uld serpents in half. Slaughtered, they watched as Atum crossed to the centre of the room, lighting each of the torches as he passed.

Soon, the room was aglow and the painted ceiling sparkled like the sky it pretended to be. Its navy expanse was held up by sixteen blushing columns, each with a swirl of gold hammered around their girth. Nine statues stood behind the thrones, some with a vague likeness to the broken bodies beneath. Three thrones were empty. His own, the meek half wit Seth's, and that of Osiris.

"I know you shadow," said Atum, his voice pouring from the edge of his mouth like a silken liquid. He dropped the torch in his hand, exposing the hand device snaked over his palm. The amber stone at its centre warmed. "Traitor," he breathed, hearing the same sliding footsteps reach the entrance.

"Your time is finished," replied the beast that had been tracking him. The words were difficult to form in the host's primitive mouth, forced through the throat and only vaguely moulded into speech. The Unas bound Goa'uld clutched an Ank in his fist as he approached. Blood that wasn't his stained the cloth around his waist.

"They will not give you anything, Ba'al." Atum turned to face his executioner, ready for the fight.

500 000 years ago : PROCLARUSH, Atlantian Outpost Taonas

"Say again, say again?"

A small man with the beginning of a balding head reached over and collected his radio. Blowing a layer of dust off it, he swiped his hand over the inactive display, bringing the device to eerie blue life.

"I said, we're going to need another ZPM. This one's had it, well and truly."

The lights were flickering as the power sequence weakened. By the sudden drop in air temperature inside the small outpost dome, Enrod figured he had about a day's worth left. It was neglectful, he thought, how command had left something as important as this until the last possible moment. The outposts were an important part of their exploratory division. Sure, the signature ship Atlantis under Commander Pegasus had discovered a way to travel to an entirely new galaxy, but that didn't change the reality in which this galaxy still had plenty to offer. They'd barely ventured into its edges, still following the old seeding line - not bothering to explore new planets and spread Stargates there.

Enrod sighed heavily. He was not an explorer, no matter how strongly he desired to be one. The lights flickered so he hit the power device with the heavy screwdriver in his left hand. Fixing things was his specialty, with brute force if necessary.

"Behave," he growled, before he rolled off the platform and went in search of a jacket. The failing ZPM stuck out from its hiding spot in the floor, a dangerous hazard for anyone using the control chair behind. There were four potential victims working nearby. The other scientists were planted in front of their respective machinery, running a sequence of tests for the third time, confirming that their calculations were correct. Only one of them snored quietly, unconscious and curled up to an equipment container.

Three rooms away, the massive circle of stone at the centre of the gate room groaned. One of the chevrons on its uppermost arch lit up and almost at once, the inner wheel began to spin.

Enrod, now cosy beneath the extra layers of material, glanced over his shoulder. The grumble of the gate room told him that the engineering team were arriving with the ZPM early. It was the first good news he had heard all day.

A whoosh of air and quantum particles surged into the outpost as the wormhole engaged. That eerie sound of disturbed dimensions accompanied a familiar blue glow - like water in a cave as a diver prepared to surface. Enrod didn't hear the heavy footsteps that followed, each one sliding over the smooth, Atlantianstone floor leaving a trail of wet shadows.

The creatures assembled in silence along the opposite wall either side of the entrance to the next room. As the last of them stepped through, the wormhole shut down and the blue glow was replaced by a faint white from the battery powered lighting system. A pair of eyes glowed, liquid gold, and the creature raised a finger over his horned skin to his interned lips. Follow he said silently, beckoning the others.

"Better late, I guess..." said Enrod, clearing off his work bench. Satisfied that the room looked half decent for guests, he headed straight to the kitchen where he set some mugs on a tray and tapped the 'hot water' option on the internal computer system. It didn't matter that the action would drain power now that they had arrived. Besides, he'd been dying for a hot drink for days. "I'm in the far room," he called out, figuring that they were lost. The command team always sent the newbies to the outposts, none of which had any experience.

The Unas followed the sound of the Atlantian's voice. Hands clasped over their weapons in expectation, they reached the door of the third and final room in the outpost. Above, the domed ceiling held back the unfavourable atmosphere. The sky outside was choking as three black peaks spewed the planet's core into the air. This outpost clung to a flat stretch of land in the centre of an ancient asteroid crater. The heavy metals in the soil were of an unknown composition - but early indications showed an energy yield higher than any other terrestrial based fuel. Naquada would be a way forward. A refined lump of it sat pride of place in the power room, on display behind a glass and lead container.

The snake infested Unas picked off the scientists in the chair room. Their fragile necks snapped and their bodies returned to the floor. Now the intruders approached their final target, assured of victory.

Enrod, with his back turned, was unaware of the danger inching closer. It wasn't until the hairs on the back of his neck stood up that he heard the first laboured breath.

He ducked as a blade whizzed past, clattering on the wall in front and hitting the ground at his feet. Without a chance to gasp, he retrieved it and ran toward the far kitchen door.

"What the hell!" he screamed, catching sight of one of the approaching Unas heading his way.

Enrod jiggled the handle desperately, finally opening the door and slamming it behind him, turning the feeble lock. Enrod had never seen such creatures. Their skin was horned and rough, possibly aquatic in origin. They moved with a swagger, pulling their body forward with the motion of their arms.

He didn't have time for further thought as Enrod took off down the service tunnel, ducking his head to fit through the places where each pre-fabricated section was welded together. At the end of the hundred metre dash was a spin lock door, and behind that, a stasis chamber.

The kitchen door hit the ground, kicked in by the lead Unas. They wasted no time beginning their chase of the escaping Atlantian, touching the walls of the tunnel with both their hands as they groped along. The creatures gained ground, growling or laughing - Enrod couldn't tell which.

Enrod reached the hatch and spun the lock. It seemed to go round forever as the creatures lumbered closer. Finally, just as he was able to make out the smell of their breath, the door clicked and swung inward. He pushed on it with all his weight and clambered into the room. It shut automatically, spinning back to the locked position. Not that it would hold those creatures for long. His only hope was the stasis pod, powered by the chemistry that made him unique. A gene bound to his blood pulsed around his body as he raised his shaking hand to the device's control panel.

The first creature hit the door at a run, slamming into it in the hope that his force alone would crumble it inward. The door held firm, re-enforced with steel.

Enrod jumped with the sound of the creatures pounding the door. He could already hear them turning the wheel, desperate to get in. Enrod waved his hand over the control panel but it was unresponsive.

"Slowly, Enrod, slowly..." he reminded himself.

He tried again, keeping his hand steady as the wheel of the door continued to spin. The panel responded, illuminating with a surge that brought his eyes to tears. The shell of the stasis pod slid gracefully open and Enrod stepped in, seeing the door opposite click open and a hand creep around its edge.

"Come on," he muttered, trying to type a stasis time into the panel but his hand shook so heavily he could barely make the panel. Panicing as four creatures stepped into the room and caught sight of him, Enrod slammed his hand on the 'start' button and shut his eyes as the freezing liquid hardened over him. The last thing he saw was a pair of glowing eyes, picking him out for death.

The pod locked itself, impervious to the beating of the creatures. A timer began at its top corner, counting down from five-hundred thousand.

Flag Ship : Atlantis

Commander Pegasus crossed the bridge of his ship which was in stable orbit around a sad looking planet. A plume of black rose, joining the clouds of the upper atmosphere above what remained of the outpost.

Someone approached and handed him the latest report on the mysterious destruction of their exploratory outposts.

"We've lost another one," the young man said, clasping his hands behind his back as the Commander scanned the list.

"How many is that now?"

"Sixteen," he replied. "All within the month."

The Commander sighed and handed the information terminal back. "No longer accidents then, I'm guessing. And all have reportedly had their Naquada deposits taken. Something sinister is certainly go on. You better alert the rest of the fleet. Once they've cleaned up here, we'll attend to whatever's left of Proclarush."

"Of course."

"I'm sorry," said Pegasus, lowering his voice. "I know your father was part of that expedition."

PB2-908, Atlantian Outpost and Hall of the Five Races

The Stargate burst into life, thrusting forth until it reached the crowd of people. They spoke in rushed voices, unconcerned with the void of energy sweeping past their feet and then sucking back toward the stone circle. Personal belongings littered the floor where they were suddenly swooped onto shoulders or dragged forward toward the gate.

A thousand Atlantians left the outpost with a deep sadness. The beautiful hall had been inhabited for more than a century and over this time housed a wealth of knowledge, combining the teachings of the five great races. The books remained on their shelves and sheets were laid over the conference room. Eventually, the tame smear of blue on the horizon would edge forward, clawing at the land until the ocean waves lashed against the rocks and sucked the outpost into the ocean, burying it forever.

The thought of this place being lost was too much for some to bear. They hung onto each other, and slipped into the event horizon.

Lurking at the edge of the crowd, one of the people brushed their hand curiously along the stone wall. He had never seen a place like this. Caught in the swell of people, he soon he found himself stepping out into the open air as the crowd dispersed, crossing a small field. Past this, the beginnings of a city crawled up the rolling mountains. Feathered clouds slipped in front of the sun while a light breeze nipped at his hood.

His cold gaze shifted as he spun around, taking in the glowing symbols on the dialing device.

"So this is where they go..." he whispered, pulling the hood over his head. The Goa'uld quickly disguised himself amongst the crowd, following them to across the Earth's fragrant field.

The Star Wars saga continues in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. You are Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice! The Dark Lord of the Sith himself has trained you to use a lightsaber and unleash the power of the Force, but now your destiny is your own. Will you join Vader as the next great Sith, or will you choose to defend peace and justice as a noble Jedi Knight? The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.  

Death.Race.TELESYNC.XviD-OPTiC

Terminal Island, New York: 2020. Overcrowding in the U.S. penal system has reached a breaking point. Prisons have been turned over to a monolithic Weyland Corporation, which sees jails full of thugs as an opportunity for televised sport. Adrenalized inmates, a global audience hungry for violence and a spectacular, enclosed arena come together to form the 'Death Race', the world's biggest, most brutal sporting event. Five-time NASCAR champion Jensen Ames is a man who has become an expert at survival. After eight years of hard time, he has only six weeks before reuniting with his family. But when Weyland demands a driver to headline the big game, Ames is forced to submit. Donning the costume of mythical rider Frankenstein, the racer becomes an instant crowd favorite, an unequaled sporting superstar. His face hidden by a metallic black mask, one convict will be put through a brutal three day challenge, with the trophy being the ultimate prize: freedom. The only catch is that he must survive a gauntlet of the most vicious criminals in this post-industrial wasteland to claim it. Driving a monster car outfitted with machine guns, flamethrowers and grenade launchers, Ames must now kill or be killed to win the most treacherous spectator sport on Earth: 'Death Race'.
Also Known As:
Death Race 3000
Production Status:     Released
Logline:     In the year 2020, a series of race car drivers compete in an ultraviolent race using heavily armed cars.
Genres:     Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller and Sports
Running Time:     1 hr. 29 min.
Release Date:     August 22nd, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating:     R for strong violence and language.
Distributors:
Universal Pictures
Production Co.:
Cruise/Wagner Productions (C/W Productions)
Impact Pictures, Relativity Media
Studios:
Universal Pictures, United Artists Films
Filming Locations:
Japan
Los Angeles, California, USA
Produced in:     United States

Info:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452608/

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/139926124/opt-dr.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/139926799/opt-dr.part2.rar

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Password:areg

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world. A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. Mercenaries 2 features the latest and most dangerous in civilian and military tech, everything from shiny new sports cars, to the future-tech satellite-guided bunker-busting mini-nuke. Tanks, APCs, boats, luxury automobiles – you name it, you can have it delivered to you in real time. And if you run out of cash you can always 'acquire' the gear you need in the field. If you see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow it up. Play your own way, or play with the help of a friend in the new cooperative multiplayer mode.

"N'ggah-kthn-y'hhu! Cthua t'lh gup r'lhob-g'th'gg lgh thok!" shrieked the cadaverous woman before the stone idol. It sounded like she was having some kind of fit. She gazed at the statue adoringly, strings of human teeth looped around her neck like pearls. Wisps of hair clung to her otherwise bald head. Despite her patchy hair, she seemed young. With a wig, no one would have been able to say with certainty what age she was.

"G'llh, Tsathoggua! Y'kn'nh, Tsathoggua! It hath come! Homage, Lord Tsathoggua, Father of Night! Glory, Elder One, First Born of Outer Entity! Hail, Thou Who wast Ancient beyond Memory Ere the Stars Spawned Great Cthulhu! Power, Hoary Crawler in Mu's fungoid places! Ia! Ia! G'noth-ykagga-ha! Ia, Ia, Tsathoggua!" she cried triumphantly.

"Once more I have come before you to seal our covenant with the blood of children born on the anniversary of my own birth. Thirteen children for each full moon of the year, oh Lord of the Moon. The lives of these children given so that you might turn back the years. Another nineteen years that I might serve you Lord, in all that you favor... in protection of your children from the environmental abuses of man, the toads and the frogs which creep through our waterways. Even as I am the reincarnation of Klarkash-Ton, your servant in Atlantis, I remain your servant on Earth, now and forever! Use me! I am your tool in this world!"

"Bring forth the first child!" she shrieked into the darkness. A dagger glinted in the firelight. From the left, the ragged man from the park carried a whimpering child, no more than two years old. The man knelt at the hag's feet, offering up the bawling infant like a bottle of finely aged wine.

"Drop the knife and the kid, you crazy old cow!" Honestly... she'd meant to be more subtle. Now would have been the perfect time for some trusted sidekick to sneak around and free the children while the evildoers were occupied. Too bad Glory didn't have any friends, let alone trusty sidekicks.

Both of them turned to stare at Glory with something approaching dumbfounded awe. "What? How? Who...?" Unfortunately, the moment didn't last. Tacita looked down at her kneeling servant. "The girl from the park?" she queried with eyebrow raised.

He nodded grimly, a look of barely contained fury in the set of his eyes. He'd apparently taken his defeat in the park personally.

"Kill her," she ordered dismissively, taking the baby from him, her thin frame staggering under its wriggling weight. She struggled to carry it closer to the statue of her god. "Don't take too long. The sacrifices must begin before the moon reaches its zenith."

He only grunted in reply, turning to face Glory with a malicious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He made a fist, cracking the knuckles. He didn't even bother to rush her, moving with an arrogant slowness that unnerved her.

She looked at the palm of her hand helplessly. Now would be a good time to start working! She thought at the sword Aaron had given her as his parting gift. Her palm remained depressingly empty. Lovely... she thought at the thing. If there's a god, I'm a cosmic joke. Thanks for nothing, Aaron.

The man stopped a few feet away from her and just stared at her, that nasty little smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Glory was transfixed in horror as his features began to change. Suddenly, the spitting thing... it made a whole lot more sense. It was probably venomous, maybe it paralyzed his victims while he pounded them into pulp. He continued to crack his knuckles as his hair became snakes and his nose seemed to melt away into his face. His mouth broadened and scales beaded up on his skin like condensation.

"I can't believe I wrestled you in the park," she said, trying to build up her courage. "You're like the kind of ugly that gives the elephant man nightmares." She couldn't help but flinch though, as his tongue flicked out as though tasting the air for her.

When he finally spoke, it was like rustling leaves in a soft breeze. "Girl, I am going to enjoy sucking the marrow from your bones."

She couldn't help it. She bolted into the bushes like a frightened rabbit. He made a sound as he followed her that she could only assume was laughter. Either that, or he was choking, and that would just be wishful thinking.

Okay... so work around to the other side of the clearing.... and that was as far as her plan got before she tripped on a branch and went sprawling. A moment later, she was lifted by her backpack as if she weighed nothing at all. She landed on the ground hard again as her arms slipped through the straps. He glared at the backpack only a moment before tossing it into the undergrowth. Reaching down, he yanked her from the ground and she dangled helplessly in his grasp, her arms pinned to her sides.

"Ugh! Get off of me you sick, scaly freak!" She squirmed as he made that awful choking noise in the back of his throat.

"Caught her!" he cried out triumphantly.

"Well kill the little cretin and get back over here, slave! This little brat won't hold still!"

He growled and the snakes framing his face hissed angrily.

"Slave huh? So... are you not allowed to bathe without her say-so? Cause I've gotta tell you. I've met better smelling bag ladies, and I sleep under a tree in the park."

He growled, shaking her in his fury. Though she tried to keep it in, a tiny whimper made its way up her throat. His tongue shot out as it tasting her fear. "Scream," he growled, shaking her again. "Come on, make it look good." Okay... that was just weird.

"I... am Not... going to Scream... for you." she yelled into his face, kicking him as hard as she could between the legs. She had no way of knowing if his anatomy was at all analogous to a human man, but he dropped her all the same, and she scurried into the undergrowth like an animal. It was only by luck that her fingers curled around a thick branch that came away in her hand.

Glory leapt to her feet, but the serpent man was nowhere to be seen. She stood frozen with indecision. Where was he? For all she knew, he had built in camouflage like a chameleon. Or maybe he could shapeshift into other things, like trees or rocks.

Shivering, she took a deep breath to steady herself. Then she began beating the bushes around her, hoping to flush him out of hiding. When he popped up from the bushes on her second swing, she could not have been more surprised. She let out a shriek that brought an answering cackle from the clearing, but he just stood there as if waiting for her to strike. In fact, it looked like there was nothing he wanted to do more than leap at her, but he kept himself still as if by force of will alone. If getting knocked upside the head with a tree branch was what he was waiting for, she didn't disappoint him.

She swung the branch as hard as she could and was surprised that it didn't break under the impact. He went down like a ton of bricks. Even the little snakes attached to his skull went still. She almost reached out to make sure he wasn't faking, but something she once read came back to stop her hand.... even a dead serpent can bite.

A wail from the clearing brought her back to herself. "Eat the carcass later!" the witch screamed, and the child cried out again. Glory raced through the bushes, hoping she would not be too late.

to chapter 3, page 6

Set in ancient China, tells the story of a military commander during the 2nd and 3rd century.
Also Known As:
3 Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Production Status:     Released
Genres:     Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama and Adaptation
Production Co.:
Visualizer, Taewon Entertainment
Filming Locations:
China

Three.Kingdoms.Resurrection.of.the.Dragon.2008.CN.DVDRip.XviD-PMCG
1CD
Audio Language: Chinese
Substitle.....: English / Chinese

IMDB link

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/139552649/tkrotd-pmcg.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/139550615/tkrotd-pmcg.part2.rar

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Password: www.mshare.us

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Dead Men Don’t Leave Tips is the thrilling, captivating true tale of a honeymooned couple who quit their job, sell their home and cars, and leave everything behind to achieve a dream: cross Africa on a seven-month, 10,000-mile journey from Morocco to Cape Town.

Join professional travellers Wilson and Cheryl as they bargain with villagers, struggle with incompetent guides and government officials, pass sleepless nights in deplorable accommodations, cross the Sahara amidst sand storms and blistering heat, meet gorillas and Pygmies face to face, and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, reminding us all along that simple things such as a nice meal, a shower and getting cash can become the ultimate luxuries.

The tale is poignant with ironic humor and human drama. Each chapter begins with a witty, profound African proverb, and in the middle section the author includes interesting B&W photographs to complement his account and give a clearer picture of Africa’s sights and sounds.

What’s striking about Wilson’s books (he’s also the author of the IPPY Award winner Yak Butter Blues) is that his journeys are not only physical but highly spiritual as well. His are journeys of body and soul in every sense of the word. The author writes with honesty and a sharp eye for detail, making this an invaluable amalgam of information for readers of adventure travel or anybody who is considering “do-it-yourself” safaris or simply visiting Africa. Interlaced with this honesty and detail are Wilson’s beautiful prose, obvious passion for adventure and a deep inquisitiveness about other cultures, making this book a pleasure to read. Having already reviewed Wilson’s previous work, this reviewer is already looking forward to his next.

Fable 2" is the true sequel to the wildly successful original that sold more than 3 million copies, offering even more choices and building on the core gameplay theme of "Fable," where a player's every decision continually defines whom they become. "Fable 2" is an action role-playing game (RPG) that truly allows players to live the life they choose in an unimaginably open world environment.

• Choices, consequences. The innovative gameplay pioneered in the original "Fable" provided gamers with a never-before-seen level of immersion in a truly interactive world. "Fable 2" expands upon the scope and depth of the Xbox classic by adding incredible new features and creating a wider, more complex kingdom of limitless choices and consequences. Players will have the option to play as a man or woman, get married, have children, and live a life of their own design.
• A land far, far away. Revisit the sprawling world of Albion more than 500 years after the events of the original "Fable," where you are free to explore the landscape and openly roam the countryside. For the right price every house, hut, dungeon and castle is for sale. Players can witness how the world grows and changes in response to their decisions in incredible and unique ways as they rediscover Albion as if for the first time.
• Fight with ease. "Fable 2" pioneers a new combat system designed to allow players to truly master hand weapons such as swords and maces, ranged combat weapons such as bows and guns, and an entirely new magic system. These three disciplines, while very accessible, are also amazingly deep, and allow players to mix combat styles and become everything from master swordsman to skilled ranger to evil magic wielder, utilizing a single button on the Xbox 360 controller.
• A hero's best friend. This groundbreaking addition to the game is integral to the theme of unconditional love in "Fable 2." The canine companion will act as friend, compass and protector. Players mustmerely feed their pooch and he will love unconditionally, creating a bond that sets up emotion-filled journeys all throughout this magical world.
• Experience the world together. For the first time in the "Fable" series, gamers can experience the expansive and immersive world of "Fable 2" with friends, utilizing the new and exciting Dynamic Co-op Mode, bringing the long-awaited multiplayer function to the world of "Fable 2."
• Xbox LIVE Arcade mini-games earn major cash. Carbonated Games has partnered with Lionhead Studios Ltd. to bring an unparalleled experience to gamers through Xbox LIVE Arcade. Gamers can start earning in-game currency for the "Fable 2" world later this year, before the game's release to retail, by downloading and completing exclusive mini-games, which will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade and allow gamers to purchase weapons, armor and more for their hero.

STORYLINE:

Explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex, wife Evelyn and her brother, Jonathan. And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service. Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress to spend eternity in suspended animation, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O'Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents. As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force... unless the O'Connells can stop him first.

Also Known As:
The Curse of the Dragon
The Mummy 3
The Mummy III
The Mummy Returns sequel
Production Status: Released
Genres: Action/Adventure and Sequel
Running Time: 1 hr. 53 min.

Release Date: August 1st, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for adventure action and violence.
Distributors:
Universal Pictures Distribution
Production Co.:
The Sean Daniel Company, Sommers Company, Relativity Media

NFO:

Release Group: GRiM (P2P grp)
Release Name: The.Mummy.Tomb.of.the.Dragon.Emperor.DVDSCR.XviD-GRiM
Release Date: Aug 19, 2008
Filename: mummy3.dvdscr.xvid.cd1-grim | mummy3.dvdscr.xvid.cd2-grim
Source: DVDSCR ISO DVDR
Size: 2CD | 1.38 GB
Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Thriller
Video: 1339 kbps | 720×278 | 29.97 fps
Audio: 128 kbps MP3
Runtime: 112 min approx
IMDB Rating: 5.3/10 (14,046 votes)
Directed By: Rob Cohen
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Mario Bello

=>  (NUKE) The.Mummy.Tomb.of.the.Dragon.Emperor.DVDSCR.XviD-GRiM (stolen.from.p2p_i.lulz.at.t9Fc423.gif)

Quality Info:

Video is good but sound could be better. If you have 5,1 surround speakers you will not get high quality sound that you expect it to be :P

You can download video sample to check quality.

IMDB Link

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http://rapidshare.com/files/138835165/mummy_3_scr_feu_bncie.part01.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/138836365/mummy_3_scr_feu_bncie.part02.rar

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No Pass!

What does the American Dream mean today? For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don’t.

Features:

• The Plot - Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai "Niko" Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European country whose troubled past and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko's search for the American Dream and a much needed fresh start, hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko's interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko's well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamoring for Roman's debt-ridden blood. Because Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City he begrudgingly accepts his role as Roman's protector despite the deception. But as time goes on Niko comes into his own, and his experience on the wrong side of the tracks proves more valuable than he could have ever imagined as he fights for survival and later supremacy on the crime ridden streets of Liberty City.
• Game Environments - Based on several of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey, Liberty City, familiar to players of previous games in the series, has been entirely redesigned for GTA IV. Players can expect visible detail down to the weeds growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, cars and buildings of visibly different ages and a much greater level if verticality in the buildings and bridges that they are able to explore as Niko moves through the city streets. In addition, pedestrians in GTA IV are much more realistic. No longer simply moving cardboard cutouts, these NPCs are intelligent, modern, human representations that laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones and As, and talking amongst themselves regardless of Niko's interaction with them.
• Gameplay - Historically GTA games have focused heavily on mission-based play, requiring successful completion of fixed tasks in order for players to progress through the game, but this has changed to a great extent in GTA IV. Players will experience an entirely new and exciting emphasis centered on the blending of on-mission and off-mission play, resulting not only in an increased sense of realism, but more interesting and unrestricted gameplay.

"Alright you! You better not be dead. I don't have time to see how well I understood the mechanics of necromancy." She grunted as she turned the body over. "And as I'm sure that my prints are all over the basement window, I don't doubt that creep cop would try to pin this on me."

The woman didn't make a sound as Glory moved her into a more peaceful position. Someone had beaten her badly. By the slimy spittle on the woman's face, Glory was pretty sure it was probably the same kidnapper she had interrupted in the park.

Glory tried to feel some compassion for the woman, but all she felt was rage and frustration. Why was it that malice, greed, and lack of common sense seemed to be the rule rather than the exception with people. She leaned in close, urging the woman to wake up with every fiber of her being. Perhaps it was one or more of the tattoos that now decorated her skin or the sword that had become a part of her, but a surge of energy seemed to flow from her hands and into the seemingly lifeless body she cradled. Glory felt as if her bones were on fire as something seemed to rush through her and away. The woman groaned and her eyelids fluttered.

With a startled gasp, the woman's eyes popped open. "What? Where?" she muttered groggily, blinking at Glory without recognition.

"You don't remember?"

"N-no... I..?"

"You did something monstrous," Glory announced without sympathy. "There was a boy in your care and you sold him to bad people who are probably going to do terrible things to him. Sound familiar at all?" She trembled under Glory's hands, wide eyed with fear. "And then," Glory continued, "you got stupid and decided to blackmail them."

With a wail the woman ripped herself from Glory's hands and launched herself across the room. Glory stared at her apathetically. No doubt her reaction was due more to emerging memories than any guilt she might feel. Despite what the woman had suffered, Glory couldn't bring herself to feel anything but disgust for her. "Now you need to tell me. Where are the children being kept?"

"I-I don't know. I don't know."

"I'm pretty sure you know something. You at least know the name of whoever's responsible."

"I don't... She'll kill me." The woman sobbed.

"Boy have I got some news for you. She already tried. You're still kicking thanks to me, but I'm pretty sure that once she figures out you're still among the living, she'll send someone to correct things. Now you can do something decent before you leave town for parts unknown and tell me who's responsible for the missing children."

_________________________

The sun was setting as Glory walked down the street. She rubbed her scalp hard, trying to distract herself from the vague headache she'd had since healing the woman, if that was what she'd done. True, she had tattoos to do just that, but she tried to convince herself that the jolt she had felt was kind of electrical shock or that somehow the woman had just woken up. She wasn't having any luck. The thought of actually healing someone though, that made her uncomfortable. That was power... just the kind of thing Lori craved. What if this eventually made her as bad as her sister?

Shaking herself out of her self-absorbed funk, she frowned at the sunset. It was the evening of September 20th. By most old ways of reckoning time, the 21st began at sundown. She didn't need intuition to realize that if she didn't find the children tonight, she probably wouldn't find them at all. She stopped at the entrance to Graymalkin park and peered through the gate. Aside from the security lights, the mansion beyond was a dark, looming bulk set against a wilderness of overgrown trees.

Buses didn't come to this neighborhood because the people that lived here didn't take buses. No one was going to mistake her for a resident of this part of town, in part because they were all quite wealthy, but mostly because they all had a similar look. She'd once heard an old-timer refer to it as the Innsmouth look before he spat on the ground. At the time, she'd just taken it for another peculiar expression of bigotry aimed at the "blue-blood" (presumably inbred) population that lived in this part of Sybar City. Now she wasn't so sure. Besides, most of the people that lived here had money to spare. They didn't dress in mud stained jeans and second-hand sweatshirts. She half expected a squad card to pull up and ask what she was doing there, but the streets were deserted.

If the woman had been telling the truth, the children were being held in the home of one of the city's most prominent citizens, Tacita Ruggles, the Graymalkin heiress. Like her forebearers, she continued in the family tradition of sizable charitable donations to the city's environmental and social programs. Every nineteen years she returned to the city. Though no one was sure why she, like her mothers before her, kept to such an odd schedule, something to do with her claim on her grandmother's estate.

As the full moon began to edge its way over the forest that took up most of the land beyond the gate, Glory suddenly groaned with disgust at herself. Of course, every nineteen years... the moon completed it's metonic cycle, returning to exactly the same position in the sky in which it started. She began to look for a way over the wall. It wasn't just that there was little cover on the street to hide her as the moon rose, but that she was almost certain that whatever Tacita Ruggles intended for the children, it would begin when the moon was at its height. But no tree over hung the wall. Nothing at all was close enough to use to reach the top. Glory hesitated for a moment, then went directly to the gate and gave it an experimental push. It swung open soundlessly. She hoped that there weren't any silent alarms.

She need not have been so careful crossing the well manicured lawn to the woods surrounding the mansion. There was no sign of life. Keeping to the edge of the small forest, Glory made her way to the mansion to peer in the lower windows, but the building was dark. She began to doubt she was in the right place. What if the children were someplace else entirely?

The night was eerily quiet. Not a sound broke the silence as she rounded the side of the mansion. Behind the building, the forest proper stood. The trees stood like silent giants in an eerie mist which crept along the ground like a living thing. Some light illuminated the mist from deep within the woods. Tendrils of luminous, bone white fog explored the leaf loam in an unsavory way. It seemed to ooze evil even as it undulated through the ferns and fallen branches. Shuddering with revulsion, she stepped into its cold embrace. The further she went, the less she could see of the trees within the fog. Though she desperately tried to avoid anything underfoot that might give her away, it was soon moot as she couldn't even see her feet let alone what was under them.

No matter how far she walked, she never seemed to get any closer to the source of the light. It felt as if she was going in circles. Her mind wandered to old fairytales of being pixie led and stray sods of grass. Finally, frustrated and unable to see anything anyway, she stopped. Shivering more with embarrassment than cold if someone should see her, she pulled off her shirt and turned it inside out. Better safe than sorry where magic was concerned. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on finding the kids as she slowly stepped through the misty woods. Like a lodestone, she felt her way through the darkness until suddenly the oddly muffled woods gave way to the sound of chanting and the soft sound of whimpering children.

to Chapter 3, page 5

The wife and I hit the town last night and we ended up seeing Pineapple Express (Official Site). 

I have to say that even though I really dislike weed and weed culture, I really like movies by Seth Rogen about bro-love and getting high. I laughed and laughed and almost lost my shit when James Franco as lovable drug dealing Saul Silver put his foot through a squad car's windshield.

I'm sure that if you like movies, you've seen the trailer and know what the movie's plot is about (www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYg2EJLJids). But if you don't, here is my take. A loser 25 year old that gets high everyday while driving around serving subpoenas, come the realization that, yes, he is a complete screw up. The also leans who is real friends are, the meaning of true loyalty, and how to use a semiautomatic rifle.

It could have been the stress, work is totally out of control (when I get done posting this, I'm going to read through some stuff that I brought home with me, and it's Saturday), but I really needed a funny movie and Pineapple Express was just what I needed to relax a little.

I recommend this movie to anyone that likes to laugh.

The Soulless Machine

Oz isn't in Virginia any more.  His new step dad made it look like he was a bad kid, and now he is going to a "special" school for disturbed young men.  Only it's not really a school, it's more like a concentration camp.  Every wrong move is punished severely, and Rule #1 is "Questions are Disrespectful."  The students are also not allowed contact with their parents or anyone else outside of the school.  Most frightening of all is a mysterious punishment called "the silent room."  What is it?  How does a student get sent there?  Will Oz be able to get help before it is too late?

After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy.

Also Known As:
HBII
Hellboy 2
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Hellboy II
Hellboy Sequel
Production Status:     In Production/Awaiting Release
Genres:     Action/Adventure, Suspense/Horror, Thriller, Adaptation and Sequel
Running Time:     1 hr. 50 min.
Release Date:     July 11th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating:     PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
Distributors:
Universal Pictures Distribution
Production Co.:
Dark Horse Entertainment, Lawrence Gordon Productions
Studios:
Universal Pictures
Filming Locations:
Budapest, Hungary
London, England
Produced in:     United States

IMDB link

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/137056034/4634361b24161bbefb493e59c9ea2dbc8821f177

http://rapidshare.com/files/137057521/52319d79d4aa2e2930c093bb5bcf419c63a86dd8

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http://rapidshare.com/files/137063439/643ca125ebaf23e140996c8d19aad9d4c8f9fd9c

http://rapidshare.com/files/137064877/e0de88c9bd345b89fe62b80de23ccb580d3db91c

Also Known As:
John Rambo
Rambo 4
Rambo IV
Rambo IV: Blood Ties
Rambo IV: End of Peace
Rambo IV: Holy War
Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye
Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra
Rambo To Hell and Back
Production Status:     Released
Genres:     Action/Adventure, Thriller and Sequel
Running Time:     1 hr. 31 min.
Release Date:     January 25th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating:     R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language.
Distributors:
Lionsgate
Production Co.:
Nu Image/Millennium Films, Emmett/Furla Films, Equity Pictures Medienfonds GMBH & Co KG, The Weinstein Company
U.S. Box Office:     $42,724,402
Filming Locations:
Mexico
USA
Thailand
Produced in:     United States

IMDB link

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/137031094/_5Baioxen.wordpress.com_5D_Rambo_IV.r5._5B2008_5D.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/137031401/_5Baioxen.wordpress.com_5D_Rambo_IV.r5._5B2008_5D.part2.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/137031745/_5Baioxen.wordpress.com_5D_Rambo_IV.r5._5B2008_5D.part3.rar

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http://rapidshare.com/files/137032757/_5Baioxen.wordpress.com_5D_Rambo_IV.r5._5B2008_5D.part7.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/137032559/_5Baioxen.wordpress.com_5D_Rambo_IV.r5._5B2008_5D.part8.rar

The next great Vietnam War film has run into trouble. It's been a long, grueling, expensive shoot, and now the studio has decided to pull the plug! What's a brilliant director to do? Probably something smarter than what this director decides upon: finish the movie himself by dumping his self-absorbed and clueless cast into the middle of a real war zone. It takes the prima donnas a little while to realize it, but those bad guys shooting back are not stuntment, they're a real heroin cartel. If the actors don't get their method on in a big way, they're going to be tropic toast.

Three Good Reasons to see it

• You love comedy. You love action. In his first movie as the co-writer/director since Zoolander, Ben Stiller has promised that this flick delivers plenty of both.
• The secret is out -- Tom Cruise makes a brief appearance, and you have never, ever heard him use this kind of language.
• Iron Man's Robert Downey, Jr. in blackface!? Offensive or hilarious? Either way everyone will be talking about it.

Step into the world of "Too Human," the third-person epic action game from renowned Canadian developer Silicon Knights. As the cybernetic god Baldur, players are thrust into the midst of an ongoing battle that threatens the existence of mankind. An ancient machine presence has forced the gods' hand, and now Baldur is charged with defending humanity from an onslaught of monstrous war machines bent on the eradication of human life.

In "Too Human," players are treated to a nonstop barrage of action powered by the seamless integration of melee and firearms combat, plus deep role-playing game (RPG) elements fueled by breathtaking visuals enabled by the powerful Xbox 360. Battles unfold in awesome scale as players engage with vast numbers of enemies. Gamers also can take it to the next level by playing the entire game individually or cooperatively via Xbox LIVE.

"Too Human" is produced by Silicon Knights, which brings a wealth of knowledge, story-based design and gameplay expertise to the next generation of video gaming.

Features

• Thrilling action-RPG gameplay. Unlike some games that may force players to choose between two genres, "Too Human" combines all the creative economy features and social experiences of a typical RPG, such as collecting loot and leveling up, while maintaining the excitement of an action game. With a wide array of weapons, armors, cybernetic implants and skills, players have an unprecedented level of customization with their characters.
• Explosive melee and firearms combat. It will take more than brawn and raw strength to supplant the machine hordes. Using a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and high-tech weapons combat, players have the power to vanquish foes near and far. Witness the fluid grace of heroes and enemies in battle as enacted by the acclaimed motion-capture group Full Action Stunt Team (FAST). Feel each punishing blow through advanced visual effects made possible through the power of Xbox 360.
• The birth of an icon. Fight as Baldur, a powerful cybernetic god battling his way through enemy armies to become one of gaming's renowned iconic heroes. From weaponry and armor to combat techniques and combos, players can fully customize Baldur to become the best possible hero.
• Advanced cinematic presentation. Characters and environments come to life with amazing visual fidelity. Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality. Survive pulse-pounding battles against hordes of on-screen enemies set against the vast landscape of the "Too Human" world. A sweeping orchestral score sets the mood for heartbreak, anger and blood lust as each tune encapsulates the gamer within the immersive gaming environment.
• New level of accessibility through intuitive combat. Perform Baldur's elaborate and complex combat maneuvers, and chain together rapid-fire attacks and combos with ease. Through the use of an intuitive combat system, "Too Human" delivers gameplay that is easy to learn and rewarding to master. Shared experience. Conquer the world of "Too Human" alone or with friends in advanced, online two-player co-op gameplay through the Xbox LIVE service. Online co-op play requires Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.
• Modern take on classical Norse mythology. In a world ruined by centuries of war, "Too Human" chronicles the epic story of Baldur, favored son of Odin and one of a group of humanity's protector, the Aesir. As Baldur, you must destroy the ancient war machines that threaten the world, but to do so you must balance your sense of duty and honor against your lust for revenge — perhaps even sacrificing your humanity in the process.