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    <title>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/The_Fast_and_the_Furious_Tokyo_Drift/264758/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
<td>
<strong>Title:</strong> The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2006<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Justin Lin<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> <a href=/films/205647/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Better Luck Tomorrow</a> director <a href="/players/P___202426/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Justin Lin</a> picks up where <a href="/players/P___111663/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Singleton</a> left off to offer a high-octane look at the world of underground Japanese drift-racing in the latest installment of the super-charged <a href=/films/192181/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Fast and the Furious</a> film series. A frustrated teen from a broken home, Sean Boswell (<a href="/players/P___215037/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lucas Black</a>) is an outsider looking to make a name for himself on the illegal street racing circuit. When Sean is busted by the police for his high-speed exploits and given the option of either spending time behind bars or moving overseas to live with his no-nonsense, military man father who's currently stationed in Tokyo, the young rebel packs his bags and sets his sights on Nippon. Though at first reluctant to adapt to the unfamiliar customs and foreign code of honor of his new home, Sean soon strikes up a friendship with American speed freak Twinkie (<a href="/players/P___295829/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bow Wow</a>), a like-minded race fan who schools the inexperienced newcomer in the pulse-pounding world of drift-racing. Inadvertently challenging local champion and yakuza associate D.K. (The Drift King) his first time on the road, Sean is subsequently forced to work under expatriate Han (Sung Kang) to pay off his debt after failing to cross the finish line first. Taking note of the young American's affinity for racing as he warmly welcomes him into his merry band of misfit drift-fanatics, Han slowly introduces Sean to the key principles of the popular new racing style. When Sean makes the potentially deadly mistake of falling for D.K.'s girlfriend Neela (Nathalie Kelley), he'll need all the help he can get to face his most challenging race to date and take on the most notorious driver on the Tokyo drift scene in a hair-raising, hairpin-turn race where the winner truly takes all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 15<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 16<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 3<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 1<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 2<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:52:42 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift</spout:Title><spout:Year>2006</spout:Year><spout:Director>Justin Lin</spout:Director><spout:Plot>&lt;a href=/films/205647/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Better Luck Tomorrow&lt;/a&gt; director &lt;a href="/players/P___202426/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Justin Lin&lt;/a&gt; picks up where &lt;a href="/players/P___111663/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;John Singleton&lt;/a&gt; left off to offer a high-octane look at the world of underground Japanese drift-racing in the latest installment of the super-charged &lt;a href=/films/192181/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Fast and the Furious&lt;/a&gt; film series. A frustrated teen from a broken home, Sean Boswell (&lt;a href="/players/P___215037/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Lucas Black&lt;/a&gt;) is an outsider looking to make a name for himself on the illegal street racing circuit. When Sean is busted by the police for his high-speed exploits and given the option of either spending time behind bars or moving overseas to live with his no-nonsense, military man father who's currently stationed in Tokyo, the young rebel packs his bags and sets his sights on Nippon. Though at first reluctant to adapt to the unfamiliar customs and foreign code of honor of his new home, Sean soon strikes up a friendship with American speed freak Twinkie (&lt;a href="/players/P___295829/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Bow Wow&lt;/a&gt;), a like-minded race fan who schools the inexperienced newcomer in the pulse-pounding world of drift-racing. Inadvertently challenging local champion and yakuza associate D.K. (The Drift King) his first time on the road, Sean is subsequently forced to work under expatriate Han (Sung Kang) to pay off his debt after failing to cross the finish line first. Taking note of the young American's affinity for racing as he warmly welcomes him into his merry band of misfit drift-fanatics, Han slowly introduces Sean to the key principles of the popular new racing style. When Sean makes the potentially deadly mistake of falling for D.K.'s girlfriend Neela (Nathalie Kelley), he'll need all the help he can get to face his most challenging race to date and take on the most notorious driver on the Tokyo drift scene in a hair-raising, hairpin-turn race where the winner truly takes all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>15</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>16</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>3</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>1</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>2</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/The_Fast_and_the_Furious_Tokyo_Drift/264758/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: More cars than story</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/7/17/43114.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/148616/default.aspx'>The_MOW</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/default.aspx'>The_MOW Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/17/2009 12:36:58 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> "Sean Boswell" (Lucas Black) is a troubled teen with a long record that consist of numerous tickets -- one of which he admits getting the day he got his license. After another arrest following a drag race with a high school football player (Zachery Ty Bryant) over the football player's pretty girlfriend (Nikki Grifin) where "Boswell" wrecks his car, his mother (Lynda Boyd) ships him off to his father (Brian Goodman), a United States Marine who lives in Tokyo, Japan. He is instantly a fish out of water, but instantly bonds with Army Brat "Twinkee" (rapper Bow Wow). He also meets an absolutely beautiful classmate named "Neela" (the beautiful Nathalie Kelley), who is checking him out when he finally arrives to class after getting on the wrong train. Once getting to know "Twinkee", they discover that they have a common interest in souped-up cars. "Twinkee" takes him to a party in a garage where others with the same interest meet -- and drag race in a way "Boswell" has never seen before called Drifting. At the party, "Boswell" bumps into "Neela", who looks even more amazing in her non-school clothes. He also meets her boyfriend "DK" (Brian Tee), who instantly dislikes "Boswell". The two instantly get into a drag race, which "Boswell" loses thanks to not knowing the Drifting style. And, to complicate things, "DK" is in a dirty business and the nephew of a member of the Yakuza (Sonny Chiba). Eventually, "Boswell" learns how to drift, and gets into a car chase which kills "DK." "Boswell" then goes to "DK's" uncle to offer a way to get him the money owed to him. If you are into souped-up cars, then this movie is certainly for you. The plot takes a big backseat to the cars and drag racing. There are obvious problems with "Boswell" and his father, but it's not explored at all. In fact, "Major Boswell" is not in it enough to establish his apparently strained relationship with his son. We also don't see the relationship between "Boswell" and "Neela" blossom. We see them run into each other a few times and have some flirtatious moments until they get together after "DK's" death. In fact, not much is done to develop any of the characters. All they really do is either establish main character's backgrounds or advance the flimsy plot. I did think that, despite working with a weak lot, there were some good performances in the movie. Black and Kelley had some chemistry together, but their on-screen relationship was not explored well at all. There are some interesting looks for a good amount of the cast, mostly the extras. Wardrobes and hairdos appeared to me to be the punk-styles with extreme hairdos and funky clothing. The American characters wore the clothing that is pretty much in style here in the States. However, out of the entire cast, Kelley looked absolutely beautiful in just about everything she had on -- except for one jacket which I personally thought was ugly. There are some pretty good songs played in this movie, many of which did not appear on the soundtrack. A lot of the songs used were good choices to accompany the drag race scenes. There are a lot of car races in this movie. All of them are fast-paced and full of action. The camera angles are pretty typical in these scenes, and don't help them stand out. If you ask me, the drag races and to oogle the absolutely stunning Kelley are the only reasons to see this movie. The plot is pretty flat compared to the drag races.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:36:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>The_MOW</spout:postby><spout:postto>The_MOW Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/17/2009 12:36:58 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>"Sean Boswell" (Lucas Black) is a troubled teen with a long record that consist of numerous tickets -- one of which he admits getting the day he got his license. After another arrest following a drag race with a high school football player (Zachery Ty Bryant) over the football player's pretty girlfriend (Nikki Grifin) where "Boswell" wrecks his car, his mother (Lynda Boyd) ships him off to his father (Brian Goodman), a United States Marine who lives in Tokyo, Japan. He is instantly a fish out of water, but instantly bonds with Army Brat "Twinkee" (rapper Bow Wow). He also meets an absolutely beautiful classmate named "Neela" (the beautiful Nathalie Kelley), who is checking him out when he finally arrives to class after getting on the wrong train. Once getting to know "Twinkee", they discover that they have a common interest in souped-up cars. "Twinkee" takes him to a party in a garage where others with the same interest meet -- and drag race in a way "Boswell" has never seen before called Drifting. At the party, "Boswell" bumps into "Neela", who looks even more amazing in her non-school clothes. He also meets her boyfriend "DK" (Brian Tee), who instantly dislikes "Boswell". The two instantly get into a drag race, which "Boswell" loses thanks to not knowing the Drifting style. And, to complicate things, "DK" is in a dirty business and the nephew of a member of the Yakuza (Sonny Chiba). Eventually, "Boswell" learns how to drift, and gets into a car chase which kills "DK." "Boswell" then goes to "DK's" uncle to offer a way to get him the money owed to him. If you are into souped-up cars, then this movie is certainly for you. The plot takes a big backseat to the cars and drag racing. There are obvious problems with "Boswell" and his father, but it's not explored at all. In fact, "Major Boswell" is not in it enough to establish his apparently strained relationship with his son. We also don't see the relationship between "Boswell" and "Neela" blossom. We see them run into each other a few times and have some flirtatious moments until they get together after "DK's" death. In fact, not much is done to develop any of the characters. All they really do is either establish main character's backgrounds or advance the flimsy plot. I did think that, despite working with a weak lot, there were some good performances in the movie. Black and Kelley had some chemistry together, but their on-screen relationship was not explored well at all. There are some interesting looks for a good amount of the cast, mostly the extras. Wardrobes and hairdos appeared to me to be the punk-styles with extreme hairdos and funky clothing. The American characters wore the clothing that is pretty much in style here in the States. However, out of the entire cast, Kelley looked absolutely beautiful in just about everything she had on -- except for one jacket which I personally thought was ugly. There are some pretty good songs played in this movie, many of which did not appear on the soundtrack. A lot of the songs used were good choices to accompany the drag race scenes. There are a lot of car races in this movie. All of them are fast-paced and full of action. The camera angles are pretty typical in these scenes, and don't help them stand out. If you ask me, the drag races and to oogle the absolutely stunning Kelley are the only reasons to see this movie. The plot is pretty flat compared to the drag races.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Films That Saved Their Franchise</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/27/41289.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/27/2009 9:00:44 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Though the third Fast and the Furious installment, Tokyo Drift, wasn’t a huge box office disappointment with its $63 million domestic gross, it was significantly less successful than its predecessors, The Fast and the Furious ($145 million) and 2 Fast 2 Furious ($127 million). A fourth film would normally see an even bigger drop in box office receipts, but next week’s Fast & Furious has a good chance of actually being the highest-grossing film in the series yet, due to the return of original cast members Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordanna Brewster and, most importantly, Vin Diesel.
With the expectation that Fast & Furious will be enough of a hit to save the franchise, we take a look at ten other films that similarly kept their respective series going, either because of an increase in profits or a surprising increase in quality, following one or many disappointing installments.


Batman Begins (2005)
It’s appropriate to begin with the film that has “begins” in the title. Also, this is one of the more obvious examples (it’s also the first in alphabetical order), but it almost seems to count the least, because while it did lift the Batman franchise back up, both in terms of box office and quality, after Batman & Robin, Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the character isn’t much in line with the previous installments. For all the difference between Burton’s and Schumacher’s pairs of films, they are of the same continuity, for the most part. Still, compared to attempted reboots like Superman Returns and Punisher: War Zone, Batman Begins is a real savior; just imagine if it had failed, and we’d never have gotten The Dark Knight.

Goldeneye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006)
While Casino Royale is another obvious choice and could very well have been the only James Bond film on this list, it’s worth including Goldeneye, too, because after the disappointing 007 films starring Timothy Dalton, this installment boosted the franchise’s profits way back up and thankfully knocked Moonraker off the highest-grossing-Bond movie throne. Beginning a more action-packed run with new lead Pierce Brosnan, Goldeneye was a terrific addition to the series even if it led to a subsequent drop in quality where spectacle took precedence over story. Fortunately, a decade later Casino Royale came in and saved the franchise once again.

Halloween H20 (1998)
Thanks in part to the return of Jamie Lee Curtis, who was joined by a crop of young, likable stars including Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (not to mention LL Cool J), Halloween H20 was a huge success and a huge breath of fresh air after a number of unwatchable (even with Paul Rudd) Halloween sequels. This film did the Superman Returns thing, too (and first), where it jumped back and ignored all the terrible installments, treating them as having never happened. It wasn’t great, but it was better, and for the first time, a Halloween sequel grossed more money than the original (since that time, the remake has replaced H20 at the top).

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Following two adequate but not great Harry Potter adaptations from Chris Columbus, the series got a huge makeover and new life when Alfonso Cuaron took on the third film. Though some of us may think it a tad overrated and not actually as great as the fourth film, Goblet of Fire, Prisoner of Azkaban was undeniably important in showing that the franchise could (and would) mature along with its characters.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
It wasn’t necessarily because Heather Langenkamp returned to the series, and it wasn’t necessarily that this second sequel took in so much money (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge had already out-grossed the original). After a darkly shot and depressingly non-scary sequel, Dream Warriors did the best thing a horror franchise can do (in our opinion): it turned it into a fantasy film that combined the likes of Dungeons and Dragons and superhero movies. Without this refreshing installment, we children of the ‘80s might not have continued following the franchise so enthusiastically.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)
This J.J. Abrams-directed installment may have been the lowest grossing of the franchise, but it is the best of the three. Coming off the sloppy and confusing disasters that were Brian De Palma’s original and John Woo’s sequel, that may not be saying much, but shockingly it is an exceptional action film. Part of its favor is of course Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain (and as Ethan Hunt disguised as the villain wearing a Philip Seymour Hoffman mask), but overall the film was more critically lauded than the first two films, and in spite of its being a box office disappointment, M:iI:III may have saved the franchise simply on the merit of its reviews (or, is a fourth installment merely being made because Hollywood has nothing better to do?).

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Many Trekkies would note that every other installment in the Star Trek franchise saves the series, and it’s generally understood that even-numbered films are always better than odd-numbered. Many Trekkies would also argue therefore that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan should be on this list for initially saving the series following a relatively weak start. But we non-Trek fans have to point to The Voyage Home for bringing in us kids who cared more about humpback whales than space battles. Or, at least that seems to be how this installment managed to become the (still) highest-grossing Trek movie. Unfortunately, there were no sea mammals in any of the subsequent sequels and it wasn’t until the Next Generation TV cast got their own movie (as in, not shared with the original crew) that another installment, First Contact, out-grossed all other sequels (except the always-reigning whale-filled one, of course) and appeared to temporarily save the franchise once again. Later this year, we’ll get to see if J.J. Abrams’ reboot, Star Trek, has any ocean life and/or what it takes to jumpstart the series, too.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
It made the least amount of money of the three Star Wars prequels, but Attack of the Clones was the trilogy’s saving grace, because after the “George Lucas ruined my childhood!” disappointments of The Phantom Menace, this second (or fifth?) installment of the franchise got the old fans excited again by alluding to (and leading in the direction of) more characters and events of the original movies, while overall featuring a better plot and more satisfying action. It helped, of course, that Jake Lloyd isn’t in it and that Jar-Jar isn’t quite as prominent. If it hadn’t been so good, many of us would have never bothered with Revenge of the Sith. In a way, it’s to the other two prequels what Empire Strikes Back was to the other films of the first trilogy, though it’s not quite worthy of such a favorable comparison. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:00:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/27/2009 9:00:44 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Though the third Fast and the Furious installment, Tokyo Drift, wasn’t a huge box office disappointment with its $63 million domestic gross, it was significantly less successful than its predecessors, The Fast and the Furious ($145 million) and 2 Fast 2 Furious ($127 million). A fourth film would normally see an even bigger drop in box office receipts, but next week’s Fast &amp; Furious has a good chance of actually being the highest-grossing film in the series yet, due to the return of original cast members Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordanna Brewster and, most importantly, Vin Diesel.
With the expectation that Fast &amp; Furious will be enough of a hit to save the franchise, we take a look at ten other films that similarly kept their respective series going, either because of an increase in profits or a surprising increase in quality, following one or many disappointing installments.


Batman Begins (2005)
It’s appropriate to begin with the film that has “begins” in the title. Also, this is one of the more obvious examples (it’s also the first in alphabetical order), but it almost seems to count the least, because while it did lift the Batman franchise back up, both in terms of box office and quality, after Batman &amp; Robin, Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the character isn’t much in line with the previous installments. For all the difference between Burton’s and Schumacher’s pairs of films, they are of the same continuity, for the most part. Still, compared to attempted reboots like Superman Returns and Punisher: War Zone, Batman Begins is a real savior; just imagine if it had failed, and we’d never have gotten The Dark Knight.

Goldeneye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006)
While Casino Royale is another obvious choice and could very well have been the only James Bond film on this list, it’s worth including Goldeneye, too, because after the disappointing 007 films starring Timothy Dalton, this installment boosted the franchise’s profits way back up and thankfully knocked Moonraker off the highest-grossing-Bond movie throne. Beginning a more action-packed run with new lead Pierce Brosnan, Goldeneye was a terrific addition to the series even if it led to a subsequent drop in quality where spectacle took precedence over story. Fortunately, a decade later Casino Royale came in and saved the franchise once again.

Halloween H20 (1998)
Thanks in part to the return of Jamie Lee Curtis, who was joined by a crop of young, likable stars including Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (not to mention LL Cool J), Halloween H20 was a huge success and a huge breath of fresh air after a number of unwatchable (even with Paul Rudd) Halloween sequels. This film did the Superman Returns thing, too (and first), where it jumped back and ignored all the terrible installments, treating them as having never happened. It wasn’t great, but it was better, and for the first time, a Halloween sequel grossed more money than the original (since that time, the remake has replaced H20 at the top).

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Following two adequate but not great Harry Potter adaptations from Chris Columbus, the series got a huge makeover and new life when Alfonso Cuaron took on the third film. Though some of us may think it a tad overrated and not actually as great as the fourth film, Goblet of Fire, Prisoner of Azkaban was undeniably important in showing that the franchise could (and would) mature along with its characters.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
It wasn’t necessarily because Heather Langenkamp returned to the series, and it wasn’t necessarily that this second sequel took in so much money (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge had already out-grossed the original). After a darkly shot and depressingly non-scary sequel, Dream Warriors did the best thing a horror franchise can do (in our opinion): it turned it into a fantasy film that combined the likes of Dungeons and Dragons and superhero movies. Without this refreshing installment, we children of the ‘80s might not have continued following the franchise so enthusiastically.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)
This J.J. Abrams-directed installment may have been the lowest grossing of the franchise, but it is the best of the three. Coming off the sloppy and confusing disasters that were Brian De Palma’s original and John Woo’s sequel, that may not be saying much, but shockingly it is an exceptional action film. Part of its favor is of course Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain (and as Ethan Hunt disguised as the villain wearing a Philip Seymour Hoffman mask), but overall the film was more critically lauded than the first two films, and in spite of its being a box office disappointment, M:iI:III may have saved the franchise simply on the merit of its reviews (or, is a fourth installment merely being made because Hollywood has nothing better to do?).

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Many Trekkies would note that every other installment in the Star Trek franchise saves the series, and it’s generally understood that even-numbered films are always better than odd-numbered. Many Trekkies would also argue therefore that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan should be on this list for initially saving the series following a relatively weak start. But we non-Trek fans have to point to The Voyage Home for bringing in us kids who cared more about humpback whales than space battles. Or, at least that seems to be how this installment managed to become the (still) highest-grossing Trek movie. Unfortunately, there were no sea mammals in any of the subsequent sequels and it wasn’t until the Next Generation TV cast got their own movie (as in, not shared with the original crew) that another installment, First Contact, out-grossed all other sequels (except the always-reigning whale-filled one, of course) and appeared to temporarily save the franchise once again. Later this year, we’ll get to see if J.J. Abrams’ reboot, Star Trek, has any ocean life and/or what it takes to jumpstart the series, too.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
It made the least amount of money of the three Star Wars prequels, but Attack of the Clones was the trilogy’s saving grace, because after the “George Lucas ruined my childhood!” disappointments of The Phantom Menace, this second (or fifth?) installment of the franchise got the old fans excited again by alluding to (and leading in the direction of) more characters and events of the original movies, while overall featuring a better plot and more satisfying action. It helped, of course, that Jake Lloyd isn’t in it and that Jar-Jar isn’t quite as prominent. If it hadn’t been so good, many of us would have never bothered with Revenge of the Sith. In a way, it’s to the other two prequels what Empire Strikes Back was to the other films of the first trilogy, though it’s not quite worthy of such a favorable comparison. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Sequel Spinout</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/slipofthetongue/archive/2007/5/13/8688.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/4317/default.aspx'>slipofthetongue</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/slipofthetongue/default.aspx'>SlipOfTheTongue Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 5/13/2007 4:53:01 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Considering how bad this movie could have been it actually turns out to be a bit of a throw away good time.  Mostly this is a function of three things...1.) a slick new look, Tokyo techno green meets middle American muscle car  2.)  terrific racing scenes with &quot;drifting&quot; being the concept du jour, a sideways skidding-emergency brake slamming-spinout   3.) Lucas Black, who I have liked over the years though he isn&#39;t the strongest actor, he does possess a perceived authenticity, a realness of character that makes the film feel far more plausible than it deserves to be.Director Justin Lin does a good job, mostly with the visual style and the pulsing soundtrack.  The plot is terrible though and the script is dumb with tons of ridiculous moments.  You just gotta throw away your common sense here.  Either you like it or you don&#39;t.  This one isn&#39;t going to win any Writers Guild awards but it does know how to use its assets to the fullest.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 13 May 2007 20:53:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>slipofthetongue</spout:postby><spout:postto>SlipOfTheTongue Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>5/13/2007 4:53:01 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Considering how bad this movie could have been it actually turns out to be a bit of a throw away good time.  Mostly this is a function of three things...1.) a slick new look, Tokyo techno green meets middle American muscle car  2.)  terrific racing scenes with &amp;quot;drifting&amp;quot; being the concept du jour, a sideways skidding-emergency brake slamming-spinout   3.) Lucas Black, who I have liked over the years though he isn&amp;#39;t the strongest actor, he does possess a perceived authenticity, a realness of character that makes the film feel far more plausible than it deserves to be.Director Justin Lin does a good job, mostly with the visual style and the pulsing soundtrack.  The plot is terrible though and the script is dumb with tons of ridiculous moments.  You just gotta throw away your common sense here.  Either you like it or you don&amp;#39;t.  This one isn&amp;#39;t going to win any Writers Guild awards but it does know how to use its assets to the fullest.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Tokyo Drift</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Worst_Movie_Ever/Tokyo_Drift/104/1412/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44399wki6j.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2167/default.aspx'>tmoney</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Worst_Movie_Ever/104/discussions.aspx'>Worst Movie Ever</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/8/2006 9:04:08 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Common!  Are you SERIOUS?  I thought FATF was the worst movie of all time.  Didn't see the second of the series.  But a third?  To be honest, if I was a film executive, I too would greenlight this piece of crap just to make some cash.  But because I am not a film executive, this will be, on the record, the worst film ever!  Oh yes,  want to find something absolutely atrociously amusing?  Watch the new Nicholas Cage trailer.  I think its called Ghost Rider.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:04:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>tmoney</spout:postby><spout:postto>Worst Movie Ever</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/8/2006 9:04:08 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Common!  Are you SERIOUS?  I thought FATF was the worst movie of all time.  Didn't see the second of the series.  But a third?  To be honest, if I was a film executive, I too would greenlight this piece of crap just to make some cash.  But because I am not a film executive, this will be, on the record, the worst film ever!  Oh yes,  want to find something absolutely atrociously amusing?  Watch the new Nicholas Cage trailer.  I think its called Ghost Rider.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:japan</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/japan/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/japan/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>japan</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 745</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 73</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 132</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:35:11 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>745</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>73</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>132</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:gangster</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/gangster/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/gangster/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>gangster</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4065</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 60</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 145</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:37:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4065</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>60</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>145</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:disappointing</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/disappointing/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/disappointing/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>disappointing</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 75</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 53</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 101</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:25:18 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>75</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>53</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>101</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:lovetriangle</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/lovetriangle/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/lovetriangle/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>lovetriangle</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2902</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 38</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 75</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:12:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2902</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>38</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>75</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Cars</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Cars/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Cars/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Cars</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 49</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 33</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 68</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:42 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>49</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>33</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>68</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:wow</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/wow/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/wow/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>wow</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 28</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 30</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 33</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:15:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>28</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>30</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>33</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:racing</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/racing/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/racing/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>racing</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 404</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 24</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 34</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:07:10 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>404</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>24</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>34</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:crash</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/crash/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/crash/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>crash</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 323</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 18</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 30</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:01:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>323</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>18</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>30</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fast</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fast/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fast/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fast</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 32</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 15</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 35</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:29:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>32</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>15</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>35</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Big</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Big/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Big/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Big</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 11</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 10</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 11</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:00:24 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>11</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>10</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>11</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:extreme</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/extreme/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/extreme/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>extreme</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 9</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:04:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>9</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>7</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>9</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:streetracing</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/streetracing/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/streetracing/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>streetracing</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 138</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 3</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 3</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:08:16 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>138</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>3</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>3</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:drift</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drift/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/drift/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>drift</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 2</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 2007 02:40:17 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>2</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:tuner</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/tuner/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/tuner/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>tuner</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 2</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:25:36 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>2</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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