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An interesting comparison between Verizon FiOS the first communications service provider to offer fiber optic connections directly into your home and Dish Network a leader in satellite television. Both companies offer tons of HD, great features, such as remote operation of your DVR receiver, interactive guides and menus, multi-room DVR units, and robust programming options, like NFL RedZone, and Video-on Demand. In all Verizon FiOS provides customers with 320-total channels, 75-HD channels, and Dish Network 295-channels, 140-HD channels. It is important to note that the FiOS Multi-room DVR has significantly less capacity (80-hours of Standard definition programming and 20-hours of HD programming), compared to Dish Network's ViP722 HD-DVR (355-standard definition, 55-HD programming).

Verizon, like cable companies has the ability to offer video, Internet and voice solutions to its customer base. Dish Network concentrates its efforts in delivering the very best television experience possible at the most affordable prices possible. Dish does partner with many DSL and phone providers for those looking to acquire all three services. Verizon bundles aren't available everywhere, because FiOS is not yet available everywhere. Check your local area.

There is no doubt when it comes to television that these two providers are hands down the most innovative, in terms of technology and quality they offer customers. With these two the decision may come down to value, price and content provided in each package - lets examine the options.

FiOS Packages vs Dish Network Packages

FiOS offers just two programming options, FiOS TV Essentials and FiOS TV Extreme HD, lets start with FiOS TV Essentials. This package offers customers, more than 250-channels; 14-available in HD. The package includes local channels, on-demand options and some 95-commerical free music selections. The price on this package is $47.99 per month.

Dish Network’s comparable package, Classic Silver-200 provides customers with more than 220-channels, 70 of which are available in HD. The package includes local channels, video-on-demand options and Sirius Satellite Radio Stations; the price is normally $52.99 per month, but in promotion for the first year of service at $37.99 per month.

FiOS HD vs Dish Network HD

FiOS TV Extreme HD offers over 320-channels, 65 available in HD. The package includes all of the programming found in TV Essentials, plus 14-sports channels and over 60 additional channels, 40-of which are in HD. This package is priced at $57.99 per month.

Dish Network counters FiOS TV Extreme with Classic Gold-250, which provides over 260 channels, 80 of which are available in HD. Sports offerings here include, the Big Ten Network, CBS College Sports Television, all of the ESPN Networks, Golf Channel, NBA TV, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, Speed Channel, Versus and other regional sports networks. The package is normally $62.99 per month, but in promotion for $47.99 for the first year.

With FiOS if you wish to add Premium Movie channels to your lineup such as, HBO, Showtime, Starz or Cinemax, your options are as follows:

Movie Channels: FiOS vs Dish Network

•HBO, Cinemax and the FiOS Movie Bundle - 70 movie channels for $35.00 per month.
•HBO & Cinemax bundled - 25-movies channels for $21.99 per month.
•Cinemax offers 12-channels for $11.99 per month.
•FiOS Movie package has 45-channels (including, Showtime, Starz, The Movie Channel, Encore, Flix, IFC and Sundance) for $14.99 per month.
•FiOS Epix package, the first and only service to offer unlimited access to every monthly movie choice on TV, On Demand, and Online is $9.99 per month.

Dish Network allows you to subscribe to each premium movie channel individually, for example:

•HBO has 8-channels, $15.99 per month
•Showtime has 10-channels for $12.99 per month
•Cinemax 5-channels, for $12.99 per month
•Starz 8-channels for $12.99 per month
•Playboy - $15.99 per month

Bundling Premium channels is very straightforward with Dish Network as well:

•Bundle any two premiums - $22.00 per month
•Bundle any three premiums - $31.00 per month
•Bundle any four premiums - $40.00 per month
•Bundle all five premiums (32-channels) for $50.00 per month

Of course you can always subscribe to Dish Network's Americas Everything Pak and get every channel offered, including all of the Premium Movie channels, and Multi-Sports pack for $102.98 per month, $87.98 for the first year of service.

Verizon FiOS offers promotions only if you get television and Internet services, then you would receive $150 cash back in the form of a prepaid gift card issues by MetaBank - you only get this offer once you have service for 60-days and assuming you have no late payments on your account.

Sports: FiOS vs Dish Network

If its sports you desire FiOS offers:

•Football - NFL Network and NFL Red Zone $49.99 for the season
•Baseball - MLB Network, (FiOS does not offer MLB Extra Innings)
•Basketball - NBA League Pass, (FiOS does not offer NBA TV)
•Hockey - NHL Center Ice, Versus, (FiOS does not offer NHL Network)
•College Sports - ESPN Full Court, ESPN Game Plan, Big Ten Network
•Soccer/Other Sports - Setanta Sports, WWE, MLS Direct Kick, Fox Soccer Channel, Speed Channel - Plus all of the ESPN networks and Regional Sports Networks

Dish Network Sports compares this way:

•Football - NFL Network and NFL Red Zone, however Red Zone won't cost you $50 like it does with FiOS. Customers can add the Multi-Sports package to their lineup for $5.99 per month and get Red Zone as part of that package as well as over 30-other sports networks.
•Baseball - you can watch your local teams, but MLB Network and MLB Extra Innings are not found here.
•Basketball - NBA League Pass is available and NBA TV is available in Classic Silver and above.
•Hockey - Dish offers Versus, NHL Network and NHL Center Ice
•College Sports - ESPN Full Court, ESPN Game Plan, Big Ten Network and CBS College Sports are all part Dish Networks, sports offerings.
•Soccer/Other Sports - MLS Direct Kick, Setanta Sports, Cricket, WWE, UFC and more - Plus all of the ESPN networks and Regional Sports Networks.

When it comes to choosing a television provider, value usually rules the day for most consumers and the comparisons reveal that Dish Network offers the most for your hard earned money. read more »

Probably the most obvious question asked when comparing Dish Network to the nations leading cable provider is how well does the service work. Dish Network has a 99.9% signal reliability rate, while Comcast enjoys nearly the same outage performance, high 90’s. So either service will deliver on its promise of reliability.

Always the most important issues, after reliability are programming and cost. Both Comcast and Dish Network have all of the popular channels both broadcast and cable as well as sports, premium movies, adult and International offerings.

Comcast's Starter Cable package is regularly $53.39 per month, with a 6-month promotional rate of $29.99. The package includes Comcast's basic channel lineup, with music channels added in, roughly 80-channels total.

Dish Network counters with its Classic Bronze 100+ package, providing over 120-channels, with local channels and regional sports networks included. This package is normally $44.99 per month, but in promotion for the first year at $29.99 per month.

Comcast Digital Preferred has more than 100-digital channels and 45-music stations and starts at $68.34 per month. It is in this package that Comcast makes available its on-demand service, but be careful, not all of the programming is free, just what you subscribe and pay for.

It is at this level that Dish Network's overwhelming value comes into play, with two packages, Classic Silver 200 and Classic Gold 250 both offering more for less than Comcast's Digital Preferred. Classic Silver 200 has over 220-channels and is a bargain at $52.99 per month, but Dish discounts it to $37.99 per month for the first year. Classic Gold 250 has more than 260-channels, over 100 more than Comcast's Digital Preferred and at a regular rate of $62.99 per month it is nearly $6 cheaper. Classic Gold is also in promotion for $47.99 per month for the first year.

Comcast Preferred Plus is next and is normally $100.99 per month, but is in promotion for $49.99 per month for the first six months. The package includes the entire Digital Preferred lineup, plus all of the premium movie channels, (HBO, Starz, Showtime and Cinemax).

Comcast Digital Premier is the cable giant's best package, which is all of the programming found in Preferred Plus and includes also a 25-channel sports package for $119.99 per month and discounted to $79.99 for the first six months.

Preferred Plus and Digital Premier are the two packages Comcast targets to perspective customers, as being loaded with entertainment value, but true TV lovers will want to explore Dish Network's ultimate television experience known as America's Everything Pak. With over 295 channels, including 31-premium movies offerings from HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax, a 32-channel Multi-Sports package, and Sirius Satellite Radio stations, the package is a bargain at $102.99. In fact you can add all 140 high-definition channels that Dish offers and still pay less than Comcast's Digital Premier. This package is also in promotion for new customers at just $87.99 for the first year.

Comcast includes High-Definition programming with each level of it's service, but selection is limited to around 30-channels and Comcast charges $7 per month for an HDTV receiver. It seems a much better value, assuming you are serious about HD programming to pay $10 per month and receive Dish Network's 140-HD channels.

A slight edge in sports goes to Comcast, mainly because of baseball. Comcast carries the MLB Network, as well as MLB Extra Innings, where Dish Network has yet to reach an agreement. You can still watch your local teams play on Dish Network, but you won’t be able to subscribe to out-of-market games. MLB extra Innings is normally around $180 for the season, hence the slight edge.

Another area of advantage with Comcast is bundled services, (television, Internet and phone). Dish Network does partner with DSL and phone providers though, so in this area it will be personal preference and weighing Dish Network's superiority in television with Comcast's high-speed Internet options. Keep these things in mind, however when considering a Comcast Triple Play bundle, you could potential be without all three services, should there be an outage, also many Comcast customers report their bills going up by 40-50% after the initial promotion ends.

When it comes to equipment and technology within that equipment, Comcast is left wanting. Dish Network's ViP722 Duo HD-DVR is considered the most superior receiver in the industry and has received editor’s choice awards three consecutive years. Outclassing Comcast in storage capacity for both standard-definition and high-definition, functionality, the Dish receiver can provide a fully functional DVR in multiple rooms and ease of use. Superior technology doesn't do anyone any good if its not easy to use. Dish Network gets full marks here and best for last; the receiver is free to new customers. Comcast charges $13.99 per month for its DVR service, while Dish Network is just $5.98.

Finally some customer service considerations. While most customers will admit that it is not high on their factors list when weighing their options for new service, it should be noted that Customer Satisfaction surveys from last year place Comcast dead last. Only Charter Communications was rated as poorly. Dish Network placed a close second, behind fellow satellite provider DIRECTV. read more »

On the surface comparing Dish Network to Time Warner, the nations second largest cable company, may seem like a mismatch. The results however, will shock you.

As Dish Network begins to make inroads against giant cable companies like Time Warner and competition heats up, it is Dish Network that competes with increased value and technology, while Time Warner seems more interested in increasing its bottom line with rate increases, that are not accompanied by any additional benefits for its customers.

Like most cable companies, Time Warner has become enamored with trying to make money off of its customers with three services (television, Internet and phone) rather than one. This has unfortunately caused the quality and value of its television service to be greatly diminished. Dish Network concentrates solely on making its television service the very best in the nation and their efforts have not gone unnoticed by consumers.

Let's examine the numbers:

With Dish Network pricing is very straightforward, promotions are easy to obtain and understand, packages are loaded with value and prices are the same nationwide. Time Warner in most cases is harder to figure out than Congressional Bill. Prices in New York will be different than prices in Ohio. Packages available in California may not be available in Texas and promotions in Los Angeles may be very different in San Diego. For comparative purposes we will examine one of Time Warner's most economical areas in North Carolina.

Time Warner's Premium One Digital Tier (140-channels) is $71.95 per month, it includes local channels, but DVR service is an additional $10.95 per month. Time Warner includes HD channels for Free, but there are only 18-HD channels.

Time Warner's Basic Service (45-channels) is $34.83 per month and to move up a Tier (95-channels) the price jumps to $56.66 per month. If you need a second TV serviced it will cost an additional $7.23 per month.

Dish Network has no less than three packages that provide customers with significantly more value than Time Warner’s offerings. Dish Network's Classic Bronze package has 120-channels and is regularly $39.99 per month and is currently in promotion for $24.99 for the first year. Classic Silver has 220-channels and is priced normally at $52.99, $37.99 for the first year. Classic Gold has over 260-channels and at $62.99 is still nearly $10-per month cheaper than Time Warner's best package and provides 120-more channels. If that isn't shocking enough you can get Gold for $47.99 for the first year.

Local channels are included in all of Dish Network’s packages; DVR service is just an additional $5.98 and services two televisions. Time Warner is nearly double that price for DVR service on one TV. Time Warner's current DVR capacity is 80-hours in standard-definition and 35-hours in high-definition - compared to Dish Network's 350-hours in SD and 55-HD. Now HD service will cost you an additional $10.00 with Dish Network, but they have 140-HD channels.

Movie lovers will be overwhelmed by Dish Network's America's Everything package which offers more than 295-channels for $102.99 / $87.99 for the first year. The package has 32-Premium Movie Channels from HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax.

Sports fans will also flock to Dish Network. NFL Network and NFL Red Zone channels are staples with Dish Network and not available with Time Warner. Time Warner does carry MLB Extra Innings, which runs about $200 per season, and MLB Network, where Dish Network does not. Coverage of your local baseball teams is available through Dish, however.

If you are looking to bundle television, Internet and phone, or watch out of market baseball games, Time Warner may be a consideration. If you are looking to get more for your hard-earned money, Dish Network is the clear choice for value. read more »

You've heard the old saying, "if it were a fight they'd have stopped it". This is exactly the feeling that arises when comparisons are done between AT&T U-verse and Dish Network. The comparison is somewhat skewed by the fact that AT&T U-verse is still in its early stages of development. Anyone who’s been a beta tester for a software product can attest to the pain involved with that, but then again, you usually receive the software for free. Do you really want to pay good money for something that is still being tweaked?

Perhaps all a consumer needs to know about the U-verse product is that while AT&T has advertising it, they have also been selling DIRECTV and in fact, once were partnered with Dish Network and sold both quite aggressively in markets where U-verse was fully deployed.

Admittedly both U-verse and Dish Network are very reliable services, so customers cannot go wrong with either service there, but there are major differences concerning price, programming options and value. Of course in areas where U-verse is available, AT&T will want you to buy more than one of their services, so we will attempt to compare apples with apples and compare the television options.

AT&T U-verse offers a Family package and a U100 package; curiously both are $49 per month. The Family package has 70-channels and the U100 has 130 channels. Anyone else seeing the obvious problem with both packages being priced the same?

Dish Network offers three packages with considerably more value. The first being their Classic Bronze package with over 120-channels and priced regularly at $39.99, and in promotion for $24.99 for the first year. Next is the Classic Silver package with over 220-channels, priced regularly at $52.99 and, also in promotion for $37.99 for the first year. The most overwhelming value is the Classic Gold package with more than 260-channels double the amount U-verse would provide for just $13-more a month, regularly $62.99 - yes - you guessed it, also in promotion for $47.99 for the first year. AT&T U-verse can provide a package with up to 230-channels, but pricing on this U-200 package starts at $64.00 per month.

AT&T's best programming package is the U-450, a package containing nearly 400-channels, including premium movie channel packs for HBO and Cinemax, and a sports package that contains roughly 20-regional sports networks from around the country. This package is regularly $109.00 per month.

The equivalent for Dish Network to the U-450 is the America's Everything package, which contains more than 295-channels, 31-premium movie channels from HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax and a 32-channel Multi-Sports package, which offers NFL Red Zone, NHL Network, NFL Network and NBA TV.

Both AT&T U-verse and Dish Network offer free installation and free equipment for their customers, however Dish Network includes their CNET Editors Choice Award Winning ViP722 Duo HD-DVR among its free offerings. Both U-verse and Dish Network charge just $10 per month for HD-programming, with U-verse offering 110-HD channels and Dish Network coming in at 140-HD channels. DVR service is a bit tilted in Dish Network's favor, award-winning receivers and a storage capacity advantage of 350-hours of standard-definition and 55-hours of high-definition programming, compared to AT&T's 233-hours SD and 65-hours HD.

Although AT&T U-verse is now positioned as a solid alternative to your local cable company, its availability is still quite limited. Still, if you are fortunate to live in an area where it is available, it is very hard to ignore the technology, programming and cost advantages of Dish Network, where value is the name of the game for consumers. read more »

The moment I had been waiting for all year had finally arrived last night. I stocked up on treats and refreshments at the grocery store and finished all of my household chores early in the day so I would be fully prepared for Oscar night! I must say that I am not a huge fashion mogul but I absolutely adored the dresses this year. I love the way they shined and flowed and complemented every figure on the red carpet. The top three dresses had to go to Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz and J-Lo. I was slightly amused by the dress that Charlize Theron was wearing as it boasted two flower-like spirals on the chest. We all know that if anyone can get away with this look and have the attitude to pull it off, it would be Charlize Theron.

Most actors hope and pray to one day make it to the Oscars even if they are not nominated. It is huge just to be seen walking down the red carpet and brushing shoulders with some of the most talented people in show business. With all of the excitement and preparation, the gold and diamonds that they are allowed model from the sponsors, top-notch designer clothing, high-end goody bags, champagne and fine hoer’ devours, and so on, you would think that every one of these talented and fortunate human beings could crack a smile. I was very surprised at the look of contempt on George Clooney’s face while Alec Baldwin was about to make a joke about him as he and Steve Martin did on many of the stars in the audience. He should feel lucky that Alec Baldwin was kind enough to not proceed with his joke. Not only did Clooney look exhausted as he sported a borderline mullet to the Oscars, he looked like a complete jerk and is no longer on my list of sexiest stars. All it takes is a cocky attitude like his to turn a very handsome prince into a frog. They should have a prerequisite at the door that you need to be in a good mood before entering or do everyone a favor and stay home.

Many of the stars kept a wonderful composure and were actually able to relax and enjoy themselves a little. Meryl Streep always seems to have a great sense of humor and is radiant inside and out. Helem Mirren and Christopher Plummer make such an adorable couple and seemed very personable. Other stars who stood out above the rest as normal people were Sandra Bullock, Sabourey Sidibe, Mo’ Nique, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, Kathryn Bigelow and a handful more. The overall look of the audience full of super-stars was dull and they seemed un-amused no matter what entertainment was before them. It’s as if they were doing us all a favor for having shown up in the first place. Thank goodness for the few people with a sense of humor. I was beginning to feel bad for Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. What a tough crowd!

Moving forward, I was somewhat surprised that Avatar didn’t bring home the Oscar for Best Motion Picture but Cameron was in tough competition with his ex, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker. I didn’t see either movie, to be honest; I’m just going on popularity and advertising alone. I did rent The Hurt Locker and actually watched the first fifteen minutes but needed to shut it off for something important, though I look forward to finishing it soon. I was very pleased to watch as Mo’Nique receive the award for Best Actress In A Supporting Role! I was waiting for this moment since I saw Precious in the theater. I was not disappointed with any of the decisions and was entertained throughout the whole show until I fell asleep at 11:00 just in time for the good stuff! I managed to find out who the rest of the winners were this morning. The Academy Awards open new doors to a few movies that are available that many of us don’t even know about such as shorts, documentaries and other film treasures that we should see if we haven’t already. Hopefully the movies that are released this year offer half as much great acting and entertainment as we had in 2009!

Check out 5StarMax for award-winning films of many genres on Dish Network satellite television!

Entertainment Scoop! 2/23/10

Wesley Snipes

It looks as if Wesley Snipes is starting to earn plenty of money to make up for what he owes the IRS. He’ll be playing a major role in the movie Brooklyn’s Finest and word has it there may be a Blade 3. I thought Blade was over years ago. Hopefully Snipes holds on to his earnings from Brooklyn’s Finest because something tells me that most people will not be rushing to theaters on opening night because they just can’t wait to see the third edition of the Blade Trilogy.

Academy Awards

Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will be at the Oscars this year. I think I’m officially getting old because I can honestly say, big deal. I’m happy that they are so successful at such a young age, but the Twilight movies bite and their acting is certainly not Oscar worthy. Let’s get some role models in there that represent what award-winning acting is all about! Personally, I’m much more excited to see Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting together after watching the movie It’s Complicated which was absolutely adorable. The Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC, Sunday March 7th.

Disney Gets Greedy

Odeon, the UK’s biggest chain of theaters, is threatening to ban the Disney film Alice in Wonderland from their 838 theaters. Disney wants to run the film for three months rather than the normal stretch of four months in theaters. He goal seems to be to push the film on to DVD for a larger profit. The problem is the fact that Disney makes out wonderfully on the deal while movie theaters take a financial blow. The profits gained from the first few weeks of a film’s release go to the production company and other contributors to the film but theaters do not see a profit until the last half of the films release when audiences become smaller. Disney is in negotiations with theaters now but it doesn’t look like any other chains are pulling out just yet.

Unbreakable Sequel?

What’s going on with Shayamalan? He was on a great role with films like Signs, The Sixth Sense and Lady in the Water (That’s right. I loved that movie.). He then moved on to The Happening in which nothing interesting actually happens. Now he’s going backwards and thinking about a sequel to Unbreakable? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed that movie and thought it was very original, but I just can’t see the sequel being all that great. I’m thinking he’s going through a dry spell because he has what it takes to make great films. Come on Shayamalan, we know you can bring the shock factor back to your work. We’re waiting…

Missing Actor

Actor Andrew Koenig, a.k.a. Boner from Growing Pains, was reported missing after Valentine’s Day. He was expected to fly to California and meet with friends on the 16th but never showed. According to Constable Tim Fanning there is hope that Koenig is alive and in Vancouver as they have tracked the use of his ATM card and cell phone in the area. Growing Pains costar Kirk Cameron has made a public plea for Koenig to come forward and tell friends and family that he’s okay since he was suffering from depression at the time he disappeared.

Sean Penn Lashes Out

Penn is being charged with criminal battery and vandalism for fighting off a paparazzo. He damaged the reporter’s camera when he lashed out at him. Penn could be thrown in the slammer for 18 months if he is found guilty. I’m sure that the fact that the scuffle was caught on tape is not going to be good for his case. This is not Penn’s first offense as he has been caught twice before for punching photographers.

Sheen-Meuller

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t know Brooke Meuller from a hole in the before the whole Charlie Sheen domestic abuse case over the Christmas holiday. This couple has been hitting entertainment headline news more than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. First, you had the dispute when Charlie supposedly threatened Brooke with a knife. A restraining order was placed to keep Charlie away from the home. Next, Brooke went in for emergency dental surgery and somehow ended up coming down with pneumonia in both lungs. She had friends bring drugs to her hospital room to satisfy her addiction and she was sent to a rehab facility after her stay. Brooke Meuller is now suing the rehab facility for violating her privacy. Apparently, a worker leaked Brooke’s personal information from her file to the press and she wants him arrested. She left the facility for a more private place due to the circumstances.

Stay tuned for entertainment updates with my blogs or with E! Entertainment Television with Dish Network!

I am very pleased to announce that I was able to break free to the movies Saturday night to see Shutter Island! As I’m sure you must be aware by now, this is Scorcese’s first crack at a psychological thriller. Many of us know and love Scorcese for hit films like Goodfellas and Casino so many of us were surprised to learn that he was taking on this new project. We all have such high expectations of Scorcese that of course we’re going to critique the film from beginning to end. I was concerned at first that there may be a possibility of being disappointed. Some of the best directors have had their share of movies that bombed when they tried something new so I was worried that this film would not live up to my expectations. There are many times when a trailer for a movie will draw me in completely and I’ll get my hopes up that I’m going to see an amazing movie and more often than not, something about the film will not live up to its great reputation. I was pleasantly surprised with Shutter Island.

You have to hand it to Scorcese for going out on a limb and trying something different this far along in the game. He has such an outstanding reputation for his years of work that some would say, why change a good thing? Scorcese demonstrated his flexibility as a director with this film. He proved to us that not only can he deliver award winning crime dramas, he also has the ability to dig deeper into psychology and entertain us with a movie such as this. They did a wonderful job with the trailer to this movie. They captured the mystery, adventure and psychological aspect of the film sprinkled with a splash of horror. I had an idea of what the plot of the film would be like when I watched the preview and I was right for the most part. I unraveled the mystery very early on in the movie, as I’m sure many people did who have a psychology background or know enough about the topic from watching movies with a similar story line. The thing about this film that really blew me away is that even though I already unraveled the mystery I was still entertained and surprised with the rest of the film. Scorcese left enough to the imagination to allow me to continually second-guess my expectations. He walked on the edge of appropriateness with a few graphic shots that made me burst into tears and have to look away. Anyone who knows me is aware that I never look away from anything when I’m watching a movie and I have a very strong stomach for graphic material. Show me the goriest film you’ve ever seen and I probably won’t be shocked. This particular scene in Shutter Island is so realistic and disturbing that it is practically unbearable to see. I still had to peek at it from the corner of my eye simply because I was so baffled by its honesty.

You’re probably wondering why I’m not telling you any details. I purposely did not read up on this movie before I went to see it because I wanted everything about it to be fresh and surprising and I’m glad I did it this way because it was worth it. I don’t want to tarnish the experience for you by giving you any details. What I can say for sure is that I’d be extremely surprised if Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t get an Oscar for his performance. Leo is always nice to see on film, as he’s certainly easy on the eyes. He’s had his share of stellar performances as well as some moments when he wasn’t completely invested in his work. Leo’s best acting would have to be for his characters in Basketball Diaries, This Boy’s Life, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Marvin’s Room and now Shutter Island. He reminded me of the young actor I knew and loved before Titanic and Revolutionary Road. I may be in the minority on this one, but I think Leo and Kate Winslet are great actors that do best when not together. I highly recommend Shutter Island to anyone who enjoys a great drama with just enough mystery to make things very interesting. It was a blast to see this side of Scorcese and my faith that DiCaprio is a great actor has been renewed.

Check out 5StarMax on Dish Network's America's Everything Package for award winning entertainment!

Entertainment News! 2/19/10

Check out Dish Network Satellite TV for great entertainment and celebrity news!

Wow. There really doesn’t seem to be all that much celebrity news out there lately. Either the stars have one up on the paparazzi or there’s really nothing to gossip about! Like they say, no news is good news. Here are a few tidbits that I managed to hunt down…

Kim Kardashian tweeted while on an airplane that she feels safe flying next to the air marshal. She nearly blew his cover.

Tiger will make his first public appearance today. It will be broadcast on national television. Tiger will talk about his infidelity and future plans but is not planning to take any questions. Hopefully golf fans will learn when Tiger plans to return to the course.  He is still in sex rehab but has one week off.

Vanity Fair conducted an interview with actress Sabourey Sidibe. Sidibe is the young rising star of the Tyler Perry/Oprah film Precious. She has been praised by critics and has received an Oscar nod but Vanity Unfair chose not to put her on the magazine’s cover, instead they had skinny Caucasian actresses. It is now referred to as the “White Issue”. Sidibe told the press, "I come from a world where I'm not on covers and I'm not in magazines at all, and so I was happy to be in the magazine... I'm excited to be mentioned anywhere, and it doesn't matter to me where I'm not mentioned".

Simon Cowell has doubts about his choices for American Idol’s top 24 contestants. He told the press that the judges need to make such quick decisions that sometimes he’ll look back at contestants he believes should have had another shot at the limelight. He said, “In hindsight, I think it would have been much easier that we could have had maybe five or six days to think about it and really review the performances”.

Speaking of American Idol, Fox has been hounding radio talk show personality Howard Stern to become his replacement. Stern has a $100 million per year contract with Sirius satellite radio and would most likely receive a slight pay cut to take on the show. He spoke of an anonymous proposition to be on a TV show and told listeners that he turned the opportunity down. No one is sure yet whether he was referring to American Idol. I’m not sure how I feel about the idea considering the show is family oriented for the most part and Stern has such a brash personality. Fox is most likely looking more toward ratings than targeting a family style audience.

Upcoming Movies 2/17/10

Check out the huge variety of premium channels offered with Dish Network satellite television!

The Wolfman

Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins star in this thriller remake of the 1941 original. It premiered last weekend and made over $31 million but will it continue to rake in the cash? Critics seem to agree that Del Toro fits the bill as Lon Chaney Jr.’s replacement- physically at least. His performance has not been praised and was described as melancholy according to Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor. Ebert gave it two and a half stars out of four and a critic from Rolling Stone gave it just one and a half stars.

Shutter Island

This movie opens tomorrow and I will be the first in line at the theater. How can you go wrong with a Scorcese movie on top of the fact that this will be his first psychological thriller? I refuse to read any more about this movie because I want it to be a total surprise from start to finish. Leonardo DiCaprio will play the role of the detective attempting to crack a case in a mental institution and encounters quite a horrific journey along the way. Leo himself is excited about the film and told reporters that he could watch this movie three times because it’s that interesting!

Scorcese

Speaking of the man himself, it seems that he and DeNiro will be working on another mafia movie! If you love mob movies, then you love Scorcese and the good news is that he doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon! There haven’t been any details released about the new mob hit but DeNiro promised reporters “people will die”. Scorcese told the press that it will focus on older mafia men who reflect back on their lives and won’t contain as much “running around”. Wouldn’t it be nice if he were to surprise us with some type of continuation of Goodfellas? Production has not yet begun on this mystery film but I’m sure we’ll get many updates once it’s in the making. Scorcese’s movie about Blue Eyes titled Sinatra will also star Leo DiCaprio as the singer as well as Clive Owen and Tammy Blanchard. This movie is slated for release on December 30, 2011.

Alice in Wonderland

The makeup and costume details as well as the directing in this upcoming Tim Burton film look absolutely astounding. I’m hoping the story is as interesting as the visuals. Johnny Depp never ceases to amaze his fans with his eccentric roles. You just never know what he’ll be working on next. Personally, I’d like to see him in another Donnie Brasco type role but he’s probably the most versatile actor of our time and has the ability to turn any movie into a huge success. Alice in Wonderland will be available March 5, 2010 in theaters and in IMAX in 3-D.

Brooklyn’s Finest

This crime drama is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and slated for release on March 5th. Richard Gere will return in uniform as police officer Eddie Dugan. The star-studded cast also includes Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and Ellen Barken. The plot focuses on the lives of three officers in particular and their experiences throughout one week while working on a drug operation. This could be a typical good-cop bad-cop movie or it may delve a little deeper into the characters lives and turn out to be a great mystery/drama. Michael C. Martin wrote the film and once worked for the transit authority as a flagger. I’m assuming he has plenty of first-hand experiences under his belt to add a realistic flair to the film.

Martin was involved in a car accident totaling his Lincoln and landing him in the hospital for three months. His focus was to find a way to make more money so he could buy another car. He decided to spend his hospital time writing this screenplay. He entered it into a contest hoping to win $10,000. He won second place and gained a new agent who submitted his work to Warner Brothers. The production company bought the screenplay for $200,000 plus royalties and began production on the film immediately.

Martin is excited about the potential success of his new film and told reporters with the New York Times, “My mother still thinks that being a paralegal is the greatest job possible. Even when I told my mother they’re going to greenlight the movie, that they’re going to start shooting it, she was like: ‘You know what? I got these brochures about being a paralegal. You should check it out.’” Here is what Richard Gere had to say about the film: “It’s got such a wonderful structure to it, besides the innate rhythm and nature of it. The structure was a really terrific movie structure. It’s basically three short stories, very tangentially connected, unexpectedly, contrapuntally working together.”

Quotes from Some of My Favorite Films:

“Stern, if this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I'll be very unhappy.”- Schindler’s List

“I can fight you.”
“You will lose.”- Doubt

“That I want to make love to you - not just once, but over and over again! But I'll never tell you that. I'd have to be crazy to tell you. I'd even make love to you now... right here for the rest of my life.”- Life is Beautiful (La vita e bella)

“What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say?”
“He must have had on some really nice pants.”- Pursuit of Happyness

I had the chance to watch The Time Traveler’s Wife last weekend and I must say I was surprised. Perhaps I didn’t watch the trailer very well when the movie first came out. I just assumed it would be a drama about a man who somehow travels through time and falls in love. I like Eric Bana so I was delighted that he would be starring in a romantic movie. I didn’t have the opportunity to see this film in the theater so I was eagerly awaiting its release to DVD. I thought this film might be a great choice for a Valentine’s Day flick with the hubby but it wasn’t as charming as I expected.

This movie could have been very interesting if there were just a little more thought put into it offering the audience a unique explanation concerning the character’s time traveling. Would you be satisfied with the film if there were no explanation for this man traveling through time? The fact that he has a “gene” that makes time travel against his will and wake up naked once he reaches his destination is, at least to me, slightly silly. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem using my imagination and rolling with magical stories but the events that happened in the film just weren’t enough to make me forget about the fact that time travel needs to have a better explanation. I understand that the director wanted to focus on the character’s relationship with his wife and the obstacles they need to conquer around his condition. If they wanted the relationship to be believable they should have set up a better background story.

The movie started off being slightly comical and makes you question if the whole thing will just be a light-hearted story about this guy going back and forth in time and trying to maintain a relationship along the way. I expected a more serious film but caught myself laughing at times and wondering what in the world I got myself into.  His relationship with his wife lacked a romantic connection. Bana and Rachel McAdams just don’t make the world's greatest on-screen couple no matter how much you may enjoy them. They’re both decent actors though they don’t have the spark you’d see between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds or even Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. On a positive note, the movie did get better toward the end as the plot thickened slightly and it was worth finishing.  You may enjoy this movie if you don't expect to dive into a deep story.  Sci-fi and romance just aren't the best mix for this director.  I would however recommend watching it while doing something else like needlepoint or housecleaning! 

Here is a list of some of the hit dramas that can be found on Starz and Encore with Dish Network. They are sure to be much more entertaining! Times are according to EST.

Last Chance Harvey on Starz 5:50-7:35 p.m. Today 2/17/10

Seven Pounds on Starz 4:45-6:50 p.m. Thursday 2/18/10

Say Anything on Encore Love 10:50-12:35 p.m. Friday 2/19/10

The Ice Storm on Starz Cinema 8:00-10:00 p.m. Saturday 2/20/10

The Family Man on Encore 10:30-12:40 p.m. Sunday 2/21/10

Fried Green Tomatoes on Encore Drama 1:20-3:40 p.m. Sunday 2/21/10