Fantasia 2000 Review

Fantasia 2000

Release Date: 1^st June 2000 – Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 74 minutes

Budget: $80,000,000

Box Office Gross: $90,874,570
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
In this fun-filled movie,
breathtaking images are
coupled with classical
music favorites. From
Beethoven to Gershwin --
from flamingos bobbing
yo-yos to a city in bluesy
motion -- vivid animation
brings the music of the
masters to colorful life.

Cast

Leopold Stokowski – Himself – Conductor ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (archive footage)

Deems Taylor – Host – Introduction (archive footage)

Steve Martin – Himself – Introductory Host

Itzhack Perlman – Himself – Host ("Pines of Rome")

Quincy Jones – Himself – Host ("Rhapsody in Blue")

Bette Midler – Herself – Hostess ("Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102")

James Earl Jones – Himself – Host ("The Carnival of the Animals")

Penn Jillette & Teller –
Themselves – Hosts
("The Sorcerer's Apprentice")

James Levine – Himself – Host ("Pomp and Circumstance"), Conductor (Chicago Symphony
Orchestra)

Angela Lansbury – Herself – Hostess ("The Firebird Suite")

Wayne Allwine – Mickey
Mouse ("Pomp and
Circumstance") (Voice)

Tony Anselmo – Donald
Duck ("Pomp and
Circumstance") (Voice)

Russi Taylor – Daisy Duck
("Pomp and Circumstance") (Voice)

Crew

Director/Art Director
("Symphony No. 5")/
Production Designer (Host
Segments) – Pixote Hunt
Director ("Pines of Rome" & "Piano Concerto No. 2")/
Supervising Animation Director – Hendel Butoy
Director ("Pomp and Circumstance")/Visual Development ("Pines of Rome") – Francis Glebas
Director – James Algar
("The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Writer/Director – Don Hahn
(Host Sequences)

Story/Director ("The
Firebird Suite") – Gaetan & Paul Brizzi

Story/Director/Animator
("Rhapsody in Blue" & "The
Carnival of the Animals") –
Eric Goldberg
Story – Brenda Chapman
Based on Story "The
Steadfast Tin Solider
("Piano Concerto No. 2") –
Hans Christian Andersen
Original Concept ("The
Carnival of the Animals") –
Joe Grant
Story Development ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice") –
Perce Pearce & Carl Fallberg
Writers (Host Sequences) – David Reynolds
& Irene Mecchi
Executive Producer – Roy Edward Disney
Producer – Donald W. Ernst
Co-Producer ("Rhapsody in Blue") – Patricia Hicks
Cinematography – Tim Suhrstedt
Artistic Consultant ("Rhapsody in Blue") – Al Hirschfeld
Film Editors – Jessica Ambinder-Rojas,
Lois Freeman-Fox, Julia Gray, Craig Paulsen &
Gregory F. Plotts


Review
'FANTASIA 2000' manages to bring back most of the magic from the original movie (click here), but it still has the animation creativity and classical music. I'm glad that they reused the classic segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and I enjoyed the new ones like Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5", "Pines of Rome", George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", "The Firebird Suite" and "Pomp and Circumstance" which features Donald and Daisy Duck and is based off Noah's Ark.

'FANTASIA 2000' lives up to Walt's original concept and it's a good animated movie to watch, especially for minors and fans of Disney and animated features.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Star Trek Review

Star Trek

Release Date: 7^th April 2009 – Australia
(premiere)

Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Spyglass Entertainment (presents)
Bad Robot Productions
Mavrocine

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 127 minutes

Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $385,680,446

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
The cocky, renegade

James Kirk and the 

equally youthful 

half-Vulcan, half-human

Spock are among the 

young members of a 

fledgling Starfleet crew, 

and about to launch the 

most advanced starship 

ever created: the U.S.S. 

Enterprise. During
their incredible galactic
voyage of exploration and
discovery, they will 

encounter the evil Nero 

whose mission of 

vengeance threatens all
of mankind.

Cast
Chris Pine – James T. Kirk
Jimmy Bennett – Young James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto – Spock
Jacob Kogan – Young Spock
Karl Urban – Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Zoe Saldana – Uhura
Simon Pegg – Montgomery 'Scotty” Scott
John Cho – Hikaru Sulu
Anton Yelchin – Pavel Chekov
Eric Bana – Nero
Bruce Greenwood – Christopher Pike
Chris Hemsworth – George
Samuel Kirk, Sr
Ben Cross – Sarek
Winona Ryder – Amanda Grayson

Leonard Nimoy – Elder Spock

Farah Tahir – Captain Robau
Clifton Collins Jr. – Ayel

Deep Roy – Keenser

Jennifer Morrison – Winona Kirk
Rachel Nichols – Gaila
Clifton Collins Jr. – Ayel 
Tyler Perry – Admiral Richard Parnett
Greg Ellis – Chief Engineer Olson
Majel Barrett – Starfleet Computer (Voice) (Cameo)
Scottie Thompson – Nero's Wife
Spencer Daniels – Johnny
Greg Gunberg - Kirk's Stepdad (Voice) (Cameo)

Crew

Based on Television Series – Gene Roddenberry
Producer/Director – J.J. Abrams
Writers/Executive Producers – Alex Kurtzman &
Roberto Orci
Executive Producer – Jeffrey Chernov
Producer – Damon Lindelof

Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager – 

David Witz
Romulan and Vulcan Consultant – Marc Okrand

Production Designer – Scott Chambliss
Supervising Art Director – Keith P. Cunningham
Conceptual Illustrator – John Eaves

Head Creature Designer – Neville Page

Prosthetic Make-Up Designer – Barney Burman
Prosthetic Make-Up Supervisor – Joel Harlow

Costume Designer – Michael Kaplan
Director of Photography – Daniel Mindel

Underwater Director of Photography – Pete Romano
Stunt Coordinator – Joey Box
Stunt Coordinator: 2nd Unit/Assistant Stunt Coordinator/
Fight Choreographer – Robert Alonzo

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor – 
Roger Guyett
Creature Choreographer – Paradox Pollack
Special Effects Coordinator – Burt Dalton

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM – Russell Earl
Visual Effects Supervisor/Digital Compositor –
Craig Xander
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor – Eddie Pasquarello

Visual Effects Producer – Shari Hanson
Visual Effects Producers: ILM – Jill Brooks & 
Jeff Olson
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM – Alex Jaeger
Animation Supervisor: ILM - Paul Kavanagh
Sound Designer/Editor – Ben Burtt
Film Editors – Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo
Markey

Composer: Theme "Star Trek" – Alexander Courage

Music – Michael Giacchino


Awards

2010 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Barney Burman, Mindy Hall
& Joel Harlow (Won)
--------------------------
Best Sound Mixing - Anna Behlmer,
Andy Nelson & Peter J. Devlin (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Mark P. Stoeckinger
& Alan Rankin (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Roger Guyett,
Russell Earl, Paul Kavangh &
Burt Dalton (Nominated)

Review

The new version of the 'STAR TREK' movie lives up to the classic TV series since it has rebooted the franchise. The story-line was smart but very unusual and introduced new interesting concepts such as Red Matter. J.J. Abrams' direction of the reboot was so very sophisticated in style. The visual effects of the movie were great. The actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto did a spectacular job of playing Kirk and Spock and so does the Aussie actor Eric Bana as the Romulan villain Nero. I was delighted to see the return of the original actor that played Spock, Leonard Nimoy who portrays as the elder version of the iconic character.

I'm not a big fan of 'Star Trek', but I must say that this film is excellent and enjoyable for Trekkies since it has rebooted the entire franchise all over again. 

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Review

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope


Release Date: 27th October 1977 – Australia


Production Companies
20th Century Fox
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 121 minutes
                125 minutes
                (Special/2004

                Edition)

Budget: $11,000,000

Box Office Gross: $775,398,507 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After the Jedi are all but extinct, the Galactic Empire now rules the galaxy by tyranny. The only thing standing in their way is the Rebellion. After stealing the technical readouts of the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance had hidden it in one of their droids, R2-D2. Darth Vader, the Empire's deadly chief enforcer, is after the plans while also attempting to locate the Rebels' secret hideout. A young farm

boy, Luke Skywalker, discovers

a hidden message within

R2 sent as a distress call

by the captured Rebel

leader, Princess Leia.

Seeing it as his true destiny, Luke accompanies an old Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, a cocky smuggler named Han Solo, his faithful Wookie companion Chewbacca, and the droids R2 and C-3PO. Together, they must rescue the princess and stop the Empire from destroying the Rebels.

Cast
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia Organa
Alec Guinness – Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Kenny Baker – R2-D2
David Prowse – Darth Vader
James Earl Jones – Darth Vader (Voice)
Peter Cushing – Grand Moff

Tarkin
Phil Brown – Uncle Owen
Shelagh Fraser – Aunt Beru
Jack Purvis – Chief Jawa

Alex McCrindle – General Dodonna

Eddie Byrne – General Willard

Drewe Henley – Red Leader

Denis Lawson – Wedge Antilles
Garrick Hagon – Biggs Darklighter

Jack Klaff – Red Four (John D.)

William Hootkins – Red Six

(Porkins)

Angus MacInnes – Gold Leader

Jeremy Sinden – Gold Two

Don Henderson – General Taggi

Richard LeParmentier – General Motti
Leslie Schofield – Commander #1
Paul Blake – Greedo (Uncredited)

Maria De Aragon – Greedo (Uncredited)

Larry Ward – Greedo (Voice)

(Uncredited)

Alfie Curtis – Dr. Evazan (Uncredited)

Tommy Ilsley – Pondo Baba

(Uncredited)

David Ankrum – Wedge Antilles

(Voice) (Uncredited)

Malcolm Tierney – Lt. Shann

Childsen (Uncredited)

Peter Geddis – Captain Raymus

Antilles (Uncredited)

Peter Sumner – Lt. Pol Treidum

(Uncredited)

Burnell Tucker – Del Goren

(Uncredited)

Shane Rimmer – Rebel Crew

Chief (Uncredited)

Derek Lyons – Temple Guard/

Medal Bearer (Uncredited)

Phil Tippett – Cantina Alien

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Jon Berg – Cantina Alien

(Cameo) Uncredited)

Doug Beswick – Cantina Alien (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Joe Johnston – Death Star Trooper (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Steve Gawley – Death Star Trooper (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Grant McCune – Death Star Gunner (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Peter Diamond – Stormtrooper/

Tusken Raider/Death Star

Trooper/Garouf Loube (Uncredited)

Lorne Peterson – Massassi Base

Rebel Scout (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Anthony Forrest – Sandtrooper (Uncredited)

Nick Joseph – Major Arhul Hextrophon

(Uncredited)

Crew
Writer/Executive Producer/Director –

George Lucas

Producers – Gary Kurtz and Rick McCallum

(Special Edition)

Casting Directors – Dianne Crittenden,

Irene Lamb and Vic Ramos

Production Illustrator/Planet and Satellite

Artist: Miniature and Optical Effects Unit –
Ralph McQuarrie

Creature Conceptual Designer – Ron Cobb

(Uncredited)

Additional Spacecraft Design: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Colin Cantwell

Production Designer – John Barry

Art Directors – Norman Reynolds

and Leslie Dilley

Art Directors: Second Unit – Leon Erickson

and Al Locatelli

Assistant to Production Designer –

Alan Roderick-Jones

Set Decorator – Roger Christian

Costume Designer – John Mollo

Creature Design (Uncredited)/
Makeup Supervisor – Stuart Freeborn

Makeup: Second Unit – Rick Baker

and Doug Beswick
Director of Photography – Gilbert Taylor

Second Unit Photography – Carroll Ballard,

Rick Clemente, Robert Dalva and Tak Fujimoto

Camera Operators – Geoff Glover and

Ronnie Taylor

Production Supervisor – Robert Watts

Production Manager – Bruce Sharman

Assistant Directors – Terry Manning,

Anthony Waye and Gerry Gavigan

Special Production and Mechanical Effects

Supervisor – John Stears
Special Photographic Effects Supervisor –

John Dykstra
Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM (Special

Edition) – Dave Carson, John Knoll, Joe Letteri,

Alex Seiden and Steve 'Spaz' Williams

Visual Effects Producers: ILM (Special Edition) –
Ned Gorman and Tom Kennedy
Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM (Special

Edition) – Mark Moore and TyRuben Ellingson
Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM (Special

Edition) – John Andrew Berton Jr.
Effects Illustrator and Designer: Miniature and
Optical Effects Unit – Joe Johnston

Chief Model Maker: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Grant McCune

Model Builder: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit/Digital Matte Artist: ILM (Special Edition) –

Paul Huston

Model Builders: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – David Beasley, Jonathan Erland,

Steve Gawley, David Jones and Lorne Peterson

Stop-Motion Animation: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Jon Berg and Phil Tippett

First Cameraman: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – Richard Edlund
Second Cameraman: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit/Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM

(Special Edition) – Dennis Muren

Assistant Cameramen: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Douglas Smith, Ken Ralston

and David Robman

Second Unit Photography: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Bruce Logan

Composite Optical Photography: Miniature and
Optical Effects Unit: (Praxis) – Robert Blalack

Optical Camera Assistant: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit/Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM

(Special Edition) – Bruce Nicholson

Computer Animation and Graphic Displays:

Miniature and Optical Effects Unit – Larry Cuba,

Dan O'Bannon, Jay Teitzell and John C. Wash

Optical Supervisors (Special Edition) –

Chris Bushman and Philip Feiner

Animator: Lightsaber – Nelson Shin (Uncredited)
Film Editors – Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew,
Marcia Lucas and T.M. Christopher (Special Edition)

Assistant Film Editors – Todd Boekelheide,

Colin Michael Kitchens, Bonnie Koehler and

Jay Miracle
Special Dialogue and Sound Effects/

Sound Designer (Special & 2004 Editions) –

Ben Burtt

Supervising Sound Editor – Sam F. Shaw

Supervising Sound Editor (2004 Edition) –

Matthew Wood (Uncredited)

Supervising Assistant (2004 Edition) –

David Acord (Uncredited)

Sound Editors – Gene Corso,

Gordon Davidson and Robert R. Rutledge

Sound Editor (Special & 2004 Editions) –

Teresa Eckton

Production Sound Mixer – Derek Ball

Digital Mix Technician (Special Edition) –

Gary A. Rizzo

Re-Recording Mixers – Les Fresholtz,

Robert J. Litt, Don MacDougall, Bob &

Michael Minkler, Richard Portman and

Ray West

Re-Recording Mixer (Special Edition) –

Gary Summers

Re-Recording Mixer (2004 Edition) – Tom Myers

(Uncredited)

Film Restoration Supervisor (Special Edition) –

Pete Comandini

Film Restoration Consultant (Special Edition) –

Leon Briggs

Advertising/Publicity Supervisor – Charles Lippincott

Titles – Dan Perri

Music Supervisor – Lionel Newman (Uncredited)

Supervising Music Editor – Kenneth Wannberg

Music – John Williams


Awards

1978 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction – John Barry,

Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley and

Roger Christian (Won)
Best Costume Design – John Mollo (Won)
Best Visual Effects – John Stears, John Dykstra,
Richard Edlund, Grant McCune and Robert Blalack (Won)

Best Film Editing – Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas
and Richard Chew (Won)
Best Original Score – John Williams (Won)
Best Sound – Don MacDougall, Ray West,
Bob Minkler and Derek Ball (Won)
Special Achievement Award – Ben Burtt (Won)
-----------------
Best Supporting Actor – Alec Guinness (Nominated)
Best Director – George Lucas (Nominated)
Best Picture (Nominated)
Best Original Screenplay – George Lucas (Nominated)

Review

Before watching A NEW HOPE (known as STAR WARS in its original release) as a kid, I saw a clip on the interactive movie guide of Cinemania on my dad's computer years before IMDb. A few years later, after I'd only watched its later two entries, I borrowed it on VHS and began seeing the rest of the movie for the first time.

STAR WARS: EPISODE IV – A NEW HOPE was a rousing space adventure and a brilliant movie to start the franchise. It was the first film of the original trilogy and (chronologically) the fourth in the complete series. It's no wonder that it left an impact on audiences when it first came out in 1977. I praise its classic visual effects, the extraordinary acting of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness, and the memorable music score by John Williams. The movie contains famous scenes, such as the opening where the Imperials attack Princess Leia's ship, the shot of Luke seeing the two suns, and the climactic space battle on the first Death Star.

A NEW HOPE was my favourite Star Wars film, second only to The Empire Strikes Back and is one of the greatest science fiction movies. I recommend this movie to anyone, including Star Wars fans, young and old. May the Force be with you.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

Transformers: Dark of the Moon


Release Date: 29th June 2011 - Australia


Production Companies 
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Amblin Entertainment (Uncredited)
Platinum Dunes (Uncredited)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 154 minutes 


Budget: $195,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,123,794,079
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
The Autobots Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. In this new movie, the Autobots and Decepticons become involved in a perilous space race between the US and Russia, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends.

Cast

Humans 
Shia LaBeouf - Sam Witwicky
Josh Duhamel - U.S. Army Lt. Colonel William Lennox
John Turturro - Seymour Simmons
Tyrese Gibson - USAF Chief Robert Epps
Rosie Huntington-Whitely - Carly Spencer
Patrick Dempsey - Dylan Gould
Kevin Dunn - Ron Witwicky
Julie White - Judy Witwicky
John Malkovich - Bruce Brazos
Frances McDormand - Charlotte Mearing
Lester Speight - "Hardcore" Eddie
Josh Kelly - Stone
Alan Tudyk - Dutch
Ken Jeong - Jerry Wang
Glenn Morshower - General Morshower
Buzz Aldrin - Himself
Bill O'Reilly - Himself
Ravil Isyanov - Voshkod 
Don Jeanes - Neil Armstrong
Cory Tucker - Young Buzz Aldrin  

Autobots
Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime (voice)
Leonard Nimoy - Sentinel Prime (voice)
Jess Harnell - Ironhide (Voice)
Robert Foxworth - Ratchet (voice)
James Remar - Sideswipe (voice)
Tom Kenny - Wheelie (voice)
Reno Wilson - Brains (voice)
Francesco Quinn - Dino (voice)
George Coe - Que/Wheeljack (voice)
John DiMaggio - Leadfoot (voice)
Ron Bottitta - Roadbuster (voice)

Decepticons
Hugo Weaving - Megatron (voice)
Frank Welker - Shockwave/Soundwave/ 
Barricade (voices)
Charlie Adler - Starscream (voice)
Keith Szarabajka - Laserbeak (voice)
Greg Berg - Igor (voice)
Jimmie Wood - Crowbar (voice)

Crew 
Executive Producer/Director - Michael Bay
Writer - Ehren Kruger
Executive Producers - Steven Spielberg 
Brian Goldner & Mark Vahradian
Producers - Ian Bryce, Tom DeSanto, 
Lorenzo di Bonaventura & Don Murphy
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Allegra Clegg
Co-Producer/Second Unit Director/
Stunt Coordinator - Kenny Bates
Casting Director - Denise Chaiman
Production Designer - Nigel Phelps
Supervising Art Director - Richard L. Johnson
Art Directors - Julian Ashby, Benjamin Edelberg, 
Kevin Ishioka, Ben Procter & James F. Truesdale
Set Decorator - Jennifer Williams
Costume Designer - Deborah Lynn Scott
Director of Photography - Amir Mokri 
Wingsuit Cinematographer: Chicago - Rob Bruce
Wingsuit Flying Coordinator - J.T. Holmes
Stunt Coordinator - Troy Robinson
Co-Stunt Coordinator - Kurt Bryant
Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier
Special Effects Coordinator - Jim Schwalm
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Scott Farrar
Co-Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Jeff White
Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Matthew E. Butler
Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Wayne Billheimer
Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Yanick Dusseault & 
Alex Jaeger
Animation Supervisor: ILM - Scott Benza
Animation Supervisor: Digital Domain - David Andrews
Film Editors - Roger Barton, William Goldenberg 
& Joel Negron
Music - Steve Jablonsky

Review
'TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON' was much better than the last movie in the series, 'Revenge of the Fallen'. This sequel now includes the less crude humour and finally, no Skids and Mudflap. I still love the heart-pounding action and the CGI effects, the script isn't too bad at least and I like a lot of plot twists. I'm surprised that Leonard Nimoy aka Mr. Spock from Star Trek does the voice of Sentinel Prime and this is the second time that Nimoy did a vocal performance in a 'Transformers' movie since the animated version. I have a few disappointments about the movie which I can forgive and one is that the previous actress Megan Fox didn't return to this sequel as she was fired and replaced by the new lead actress. Her replacement, model Rosie Huntington-Whitely didn't have much of an acting background and it showed.

I loved the 3D aspect of this film and not only did I think 'DARK OF THE MOON' is the last of the Michael Bay trilogy. It's also the biggest improvement that we have seen in theatres. I invite all my viewers to comment on this movie on what they think of it.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

 and I'm a bit disappointed that actress Megan Fox didn't return to this sequel, probably because she got fired and replaced by a new actress. Not only is DARK OF THE MOON the last of the Michael Bay trilogy, but it's also the strongest and most likely the best 3D film ever. I invite all my viewers to comment on the name of the movie of what they think of iBack to Home