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XXX: A real thriller
By Harinda Vidanage
The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen hits back in style this year with the hottest action movie to be released yet with 'XXX', the title may be funny and his star line up is even funnier because of the Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson relationship. But the movie can be classified as a treat with daredevil rides and heart stopping action.

Vin Diesel who played the role of outlaw drag racer and highway man in the movie Fast and the Furious returns to play Xander Cage the newest weapon in the arsenal of United States National Security Agency.

Before becoming a secret agent, Xander risks his life by selling web videos of his crazy stunts while just barely escaping with his life and the police. In fact, in the opening sequences of the film, we see Xander steal a corvette from a politician and drive it off a bridge while parachuting to the ground.

But life catches up with him in the form of National Security Agency (NSA) Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel Jackson) with an ultimatum. Either work for the NSA as a secret agent or go to jail. Xander takes up the new challenge and from there on wards the man is on fire.

Gibbons and the NSA are facing a desperate situation in distant Prague, where their undercover operative has been killed by a gang of cutting-edge thugs calling themselves Anarchy 99, headed by the brutal ex-Russian Army commander Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and his beautiful but hardened girlfriend, Yelena (Asia Argento).

Gibbons needs a new breed of agent to get to Prague, go undercover, and play by Anarchy 99's own rules ... or lack of them ... to stop them from destroying the world and discover just how dangerous their game really is. And Xander Cage, with his astonishing physical and athletic prowess and indifferent attitude, is a perfect, if unlikely candidate. Gibbons uses all means possible to find out if Xander is his man for the job, even if it means putting him through the most gruelling series of "tests" imaginable in the movie. Cage passes them with flying colours. (Really Flying)

Cage is called agent XXX because of the letter that begins his first name (and is emblazoned into the back of his neck in triplicate by ink-and-needle), extreme in every way.

The movie never a bore and is of different scenarios at every corner and one is some time baffled by trying to figure out who are the good guys but XXX is a movie which action movie fans should not miss and it might make even James Bond envious as there is a new type of agent tattooed and sporting a shaved head with a attitude to spare assigned to save the world.

'Reign of Fire': Beasts dominate Earth
From the producer of the highly successful TV drama series and its cinematic version X Files, Rob Bowman comes this new thrilling movie of action and adventure.

If Godzilla was a mammoth beast that was intelligent and could destroy a city, a hoard of female dragons led by one huge male will be quite a treat.

In present-day London, 12-year-old Quinn inadvertently wakes an enormous fire-breathing dragon from its centuries-long slumber. Twenty years later, much of the world has been scarred by the beast and its offspring.

The dragons are extremely intelligent, highly evolved. and they don't like sharing the planet. As a fire chief, Quinn (CHRISTIAN BALE) is responsible for warding off the beasts and keeping a small community alive as they eke out a meager existence. Into their midst comes a hotshot American,Van Zan (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY), who says he has a way to kill the beasts and save mankind - a way Quinn's never seen done.

The American brings in a small army with him seeking the assistance of Quinn to hunt the male dragon. Thirdly eyes in the skies Alex Jenson (IZABELLA SCORUPCO) the former Bond girl who plays the role of a high - flying chopper pilot carrying out scout missions and airborne dragon hunting jobs for Van Zan adds icing to the cake. The combination of Quinn, Van and Jenson play the decisive role in the final mission to slay the male dragon, which they realize is the key to turn the tables on dragon dominance wiping out the dragons and restoring the future of humanity.

The movie carries scenes of intense battles with dragons and also thrilling graphic scenes of people and structures being scorched by dragons and the superhuman efforts of the people who are determined to stop them. The movie keeps the audience at the edge of their seats and is a treat to Fans of movies in the calibre of Godzilla, Arachnid, Brother Hood of the Brother Hood of the Wolves and even the Alien series.

'Blackout' is never dull
By Sanath Weerasuriya

The DJ Team of the 'Blackout'

"Blackout', the most modern and hi-tech discotheque opened its doors to the music lovers in Kandy recently.

'Blackout' is the night club attached to the 'Swiss Residence Hotel.'

According to the management, 'Blackout' comes alive every Saturday and the revellers used to patronize till the early hours of Sunday even on non promotional days.

"There was a time music lovers and dance enthusiasts used to go down to Colombo for clubbing during the weekends. But now it is different. Colombo revellers too are coming to Kandy for the Saturday clubbing. Kandy is getting more and more popular for night gigs with top names in the music scene and popular DJs," said Asela Pethiyagoda, the General Manager of the Hotel.

'Blackout' is the best and with all equipped with the latest lights and sound system in par with the popular discotheque 'Blackout' in Zurich, Switzerland.

Jayantha teaches music
Popular keyboardist Jayantha Ratnayaka started a training class on keyboards for the '3 to 5' Rupavahini programme on Fridays.

Jayantha also started his own music school 'Laksitha Music School' for beginners at the second floor of the Nugegoda Super Market.

'Wild Fire' at Indoor Nets
'Wild Fire' will be in action on Friday, September 6 from 9.00 p.m. onwards at the Austasia Sports and Leisure Complex in Thalawathugoda.

This musical extravaganza is organized by the Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association in order to raise funds for the forthcoming "04th Indoor Cricket World Cup 2002" tour of Wellington, New Zealand. The Sri Lankan Indoors, both Men and Women have faired very positively during the recent past against some top Indoor Cricket playing nations. Wild Fire on the other hand is the most successful and famous rock band in town nowadays.

Tickets are priced at Rs. 500/- and this will be the first time that Wild Fire will be seen in action at Austasia Sports and Leisure Club and both the band and the AS and LC officials are planning to have gigs every month.


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