On this day in movie history - 88 Minutes (2007):

88 Minutes

directed by Jon Avnet,

written by Gary Scott Thompson,

was released in the United States on April 18, 2008.
Music by Edward Shearmur.

Cast:

Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger, Ben McKenzie, Neal McDonough, Leah Cairns, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Redman, Trilby Glover, Damien Leake, Brendan Fletcher, Michael Eklund, Kristina Copeland, Tammy Hui, Vicky Huang, Bob Stephenson, Philip Moon, Victoria Tennant, Michal Yannai, Paul Campbell, Brenda McDonald, Carrie Genzel, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Heather Dawn, Julian Christopher, Tim Henry, Mike Dopud, Brad Turner, Michael Adamthwaite, Jean Montanti, Tim Perez, Marcus Hondro, Rebecca Chunn, Elan Even, Celeste White Steele, Linley Subryan.

On this day in movie history - Ghost in the Shell (1995):

Ghost in the Shell

directed by Mamoru Oshii,

based on the Manga comic book series by Masamune Shirow,

was released in the United States on March 29, 1996.
The DVD of the updated Ghost in the Shell 2.0 version was released in the United States on January 12, 2010.

Voice cast:

Atsuko Tanaka, Maaya Sakamoto, Akio Ōtsuka, Iemasa Kayumi, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Kōichi Yamadera, Tamio Ōki, Yutaka Nakano, Tesshō Genda, Mitsuru Miyamoto, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Shigeru Chiba.

On this day in movie history - The Last Lullaby (2008):

The Last Lullaby

directed by Jeffrey Goodman,

written by Max Allan Collins and Peter Biegen,

based on the short story by Max Allan Collins,

was released in the United States on March 28, 2008.
Music by Ben Lovett.

Cast:

Tom Sizemore, Sasha Alexander, Sprague Grayden, Bill Smitrovich, Ray McKinnon, Omid Abtahi, Randall Batinkoff, Jerry Hardin, Smith Cho, Paul Rae, Ritchie Montgomery, Jason Konopisos-Alvarez, Jacob Tolano, Edrick Browne, Odessa Feaster, Kenneth Wayne Bradley, Steve Krieger, Mary Alfred Thoma, Candy Richardz, Marcus Shultz, Breanna Brooks, Mellinda Craig, Brad Dison, Ron Fagan, Evan Helmuth, Rodney Hill Jr., Lori Knighton, Jessica "Ameelah" McDaniel, Terry Milam, Ashley-Anne Parker, Jeannie Perrin, Shawnia Willson.

On this day in music history - Chakra Sound Meditation, with Tryshe Dhevney (2008):

Chakra Sound Meditation

Album by Tryshe Dhevney,

released March 5, 2008.

Track list:

Introduction to the Chakra Sound Meditation; Chakra Sound Meditation Instructions; Chakra One – I have; Chakra Two – I Feel; Chakra Three – I Act; Chakra Four – I Love; Chakra Five – I Speak, I Am Heard; Chakra Six – I See; Chakra Seven – I Know – Harmonic Blessing With Crystal Singing Bowls.

On this day in music history - Chakra Tones Home Audio Course, by Tryshe Dhevney (2008):

Chakra Tones Home Audio Course

Sound Shifting
The Practical Art Of Authentic Expression
Album by Tryshe Dhevney,
released February 26, 2008.

Track list:

Introductions; Chakra Tones Introductions; The Tones And Posture; First Chakra; Second Chakra; Third Chakra; Fourth Chakra; Fifth Chakra; Sixth Chakra; Seventh Chakra; Sonic Blessing.

Recommended reading - The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir, by Foster Hirsch (2008):

The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir

By Foster Hirsch.

Published by Da Capo.

2nd edition.

Published 2008.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0306817721

ISBN-13: 978-0306817724

Description:

Foster Hirsch's Dark Side of the Screen is by far the most thorough and entertaining study of the themes, visual motifs, character types, actors, directors, and films in this genre ever published. From Billy Wilder, Douglas Sirk, Robert Aldrich, and Howard Hawkes to Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and Paul Schrader, the noir themes of dread, paranoia, steamy sex, double-crossing women, and menacing cityscapes have held a fascination. The features that make Burt Lancaster, Joan Crawford, Robert Mitchum, and Humphrey Bogart into noir heroes and heroines are carefully detailed here, as well as those camera angles, lighting effects, and story lines that characterize Fritz Lang, Samuel Fuller, and Orson Welles as noir directors.For the current rediscovery of film noir, this comprehensive history with its list of credits to 112 outstanding films and its many illustrations will be a valuable reference and a source of inspiration for further research.

“Wonderfully readable: Hirsch is clear, knowledgeable, and concise….[The Dark Side of the Screen] is a visual as well as literary pleasure.” – Martin Jackson, Cineaste.

“There has been no extended work as good as Foster Hirsch’s The Dark Side of the Screen, a well-written, imaginatively illustrated book that sees the brief, true heyday as between Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944) and his Sunset Boulevard (1950), but looks at the prelude and the aftermath, and sets the genre in its larger social and cultural context.” – Philip French, The Observer (London).

“An important examination of what film noir is…The 264-page treatise is not a review source; rather, Hirsch’s academic work delves deeply with a scholarly but not dry approach.” – Skyscraper, Spring 2009.

On this day in music history - Miss Understood, by Carolyn Wonderland (2008):

Miss Understood

Album by Carolyn Wonderland,

released February 5, 2008.

Track list:

Misunderstood; I Found the Lions; Bad Girl Blues; Walk on; Still Alive and Well; Long Way to Go; Trouble in the City; Throw My Love; I Live Alone with Someone; The Farmer Song; Feed Me to the Lions; I Don't Want to Fall for You.

Recommended reading - Videodrome: Studies in the Horror Film by Tim Lucas (2008):

Videodrome

Studies in the Horror Film

By Tim Lucas.

Published by Centipede Press.

First Edition.

Published 2008.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1933618280

ISBN-13: 978-1933618289

Description:

Released in 1983, David Cronenberg's Videodrome is one of his most original and provocative works, fusing social commentary with shocking elements of sex and violence. Crossing the boundary between science fiction, horror, and social criticism, Videodrome remains a unique and brilliant work in the oeuvre of cinema's greatest maverick.

Tim Lucas had behind-the-scenes access to every facet of production when Videodrome was filmed in 1981. His unique perspective provides interviews with cast and crew, including exclusive, never-before-published interviews with Cronenberg, commentary and analysis of the film, and over sixty black-and-white and color photographs, many never before seen.

Videodrome is the first in the Studies in the Horror Film series, which aims to present critical and popular discussion of the great horror films in affordable, attractive packages.

Tim Lucas is the editor of Video Watchdog magazine, which specializes in critical discussions of popular and obscure horror, fantasy, and science fiction films. He is also a renowned and astute film critic and award-winning writer.

On this day in movie history: Rambo (2008):

Rambo

directed by Sylvester Stallone,

written by Art Monterastelli and Sylvester Stallone, 

was released in the United States on January 25, 2008.

Music by Brian Tyler.

Cast:

Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Tim Kang, Rey Gallegos, Jake La Botz, Maung Maung Khin, Ken Howard, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Aung Aay Noi, Sornram Patchimtasanakarn.

On this day in movie history - Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008):

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

a documentary directed by Alex Gibney,

written by Alex Gibney,

based on the writing of Hunter S. Thompson,

was released at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States on January 20, 2008.
Music by David Schwartz.
Narrated by Johnny Depp.