Car Review: 2013 Dodge Dart GT

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After test driving a 2013 Dodge Dart GT, we were reintroduced to an all-new Dart that is a thoroughly modern vehicle that’s beautifully designed and crafted and is loaded with state-of-the-art technology. The 2013 Dodge Dart compact car is redefined performance with an agile, fun-to-drive experience, compliments of its Alfa Romeo roots and confidence not normally found in a car in this price range.

EXTERIOR

The Dodge brand dug deep into its rich nearly 100-year history to name its all-new compact car, the 2013 Dodge Dart, and is again drawing on the storied history for the newest Dodge Dart model. The aggressive design is eye-catching and smooth as silk, from the projector fog lamps to the 18-inch aluminum wheels. The header orange cleat coat paint screamed attitude on the road and garnered compliments from folks of all walks of life. Looks matter, and the Dart GT delivers with cues like unique performance front fascia with black accents and hyper black grille, black projector headlamp bezels, body-color door handles, class-exclusive integrated dual exhaust with bright exhaust tips and class-exclusive racetrack LED tail lamps.

INTERIOR

Our 2013 Dodge Dart GT was loaded with premium standard features including perforated heated Nappa Leather seats, an 8.4-inch touchscreen and 7-inch TFT. The GT model adds standard features like unique premium Nappa perforated leather seats in black with ruby red stitching or two-tone black/ruby red, class-exclusive heated steering wheel (which was welcomed in colder Midwest weather), heated front seats, dual-zone automatic temperature control, remote start (with automatic transmission), universal garage door opener, ParkView rear backup camera, and a class-exclusive 7-inch TFT (Thin Film Transistor) reconfigurable instrument cluster display.

Other features include premium door trim panel with soft-touch upper surfaces, leather steering wheel with audio controls and speed control, accent stitching on the instrument panel, power 10-way driver seat including power lumbar support, driver and front passenger seatback pockets, overhead console with sunglass holder, front passenger in-seat storage, illuminated front cup holders, illuminated vanity mirrors, temperature and compass gauge, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet in console, speed-sensitive power locks, power windows with express one-touch up/down front windows, ambient LED interior lighting and automatic headlamps. Clearly one of the sportiest cabins in the compact segment with style you’d expect in expensive sports cars.

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Blu Tuesday: RED 2, Jobs and More

Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

“RED 2”

WHAT: Retired CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is trying to lead a quiet, domestic life with girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) when he learns that he’s being framed as a domestic terrorist involved in a ludicrous Cold War plot to sneak a portable WMD into Moscow. But it turns out the nuke is real, so Frank must team up with Marvin (John Malkovich) once again to recover the bomb and prove his innocence, all while being pursued by a deadly assassin.

WHY: Robert Schwentke’s “RED” was such a surprise hit at the box office that you can hardly blame Summit Entertainment for wanting to fast-track a sequel, and although it doesn’t quite pack the same punch as its predecessor, “RED 2” is still a lot of fun thanks to its star-studded cast, including series newcomers Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins. Like most sequels, it tries and fails at one-upping the original, and while the action isn’t as memorable this time around, it’s every bit as playful. “RED 2” also lacks the breezy pace of the first movie, instead bogged down by an overcomplicated plot for seemingly no other reason than to pack as much talent into the film as possible, but then again, that’s part of its charm. By all accounts, the movie shouldn’t be so entertaining – it’s formulaic, unfocused and almost too silly for its own good – but when you have a cast this great, having this much fun, it’s hard not to enjoy.

EXTRAS: There’s a four-part featurette called “The ‘RED 2’ Experience” that covers various aspects of the movie (from the cast, to weapons and stunts), some deleted scenes and a short gag reel.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“Jobs”

WHAT: The story of Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher), tracking his journey from college dropout in the early 70s, to the founding of Apple Computers a few years later, to being forced out of the company in the mid-80s, to his eventual return and success as one of the most admired entrepreneurs of the 20th century.

WHY: There’s no doubt that Steve Jobs’ remarkable life is tailor-made for the movies, but it’s not really done justice in this slight biopic by Joshua Michael Stern, which would have felt more at home on the small screen. Perhaps a better title for the movie would have been “Apple Begins,” because it’s more about the rise (and fall) of the company than Jobs himself, although he obviously figures pretty heavily into the story. Ashton Kutcher does a solid job playing the Apple co-founder, and the rest of the cast is peppered with great actors like Josh Gad and Dermot Mulroney, but it never feels like Stern has a good enough handle on his subject, and as a result, Jobs is either portrayed as a visionary genius or an asshole perfectionist, with nothing in between. As a film about the creation of Apple, it’s a fairly interesting look behind-the-scenes of a tech start-up, but as story about Jobs the man, it falls disappointingly short.

EXTRAS: The Blu-ray includes an audio commentary with director Joshua Michael Stern, a trio of short featurettes and some deleted scenes.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

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The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with James Brolin (‘Christmas with Tucker’)

James Brolin has been a star of TV and film since the ’60s, rarely disappearing from either for very long before popping back up somewhere or other, and tonight at 9 PM he can be found starring in “Christmas with Tucker,” the debut original movie from the Hallmark Movie Channel (which, just in case you aren’t aware, is a separate entity from the Hallmark Channel), playing a gruff but loveable grandfatherly type fella who gets to have a lot of scenes with a very cute dog. I was fortunate enough to chat with Brolin for a bit when he attended this summer’s Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, and – as you’ll read below – I was even more fortunate to be able to continue the conversation a bit later.

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Bullz-Eye: So you’re in a dog movie, but are you a dog guy by nature?

James Brolin: Yeah, but guess what? I don’t have a dog right now. But I’m kind of shopping! The thing is, I’m not sure where I’m going to be next, and I kind of hate to go off and leave a dog once I have it. I’ve found that didn’t work well in the past. But I got my wife a dog. And the dog is… I can’t believe she’s had it 10 years now. And it sleeps right here. [Points to his head.] It likes the top of the couch or the head pillow. So usually, if you roll over it or around it, it gets out of your way and just goes down to the other end. Anyway, I’ve been moved to the back seat of the car now. [Laughs.] Those two run things.

BE: Yeah, we just got a dog a few months ago, so I know what you mean.

JB: Oh, yeah. If it ain’t a baby, it’s a dog. [Laughs.]

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BE: How was this dog, Tucker, to work with?

JB: Fine! Really good natured. He would do all the things, and then when you’d go to shoot, sometimes the dog would have a little brain fade or confusion, but it’s not unusual. You just keep going. You have the trainer keep going, you run the camera, and now with digital, you can just turn the camera on and let it run for two hours, and then you go in there, wade through it, and pick out just what you need. But that’s Filmmaking 101, in a way. If you have time for that, you do that. And if you’re doing a dog picture, you make time. And the kids… Anyone youthful who was involved was just right on. Gage (Munroe) is just like a honed pro, so that wasn’t an issue. Kids weren’t an issue. But animals are always an issue, and you just need to schedule the time to shoot and shoot and shoot a little bit.

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Picture of the Day: Lovely Jana Jordan

Here’s a great shot of the lovely Jana Jordan (aka Jana Foxy) who we photographed in Santa Monica. Here she’s wearing just a thong as she shows off her all-natural figure.

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Panasonic 3-Blade Wet/Dry Shaver

Panasonic 3-Blade Wet/Dry ShaverWith the holiday season around the corner, we’ll all be hearing a lot about electric razors. It’s such an obvious and easy gift for men, and the technology seems to get better every year.

We recently tried out one of the new wet/dry shavers from Panasonic. This electric shaver has a ton of features, starting with the Wet/Dry option. You can Enjoy the convenience of a dry shave or you can use it with foam or gel, in or out of the shower as it’s 100% waterproof. This flexibility is great when you’re giving it as a gift.

The Panasonic features a 3-blade cutting system and 30-degree inner blades featuring Nanotech technology to cut the hair at its base. It features a fast, linear motor operating at 14,000 CPM to cut through the thickest of beards. It performed nicely for us. The multi-fit arc foil follows the contours of your face for efficient coverage and maximum comfort.

It also features a popup trimmer for grooming mustaches and sideburns and comes with a charging stand and holder. Maintenance is easy as it features unique water shutters that allow water to flow freely throughout the head for easy maintenance.

Check it out along with the other men’s shavers at the Panasonic website.