by Steve Somerton
When choosing the top Zune downloads website you have to understand that there are 2 kinds of Zune download services that you can utilize for your Zune player.
Zune player is a must have all in one media center, and if you don’t own one, or know someone who does, then frankly, you are not up to date with today’s latest technology. Zune is not just for music, it is also a movie player and you can also watch TV shows and play games too. As more people buy this powerful media player there is more demand for video downloads for Zune. Here are some tips to help you find videos for your Zune.
Free video downloads for Zune.
There are tons of free video downloads for your Zune all over the internet. You will never have a hard time spotting websites offering free video downloads for Zune, but the problem is… these files are not safe to download. Websites offering free downloads are covered with pop-ups and banner ads which could and will harm your computer. What if your computer gets infected with adware and spyware? Yes the files you downloaded are free, however, your financial information that was on your computer could be stolen, or your computer hacked. It can be very costly to repair such damage.
Paid membership for lifetime unlimited video downloads for Zune.
A paid membership will get you a lifetime of unlimited video downloads for your Zune. Only a one time payment for a membership at around $34 and you get a lifetime of unlimited access not only to video files but music files, games, TV shows, movies and other Zune software. Because it is a paid membership, files are safe to download. Once you become a member all of your downloads will be free. You can save a lot of money and you can fully experience the entertainment capabilities of your Zune player.
Did you know that there are over two million active users of paid membership on Zune download sites and right now they are enjoying their unlimited video downloads for their Zune players? There are over one hundred million files being shared right now.
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Cheapest Way Of Watching High Quality Media - Online DVD Rental
by Jens Wegner
You can have the same quality at home because DVDs can now be watched on a wide screen and their quality is at a high level.
The online DVD rental companies are bringing movies, music and other stuff to your home recorded on a high quality disc called DVD. Online DVD rental is the cheapest way for any customer to watch high quality images or hear high quality sounds at his or her home. If you have some qualitative devices, then this is the best way for you to enjoy high quality stuff at home.
You will interfere with online DVD rental companies only on their websites, because you shall just send them a list with the DVDs you want and the online DVD rental will ship the DVDs by postal. The performance of the postal system allows you to receive DVDs in about one to three days. This period can be longer if there are some delivering problems with the postal taxes, DVD region coding system or the studio distribution rights within regions. The pricing levels are different from a region to another; they depend upon the local DVD prices. The area is an important factor, which influences the delivering process. A large area with not densely population will inflict bigger timers for delivering than a small area with densely population.
The dominant company in the USA with about 6 million customers is Netflix. Netflix has it's headquarter in California, Los Angeles, and it has over 43 million discs and ships about 1.5 million discs a day. Blockbuster video company has about 1 million customers but the number of customers shall grow until they reach 2 million next year. The Canadian online DVD rental companies are not as big as the companies in the USA. The major company in Canada is far larger than any rival and it is called ZIP.ca. There are different market movements made by Netflix and Blockbuster. Netflix wants to get in the Canadian market, but Blockbuster has no intention of doing that.
In the United Kingdom a single delivering facility can serve the entire country. This is possible because the geographical area is small and the density of the population is high. There are many separated versions of the major company called Lovefilm, because Lovefilm is providing the websites for them. The different brands may have different prices and different quality but the online DVD rental service is from the same source. Lovefilm merged with another big company called Video Island. The most important competitors are Blockbuster and Amazon.co.uk and there are some online DVD rental providers with a medium size.
The Australian providers are BigPondMovies and Quickflix and they have a subscriber base of about fourteenthousand. In New Zeeland, the three important online DVD rental companies offer flat-rate packages. These companies are DVD Unlimited, Movieshack and Fatso. Movieshack and Fatso are offering shipping to the customers all over the country. In India the online DVD rental companies are using their own system of delivering the discs. Some of the major companies are MovieMart and Clixflix.
You can have the same quality at home because DVDs can now be watched on a wide screen and their quality is at a high level.
The online DVD rental companies are bringing movies, music and other stuff to your home recorded on a high quality disc called DVD. Online DVD rental is the cheapest way for any customer to watch high quality images or hear high quality sounds at his or her home. If you have some qualitative devices, then this is the best way for you to enjoy high quality stuff at home.
You will interfere with online DVD rental companies only on their websites, because you shall just send them a list with the DVDs you want and the online DVD rental will ship the DVDs by postal. The performance of the postal system allows you to receive DVDs in about one to three days. This period can be longer if there are some delivering problems with the postal taxes, DVD region coding system or the studio distribution rights within regions. The pricing levels are different from a region to another; they depend upon the local DVD prices. The area is an important factor, which influences the delivering process. A large area with not densely population will inflict bigger timers for delivering than a small area with densely population.
The dominant company in the USA with about 6 million customers is Netflix. Netflix has it's headquarter in California, Los Angeles, and it has over 43 million discs and ships about 1.5 million discs a day. Blockbuster video company has about 1 million customers but the number of customers shall grow until they reach 2 million next year. The Canadian online DVD rental companies are not as big as the companies in the USA. The major company in Canada is far larger than any rival and it is called ZIP.ca. There are different market movements made by Netflix and Blockbuster. Netflix wants to get in the Canadian market, but Blockbuster has no intention of doing that.
In the United Kingdom a single delivering facility can serve the entire country. This is possible because the geographical area is small and the density of the population is high. There are many separated versions of the major company called Lovefilm, because Lovefilm is providing the websites for them. The different brands may have different prices and different quality but the online DVD rental service is from the same source. Lovefilm merged with another big company called Video Island. The most important competitors are Blockbuster and Amazon.co.uk and there are some online DVD rental providers with a medium size.
The Australian providers are BigPondMovies and Quickflix and they have a subscriber base of about fourteenthousand. In New Zeeland, the three important online DVD rental companies offer flat-rate packages. These companies are DVD Unlimited, Movieshack and Fatso. Movieshack and Fatso are offering shipping to the customers all over the country. In India the online DVD rental companies are using their own system of delivering the discs. Some of the major companies are MovieMart and Clixflix.
The Houses at Hogwarts
by Tania Penwell
If one character has defined literature of the last decade or so, then it has to be J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. And with a major portion of Harry's life and adventures being unraveled at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is quite obvious that there has been an increasing interest among the readers to learn and remember more about the institute and the ways in which it functions. An integral part to the school is the various houses that the students are camped into. Following is a brief write-up highlighting the major features of the houses in the Harry Potter series.
If one character has defined literature of the last decade or so, then it has to be J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. And with a major portion of Harry’s life and adventures being unraveled at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is quite obvious that there has been an increasing interest among the readers to learn and remember more about the institute and the ways in which it functions. An integral part to the school is the various houses that the students are camped into. Following is a brief write-up highlighting the major features of the houses in the Harry Potter series.
The Names
There are four houses in all and each is named after its founder. They are,
Gryffindor after Godric Gryffindor,
Slytherin after Salazar Slytherin,
Ravenclaw after Rowena Ravenclaw and
Hufflepuff aafter Helga Hufflepuff
Students of a year group will share the same dormitory and classroom.
The Sorting Hat
The sorting of students into respective houses is a very important event and takes place during the Sorting Ceremony at the beginning of each school year. And the event is fantasy at its best. What happens is that a hat, the Sorting Hat is placed on op of each student’s head and it is the hat which decides, or at least declares, which house the student will go to. As the events have unfolded in the various volumes of the series, it can be suggested though the h at can choose for a student, if the student has a stronger liking for some other house, then that choice is accepted. It is only for those who are not informed or are not sure, that the hat decides unilaterally.
The Rivalry
The houses, like any other modern present day school, are famous for their rivalries. And this is at its best and most evident during the Quidditch matches and the annual inter-house competition for the House Cup. In this event, each member of a house earns or loses point for his or her house, and the one with the highest aggregate emerge as the winners. Not only is it an issue of prestige and pride but often team members stoop to levels of cheating and treachery to win. This shows how important the event is to the members of the rival houses.
Characters of the Houses
Each of the houses stands for certain values and bears an animal emblem.
Courage and boldness are the values of Gryffindor and lion is its animal emblem.
Slytherin values ambition the snake being its emblem.
Ravenclaw values intelligence and the emblematic animal for the house is the raven.
If one character has defined literature of the last decade or so, then it has to be J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. And with a major portion of Harry's life and adventures being unraveled at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is quite obvious that there has been an increasing interest among the readers to learn and remember more about the institute and the ways in which it functions. An integral part to the school is the various houses that the students are camped into. Following is a brief write-up highlighting the major features of the houses in the Harry Potter series.
If one character has defined literature of the last decade or so, then it has to be J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. And with a major portion of Harry’s life and adventures being unraveled at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is quite obvious that there has been an increasing interest among the readers to learn and remember more about the institute and the ways in which it functions. An integral part to the school is the various houses that the students are camped into. Following is a brief write-up highlighting the major features of the houses in the Harry Potter series.
The Names
There are four houses in all and each is named after its founder. They are,
Gryffindor after Godric Gryffindor,
Slytherin after Salazar Slytherin,
Ravenclaw after Rowena Ravenclaw and
Hufflepuff aafter Helga Hufflepuff
Students of a year group will share the same dormitory and classroom.
The Sorting Hat
The sorting of students into respective houses is a very important event and takes place during the Sorting Ceremony at the beginning of each school year. And the event is fantasy at its best. What happens is that a hat, the Sorting Hat is placed on op of each student’s head and it is the hat which decides, or at least declares, which house the student will go to. As the events have unfolded in the various volumes of the series, it can be suggested though the h at can choose for a student, if the student has a stronger liking for some other house, then that choice is accepted. It is only for those who are not informed or are not sure, that the hat decides unilaterally.
The Rivalry
The houses, like any other modern present day school, are famous for their rivalries. And this is at its best and most evident during the Quidditch matches and the annual inter-house competition for the House Cup. In this event, each member of a house earns or loses point for his or her house, and the one with the highest aggregate emerge as the winners. Not only is it an issue of prestige and pride but often team members stoop to levels of cheating and treachery to win. This shows how important the event is to the members of the rival houses.
Characters of the Houses
Each of the houses stands for certain values and bears an animal emblem.
Courage and boldness are the values of Gryffindor and lion is its animal emblem.
Slytherin values ambition the snake being its emblem.
Ravenclaw values intelligence and the emblematic animal for the house is the raven.
Technology Is Absolutely Mind Boggling
by R.T.
Technology has taken Americans from the Philco radio to the amazing clarity of 22" Hi Def monitors and now tv from different countries, live on your pc.
Watching television on your computer is not a new concept. I have watched live streaming video for years. But, my jaw hit the floor when I learned that I actually could have the ability, to watch television stations, from countries around the globe.
My in-laws are from the north country of England, they are amazed that the technology exists that allows them to watch shows, from their homeland.
I used to Dream Of Jeannie now Internet television has made my dreams come true. I have always wondered exactly what other countries allow their citizens to view, now I know. It is staggering technology.
I was raised on the Atari 2600, I thought that was as far as technology would rise. But, as new innovations are introduced, technology continues to explode with new incredible products. Usually with the intent to make our lives easier and more enjoyable.
The time has come when we will never miss one of our favorite shows. The digital video recorders that are now standard in most houses revolutionized television viewing in our homes.
Now another step has been taken to improve our lives and our television viewing. You are now given the opportunity to watch television while you tend to your daily activities, with your computer.
You now have no excuses and zero reason to miss your favorite program. Plus, you have the technology available to you; which allows you to watch television stations from all over the world.
Soccer fans are going to love this type technology. Movie buffs will fall in love with the foreign films.
The day has come, no matter where you are or where your at, as long as you have an Internet connection. You have the ability to watch television.
Will this new technology lead to more people staying indoors and not enjoying the great outdoors? Who cares let the tree huggers worry about it. I love television and I am not going to worry a lick if I miss a bike ride or a jog outside. I rather be curled up with my technological chair and my technological computer and watching my 22' Hi Def computer monitor.
Technology has taken Americans from the Philco radio to the amazing clarity of 22" Hi Def monitors and now tv from different countries, live on your pc.
Watching television on your computer is not a new concept. I have watched live streaming video for years. But, my jaw hit the floor when I learned that I actually could have the ability, to watch television stations, from countries around the globe.
My in-laws are from the north country of England, they are amazed that the technology exists that allows them to watch shows, from their homeland.
I used to Dream Of Jeannie now Internet television has made my dreams come true. I have always wondered exactly what other countries allow their citizens to view, now I know. It is staggering technology.
I was raised on the Atari 2600, I thought that was as far as technology would rise. But, as new innovations are introduced, technology continues to explode with new incredible products. Usually with the intent to make our lives easier and more enjoyable.
The time has come when we will never miss one of our favorite shows. The digital video recorders that are now standard in most houses revolutionized television viewing in our homes.
Now another step has been taken to improve our lives and our television viewing. You are now given the opportunity to watch television while you tend to your daily activities, with your computer.
You now have no excuses and zero reason to miss your favorite program. Plus, you have the technology available to you; which allows you to watch television stations from all over the world.
Soccer fans are going to love this type technology. Movie buffs will fall in love with the foreign films.
The day has come, no matter where you are or where your at, as long as you have an Internet connection. You have the ability to watch television.
Will this new technology lead to more people staying indoors and not enjoying the great outdoors? Who cares let the tree huggers worry about it. I love television and I am not going to worry a lick if I miss a bike ride or a jog outside. I rather be curled up with my technological chair and my technological computer and watching my 22' Hi Def computer monitor.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Breaking Into Hollywood - How Do I Translate the Entertainment Trades into Project Sales?
by Donna Michelle Anderson
Learn about specific examples of what you might find in the entertainment trades - and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.
One of my most popular articles to date has been "Breaking Into Hollywood - Do I Need to Read the Trades?" In that post, I outlined the minimum types of information you should scan the trades for and also suggested key trades to read. Thanks to the strong response I received, in this article, I'm going to follow up with specific examples of what you might find in the trades - and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.
Whether you work in film or TV, you can put these tips to use, even if the specific example is not from your industry.
Let me start by recommending you immediately ditch any hard copies you receive of the trades and sign up for the electronic versions instead. That way, you can easily copy and paste information straight into your databases or share it with partners and reps. Remember, always show copyright love whenever it bears stating!
Now, here are six ways to "trade up" your daily reading into a focused, project-selling process:
Trade-Up Tip #1: Track the Trends As you prepare to pitch various projects, the trades tell you what's hot and what's not. Guess which trend you want to be riding? For example, for reality TV professionals, over the past two weeks, we've learned that:
My Network TV is about to replace 33% of its programming with reality TV AND 180 from telenovelas to targeting male viewers (reality producers, take note); Court TV's first scripted project is a hit with viewers (fiction producers, here's a new potential buyer!); NBC, the CW and Bochco himself all are about to launch original Web-based programs (everyone, are you still ignoring new media?); and Networks in general are looking for cheap ratings bonanzas in brand-friendly game shows (got a talent option you don't know yet how to capitalize on?) All of that info ought to help show creators decide which ideas they are going to prioritize developing to maximize sales possibilities. Database these updates in a simple table or spreadsheet, and you'll always be timely in your pitch meetings. And remember, the execs you're pitching expect you to know this info if it was in the trades!
ACTION PLAN: In Word or Excel, build a simple table with columns for network/studio name, programming announcement(s) and announcement date(s). (when you buy my book, "The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1: How to Create and Pitch a Sellable Reality Show," if you join the Show Starter Online Group, you can access a file of over a dozen network programming announcements from this year's upfronts.)
BONUS ROUND: If you don't have any pitches that ride the trends, rework existing projects to stay current. Is there a cooking pitch you love that also might make a terrific game show? For helpful process tips, read "Show Starter, Vol. 1" pp 25-27.
Trade-Up Tip #2: Run "Comps" on Projects that are Similar to Yours TV producers, before any pitch meeting you ever take, be absolutely sure to check the overnight ratings for the current shows at that network AND any shows anywhere else that are similar to yours. Filmmakers, regularly track the weekend box office for any studios or companies you hope to meet with or any films in your genre.
Now for the example: remember the hot new - and now former - ABC show "The Great American Dream"? At the end of March '07, if you were about to pitch any dream fulfillment shows anywhere, or any show AT ALL to ABC, a quick glance at one day's trades would have shown that "Dream" utterly tanked episode one (ratings report - 3/28/07). . .and was cancelled after episode two (cancellation article - 3/29/07 - as in the NEXT DAY's trades).
Translation: this might be a pretty bad time to pitch a new dreams-come-true project anywhere, and ABC execs might be particularly cautious about new genre projects in general. Isn't that something you'd like to know before entering the room? You BET. At least so you can explain why your project isn't vulnerable to the same ratings risks? And don't be blinded even if you see high ratings. Just because the trades report "Fox Picks Up 13 More Episodes of 5th Grader," it might mean Fox wants to do another deal with Mark Burnett rather than buy your equally biting game show.
ACTION PLAN: Do a quick ratings review in the daily trades to compare your pitch list to current shows. Push danger zone shows to the bottom of your list, if you pitch them at all over the next few weeks. Then shift at least one brand-appropriate trend-winner into your top three opening pitches.
BONUS ROUND: Brainstorm alternative versions of your danger zone pitches (Show Starter, Vol. 1, pp 25-27) so they no longer heavily rely on now-risky elements. Then if an exec challenges them, you can come right back with a well-thought-out twist on your pitch.
Trade-Up Tip #3: Dissect Deal Points If you're not sure what to expect and request in your own deals, read the trades to keep up with what everyone else is offering or receiving! For example, for all you filmmakers who are fighting mainly to get a piece of DVD rentals in your deals, shouldn't you know that the "Netflix Founder Predicts End Of DVD Rental Business" and now is investing millions in digital film downloading? Meanwhile, reality newcomers and pitch partners can set some basic contract expectations by reading news like "Hedda Muskat has been named Consulting Producer on WE's new show, 'Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter' debuting on April 20. Hedda brought the show to World of Wonder who sold it to WE." (© 2007 Cynopsis).
ACTION PLAN: Scan for any deal discussions regarding professional peers or potential buyers. The Cynopsis example above lets you know right away what you might expect to be offered by WE and/or World of Wonder as a new show creator.
BONUS ROUND: Oh, you know what I'm going to say: add this info to a database - and review it before you actually pitch any partners!
Trade-Up Tip #4: Improve Your Project Development Process Seeking "the right" talent to attach to a project? You can test the industry's temperature for star "heat" by reading that "Kid, Not Play, May Get Talk Show." Or get a great lesson in built-in conflict for reality pitches when you read that "Season three of Run's House on MTV begins April 9 at 10p. Rev. Run and the Simmons family return to face new crisis and growth situations such as the two oldest daughters, Angela and Vanessa living on their own in Manhattan." (© 2007 Cynopsis). Whenever you read about greenlit projects in your industry, consider it powerful development guidance for your own projects.
ACTION PLAN: Scan the trades for talent and story success stories and see what equally compelling "headlines" you could write to promote your own projects. Do you have more work to do to develop the project?
BONUS ROUND: Write the headlines - and send them to your focus group to see if they want to see that show!
Trade-Up Tip #5: Gather Insider Information I call this "Room Wisdom." These are articles that give you explanations of how our business works that help you get inside the minds of the studio, network and production execs you are pitching. For example, the Hollywood Reporter recently ran an article called "Ad Ratings To Gain At Upfront," explaining that advertisers increasingly want to base the ad dollars they commit to a network on ratings for the actual commercials that run during programs, rather than ratings for the shows themselves. Is that a big shift? Of course! Is that something you can talk about intelligently in the room when possible ratings enter the discussion? Sure - if you've read the article.
ACTION PLAN: Read insider information articles and make sure you can summarize the general idea into a straightforward sentence (like I just did above).
BONUS ROUND: Learn the article's new buzzwords and do additional research on them. For my example article, you would research "ad ratings" (aka "commercial ratings") and the new Nielsen measurements they represent.
Trade-Up Tip #6: Scan for Who | What | Where I'll say it again - success in isn't just about know-how; it's about know-WHO. You absolutely must know who the players are that can buy your projects or otherwise assist their sale. All the trades announce executive hiring, firings and job-swappings. Many also feature producers who have just sold new projects. You must know these names to learn whom you already know and whom you need to meet with - not just in the room, but also at panels, seminars and conferences you see advertised.
For example: got contacts at "The Amazing Race"? Guess what? Now you might have contacts at Oprah's new wish fulfillment show - the trades just announced "'Race' duo to oversee Harpo reality series." But before you send an e-mail blast to everyone you know who works anywhere, please read my article: "Breaking Into Hollywood - Do you know anyone who's hiring?" Please don't ever let the first thing you say to someone - a stranger OR a friend - be "What can you do for me?" Make sure your energy in this industry is balanced between advancing your own dreams and sincerely investing in your core circle's dreams at the same time. Those contacts are the ones who'll call YOU to yell, "Hey, I just got the new Oprah show - send me your rez!"
ACTION PLAN: Database the names of studio execs, network execs, production execs, financiers and show runners and keep it updated through your daily trade reads. Start with the network and prod co dbs we give you at our online group, and keep it up-to-date. Those names are the key to your selling a project.
BONUS ROUND: Today, right now, send an e-mail to the five people who have helped you most in your career. Offer something specific to help them back - even if its updating one of THEIR databases. Get balance back in your professional relationships - and watch the immediate shift in your professional progress.
BONUS, BONUS ROUND - Stop typing your latest email blast asking people you otherwise never check in on to find you work. Now re-read "Bonus Round" and give that approach a try instead. Please trust me on this. And remember, send thank you truffles or coffee cards to everyone who ever gets you in front of anyone else for a meeting - whether you close a deal or not.
Learn about specific examples of what you might find in the entertainment trades - and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.
One of my most popular articles to date has been "Breaking Into Hollywood - Do I Need to Read the Trades?" In that post, I outlined the minimum types of information you should scan the trades for and also suggested key trades to read. Thanks to the strong response I received, in this article, I'm going to follow up with specific examples of what you might find in the trades - and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.
Whether you work in film or TV, you can put these tips to use, even if the specific example is not from your industry.
Let me start by recommending you immediately ditch any hard copies you receive of the trades and sign up for the electronic versions instead. That way, you can easily copy and paste information straight into your databases or share it with partners and reps. Remember, always show copyright love whenever it bears stating!
Now, here are six ways to "trade up" your daily reading into a focused, project-selling process:
Trade-Up Tip #1: Track the Trends As you prepare to pitch various projects, the trades tell you what's hot and what's not. Guess which trend you want to be riding? For example, for reality TV professionals, over the past two weeks, we've learned that:
My Network TV is about to replace 33% of its programming with reality TV AND 180 from telenovelas to targeting male viewers (reality producers, take note); Court TV's first scripted project is a hit with viewers (fiction producers, here's a new potential buyer!); NBC, the CW and Bochco himself all are about to launch original Web-based programs (everyone, are you still ignoring new media?); and Networks in general are looking for cheap ratings bonanzas in brand-friendly game shows (got a talent option you don't know yet how to capitalize on?) All of that info ought to help show creators decide which ideas they are going to prioritize developing to maximize sales possibilities. Database these updates in a simple table or spreadsheet, and you'll always be timely in your pitch meetings. And remember, the execs you're pitching expect you to know this info if it was in the trades!
ACTION PLAN: In Word or Excel, build a simple table with columns for network/studio name, programming announcement(s) and announcement date(s). (when you buy my book, "The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1: How to Create and Pitch a Sellable Reality Show," if you join the Show Starter Online Group, you can access a file of over a dozen network programming announcements from this year's upfronts.)
BONUS ROUND: If you don't have any pitches that ride the trends, rework existing projects to stay current. Is there a cooking pitch you love that also might make a terrific game show? For helpful process tips, read "Show Starter, Vol. 1" pp 25-27.
Trade-Up Tip #2: Run "Comps" on Projects that are Similar to Yours TV producers, before any pitch meeting you ever take, be absolutely sure to check the overnight ratings for the current shows at that network AND any shows anywhere else that are similar to yours. Filmmakers, regularly track the weekend box office for any studios or companies you hope to meet with or any films in your genre.
Now for the example: remember the hot new - and now former - ABC show "The Great American Dream"? At the end of March '07, if you were about to pitch any dream fulfillment shows anywhere, or any show AT ALL to ABC, a quick glance at one day's trades would have shown that "Dream" utterly tanked episode one (ratings report - 3/28/07). . .and was cancelled after episode two (cancellation article - 3/29/07 - as in the NEXT DAY's trades).
Translation: this might be a pretty bad time to pitch a new dreams-come-true project anywhere, and ABC execs might be particularly cautious about new genre projects in general. Isn't that something you'd like to know before entering the room? You BET. At least so you can explain why your project isn't vulnerable to the same ratings risks? And don't be blinded even if you see high ratings. Just because the trades report "Fox Picks Up 13 More Episodes of 5th Grader," it might mean Fox wants to do another deal with Mark Burnett rather than buy your equally biting game show.
ACTION PLAN: Do a quick ratings review in the daily trades to compare your pitch list to current shows. Push danger zone shows to the bottom of your list, if you pitch them at all over the next few weeks. Then shift at least one brand-appropriate trend-winner into your top three opening pitches.
BONUS ROUND: Brainstorm alternative versions of your danger zone pitches (Show Starter, Vol. 1, pp 25-27) so they no longer heavily rely on now-risky elements. Then if an exec challenges them, you can come right back with a well-thought-out twist on your pitch.
Trade-Up Tip #3: Dissect Deal Points If you're not sure what to expect and request in your own deals, read the trades to keep up with what everyone else is offering or receiving! For example, for all you filmmakers who are fighting mainly to get a piece of DVD rentals in your deals, shouldn't you know that the "Netflix Founder Predicts End Of DVD Rental Business" and now is investing millions in digital film downloading? Meanwhile, reality newcomers and pitch partners can set some basic contract expectations by reading news like "Hedda Muskat has been named Consulting Producer on WE's new show, 'Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter' debuting on April 20. Hedda brought the show to World of Wonder who sold it to WE." (© 2007 Cynopsis).
ACTION PLAN: Scan for any deal discussions regarding professional peers or potential buyers. The Cynopsis example above lets you know right away what you might expect to be offered by WE and/or World of Wonder as a new show creator.
BONUS ROUND: Oh, you know what I'm going to say: add this info to a database - and review it before you actually pitch any partners!
Trade-Up Tip #4: Improve Your Project Development Process Seeking "the right" talent to attach to a project? You can test the industry's temperature for star "heat" by reading that "Kid, Not Play, May Get Talk Show." Or get a great lesson in built-in conflict for reality pitches when you read that "Season three of Run's House on MTV begins April 9 at 10p. Rev. Run and the Simmons family return to face new crisis and growth situations such as the two oldest daughters, Angela and Vanessa living on their own in Manhattan." (© 2007 Cynopsis). Whenever you read about greenlit projects in your industry, consider it powerful development guidance for your own projects.
ACTION PLAN: Scan the trades for talent and story success stories and see what equally compelling "headlines" you could write to promote your own projects. Do you have more work to do to develop the project?
BONUS ROUND: Write the headlines - and send them to your focus group to see if they want to see that show!
Trade-Up Tip #5: Gather Insider Information I call this "Room Wisdom." These are articles that give you explanations of how our business works that help you get inside the minds of the studio, network and production execs you are pitching. For example, the Hollywood Reporter recently ran an article called "Ad Ratings To Gain At Upfront," explaining that advertisers increasingly want to base the ad dollars they commit to a network on ratings for the actual commercials that run during programs, rather than ratings for the shows themselves. Is that a big shift? Of course! Is that something you can talk about intelligently in the room when possible ratings enter the discussion? Sure - if you've read the article.
ACTION PLAN: Read insider information articles and make sure you can summarize the general idea into a straightforward sentence (like I just did above).
BONUS ROUND: Learn the article's new buzzwords and do additional research on them. For my example article, you would research "ad ratings" (aka "commercial ratings") and the new Nielsen measurements they represent.
Trade-Up Tip #6: Scan for Who | What | Where I'll say it again - success in isn't just about know-how; it's about know-WHO. You absolutely must know who the players are that can buy your projects or otherwise assist their sale. All the trades announce executive hiring, firings and job-swappings. Many also feature producers who have just sold new projects. You must know these names to learn whom you already know and whom you need to meet with - not just in the room, but also at panels, seminars and conferences you see advertised.
For example: got contacts at "The Amazing Race"? Guess what? Now you might have contacts at Oprah's new wish fulfillment show - the trades just announced "'Race' duo to oversee Harpo reality series." But before you send an e-mail blast to everyone you know who works anywhere, please read my article: "Breaking Into Hollywood - Do you know anyone who's hiring?" Please don't ever let the first thing you say to someone - a stranger OR a friend - be "What can you do for me?" Make sure your energy in this industry is balanced between advancing your own dreams and sincerely investing in your core circle's dreams at the same time. Those contacts are the ones who'll call YOU to yell, "Hey, I just got the new Oprah show - send me your rez!"
ACTION PLAN: Database the names of studio execs, network execs, production execs, financiers and show runners and keep it updated through your daily trade reads. Start with the network and prod co dbs we give you at our online group, and keep it up-to-date. Those names are the key to your selling a project.
BONUS ROUND: Today, right now, send an e-mail to the five people who have helped you most in your career. Offer something specific to help them back - even if its updating one of THEIR databases. Get balance back in your professional relationships - and watch the immediate shift in your professional progress.
BONUS, BONUS ROUND - Stop typing your latest email blast asking people you otherwise never check in on to find you work. Now re-read "Bonus Round" and give that approach a try instead. Please trust me on this. And remember, send thank you truffles or coffee cards to everyone who ever gets you in front of anyone else for a meeting - whether you close a deal or not.
Pride and Prejudice vs. Chick Flicks
by Elizabeth G
Why have women loved Pride and Prejudice for almost 200 years? Why are most "chicks flicks" forgotten in six months? What makes Jane Austen's signature work so special?
Once, when asked my opinion of chick flicks, I promptly replied "I hate them!" But my husband interjected, "No you don't...you love Pride and Prejudice." To which I objected, "That's a classic, not a chick flick!" But his comment challenged me to question what sets Pride and Prejudice apart from the rest of the genre, and I developed a short list. I will admit that not every modern chick flick follows every point that I've listed. But there seems to be a general pattern.
1. It Honors what is honorable. Unlike Mona Lisa Smile, where Julia Robert's character was celebrated for questioning the moral and beautiful, character is everything in the world of Austen. Mr. Darcy is good because he cares for and protects his loved ones, is kind to his servants, and is honest. Mr. Wickham is bad because he lies, runs up debts, pursues rich girls for their money and poor ones just for fun. In a contemporary chick flick Mr. Darcy would be drab while charismatic Wickham would be the leading man. When was the last time a chick flick villainized a man for not paying his credit-card bill? What about for having sex outside of marriage?
2. Substantial Characters In the modern chick flick, I usually have a hard time caring about the characters. The men and women usually have good looks in common, but why else should I care that they get together? Chick flick characters tend to be far more interchangeable than those in Pride and Prejudice. I was thrilled for both Lizzy and Darcy, but it was clear that Lizzy and Bingley (or Jane and Darcy) would have been a horrid match. Not so when Exhibit A of attractive blond woman could be equally happy with any attractive, sweet-talking male. And when the leading lady dumps Guy A for Guy B, I'm left wondering, "How was that a step up?"
3. Dialogue The novels of Jane Austen are characterized by the masterful use of dialogue. On the other hand, modern chick flicks rely predominantly on visuals (kissing and beyond) to develop the romance (or "sexual tension"), along with some properly placed loved ballads. And when chick flick characters do talk, they don't have much to say! Many people remember this line from Notting Hill, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” Jerry Maguire made hearts melt when he said, “You…complete me.”
Compare that googly-eyed nonsense with Darcy’s first proposal, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Or compare it with his second proposal, "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."
4. It's hilarious! So often, chick flicks have to rely on filthy jokes and physical comedy to garner laughs. Not so with Pride and Prejudice. Austen's sarcastic wit produces many subtle comments with laugh-out-loud results! For example, Elizabeth’s reaction to Mr. Collins unwanted proposal, “‘Really, Mr. Collins,’ cried Elizabeth with some warmth, ‘you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as may convince you of its being one.’”
I’m still not sure if “chick flick” is the best way to describe Pride and Prejudice (especially the Firth/Ehle version). But if more chick flicks would follow its lead, I would probably be at the movies more often.
Why have women loved Pride and Prejudice for almost 200 years? Why are most "chicks flicks" forgotten in six months? What makes Jane Austen's signature work so special?
Once, when asked my opinion of chick flicks, I promptly replied "I hate them!" But my husband interjected, "No you don't...you love Pride and Prejudice." To which I objected, "That's a classic, not a chick flick!" But his comment challenged me to question what sets Pride and Prejudice apart from the rest of the genre, and I developed a short list. I will admit that not every modern chick flick follows every point that I've listed. But there seems to be a general pattern.
1. It Honors what is honorable. Unlike Mona Lisa Smile, where Julia Robert's character was celebrated for questioning the moral and beautiful, character is everything in the world of Austen. Mr. Darcy is good because he cares for and protects his loved ones, is kind to his servants, and is honest. Mr. Wickham is bad because he lies, runs up debts, pursues rich girls for their money and poor ones just for fun. In a contemporary chick flick Mr. Darcy would be drab while charismatic Wickham would be the leading man. When was the last time a chick flick villainized a man for not paying his credit-card bill? What about for having sex outside of marriage?
2. Substantial Characters In the modern chick flick, I usually have a hard time caring about the characters. The men and women usually have good looks in common, but why else should I care that they get together? Chick flick characters tend to be far more interchangeable than those in Pride and Prejudice. I was thrilled for both Lizzy and Darcy, but it was clear that Lizzy and Bingley (or Jane and Darcy) would have been a horrid match. Not so when Exhibit A of attractive blond woman could be equally happy with any attractive, sweet-talking male. And when the leading lady dumps Guy A for Guy B, I'm left wondering, "How was that a step up?"
3. Dialogue The novels of Jane Austen are characterized by the masterful use of dialogue. On the other hand, modern chick flicks rely predominantly on visuals (kissing and beyond) to develop the romance (or "sexual tension"), along with some properly placed loved ballads. And when chick flick characters do talk, they don't have much to say! Many people remember this line from Notting Hill, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” Jerry Maguire made hearts melt when he said, “You…complete me.”
Compare that googly-eyed nonsense with Darcy’s first proposal, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Or compare it with his second proposal, "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."
4. It's hilarious! So often, chick flicks have to rely on filthy jokes and physical comedy to garner laughs. Not so with Pride and Prejudice. Austen's sarcastic wit produces many subtle comments with laugh-out-loud results! For example, Elizabeth’s reaction to Mr. Collins unwanted proposal, “‘Really, Mr. Collins,’ cried Elizabeth with some warmth, ‘you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as may convince you of its being one.’”
I’m still not sure if “chick flick” is the best way to describe Pride and Prejudice (especially the Firth/Ehle version). But if more chick flicks would follow its lead, I would probably be at the movies more often.
Breaking Into Hollywood - Do You Know Anyone Who's Hiring?
by Donna Michelle Anderson
This is a tough article to publish, but it's just so important! The message of this missive is simple - stop asking people to hire you. STOP IT. It is not only not an effective way to break into the industry, it is a sure way to drive away the very people who are able to help you.
This is a tough article to publish, but it's just so important! The message of this missive is simple: stop asking people to hire you. STOP IT. It is not only not an effective way to break into the industry, it is a sure way to drive away the very people who are able to help you.
Does this sound counterintuitive? Completely against the whole concept of "taking initiative"? Let me explain.
If you have few or no credits (and little or no income), you know the frustration/panic of not knowing how you're ever going to break through the gates of the entertainment industry and get both recognition for your passion AND a paycheck for your bills. That's a given, and that's entirely valid and understandable.
But take a moment before you ask the next person you've just met to hire you to visualize the same scenario OUTSIDE of the entertainment industry. If you'd just met the senior partner of a law firm, and had neither work experience in a legal firm nor a law degree, would you open and/or close the conversation with a request to be hired? I hope not! Because if you did, the head of that firm would not be impressed by your passion for law. They would be baffled by your lack of understanding of how one gets hired to work in a law firm. They also might be a bit miffed by your lack of respect for what they do since you think that someone with no experience merits some of their hard-earned income. And finally, they might really like you and appreciate your enthusiasm for their field, but they already have a long line of entry-level applicants they've already got a relationship with and will offer the next opening to.
Notice the "entry level" qualification in that sentence. That's because if you are approaching the head of a law firm with no experience or degree and asking to be hired as an attorney, well, you are insane and deserve the outraged expression you are about to see on his or her face. But you know that already. In fact, you would never dream of asking a senior partner at a law firm to hire you as a lawyer if you had no background qualifying you to do so!
Now, if you understand that boundary in the legal arena, but you approach employment differently in the entertainment industry, you are setting yourself up to fail. It is imperative that you enter this field recognizing and respecting it as a real business. Your passion for medicine will not earn you a spot in the operating room if you have no degree, and your passion for Hollywood will not earn you a gig in this industry if you have nothing to bring but your passion. And why should it? Why would you demand to be paid top dollar as a surgeon if you have no idea how to perform surgery...and why would you demand to be paid any dollars as a filmmaker if you have no idea how to make films?
Now I know you might be saying: "I know how to make films!" "I know how to write a script!" "I know how to produce a TV show!" "I know how to act!" Can I ask you, for one moment, to consider the possibility that if you have not already done one of these things, professionally, and regularly paid your bills doing so...that there is something, in fact, much...that you do not in fact yet know?
Still with me? Okay, now what if your approach to the industry became "What do I need to learn to succeed here?" rather than "How much can I get out of this as quickly as possible so my dreams can immediately come true?" What if you slowed down a little and decided to learn before you leap?
As soon as your energy becomes "What do I need to learn?" instead of "What do I want to earn?," your experience in this game is going to change. FAST!
Here is my suggestion to you the next time you meet someone you're dying to work for. Don't tip the balance of the exchange by becoming a "supplicant," someone with their hand out for a job. And don't end the possibilities of the meeting by pretending you know or have done more than you have done. Instead, talk to that person with passion about what they do! People in the industry work the most ridiculous hours you can imagine, as will you. And they do it because they are obsessed with what they do. Let them talk. Learn from what they know. Buy them a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME. And walk away from that exchange without asking for something additional in return.
I do mean something "additional." Information is money in this industry and every other one. Someone's precious time and pearls of wisdom are worth a lot to you if you listen and learn. Don't add to that generous gift by also asking them for money!
If you find a connection between a talented person and yourself, this is a person to follow up with later and ask if you can give THEM something back in RETURN! This is the person you want to VOLUNTEER for. Now that you know what they do, figure out what skills and contacts and assistance you can offer them. And this is key: don't offer to do something for them that will help make your dreams come true; offer to help them achieve one of their own goals. Because once you do that, you've evened the exchange, and the ball is in their court now to want to help you! And if you go in and do an incredible volunteer job, believe me, they will want to help you.
I cannot count the number of times I've had this conversation with new people in the industry. I CAN count, however, the number of times they've sent me a thank you note and asked me for a job, despite all I'd just told them. Do you think I hired them? Of course not! They couldn't follow the simple, free advice I'd just given them; I knew they might once again think they knew better than I do when I gave them instructions to do something at work at my company! Why would I take that risk when I already have a long list of people I'm already hoping to help move ahead?
On the other hand, the one...and I do mean ONE...person who followed up with me and offered to work for free for a week (on a massive show) in order to cross out of music videos into TV production....well, we hired her at the end of the first day. She was that good.
This is a tough article to publish, but it's just so important! The message of this missive is simple - stop asking people to hire you. STOP IT. It is not only not an effective way to break into the industry, it is a sure way to drive away the very people who are able to help you.
This is a tough article to publish, but it's just so important! The message of this missive is simple: stop asking people to hire you. STOP IT. It is not only not an effective way to break into the industry, it is a sure way to drive away the very people who are able to help you.
Does this sound counterintuitive? Completely against the whole concept of "taking initiative"? Let me explain.
If you have few or no credits (and little or no income), you know the frustration/panic of not knowing how you're ever going to break through the gates of the entertainment industry and get both recognition for your passion AND a paycheck for your bills. That's a given, and that's entirely valid and understandable.
But take a moment before you ask the next person you've just met to hire you to visualize the same scenario OUTSIDE of the entertainment industry. If you'd just met the senior partner of a law firm, and had neither work experience in a legal firm nor a law degree, would you open and/or close the conversation with a request to be hired? I hope not! Because if you did, the head of that firm would not be impressed by your passion for law. They would be baffled by your lack of understanding of how one gets hired to work in a law firm. They also might be a bit miffed by your lack of respect for what they do since you think that someone with no experience merits some of their hard-earned income. And finally, they might really like you and appreciate your enthusiasm for their field, but they already have a long line of entry-level applicants they've already got a relationship with and will offer the next opening to.
Notice the "entry level" qualification in that sentence. That's because if you are approaching the head of a law firm with no experience or degree and asking to be hired as an attorney, well, you are insane and deserve the outraged expression you are about to see on his or her face. But you know that already. In fact, you would never dream of asking a senior partner at a law firm to hire you as a lawyer if you had no background qualifying you to do so!
Now, if you understand that boundary in the legal arena, but you approach employment differently in the entertainment industry, you are setting yourself up to fail. It is imperative that you enter this field recognizing and respecting it as a real business. Your passion for medicine will not earn you a spot in the operating room if you have no degree, and your passion for Hollywood will not earn you a gig in this industry if you have nothing to bring but your passion. And why should it? Why would you demand to be paid top dollar as a surgeon if you have no idea how to perform surgery...and why would you demand to be paid any dollars as a filmmaker if you have no idea how to make films?
Now I know you might be saying: "I know how to make films!" "I know how to write a script!" "I know how to produce a TV show!" "I know how to act!" Can I ask you, for one moment, to consider the possibility that if you have not already done one of these things, professionally, and regularly paid your bills doing so...that there is something, in fact, much...that you do not in fact yet know?
Still with me? Okay, now what if your approach to the industry became "What do I need to learn to succeed here?" rather than "How much can I get out of this as quickly as possible so my dreams can immediately come true?" What if you slowed down a little and decided to learn before you leap?
As soon as your energy becomes "What do I need to learn?" instead of "What do I want to earn?," your experience in this game is going to change. FAST!
Here is my suggestion to you the next time you meet someone you're dying to work for. Don't tip the balance of the exchange by becoming a "supplicant," someone with their hand out for a job. And don't end the possibilities of the meeting by pretending you know or have done more than you have done. Instead, talk to that person with passion about what they do! People in the industry work the most ridiculous hours you can imagine, as will you. And they do it because they are obsessed with what they do. Let them talk. Learn from what they know. Buy them a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME. And walk away from that exchange without asking for something additional in return.
I do mean something "additional." Information is money in this industry and every other one. Someone's precious time and pearls of wisdom are worth a lot to you if you listen and learn. Don't add to that generous gift by also asking them for money!
If you find a connection between a talented person and yourself, this is a person to follow up with later and ask if you can give THEM something back in RETURN! This is the person you want to VOLUNTEER for. Now that you know what they do, figure out what skills and contacts and assistance you can offer them. And this is key: don't offer to do something for them that will help make your dreams come true; offer to help them achieve one of their own goals. Because once you do that, you've evened the exchange, and the ball is in their court now to want to help you! And if you go in and do an incredible volunteer job, believe me, they will want to help you.
I cannot count the number of times I've had this conversation with new people in the industry. I CAN count, however, the number of times they've sent me a thank you note and asked me for a job, despite all I'd just told them. Do you think I hired them? Of course not! They couldn't follow the simple, free advice I'd just given them; I knew they might once again think they knew better than I do when I gave them instructions to do something at work at my company! Why would I take that risk when I already have a long list of people I'm already hoping to help move ahead?
On the other hand, the one...and I do mean ONE...person who followed up with me and offered to work for free for a week (on a massive show) in order to cross out of music videos into TV production....well, we hired her at the end of the first day. She was that good.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Will The Virginia Tech Shootings Change The Way Hollywood Makes R-Rated Action Movies?
by Rob Mead
After the Columbine massacre, movie studios were forced to only advertise R-rated movies after 10 pm at night on most TV channels. Will this new massacre prove to be the same catalyst for more censorship?
It was a few weeks ago when a lone nutcase bought a few guns and killed 32 people in one of the worst massacres in U.S. history at Virginia Tech. So far, there have only been a few mumblings here and there that the media is to blame in all of this, most predominately by Dr. Phil. He accuses the videogame industry of being somehow complicit in this one crazed gunman's actions, which is obviously unfounded and ridiculous. But there are always congressmen in office who are otherwise ineffectual in getting anything done to stop guns from getting in the hands of mental patients, who go on tirades against the entertainment community when something like this happens.
Thankfully, most people are waking up and seeing that mental psychosis is responsible for these crazy people's actions, not the latest Rob Zombie horrorfest. The movie studios for the most part capitulated to congress' need for a better system of screening out hard "R" rated movies that are unsuitable to kids under 18 years old. They now force i.d.'s to be shown at all ticket windows to allow teenagers to buy tickets to r-rated movies. Now that another massacre has occurred, they might be encouraged to force even stricter guidelines on r-rated movies.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates video game ratings, and is the watchdog for the movie industry, making sure that r-rated flix are not seen or bought on dvd by kids under 18 years old. The FTC chairman, Deborah Platt Majores states "The latest FTC report shows improvement, but also that the entertainment industry has more work to do." The FTC conducted a research group whereby they sent a variety of children into a retail store to buy r-rated dvds. Eighty-one percent of kids 16 and younger were able to buy R-rated movies in 2003, and that number dropped just 10 percentage points to 71 percent in 2006.
Based on these statistics, and in light of the shootings at Virginia Tech, there is reason to believe that retail video chains like Blockbuster will be in the headlights of watchdog groups like the FTC to make sure movies like "Hostel" and "The Devil's Rejects" do not get into the hands of 12-year-olds.
After the Columbine massacre, movie studios were forced to only advertise R-rated movies after 10 pm at night on most TV channels. Will this new massacre prove to be the same catalyst for more censorship?
It was a few weeks ago when a lone nutcase bought a few guns and killed 32 people in one of the worst massacres in U.S. history at Virginia Tech. So far, there have only been a few mumblings here and there that the media is to blame in all of this, most predominately by Dr. Phil. He accuses the videogame industry of being somehow complicit in this one crazed gunman's actions, which is obviously unfounded and ridiculous. But there are always congressmen in office who are otherwise ineffectual in getting anything done to stop guns from getting in the hands of mental patients, who go on tirades against the entertainment community when something like this happens.
Thankfully, most people are waking up and seeing that mental psychosis is responsible for these crazy people's actions, not the latest Rob Zombie horrorfest. The movie studios for the most part capitulated to congress' need for a better system of screening out hard "R" rated movies that are unsuitable to kids under 18 years old. They now force i.d.'s to be shown at all ticket windows to allow teenagers to buy tickets to r-rated movies. Now that another massacre has occurred, they might be encouraged to force even stricter guidelines on r-rated movies.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates video game ratings, and is the watchdog for the movie industry, making sure that r-rated flix are not seen or bought on dvd by kids under 18 years old. The FTC chairman, Deborah Platt Majores states "The latest FTC report shows improvement, but also that the entertainment industry has more work to do." The FTC conducted a research group whereby they sent a variety of children into a retail store to buy r-rated dvds. Eighty-one percent of kids 16 and younger were able to buy R-rated movies in 2003, and that number dropped just 10 percentage points to 71 percent in 2006.
Based on these statistics, and in light of the shootings at Virginia Tech, there is reason to believe that retail video chains like Blockbuster will be in the headlights of watchdog groups like the FTC to make sure movies like "Hostel" and "The Devil's Rejects" do not get into the hands of 12-year-olds.
Why These Classic Horror Movies Should Be Remade Today
by Rob Mead
Have you ever seen a classic horror movie and said "That movie would be so much better if it were directed by Eli Roth?" If you have ever thought that, this article will compel you to think of some other movies that deserve a remake.
About a year and a half ago, director Rob Zombie was finishing up editing "The Devil's Rejects" when he got a call from his agent wondering if Rob would like to do a re-tooling of the once-great franchise "Halloween". The only response he got back from Mr. Zombie was "Sign me up!" A week or two later, the final contracts were drawn up, filming began, and now "Halloween" will be in theaters once again on August 31st, 2007. The reason the project was given a greenlight with Rob Zombie attached so fast was the fact that the "Halloween" series of films have been really bad lately. Steve Miner directed the last atrocity, "Halloween: H20", with absolutely no credibility and no charisma at all.
"Halloween" needed a fresh transfusion of blood for it to continue, and the producers had to find a damn good director to re-imagine the series in a more modern context. Rob Zombie was recommended to the producer's by many people who had seen Zombie's previous two horror flix, the aforementioned "Devil's Reject's", and the under-rated "House of 1000 Corpses".
I believe there are many more classic and semi-classic horror movies that could really use a boost from a talented director out there. "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde" springs to mind as a perfect vehicle for the great director David Cronenberg, who started out by directing pure horror films like "Scanners" and "The Brood". He really could attack a good script written by somebody who really gets the horror and nuance of the great book written by Robert Louis Stevenson about a good doctor who turns into a horrible monster after drinking a concoction he mixed up in his lab one night. The makeup transformation alone would be worth the price of admission! I see an actor like Daniel Craig or Heath Ledger in the role of Dr. Jeckyl. Jessica Biel or Scarlet Johannsen would make a really sexy and interesting Mary Reilly, who falls in love with the diabolical doctor.
The last time anybody took a really creative stab at "Dracula', it resulted in the brilliant "Bram Stoker's Dracula", directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Movies that were made afterwards, like the laughable "Dracula's Curse", starring Gerald Butler playing a Euro-trash Dracula, never should have been made in the first place. Butler now has huge success after playing King Leonidas in "The 300", but he really was one of the worst Dracula's in the history of cinema. Brian DePalma would be a perfect candidate for the director's helm, and a real movie actor like Willem Dafoe or Colin Firth would be an excellent choice to bring the pain and gravitas of Bram Stoker's great villain to life. Also, a really great script by David Mamet would help, but I don't know if he wants to make his hands bloody by writing a violent screenplay. Some great writer who needs a change from the seriousness of "Syriana", like Steve Gaghan, would be another ideal candidate.
Finally, "The Last House on the Left" was the movie that was a HUGE influence on today's "torture" movies like the "Saw" franchise and "Hostel 1 and 2". This is a little-seen horror flick that was directed by a young man called Wes Craven. You might know him by his later work directing two huge hits, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream". "Lat House..." was a movie made in 1972 that featured some of the most horrific torture scenes ever put on celluloid at that time. It follows the story of 2 women who are abducted by 3 murderers and rapists, and challenges the viewer to stay in their seat as Craven directs the movie in close-up 35mm camera takes that really shows the viewer every violent act committed against these two women by their captors. If Eli Roth, the director of "Hostel", were to direct a remake, I think major box office would follow.
Have you ever seen a classic horror movie and said "That movie would be so much better if it were directed by Eli Roth?" If you have ever thought that, this article will compel you to think of some other movies that deserve a remake.
About a year and a half ago, director Rob Zombie was finishing up editing "The Devil's Rejects" when he got a call from his agent wondering if Rob would like to do a re-tooling of the once-great franchise "Halloween". The only response he got back from Mr. Zombie was "Sign me up!" A week or two later, the final contracts were drawn up, filming began, and now "Halloween" will be in theaters once again on August 31st, 2007. The reason the project was given a greenlight with Rob Zombie attached so fast was the fact that the "Halloween" series of films have been really bad lately. Steve Miner directed the last atrocity, "Halloween: H20", with absolutely no credibility and no charisma at all.
"Halloween" needed a fresh transfusion of blood for it to continue, and the producers had to find a damn good director to re-imagine the series in a more modern context. Rob Zombie was recommended to the producer's by many people who had seen Zombie's previous two horror flix, the aforementioned "Devil's Reject's", and the under-rated "House of 1000 Corpses".
I believe there are many more classic and semi-classic horror movies that could really use a boost from a talented director out there. "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde" springs to mind as a perfect vehicle for the great director David Cronenberg, who started out by directing pure horror films like "Scanners" and "The Brood". He really could attack a good script written by somebody who really gets the horror and nuance of the great book written by Robert Louis Stevenson about a good doctor who turns into a horrible monster after drinking a concoction he mixed up in his lab one night. The makeup transformation alone would be worth the price of admission! I see an actor like Daniel Craig or Heath Ledger in the role of Dr. Jeckyl. Jessica Biel or Scarlet Johannsen would make a really sexy and interesting Mary Reilly, who falls in love with the diabolical doctor.
The last time anybody took a really creative stab at "Dracula', it resulted in the brilliant "Bram Stoker's Dracula", directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Movies that were made afterwards, like the laughable "Dracula's Curse", starring Gerald Butler playing a Euro-trash Dracula, never should have been made in the first place. Butler now has huge success after playing King Leonidas in "The 300", but he really was one of the worst Dracula's in the history of cinema. Brian DePalma would be a perfect candidate for the director's helm, and a real movie actor like Willem Dafoe or Colin Firth would be an excellent choice to bring the pain and gravitas of Bram Stoker's great villain to life. Also, a really great script by David Mamet would help, but I don't know if he wants to make his hands bloody by writing a violent screenplay. Some great writer who needs a change from the seriousness of "Syriana", like Steve Gaghan, would be another ideal candidate.
Finally, "The Last House on the Left" was the movie that was a HUGE influence on today's "torture" movies like the "Saw" franchise and "Hostel 1 and 2". This is a little-seen horror flick that was directed by a young man called Wes Craven. You might know him by his later work directing two huge hits, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream". "Lat House..." was a movie made in 1972 that featured some of the most horrific torture scenes ever put on celluloid at that time. It follows the story of 2 women who are abducted by 3 murderers and rapists, and challenges the viewer to stay in their seat as Craven directs the movie in close-up 35mm camera takes that really shows the viewer every violent act committed against these two women by their captors. If Eli Roth, the director of "Hostel", were to direct a remake, I think major box office would follow.
Will The TV Sitcom Ever Come Back?
by Rob Me
Back in the 1990's, comedy was king on television. "Seinfeld", "Friends" and "Will and Grace" soared to the ratings top tier every week. What Happened since?
It's hard to believe now, but in the late eighties, early nineties, comedy was king on all the major networks, and the sitcom ruled them all. Sitcoms such as "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Cheers", "Golden Girls" and many more brought in millions of dollars in ad revenues for ABC, CBS and NBC. What happened to the viewing public wanting to laugh? There are a few answers that you will find kind of shocking, but if you think about it, it does make sense.
The surprising aspect of the waning days of the sitcom, is the fact that 9-11 did not make everybody turn away from shows like "The Sopranos", or "24", which was just getting started. The only sitcom that benefited from a viewer upswing after 911 was "Friends". They had a 20% increase in overall viewership two Thursdays later following that horrible Tuesday morning. After 9-11, reality shows were still huge and going stronger until the inevitable burnout of the genre resulted in lower ratings for hits like "Survivor" and "Fear Factor". The tv sitcom started to suffer from lazy writers who took the easy way out, writing ever more dull plots about boring relationship troubles that we've all seen time and time again. Larry David, the best writer on television, left the "Seinfeld" show in 1999, and that was the death knell for the golden age of the sitcom.
However, things are brightening up quite a bit with the arrival of stellar comedy hits like "The Office", "My Name is Earl", and the vastly improving "30 Rock". HBO has gotten into the comedy game too, with "Curb Your Enthusiasm", the return of Larry David as sitcom star this time, and the brilliant and un-PC star Sacha Baron Coen's show, "The Ali G Show."
Back in the 1990's, comedy was king on television. "Seinfeld", "Friends" and "Will and Grace" soared to the ratings top tier every week. What Happened since?
It's hard to believe now, but in the late eighties, early nineties, comedy was king on all the major networks, and the sitcom ruled them all. Sitcoms such as "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Cheers", "Golden Girls" and many more brought in millions of dollars in ad revenues for ABC, CBS and NBC. What happened to the viewing public wanting to laugh? There are a few answers that you will find kind of shocking, but if you think about it, it does make sense.
The surprising aspect of the waning days of the sitcom, is the fact that 9-11 did not make everybody turn away from shows like "The Sopranos", or "24", which was just getting started. The only sitcom that benefited from a viewer upswing after 911 was "Friends". They had a 20% increase in overall viewership two Thursdays later following that horrible Tuesday morning. After 9-11, reality shows were still huge and going stronger until the inevitable burnout of the genre resulted in lower ratings for hits like "Survivor" and "Fear Factor". The tv sitcom started to suffer from lazy writers who took the easy way out, writing ever more dull plots about boring relationship troubles that we've all seen time and time again. Larry David, the best writer on television, left the "Seinfeld" show in 1999, and that was the death knell for the golden age of the sitcom.
However, things are brightening up quite a bit with the arrival of stellar comedy hits like "The Office", "My Name is Earl", and the vastly improving "30 Rock". HBO has gotten into the comedy game too, with "Curb Your Enthusiasm", the return of Larry David as sitcom star this time, and the brilliant and un-PC star Sacha Baron Coen's show, "The Ali G Show."
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The Political Side Of BABEL
by Clara Freeman
What is it about Brad Pitt that causes one to want to believe in the message of his character? I've followed his professional and personal career with an odd sense of attachment, yet, I, like countless other females, can't seem to shake his penetrating allure, long after the movie quit playing; so it was with Babel.
I suppose I would have taken the political message of the movie, Babel to heart, if the events had not been played out through the eyes of one Brad Pitt. I mean, even an objective female might find herself at odds with the subtleness of the depiction of the movie's look at where preconceived notions often leads in the real world, if faced with having to feast upon the personage of Mr. Pitt.
Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett are two celebrities of clout who managed to bring to the viewers what other political and religious films have in the past in hopes of perhaps enlightening the general public: The Da Vinci Code, caused speculation and rumblings of disbelief, bordering upon blasphemy from people around the world, as it depicted Tom Hanks attempts to interpret the meaning of old documents as they were written before the birth of Jesus as it explored good versus evil. Mel Gibsons' disturbing, yet, realistic biblical events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, in The Passion Of The Christ, was labeled 'anti-semetic' and offensive to the Jewish people
Fahrenheit 9/11, The Documentary by Michael Moore caused an uproar in the White House, amongst the Right/Left, Democrat/Republican/Moderate and Liberals. Yet, the message remains in the minds of America. There are political rumblings in Babel. The stories touches upon promiscuity, sexual exploration, terrorism, deportation and fear. It also shows us what happens because of a rush to judgement. I suppose, in its subtle way, Babel 's impact on the minds and into the hearts of a worlds people will resonate somewhere within the quiet places in their souls; at least for those of us who still believe in our church and country, after viewing perspectives from different makers of film.
I feasted my female eyes upon the Adonis like figure of Brad Pitt, but, it was with an objective writer eye that propelled me to offer my take on the movie, Babel. I found it less forthcoming with the blood and gore details of life, but, none the less, believable for offering all of us blessed with 'intellect' to consider and comprehend the consequence of our actions...
What is it about Brad Pitt that causes one to want to believe in the message of his character? I've followed his professional and personal career with an odd sense of attachment, yet, I, like countless other females, can't seem to shake his penetrating allure, long after the movie quit playing; so it was with Babel.
I suppose I would have taken the political message of the movie, Babel to heart, if the events had not been played out through the eyes of one Brad Pitt. I mean, even an objective female might find herself at odds with the subtleness of the depiction of the movie's look at where preconceived notions often leads in the real world, if faced with having to feast upon the personage of Mr. Pitt.
Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett are two celebrities of clout who managed to bring to the viewers what other political and religious films have in the past in hopes of perhaps enlightening the general public: The Da Vinci Code, caused speculation and rumblings of disbelief, bordering upon blasphemy from people around the world, as it depicted Tom Hanks attempts to interpret the meaning of old documents as they were written before the birth of Jesus as it explored good versus evil. Mel Gibsons' disturbing, yet, realistic biblical events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, in The Passion Of The Christ, was labeled 'anti-semetic' and offensive to the Jewish people
Fahrenheit 9/11, The Documentary by Michael Moore caused an uproar in the White House, amongst the Right/Left, Democrat/Republican/Moderate and Liberals. Yet, the message remains in the minds of America. There are political rumblings in Babel. The stories touches upon promiscuity, sexual exploration, terrorism, deportation and fear. It also shows us what happens because of a rush to judgement. I suppose, in its subtle way, Babel 's impact on the minds and into the hearts of a worlds people will resonate somewhere within the quiet places in their souls; at least for those of us who still believe in our church and country, after viewing perspectives from different makers of film.
I feasted my female eyes upon the Adonis like figure of Brad Pitt, but, it was with an objective writer eye that propelled me to offer my take on the movie, Babel. I found it less forthcoming with the blood and gore details of life, but, none the less, believable for offering all of us blessed with 'intellect' to consider and comprehend the consequence of our actions...
American Idol - Sanjaya Conspiracy?
by Tim Chirillo
Sanjaya Malakar was recently voted off American Idol. Was it truly the fan's votes or did the producers decide to they had enough?
Ok, there is no doubt Sanjaya Malakar was not the most talented idol contestant, but I really do believe, he was one of the most entertaining. I personally would tune in just to see what his hairstyle would be the current week, and hoping his performances would get better. Millions of viewers will concur with me on his entertainment value, as he survived all the way to the top 7. My question is, could he have gone farther? Did American Idol boot him before his time?
After the top 12 results show , Sanjaya was gaining momentum each and every week. He was not even in the bottom three until he was voted off. Contestants such as Chris Richardson and Phil Stacy were consistently in the bottom three. However, when Sanjaya was voted off, these two were in the top bracket!
Sanjaya had the support of Howard Stern, and his millions of fans. Sure, Stern does not have the audience he used to when he was on terrestrial radio, but he does have approximately five to six million. He urged his fans to vote early and often for the San-Man, and many did. They used any method available to register as many votes as possible for the lovable underdog. This is what may have lead to Sanjaya's demise.
At the end of each American Idol broadcast, read the fine print. It says something to the affect that the producers have the final decision and the rights to disqualify any votes that appear to have been automated or unfair to give one contestant an advantage. Now, some Stern fans have admitted they used fiendish software to cast hundreds if not thousands of votes in one shot for Sanjaya. Were thousands of votes eliminated or disqualified?
Look, sure American Idol lets us, the viewers, vote for the next superstar. However, do you really think they would let the least talented become the next idol? Sanjaya had fans, but he was not the best singer, not by a longshot. In the end, American Idol will do what's best for American Idol.
Farewell Sanjaya. You will not be forgotten for at least another week or so, when your done with the talk show circuit.
Sanjaya Malakar was recently voted off American Idol. Was it truly the fan's votes or did the producers decide to they had enough?
Ok, there is no doubt Sanjaya Malakar was not the most talented idol contestant, but I really do believe, he was one of the most entertaining. I personally would tune in just to see what his hairstyle would be the current week, and hoping his performances would get better. Millions of viewers will concur with me on his entertainment value, as he survived all the way to the top 7. My question is, could he have gone farther? Did American Idol boot him before his time?
After the top 12 results show , Sanjaya was gaining momentum each and every week. He was not even in the bottom three until he was voted off. Contestants such as Chris Richardson and Phil Stacy were consistently in the bottom three. However, when Sanjaya was voted off, these two were in the top bracket!
Sanjaya had the support of Howard Stern, and his millions of fans. Sure, Stern does not have the audience he used to when he was on terrestrial radio, but he does have approximately five to six million. He urged his fans to vote early and often for the San-Man, and many did. They used any method available to register as many votes as possible for the lovable underdog. This is what may have lead to Sanjaya's demise.
At the end of each American Idol broadcast, read the fine print. It says something to the affect that the producers have the final decision and the rights to disqualify any votes that appear to have been automated or unfair to give one contestant an advantage. Now, some Stern fans have admitted they used fiendish software to cast hundreds if not thousands of votes in one shot for Sanjaya. Were thousands of votes eliminated or disqualified?
Look, sure American Idol lets us, the viewers, vote for the next superstar. However, do you really think they would let the least talented become the next idol? Sanjaya had fans, but he was not the best singer, not by a longshot. In the end, American Idol will do what's best for American Idol.
Farewell Sanjaya. You will not be forgotten for at least another week or so, when your done with the talk show circuit.
DviX Movie Download - Alternative to Lugging DVD Movies Back to the Store
by Mark Yarbrough
Downloading movies online. What you need in the way of computer hardware and internet connectivity to be able to join this craze.
There are currently a lot of options out there for movie buffs to fulfill their need for a good flick. Movie fans can go to the theater, buy or rent a DVD, try one of the new mail-order systems like Netflix, or download a movie and watch it on a computer. DivX is a popular form of video file compression, most movies downloaded today are in the DivX file format. The DVD industry is currently losing some revenue because so many people are now downloading movies online. This is being offset to some extent by new high definition DVD technologies like Blu-ray. High definition movies are not currently being downloaded because the file size of these movies makes it unfeasible to download movies even over a DSL or high-speed cable connection.
Downloading movies is a great option for a lot of people, so let's take some of the mystery out of downloading movies and discuss what people need if they want to take advantage of this time and money-saving movie viewing method. One thing you need is a fairly new computer with a fast clock speed - around 1.5 giga-hertz and up. You will also need plenty of hard drive space if you want to save the movies on your computer. Most movie file sizes are in the 600 to 800 mega-byte range. You should be able to store more than 85 two-hour movies on an empty 80 giga-byte hard drive. You will also need a fast internet connection, dial-up definitely won't do. A good DSL or high speed cable service is required. The download speed of your internet service provider should be around 1mbps, (1mbps = one million bits per second). With a download speed of 1Mbps, you can download an average movie in about an hour and a half. Cut the download speed in half, and it takes twice as long, or about three hours to download a movie. If you double the download speed to 2Mpbs, you can download a movie in about 45 minutes. If your high-speed internet connection is a bit on the slow side, you can set-up a download or two before going to bed and have the finished movie(s) in the morning.
One of the great things about downloading movies is the ability to store and play them on any of the new personal media players now on the market. Some personal media player have video screens and plenty of storage space, (30 giga-bytes or more). To do this you may need video file converter software that converts the DivX video format to whatever format is used on your device. You can download a converter program for your device for free or at least for cheap. Otherwise, some sites, geared to their respective video player brand, offer downloadable media already formatted for their particular device.
If you're tired of lugging DVDs back to the video store, and downloading movies appeals to you, give it a try. If you have a fast computer and internet connection and plenty of hard drive space, you can have quite a collection of downloaded movies in no time.
Downloading movies online. What you need in the way of computer hardware and internet connectivity to be able to join this craze.
There are currently a lot of options out there for movie buffs to fulfill their need for a good flick. Movie fans can go to the theater, buy or rent a DVD, try one of the new mail-order systems like Netflix, or download a movie and watch it on a computer. DivX is a popular form of video file compression, most movies downloaded today are in the DivX file format. The DVD industry is currently losing some revenue because so many people are now downloading movies online. This is being offset to some extent by new high definition DVD technologies like Blu-ray. High definition movies are not currently being downloaded because the file size of these movies makes it unfeasible to download movies even over a DSL or high-speed cable connection.
Downloading movies is a great option for a lot of people, so let's take some of the mystery out of downloading movies and discuss what people need if they want to take advantage of this time and money-saving movie viewing method. One thing you need is a fairly new computer with a fast clock speed - around 1.5 giga-hertz and up. You will also need plenty of hard drive space if you want to save the movies on your computer. Most movie file sizes are in the 600 to 800 mega-byte range. You should be able to store more than 85 two-hour movies on an empty 80 giga-byte hard drive. You will also need a fast internet connection, dial-up definitely won't do. A good DSL or high speed cable service is required. The download speed of your internet service provider should be around 1mbps, (1mbps = one million bits per second). With a download speed of 1Mbps, you can download an average movie in about an hour and a half. Cut the download speed in half, and it takes twice as long, or about three hours to download a movie. If you double the download speed to 2Mpbs, you can download a movie in about 45 minutes. If your high-speed internet connection is a bit on the slow side, you can set-up a download or two before going to bed and have the finished movie(s) in the morning.
One of the great things about downloading movies is the ability to store and play them on any of the new personal media players now on the market. Some personal media player have video screens and plenty of storage space, (30 giga-bytes or more). To do this you may need video file converter software that converts the DivX video format to whatever format is used on your device. You can download a converter program for your device for free or at least for cheap. Otherwise, some sites, geared to their respective video player brand, offer downloadable media already formatted for their particular device.
If you're tired of lugging DVDs back to the video store, and downloading movies appeals to you, give it a try. If you have a fast computer and internet connection and plenty of hard drive space, you can have quite a collection of downloaded movies in no time.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Movie Review - Casino Royale (2006), Part 3
by Ugur Akinci
A visually satisfying thriller jam packed with action sequences, explosions, and fight scenes. It does not live up to my standards of a perfect "Bond movie" but it is good entertainment nevertheless. A 7 out of 10.
Another serious error concerns the portrayal of the (supposedly) main antagonist “Le Chiffre.”
After making us believe for the whole movie that Le Chieffre is as genuine and authentic an evil nemesis as “Dr. No”, the director suddenly reveals in the third act that the dreaded bad-guy is nothing more than just an intermediary, a hired hand for the “corporation” which is pulling the REAL strings behind the scenes.
Ugh! What a let down... It not only belittles our initial take on the stakes involved, but it diminishes the scope of Bond’s accomplishment as well.
Thus, despite the involvement of Paul Haggis who is one of those script writers in Hollywood who really know what they are doing, the script has some serious issues for a 007 movie.
Having said all that, let’s praise all the skill and vision that went into shooting the chase-machine that “Casino Royale” is…
The opening long chase shot is easily one of the most breathtaking foot chase sequence I’ve ever watched in my life! Just when you think “okay, it’s now coming to an end” another mini-sequence develops, hurtling James from one impossible precipice to another… Very well done.
If you have not watched a whole historic building in Venice imploding on itself and sinking like the Titanic while its inhabitants are busy killing each other off, you’ll “enjoy” that in Casino Royale as well…
A visually satisfying thriller jam packed with action sequences, explosions, and fight scenes. It does not live up to my standards of a perfect “Bond movie” but it is good entertainment nevertheless. A 7 out of 10.
And should you want to see one movie in which Daniel Craig really shines, please see the Irish crime thriller “Layered Cake.”
A visually satisfying thriller jam packed with action sequences, explosions, and fight scenes. It does not live up to my standards of a perfect "Bond movie" but it is good entertainment nevertheless. A 7 out of 10.
Another serious error concerns the portrayal of the (supposedly) main antagonist “Le Chiffre.”
After making us believe for the whole movie that Le Chieffre is as genuine and authentic an evil nemesis as “Dr. No”, the director suddenly reveals in the third act that the dreaded bad-guy is nothing more than just an intermediary, a hired hand for the “corporation” which is pulling the REAL strings behind the scenes.
Ugh! What a let down... It not only belittles our initial take on the stakes involved, but it diminishes the scope of Bond’s accomplishment as well.
Thus, despite the involvement of Paul Haggis who is one of those script writers in Hollywood who really know what they are doing, the script has some serious issues for a 007 movie.
Having said all that, let’s praise all the skill and vision that went into shooting the chase-machine that “Casino Royale” is…
The opening long chase shot is easily one of the most breathtaking foot chase sequence I’ve ever watched in my life! Just when you think “okay, it’s now coming to an end” another mini-sequence develops, hurtling James from one impossible precipice to another… Very well done.
If you have not watched a whole historic building in Venice imploding on itself and sinking like the Titanic while its inhabitants are busy killing each other off, you’ll “enjoy” that in Casino Royale as well…
A visually satisfying thriller jam packed with action sequences, explosions, and fight scenes. It does not live up to my standards of a perfect “Bond movie” but it is good entertainment nevertheless. A 7 out of 10.
And should you want to see one movie in which Daniel Craig really shines, please see the Irish crime thriller “Layered Cake.”
Bollywood Movie Review - Dhoom 2
by Thanaseelan Vengadasalam
Dhoom 2, which came out in November 24, 2006, was such a big hit that it had a very successful opening in India and overseas. In the US alone, it had earned US$2,642,290 by early 2007. Dhoom 2 is a hugely commercialised film which does not have a proper story line, if it has any. Rather, the movie has spent much time and effort on all aspects of commercialisms in terms of the cast, entertainment, glamour, songs etc.
Dhoom 2, which came out in November 24, 2006, was such a big hit that it had a very successful opening in India and overseas. In the US alone, it had earned US$2,642,290 by early 2007. Dhoom 2 is a hugely commercialised film which does not have a proper story line, if it has any. Rather, the movie has spent much time and effort on all aspects of commercialisms in terms of the cast, entertainment, glamour, songs etc.
To some, having a good story or plot might be the most important thing to look out for in a film. Perhaps not too much of it should be expected, since the purpose of a movie is meant to entertain in various ways (acting, glamour, music, cinematography, video editing etc) apart from a good storyline. If people were to keep expecting just good stories from movies, they might as well read a good novel instead.
Then again, the director should not have neglected the story so much to the extent that critics come up with endless lists to highlight all the flaws which are so apparent throughout the movie.
Story:
As mentioned before, the story is not really paid attention to. A mysterious their, who calls himself Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan), goes literally around the world stealing priceless items in highly sophisticated ways. The purpose of his behaviour is not explained. A hot pursuit by an ACP, Assistant Commissioner of Police (played by Abhishek Bachan), then follows and along the way, Mr. A finds himself a voluntary partner Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai) whom he later finds out that she is sent to spy on him. She finds out later that she has fallen for him in a typical Bollywood fashion and joins hands with him after that.
The star appeal of each actor has been highlighted through their respective introductory scenes which may seem unnecessary to most viewers. In fact, most of the scenes are unnecessary but that is because story is not the focus of this movie at all.
Screenplay:
Fun and entertainment are primarily the main attention in this movie. This movie is taken in a rather commercially appealing way right from the start till the very end. Probably this is where its success is attributed to.
Eye candy supplied by Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu are part of the fun factor which is simply meant to divert the audience’s attention from wondering what the story is about.
Uday Chopra is the main entertainment factor as he does his comic antics to keep a smile on the audience’s faces.
Cinematography:
Cinematography is awesome. Every robbery scene is well taken care by the camera angles and shots.
Video Editing:
Video editing is quite well done, even though more of it could be implemented since the movie is done purely for entertainment.
Dhoom 2, which came out in November 24, 2006, was such a big hit that it had a very successful opening in India and overseas. In the US alone, it had earned US$2,642,290 by early 2007. Dhoom 2 is a hugely commercialised film which does not have a proper story line, if it has any. Rather, the movie has spent much time and effort on all aspects of commercialisms in terms of the cast, entertainment, glamour, songs etc.
Dhoom 2, which came out in November 24, 2006, was such a big hit that it had a very successful opening in India and overseas. In the US alone, it had earned US$2,642,290 by early 2007. Dhoom 2 is a hugely commercialised film which does not have a proper story line, if it has any. Rather, the movie has spent much time and effort on all aspects of commercialisms in terms of the cast, entertainment, glamour, songs etc.
To some, having a good story or plot might be the most important thing to look out for in a film. Perhaps not too much of it should be expected, since the purpose of a movie is meant to entertain in various ways (acting, glamour, music, cinematography, video editing etc) apart from a good storyline. If people were to keep expecting just good stories from movies, they might as well read a good novel instead.
Then again, the director should not have neglected the story so much to the extent that critics come up with endless lists to highlight all the flaws which are so apparent throughout the movie.
Story:
As mentioned before, the story is not really paid attention to. A mysterious their, who calls himself Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan), goes literally around the world stealing priceless items in highly sophisticated ways. The purpose of his behaviour is not explained. A hot pursuit by an ACP, Assistant Commissioner of Police (played by Abhishek Bachan), then follows and along the way, Mr. A finds himself a voluntary partner Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai) whom he later finds out that she is sent to spy on him. She finds out later that she has fallen for him in a typical Bollywood fashion and joins hands with him after that.
The star appeal of each actor has been highlighted through their respective introductory scenes which may seem unnecessary to most viewers. In fact, most of the scenes are unnecessary but that is because story is not the focus of this movie at all.
Screenplay:
Fun and entertainment are primarily the main attention in this movie. This movie is taken in a rather commercially appealing way right from the start till the very end. Probably this is where its success is attributed to.
Eye candy supplied by Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu are part of the fun factor which is simply meant to divert the audience’s attention from wondering what the story is about.
Uday Chopra is the main entertainment factor as he does his comic antics to keep a smile on the audience’s faces.
Cinematography:
Cinematography is awesome. Every robbery scene is well taken care by the camera angles and shots.
Video Editing:
Video editing is quite well done, even though more of it could be implemented since the movie is done purely for entertainment.
Collectors Go Wild For The Vintage Poster
by Sharon Price
Movie posters have been around since the time when films were first made however at that time nobody had any idea that the posters that were advertising the films would be worth a lot of money. The original plan was to sell projectors and film prints as a home movie entertainment system. The general public did not know what film was arriving at the local theatre and this was a way of doing it.
The vintage posters that first used the concept of poster advertisements for films turned out to be wildly successful and set the stage for the way business would be conducted for the next 100 years. These such posters are now worth lots of money.
The Classic Vintage Poster For The Classic Vintage Film
If there were any vintage posters from films released during the last thirty years that were considered rare, they would have been snapped up by collectors a long time ago. A vintage poster is not any poster advertising a film but the actual poster used at the cinemas. These vintage posters that are sent to the cinemas by the film companies are the ones that are worth the money and sort after by the collectors and are considered a prized possession.
Of the classic film vintage posters, among the most prized vintage posters that collectors desire include King Kong, Frankenstein, Casablanca, and Gone with the Wind. These films’ posters are in high demand because these vintage posters are the posters of four of the most famous, most successful and most influential films of all time. Classic vintage poster of the last few years include such films as Star Wars, Batman, Spiderman and ET.
All of these films have vintage posters that collectors prize with a passion. When offered up for auction, they can fetch prices that are quite high drawing several thousands of dollars in bids. When purchased they are usually properly stored away or, at minimum, placed in an expensive and durable frame.
While most of us can not afford these vintage posters in their original form, they all look kind of cool in reproductions. Avid film fans will probably keep the reproductions of these films in circulation for years and collectors of vintage posters will also keep the auction prices very high. If you get the chance in years to come, go to your local cinema and ask them if you can have or buy the posters as one day, you never know the poster you have been given, may just become a vintage poster in years to come.
Movie posters have been around since the time when films were first made however at that time nobody had any idea that the posters that were advertising the films would be worth a lot of money. The original plan was to sell projectors and film prints as a home movie entertainment system. The general public did not know what film was arriving at the local theatre and this was a way of doing it.
The vintage posters that first used the concept of poster advertisements for films turned out to be wildly successful and set the stage for the way business would be conducted for the next 100 years. These such posters are now worth lots of money.
The Classic Vintage Poster For The Classic Vintage Film
If there were any vintage posters from films released during the last thirty years that were considered rare, they would have been snapped up by collectors a long time ago. A vintage poster is not any poster advertising a film but the actual poster used at the cinemas. These vintage posters that are sent to the cinemas by the film companies are the ones that are worth the money and sort after by the collectors and are considered a prized possession.
Of the classic film vintage posters, among the most prized vintage posters that collectors desire include King Kong, Frankenstein, Casablanca, and Gone with the Wind. These films’ posters are in high demand because these vintage posters are the posters of four of the most famous, most successful and most influential films of all time. Classic vintage poster of the last few years include such films as Star Wars, Batman, Spiderman and ET.
All of these films have vintage posters that collectors prize with a passion. When offered up for auction, they can fetch prices that are quite high drawing several thousands of dollars in bids. When purchased they are usually properly stored away or, at minimum, placed in an expensive and durable frame.
While most of us can not afford these vintage posters in their original form, they all look kind of cool in reproductions. Avid film fans will probably keep the reproductions of these films in circulation for years and collectors of vintage posters will also keep the auction prices very high. If you get the chance in years to come, go to your local cinema and ask them if you can have or buy the posters as one day, you never know the poster you have been given, may just become a vintage poster in years to come.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Big Brother - Bollywood Movie Review
by Seo Mumbai
By now, one knows what to expect from a Sunny Deol film - a lot of goons getting a lot of thrashing. Guddo Dhanoa's Big Brother copies the formula faithfully. The character one really feels sorry for is the hero's sister. So that he can play the macho avenger, she gets acid thrown in her face, is molested in the street and finally blown up with a bomb.
By now, one knows what to expect from a Sunny Deol film — a lot of goons getting a lot of thrashing. Guddo Dhanoa’s Big Brother copies the formula faithfully. The character one really feels sorry for is the hero’s sister. So that he can play the macho avenger, she gets acid thrown in her face, is molested in the street and finally blown up with a bomb. The treatment of women in the capital enrages Deodhar Gandhi (which was the original title of the film) into forming a vigilante squad that punishes men who get away with legal loopholes. The public and the media turns him into a hero; strange then, that he moves to Mumbai and drives an auto without anyone recognising him.
In Mumbai he wants to live peacefully with his family, but there are hoodlums to be fought here too. Plus a chawl don, a corrupt cop and an evil minister. As stuntmen fly into the air or get buried in the earth when Deodhar hits out, he becomes a mass hero again. The finale is played out with a camera recording the killings live — how ridiculous can it get? For a break from the violence are a few songs (which is why Priyanka Chopra is in the cast) and an item number or two.
By now, one knows what to expect from a Sunny Deol film - a lot of goons getting a lot of thrashing. Guddo Dhanoa's Big Brother copies the formula faithfully. The character one really feels sorry for is the hero's sister. So that he can play the macho avenger, she gets acid thrown in her face, is molested in the street and finally blown up with a bomb.
By now, one knows what to expect from a Sunny Deol film — a lot of goons getting a lot of thrashing. Guddo Dhanoa’s Big Brother copies the formula faithfully. The character one really feels sorry for is the hero’s sister. So that he can play the macho avenger, she gets acid thrown in her face, is molested in the street and finally blown up with a bomb. The treatment of women in the capital enrages Deodhar Gandhi (which was the original title of the film) into forming a vigilante squad that punishes men who get away with legal loopholes. The public and the media turns him into a hero; strange then, that he moves to Mumbai and drives an auto without anyone recognising him.
In Mumbai he wants to live peacefully with his family, but there are hoodlums to be fought here too. Plus a chawl don, a corrupt cop and an evil minister. As stuntmen fly into the air or get buried in the earth when Deodhar hits out, he becomes a mass hero again. The finale is played out with a camera recording the killings live — how ridiculous can it get? For a break from the violence are a few songs (which is why Priyanka Chopra is in the cast) and an item number or two.
11 Jobs That Can Help You Stay Focused On Your Acting Career
by Anthony Lee Smith
While there are not many things that you could do to make money that compare to the possibilities that the internet offers for example, if you do have to work more in the traditional sense, then at least try to do something that will be of benefit to you as an actor while you’re working. Here are some possibilities:
1. Try to get work in a casting director or an agent’s office. Sometimes in the industry trade papers agents and casting directors advertise for assistants and people to work a few hours a week opening mail and doing office chores. It’s a great way to learn what goes on in their offices. You get to see the kinds of mail other actors send in, overhear telephone conversations, and just basically see what it’s like first hand.
2. The Actors Connection is an organization in New York that provides a great service to actors by giving them the opportunity to meet and audition for agents, casting directors and other industry professionals who are not always the easiest people to be able to meet. They do this in the form of seminars every evening and often even on Saturdays. During the seminars there are what I call “gate keepers” who keep the time and ensure that all the participants get an equal share of the industry professional’s time who is conducting the individual session.
At times AC is looking for people to work, usually flexible hours as one of the “gate keepers”. That is also a great way to meet first hand casting directors and agents, listen in on the question and answer sessions before the individual, one on one sessions take place. A great way to learn!
3. In addition, there are other acting schools around the city that look for assistants.
4. Theater companies looking for stage personel and production assistants often with no experience necessary. Prerequisite is to be responsible and a fast learner.
5. There are also a host of casting websites and organizations, such as Actors Access, Breakdown Services, NYCastings as well. If you do a Google search, you will find a slew of others. Why not see if they need help or could use your services?
6. There are also showcases and industry events that are organized to help actors promote their careers. It's a great way to meet casting directors and agents. The organization of those events is a big to do and they need hosts and hostesses to help the event go smoothly. You can find information about such events by simply keeping abreast of what’s going on in the industry. Read the trade papers regularly and check the top acting/casting websites.
7. Why not see if the local union offices of SAG, AFTRA and EQUITY could use some help? Find out where their offices are. See if you can find out what they might be looking for. Find out who the person is you need to contact and if your approach is to send a cover letter, then address the person by his name as opposed to “To whom it may concern.”
8. Do you have skills that one of the trade papers could be interested in, maybe to work in one of their offices? Could be an idea to contact Backstage, Ross Reports, probably the most read of the industry papers. Have a look on the internet or in the Drama Book Shop in New York to see some of the other possibilities that exist.
9. There are many production companies who are looking for good people with skills.
10. Do you have the skills to form a production company? I know someone, a fellow actor, who has done just that. It’s a great way to make industry contacts with people who could also help you further your career as an actor.
11. Do you have the skills to start and run your own small business, form your own company? What do you love to do? Could you turn your hobby into a business? If so, do you know other responsible and reliable people who share your same passion and who have good business skills? If so, maybe you could form your own company together with those people. Why not? As time goes on, you could gradually distance yourself from the daily business of running your small company and dedicate more and more time to acting and promote your acting career.
The whole point of this article is to help you think. If you don't have a steady stream of residual income that will permit you to focus 100% of your time on your acting career and you have to work in the traditional sense to make ends meet, then at least do something that will keep you connected to the industry and at the same time help you grow in some way as an actor.
While there are not many things that you could do to make money that compare to the possibilities that the internet offers for example, if you do have to work more in the traditional sense, then at least try to do something that will be of benefit to you as an actor while you’re working. Here are some possibilities:
1. Try to get work in a casting director or an agent’s office. Sometimes in the industry trade papers agents and casting directors advertise for assistants and people to work a few hours a week opening mail and doing office chores. It’s a great way to learn what goes on in their offices. You get to see the kinds of mail other actors send in, overhear telephone conversations, and just basically see what it’s like first hand.
2. The Actors Connection is an organization in New York that provides a great service to actors by giving them the opportunity to meet and audition for agents, casting directors and other industry professionals who are not always the easiest people to be able to meet. They do this in the form of seminars every evening and often even on Saturdays. During the seminars there are what I call “gate keepers” who keep the time and ensure that all the participants get an equal share of the industry professional’s time who is conducting the individual session.
At times AC is looking for people to work, usually flexible hours as one of the “gate keepers”. That is also a great way to meet first hand casting directors and agents, listen in on the question and answer sessions before the individual, one on one sessions take place. A great way to learn!
3. In addition, there are other acting schools around the city that look for assistants.
4. Theater companies looking for stage personel and production assistants often with no experience necessary. Prerequisite is to be responsible and a fast learner.
5. There are also a host of casting websites and organizations, such as Actors Access, Breakdown Services, NYCastings as well. If you do a Google search, you will find a slew of others. Why not see if they need help or could use your services?
6. There are also showcases and industry events that are organized to help actors promote their careers. It's a great way to meet casting directors and agents. The organization of those events is a big to do and they need hosts and hostesses to help the event go smoothly. You can find information about such events by simply keeping abreast of what’s going on in the industry. Read the trade papers regularly and check the top acting/casting websites.
7. Why not see if the local union offices of SAG, AFTRA and EQUITY could use some help? Find out where their offices are. See if you can find out what they might be looking for. Find out who the person is you need to contact and if your approach is to send a cover letter, then address the person by his name as opposed to “To whom it may concern.”
8. Do you have skills that one of the trade papers could be interested in, maybe to work in one of their offices? Could be an idea to contact Backstage, Ross Reports, probably the most read of the industry papers. Have a look on the internet or in the Drama Book Shop in New York to see some of the other possibilities that exist.
9. There are many production companies who are looking for good people with skills.
10. Do you have the skills to form a production company? I know someone, a fellow actor, who has done just that. It’s a great way to make industry contacts with people who could also help you further your career as an actor.
11. Do you have the skills to start and run your own small business, form your own company? What do you love to do? Could you turn your hobby into a business? If so, do you know other responsible and reliable people who share your same passion and who have good business skills? If so, maybe you could form your own company together with those people. Why not? As time goes on, you could gradually distance yourself from the daily business of running your small company and dedicate more and more time to acting and promote your acting career.
The whole point of this article is to help you think. If you don't have a steady stream of residual income that will permit you to focus 100% of your time on your acting career and you have to work in the traditional sense to make ends meet, then at least do something that will keep you connected to the industry and at the same time help you grow in some way as an actor.
Kya Love Story Hai
by Seo Mumbai
The much-publicised Kareena Kapoor item number is dispensed with right at the start. it has no connection with the rest of the film. Giving up on Kya Love Story Hai at this point would make perfect sense,because even in a crowd of bad films, this yawn-inducer could compete for many razzies.
The much-publicised Kareena Kapoor item number is dispensed with right at the start. it has no connection with the rest of the film. Giving up on Kya Love Story Hai at this point would make perfect sense,because even in a crowd of bad films, this yawn-inducer could compete for many razzies.
It definitely has the worst comedy track ever-in which two desperate blokes, who call themselves "hunters" hit on anything that moves and get slapped. One gag or two would have been enough, these two (unidentified actors) and an accompanying black dwarf (the film is set in South Africa , hence the black and blonde population!) get almost a film-within-the-film to themselves. The way blacks are portrayed would have invited law suits anywhere else!
Arjun (Tusshar) falls in love with Kajal and cannot tell her. If this sounds like Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, it’s because director Lovely Singh was an assistant for that one. Didn’t Tusshar see any similarities in the script (if there was one!) before he signed up? Anyway, he wears this hang dog look all the time, but Kajal never guesses, girls in films are so imperceptive! She thinks the love letter she has peeked at is for someone else, and tells him girls would only fall for a man with ambition and an identity and not a rich slacker like him.
Arjun flies off to Mumbai immediately in search of fame and fortune, but by the time he returns with both (mercifully, earned off screen), Kajal is engaged to Ranveer (Karan Hukku), who wants to marry her because mummy-said so. otherwise he prefers his cell phone to her any day!
While attending a friend’s wedding, Kajal hangs out with both guys and eventually the cell phone dude realises that there is more to the Kajal-Arjun friendship than platonic hugs.
Tusshar does the song-and-dance numbers well, there’s not much else in the role. Ayesha Takia is overweight and it shows glaringly in close-ups. she catches one ‘cute’ wide smile expression and repeats it ad nauseum; while Karan Hukku looks as if his granite jaw would crack if he even attempted something like an expression!
The much-publicised Kareena Kapoor item number is dispensed with right at the start. it has no connection with the rest of the film. Giving up on Kya Love Story Hai at this point would make perfect sense,because even in a crowd of bad films, this yawn-inducer could compete for many razzies.
The much-publicised Kareena Kapoor item number is dispensed with right at the start. it has no connection with the rest of the film. Giving up on Kya Love Story Hai at this point would make perfect sense,because even in a crowd of bad films, this yawn-inducer could compete for many razzies.
It definitely has the worst comedy track ever-in which two desperate blokes, who call themselves "hunters" hit on anything that moves and get slapped. One gag or two would have been enough, these two (unidentified actors) and an accompanying black dwarf (the film is set in South Africa , hence the black and blonde population!) get almost a film-within-the-film to themselves. The way blacks are portrayed would have invited law suits anywhere else!
Arjun (Tusshar) falls in love with Kajal and cannot tell her. If this sounds like Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, it’s because director Lovely Singh was an assistant for that one. Didn’t Tusshar see any similarities in the script (if there was one!) before he signed up? Anyway, he wears this hang dog look all the time, but Kajal never guesses, girls in films are so imperceptive! She thinks the love letter she has peeked at is for someone else, and tells him girls would only fall for a man with ambition and an identity and not a rich slacker like him.
Arjun flies off to Mumbai immediately in search of fame and fortune, but by the time he returns with both (mercifully, earned off screen), Kajal is engaged to Ranveer (Karan Hukku), who wants to marry her because mummy-said so. otherwise he prefers his cell phone to her any day!
While attending a friend’s wedding, Kajal hangs out with both guys and eventually the cell phone dude realises that there is more to the Kajal-Arjun friendship than platonic hugs.
Tusshar does the song-and-dance numbers well, there’s not much else in the role. Ayesha Takia is overweight and it shows glaringly in close-ups. she catches one ‘cute’ wide smile expression and repeats it ad nauseum; while Karan Hukku looks as if his granite jaw would crack if he even attempted something like an expression!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Departed (2006)
by Chad Stroh
'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.
Spoiler Warning 'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.
Boston Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholoson) sends an undercover informant (Matt Damon) to work in the Massachusetts State Police. At the same time the police send Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) undercover acting as a convicting wanting to join Costello's crew.
As both the police department and Costello's crew realize they both have unwanted members, the two informants are assigned to find the identity of each other. The only two people who know Billy Costigan's real identity, Captain Oliver Queenen (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sargeant Bryce Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) soon find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The Captain of the police department George Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) promotes Sullivan and he find himself in a relationship with psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). As they grow closer, she meets Billy Costigan after he his assigned to her for therapy. They form a relationship unknown to Sullivan.
Sullivan reports back to Costello that their is a rat in his crew (Costigan). Costello makes each of his crew members fill out a fake form where they must include their social security number in an attempt to find the intruder. Costigan knows that Costello will take these forms to his insider in the police. He discreetly follows Costello to a porn theater where Sullivan is waiting. Costigan is unable to make out Sullivan's face in the dark theater. Costigan follows Sullivan into the streets but loses track of him.
Newly promoted Sullivan is assigned to find the mole in the police who is actually himself. While Queenan searches for Costello on the rooftop of a building, he is trailed by members of the police department. Sullivan tells Costello the snitch is in the same building and Costello's men go to capture him. Caught in the middle Queenen is caught by Costello's men and thrown off the building to his death.
After Queenen's death, Dignam begins to suspect Sullivan is the mole. Sullivan's demands to know who the mole is in Costello's crew. Sullivan eventually finds Queenen's cell phone and calls Costigan. He disguises himself as Costigan's new boss.
Day's later the police trail Costello to a warehouse where is crew plans to pick up drugs. The police ambush and kill Costello's crew. Sullivan finds Costello and Costello tells him that he is also an informant. Sullivan shoots and kills Costello.
Costigan meets Sullivan at the police station where Costigan finds evidence of Sullivan's connections. Costigan leaves and later sends Sullivan recordings of Costello and Sullivan talking. Madolyn leaves Sullivan after realizing the truth him. Sullivan calls Costigan and Costigan reveals incriminating evidence about Costello. The two of them arrange to meet on the roof where Queenen was killed.
While on the rooftop, Costigan handcuffs Sullivan. Another trooper shows up and Costigan takes Sullivan hostage. Costigan tells the trooper that Sullivan is the mole. While Sullivan tells the office he is lying Costigan flees with Sullivan
Costigan takes Sullivan to an elevator. When it reaches the bottom floor, the door opens and immediatly Costigan is shot in the head. The shooter turns out to be Trooper Barrigan. The officer who confronted the two on roof arrives and is also shot and killed. Barrigan tells Sullivan that there were two moles and he was one of them. Barrigan tells Sullivan that they should work together to hide their true identity. Sullivan shoots and kills Barrigan. Later Sullivan would blame Barrigan for the shootings.
After Sullivan attends Costigan's funeral he returns home to find Dignam pointing a loaded gun at him. Dignam shoots Costigan in the head.
'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.
Spoiler Warning 'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.
Boston Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholoson) sends an undercover informant (Matt Damon) to work in the Massachusetts State Police. At the same time the police send Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) undercover acting as a convicting wanting to join Costello's crew.
As both the police department and Costello's crew realize they both have unwanted members, the two informants are assigned to find the identity of each other. The only two people who know Billy Costigan's real identity, Captain Oliver Queenen (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sargeant Bryce Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) soon find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The Captain of the police department George Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) promotes Sullivan and he find himself in a relationship with psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). As they grow closer, she meets Billy Costigan after he his assigned to her for therapy. They form a relationship unknown to Sullivan.
Sullivan reports back to Costello that their is a rat in his crew (Costigan). Costello makes each of his crew members fill out a fake form where they must include their social security number in an attempt to find the intruder. Costigan knows that Costello will take these forms to his insider in the police. He discreetly follows Costello to a porn theater where Sullivan is waiting. Costigan is unable to make out Sullivan's face in the dark theater. Costigan follows Sullivan into the streets but loses track of him.
Newly promoted Sullivan is assigned to find the mole in the police who is actually himself. While Queenan searches for Costello on the rooftop of a building, he is trailed by members of the police department. Sullivan tells Costello the snitch is in the same building and Costello's men go to capture him. Caught in the middle Queenen is caught by Costello's men and thrown off the building to his death.
After Queenen's death, Dignam begins to suspect Sullivan is the mole. Sullivan's demands to know who the mole is in Costello's crew. Sullivan eventually finds Queenen's cell phone and calls Costigan. He disguises himself as Costigan's new boss.
Day's later the police trail Costello to a warehouse where is crew plans to pick up drugs. The police ambush and kill Costello's crew. Sullivan finds Costello and Costello tells him that he is also an informant. Sullivan shoots and kills Costello.
Costigan meets Sullivan at the police station where Costigan finds evidence of Sullivan's connections. Costigan leaves and later sends Sullivan recordings of Costello and Sullivan talking. Madolyn leaves Sullivan after realizing the truth him. Sullivan calls Costigan and Costigan reveals incriminating evidence about Costello. The two of them arrange to meet on the roof where Queenen was killed.
While on the rooftop, Costigan handcuffs Sullivan. Another trooper shows up and Costigan takes Sullivan hostage. Costigan tells the trooper that Sullivan is the mole. While Sullivan tells the office he is lying Costigan flees with Sullivan
Costigan takes Sullivan to an elevator. When it reaches the bottom floor, the door opens and immediatly Costigan is shot in the head. The shooter turns out to be Trooper Barrigan. The officer who confronted the two on roof arrives and is also shot and killed. Barrigan tells Sullivan that there were two moles and he was one of them. Barrigan tells Sullivan that they should work together to hide their true identity. Sullivan shoots and kills Barrigan. Later Sullivan would blame Barrigan for the shootings.
After Sullivan attends Costigan's funeral he returns home to find Dignam pointing a loaded gun at him. Dignam shoots Costigan in the head.
"Little Manhattan" Is Not Cute or Well Done, It Misses the Mark with Really Corny Dialogue
by Ed Bagley
Little Manhattan is a comedy about a couple of fifth graders in New York who explore their budding emotions in a personal relationship at the attraction stage. Gabe, the young boy, finds his parents going through a rough time in their marriage as his dad and mom are still together, but his mother is dating other men. His parents are all but separated in the truest sense of the word, and on the verge of divorce, when Gabe, who thinks girls are gross, suddenly falls in love with Rosemary. Therein lies the undoing of this movie that you want to like more than it is likeable.
Little Manhattan – 1 Star (Terrible)
Little Manhattan is a comedy about a couple of fifth graders in New York who explore their budding emotions in a personal relationship at the attraction stage.
Gabe (Josh Hutcherson), the young boy, finds his parents going through a rough time in their marriage as his dad and mom are still together, but his mother is dating other men. His parents are all but separated in the truest sense of the word, and on the verge of divorce, when Gabe, who thinks girls are gross, suddenly falls in love with Rosemary (Charlie Ray).
Therein lies the undoing of this movie that you want to like more than it is likeable.
Gabe's parents, Leslie (Cynthia Nixon) and Adam (Bradley Whitford) add little to this movie. They make parents seem pretty silly, immature and unable to express themselves in any meaningful way.
Little Manhattan is written by Jennifer Flackett, who has not a clue how kids this age really talk and what they really say. Here are some "memorable quotes" from the film:
Gabe: "See, life is about so much more than Rosemary. I had my family, my health, my kicking career. I really had no room for a woman in my life."
Gabe: "I couldn't escape them, all the little things I left unsaid, I was drowning in them."
Gabe: "See, this is just like I told you. Same thing I knew getting into this whole mess – love ends."
Gabe: "Love is an ugly, terrible business practiced by fools. It'll trample your heart and leave you bleeding on the floor. And what does it really get you in the end? Nothing but a few incredible memories that you can't ever shake. The truth is there's gonna be other girls out there. I mean, I hope, but I'm never gonna get another first love. That one's always gonna be her."
Gabe: "Is there anything worse than dress shopping? I would rather have my toenails peeled off one by one with pliers than spend five minutes in the dress store."
This is supposed to be an 11-year-old boy talking about falling in love the first time.
In the end, Gabe’s relationship with Rosemary ends, and his parents get back together.
It sounds as if Jennifer Flackett has had a lot of bad encounters in her romantic life.
Little Manhattan is the only film I have ever reviewed that did not get a single sniff at an award nomination for anything, and it is clear why.
On the trivia side, Charlie Ray's aunt saw a casting call for the role of Rosemary in a newspaper. She took her niece who had never auditioned before, and Charlie Ray got the part and her film debut.
Gabe and Rosemary's on-screen "first kiss" was actually the first kiss for actors Josh Hutcherson and Charlie Ray in real life.
Little Manhattan is worth seeing once to remind yourself that, despite our children growing up "too quickly" in today’s sex-saturated, youth-driven society of false values, thankfully, fifth graders still do not think the way these fifth graders think, and they do not do the things these fifth graders do.
The premise of the movie is good, but there is a huge difference in what Flackett thinks fifth graders say and do, and what they actually say and do.
When you want to see a movie about how children really think and act, go directly to "A Christmas Story", in which a Red Ryder BB gun gets a young boy’s attention, rather than a girl.
Little Manhattan is a comedy about a couple of fifth graders in New York who explore their budding emotions in a personal relationship at the attraction stage. Gabe, the young boy, finds his parents going through a rough time in their marriage as his dad and mom are still together, but his mother is dating other men. His parents are all but separated in the truest sense of the word, and on the verge of divorce, when Gabe, who thinks girls are gross, suddenly falls in love with Rosemary. Therein lies the undoing of this movie that you want to like more than it is likeable.
Little Manhattan – 1 Star (Terrible)
Little Manhattan is a comedy about a couple of fifth graders in New York who explore their budding emotions in a personal relationship at the attraction stage.
Gabe (Josh Hutcherson), the young boy, finds his parents going through a rough time in their marriage as his dad and mom are still together, but his mother is dating other men. His parents are all but separated in the truest sense of the word, and on the verge of divorce, when Gabe, who thinks girls are gross, suddenly falls in love with Rosemary (Charlie Ray).
Therein lies the undoing of this movie that you want to like more than it is likeable.
Gabe's parents, Leslie (Cynthia Nixon) and Adam (Bradley Whitford) add little to this movie. They make parents seem pretty silly, immature and unable to express themselves in any meaningful way.
Little Manhattan is written by Jennifer Flackett, who has not a clue how kids this age really talk and what they really say. Here are some "memorable quotes" from the film:
Gabe: "See, life is about so much more than Rosemary. I had my family, my health, my kicking career. I really had no room for a woman in my life."
Gabe: "I couldn't escape them, all the little things I left unsaid, I was drowning in them."
Gabe: "See, this is just like I told you. Same thing I knew getting into this whole mess – love ends."
Gabe: "Love is an ugly, terrible business practiced by fools. It'll trample your heart and leave you bleeding on the floor. And what does it really get you in the end? Nothing but a few incredible memories that you can't ever shake. The truth is there's gonna be other girls out there. I mean, I hope, but I'm never gonna get another first love. That one's always gonna be her."
Gabe: "Is there anything worse than dress shopping? I would rather have my toenails peeled off one by one with pliers than spend five minutes in the dress store."
This is supposed to be an 11-year-old boy talking about falling in love the first time.
In the end, Gabe’s relationship with Rosemary ends, and his parents get back together.
It sounds as if Jennifer Flackett has had a lot of bad encounters in her romantic life.
Little Manhattan is the only film I have ever reviewed that did not get a single sniff at an award nomination for anything, and it is clear why.
On the trivia side, Charlie Ray's aunt saw a casting call for the role of Rosemary in a newspaper. She took her niece who had never auditioned before, and Charlie Ray got the part and her film debut.
Gabe and Rosemary's on-screen "first kiss" was actually the first kiss for actors Josh Hutcherson and Charlie Ray in real life.
Little Manhattan is worth seeing once to remind yourself that, despite our children growing up "too quickly" in today’s sex-saturated, youth-driven society of false values, thankfully, fifth graders still do not think the way these fifth graders think, and they do not do the things these fifth graders do.
The premise of the movie is good, but there is a huge difference in what Flackett thinks fifth graders say and do, and what they actually say and do.
When you want to see a movie about how children really think and act, go directly to "A Christmas Story", in which a Red Ryder BB gun gets a young boy’s attention, rather than a girl.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Riya Sen- The Hottest Bollywood Actress And Model!
By Rajesh Srivastava
All about the hottest Bollywood actress and model Riya Sen. This 5"1 Bollywood actress was born on January 24, 1981 in Kolkata, India.
This 5”1 Bollywood actress was born on January 24, 1981 in Kolkata, India. She belongs to a famous family clan of West Bengal. She is the grand daughter of Suchitra Sen, a legend in Bengali cinema, and daughter of Moonmoon Sen, a former actress. Before moving to Mumbai, she lived with her parents and sister Raima Sen, also an actress, in Kolkata. Her father Bharat Dev Varma belongs to the illustrious royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch Behar, whose younger sister Gayatri Devi is the Maharani of Jaipur.
This gorgeous lady first stepped under the arc lamps at the tender age of 15 when she faced the camera for the famous Tamil flick “Taj Mahal”, directed by Bharati Raja. And this is how her acting career started blooming.
Her Bollywood film debut was supposed to have been in Love You Hamesha, opposite Akshaye Khanna. Soon after that it was her comedy movie Style that took her to the success.
Well, most of her other films have not done well on the box office. An exception is Jhankaar Beats, another comedy in which she co-starred with Shayan Munshi, Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose, Rinke Khanna and Sanjay Suri. Most of her appearances have been item numbers and cameos. Her few leading roles have been in low-budget films.
She has also made her career in modeling, where she appeared in numerous music videos for songs by popular singers, including Asha Bhonsle, Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh and Sonu Nigam. She was one of many Bollywood stars who appeared in Haath Se Haath Mila an anti-HIV/AIDS music video.
She is also a successful advertising model. The high point of her modeling career was started when she replaced Lisa Ray as the Lakmé Girl. Her other notable assignments include Colgate, Limca, Vatika, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, and Margarita King.
After doing her last movie “Apna Sapna Money Money" this young and charming lady has lost again… there is no other fourth coming movies in the row that shows her…Might be she will come back with a new style and passion again.
REPRINT RIGHTS statement: This article is free for republishing by visitors provided the Author Bio box is retained as usual so that all links are Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
All about the hottest Bollywood actress and model Riya Sen. This 5"1 Bollywood actress was born on January 24, 1981 in Kolkata, India.
This 5”1 Bollywood actress was born on January 24, 1981 in Kolkata, India. She belongs to a famous family clan of West Bengal. She is the grand daughter of Suchitra Sen, a legend in Bengali cinema, and daughter of Moonmoon Sen, a former actress. Before moving to Mumbai, she lived with her parents and sister Raima Sen, also an actress, in Kolkata. Her father Bharat Dev Varma belongs to the illustrious royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch Behar, whose younger sister Gayatri Devi is the Maharani of Jaipur.
This gorgeous lady first stepped under the arc lamps at the tender age of 15 when she faced the camera for the famous Tamil flick “Taj Mahal”, directed by Bharati Raja. And this is how her acting career started blooming.
Her Bollywood film debut was supposed to have been in Love You Hamesha, opposite Akshaye Khanna. Soon after that it was her comedy movie Style that took her to the success.
Well, most of her other films have not done well on the box office. An exception is Jhankaar Beats, another comedy in which she co-starred with Shayan Munshi, Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose, Rinke Khanna and Sanjay Suri. Most of her appearances have been item numbers and cameos. Her few leading roles have been in low-budget films.
She has also made her career in modeling, where she appeared in numerous music videos for songs by popular singers, including Asha Bhonsle, Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh and Sonu Nigam. She was one of many Bollywood stars who appeared in Haath Se Haath Mila an anti-HIV/AIDS music video.
She is also a successful advertising model. The high point of her modeling career was started when she replaced Lisa Ray as the Lakmé Girl. Her other notable assignments include Colgate, Limca, Vatika, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, and Margarita King.
After doing her last movie “Apna Sapna Money Money" this young and charming lady has lost again… there is no other fourth coming movies in the row that shows her…Might be she will come back with a new style and passion again.
REPRINT RIGHTS statement: This article is free for republishing by visitors provided the Author Bio box is retained as usual so that all links are Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
TV Shows With the Best Soundtracks
by Jennifer Jordan
There are a lot of TV shows that have great soundtracks, these are just our favorites. Each of these shows are enriched, and made more appealing and endearing, by the songs they feature, leaving us to vow to continue watching even if our television screens suddenly stop working.
The other day, our staff put together a list of the television shows with the best soundtracks. Now, it was certainly hard to omit the dun-dunn-dudun-dun-dun from the 400 episodes of Law and Order that air daily, and it was hard not to include the show Friends: some of us wanted it listed for no other reason that Ross's magical keyboard performances (Intergalactic Love Room, anyone?). But, when it came down to it, these series' just didn't fit the bill. The following five shows, however, are the ones we are not only happily watching, but also happily hearing.
Grey's Anatomy: Is there anything this show doesn’t have? Great writers, check. Great cast, check. Great story line, check. Great catch phrases, double check…..seriously. A show watched by seemingly everyone, Grey's Anatomy takes time to not only focus on the plot, but to focus on the songs playing in the background. This show never forgets about the McMusic.
Grey's succeeds in matching up scenes with songs that make moments that much more memorable, and it also gives chances to a lot of undiscovered musicians. Known for featuring songs and artists that aren't yet famous, their soundtrack is a virtual "Who's Who" of performers no one knows. With music from Alamo Race Track, Adam Merrin, and Let's Go Sailing, this concept of untapped talent works wonderfully. Grey's is great at bringing fresh tunes to the operating table.
Scrubs: It's silly, it's funny, it's downright ridiculous at times, but Scrubs, when it comes to the foundation, is all about heart: the music featured allows this to show. Whether viewers are learning through J.D.'s internal monologue or from a patient with an incurable disease, the music that is coupled with lessons of morality and mortality are always a perfect fit. When lyrics echo in the background of each scene, it's hard to think of a song that would be better suited.
Like Grey's, this show is also well apt at including unique songs and staying away from the mainstream madness of other television shows. Recent music featured on Scrubs have included songs by The Mavericks, G Tom Mac, Rhett Miller, and the Cary Brothers. When it comes to this series, the music doctors are in.
The Hills and Laguna Beach: So, these are technically two separate shows, but, because they really share similar casts, soundtracks, and "plots," they get placed under one entry: sorry Lauren and Kristin, you two are just going to have to learn to skip and hold hands.
What these shows lack in, well just about everything, they make up in music. It should be no surprise that both these series, created by the folks at MTV, feature more song sequences than a record collection. But this abundance works well (and helps to keep the reality stars from "acting"). In fact, a ton of songs on my Ipod are songs I was introduced to through The Hills and Laguna Beach, and not songs that I was introduced to through Meet the Press and The O'reilly Factor like I keep telling everyone.
Recent artists featured on these shows include Avril Lavigne, The Weepies, and Katharine McPhee. With a good mix of songs by performers you know and performers you don't, MTV makes sure the hills (and the beaches) are alive with the sound of music.
House: I know what you guys are thinking, "Could there be any more medical related shows on this list?" Sorry about that, but it's not our fault that the folks who put medical shows together are also great song picker-outers (if you want to go with the technical term). House is just another example of a show filled with the devastations of illness and death, but the sprinklings of humor and, say it with me, great music.
The music picked for House does two things: it reminds people of the humanity involved in any medical setting, fictional or otherwise, and it makes Hugh Laurie's lead character seem a little less callous. The songs picked teeter between filling our hearts with hope and filling our eyes with tears.
Recent music featured includes songs from KC and the Sunshine Band, Ben Harper, and Ella Fitzgerald. With an eclectic range of tunes and artists, this series makes sure that good music is in the, well, house (sorry, that tagline was begging to be used).
Friday Night Lights: In a world where so much of the sports industry seems to be quickly becoming less and less about heart, it's nice to see a sports-themed TV show that is still beating. Friday Night Lights tells us the tale of a high school football team in Dillon, Texas. Not only does this show showcase the pressures placed on high school football players (particularly in Texas) but it also portrays the support offered by a small town who lives and dies with each first down.
Omitting the hard, fist pumping songs of many sports-related features - Eye of the Tiger, mind you - the songs featured on Friday Night Lights are subtle, welcoming, and often instrumental. Still, when the moment calls for it, gears are switched over to songs that are lively enough to make anyone viewing get up to go running, or at least get up to get another beer.
Explosions in the Sky, an Indie Rock group based in Texas, provides a lot of the music for the soundtrack Recent other artists featured include Ryan Adams, Pink, Outkast, and Pearl Jam. With a soundtrack like this, you'll never want the Friday night lights to go out (again, so sorry, it's almost over).
There are a lot of TV shows that have great soundtracks, these are just our favorites. Each of these shows are enriched, and made more appealing and endearing, by the songs they feature, leaving us to vow to continue watching even if our television screens suddenly stop working.
There are a lot of TV shows that have great soundtracks, these are just our favorites. Each of these shows are enriched, and made more appealing and endearing, by the songs they feature, leaving us to vow to continue watching even if our television screens suddenly stop working.
The other day, our staff put together a list of the television shows with the best soundtracks. Now, it was certainly hard to omit the dun-dunn-dudun-dun-dun from the 400 episodes of Law and Order that air daily, and it was hard not to include the show Friends: some of us wanted it listed for no other reason that Ross's magical keyboard performances (Intergalactic Love Room, anyone?). But, when it came down to it, these series' just didn't fit the bill. The following five shows, however, are the ones we are not only happily watching, but also happily hearing.
Grey's Anatomy: Is there anything this show doesn’t have? Great writers, check. Great cast, check. Great story line, check. Great catch phrases, double check…..seriously. A show watched by seemingly everyone, Grey's Anatomy takes time to not only focus on the plot, but to focus on the songs playing in the background. This show never forgets about the McMusic.
Grey's succeeds in matching up scenes with songs that make moments that much more memorable, and it also gives chances to a lot of undiscovered musicians. Known for featuring songs and artists that aren't yet famous, their soundtrack is a virtual "Who's Who" of performers no one knows. With music from Alamo Race Track, Adam Merrin, and Let's Go Sailing, this concept of untapped talent works wonderfully. Grey's is great at bringing fresh tunes to the operating table.
Scrubs: It's silly, it's funny, it's downright ridiculous at times, but Scrubs, when it comes to the foundation, is all about heart: the music featured allows this to show. Whether viewers are learning through J.D.'s internal monologue or from a patient with an incurable disease, the music that is coupled with lessons of morality and mortality are always a perfect fit. When lyrics echo in the background of each scene, it's hard to think of a song that would be better suited.
Like Grey's, this show is also well apt at including unique songs and staying away from the mainstream madness of other television shows. Recent music featured on Scrubs have included songs by The Mavericks, G Tom Mac, Rhett Miller, and the Cary Brothers. When it comes to this series, the music doctors are in.
The Hills and Laguna Beach: So, these are technically two separate shows, but, because they really share similar casts, soundtracks, and "plots," they get placed under one entry: sorry Lauren and Kristin, you two are just going to have to learn to skip and hold hands.
What these shows lack in, well just about everything, they make up in music. It should be no surprise that both these series, created by the folks at MTV, feature more song sequences than a record collection. But this abundance works well (and helps to keep the reality stars from "acting"). In fact, a ton of songs on my Ipod are songs I was introduced to through The Hills and Laguna Beach, and not songs that I was introduced to through Meet the Press and The O'reilly Factor like I keep telling everyone.
Recent artists featured on these shows include Avril Lavigne, The Weepies, and Katharine McPhee. With a good mix of songs by performers you know and performers you don't, MTV makes sure the hills (and the beaches) are alive with the sound of music.
House: I know what you guys are thinking, "Could there be any more medical related shows on this list?" Sorry about that, but it's not our fault that the folks who put medical shows together are also great song picker-outers (if you want to go with the technical term). House is just another example of a show filled with the devastations of illness and death, but the sprinklings of humor and, say it with me, great music.
The music picked for House does two things: it reminds people of the humanity involved in any medical setting, fictional or otherwise, and it makes Hugh Laurie's lead character seem a little less callous. The songs picked teeter between filling our hearts with hope and filling our eyes with tears.
Recent music featured includes songs from KC and the Sunshine Band, Ben Harper, and Ella Fitzgerald. With an eclectic range of tunes and artists, this series makes sure that good music is in the, well, house (sorry, that tagline was begging to be used).
Friday Night Lights: In a world where so much of the sports industry seems to be quickly becoming less and less about heart, it's nice to see a sports-themed TV show that is still beating. Friday Night Lights tells us the tale of a high school football team in Dillon, Texas. Not only does this show showcase the pressures placed on high school football players (particularly in Texas) but it also portrays the support offered by a small town who lives and dies with each first down.
Omitting the hard, fist pumping songs of many sports-related features - Eye of the Tiger, mind you - the songs featured on Friday Night Lights are subtle, welcoming, and often instrumental. Still, when the moment calls for it, gears are switched over to songs that are lively enough to make anyone viewing get up to go running, or at least get up to get another beer.
Explosions in the Sky, an Indie Rock group based in Texas, provides a lot of the music for the soundtrack Recent other artists featured include Ryan Adams, Pink, Outkast, and Pearl Jam. With a soundtrack like this, you'll never want the Friday night lights to go out (again, so sorry, it's almost over).
There are a lot of TV shows that have great soundtracks, these are just our favorites. Each of these shows are enriched, and made more appealing and endearing, by the songs they feature, leaving us to vow to continue watching even if our television screens suddenly stop working.
10 Tips And More For Making Your Own Classic Movie Poster
by Carmel Baird
This sounds great for getting some of your own 'original' classic movie posters on your walls. You may not feel you are artistic enough and you don't want your classic film poster to look like you have had it from your kindergarten days. So here are a few tips to help you make your poster
This sounds great for getting some of your own 'original' classic movie posters on your walls. You may not feel you are artistic enough and you don't want your classic film poster to look like you have had it from your kindergarten days. So here are a few tips to help you make your poster
Start with a theme. Your theme can be:
1. Color scheme, to go with decor in your room
2. Use only black and white and just a touch of a bold color
3. Feature a classic film star
4. Use an era, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s
5. Try using star couples like, Bogart and Bacall, Fred and Ginger, Martin and Lewis
6. Disney
7. Sequels
8. Superman
9 Spiderman
10 Musicals
Make Your Own Classic Movie Poster For Your Media/TV Room
Redecorating can lead to wonderful and inspiring features in your home or apartment. Take the latest in home decorating, a media room and what better way to decorate your media room than with classic movie posters. Not just any classic movie posters but your very own, the movies you consider to be your classics and make your own movie posters. It is easier than you think and unless you are collecting the original posters from the classic films, then it is really up to your imagination. Let your creativity lose, even if you don't have a media room, then your family room or where you watch TV can be decorated this way. Add a little movie nostalgia.
Making a Classic Movie Poster, Get Creative.
Browse your local charity shops for record album covers, there are always vinyl records there and you never know what you will find, you could even use the record in the frame also. Once again, it's your imagination, set the poster out, leave it a few days to see if it appeals and if it looks right then make it permanent. This type of poster need not be the big size poster, often times a set of smaller posters with the same classic actor can look great. Using the record album covers can be an inexpensive way to go about making your own classic poster from your favorite classic films.
You can also use the collage technique to make your film poster. You only need to get a poster board or an artist canvas. Paint your canvas for the background and then apply your clippings in a pattern or all over, it is your choice. You can find clippings in magazines or newspapers or look for covers from VHS tapes, CDs or DVDs, your local video hire store may be able to help you out with this. You never know what treasures you will find your local video store, they could even help you out with posters, even a little damaged at the edge wouldn't matter if you are going to re-model them with your collage.
As you are decorating your walls with your own posters, then make sure you theme them, maybe a large and three smaller ones or the three long narrow ones that will make up the one normal poster if put exactly side by side, but with a slight separation they will take on an abstract look.
As you are making your own classic film poster, then it should reflect what you feel is a classic film. So it need not be just the ones perceived today as classic, remember when these classic films were made they were just movies.
This could be a really fun project and you may even find a fantastic creative side to yourself you didn't know was there. So get to it, browse the thrift stores, your local video hire store and don't forget the game stores, there are treasures in these stores for making your own classic movie posters
This sounds great for getting some of your own 'original' classic movie posters on your walls. You may not feel you are artistic enough and you don't want your classic film poster to look like you have had it from your kindergarten days. So here are a few tips to help you make your poster
This sounds great for getting some of your own 'original' classic movie posters on your walls. You may not feel you are artistic enough and you don't want your classic film poster to look like you have had it from your kindergarten days. So here are a few tips to help you make your poster
Start with a theme. Your theme can be:
1. Color scheme, to go with decor in your room
2. Use only black and white and just a touch of a bold color
3. Feature a classic film star
4. Use an era, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s
5. Try using star couples like, Bogart and Bacall, Fred and Ginger, Martin and Lewis
6. Disney
7. Sequels
8. Superman
9 Spiderman
10 Musicals
Make Your Own Classic Movie Poster For Your Media/TV Room
Redecorating can lead to wonderful and inspiring features in your home or apartment. Take the latest in home decorating, a media room and what better way to decorate your media room than with classic movie posters. Not just any classic movie posters but your very own, the movies you consider to be your classics and make your own movie posters. It is easier than you think and unless you are collecting the original posters from the classic films, then it is really up to your imagination. Let your creativity lose, even if you don't have a media room, then your family room or where you watch TV can be decorated this way. Add a little movie nostalgia.
Making a Classic Movie Poster, Get Creative.
Browse your local charity shops for record album covers, there are always vinyl records there and you never know what you will find, you could even use the record in the frame also. Once again, it's your imagination, set the poster out, leave it a few days to see if it appeals and if it looks right then make it permanent. This type of poster need not be the big size poster, often times a set of smaller posters with the same classic actor can look great. Using the record album covers can be an inexpensive way to go about making your own classic poster from your favorite classic films.
You can also use the collage technique to make your film poster. You only need to get a poster board or an artist canvas. Paint your canvas for the background and then apply your clippings in a pattern or all over, it is your choice. You can find clippings in magazines or newspapers or look for covers from VHS tapes, CDs or DVDs, your local video hire store may be able to help you out with this. You never know what treasures you will find your local video store, they could even help you out with posters, even a little damaged at the edge wouldn't matter if you are going to re-model them with your collage.
As you are decorating your walls with your own posters, then make sure you theme them, maybe a large and three smaller ones or the three long narrow ones that will make up the one normal poster if put exactly side by side, but with a slight separation they will take on an abstract look.
As you are making your own classic film poster, then it should reflect what you feel is a classic film. So it need not be just the ones perceived today as classic, remember when these classic films were made they were just movies.
This could be a really fun project and you may even find a fantastic creative side to yourself you didn't know was there. So get to it, browse the thrift stores, your local video hire store and don't forget the game stores, there are treasures in these stores for making your own classic movie posters
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Movie Trailers - The Great Hollywood Lie
by Michael Bannon
How to avoid being fooled into watching bad movies by great 30 second trailers.
How sad is it that week after week people from all over the globe get tricked out of money by Hollywood? Let’s face it, the highest paid people in the business shouldn’t be the Actors, and it shouldn’t be the Directors, it should simply be the men and women who most of us have never heard of. They are the ones who edit the movie trailers together. They are the ones that give us a glimpse into what their new film has to offer, and they are the ones that trick us the most. This holds true for any genre but especially when it comes to horror/suspense and comedy. They trick you by often showing you the funniest or scariest scenes in the movie and make you believe that the whole film will be filled with the same thing.
How many times have you seen a movie trailer and thought to yourself “wow that movie looks fantastic, I can’t wait to see it”. Then you go see the movie, and it is nothing like what the trailer made it appear to be? Months before the movie is released you get bombarded with PR for the film, from posters, trailers and even pop up ads on the internet, and you get so filled with hope for these high budget, and often times low talent films that you can’t help but expect them to be great. So now you’ve wasted nearly $10 dollars for the movie ticket, and while I try and avoid the over priced, under-satisfying snack line, most people will go and spend at least another $10 there. Now you have spent nearly $20 for a very boring, sometimes upsetting 2 hours of your life that you will never get back again. That would be bad enough, but the worst part about it is that you will probably go and do it again next weekend as well.
So how can one avoid being tricked by the studios and how can you avoid wasting money after seeing these mini movies called trailers? Well the truth is there is no way to 100% to be sure that the movie you see is going to be good. But here are a few things that you can do to raise the chances of wasting less money by seeing the better movies out there.
1. Watch the trailers - Even though Trailers often trick us, they are still necessary to get some idea of what the movie might be about.
2. Read many reviews – The key to reading reviews is to not just read one and then go on what the author had to say. Read many and most important, try and find reviews from people who seem to have similar tastes as yourself. Most of us go see movies with certain friends because they usually have similar tastes as us and will enjoy the same things. Same goes for movie reviews. Find reviewers who seem to have similar tastes as you, and that will help you in picking your next movie.
3. Actors/Directors – If the main actor is someone that you do not normally like, then it’s a good chance that you will not like this film either. The same goes for the director. A lot of times the average person doesn’t even know who is directing the film before they go see it. If they would only check this beforehand they might find out that this person has been involved in many films that they did or did not like. Film in this sense is much like reading a book. Would you go buy a book that was written by an author that you hate? Try using the same thought process with film directors.
4. How many times have you seen the movie trailer? I’ve recently come to the conclusion that if I see the movie trailer on TV more than 5 times the week before the movie is being released, then I have no desire to see that movie anymore or at least on opening weekend. This is more a general rule for myself as I do not always hold true to it. For example, I could see the trailer for Spider-Man 3 100 times the week before it comes out, and I will still see it opening day. They have done enough for me over the first two films to convince me that the third will be just as good. This has caused me some disappointment in the past (The Matrix films) but generally when seeing sequels and trilogies it is ok to see the 2nd or 3rd if you liked the first.
5. Wait until opening weekend is over. There are so many movie websites out there now to find out what the general public has thought about a film. If you don’t trust the professional movie reviews, then wait a week or two after the movie has been released and find out what others think about it. This again will help you to filter out some of the bad movies out there.
How to avoid being fooled into watching bad movies by great 30 second trailers.
How sad is it that week after week people from all over the globe get tricked out of money by Hollywood? Let’s face it, the highest paid people in the business shouldn’t be the Actors, and it shouldn’t be the Directors, it should simply be the men and women who most of us have never heard of. They are the ones who edit the movie trailers together. They are the ones that give us a glimpse into what their new film has to offer, and they are the ones that trick us the most. This holds true for any genre but especially when it comes to horror/suspense and comedy. They trick you by often showing you the funniest or scariest scenes in the movie and make you believe that the whole film will be filled with the same thing.
How many times have you seen a movie trailer and thought to yourself “wow that movie looks fantastic, I can’t wait to see it”. Then you go see the movie, and it is nothing like what the trailer made it appear to be? Months before the movie is released you get bombarded with PR for the film, from posters, trailers and even pop up ads on the internet, and you get so filled with hope for these high budget, and often times low talent films that you can’t help but expect them to be great. So now you’ve wasted nearly $10 dollars for the movie ticket, and while I try and avoid the over priced, under-satisfying snack line, most people will go and spend at least another $10 there. Now you have spent nearly $20 for a very boring, sometimes upsetting 2 hours of your life that you will never get back again. That would be bad enough, but the worst part about it is that you will probably go and do it again next weekend as well.
So how can one avoid being tricked by the studios and how can you avoid wasting money after seeing these mini movies called trailers? Well the truth is there is no way to 100% to be sure that the movie you see is going to be good. But here are a few things that you can do to raise the chances of wasting less money by seeing the better movies out there.
1. Watch the trailers - Even though Trailers often trick us, they are still necessary to get some idea of what the movie might be about.
2. Read many reviews – The key to reading reviews is to not just read one and then go on what the author had to say. Read many and most important, try and find reviews from people who seem to have similar tastes as yourself. Most of us go see movies with certain friends because they usually have similar tastes as us and will enjoy the same things. Same goes for movie reviews. Find reviewers who seem to have similar tastes as you, and that will help you in picking your next movie.
3. Actors/Directors – If the main actor is someone that you do not normally like, then it’s a good chance that you will not like this film either. The same goes for the director. A lot of times the average person doesn’t even know who is directing the film before they go see it. If they would only check this beforehand they might find out that this person has been involved in many films that they did or did not like. Film in this sense is much like reading a book. Would you go buy a book that was written by an author that you hate? Try using the same thought process with film directors.
4. How many times have you seen the movie trailer? I’ve recently come to the conclusion that if I see the movie trailer on TV more than 5 times the week before the movie is being released, then I have no desire to see that movie anymore or at least on opening weekend. This is more a general rule for myself as I do not always hold true to it. For example, I could see the trailer for Spider-Man 3 100 times the week before it comes out, and I will still see it opening day. They have done enough for me over the first two films to convince me that the third will be just as good. This has caused me some disappointment in the past (The Matrix films) but generally when seeing sequels and trilogies it is ok to see the 2nd or 3rd if you liked the first.
5. Wait until opening weekend is over. There are so many movie websites out there now to find out what the general public has thought about a film. If you don’t trust the professional movie reviews, then wait a week or two after the movie has been released and find out what others think about it. This again will help you to filter out some of the bad movies out there.
Hawaii Goes Hollywood
by Issac Soren
With the many different climates and landscapes in such a small geographical area it is no wonder that Large Film production companies seek the Hawaiian islands as a back drop in their films.
Having recently taken a tour of Oahu with my friend visiting from Oregon, I had to say that the Hawaiian islands have a lot in store for visitor and resident.
I grew up in the center of the island of Oahu, the same Island that features Honolulu (State Capital city) and touristy city Waikiki. Admittingly having not ventured to far from my home town while growing up my version of Hawaii was a tropical humid climate with lush green vegetation where ever you looked and just as much rain as you got sun.
Little did I know that even just a ten minute drive in either direction away from my town you would experience slight change in weather conditions. The degrees would rise especially because I live in the hills and so going away meant dropping to sea level with flat plains that provide no protection from the hot sun, no mountains for the clouds to gather to bring in the morning showers.
With the many different climates and landscapes in such a small geographical area it is no wonder that Large Film production companies seek the islands as a back drop in their films.
With such films like Hawaii-five-0, Magnum P.I., MTV's Real World and currently ABC's Lost under the belt many producers attribute the islands vast array of looks to the luring of a movie set.
If you didn’t know maybe I should tell you that Hawaii has provided such backdrops to movies portraying places like Korea, Iraq, China, Japan, London, any tropical island and even New York city.
With the many different climates and landscapes in such a small geographical area it is no wonder that Large Film production companies seek the Hawaiian islands as a back drop in their films.
Having recently taken a tour of Oahu with my friend visiting from Oregon, I had to say that the Hawaiian islands have a lot in store for visitor and resident.
I grew up in the center of the island of Oahu, the same Island that features Honolulu (State Capital city) and touristy city Waikiki. Admittingly having not ventured to far from my home town while growing up my version of Hawaii was a tropical humid climate with lush green vegetation where ever you looked and just as much rain as you got sun.
Little did I know that even just a ten minute drive in either direction away from my town you would experience slight change in weather conditions. The degrees would rise especially because I live in the hills and so going away meant dropping to sea level with flat plains that provide no protection from the hot sun, no mountains for the clouds to gather to bring in the morning showers.
With the many different climates and landscapes in such a small geographical area it is no wonder that Large Film production companies seek the islands as a back drop in their films.
With such films like Hawaii-five-0, Magnum P.I., MTV's Real World and currently ABC's Lost under the belt many producers attribute the islands vast array of looks to the luring of a movie set.
If you didn’t know maybe I should tell you that Hawaii has provided such backdrops to movies portraying places like Korea, Iraq, China, Japan, London, any tropical island and even New York city.
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Who is Venom
by Jesse Miller
Peter Parker has finally found the balance he's longed for between his love for Mary Jane Watson and his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Venom will take...
Peter Parker has finally found the balance he's longed for between his love for Mary Jane Watson and his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
The city of New York and it's citizens are at last coming around and appreciating everything he has done as his crime-fighting alter ego, and Peter is in the running for a staff job at the Daily Bugle.
However, everything Peter has worked for is about to unravel. Flint Marko, while fleeing prison, is caught in an accident that displaces molecules and is transformed into the Sandman, a new super villain who is able to change his body into any shape of sand he sees fit.
When Peter learns of a connection between The Sandman and the murder of his Uncle Ben, he will stop at nothing as Spider-Man to capture him. But before Peter can do so he discovers a mysterious black substance has turned his suit black, and has brought forth a darker side of Parker and Spidey nobody has seen before.
Peter begins to give into this new dark personality, starts to abandon the ones he loves the most and in turn his best friend Harry Osborn takes up his late father's mantle as The New Goblin. Quickly Parker begins a new romance with his lab partner, the beautiful Gwen Stacy but in doing so Peter sets off a rival Bugle photographer, a troubled young man by the name of Eddie Brock who is obsessed with Stacy. Little does Peter know the black substance has its sights set on Eddie else as well. Turning Brock into Venom, a foe that mirrors everything Spider-Man can do. Forcing Peter to become the strong-willed hero he has forgotten about if he hopes to defeat his greatest threat yet.
Peter Parker has finally managed to piece together the once-broken parts of his life, maintaining a balance between his relationship with Mary-Jane and his responsibility as Spider-Man. But more challenges arise for our young hero.
Peter's old friend Harry Obsourne has set out for revenge against Peter; taking up the mantle of his late father's persona as The New Goblin, and Peter must also capture Uncle Ben's real killer, Flint Marko, who has been transformed into his toughest foe yet, the Sandman. All hope seems lost when suddenly Peter's suit turns jet-black and greatly amplifies his powers. But it also begins to greatly amplify the much darker qualities of Peter's personality that he begins to lose himself to. Peter has to reach deep inside himself to free the compassionate hero he used to be if he is to ever conquer the darkness within and face not only his greatest enemies, but also...himself.
Peter Parker has finally found the balance he's longed for between his love for Mary Jane Watson and his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Venom will take...
Peter Parker has finally found the balance he's longed for between his love for Mary Jane Watson and his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
The city of New York and it's citizens are at last coming around and appreciating everything he has done as his crime-fighting alter ego, and Peter is in the running for a staff job at the Daily Bugle.
However, everything Peter has worked for is about to unravel. Flint Marko, while fleeing prison, is caught in an accident that displaces molecules and is transformed into the Sandman, a new super villain who is able to change his body into any shape of sand he sees fit.
When Peter learns of a connection between The Sandman and the murder of his Uncle Ben, he will stop at nothing as Spider-Man to capture him. But before Peter can do so he discovers a mysterious black substance has turned his suit black, and has brought forth a darker side of Parker and Spidey nobody has seen before.
Peter begins to give into this new dark personality, starts to abandon the ones he loves the most and in turn his best friend Harry Osborn takes up his late father's mantle as The New Goblin. Quickly Parker begins a new romance with his lab partner, the beautiful Gwen Stacy but in doing so Peter sets off a rival Bugle photographer, a troubled young man by the name of Eddie Brock who is obsessed with Stacy. Little does Peter know the black substance has its sights set on Eddie else as well. Turning Brock into Venom, a foe that mirrors everything Spider-Man can do. Forcing Peter to become the strong-willed hero he has forgotten about if he hopes to defeat his greatest threat yet.
Peter Parker has finally managed to piece together the once-broken parts of his life, maintaining a balance between his relationship with Mary-Jane and his responsibility as Spider-Man. But more challenges arise for our young hero.
Peter's old friend Harry Obsourne has set out for revenge against Peter; taking up the mantle of his late father's persona as The New Goblin, and Peter must also capture Uncle Ben's real killer, Flint Marko, who has been transformed into his toughest foe yet, the Sandman. All hope seems lost when suddenly Peter's suit turns jet-black and greatly amplifies his powers. But it also begins to greatly amplify the much darker qualities of Peter's personality that he begins to lose himself to. Peter has to reach deep inside himself to free the compassionate hero he used to be if he is to ever conquer the darkness within and face not only his greatest enemies, but also...himself.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Comcast On Demand Movies? Here are Tips On How To Get Comcast On Demand Movies
by Larry Brooks
Many people have a problem when they have a new cable system. There are so many menus and different icons and buttons. This article tries to help in that area.
If you are having trouble finding a Comcast on demand movie, maybe this article will help. All pay per view movies are in the on demand section. I will try to give you the information in a step by step order.
To find a Comcast on demand movie, press the ON DEMAND button on your remote for the on demand menu. If you don't have an on demand button, press the MENU button and pick on demand from the quick menu.
Now pick the category that you want and drill down thru a few more menus until you get to the last one. There as you click on an item it will tell you if it is available. If a program is marked new, it was added in the last 7 days.
When changing channel or by pressing the INFO button, the flip or info bar will come up on the bottom of the screen. If on demand is available on that network there will be a small icon on the right. To view what is available press the RIGHT ARROW button to highlight the icon. Now press the ON DEMAND or MENU to get to the on demand menu to see what on demand is available from that network.
If a Comcast on demand movie or event is a pay per view, you may watch a free preview by selecting the preview icon on the program screen.
When you select a movie the program information will show either a watch icon or buy and preview icons. Pick the watch icon to watch the movie. Or select the buy icon and a conformation screen will appear asking you if you want to buy or cancel.
You can REWIND, FAST FORWARD, PAUSE and STOP by using the video keys located under the ON DEMAND button on your remote.
And if you have premium programming like HBO, STARZ or CINEMAX, you can watch unlimited shows free.
If you would like to limit what can be ordered from Comcast on demand movies. Then you can use the Parental Control codes. Code is a four digit number and if you forget it, customer service can always reset it for you.
Hint: When using on demand, if you happen to see the message “Unable to Process Request” wait a couple of minutes and try again. If it still appears, turn the cable box off and the back on. If it’s still there call customer service.
I hope this article has been a help to someone. It is really a simple process, but a little confusing with all the menus, icons and buttons. Remember, the icons are always on the program information screen.
Many people have a problem when they have a new cable system. There are so many menus and different icons and buttons. This article tries to help in that area.
If you are having trouble finding a Comcast on demand movie, maybe this article will help. All pay per view movies are in the on demand section. I will try to give you the information in a step by step order.
To find a Comcast on demand movie, press the ON DEMAND button on your remote for the on demand menu. If you don't have an on demand button, press the MENU button and pick on demand from the quick menu.
Now pick the category that you want and drill down thru a few more menus until you get to the last one. There as you click on an item it will tell you if it is available. If a program is marked new, it was added in the last 7 days.
When changing channel or by pressing the INFO button, the flip or info bar will come up on the bottom of the screen. If on demand is available on that network there will be a small icon on the right. To view what is available press the RIGHT ARROW button to highlight the icon. Now press the ON DEMAND or MENU to get to the on demand menu to see what on demand is available from that network.
If a Comcast on demand movie or event is a pay per view, you may watch a free preview by selecting the preview icon on the program screen.
When you select a movie the program information will show either a watch icon or buy and preview icons. Pick the watch icon to watch the movie. Or select the buy icon and a conformation screen will appear asking you if you want to buy or cancel.
You can REWIND, FAST FORWARD, PAUSE and STOP by using the video keys located under the ON DEMAND button on your remote.
And if you have premium programming like HBO, STARZ or CINEMAX, you can watch unlimited shows free.
If you would like to limit what can be ordered from Comcast on demand movies. Then you can use the Parental Control codes. Code is a four digit number and if you forget it, customer service can always reset it for you.
Hint: When using on demand, if you happen to see the message “Unable to Process Request” wait a couple of minutes and try again. If it still appears, turn the cable box off and the back on. If it’s still there call customer service.
I hope this article has been a help to someone. It is really a simple process, but a little confusing with all the menus, icons and buttons. Remember, the icons are always on the program information screen.
The Plasma Set Television- How it Works and Why It's a Good Reason to Buy a New TV
by Nathalie Fiset
Plasma televisions are the newest improvement in television viewing.
Long before plasma set televisions made their appearance, people bought TVs for their size. The bulkier, the better and whoever got the biggest, meanest television screen won the game of one-upmanship with his neighbors.
And then picture quality came along. The game quickly shifted into whose TV made the grass look greener and Halle Berry better looking than she already is. These days, the gold medal probably belongs to plasma television sets.
Why plasma television set looks so good
If you have your old CRT (cathode ray tube) TV, you've probably been amazed at the technology that made pictures come alive through the screen. CRTs also use pixels or dots that when grouped together, form a bigger image. CRTs basically use a vacuum tube that fires electrons against phosphors. Three phosphors make up one pixel, which is made of red, blue and green colors.
The CRT technology has a measure of control on which phosphor group to hit and depending on the strength and length of the hit, the picture tube shows us an image with color and light contrast.
Now CRTs perform well and are in fact still popular in many parts of the world. The only drawback is that they are heavier, fragile and eat up a lot of living room space. You've probably noticed the same issues with your older computer monitors.
With a plasma television set, the technology is different. Gas inside a fluorescent light is excited to a degree and transforms into a plasma state. Pixels are still made with the same three basic colors, but since plasma can be aimed more precisely, more pixels can be hit to form an image. The result? A clearer, prettier picture on the television screen.
Not only is high resolution a feature that plasma television sets boast of, there are also the colors – all 16 million and more of them. Imagine watching the TV and knowing there are millions of different colors dancing right in front of your eyes even if you can only name a few. There's dragon red, leaf green, ocean blue or maybe canary yellow and egg white, but that's just a drop in the bucket of all the color possibilities that plasma television sets can offer.
The view from the other side
Another reason why plasma television sets win a lot of admirers is that it gives the concept of 'sitting in front of the television' a whole new meaning. Remember when kids used to fight for the 'best seats' right smack in the middle for TV viewing? This is no longer true with plasma TV.
With rear projection TVs, the viewing angle is about 45 degrees to the sides. A plasma television set can give you perfect images even at 160 degrees! You can walk from one side of the room to the other and you will still have the same picture quality, so don't worry too much about Aunt or Grandma sitting to the sides of the plasma television set. They are enjoying themselves just fine.
The flatness is also there for a reason other than giving the excellent viewing angles; it also reduces glare. With a plasma television set, you don't even have to dim the lights for better viewing. It works just as well even with ambient light turned to the max.
Issues and myths
No, you cannot refill your plasma television set's plasma content or that it's too radiation-heavy. Those are urban legends that are too silly to be even given a second look. Plasma television sets are a product of the latest technology and as such, still have a few issues here and there.
One of the most common is the burn-in issue, where a plasma television set develops a burned-in image when it's tuned in for too long to a static picture. There is also the half-life expectancy where plasma televisions are expected to burn a little dimmer after a few thousand hours.
These issues are quite true, but the real threat to the life and quality of a plasma television set is really a matter of wise and careful use. If you keep it on hours and hours on one channel with a static image, then a burn-in issue might emerge, but this will only happen after hours of day-in and day-out use. The half-life has also improved from the 30,000 hours (allowing you 9 years of plasma TV use for 8 hours of viewing a day) to 60,000 hours.
The Holy Grail of television sets?
For now, plasma television sets offer a lot to drool about but many would-be fans are put off by its price. Imagine paying about $2,500 for a 42-inch plasma TV. However, plasma televisions are priced that way for good reason – they offer tops in picture quality and contrast and even with the monstrous size some models are available in, you won't want a lot in the resolution department.
Getting a plasma television set instead of an LCD or some other high-def TV is really a matter of personal choice and budget. Shop for the unit that's perfect for you and enjoy all the other benefits you won't otherwise get had you made a different choice.
Plasma televisions are the newest improvement in television viewing.
Long before plasma set televisions made their appearance, people bought TVs for their size. The bulkier, the better and whoever got the biggest, meanest television screen won the game of one-upmanship with his neighbors.
And then picture quality came along. The game quickly shifted into whose TV made the grass look greener and Halle Berry better looking than she already is. These days, the gold medal probably belongs to plasma television sets.
Why plasma television set looks so good
If you have your old CRT (cathode ray tube) TV, you've probably been amazed at the technology that made pictures come alive through the screen. CRTs also use pixels or dots that when grouped together, form a bigger image. CRTs basically use a vacuum tube that fires electrons against phosphors. Three phosphors make up one pixel, which is made of red, blue and green colors.
The CRT technology has a measure of control on which phosphor group to hit and depending on the strength and length of the hit, the picture tube shows us an image with color and light contrast.
Now CRTs perform well and are in fact still popular in many parts of the world. The only drawback is that they are heavier, fragile and eat up a lot of living room space. You've probably noticed the same issues with your older computer monitors.
With a plasma television set, the technology is different. Gas inside a fluorescent light is excited to a degree and transforms into a plasma state. Pixels are still made with the same three basic colors, but since plasma can be aimed more precisely, more pixels can be hit to form an image. The result? A clearer, prettier picture on the television screen.
Not only is high resolution a feature that plasma television sets boast of, there are also the colors – all 16 million and more of them. Imagine watching the TV and knowing there are millions of different colors dancing right in front of your eyes even if you can only name a few. There's dragon red, leaf green, ocean blue or maybe canary yellow and egg white, but that's just a drop in the bucket of all the color possibilities that plasma television sets can offer.
The view from the other side
Another reason why plasma television sets win a lot of admirers is that it gives the concept of 'sitting in front of the television' a whole new meaning. Remember when kids used to fight for the 'best seats' right smack in the middle for TV viewing? This is no longer true with plasma TV.
With rear projection TVs, the viewing angle is about 45 degrees to the sides. A plasma television set can give you perfect images even at 160 degrees! You can walk from one side of the room to the other and you will still have the same picture quality, so don't worry too much about Aunt or Grandma sitting to the sides of the plasma television set. They are enjoying themselves just fine.
The flatness is also there for a reason other than giving the excellent viewing angles; it also reduces glare. With a plasma television set, you don't even have to dim the lights for better viewing. It works just as well even with ambient light turned to the max.
Issues and myths
No, you cannot refill your plasma television set's plasma content or that it's too radiation-heavy. Those are urban legends that are too silly to be even given a second look. Plasma television sets are a product of the latest technology and as such, still have a few issues here and there.
One of the most common is the burn-in issue, where a plasma television set develops a burned-in image when it's tuned in for too long to a static picture. There is also the half-life expectancy where plasma televisions are expected to burn a little dimmer after a few thousand hours.
These issues are quite true, but the real threat to the life and quality of a plasma television set is really a matter of wise and careful use. If you keep it on hours and hours on one channel with a static image, then a burn-in issue might emerge, but this will only happen after hours of day-in and day-out use. The half-life has also improved from the 30,000 hours (allowing you 9 years of plasma TV use for 8 hours of viewing a day) to 60,000 hours.
The Holy Grail of television sets?
For now, plasma television sets offer a lot to drool about but many would-be fans are put off by its price. Imagine paying about $2,500 for a 42-inch plasma TV. However, plasma televisions are priced that way for good reason – they offer tops in picture quality and contrast and even with the monstrous size some models are available in, you won't want a lot in the resolution department.
Getting a plasma television set instead of an LCD or some other high-def TV is really a matter of personal choice and budget. Shop for the unit that's perfect for you and enjoy all the other benefits you won't otherwise get had you made a different choice.
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