Grumpy Old Men Movie Review

One of the most superb comedies ever filmed, Grumpy Old Men showcases the multidimensional talents of two of Hollywood's most accomplished actors, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. With the additional brilliant comic performance of Burgess Meredith, Grumpy Old Men transforms from a gem of a picture into one of the funniest movies ever made. A sweeping commercial success, the film spawned the sequel Grumpier Old Men - a rare breed of movie that almost lived up to the quality of the original.

In Grumpy Old Men, lifelong friends and neighbors John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) trade jibes on a daily basis against the backdrop of the frozen Minnesota tundra. Maintaining a relationship that appears to be nothing more than a give and take of acerbic sarcasm, the two men actually enjoy a strong bond of kinship that has lasted all their lives. Widowed and retired, both men live a confined and comfortable existence, defined by routine ice fishing trips and visits from immediate family.

But John and Max both find new life when a rambunctious vixen named Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves into the neighborhood. Ariel befriends both men who act as if they aren't interested in her because of their inner fears of leaving their comfort zone. It takes the actions of their friend, local fish store owner Chuck (Ossie Davis), to jar the two men from their comfortable, yet boring lives. When Chuck pays a visit to Ariel's house late one night, he rouses the jealousy of both men who instantly transform into competitors for Ariel's affections.

While Max seemingly has the upper-hand in the quest, the tables quickly turn in John's favor when Ariel communicates her feelings during a late night visit to the Gustafson abode… Meanwhile, John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollack) develop a romantic relationship with one another.

With John and Ariel becoming an item themselves, a wedge is further driven between John and Max who continue their feuding unabated. Only a true father can break up these two fighting boys, which John's father does… But will their friendship be ruined forever?

Flooded with countless one-liners, perfect delivery of insults, and an endless number of comic scenes, Grumpy Old Men is one of the most hilarious films you'll ever have the pleasure of enjoying. The onscreen magic between Lemmon and Malthau is unsurpassed by any comedy duo before or since, and the screenplay is expertly written. In fact, the closing credits may actually be more entertaining than the film itself, which is quite an accomplishment. As the credits run the course of the screen, original outtakes from the film are shown. Burgess Meredith steals the show with his matter-of-fact, coarse utterances, such as "Looks like Chuck's gonna' bury his bone!"

With well-timed humor, and the ingenious performances of several Hollywood veterans, it's no surprise that Grumpy Old Men ranks as a definite must-see film. If you haven't seen it, you have no idea what you've been missing. Trust me, you could rent a hundred films before coming across something that's even close to being as funny as this one.

The Transformers Movie

What’s cool about the advancement of technology is that there are certain pieces that were simply made for advanced pieces of technology, but were created too soon. A prime example would be “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. The sonic landscapes and incredible details of the album were simply born to be enjoyed on the crisp, clean sound that a CD player could only provide. Even though “Dark Side” was released in 1974, its full appreciation couldn’t be discovered until the advent of the CD some 15 years later. Now, “Dark Side of the Moon” is the first CD you purchase when you grow out of your little crappy radio to a full-fledged adult, amazing kick-ass stereo system.

Which brings us to film; special effects have always been an integral part of creating worlds that moviegoers could believe in. From the colorization of Oz to Moses parting to Red Sea to being chased by the Death Star, special effects are just as important as the lead actor in some films. And while we’ve always been amazed at what was created for its time, it would be interesting to see what could be done then with the technology of today.

If there is one movie that’s destined for today’s technological and special effects advances, it comes out in July of 2007: the Transformers. For years, fans and enthusiasts would imagine what a real life Transformer would look like. How would the classic cartoon incarnation of Optimus Prime, Megatron and the other Autobots and Decepticons translate to a live action, big screen adventure? Well, this year, that question will be answered.

Forget about story or character or plot development for a second, and simply focus on big giant robots beating each other up. And then, in an instant, those big giant robots will transform into a truck or a plane and rip through the city at an incredible pace. In the early days of film, the concept would probably be impossible to place on the screen and do it justice. In the golden age of film, it would look interesting, but laughable. In the special effects era of movies, it would look passable, but not believable. But now, in 2007, with all the possibilities and abilities which special effects wizards have at their disposal, the Transformers, should, at the very least, look realistic.

A common source of debate for the upcoming Transformers movie is how the characters should look. The classic cartoon appearance, while iconic and nostalgic, supposedly does not translate that well onto a live action, big screen experience. Therefore, a whole new redesign of all the characters was necessary in order to make this movie appear realistic. And that is one of the main objectives behind this movie: it has to look absolutely real. In today’s age of special effects magic, there shouldn’t be too many movies that have cheap looking production values. But, in terms of scope and size, the visual challenges of the Transformers represent some of the biggest in moviemaking history.

Of course, because this is a big-budget adaptation of a classic 80’s cartoon and comic, the whole idea is to make this a trilogy. But, nobody is going to be interested in Tranformers 2 & 3 if the first one looks amateurish. This is one of those movies that could never have been made at any other time before this one, and it’s just as imperative that all the effects are done to perfection. There are some cracks at movies that you only get one shot at, with no remake really possible. This is one of those movies!

Can’t wait to see it!

Get Smart

When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), who has always dreamt of working in 40-Year-Old Virgin star Steve Carell steps into the telephonic shoes of television's most beloved bumbling detective in this big-screen adaptation of the hit 1960s-era comedy series created by Mel Brooks. The evil geniuses at KAOS have hatched a diabolical plot to dominate every living man, woman, and child on the planet, and their plot gets under way as they attack the headquarters of the U.S. spy agency Control. As a result of the attack, the identity of every agent working for Control has been compromised. Realizing that the only way to thwart KAOS' evil plan is to promote eager but inexperienced Control analyst Maxwell Smart (Carell) to the rank of special agent, the Chief (Alan Arkin) reluctantly teams Smart with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) -- a veteran super-spy whose beauty is only surpassed by her lethality. With no real field experience to speak of and nothing but sheer enthusiasm and a handful of fancy spy gadgets to help him accomplish his deadly mission, Maxwell Smart his new partner, Agent 99, will be forced to faces malevolent KAOS head Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his loyal army of minions in a decisive fight that will determine the fate of the free world. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, David Koechner, Terry Crews, and Ken Davitian co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Get The Best Kids Bedding

Kids bedding does not have to be a boring and dull thing. There are many ways of improving your kids bedding in such a way that your kids will not just look at their bedrooms as places to sleep. There are so many different ways and themes of baby bedding and kids bedding presently on the market. But, you don't have to go through it one by one. Rather than deluging yourself with all the choices available, why not think first of the theme you want for your kids bedding?

1. Theme

The theme of your kids bedding should match the room of your children. At the same time, pick a theme that your kids would love too. Oftentimes, getting a kid to sleep in his or her own bed is a difficult thing to do. Therefore, the theme of the kids bedding should make them feel that the room is theirs, a place that they want to come home to. Kids bedding themes vary in the market. There are many themes you can choose from. Some themes focus on simple color coordination. Others are more gender specific such as flowers or toy cars. Let your children know that you are buying kids bedding for them. They might help you pick the bedding they want. Also, when choosing kids bedding, do remember that most children want to have the latest children's movie in their bedding. This may, however, prove to be costly and exhausting task. At the average, there is a new children's movie every six or less months. Unless, you don't want to change the bedding look every six months, this task can be daunting. Instead of having the latest movie as kids bedding, why not use popular TV shows or cartoons that run longer or seem to last forever, like Sesame Street.

2. Age

Take into consideration not only your child's present age, but his future tastes as well. For example, a three-year-old child may like Teletubbies for his or her kids bedding, but what happens when he or she turns a year older or two? Chances are the Teletubbies bedding would be discarded soon enough before its maximum usability.

3. Designs

You might prefer bedding with a coordinated color pattern than bedding with some characters from a cartoon series or show. In fact, there are many available patterns of color in the market. Most of them are yellows, bright reds, blues for males, pinks, purples, pastels (for girls), flower-prints, dark colors, as well as animal prints that are gender-neutral. If you want to stick with cartoon characters, be sure that your kids would like your choice. The most popular characters this time are Rugrats, Spongebob Squarepants, and South Park, among others. Aside from the wide availability of various cartoon themes, toy themes are available too. Themes for girls include Barbie, Bratz, Mickey Mouse, and Kill Bill. Remember that there are also some themes that have disappeared a long time ago, but now have come back with a vengeance. Such examples include the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Goonies, and Friday The 13th.

4. Tips

- Remember that some bedding themes and styles are available only in certain sizes
- It might be wise if you ask your children for their three favorite colors and three favorite cartoons
- If the kids bedding you are choosing is not a gift it is a good idea to let your kids to select their own bedding
- If your child wets their bed regularly, a yellow sheet may help to conceal this from their friends

Excalibur Swords - Awesome Power, Legendary Beauty, Lasting Appeal

Excalibur - the famous "Sword in the Stone" Take a moment and let your mind's eye picture the images those words evoke. No sword, real or mythical, is more renowned, more beloved, than Excalibur. There is one simple reason, Excalibur is intimately associated with the myths, legends and romance surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table.

According to legend, Excalibur was a mysterious sword with magical powers, sometimes blinding Arthur's foes with a blazing-bright light. As legend has it, Arthur became the rightful king of Britain because, even though many others tried, he was the only man able to pull Excalibur out of the stone. Alternate legends say that Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake after he broke his first sword, Caliburn. Either way, Excalibur was a magical sword with awesome power and legendary beauty.

No one knows if King Arthur is an actual historical figure, if he actually wielded Excalibur, or if the entire story is merely an entertaining myth. But everyone knows the lore of Excalibur and its royal owner. And the epic film "Camelot" enhanced the mystique and appeal of this famous sword, whetting peoples' desire to have an Excalibur Sword for themselves.

The Modern Excalibur Sword.

The modern Excalibur Sword was born out of legend, out of mystique, out of the mists of the past. "Movie swords" such as replica Excalibur Swords are extremely popular with film buffs and with people who have an affinity for the history and lore of the Middle Ages.They are also sought-after by people who love historical fiction and fantasy books such as the Arthurian novel "The Once and Future King." One look at an Excalibur Sword will easily evoke images of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Excalibur Swords are very collectible and can be a bold addition to a home's decor. And Medieval tournament re-enactments have become very popular. An Excalibur Sword worn by a man attending a Medieval re-enactment would be the perfect complement to a period costume from that era.

Elegant Yet Powerful.

Usually double-handed, there are several varieties of the Excalibur Sword. All are beautiful, and all evoke the pageantry and glory of long ago, heroic times. Some Excalibur Swords have leather-wrapped hilts and rough leather or wood scabbards or sheaths. Other Excalibur Swords have chrome-plated steel hilts and blades. Still others have solid silver or brass hilts and polished stainless steel blades. Some have hilts that have been etched with the traditional triple crown design of King Arthur. And some have precious or semi-precious gems and jewels inlaid or set into the hilt.But no matter what metal is used for the sword, and no matter how ornately or simply decorated, the design always harkens back to those that were used when King Arthur and his knights lived and died so valiantly. And to magic and mystery.

Lights, Camera, Action: Top NYC Television and Movie Sites

A unique type of student travel is available In New York City, where groups can learn about the world of television and movies with visits to sites made famous on both the big and small screens.

In the 1990s, Georgette Blau moved into an apartment on the East Side of Manhattan, only to discover that she lived near what had been the Jefferson apartment in the long-running situational comedy, The Jeffersons. This gave Blau an idea to create tours that allow people to straddle fiction and reality by passing the doorsteps of television and movie characters and real-life celebrities. As a result of Blau's imaginative idea, student tours can shop, eat, drink, and dance at the New York sites that have been featured in movies and on television, including visits to some of the hotspots featured in such shows as The Sopranos, Spider-Man, Friends, and Cosby.

The New York TV and Movie Sites tour is a three-hour motorcoach tour that covers more than 40 sites featured in over 60 television shows and movies. Tourists head to locations from The Devil Wears Prada, The Interpreter, and The Apprentice. From the bus, students also catch a glimpse of the restaurant used in Spider-Man. After so many years seeing it on the television screen, students visit the familiar apartment building where Monica, Chandler, and the other Friends live. Great photo ops are available on the steps of the Cosby townhouse, the Ghostbusters firehouse, and to the diner used in Men in Black and Woody Allen's Manhattan.

Tours can also be combined with a visit to the historic NBC Studio. An NBC Page serves as a guide for student tours as they visit the television operating center and NBC/Sharp History Theater. The tour also includes a visit to a couple of NBC's most famous studios, including Saturday Night Live, Today Show, and others. In the make-up room, students see prosthetic pieces built for Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

The two-hour Central Park Movie Sites Tour walks student through some of the famous park's movie sites, including the Boathouse Cafe used in When Harry Met Sally and the park's Bandshell from Breakfast at Tiffany's and Kramer vs. Kramer. Groups also take a water break at Bethesda Fountain, used in Ransom and One Fine Day. There are great photo-ops at the famous Tavern on the Green, used in Ghostbusters and Wollman Rink, featured in movies like Love Story and Serendipity. In all, the tour covers more than 40 movie and television locations.

Sopranoland has never been more alive than it is now with a four-hour bus tour of sites made famous in the smash-hit The Sopranos. More than 40 location sites on the tour include Father Phil's Parrish and the high school where A.J. dumped pizza boxes into the pond. Tours also see Pizzland, the Muffler Man, and other sites from the opening credits. Memorable photo-ops are taken at the restaurant booth where Tony sat in the final scene of the series and on the steps of the diner where Chris met his untimely end.

For those student tours visiting Washington, D.C., tours are also available of the Capitol city's television and movie sites. The three-hour bus tour features more than 30 locations from 50 movies and television shows on this guided tour.

Student tours enjoy shopping at the mall where No Way Out and True Lies was filmed, followed by a chance to stand on the steps of the house used in The Exorcist. The tour also visits locations from Wedding Crashers, West Wing, X-Files, Independence Day, and Forrest Gump. Along the way, student tours also take in some of the Capitol's most important and famous government sites. From classic films of the 1970s such as The Godfather II to the recent Mission Impossible III, the tour of Washington, D.C., movie and television sites takes student tours on a journey of the timeline of filming in D.C. Tours are led by local Washington, D.C., actors.

Harley Davidson & The Movies - Fifty Years Of Movie Parts

The most recent film starring the American icon, the Harley Davidson motorcycle, was called 'Wild Hogs'. Named after the nickname given to its riders in the 1970's, this family comedy with an all star cast including John Travolta didn't quite meet its hyped expectations. Falling flat in plot and more importantly, script, the movie was a disappointing attempt at capturing the lure of the Harley and the thrill of the open road. It should have been no surprise. Putting Disney together with Harley Davidson was a little like asking John Carpenter to do a remake of Bambi. " Nice death scene, but it didn't quite capture the mood of the original!"

Hollywood however, has had a love hate relationship with this most unlikely of stars for more than half a century. It unwittingly threw the spotlight on what had been an American standard of industry, only to demonize the name to the extent that The Harley Davidson Motor Company nearly went bankrupt. As with most relationships though, time heals all. It would be the elevation into cult status of the very same movies that nearly destroyed the company, that would raise the phoenix of Harley Davidson from the fire, and turn it into the iconic symbol that it is today.

As with the careers of most movie stars, early appearances and bit parts are mostly forgotten. You may catch a glimpse of a Harley in WWII movies. (The motorcycles were supplied to the army as utility transport during both World Wars until the Jeep took over as the main utility vehicle in 1942). The big break for the Harley Davidson came in 1953 when it was cast alongside, or should I say under, Marlon Brando in The Wild One. The movie, which told the story of Jonny, the bike gang rebel, reflected the tone of rebellion sweeping America at the time amongst the nations teenage youth.

Unlike today however, 1950's society was not one driven by youth culture. The impact of the openly anti-establishment images that the genre portrayed did not spark a boom in sales for Harley Davidson as it would later achieve for such products as Ray-Ban sunglasses following the 1982 movie Top Gun. The effect in fact, was the opposite, leading the motorbike manufacturer into a period of declining sales. Conservative, middle America in the 50's was not willing to support what Harley Davidson had become and the youth generation that idolized the films and their stars were not yet in charge of the finances to supplement their dreams.

Whilst commercially Harley Davidson was in trouble, its portrayal in movies continued to flourish. The notable peak in came in 1969 with the movie 'Easy Rider'. Once again cast as the bad boys favourite mode of transportation, the Harley Davidson Chopper cruising the open highway, will always epitomize freedom and rebellion. Maybe it is this dichotomy of emotions, so fundamental to American history and the 'American Dream' that has been the backbone of the Harleys endurance.

The nineties saw Mickey Rourke and Don Jonson take up the gauntlet, although in this film it was Mickey Rourke's character that bestowed the Name Harley Davidson to the title of the film. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man once again cast the character of the rough neck to, yes you guessed it, Harley Davidson.

As the nineties progressed, the teenagers that had idolized Marlon Brando and those early biker movies in the 50's were maturing into the wealth of America. Like an old friendship lost but never forgotten, it was these middle aged rebels of yester-year that would rekindle the corporate fortunes of Harley Davidson. they customized their bikes to stand out in a crowd and create for themselves a separate identity apart from the rest of the corporate clones. They were rebels that may have succumbed to the corporate ladder but now had the finances to relive the youth they could never afford.

So, it is with somewhat of a saddened heart, that the movie that was to portray the story of this revival and tell the story of those 50's youth reborn, should have turn out to be such a damp squib. Maybe Harleys executives still feel the pinch of the bad boy image and this is why they turned to Disney to tell the story. Personally, I think they should have gone with Tarrentino, the guts and the glory, the true Harley Davidson.

Step Brothers Movie Review-Will Ferrell At His Best!

I have to admit, I love Will Ferrell. The trouble is, when you love a guy, but his comedy starts to stink, and get stale, what do you do? This is what I was up against in the last few years with Ferrell's tiring attempts at comedy. So, when I decided to give this one a last ditch attempt and a final one more time, I have to say, I'm in love again. Step Brothers is an absolutely hilarious film.

From end to end, I don't remember the last time I've laughed this hard, without stop. This is what Ferrell needs to do, no more of those bio-spoofs of idiots that fall flat due to their tired joke. He is unstoppable as a part of an ensemble when he doesn't have to be the center of attention for an hour and half. Think not so funny but smart and witty.

Having a guy like John C. Reilly to play off of helps rein him in and give the audience a break, allowing the jokes to breath and not become stifled by the monotony of his schtick. The pairing of these two is a good combination. Reilly always plays it cool although he spices things just enough without going over the top like Ferrell get awfully into.

One of the refreshing points to this movie is that there is no romantic love interest. And many of the recent comedies starring Ferrell, there seems to be the token woman that he has to fall in love with and they have the awkward goofy romantic relationship. It seems like they've figured out that that's not necessary after all, people just want to go to the movies and laugh. This movie delivers on that point complete with gut wrenching bent over hilarious laughter.

Don't expect to see this one of the Oscars however. The movie's premise involves the get together of two older brothers who are almost in their 40s and are still living at home and with out any serious job prospects. Nancy Huff, (Mary Steenburgen showing that she is still around Hollywood), and Robert Doback, (Richard Jenkins letting his funny side out to complement the wonderful dramatic turn he gave in this year's The Visitor), are in love and perfect for one another.

With it to get together, their sons soon to be stepbrothers get to know each other. The two stepbrothers quickly realize that they are soulmates and are actually two children who were strapped in 40-year-old bodies. Thus, the comedy ensues. The chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly is unstoppable on screen, they are having fun, they must be improvising, and the movie continues to move forward with a great pace and lively energy.

As usual, this movies lined up with all the gags you can expect. The movie comes complete with rap music, grotesque singing, and of course gratuitous nudity. Give Ferrell a chance to rub his genitalia on Reilly's drumset. Wrap this all up with a whole bunch of swearing and were good to go. Surprisingly this movie did not receive and are raving. The fact that a couple lines from the trailer didn't make the final cut shows that the actors must have improvised and done multiple takes of each scene.

The movie makes use of director Apatow's genius, and delivers it in much the same way the movie Knocked Up did. Apatow and Ferrell combined with Reilly make an excellent combination and this is just another one in the steam roller hits that Apatow has come to be known for. If you enjoyed John C. Reilly in Walk hard: the Dewey Cox story, and Ferrell in movies like Elf, but you're sure to enjoy this one.

Spanglish, Movie Review

Adam Sandler has become a very rich man by dishing out some entertaining but less than critically acclaimed movies. Anyone seen The Waterboy, Billy Madison, Little Nicky, Big Daddy, or Happy Gilmore recently? Although you have to love Happy Gilmore if for no reason than the Bob Barker/Happy Gillmore throw down. But I digress.

If you’re in the mood for a different side of Sandler, I recommend you take a look at Spanglish. He displays a much wider range of acting ability than in his other roles, and the results are grea. Sandler plays a chef/father that’s going through some challenging times at home with his “a bit too intense wife” played by Tea Leoni. As the title of the film would suggest, the primary focus is on Paz Vega, a recent immigrant that takes a housekeeping job at the home of Sandler and Leoni, and her daughter. The daughter goes through some tough times as she gets used to being around the money of Sandler and his family while also being the voice of her mother who only speaks broken English. The resulting clash of cultures is interesting to watch and Sander does a great job trying to maintain control over his extended family. It’s nice to see him in a more serious role while leaving the punch lines to others…most notably the mother of Leoni’s character that happens to be an ex-jazz singer that hits the sauce at about 9am every day. On the whole, Spanglish is a great movie.

Atonement Movie - A Touching Love Story

“Atonement” is a fantastic movie directed by the renowned director Joe Wright. It is basically a romantic film full of high voltage drama. The story of this film is based on the popular novel written by the well known author McEwan. One can not find many movies based on such a theme that became hit in the first few weeks of the release. The star cast of the movie include James McAvoy, Kiera knightly, julia West, etc.

“Atonement” movie has become very popular among the viewers of all ages. It is a touching film that depicts the story of love and misunderstanding between two lovers. The story follows a 13 year old girl who falls in love with Robbie, the lead actor in the movie. The girl named Cecilia loves Robbie and therefore her sister Briony is jealous of this affair. Robbie is sentenced for five years because he was accused of being a sex maniac. Later on Briony realises her mistakes and apologises to both her sister and her lover. However, they do not reunite because of the differences occurred between them in the mean time. Hence, the movie ends on a sad note and gives the audience a lot to think.

All the actors in the movie have justified their roles. The sad scenes give lively experiences to the viewers. Some of the breathtaking songs have been given by Dario Marianelli, the music director of the film. The lead actors James and Keria have given emotion-filled performances that draw the attention of movie viewers. The ending scenes are very touching and full of emotional dialogues.

Atonement Movie CD/DVD can be availed from many places such as music stores, super markets and shopping malls. Huge discounts are also given under different packages on these places. The online shopping portals are also the places from where one can get the CDs/DVDs at discounted prices. These websites give a lot of benefits to the customers so that they could increase the traffic on their webpages. Purchasing the latest “Atonement” movie DVD from the online portals has many advantages. One can get attractive schemes and deals there which make the shopping more enjoyable.

Some websites provide the facility of comparing prices of a particular movie CD/DVD offered by different retailers. This comparison exercise helps the buyer in choosing the best available deal. The price of “Atonement” movie DVD is lesser on these sites in comparison with the music stores. The portals are able to offer such a price because they deal directly with the manufacturing companies. One can also win exciting gifts and products on these sites. Various online contests are run there and the winners get the DVDs free of cost. Overall, “Atonement” movie is a wonderful film that is gaining huge popularity in the UK markets. One should not miss the opportunity to watch such a sensational movie.

Horror Movie Reviews - Resident Evil: Extinction And More

Reviews of some horror movies I've watched.

Resident Evil: Extinction

In this third installment the entire planet has been overrun by zombie creatures, and Milla Jovovich tries to survive in this Mad Max-like world. Several scenes seem "borrowed" from other movies, like the bird attack straight out of Hitchcock's "The Birds." I wasn't impressed with the CGI, and there's no real tension in the movie - but there is some nice kick-butt-zombie-action. If you liked the first two "Resident Evil" movies, you'll enjoy this one as well. Grade: 3 out of 5

Wind Chill

In a chilling winter landscape two college students crash with their car. Soon they encounter ghosts. There's a very creepy atmosphere in this movie, and the acting is excellent. But the movie is also painfully slow, and it's far between the scares. More drama than horror. Grade: 2 out of 5

The Hitcher

Decent 2007 remake of the original Rutger Hauer movie. A young couple on their way to spring break pick up a dangerous hitchhiker, who turns their lives into a nightmare. This time around we se Sean Bean as the hitcher, and he always delivers. Despite some plot holes this is an okay remake, but I prefer the original. Grade: 3 out of 5

Alone

From the directors of "Shutter" come this better-than-average ghost horror from Thailand. It's about a dead siamese twin that comes back to haunt the sister who is alive. I really wanted to give this movie a higher grade, but I can't because the ghost scares and the twist are very predictable - but it's a pretty solid movie anyway. Grade: 3 out of 5

Premonition

Middle-of-the-road thriller where Sandra Bullock loses her husband in a car accident. But a few days later he's alive again. Was his death just a premonition of what to come, and can she stop it? The movie is slow paced and confusing as it jumps back and forth in the story. The suspense is almost non-existent, but there are some touching moments between the characters. The movie held my interest to somewhere around the halfway mark, then I got tired of it. Grade: 2 out of 5

The Breed

Michelle Rodriguez just doesn't have any luck with islands. First "Lost" and now this. A bunch of friends arriving at an island are attacked by genetically manipulated rabid dogs. And the dogs are real, no CGI dogs, thank you very much. There are some suspenseful scenes, and the movie is better than I expected, but it's not good enough. Grade: 2 out of 5

Take the Empire Magazine Bond Quiz: Test Yourself for Bond Movie Trivia

Do movie trivia for a hobby? You can test your James Bond movie trivia skills by taking the Empire Magazine Bond Quiz online. The recent publishing of the quiz in early December will afford you the chance to brush up on those movie trivia skills that you've been having so much fun in doing for the past 20 years.

• In order to test your knowledge of the ongoing Bond movies from 1962 through 2006, go to the site online at Press Dispensary, pressdispensary.com, to gain information on how to access the quiz at Empire Magazine's online website, which has a comprehensive 20-question quiz over the extensive Bond movie library and presents a challenge, even to the most knowledgeable movie trivia experts.

When you're finished taking this 20-question quiz by Empire Magazine, let us know what you think about the Empire Bond Quiz. The test is designed to cover all the Bond movies that have shown since 1962, so remember to brush up on all the Bond movie trivia that you can in preparation for this movie trivia skills set exam. But have fun doing it.

Empire Magazine is a British film magazine that can be subscribed to online at Empire's website at empireonline.com.

Sweepstakes Lets Movie Fans Go For The "glory"

Are you a well-groomed perfectionist like the "Blades of Glory" character Jimmy MacElroy or do you relate to his feisty flirt of a cohort Chazz Michael Michaels?

If the answer's "yes," you're likely a fan of the riot-ous 2007 Will Ferrell flick and can't wait to get your hands on a copy of the newly released DVD, which includes special features like deleted scenes, gag reel and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

What's more, in honor of the release, from now through October 29, 2007, you can log on to www.SmilesofGlory.com to register for a chance to win great prizes in the Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare "Glorify Your Smile" sweepstakes.

There's no purchase necessary, and one lucky grand-prize winner will win a trip for two to Hollywood-complete with travel, accommodations and a tour of the world-famous Paramount Studios. Also to be awarded to both the grand-prize winner and an additional 30 first-prize winners: a copy of the "Blades of Glory" DVD and a kit of new Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare, the five-minute daily solution for your smile. Winners will be chosen on or around November 1, 2007.

Top Five Movie Cars Of All Time

1. 1981 DeLorean DMC-12,"Back to the Future"
Notable Features of Doc Browns DeLorean include Gull-wing doors, 16-port twin exhaust boxes, Flux Capacitor and ability to travel time when travelling at 88 mph. Even more impressively in the third and final film the DeLorean has the ability to run solely on trash demonstrating its environmentally friendly features.

2. 1959 Cadillac Ambulance, "Ghostbusters"
The iconic Cadillac Ambulance in Ghostbusters, may lack action under the bonnet but it makes up for it in style with tailfins, flashing lights, sirens and an attached ladder, all the necessities for ghost hunting. The car itself was used to carry the team's ghost-capturing equipment. Special features include a special pull-out rack in the rear containing the staff's proton packs, which facilitates a quick retrieval without the complication of having to reach into the vehicle's rear and its distinctive siren wail.

3. 1964 Aston Martin DB5, "Goldfinger"
With bulletproof glass, machine guns, incessantly beeping radar screen and a beautiful body the 1964 Aston Martin from Goldfinger could not be missed out. Driven by Sean Connery as the legendary James Bond this Aston Martin is not only kitted out with the best gadgets of its time but it is fast and looks amazing.

4. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”
This classic vehicle featured as the untouchable car owned by Cameron Frye's dad in the teen movie Ferris Buellers Day off, in which Frye is persuaded to skip school and take his dads beloved car out for a spin. Much of the movie’s plot revolves around the ill fate of the Ferrari which ends up going backwards through a garage and going tail end into a forest ravine.

5. 1948 Ford Convertible “Grease”
Grease Lightening was constructed by the Thunderbirds in the movie Grease. It has a white paint job with silver car graphics including some nifty lightening graphics. The car takes John Travolta’s character Danny to victory at Thunder Ally and helps him bag the girl, Sandy. The end of the movie sees Greased Lightening carrying the lovebirds up into the clouds.

The Fox And The Child Movie Review

THE FOX AND THE CHILD is the latest film from MARCH OF THE PENGUINS filmmaker Frenchman Luc Jacquet. The movie, which boasts just one human being in its cast, young actress Bertille Noël-Bruneau, tells the story of the rather rare, though seemingly believable relationship between a child and a wild fox.

Part-nature documentary, and part-fairy tale, the film focuses on L'Enfant, the child, who on her way to school one day comes across the path of a wild fox in a picturesque setting, possibly France, though the exact location is never mentioned. Over the coming weeks the child revisits the place where she found her fox hopeful that one of said days she will see said fox, who she begins to call Lily, once again. And so it goes on. Days turn to weeks, and then the summer disappears, turning to fall and then winter, prompting some superb cinematography of the sweeping, white winter landscape. Eventually, spring comes around again, and the young child finds her fox, and indeed does strike up a friendship with the animal. And so on.

I had little to no expectation for THE FOX AND THE CHILD. I had seen MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and was simply in awe at the film-making contained in that movie. Luc Jacquet is a hugely talented, and indeed rare film-maker, and I was expecting some superb, breathtaking cinematography, sweeping vistas and brilliant footage of the wildlife. This was delivered in spades. But here Jacquet has a screenwriting credit, and not knowing anything about the movie prior to the screening, I expected something a little different than what had previously been seen in 'March'. A fictional story.

The child and the fox

And the story is simple. A young, seemingly lonely child lives in a house in the middle of nowhere and walks to school, seemingly on her own, every day, seemingly without a care in the a seemingly perfect world. Without the hint of an adult in sight. Brilliant. So she strikes up a friendship with a fox.

With a film like this, you have to dismiss your own opinion of the movie and put yourselves in the shoes of the target audience. This is a film which is aimed directly at children from the age of, I'd say, six and up. Or to families who fancy a trip to the cinema with their breed one wet Sunday afternoon. Not a 31-year-old male who gets his kicks from films like the recent, brilliant WANTED and the like. But, me being the newbie London critic, I put myself in the shoes of an excited eight-year old girl for the 95 or so minutes of THE FOX AND THE CHILD. Now, I have a few problems with this film. As a 31-year-old lad, and loyal lover of all things cinematic, I loved the wildlife and landscape photography. It's visually stunning. The direction of the animal characters is brilliantly executed -- as good as you will find on any of Attenborough's efforts. As an impressionable, short attention spanning eight year old, I loved about the first half hour -- then I lost interest. It's a little repetitive and in places quite harrowing and bloody scary for a younger child, particularly the rather dark ending. As a 31-year-old male -- I was a little frightened in places. Wuss.

Marvel's The Incredible Hulk 2008 Review - Download The Incredible Hulk Full Movie

Fans of Marvel Comics movies are lining up outside cinemas everywhere by now to get their hands on movie tickets to feast their eyes on "The Incredible Hulk" movie. When it comes to these Marvel movies, I have enjoyed them enough in the past to tell that the crowd queuing outside the ticket booths will be humongous! How to download The Incredible Hulk full movie?

Unlike the previous Hulk movie directed by Taiwanese director extraordinaire Ang Lee (of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" fame), 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" movie is helmed by director Louis Leterrier, writer Zak Penn and stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner as well as other famous names like Liv Tyler and Tim Roth as the main villain.

The movie begins after the infamous incident in which a reputable scientist called Bruce Banner accidentally turned himself into a gargantuan green monster whenever he blows his top. He's mean and he's green, but not wanting to cause untoward calamity to the public, he took a Sabbatical in Brazil in a bid to cure himself and rid the inner beast. Alas, his arch nemesis General Thaddeus can not seem to leave him alone and decide to track him down in order to gain his unlimited strength and power.

What will happen to Banner, and will the Hulk be eradicated from his body forever? Can Banner continue his relationship with the delightful Betty Ross (played by the lovely Liv Tyler) even when he is besieged with enemies trying to use and abuse him?

Even as we speak, I am getting more excited but alas, if you cannot obtain good tickets to "The Incredible Hulk", don't fret. All you need to do is download The Incredible Hulk full movie but don't just do so at any Tom, Dick and Harry's site! It won't help if you typed "free movie download" in Google and hope that the first site you visit is the best. To enjoy uninterrupted download The Incredible Hulk full movie you should be careful and select good movie download sites.

Never EVER choose a cheesy looking movie download site with annoying advertising banners and pop ups proclaiming that they can download The Incredible Hulk full movie for FREE. Nothing good in this world is free, but there are other reputable sites that will offer the service to download movies with minimal fee and no risk.

They will never cause your PCs to be virus-ridden or be plagued with irritating malware, spyware and adware. Movies provided are of great quality and sometimes, most dependable websites also offer MP3 and game downloads for value added service, you are also given right to burn to DVD for your own use. Still want to spend your hard earned dollars on DVDs?

By: Alexandre Frings

Rapunzel Is Disney's Latest Groundbreaking Movie

What's new on the horizon for Disney? Judging by the tremendous amount of buzz surrounding both Bolt, set for release in 2008, and Rapunzel, set for a Christmas 2010 release, Disney is poised for greater glory. Both films are breaking new ground in the realm of animation and both are enjoying a new cultural hunger for fantasy and entertainment. Indeed, many believe these films could spark the next Disney Renaissance. Whereas Bolt is an original story, Rapunzel, of course, sees Disney revisiting the familiar realm of the fairy tale. Upon its release, it will become the 49th film in Disney's animated feature canon.

The original plot of Rapunzel, according to inside sources, dealt with two real-world lovers who are transported into a fairytale realm. The two lovers are soon set-up by a witch who has come to despise happy endings. This version of the production was halted in 2004 for various reasons. Glen Keane, the co-director of the project, promised the new version of the film will be an unabashed animated fairy tale, thereby jettisoning the old real-world plotline.

Disney hopes to get back to its animation roots, despite the fact Rapunzel will be predominantly a computer-generated feature. There is talk that Disney will allow the Pixar sub-division to take the reigns on all future computer animation features, allowing the Disney Animation Studios to return to their signature hand-drawn animated style.

Speaking of Rapunzel, Keane notes, ?It?s a story of the need for each person to become who they are supposed to be and for a parent to set them free so they can become that. It will be a musical and a comedy and have a lot of heart and sincerity. I think that?s what Disney needs to do right now. No one else can do it. We should not be embarrassed or making excuses for doing a fairy tale.? He acknowledged the visual style of the film will be in line with the look of Jean-Honore Gragonard?s ?The Swing.? The Rococo piece inspired Keane to get the studio to return to a traditional hand-drawn methodology.

Upgrades in computer technology have changed the basic principles used in traditional animated features. There is now something like a new middle ground in animation. Keane explains he has been actively trying to "bend its knee to the artist" rather than allowing the computer to dictate the terms of creation and expression. Though the film will be made with computers, Rapunzel will resemble an oil painting on canvas. Keane states, "There's no photoreal hair. I want luscious hair, and we are inventing new ways of doing that. I want to bring the warmth and intuitive feel of hand-drawn to CGI."

Rapunzel promises to be a remarkable return the classic storylines and animation that put Disney on the cultural map. We can only hope its lush animation will deepen the landscapes of storytelling, fairy tale or not. Look for it in 2010!

By: Steve Collins..

Artists Biographies on Film: Top Movies about Visual Artists

Visual artists biographies is a popular theme in the movie world. Moviemakers have always been fascinated by visual artists biographies, especially if it includes struggle with insanity, drug addiction or social conventions. In addition, it gives them an opportunity to depict original or resurrected artworks on the big screen.

Here you can read about some of the most interesting movies about visual artists biographies.
Lust for Life directed by Vincente Minnelli in 1952

Vincent Van Gogh biography had gained several cinematic adaptations. Lust for Life with Kirk Douglas as the struggling artist is one of the most notable. The movie is based on a best selling book by Irving Stone, who also authored The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo, which also had appeared on the silver screen.

If you are a fan of Van Gogh artwork, you would enjoy watching Last for Life, which features almost 200 of Van Goghs original paintings. However, if you are familiar with Kirk Douglas previous filmographic, seeing him as a tortured Dutch painter might take a little adjustment. Another recommended film about Van Gogh is Robert Altmans Vincent and Theo from 1990.

Surviving Picasso directed by James Ivory in 1996

Like Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso image made him an iconic figure outside the artistic circles. While Van Gogh symbolizes the self destructive, manic depressive artist who achieves success only after his death, Picasso represents the misanthropic and womanizer artist. Picasso infamous relationship with women is the focus of this Merchant and Ivory film. The story is told from the eyes of Picasso mistress Francoise Gilot and features only reproductions of Picasso works. With Anthony Hopkins talent and his physical resemblance to Picasso, Surviving Picasso manages to create an unflattering portrait of an artist as a cruel, self centered genius.

Girl with Pearl Earring directed by Peter Webber in 2003

Comparing to Van Gogh and Picasso, Vermeers biography is less known and less controversial. Therefore Girl with Pearl Earring is much more restrained and delicate. The movie focuses on a short period in Vermeers life in which he was painting the portrait of his young low class maid. Although Girl with Pearl Earring does not avoid filmic conventions by over dramatizing Vermeers painting process, the movie is worth watching if only for its artistic design, which success in evoking Vermeers perception of light and color.

Basquiat directed by Julian Schnabel in 1996

The most common critique against movies that deals with visual arts is the way they depict the creation process. Therefore, there were big expectations from Basquiat, which was directed by the celebrated painter Julian Schnabel. Schnabel did well in depicting Jean Michelle Basquiat rise and fall story in less the predictable manner we have seen millions time before. However, the only reason to watch Basquiat is David Bowie plays the role of Andy Warhol.

Frida directed by Julie Taymor in 2002

Like most of the visual artists who had their life story appear on the silver screen, Frida Kahlo carried an unusual biography, which includes bus accident, problematic marriage, and an affair with Leon Trotsky. Like Van Gogh, Picasso and Jackson Pollock, who was the subject of a biopic from 2000, Frida Kahlo was an icon long before Frida was released, but the 123 minutes film did help to strength her position as a feminist idol and probably the most famous woman painter of the 20 century. Frida tries its best to integrate Frida Kahlo life story with her painting and the result is very colorful and pleasant, but still does not stay far enough from the conventions of depicting artists on film.

The toy of the film, or the film of the toy?

How movies and TV shows have come to dominate the toy market

It’s impossible to ignore how today’s toy market has come to be ruled by films and television programmes. From action figures to bicycles, soft toys to dressing-up clothes, the vast majority of kids’ toys and games these days are tied in with the likes of Darth Vader, Jack Sparrow, or Dora the Explorer. And if existing toy ranges want to compete, there’s only one thing for it – make their own movie! Transformers, Bratz, and Masters of the Universe are all lines of toys that have received the movie-star treatment, with more to come. But when did this relationship between toys and films begin, and how did it get so big?

A brief history of movie merchandising

The first notable production of a toy based on a film is still popular, and instantly recognisable around the world, today. In 1928, Walt Disney created the character of Mickey Mouse, who was an instant hit on the silver screen. Two years later, the first stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls were on sale, beginning a successful tie-in that has lasted almost eighty years. From Snow White onwards, successful toy ranges were produced to accompany Disney’s feature films. Other popular cartoon producers followed suit, licensing toys and other merchandise to cash in on the popularity of their characters.

In 1952, Mr Potato Head became the first toy to be advertised on television, netting over four million dollars in his first year on the market. Mr Potato Head would later experience a revival after his appearances in Disney’s Toy Story movies, which rejuvenated sales for several classic toy ranges. These days, Mr Potato Head continues to follow movie trends, and can be purchased with Darth Vader and Spiderman outfits, amongst others.

In the 1960s, a line of dolls were manufactured, based on US TV show The Lieutenant. Called GI Joe, this range of figures were instantly successful in the US, and are still popular there and in other parts of the world to this day. Other television and film series, including Batman and James Bond, had great success with merchandising spin-offs aimed at children.
The explosion in toy and movie tie-ins

But the relationship between film and toy was taken to a whole new level in 1977, with the release of the movie Star Wars. The film’s creator and director, George Lucas, shrewdly realised that the heroes, villains, monsters and spaceships that populate the movie, lent themselves effortlessly to the toy market. Kenner’s range of Star Wars figure and toys came to dominate the toy industry for years to come, and original items of Star Wars merchandise are now highly sought after collectibles which can fetch a high price.

Toys start starring in their own movies

The massive success of Star Wars toys showed toy manufacturers just how important television and the cinema could be in marketing toys to children (and their parents). The 1980s saw an explosion in this style of toy merchandising, especially in the world of TV. In the early ‘80s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became the first cartoon series to be based on a range of toys, rather than the other way around. This technique led to huge sales of the toys, and led to a spate of toy-related TV shows and movies based on toy ranges, including Care Bears, My Little Pony and Thundercats. In 1987, He-Man got his own movie, called Masters of the Universe, with Dolph Lundgren portraying the plastic action figure.

This was the start of a trend which would lead to the blockbuster movie Transformers in 2007, the biggest film so far to be entirely based on a range of toys. Another Masters of the Universe movie is in production, with a bigger budget than the original and the benefit of modern special effects techniques. The advent of CGI makes it much easier for filmmakers to recreate the world of toys on the big screen, and much loved toy ranges like Thundercats and GI Joe have films in the early stages of development.

Film and toy tie-ins are here to stay

Some may argue that such collaborations are cynically exploiting the “I want that” syndrome in the modern child. But it can also be said that the relationship between films and toys encourages imagination, story-telling, and creative development in children. After all, once the movie is over, children can continue the adventure at home, deciding for themselves how the story continues.

Review of 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG)

Released: 21st December 2007

Director: Tim Hill

Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, Justin Long, Cameron Richardson

One of the multitude of Christmas offerings for the tiny people who live among us, Alvin and the Chipmunks is a modern CG/live action “re-imagining” of the classic singing critters first created by American songwriter Ross Bagdasarian. Many may remember them fondly from the cartoon series’ of the 60’s and 80’s, but if you’re hoping that this film will provide your own offspring with the same warm fuzzy feelings you remember from all those years ago I’m sorry to say you’ll be sorely disappointed.

For a start these chipmunks are not drawn they are computer generated. While there is much to be said for modern computer animation and its place in cinema these pixelated rodents are an advert for some of what is worst about the medium. The vague attempts at anthropomorphising the trio end up with something that looks more eerie than cutsie. Also, while children might be able to buy in to the idea that these little guys are really really in that kitchen, your average adult viewer will always feel a sense of disconnection from the action.

Personality wise the titular creatures are not as annoying as you might presume. Although they never really go so far as to endear themselves, their faux street-wise attitude combined with a childish understanding of the world is, at least initially, appealing. As far as un-imaginary actors go there is a little more hope. Jason Lee is tasked with holding things together for the first half of the film and does a passable job with what he is given script-wise. However you can’t help but notice an undercurrent of embarrassment in some scenes.

David Cross, on the other hand, provides the majority of the movies highpoints. His music mogul exaggerations and deadpan efforts to be down-with-the-kids are regularly hilarious. Heart achingly once the film lurches into its second half and story carrying duties are passed onto Cross the hilarity grinds to a halt. Cross, now devoid of opportunity for comedic improvisation, is left to wrestle his average acting talents around a frankly awful script. He quickly loses any goodwill he might have built up in the first 30 minutes.

The story itself is a morality tale about the evils of the modern recording industry and a parable for the good ol’ American family unit (albeit a unit made up of one unemployed musician and three talking furballs). Arriving in Dave’s (Lee) house they proceed to cause no small amount of mayhem and are duly cast back out onto the street. However when Dave discovers their hidden singing talents he quickly becomes surrogate father on the condition that they sing the songs he writes. Entranced by the warbling woodland creatures the morally questionable record company head Ian (Cross) signs them up immediately; while putting into action his own dastardly plan to claim the chipmunks for himself. While this might sound OK on paper, when it comes down to it this really isn’t interesting or well executed enough to maintain anyone’s interest – even the younger viewers. Alvin and the Chipmunks is not a long film (90 mins) but you’ll certainly be relieved once the credits roll.

Shoehorned in between all of this is the obligatory love story between Dave and ex Claire (Richardson), who is inexplicably often nearby wherever Dave happens to be. While Richardson does admirably well to inject a little sentiment into what is essentially an afterthought, there is little she can do to save it from bad writing and a distinct lack of any real conclusion.

It is not only the love story sub plot that suffers from a less than satisfactory ending. The last few scenes of the film feel like they were invented on the spot, when someone realised no one had thought how to conclude the film. Lacking in any sort of proper explanation or feeling of closure this will feel woefully inadequate to both big and little person alike. If you need a film to entertain the kids at this time of the year rent a Pixar movie instead.

Taking Cameras And Film On Planes With Ease

Just about everything having to do with flying on any commercial airline has changed in recent years. There's no exception, whether you're taking your film camera on a once in a lifetime vacation or you're a photojournalist scheduled to cover an assignment. You can still take your camera and film on the airplane, but you need to take certain precautions to protect your film.

You can fly with many kinds of cameras. Both film and digital, disposable cameras, video cameras, and cell phone cameras are all allowed on flights. The film, on the other hand poses the problem. If you pack undeveloped film in your checked luggage, the high intensity screening equipment will destroy your film. Only carry undeveloped film in your carry-on camera bag.

When packing for your trip, have all your undeveloped film in a large plastic bag, if possible. Request ahead of time to have your film hand-inspected, and not run through the security scanner. Also, store your camera in your carry-on bag with all film removed, so it's not destroyed when run through the scanner. Currently, your digital camera memory cards, memory sticks and other digital storage devices appear to be safe to be shipped in your checked luggage or run through the carry-on luggage scanner. Being prepared before arriving at the airport helps speed up the process when you get to the security check area.

Exposed film or processed film won't be damaged by the baggage scanning machines. As long as you pack them so they won't get crushed or damaged, they should come through a flight with no problems. Just place the exposed film back in the canisters they came in and pack it safely in your suitcase or camera bag, if you're taking along a large bag that is sturdy enough to check.

Checked baggage can take a lot of abuse and has been known to not reach it's destination. Many photographers elect to pack their camera equipment in their camera bags and use them as a carry-on to ensure their safety. To make room for extra film, if needed, wear your camera on the strap around your neck. If you do have to pack your equipment in your checked baggage, always take at least take some equipment with you in your carry-on. Then if your luggage is lost or stolen, you'll still be able to get those irreplaceable vacation photographs or that shot that will put you on the cover of a major magazine.

By: Suzanne VanDeGrift

Learn To Be A Film Director With A Mentor

In order to be a film director you must realize that directing films is a job that, despite some stories about lucky people, requires a good education. There are lots of college programs offering classes for the latest lights, cameras, and film making technology -- but the best education for a film career is working on the set via a mentor director in the industry.

The education requirements for learning the techniques to become a director also means you can get certification for the technical aspects of film making. The actual work as a director can be challenging, yet flexible and very rewarding. Study courses usually focus on the elements of a successful film plot, characters and style. But there's more...

Directors need to know every aspect of a film's production, from editing to cinematography to digital sound effects. Anyone interested in film probably already has inexpensive modern digital cameras and editing software. It just means that film making and directing has never been more accessible, so there are lots of competitors out there in the field. First time directors rarely get a million dollar film budget. Directors typically must work their way up, often by directing music videos, or commercials, and the salaries for film and movie directors are unpredictable and you start out on the low end.

You will find plenty of websites online that filmmakers track, like imbd.com, dv.com, film-connection.com or indietalk.com. These are all places where independent movie makers gather to discuss tips and tricks. Schools for directing and some university websites have started hosting videos of mentor teachers helping anyone who wants to learn how to be a film director.

Most film schools are accredited and prepare you for all the steps necessary so you can make your own feature film, music video or TV commercial. And the best ones find you mentorships where you work under the direct supervision of a professional director in the film industry. Within six months, you will probably have the experience, knowledge and connections you need to get a job, or direct your first feature film. The advantage of an apprenticeship is that your personal tutor, or a private mentor, will teach you just about all you need to know. But best of all perhaps, is that they will introduce you to their connections in the film business. Work on real movie, commercial or a music video project while you are taking classes.

This method is proven to work, and it sure beats sitting in some overcrowded, overpriced college classroom. Check out what our students and mentors are saying about a career in film directing on YouTube. Just type in what you are looking for - like how to become a film director.

By: articledashboard.com

The Strangers Film Review

Suggesting an American remake of David Moreau and Xavier Palud's Them, The Strangers is practically an abstraction: an old-school spooker spun from the blood splatter on a wall, a nearby record player scratching an oldie, a CB radio in the garage, a creaky swing set in the back yard.

First-time helmer Bryan Bertino is beholden to genre quota, skidding the relationship of pretty young couple Kristen and James (played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) before subjecting them to an after-dark home invasion. But Bertino offers no profound rationale for why Kristen refuses James's marriage proposal; like the shadowy stranger that comes knocking at their door (eerily asking, "Is Tamara home?"), it's something that just happens.

What's up with the bemasked ghoulies of the film's title? Why all the door-slamming? Who's Tamara!?! Plying an old-school artistry that begins with a creepy montage of bumblefuck houses and holds up almost without fail until the strangers offer a creepy nonjustification for their transgressions, analog-man Bertino teases with the unknown until he has left no pimple ungoosed. Sometimes avoiding the synapse-raping bad habits of splat packers Eli Roth and Alexandre Aja is its own reward; doing so without also submitting to Michael Haneke-style hand-slapping is nearly monumental.

By: Roberto Bell

A Lesson From The Golden Age Of Cinema

When I was travelling back from Auckland to Perth recently, I was watching the greatest movie of all time on my iPod. The movie, of course, is Casablanca:

It struck me that the last time I was watching this movie, it was at an outdoor cinema, under the stars on the big screen. And the previous time, it was at home, watching a DVD on TV.

So here is a movie made 65 years ago, created for the big screen only, and within the last 12 months, I had watched it three times in three completely different places: DVD, big screen and iPod.

Of course, nobody thought about this in 1942 when it was first shown in cinemas. But the beauty of digital information is that it's so portable.

Are you doing the same with your content?

What material do you have that is currently published for only one medium? Your clients or customers now have new tools to consume material in different ways, at different times, and on their own terms. Are you making it easy to them, or are you getting in the way?

For example, if you publish a podcast regularly, are you also publishing that as an audio clip on your Web site? And are you adding the same audio clip to your blog? Different people will see it in those three different places.

Or, when you write an article in your newsletter, do you also publish it on your Web site? And add it to your blog?

You don't have to change the content.

I've talked in the past about how to change the content of an article or a blog post to create new content. But here, you don't even have to change the content. It's just a matter of using the same content and publishing it in a different place. That makes it easier for people to find in the place that is most convenient to them.

Don't worry about them complaining that you just duplicate all your material and you've got nothing new. On the contrary, they will probably only see it in the one place they like to read it, listen to it or watch it. They'll thank you for making the effort to make it easy for them.

By: gihan Perera.

Blu-ray Movies- The Future Of Cinema.

We all love to watch the latest movies and even the age old classics. Earlier, we used to watch the movies on the tape cassettes, later came the advanced compact disks that provided better display. The advancement in technology led to introduction of the DVDs which were more efficient and sophisticated. The latest format with which we can have the most astounding experience while watching our favourite movies is the innovative Blu-ray technology. The latest Blu-ray movies are a great craze amongst the people these days. The movie lovers admire these movies as they are in wonderful format and present amazing display.

Over the years there has been a great enhancement in the technology. There have been new innovations in every arena - be it entertainment, communication or electronics. We have been using the various storage devices like the hard disk, compact disk, DVDs or the conventional magnetic tape drives. The substantial increase in the storage capacity of these devices has given better experience to the users. The newest innovation in this arena is the wonderful Blu-ray disks which are immensely efficient and have great storage capacity. These disks have other advanced features also which make them absolutely admirable. These disks are also known as the BD and are highly sophisticated optical disks that have been developed by several pioneering brands that deal with the manufacturing of personal computers, consumer electronics and storage media. The Blu Ray Disc Association is associated with big names like Mitsubishi, Panasonic , Samsung, Sony, Thomson, Apple etc.

The disk has been specially created to facilitate high definition video playback, storing mammoth amount of data and rewriting. These amazing disks have nearly five times more storage capacity than the old DVDs. The BD can hold upto 25 GB of data in single layer and 50 GB on the double layer disks. The high storage capacity of these disks ensure that the consumers get amazing experience with them. These advanced storage media comes with the ability to offer advanced video playback and amazing audio codecs. So now the users will be able to enjoy wonderful movies on this innovative new media.

Unlike the present optical disk storage media viz DVD, DVD RAM etc. The BD relies on the blue ultra violet (UV) laser rays for writing and reading data from the disk instead of the red laser. The reason behind the use of the blu UV rays is that they have shorter wave length and thus can focus more precisely on the intended spot. This helps to pack the data more tightly and hence more information can be stored in lesser space. The Blu ray movies disks thus have comparatively larger storage capacity in spite of being of the same size a CD or a DVD. These disks are using the aperture of .85 mm that makes them more efficient and they can store upto 25 to 50 GB of data.

These advanced disks are truly wonderful and efficient. The most incredible aspect of these efficient disks is that they give amazing video playbacks. Thus watching movies on them is a complete pleasure. You can get the most awesome display with the great capabilities of these disks. The Blu-ray movies are totally invigorating and magical. Many big players and entertainment houses have greatly supported this format. Recently, many movies have been released in this newest format to ensure that the users get the best experience with them. Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM and Paramount are the leading studios and they have presented many movies on the Blu ray format.

These days, all the latest Blu ray movies are readily available on the internet. One can easily find the highly entertaining and mesmerising movies that have the best quality displays and great playback. These latest movies are totally invigorating and you will never feel bored or disappointed while watching them. These movies are a perfect alternative to the CDs and DVDs.

By: Kaitlin Dasia

The First Theater Designed Exclusively For Cinema (movies) Opened In Pittsburgh

When it is initially produced, a feature film is often shown to audiences in a movie theater or cinema. The first theater designed exclusively for cinema opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1905. Thousands of such theaters were built or converted from existing facilities within a few years. In the United States, these theaters came to be known as nickelodeons, because admission typically cost a nickel (five cents).

Typically, one film is the featured presentation (or feature film). Before the 1970s, there were "double features"; typically, a high quality "A picture" rented by an independent theater for a lump sum, and a "B picture" of lower quality rented for a percentage of the gross receipts. Today, the bulk of the material shown before the feature film consists of previews for upcoming movies and paid advertisements (also known as trailers or "The Twenty").

Historically, all mass marketed feature films were made to be shown in movie theaters. The development of television has allowed films to be broadcast to larger audiences, usually after the film is no longer being shown in theaters. Recording technology has also enabled consumers to rent or buy copies of films on VHS or DVD (and the older formats of laserdisc, VCD and SelectaVision — see also videodisc), and Internet downloads may be available and have started to become revenue sources for the film companies. Some films are now made specifically for these other venues, being released as made-for-TV movies or direct-to-video movies. The production values on these films are often considered to be of inferior quality compared to theatrical releases in similar genres, and indeed, some films that are rejected by their own studios upon completion are distributed through these markets.

The movie theater pays an average of about 50-55% of its ticket sales to the movie studio, as film rental fees. The actual percentage starts with a number higher than that, and decreases as the duration of a film's showing continues, as an incentive to theaters to keep movies in the theater longer. However, today's barrage of highly marketed movies ensures that most movies are shown in first-run theaters for less than 8 weeks. There are a few movies every year that defy this rule, often limited-release movies that start in only a few theaters and actually grow their theater count through good word-of-mouth and reviews. According to a 2000 study by ABN AMRO, about 26% of Hollywood movie studios' worldwide income came from box office ticket sales; 46% came from VHS and DVD sales to consumers; and 28% came from television (broadcast, cable, and pay-per-view).

By: pharmacyforus

Guillermo Del Toro Dishes About The Hobbit

We have some of Guillermo Del Toro’s thoughts on the Hobbit’s casting, creatures and story today thanks to the fabled caves of Yahoo:

First of all, expect some crazy new creatures. If you’ve seen Hellboy or his epic Pan’s Labyrinth, you know del Toro would go beyond Orcs and talking trees. He promises to respect J.R.R. Tolkien’s and Peter Jackson’s creations, but sees many more new ones. “I plan to bring myself to The Hobbit,” he said. “No doubt about that.”

And even though The Hobbit was Tolkien’s tot-sized adventure, the film version will not be The Lord of the Rings for Kids. “Tolkien had, in the last third of the book—I wouldn’t say an edge, but had a somber tone that normally would not conjure the term ‘family.’”

“We’ll cast whoever seems to fit the pages,” del Toro said. Wannabe Hobbits may have to chase him down to New Zealand, though, where he’ll be spending much of the rest of the year, checking in with the creature designs and the Middle Earth set.

I am quite excited to see the monsters that Guillermo will make for The Hobbit. I am most excited about Smaug the dragon and cannot wait to see the battle against him. Killing a dragon is a goal that I achieved once in D&D, (The Ruins Of Undermountain) but have yet to accomplish in real life. Del Toro’s makeup/monster team is among the best I have ever seen, and I look forward to their creations. The man in suit is cinematic power!

I am pleased that Gillermo isn’t going to cater this film to children any more than the other Lord Of The Rings films. The Hobbit was intended to be a children’ s book but I think it’s wise to avoid making it overly “kid friendly”. Sombre suits me just fine.

I am on board with what Mr. Del Toro has said above and could not be more excited to see what he has in store for us. This should be a treat indeed!

Hellboy 2 Review

Thanks for checking out our Hellboy 2 review. If you’d like to see the video version of the Hellboy 2 review, you can see it at the bottom of this post.

When Mike Mignola’s creation “Hellboy” was brought to the big screen by Guillermo del Toro I was blown away by the results. Having only read a couple of the comics, I wasn’t sure how on earth they could bring this type of a character… this type of a world to the big screen in a way that general audiences would “get it”. Somehow they found a way and made Hellboy probably the most underrated Comic Book movie ever… Hellboy himself is one of the most interesting characters certainly in the entire genre on screen and was perfectly embodied by Ron Perlman. Needless to say I was very excited about the prospects of another Hellboy movies, and last night I had that chance to see it. Was my anticipation rewarded? Yes it was.

THE GENERAL IDEA

The synopsis for Hellboy 2 looks something like this: “The Golden Army begins when an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken; Hell on earth is ready to erupt. Hellboy 2 tells the tale of a ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below, defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Its up to the planets toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red, he may be horned, he may be misunderstood, but when you need the job done right, its time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman), and the B.P.R.D.

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) will travel between the surface world and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal, along with his expanding team pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones), and protoplasmic mystic Johann Krauss (James Dodd), the newest member of the BPRD. Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who is accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him.

A slip-up results in the F.B.I. being forced to reveal the existence of BPRD to the general public. Brash old Hellboy doesn’t play well with the public, which only increases the instability of his already-turning-rough relationship with Liz. However, fellow paranormal Johann (who is a sort of ectoplasmic spirit held within a very special containment suit) is far better with the public — and with Liz, apparently. But in the end they’ve all got to come together to fight Prince Nuada (son of the Woodland King), who, with his army of ghouls, faerie, and the like, is attempting to resurrect a golden army once controlled by his father.”

THE GOOD

Del Toro does such a magnificent job creating this world in which the “normal” world and the world of the fantastic live together in close proximity. Other projects that have a fantastic world within the same realm of our own often come across as cheesy, but the way Del Toro weaves it all together is amazing.

The character design is just beautiful and very different from the run of the mill, cookie cutter creature design we see in a lot of other flicks. Del Toro designed a lot of the creatures himself and you can completely see the signature look that he also used for some of his creatures in “Pan’s Labyrinth”. All very original… all breathtakingly beautiful.

Good comic book movies need a solid antagonist. And Prince Nuara fits the need very nicely. The role is played by Luke Goss who also appeared in Del Toro’s “Blade 2″ as the main bad guy Nomak. He has a terrific intensity about him that make him something to dread. And this may sound odd… but I find the best “bad guys” are the ones who think they’re being “good”. They have a sense of honor about them. To me this is extra scary.

Perlman once again rules as Hellboy. It’s hard to imagine anyone else doing this role as well as he’s done it (although I’m sure I’d be saying the same thing if another guy had done it in the first place too).

The Mythology of the story is incredible. The movie starts with flashback of a young Hellboy going to bed and his father (who died in the first movie) telling him the bedtime story of the Golden Army. It’s a terrific tale with so many classic elements in it. It sets a wonderful framework for the movie as a whole.

I didn’t think I’d like the new character on the team, Johann Kraus, but as it turns out he was one of my favorite characters in the movie. I talked to some people after the screening that thought he sounded silly (strong German accent), but I thought he was hilarious and thought the accent really added to the character.

The visual effects were… WOW… just wow. Especially The Golden Army itself. Some amazing looking stuff.

THE BAD

I was actually pretty happy to hear that Doug Jones (The man who was in Abe’s suit for the first movie, but David Hyde Pierce did the voice) was going to get to do the voice of Abe as well this time around. Doug (for those of you who may not know) was also the body of the Silver Surfer in fantastic Four 2… but didn’t get to do the voice, and the voice of Pan the Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth… but didn’t get to do the voice I don’t think either. Unfortunately, i don’t think Doug’s voice worked for Abe. He did his very best to mimic David Hyde Pierce, but for me it fell short. I found myself constantly expecting to hear the first voice come out… but it never did. Too bad.

The movie isn’t a comedy per se, and I understand that… but the first one was a lot funnier. Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of priceless scenes that had me laughing out loud… but not nearly as many as the first Hellboy movie, and I was expecting a little more of that with the characters you had here.

I can’t really put my finger on it… but Selma Blair (who I really like normally) just didn’t work nearly as well for me as Liz this time around as she did in the last flick. And it wasn’t just the character… it felt to me like Blair was bored or something. In sports terms it felt like she just mailed in her performance and didn’t give much of an effort. She didn’t suck… but she didn’t bring it either… or even tried to… shame.

OVERALL

Hellboy 2 ends up being a fun, beautiful looking fantasy / adventure type movie that manages to be a tiny bit better than the first one. No, it’s not as funny and the lack of David Hyde Pierce was painfully obvious, but other than that it’s a truly fun time at the theaters. Del Toro does it again! Overall I give Hellboy 2 a 7.5 out of 10.

Pixar Easter Eggs and Wall-E

Easter Eggs are one my favourite parts in films and TV. For those who don’t know, in media an Easter egg is an intentional hidden message or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, or video game.

Pixar is known for its Easter Eggs. And you would think that these would increase as they had more to work with, but characters from movies yet to be released are making cameo appearances! Now in some of the “blooper reels” there are some blatant crossover pieces, but I am talking about the more subtle ones.

JimHillMedia has a pretty detailed list. And in case you didn’t want to read it all, here is the short of what he found

-The Adventures of André and Wally B - is a book name in Andy’s Bedroom in Toy Story
-The Lamp from Luxo Jr (which is a part of the Pixar Logo) knocks Buzz out the window in Toy Story
-The ball in Luxo Jr appears in Toy Story 1&2, Incredibles, Monsters Inc,
-Dinoco is the Gas Station that we find the Pizza Planet pickup in ToyStory and is also the coveted sponsor in Cars
-The old man who plays chess with himself in Geri’s Game is also the toy repair expert in Toy Story 2
-The Birds on the powerline in “For the Birds” are still up there in a highway scene of Cars
-TinToy, one of the first Pixar shorts appears in “Lifted”
-The abducted man in Lifted is Linguini from Ratatouille
-Boo hands Sully a number of toys in Monsters Inc including the Luxo Jr Ball, Jessie from Toy Story 2 and Nemo (before Finding Nemo was released)
-Stanley, the old car statue in Cars makes an appearance in the short “Boundin”
-Bomb Voyage from the Incredibles is seen as a mime on the streets of Paris in Ratatouille
-The Pizza Planet Pickup is seen in all Pixar films.

Well now it seems that Wall-E has made appearances in Incredibles, Ratatouille (in a bonus feature) Toy Story and even in Cars.

What else have you seen in the Pixar Movies?

Judge William Terrell Hodges Gives Wesley A Break

Wesley Snipes will have a window of freedom to film as he waits for his appeal. We get the scoop from the hideout caves of Yahoo:

Wesley Snipes will be allowed to leave the United States to work on two movies while his lawyers appeal his tax convictions. Federal judge William Terrell Hodges on Wednesday approved the actor’s motion to travel to London and Bangkok, Thailand. Snipes will be in England about three days this month for post-production editing of “Gallowwalker,” and in Thailand for eight weeks to film “Chasing the Dragon.”

A jury convicted the action star in February of three counts of willfully failing to file his income taxes. The 45-year-old Snipes, star of the “Blade” trilogy, “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Jungle Fever” among other films, has appealed the convictions and his three-year prison sentence to the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta.

Run Wesley! Run For The Hills! I hope Snipes ditches out and lives in an underground fortress in Thailand!….not really, but I would pump my fist in the air if he did.

Even though Wesley is most likely going to the big house, I think it’ s wise and fair that the judge will let him work in the meantime. These productions are counting on Snipes and it would be a loss for all involved if he wasn’t able to contribute. The judge has no doubt saved jobs and many, many headaches for the production team.

I am still holding out for an appeal, I don’t want Wesley to go to the slammer and hope that his lawyers are able to use their law magic to free him.

Review of 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG)

Released: 21st December 2007

Director: Tim Hill

Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, Justin Long, Cameron Richardson

One of the multitude of Christmas offerings for the tiny people who live among us, Alvin and the Chipmunks is a modern CG/live action “re-imagining” of the classic singing critters first created by American songwriter Ross Bagdasarian. Many may remember them fondly from the cartoon series’ of the 60’s and 80’s, but if you’re hoping that this film will provide your own offspring with the same warm fuzzy feelings you remember from all those years ago I’m sorry to say you’ll be sorely disappointed.

For a start these chipmunks are not drawn they are computer generated. While there is much to be said for modern computer animation and its place in cinema these pixelated rodents are an advert for some of what is worst about the medium. The vague attempts at anthropomorphising the trio end up with something that looks more eerie than cutsie. Also, while children might be able to buy in to the idea that these little guys are really really in that kitchen, your average adult viewer will always feel a sense of disconnection from the action.

Personality wise the titular creatures are not as annoying as you might presume. Although they never really go so far as to endear themselves, their faux street-wise attitude combined with a childish understanding of the world is, at least initially, appealing. As far as un-imaginary actors go there is a little more hope. Jason Lee is tasked with holding things together for the first half of the film and does a passable job with what he is given script-wise. However you can’t help but notice an undercurrent of embarrassment in some scenes.

David Cross, on the other hand, provides the majority of the movies highpoints. His music mogul exaggerations and deadpan efforts to be down-with-the-kids are regularly hilarious. Heart achingly once the film lurches into its second half and story carrying duties are passed onto Cross the hilarity grinds to a halt. Cross, now devoid of opportunity for comedic improvisation, is left to wrestle his average acting talents around a frankly awful script. He quickly loses any goodwill he might have built up in the first 30 minutes.

The story itself is a morality tale about the evils of the modern recording industry and a parable for the good ol’ American family unit (albeit a unit made up of one unemployed musician and three talking furballs). Arriving in Dave’s (Lee) house they proceed to cause no small amount of mayhem and are duly cast back out onto the street. However when Dave discovers their hidden singing talents he quickly becomes surrogate father on the condition that they sing the songs he writes. Entranced by the warbling woodland creatures the morally questionable record company head Ian (Cross) signs them up immediately; while putting into action his own dastardly plan to claim the chipmunks for himself. While this might sound OK on paper, when it comes down to it this really isn’t interesting or well executed enough to maintain anyone’s interest – even the younger viewers. Alvin and the Chipmunks is not a long film (90 mins) but you’ll certainly be relieved once the credits roll.

Shoehorned in between all of this is the obligatory love story between Dave and ex Claire (Richardson), who is inexplicably often nearby wherever Dave happens to be. While Richardson does admirably well to inject a little sentiment into what is essentially an afterthought, there is little she can do to save it from bad writing and a distinct lack of any real conclusion.

It is not only the love story sub plot that suffers from a less than satisfactory ending. The last few scenes of the film feel like they were invented on the spot, when someone realised no one had thought how to conclude the film. Lacking in any sort of proper explanation or feeling of closure this will feel woefully inadequate to both big and little person alike. If you need a film to entertain the kids at this time of the year rent a Pixar movie instead.


By: Joyous Film