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Wednesday 25 June 2008

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

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.


By: Jack Reider

Friday 20 June 2008

15 points to keep in mind while choosing a film school

1. Infrastructure – The first thing that separates a good film school from run of the mill film schools is the infrastructure. The classrooms, the studios, editing rooms, sound mixing studios, outdoor shooting facilities, library, computer labs and film screening facilities are the primary requisites of a film school.

2. Faculty – Of course the quality and experience of the faculty members are important for any educational institution and there is no exception in case of the film schools. Efficient faculties will always make the difference as you will be learning the art and science of film making from them.

3. Equipments – Film making is a craft where you need hands on training for effective learning. That is why the equipment like camera, sound systems, editing machines, everything should be available with a film school.

4. Comprehensive Course – The courses at the film school should take care of every aspect that is important for film making. It is not that the acting schools will teach only acting for the aspiring actors and camera techniques to those who are studying cinematography. The course should cover all the areas of film making that will give the students a comprehensive idea.

5. Options of Courses – The film school should have different courses for different functions of film making. The courses should include film direction, film acting, film editing, sound engineering, art direction, cinematography, script writing and so on.

6. Contemporary Curriculum – The curriculum of the institute should be in tune with the best film schools around the world. The courses should incorporate contemporary style of film making and latest techniques that are being used globally.

7. Association with Industry – The institutes should have close ties with the film industry. Thereby the students will get the chance to learn from the people who have the first hand experience of making film.

8. Diploma Films – The diploma films produced by the film schools is another deciding factor of the quality of education that the institute provides. So before selecting a film school one should carefully study the diploma films and the chances of making films at the institute after successfully completing the course.

9. Alumni – The alumni of any institute speaks a lot about the standard of learning facilities at the institute. So, you should try and find out how the past students have done after leaving the institute.

10. Film Archive – The film archive of the film schools are very important as that will give you a chance of seeing as many films as possible. When you enroll with a film school that has well stocked film archive you get a comprehensive idea of the world cinema.

11. Production Facility – The production facility of the film school should be of professional standard equipped with latest and finest machinery. It will let you learn the fine points of film making right at the school and you will ready to work professionally right from the first day after you leave the institute.

12. Short Films – The institute should have proper infrastructure and ambience for making short films and should promote the films at different film festivals that will eventually help you showcase your work.

13. Further Studies – The institute should have scope of further studies in the fields of film making and acting. The acting schools should have the advanced courses like master degree and PhD courses that will eventually help you make it big in the field of film making.

14. Student Exchange Programs – The scope of student exchange program with other acting schools and international film schools will give you the much needed exposure to international film education and technologies.

15. Career Opportunities – The institute should have proper infrastructure and network to help the students in their career. Whether it is promoting the diploma films of the students or arranging campus interviews, the film school should provide a platform to launch the new talents.

Author bio – Asian Academy of Film Education is a premiere film school in India. For more than a detail the institute has been providing quality film education and produced thousands successful film technicians and actress who are successfully working in entertainment industry.


Article from: articlegold.com

The Inside And Out Of A Home Theater

Home theater is a home cinema system that tries to reproduce video and audio in home that is of cinema quality and gives a real `cinema experience`. A basic system could comprise of an arrangement of a DVD and CD player, a television and a set of speakers. According to the people in the consumer electronics industry, a home theater is primarily an integration of high quality video and surround sound.

A home theater design generally comprises of input devices, processing devices, audio output, video output, and proper ambience and atmosphere.

Home theater input devices are sources of audio and video. There can be a single or multiple input devices for the same system. HD-DVD (High Density DVD) and blue-ray are one of the most preferred high quality formats that are being used. Often, VHS (Video Home System) and Video game systems are also included. They are available now, also have a home theater PC that acts as a library for video and audio content.

The processing of the input devices is carried out by either an AV amplifier or a Preamplifier and sound processor. These are used for complex surround sound formats. Before forwarding it to the output devices, the user should first select the input device.

The audio output system consists a minimum of 2 speakers. The number of speakers can be as high as 11, in addition to the sub-woofer. Sub-woofer is important as it reproduces the bass audio frequencies. Regular floorstanding or bookshelf speakers cannot do this work.

A large HDTV (High Definition Television) forms the video output system. LCD TVs (Liquid Crystal Display Television), Video projectors, plasma TVs, rear-projection TVs, or a traditional CRT TVs are other available options.

Comfortable seats and proper arrangement of all the devices with respect to the seats is also important for that great `cinema experience`. Sound insulation for preventing sound from escaping the room and specialized walls for sound balancing within the room are a part of the higher end systems.

There exist two options for purchasing a home theater system. One can either, purchase and assemble various components, or purchase a home theater box kit. Assembled systems provide the best combination of components for the consumer`s budget. System in box kits includes a set of speakers, an amplifier or tuner for volume adjustment and video source selection, and at times a DVD player.

Few enthusiastic of the lot of home theater lovers take an extra step and build a room in the house, that functions as a home theater. To create a perfect listening environment, sophisticated acoustic design elements, like `room-in-a-room` construction, can be added to the system. Recreation of an ideal cinema experience does not stop here. A projector enclosed in a projection booth, specialized furniture, curtains in front of the projection screen, movie posters, etc make the experience much more real.

It is possible to set up systems in backyards too, provided proper outdoor atmosphere exists. Considering the availability of space, either a temporary or a permanent system could be installed. A temporary system could be a basic arrangement of foldable screen, a projector and a few speakers. On the other hand, an outdoor version could be elaborate with permanent fixtures, large video display components and dedicated audio output components. These backyard home theaters are one of the favorites with outdoor parties.

The rapid development in audio and video technologies has brought down the prices of home theaters. This in turn has enabled a do-it-your-self enthusiast to experience a true digital home theater at his doorsteps.


By: Roberto Sedycias

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Home: The New Movie Theater Of Choice

Have you ever noticed how one can’t seem to walk around the city without running into a DVD vending machine? It’s a fact, more and more people are opting to watch movies at the comforts of their homes.

According to a study conducted by Parks Associates (a marketing research firm) for example, 54% of Internet households in Canada rent movies every month but only 29% actually go out to movie theaters.

Why are video chains, online movie stores, DVD rental kiosks and other businesses offering movie buffs a chance to watch the complete works of Quentin Tarantino at the comforts of their home flourishing?

One reason of course, is the fact that most of the time, it’s cheaper to rent movies. In Manhattan movie theaters for example, the average cost of adult tickets is $11. Add in the (inflated) cost of popcorn and soda--around $8-10 dollars— and a person can easily spend $20 for watching 1 movie. Borrowing fromDVD rental machines on the other hand cost somewhere around $1 a night while buying a brand dew DVD can cost as low as $10.

The fact that the cost of renting a movie or buying a DVD does not change no matter how many people watch it also makes the idea of watching movies at home even more appealing.

The freedom watching movies at home provides is also one of the reasons why more people prefer watching Jason Bourne jump over buildings while sitting in their living room couch instead of in movie theater seats. When you watch at home, you can pause the movie to make popcorn, talk on the phone or go to the bathroom—you don’t have to miss anything. You are also free to rewind the scene if you didn’t get what the protagonist said, fast-forward it to your favorite part or watch the it over and over again.

Watching within the four walls of one’s cozy living room is also more intimate, cozy and peaceful. You won’t be bothered by the man who talks too loudly during important scenes or the girl who keeps on standing up to go to the bathroom; there’s just you and your girlfriends sighing over Tom Cruise’s “you complete me” speech in Jerry Maguire.

Fans of watching movies at home also like the fact that none of the hassles usually associated with going to the theater happens when you catch a movie at home. There’s no need to rush to theaters to get there in time for the movie’s start, no waiting in long lines, no rush hour traffic. Nowadays, you can rent movies online or even have DVDs delivered directly to your home.

A peaceful, convenient, affordable movie experience – is it really any wonder why more and more people now consider their home to be their new favorite “movie theater”?

By: Charlie D. Angeles

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.

By: Wendy Mitchell

The Best Way To View Movies Online

One of the best inventions for entertainment in the last twenty years is, of course, the Internet. From news sites to gaming sites and especially, movies, the Internet has changed the way we entertain ourselves.

No longer do we have to make the effort to drive to the video store to rent a movie for $3.99. The Internet has provided a way to streamline costs and provide instant entertainment.

While there are many different ways to watch movies online, the question still remains:

What is the best way to view movies online?

While this seems like a subjective question, there are fundamentals that do apply.

What do you look for in your online movie experience?

Well, quality is number one for most people. You don’t want to watch a horribly recorded film that someone recorded using a camcorder in a movie theater. Watching DVD quality movies online is optimal for most.

You also want fast downloads. If it takes longer to download than it would for you to go rent or by the movie, why even bother?

With all this in mind, where can you go on the Internet to find movies to download that are high quality and fast to download? While there are many options, you should be able to choose which one you like.

You can choose from a variety of sites that allow to rent and download movies online. A company such as Netflix does just this. While Netflix is usually known for its service sending DVDs through the mail, they also allow movie downloads as well, all very high quality and fast.

Another option is a site that requires a one time fee for unlimited downloads. This company provides software to download and actually burn your movies to DVD to watch on your TV.

By: KJ King