The Exorcist

Roger Ebert addresses different aspects of the film. He also discusses how the film impacts one's character. Ebert states that this is a good film because it was able to provoke many different emotions in the viewer.

"From Dusk Till Dawn"......Hilarious???

While some think that the movie, "From Dusk Till Dawn", is gory and vulgar; Ryan Cracknell, from Apollo movie guide , thinks it is hilarious. Was this horror flick, where blood is splattered in every direction, actualy funny?

"Others will find it hilarious, as all the naughty bits are in good humour."
-Ryan Cracknell-

Cheesy horror movie?

We know the film is funny, but is it hilarious funny or cheesy funny?

Accordning to the article: "In Shaun, we're laughing with the director. I won't pretend that Shaun of the Dead is the be-all and end-all of horror comedies. It has plenty of problems, not the least of which is that the horror elements are largely unconvincing (although there is plenty of gore). "

http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/shaun_dead.html

You decide.

The Lifeless Omen

The Omen had everything working for it. Being a remake of the 1976 popular classic and complimented by one of the best luch dates on "6/6/06 ,marking the day the "Beast", there was nothing stopping it . Where did the movie go wrong?Wait a minute, why not just go and rent the original it is the same movie in every way possible.

" Sure there are some subtle tweaks here and minor changes there, but overall if you've seen "The Omen" circa 76 then version 06 isn't just not very scary, it's actually pretty darn boring, too." -Sara Michelle Fetters-

Shaun of the Dead -- horrible movie.

This is a review of Shaun of the Dead in which the author think it is a horrible movie.

The Article.

Is it really this bad?

the article says: "The main problem with Shaun of the Dead is it has major identity
conflict. It doesn't know what it wants to be."

What do you think?

Moody 'Grudge' puts a twist on traditional ghost tales

You might agree with this review but I totally disagree

"The humans are as blank as the ghosts, mere figures to be preyed upon, and the film is less a story than a mood piece, but it features some of the most unnerving imagery and soundscapes to be found on the screen and it puts a twist on one of the most steadfast traditions of American ghost stories."
-"There is no "why" in "The Grudge," at least not an explanation that provides comfort or cure. It simply is. That's what makes it really scary."

Turistas

"Hostel", I mean "Turistas" is by far an original movie. The only difference between the two is the the location, one is in Europe while the other in the deep forests of Brazil. Being one of 20th Century Foxes new division production for young audiences the only massage that the movie brings is that sex and gory violence is the only interest in the minds of young Americans.

If stupidity were a crime, the nitwits in the cheap horror flick "Turistas" would be doing time in Attica. -Manohla Dargis-New York Times

Review: More dutifully depraved gore porn, minus the more intriguing twists of the first two flicks

Saw III

This review, posted by Brent Simon, basically discusses the fact that the franchise of this movie is ready to go, based on the fact that the third part of this blood bath manages to stur up some more guts, and thats about it. He also discusses the fact that this movie is doing the exact opposite that it set out to do.

'When we first met him, Jigsaw was a malevolent voyeur bent on "testing the fabric of human existence," as he put it in the first two movies. With Saw III, he's now devolved to the point where he's testing those who are "dead inside" and "a shell of [their] former self,"'

Overall, his opinion is a negative one, but maybe you guys disagree.

"The movie quickens one's pulse with maybe two of its torturous sequences, and the general grotesquerie and gonzo gore (Lynn performs a graphic, ad lib operation on Jigsaw to relieve the swelling of his brain, leading to some hot drill-on-skull action) will satisfy a suitable swath of devoted genre fans. Mostly, though, Saw III evinces the feel of a franchise ready to be put out of its misery — much like Jigsaw himself"

Romantic Comedy, Fart Jokes, and Zombies

Jeff Otto reviews Shaun of the Dead as "the second great zombie flick of 2004." He was a skeptic at first but, was surprised to see how well it came out to be. He enjoys how directer, Edgar Wright, "builds its zombie plotline very carefully, carefully constructing the romantic comedy plotline, with just a light dose of zombies at the start." Overall, he has a positive review.

"The Devil's Rejects: A Reject Indeed"

Angela Baldassarre the reviewer believes that 'The Devil's Rejects" is a horrible film and is one of the worst movies.
"With a larger budget comes the sequel, “The Devil’s Rejects,” which contains better effects and a hipper soundtrack, but the result remains the same: absolutely unwatchable trash."

Is "Hellraiser" going down the hill?

The author of this review is stating that the, new "hellrasier" movie coming out is about the same characters. He states that the sequels are going "downhill".

"The last "Hellraiser" movie to fill multiplexes was "Hellraiser 4: Bloodline", and it's been downhill since. Enter Rick Bota, a former special effects man who apparently loves the franchise so much he's already directed not one, but three sequels (parts 6, 7, and 8, to be precise). The guy must either love this franchise to death or he really needs the work. Judging by the quality that Bota has managed in the last two sequels, I'm inclined to believe it's the first."

Read at your own risk... im kiddin, Horror reviews

The following is a link to a page of reviews on every horror movie imaginable. My guess is if you're interested in the genre of horror, you can find a good review to base your paper off of.
Here's the link everyone ~ http://www.horrorexpress.com/movies.php

More Sin City / noir

Just some more on Sin City... This review is by Rolling Stone. "The worst thing I can say about this savage, sexy and ferociously funny screen translation of three stories from Frank Miller's Sin City series of graphic novels is that it's too much of a good thing." http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/6824548/sin_city

Grease: An Energetic Upbeat Musical

Berge Garabedian seems to think that "Grease" can not get any better.

"A fun-loving, energetic and innocent look back at times much simpler. This movie effectively juggles a thin romantic story line and the overall experience of the 1950's, with a superb soundtrack and some great dance numbers. Admittedly, I am somewhat biased in this opinion, since this film blasts me into my past as a rebellious youth (GREASE was one of Schmoe's first big-screen experiences, and every other scene sends me reeling into the times of my elaborate GREASE bubble-gum card collection), and the lesser responsibilities that I possessed at that time. But apart from the nostalgic vibe, I was still extremely impressed by this film, as it continued to amuse me, despite my previous dozen or so viewings."

Is "Grease" really a innocent look back at old times?

All Horror Movies

This horror site lets you read many horror movie reviews varying from all different plots. On this particular site you can search for horror movie DVDs, horror movie videos, horror movie soundtracks, horror movie posters, and horror books. There is also a special feature on this site that gives you the option to purchase the DVD from any review you read. Here, you can find even the most recent of horror film reviews. Such as the Hills have eyes. This hsould help everyone on their upcoming persuasive papers.

SIN CITY / noir

Sin City is in my opinion, the perfect example of a noir film. Its dark and sinister ways put the noir genre into context prefectly. here is a link to a review by James Berardinelli http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/sin_city.html

Top 50 Best Voted Horror Films Shaun of the Dead #29

Here is a link to the 50 best rated horror films on www.Imdb.com , and guess what; a film that we all enjoyed is rated #29. Shaun of the Dead.

xXx, James Bond Wanna Be.

From the looks of things, XXX is just an extreme version of 007 films, aimed at the young "extreme" generation. The similarities are inevitable. In my opinion, XXX is a certain rip off of 007. Except that 007 is more smooth and original, practically nothing else differs.

Pumpkin a Comedy?

We’re all different. But when someone’s handicap makes their uniqueness especially noticeable, what is the acceptable reaction? Most of us would simply acknowledge the differences and move on. The makers of Pumpkin however find plenty of dark humor in the subject matter. Some of their jokes work, but most fail miserably and in the end, Pumpkin is far more offensive than it is funny. Tragically, Pumpkin just does not work as a comedy. It does reach something a bit more tangible in the end, yet those laughs are triggered by the stereotypes typical of all Greek life-comedies. Put simply, Pumpkin has too many awkward moments where you really don’t know how to react. Anyone who has any compassion or respect for the struggles disabled people face will find the majority of this film’s satire offensive. Rather than spending the two hours watching Pumpkin degrade those with disabilities, why not donate your time to helping them achieve some real success?

David Levine stresses his discontent with Pumpkin the film and says that he actually finds it offensive. I am not sure how I feel about the film persay, but he has some very well supported points throughout his critic.

A Romance Review

This romance review site has an unbelievable amount of reviews. It almost seems like they have everything. Even for the month of November, this site contains 113 new reviews in their database.....all for you.

"is proud to present

6039
online reviews in our database for you to search/read and enjoy."

Just click on the review you want and it will tell you all about what you need to know, it will tell you who the author is, when it came out, and it's very own personal rating. If you love romance, this site is definitely for you.

So whats so great about Romance?

This page/article basically gives out a great example for an argument about the Romance genre. What happened is two writers email back and fourth arguing about a topic, and in this case, Romance. They basically talk about what makes a romance movie so special. In each emailed argument, they both give great examples of what they believe makes up a romance movie.

The argument is basically based off one person believing that Romance films any more or less cliched, predictable or time wasting than other types of films such as action.

Blade Runner, the best sci-fi movie ever?

Here is a link of some scientists arguing that Blade Runner is the best Sci-fi movie ever. To them Blade Runner is even above Star Wars, this is a fact that some people would strongly argue. Hope this helps you guys with you're essays.

Persuasive Writing On Romance

Susanne Knight is notorious for "romance writing with a twist." Her novel, Past Indiscretions, is a love story that ties the past and future together that creates an impossible battle. The link provides us with more information and also her techniques of persuasive writing.

Romance and Sci Fi Review Blog

The following links us to a website specifically designed for reviewing romance and science fiction novels. You can primarily think of it as a blog similar to ours, only strictly about romance and sci fi. http://www.romrevtoday.com/Review%20Listing/fantasy_sci_fi_romance_2006.htm

Romance: Save the Last Dance

This is a movie review by Roger Ebert. He is reviewing the movie "Save the Last Dance." He discusses the very positive points of the movie and and gives the movie a 3 star rating. Ebert basically discusses how the movie is not as cliche as it is set up to be and provides intelligent character development.

One of the Best Sci-fi movies?

Most, if not all, of the reviews in this page seem to realy like The Matrix. Could it be the geatest sci-fi movie movie/franchise of all time? This reviewer does not seem to think so. However, he did like it.

"So I saw the Matrix last night. It was un-freaking-believeable. One of the best sci-fi flicks I've ever seen. I was thinking about it in comparison to Blade Runner. I like Blade Runner, both the original and the director's cut, but I've never really been sure why I liked it."

He goes on to later say;"...but I just don't think it's a great sci-fi movie."

This brings up a question. Is Blade Runner a better sci-fi moive than The Matrix?
There are other very opinionated reviews in this page.

A Brief History of Zombies.

Like the Mummy, Zombies are a lumbering, staggering, Halloween and Horror presence.What makes zombies different is that they do not come from a European gothic tradition. Instead, the zombie story originates in Haiti, where West Africans were brought as slaves to work on the sugar plantations. As a part of the voodoo religion, Haitians believe that magicians, or houngans, can revive the recently dead, turning them into mindless, soulless servants. Believers in voodoo will guard the grave of deceased relatives until they are certain that it has begun to decay, for the magic only works on fresh bodies. Zombies are a greatly studied thing in our society today. Scientists have studied the zombie legend for some time now and have several explanations for this belief.

The Fort Dearborn Massacre

This one really makes you think. I always go up and down Dearborn St. shopping like nothing. To read this makes you take a second look around, especially at night.

Perhaps one of the most brutal events in all of Chicago history took place when the city was only beginning. The terrible incident has become known as the Fort Dearborn Massacre and memories of it still linger in the city today.

Chicago began as nothing but empty wilderness and open prairie. It first appeared on maps of the region in 1684 as “Chekagou”, which literally means “wild onion”. Despite these inauspicious beginnings, it became home to a trading post owned by Jean Baptist Point du Sable, a French Canadian trapper in 1779. He stayed along the Chicago River until 1800, before selling the establishment to Jean Lalime. As American’s spread further west, there was talk of a military garrison being established at Chicago as early as 1795. It finally came about in 1803 under the command of Captain John Whistler. He brought with him 40 men and they built Fort Dearborn. This is where the tragedy begins.
Very interesting story, check it out.

Haunted Restaurant

"That Steak Joynt formerly at 1610 N. Wells was the only Victorian restaurant of it's kind in Chicago. Once a Piper Bakery and partially damaged during the great Chicago fire of 1871 it was once located in the Old Town section of Chicago in Piper's Alley and right next door to Second City." This restaurant used to be haunted. It was haunted for a while, and many incidents occurred here, as well as some investigations. After closing down it reopened many years later to what is now Adobo Grill (where my brother works). But suddenly all the hauntings stopped, could it be that it was never haunted or did the ghosts finally find peace?

America's 1st Serial Killer

America's 1st known serial killer lived here in what used to be the outskirts of Chicago, in a town known as Englewood, in the southside. He went by the name of H. H. Holmes. He built a home/hotel which is now known as "The Murder Castle of H. H. Holmes" because this is were he kept his victims. "The first floor of the building contained stores and shops, while the upper floors could be used for spacious living quarters. Holmes also had an office on the second floor, but most of the rooms were to be used for guests -- guests that would never be seen again. " This is a very interesting article about his life, how he chose his victims, and how he died.

Zombie Movies

If you are a big fan of zombie movies or just want to see what these creatures really are, this website lists many of the different zombie movies that were created.

http://zombiejuice.com/zmovies/#Best%20Zombie%20Movies

Zombies!!

Zombie: A flesh eating corpse. We all know what a zombie is and have accepted that they are scary. What we don’t know are all the different types of zombies. Zombies aren’t only made up in some twisted persons mind, they have been around for a lot longer than anyone actually knows.

This link will give an explanation of the different types of zombies and where the idea for these zombies came from. The link also provides you with more external links about zombies.

Haunted Chicago

We always see on television “Most Haunted Places” and see that they are mostly in other states or even in other countries. What we rarely ever see are the haunted places of Chicago. Don’t be fooled, Chicago is also a scary place.

Here is a link giving examples of some haunted places in Chicago.

Bachelor's Grove Woods

I am from the south suburbs, and any one else that is usually has heard the multiple ghost stories originating from this spot. It is considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in/around Chicago, and in Illinois.

Early gangs, such as that of Al Capone are rumored to have buried the bodies of their dead in the lake that you can see on the south side of 143rd street, just east of Ridgeland.


This site has more information about the history and actual reports of paranormal activity in and near Bachelor's Grove.

What do you guys think?

--Anastacia

Chicago Ghost Investigations

This website is about a paranormal research group, that seeks out ghosts. The invite you to do the same with them. Their supernatural tours leave from downtown Chicago near the Magnificent Mile daily where they will provide you with a courtesy ride to one of several actively haunted houses in Chicago. If you have ever wanted to go and try to detect ghosts here is your chance. Just visit the site and they will give you all of the information that you need.

"Our paranormal investigators will be available during the investigation for guidance; however, in this case, you are the ghost hunter!"

What is and What is not a Zombie

The modern films most of the time portray zombies, as humans who have been effected by some sort of an epidemic and are now contaminating what's left of everyone who is living. Mostly everybody thinks that zombies are just a made up story, this is not true, zombies have been around for ages in the Haiti tribe folklore, where people using black whichcraft and voodoo created zombies to act as slaves.

Here is a site that explains a little about what zombies are and then talks about what they are commonly mistaken with.

Haunted Chicago Tours

From the looks of things there is team that dedicated their lives to research and find the most haunted places in Chicago. This team takes people on tours to the most haunted and famous Chicago places, and also to ones that are not as well known. The passengers are taken to these places and are allowed to explore them. Even though they don't guarantee that anything will happen, they do make a note that supernatural stuff has happened before.

Here is a link to the organizations site, if are ever interested in taking this type of tour.

Who loves ghost stories and haunted places?

This webpage is full of popular ghost stories and haunted places all around the chicagoland area. The main page has a few links to pages that contain lists of multipul haunted stories. From there you can click the links to go to an even more detailed page about the story or location.

And thats not all either, the webpage is loaded with spooky music! Who doesn't love spooky music?

Zombbiieessss

So where do all these movie writers get ideas for all those zombie films? Well of course there is an archetype that most go by. Zombies usually have specific characteristics that are displayed, otherwise they wouldnt really be a true "zombie" to the whole movie/film scene.

In the link provided, it goes on about zombies and a small list of common causes for zombies to appear. Then, after that, it talks about the characteristics that zombies usually portray within a zombie film.

A pretty decient link for those who don't know too much about zombies... Though im sure everyone knows at least one thing or another..

"The Most Haunted Place"?

The Oriental Theater is one of the most haunted places in Chicago. In place of the Oriental was the Iroquois Theatre which had a disastrous fire in 1903. This tragic fire claimed the lives of many.
"Over 1,900 people snagged a ticket for the performance in the "absolutely fireproof" building. What irony in those words."
The theatre, not far from the university, is located at 24 W. Randolph Street. The site has a good video of the story. Enjoy.

Haunted Chicago

This website offers a list of almost every city in Illinois that has a haunted setting. There are two places on the list that are about ten to fifteen minutes away from where I live. I drive by the Maryville Center For Medically Complex Children everyday when I am going to work. I know where the playground is that they are referring to on the website. Click on the link and take a look atthe list. You may discover something haunting in your own neighborhood.

Resurrection Mary

Out of the many hauntings that have happened in Chicago, Resurrection Mary is probably one of the most famous tales. Back in the 1930's is when this tale had began. Drivers that would pass through Archer Avenue, would encounter a young woman in a white party dress. Occasionally, she was offered a ride home after dancing at a ballroom. "When the car would reach the gates of Resurrection Cemetery, the young woman would always vanish." Read more about Mary's sightings.

8 Films to Die For

Each year there are movies produced, that are never seen by the public. Their content is considered too graphic, too disturbing, and too shocking for general audiences. Now, for the first time, one studio will defy the system to bring you eight movies you were never meant to see. A terrifying event for all horror fans across America. After Dark films presents "8 Films to Die For".........Horror fest. One weekend only, November 17th-19th. See one or see them all at a theater near you. These films are about zombies, ghosts, spirits...etc. These are the following theaters in Illinois that they will be played at:

ILLINOIS
Addison	Addison Cinemas & IMAX	Buy Tickets
Carbondale	University Place 8
Champaign	Carmike Beverly Cinemas
Chicago	Chatham 14
Chicago	600 North Michigan Ave.	Buy Tickets
Chicago	KrikorianCity North 14
Chicago Heights	Marcus Chicago Western Heights	Buy Tickets
County Club Hills	The Country Club Hills 16
Gurnee	Gurnee Mills 20	Buy Tickets
Joliet	Cinemark Movies 8
Naperville	Krikorian Showplace 16
Niles	Krikorian Showplace 12
O'Fallon	O'Fallon 15 Cine
Peoria	Rave Grand Prairie 18	Buy Tickets
Rockford	Krikorian Colonial Villages 5
Schaumburg	Woodfield 20	Buy Tickets
Skokie	Village Crossing	Buy Tickets
South Barrington	South Barrington 30	Buy Tickets
Springfield	Parkway point 8
Vernon Hills	Rivertree Court
Warrenville	Cantera 30	Buy Tickets

Tips to Write a Screenplay

I thought this was very helpful and direct. I looked at it as a guide when thinking up ideas for our screenplay. I found it on a "how-to" website.

Here's How:

1. Writing is about making choices. Decide if you want to write an original screenplay or an adaptation of an existing novel or piece of non-fiction. Original work is easiest to start with since you don't have to worry about obtaining rights.

2. 2. Brainstorm. Write down all your ideas for story and characters.

3. Do research. Rent successful indie films (you can find them on the About.com's Independent film Web site) and pay attention to the rhythms of the dialogue and the pacing of the story.

4. Start writing. Remember to keep things interesting and open to interpretation. This will make the screenplay more tempting to serious actors.

5. With every twist of plot or turn in the action ask yourself, 'Would this character really do that?' Audiences like surprises, but only if they're believable.

6. If this is your first film and you're planning on directing and producing it yourself, keep things low budget. Elaborate costumes, special effects, and exotic locations are expensive.

7. Keep in mind that the people you already know can make great actors. Write flattering, yet challenging roles with them specifically in mind, and they may work for free.

8. Include all the swear words and nudity you want, but don't make them gratuitous. [i]The Blair With Project[/i] was conisderably weakened by its constant use of the F_ word.

9. Don't worry about length. Post-production editing will take care of that.

10. Be funny, scary, romantic, angry, sentimental, smart, raw, and, most important, honest.

11. Don't include a happy ending just for the sake of a happy ending. This isn't a studio picture you're writing

Tips:

1. You can overhear great non sequiturs and bits of dialogues in coffee shops and diners.

2. Using an old manual typewriter might seem like a great idea, but it's a lot of work.

3. Go online and download scripts. You can learn from your favorites

Tips for All You Screen Writers Out THERE

When a screenplay is submitted into the marketplace, those who will be reading it fully expect it to conform to proper industry standards.

Therefore, it is important for a budding screenwriter to understand the techniques of screenwriting, from formatting to character development, before committing his/her story idea to paper. In the link below are a few books, suggestions and websites that will help you learn the craft.

AHHHHH.........

Haunted Highway and the Grimes sisters.

This story is about an unsolved mystery of two young sisters. These sisters were last seen a few days after Christmas in 1956. They were very big Elvis fans and had gone to see his film "Love Me Tender" again. Their mother had expected them home around 11:45 pm but they never came home. Some say that the girls ran away but their mother did not believe it. The girls were found 25 days later dead and frozen along Devil's Creek. Click the link to read the entire story.

Screenwriting For English 160 Students

If screenwriting is not your cup of tea, than the link below will lead you to coffe....lol... Joking!

In actuality, the link below will lead you to screenwriting heaven. There is nothing that this site dose not provied. In fact there are tips for writing genres,pitching a story,and even advice on the tittle.So, if anyone is stock, I strongly recomend taking a look at this site.

"How to Write a Screenplay"

At the link below shows the basics of writing a screenplay. It helps explain the basics behind Action, Characters, Plot, Dialouge, and everything else that makes a good screenplay. There is also a good introduction to what makes a good screenplay and how to make a story flow.

"There is always something at stake in a good movie. Not just something someone wants, something that must be acquired, no matter what the risk, as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or something highly desired by as many main characters as possible, like the small black statue in The Maltese Falcon. Some times it can be an intangible thing, like the freedom of a people in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. All these things drive the character's quest, even gives the hero superhuman strength. It can be something personal (romance) or for the good of all (saving the world from aliens) but it must be powerful and grow more desperate as the story unfolds."

More info in the link below
http://www.screenwriting.info/

Screenwriting Tips for Playwrights

Given at the below link are very helpful and informative screenwriting tips for playwrights. A few topics that this site talks about are the three-act structure, hooks, and subtext. If you are unfamiliar with the lingo, the site also gives you extra links to access in order to obtain a clearer undersanding of certain words. It also talks about the screenplay manuscript and states that "Anything beyond 120 pages is death". I hope this site helps all of you in some way.

Preparing a Pitch

Still not exactly sure how you will sell your proposal. The following link can get you in the right mindset and even guide you in the right direction on pitching your proposal. It elaborates on points one should hit and gives examples. The article simply starts by explaining the writer's responsibility and asking a question.
"Pitching a script is an art form, and although it can be stressful, it's something every writer has to perfect before approaching executives or agents. So what is pitching exactly?"
There is another related article found at the end of this one that can help set up your story. It deals with writing the first act of your screenplay.

The Basics of Screenwriting

"Because most movies have time constraints and unfold continuously, efficient structuring is essential." This site is broken up into 5 sessions in which they give valuable information about setting the scene, how to format the screenplay, as well as many other stuff. Session 3 of this site briefly describes the three-act structure of a screenplay. So hopefully you find this site useful.

Tips for Screenwriters

I'm excited about writing a movie!!! I hope this site helps! I have a few more sites to come...

Pitch Letters and Proposals

"A pitch letter is a proposed article or story idea that you "pitch" to editors to get them to give you publicity". I found a site that may help you in writing your pitch letter. It lists the elements of a proposal, great tips, and notes on how to write one yourself. It also includes an example of a pitch letter.

Sharks and Structure

I found a great website that explains the concept behind the "3 Art Structure." It compares the concept to a shark, which makes it easier to comprehend. Basically, the "3 Art Structure" is how a movie is set-up and how the plot develops. The beginning indicates the set-up, the middle is the confrontation, and the end is the resolution.

A Disibility Doesn't Mean You're Asexual

People with physical disabilities are stereotyped as asexual, as lacking the same sexual and relationship needs and desires as nondisabled people. Yet people with disabilities are human beings, created in the image of God, and thus are sexual beings with the same capacity to love and be loved as any other human. In this article, the author discusses the sexuality and heterosexual experiences of adults with various physical disabilities.

Love Has No Limitations

I found a cute little article on an older couple that has fallen in love despite the obstacles they face involving their mental disabilities. Take a look, its cute. =)

Love has no limitations, especially at this time of the year. This is true for everyone including people with developmental disabilities.
Experts say that only a small percentage of couples with developmental disabilities get married and have successful relationships. However, one local couple shows us that they have found love despite their disability.
"I love you Bernard, I do, from the top of my head to the soul of my feet," said Shell.

Mental Disabilities and the Media

This website gives a listing of movies and documentaries that have been found to portray people with physical and mental disabilities. It displays a lot of different stories, such as a father that loses his daughter do to his mental disability and has to battle with child services to get her back, and also a few other romantic stories. The website also lists many other types of genres, such as drama, comedy, and action thrillers

The Ringer

Although this movie doesn't fall under the same category as the other disability and romance movies listed, I figured it did have to do with disability and romance. Johnny Knoxville plays a regular guy that is asked by his uncle to rig the special olympics. He is reluctant to do it at first, but once he sees the girl of his dreams is a mentor at the games, he goes along with the plan. He tries throughout the move to get close to the girl even though he has to act like he's disabled. In the end, of course they fall in love with each other and that's how the movie ends.

The link below lists links to different reviews of the movie.

http://movies.go.com/movies/review?name=ringerthe_2004&genre=comedy&studio=Fox+Searchlight+Pictures

Sex and Disabilities

Many people think that since someone has a disability, that they dont even think about sexual activities. This is completely wrong. Disabled people should be treaten as anyone else on this subject, they should be eduacated the same way as any of us are, and they shouldn't be treated as though they don't even think about sexual activity, or a sex drive.

Here is a site that talks a little about sexual education for disabled teenagers. How parents shouldn't be overprotective and how they should educate their kids as if they were normal.

Sex Education for Physically, Emotionally, and Mentally Challenged Youth

In the movie Pumpkin, there was a scene where Carolyn and Pumpkin spend the night together. When Pumpkin's mom walks into his bedroom and sees Carolyn she tells her that she raped her son. Obviously, she believes that just because Pumpkin is disabled he doesn't have the urge to have sexual relations with another person, which is a myth. "Even today, many people refuse to acknowledge that all people have sexual feelings, needs, and desires, regardless of their physical and/or mental abilities." In the link I provided it explains the way to go about teaching a disabled person about sex education and to help us understand that even though they are disabled they have feelings too.

A Walk In Her Shoes

It is impossible for anyone to feel the pain that people with disabilities go through. Their every day life is a struggle that consisted of painful situations. At the same time they are denied the simple pleasures of life, like love, just because of their disability.
Victoria Lucas shears her struggles and how she found love. Proving to all that there is someone out there for every one.

"Like most teenage girls, I wanted to fit in with the crowd and be like everyone else. I wanted to date boys and gossip with friends about which ones I fancied the most. I wanted to feel the excitement of getting a Valentine's card and trying to guess who it was from. But it just didn't happen. I was the one who didn't get a card."
-Victoria Lucas-

Romance and Disabilities

The issue of romance and people with disabilities is very difficult to address. I found an article on-line which addresses this issue. It explains how teenagers with intellectual disabilites feel about their social development and the struggles they face. A great piece from the article shows how teenagers cope with their situation: "Kaufman adds that, "every teenager thinks no one is ever going to want to be in a relationship with them. Every teenager goes through the stage: No one is ever going to love me. I’m undesirable. I’m not perfect enough. But when a disabled teen has those feelings, they tend to focus in on, ’because of my disability.’"

A Walk to Remember

The movie revolves around the lives of two very different Beaufort High School teenagers: the daughter of a Baptist Minister, Jamie Sullivan and a jaded, aimless high school senior, Landon Carter.
When a prank on a fellow high-school student goes wrong, Landon is punished with mandatory participation in various after-school activities, such as tutoring to younger disadvantaged children at their sister school and acting in the drama club's final production, the spring play. At these functions he is forced to interact with Jamie Sullivan, but does not befriend her immediately. When Landon realizes that he needs help learning his lines for the production, he asks Jamie to assist him. She agrees to help him if he promises not to fall in love with her, to which he responds by saying, "That's not a problem."
Eventually, Landon is intrigued by Jamie's positive attitude, forgiving nature, and overwhelming faith.Landon falls in love with Jamie even though she had previously told him not to. Jamie finally tells Landon that she has terminal leukemia and has stopped responding to treatments. As Jamie is hospitalized, Landon fulfills various wishes on Jamie's "Before I Die" list, such as build her a telescope so she can see a comet. Through this process, Landon and Jamie learn more about nature and love. The movie ends with Jamie's death, but only after the couple are married in the same chapel as was Jamie's deceased mother, the event that topped Jamie's wish list. Landon himself becomes a better person through Jamie's memory, achieving the goals that he set out to do, like she did.
Although Landon knows Jamie will die, he still chooses to love her and get hurt rather than leave her. This is what true love is about, sacrifice.

Attached is a link to one of my favorite clips of "A Walk to Remember".

The Decemberists

Romance/Romantic drama genre could be anything. It doesn't have to be a novel or a movie. A band named "The Decemberists" are especially known for having stories in their songs. Every single song written by Colin Meloy (singer/song writer) has some sort of a plot to it, so one particular, three part song comes in mind when thinking about the romantic genre. The songs are called; "Crane Wife 1 and 2" and "Crane Wife 3", from the "Crane Wife" album. The first two parts of the song talk about how the character of the song and his wife met, how they fell in love and got married (romantic part), and then the third part of the song tells the story of how they broke up (the dramatic part).


I have linked to a page where all the bands lyrics are posted, so you could take a look at it for yourself. Keep in mind that this song isn't the only "romantic/dramatic" song written by this band. I have been listening to these guys for quite some time and I really urge everyone to check them out, I understand that this type of music might not please everyone but maybe some of you will like it.

The Science of Sleep

The Science of Sleep is a great movie by director, Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind). The movie is somewhat of a foreign flick. It is mostly English, partially French and somewhat Spanish. The movie is centered around Stephane and his inability to keep his dreams out of his waking life and the trouble it gets him into with love interest Stephanie.

Here is a site with all you need to know about The Science of Sleep.

If you are into creative movies, go see it.

Here is the trailer of the film.

If you happen to check it out, let me know what you think, because the ending was slightly unclear to me.

Ciao!
Anastacia

The Spaghetti Scene

The "Lady and the Tramp" is definitely a cute and romantic movie. It is about two dogs who come from two totally different backgrounds. Lady, a golden cocker spaniel meets up with a scoundrel dog, "The Tramp". She decides to join him and travel. My favorite scene is when the two are being serenaded to and share the same spaghetti noodle.

Check out the link to view the clip.

The Top Romance Films

Romance is considered a dramatic genre. There are hundreds of romance films. Everyone has a different opinion of what the best and worst romance films are. Through vigorous research, I have discovered a list of the best and worst romance films from IMDb.com Some of my favorite romance media productions include Pride and Prejudice, Titanic, Alaadin, Romeo and Juliet, and the Love Is... comic strips. Just in case you are not familiar with the Love Is... comic strips, here is a link to guide you. http://www.comicspage.com/loveis/

Bite the Curb

American History X is a film that has been seen by many people. From all the people I have known that have seen the film are squeamish about a certain scene in particular. You guys know what I am talking about, the "bite the curb" scene.

The movie is based on a small group of neo-Nazis in the late 80's-early 90's. It is about two brothers who share similar values. In the beginning of the film, we see Derek Vinyard spot two black men attempting to steal his car. He goes outside to take care of it by shooting one of the men and having the other "bite the curb."

Here is a site that has everything you need to know about the film. Check it out and enjoy

Keep in mind that this film is centered around racism, particularly towards black and Jewish people.

--Anastacia

Hostel

'Hostel' is rated R for brutal scenes of torture and violence, it also included strong sexual content, language and drug use. This is a very graphic film. I would not recomend anyone with a weak stomach to watch it. Quentin Tarentino is a perfect example of a director who likes violence. It seems that many Tarentino films have graphic violence in them. A few other examples of Tarentino violence is 'Sin City' and 'Kill Bill" Violence and torture films are NOT my favorite!

Violence on TV

Over the years, people have been put to the idea that violence on television creates an influnce on children and how they act. So what happened was a few researches have been taken, each seeing if voilence that took place on tv really did effect childrens personality and how they act.
The page then goes on explaining why exactly shows contain violence. The main reason seems to be because of promotion. With violence in a show, the watchers want to keep watching the show now that the suspense is built up.
Things have been designed to censor tv violence. This includes the V-Chip and a system of ratings that let parents know how "violent" a show is.

The Link below will tell all about the different researches that took place, and go into detail about tv violence and the fixes for it.

Movie Ratings

Movie ratings pertain to violence in films because the ratings advocate the amount of violence, as well as several other factors. This link provided vey interesting information regarding movie ratings. By clicking on the "Questions & Answers" link, you will find a section soley pertaining to information regarding movie ratings. The site also allows you to search various films to determine their rating.

From Hell (Warning...Violent)

From Hell, starring Johnny Depp, is a movie which displays enough blood and guts to make you feel like you have actually witnessed a real live murder take place right in front of your own two eyes. Detail in this movie is incredible as people are sliced open left and right by a mysterious character/historical figure thought to be known as "Jack the Ripper". Along with the intense violence in this film, the movie also has a very intruiging and also entertaining storyline. In fact, just for your information I also believe the film falls under the genre or film noir.

Film NOIR, Film NOIR, whats a film NOIR?!

Hmmm.... After carefully reviewing the contents of many sites, I settled on the idea that a "film noir" is an old type of film that mainly stretched from the 1940's into the 1950's. Most "film noirs" were a black and white, and had a classic Hollywood feel to them. The picture that comes to my mind after all my research is that of a private eye sitting at his desk in a secluded office while a sexy, voluptuous vixen sits in front of him. She is preferably in a low cut dress with high heels and a pair of silk gloves. There is some type of love connection between them that is occurring during the time that he is not running through the dark rainy streets of an urban city trying to solve a murder. All the while he is avoiding some creepy guy who is trying to kill him. Most likely this creepy guy, is always popping out of alleys and is never fully shown except for as a shadow. In the end, of course, the private eye solves his mystery, kills his enemy, and of course falls in love with his beautiful blond.


If you look to the left, that is the private eye. He forgot his trench coat but thats ok. He has his voluptuous woman on his arm and his gun in hand. If you look closely, a shadow/silhouette of his enemy is in the background.

To the right is a picture of a good private eye. He dutifully has his trench coat, his magnifying glass, his pipe, and of course his little matching hat.

Now here is my vixen. Va, va, va voom.

Here is another, only she is a red head. ~~~~>

Film Noir

Film Noir was at first very unfamiliar to me, as I’m sure it was to most people. I looked at a few different types of films. After going through these two sites it helped me understand the concept of film noir. I found many noir films are older, made n the 50s. Hopefully these sites helps…

Watch Your Back

Guaranteed jaw-dropper.....see for yourself.........

"Soccer sometimes gets exciting, but this fan makes soccer look more like the UFC."

This site also shows various fight, shocking, painful, and funny clips. There's also games, jokes, and pictures. At this particular site, there is something for everybody.

FILM NOIR

Film noir first came around right after WWII, following a new kind of book. This kind of book was the detective story books. Films noir are mostly centered around some kind of a mystery and a detective who is trying to solve it. Most common Characteristics of film noir are very limited lighting, extreme camera angles which give the chaotic sort of look, narration, and mostly the mood of the film, always gloomy and boring looking, like for exaple constant rain or over cast. A lot of traditional noir film were black white, and not only because of the time period in which they were made but because it gives off that extra depressive look.

Here is a site that talks about the crime story type of noir films, and also give a little history as well.

Violent films on children.

Many people believe that violent films effect the psychological behaviors of children if they watch the films at a young age. Other people that oppose this idea tend to believe that violent behavior from children are influenced by the children's society and environment; however, studies show that children who watch violent films at a young age develop violent behavior in their later years. Accordring to statistics from William Bennett, there have been approximately 250 deaths related to the movie Die Hard, and approximately 100 from Rambo 3, and so on.

"The National Committee on the causes and prevention of violence reported in 1969 that violence in the media had a negative effect on children. Violent films encourage violent forms of behavior and promotes violence in daily life as being acceptable. Professor Malamuth, chairman of communications studies at the University of California and Professor Edward Donnerstein, a psychologist at the Center for Communications Research at the University of Wisconsin, have both conducted studies that suggest viewers of media violence are detrimentally affected."

So kids, don't try this at home...really.

For more information, go to: http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~tonya/Film/film_violence.html

"Film Noir"

Film Noir is a genre that falls within the lines of a detective or crime story. It has a more gloomy and downbeat setting. The term itself was thought up by French film critics.

...Very often, a film noir story was developed around a cynical, hard-hearted, disillusioned male character who encountered a beautiful but promiscuous, amoral, double-dealing and seductive femme fatale..."

I hope this following link will better your understanding of what "film noir" really means, I know it helped me.

Film Noir

"Film Noir (literally 'black film or cinema') was coined by French film critics, who noticed the trend of how 'dark', downbeat and black the looks and themes were of many American crime and detective films released in France following the war." I was never familiar with the term "film noir." I heard it when speaking of certain movies, such as Sin City, but never developed a comprehension of the term. This website is a great tool to learning and understanding the concept behind film noir. It includes its history, what it is, some film examples, and very insightful facts.

Understanding Film Noir

Below is a link to a page that gives a great description of Film Noir. The writer gives a great description of common settings and scenes for film noirs to take place in. As it also gives a well said history on it.

One new thing that I learned from here is that "noir" actually means "black" in French. So really, film noir stands for "black film."

For a list of film examples that fall into the film noir genre, this page is also a great resource to look at..

Film Noir?

Film Noir is not a genre I was very familiar with up to this point and it also seems to not be as popular other genres out in theaters right now. The folowing link, however, did give me a better idea and understanding of what a "film Noir" is. I am sure it can help out any one else who is still unclear about this genre. Here is a fact by Wikipedia to get you started in understanding a film noir.

"The term film noir (French for "black film"), first applied to Hollywood movies by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most of the American filmmakers and actors while they were creating the classic film noirs."~ Wikipidia.org

Film Noir vs Sci-Fi

Here are some definitions that i thought would be useful in determining what characteristics these genres encompass. Its not much, however i do think that they get across some of the basic ideas of really understanding what the two mean.

Film Noir- shadowy, pessimistic movie: a cinematic genre popular in the 1940s and 1950s, often filmed in urban settings with extensive use of shadows, cynical in outlook, and featuring antiheroes. Definition courtesy of msn encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/film%2520noir.html

Sci-Fi- fiction based on futuristic science: a form of fiction, usually set in the future, that deals with imaginary scientific and technological developments and contact with other worlds.
Definition courtesy of msn encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/Science%2520Fiction.html

Like i said, its not much, but i do think that these definitions manage to deliver a solid idea of what we should be looking for as far as determining what genre the movie "Blade Runner" falls under.

Catwomen: A Bust

A shy woman, endowed with the speed, reflexes, and senses of a cat, walks a thin line between criminal and hero, even as a detective doggedly pursues her, fascinated by both of her personas. "Catwoman" is a movie about Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips and costume design. It gets those right. Everything else is secondary, except for the plot, which is terrible. What a dissapointment. The filmmakers have given great thought to photographing Berry, who looks fabulous, and little thought to providing her with a strong character, story, supporting characters or action sequences.

The Black Dahlia

Reading different reviews anout this movie gave me mixed feeling about it. Many people loved the movie and thought it to be a classic. "Like De Palma's previous films, "The Black Dahlia" is absolutely gorgeous, while avoiding modern filmmaking techniques and camera angles to further enhance the illusion." written by Edward Douglas. But others I have not seen the movie, but the previews caught my attention. The movie was based on the novel written by James Ellroy. “The Black Dahlia” is a real-life unsolved murder story of an actress wannabe Elizabeth Short, played by Mia Kirshner. The movie is filled with an all-star cast including Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, and Josh Hartnett. The following link gives more details...

The Pianist

The Pianist is a movie based on an autobiography of a Polish Jewish radio musician, Wladyslaw Szpilman, played by Adrien Brody. It tells the story of his struggle and journey through the Holocaust. This is a very emotional movie and is not an easy one to watch. "It is never easy to watch people suffer and die without even the glimmer of hope, which makes it extraordinary that Polanski, another Polish Jew who survived, has been able to bring Szpilman's detachment to the screen." as said by Manohla Dargis, Seattle Times Staff Writer

The Blair Witch Project

We're instinctively afraid of natural things (snakes, barking dogs, the dark) but have to be taught to fear walking into traffic or touching an electrical wire. Horror films that tap into our hard-wired instinctive fears probe a deeper place than movies with more sophisticated threats. A villain is only an actor, but a shark is more than a shark.

Four Brothers

"Four Brothers wants basically to be an entertainment, although it deliberately makes the point that in an increasingly diverse society, people of different races may belong to the same family."Four Brothers is a film of four siblings who were adopted by a caring woman named Evelyn Mercer. The four brothers come together when they recieve the tragic news that their mother is dead. They are all greatly affected by the death of their mother so they decide to do whatever it takes to find out who killed her. Throughout the film, the brothers create a closer relationship with one another. They go through a lot of ups and downs in the movie beginning with the death of their mother and ending with the death of their youngest brother. This film demonstrates the meaning of "family".

Six Women In A Cave

Remember the last time you just so happen to get trapped in a cave? These six women decide one day to just go cave-diving. Sure why not, we have nothing else to do. Once they get inside the cave they cannot get out. How ironic. They end up yelling and fighting with each other until some crazy-looking cave monster tears their bodies apart and eats most of them. These are the best parts of the movie. Oh yeah, one of the women kills one of her friends. Maybe it was her way of saying that this escapade was a bad idea.

“Bodies are pushed, pulled, battered and stretched to the breaking point and beyond…..These women are straining the limits of their muscles and bones, their friendships, and their core beliefs about who they are.”

The Matrix Has You!

This is a review of the original philosophic, science-fiction, action movie "The Matrix" which opened in 1999 and has blown the minds of movie enthusiasts ever since. The plot involves Neo (Keanu Reeves) a mild mannered computer programmer who hates his job, apartment and his life. But their is another side to Neo. He is also a brilliant hacker wanted for almost every computer crime. As fate would have it Neo discovers something terrible. The world he knows, the world he has grown up in and come to accept has all been fake. An artificial representation of how the world used to be. The real world has been taken over by super-intelligent machines which harvest human beings like crops. The entire population is kept in a sub-conscience, dream-like state "jacked in" to a system known as "The Matrix" to keep the populace under complete control.

The Matrix Roger Ebert explains "uses flawlessly integrated special effects and animation to visualize regions of cyberspace. It creates fearsome creatures, including mechanical octopi. It morphs bodies with the abandon of "Terminator II." It uses f/x to allow Neo to run horizontally on walls, and hang in the air long enough to deliver karate kicks. It has leaps through space, thrilling sequences involving fights on rooftops, helicopter rescues and battles over mind control."

A great movie, a slightly unconventional review by Roger Ebert but a professional and insightful analysis nonetheless.
Roger Ebert reviews The Matrix

These guys do the killing for us!

The film The Boondock Saints tells a story about two irishmen that take a stand on the Russian mobs in Boston and decide to fight back. Detective Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe, decides to hunt down these two guys, but realize that they are doing a better job of "cleaning up the streets" than he is.

Smecker arrives at every crime scene, almost perfectly describing the actions taken by the irishmen, while the two men hunt other mobsters.

The movie introduces questions on certain issues, especially the question of morality, which can only be answered by the viewer. These questions include: is it alright if these guys are killing murderers, rapists, and other sorts of criminals? Should they be charged for murder themselves? Is it right for these two guys to play God, and decide who lives and who doesn't?

According to critic Kevin Carr, "The real magic of “The Boondock Saints” is that it taps into everyone’s secret desire for vigilantism. Who hasn’t thought of how great it would be to just mow down gangsters in a rain of machine gun bullets? Can anyone really grieve the death of murderers? "

For more reviews on The Boondock Saints, go to http://www.7mpictures.com/inside/reviews/theboondocksaintsdvd_review.htm

Rudy... Reviewed By Roger Ebert

"...Rudy persists. And although his story reads, in outline, like an anthology of cliches from countless old rags-to-riches sports movies, "Rudy" persists, too. It has a freshness and an earnestness that gets us involved, and by the end of the film we accept Rudy's dream as more than simply sports sentiment. It's a small but powerful illustration of the human spirit," Says Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times. Rudy is about someone who will stop at nothing to beat the odds, and come out victorious in his quest to achieve his lifetime goal, to prove everyone who has ever doubted him wrong.

American History X

Racism has been around for a long time. Although segregation is over and it is an equal opportunity nation, there are still some individuals that believe their race is better than others. In the opening scene of American History X, viewers learn that Derek, a leader of the neo-Nazi group, kills two men that attempt to steal his truck. It is later revealed that Derek not only shot the two men because of his truck, but because they were African American. When sent to prison, his younger brother, Danny, follows in Derek's shadow. After being released, Derek goes back home only to find that many things had changed. He is determined to change Danny's vision of the neo-Nazi group before it is too late...

It is a really good movie. There is never a dull scene throughout the film. This movie has a little bit of everything including drama, action, gore, and suspense.

Remember the Titans

I'va always been a big fan of sports and sports movies, so i figured I'd give you guys the review for "Remember the Titans." The film is set back when racism was really big in the United States. It involves Caucasians and African-Americans competing together for time on the football field, as well as dealing with off the field controversies. This movie stars Denzel Washington and is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer ("Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Armageddon").

You Can't Measure Love

If you are like me then a good love story is one that will make you cry. The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams as Allie Nelson and Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun would be the story. Allie Nelson and Noah Calhoun find themselves madly in love in just a few months, but are then torn apart when Allies mother insists that Noah is not good enough for her and announces that they will be leaving earlier then expected. Allie and Noah are apart for seven years before reuniting again and picking up where they left off. This love story not only shows the wonderful moments of love , but also the times where you just want to strangle your significant other. It shows that even through a disease and Allie forgetting who Noah was he was still there for her every step of the way, knowing that in reading their story day after day she will always come back to him. Roger Ebert states:

"The Notebook" is a sentimental fantasy, but such fantasies are not harmful; we tell ourselves stories every day, to make life more bearable."

The Notebook is a great movie to watch if you are in the "Love" mood. Though it may not appeal to most guys there have been guys to admit that is movie was a good movie.

To See the review by Roger Ebert click the link below.

War Of the Worlds

If you like the science fiction type of movies this movie is good for you. This movie deals with Robots controlled by aliens and the whole world is getting attacked by these huge robots."The film is designed both as an adaptation of the seminal H.G. Wells novel and a tribute to the 1953 classic produced by the legendary George Pal. The setup introduces us to New Jersey dockworker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), a dimwitted cretin with an ex-wife who laughs at him, a teenaged son (Justin Chatwin) who hates his guts and a nine-year-old daughter (Dakota Fanning) who by turns condescends to him, hyperventilates and emits a horrifying banshee wail. Ray gets the kids for the weekend, and in a deft ten minutes or so we learn everything we need to know about the family dynamic. And then all hell breaks loose."

Claustrophobic's Worst Nightmare!

If you are claustrophobic this is the wrong movie to watch! During many scenes in the movie Jack (Adrien Brody) is in a straight jacket and put in a morgue drawer, while he is still alive! In this review from the New York Daily Newspaper, Jami Bernard writes, "Ironically, Jack's downtime in this coffin environment works for him. Claustrophobic and sweating, he hallucinates — much of the movie is shot to approximate his semi-delirious state of mind — and imagines himself into the future." He goes through many mentally draining things during the entire movie. Bernard also compares his appearance to that to the role he played in "The Pianist." "In "The Pianist," he evaded Nazis in burned-out Warsaw. Now there's "The Jacket," a deliberately disjointed psychological thriller in which he's tortured, shot, shell-shocked, locked in a morgue drawer and, once again, looks short on proper nutrition." Click on the link below to read the entire review.

Match Point

Match Point is a movie I was skeptic of viewing, at first. I had reservations of watching a Woody Allen film because I have never seen any of his films before and I have heard that his films are rather bizarre. However, the actors and the little I knew of the plot prompted me to see it.

Match Point entails Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Scarlett Johansson as love interests in the film that closely resembles the novel Crime and Punishment. "The movie stars Chris, a poor boy from Ireland who was on the tennis tour and now works in London as a club pro. He meets rich young Tom, who takes a lesson, likes him, and invites him to attend the opera with his family. During the opera, Tom's sister Chloe looks at Chris once with interest and the second time with desire. Tom's own girlfriend is Nola, an American who hopes to become an actress or Tom's wife. Tom and Chloe are the children of Alec and Eleanor Hewett, who have serious money.

Chloe likes Chris. She wants Chris. Her parents want Chloe to have what she wants. Alec offers Chris a job in "one of my companies" -- always a nice touch, that. Tom likes Nola, but to what degree, and do his parents approve?

All is decided in the fullness of time, and now I am going to become maddeningly vague in order not to spoil the movie's twists and turns, which are ingenious and difficult to anticipate."

The ending portion of Ebert's quote depicts the film's nature perfectly. The film has many unexpected scenes, which allows the audience to stay attentive and excited during the entire movie. The movie depicts two genres we will review in class: the noir and the romance.

I chose this specific review from Roger Ebert because of the format and content in his writing. The film critique is formal, with an educated tone. There are also times when he is sarcastic in the piece. I chose this because it is similar to my writing style with the eloquent word choice and personal touches that are put in the paper.

Just Another Kong Fu Movie

As a kid I grew up watching Marshall Art movies. Whether it was "The karate Kid","Mortal combat" or any one of Jacke Chans movies I had to watch them. I could safely say that I have seen good martial arts movies but also allot of bad ones. When "Ong Bak" came out you could be sure that I sow it. The movie was simple and even though it was not one of those big budget movie I liked it. Sadly I could no say the same thing about the "The Protector".

First of all I did not even take the time to see The "The Protecor". Why should I when I hear that it has the same basic plot as "Ong Bak"? I would rather watch "Ong Bak" again then go out and see another version of it. The original movies are always better.


"If the story of Ong Bak was "Hey, you stole my Buddha statue," the story of The Protector is "Hey, you stole my elephants." "

-Don Willmot-

For more on the movie please click on the link bellow:

Link

UnLucky # Slevin

All though the movie,"Lucky # Slevin" was entertaining it seemed very awkward from the beginning. The Dialog itself was two witty and mannered making the characters seem like they had no care in any situation. In a way they all acted like existentialists.

"Lucky Number Slevin," on the other hand, goes to some pains to make it clear it is only an exercise in style. Here we are looking at a crime mystery involving warring hoodlums and beautiful neighbors and a confused guy from out of town and a gunman and a cop, and the movie knows we're deluded and they're all just conceits. It's smarter than we are. Well, it must be, because it got us to watch it. -Roger Ebert-

Sure the argument that the movie was made for a sophisticated audience could arise because it seem like Robertr Ebert writes "They think they're more clever than I am, and they may be right, but that doesn't make me like them."

More about the movie at the following link:

Link

Half Nelson

Should people be classified in the bad category just because they do a certain something in their lives that is bad?

This is a question that you have to ask your self when viewing the movie Half Nelson. The movie revolves around a junior high school teacher who is a Crack addict and his students.

" "Half Nelson" isn't one of those "inspirational teacher/mentor" movies -- at least not in any generic or conventional sense. There's no triumph, no breakthrough, no by-the-numbers victory in test scores or on the basketball court. This movie isn't about those things, but is concerned with an even greater achievement that is generally unacknowledged: how people -- flawed, miserable, frustrated people -- go to work every day and find a way to care about something beyond themselves, despite themselves. "

-Roger Ebert-

Read more on what Roger Ebert has to say about the movie at this link.

Link <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Captain Jack Sparrow Has Done it Again

One of the things i can remember about the first time i saw "Pirates of the Caribbean" was leaving the theater and thinking to myself, "when are they going to make a second one." Well, three years and 653 million dollars later, the second pirates movie, " Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was released. Once again, Director Gore Verbinski delivers the same wondeful cast of characters that made the first film so entertaining. Not only is the cast great the second time around, the plot of the second movie takes the audience on an adventure that is not only exotic and thrilling, but does an excellent job of setting us up for the third and final piece of this awesome trilogy.

The plot of this movie leaves the audience begging for more. It yanks us around a colorful world that always brings someting new to the table. The story that is continued through this second masterpiece follows a plethra of characters, but focuses mainly on Will Turner and his soon to be wife, Elizabeth Swann and their adventures and mishaps involving everything from epic sea monsters to being thrown in prison. Whatever it is that makes you enjoy a film, this will deliver it. Joe Williams, a post-dispatch fil critic, proclaims "it's buoyed by another high-wire performance from Depp, stoked by imaginative effects and propelled by Verbinski's comedic pacing." I completely agree and recommend that if you have not seen this movie, drop whatever you are doing and see this film.


Link to Joe Williams' comments:http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/movie/story/84B7A80D6C1A18FA862571A30067B908?OpenDocument

Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko was never a major hit in the box office, but people talk about how good of a film it is as the fan base grows till this current day.

The film is about a boy named Donnie Darko who dreams about a 6-foot tall rabbit who lures Donnie out of his house which results him in avoiding a jet-engine that falls into his home. From there, the rabbit tells Donnie that he is destined to live for a special reason. Donnie is haunted through the days and nights by this six foot rabbit as he is told to do various tasks. However, Donnie doesn't understand why he does these things, but is told that he will soon understand.

The story of the film gets very deep. Emanuel Levy said:

"Audiences at the Sundance festival were confused by the narrative, whose
structure shifts from one time-frame to another, and disoriented by the rapid
changes in tone from the real to the surreal and back. Part of the puzzlement
derives from the movie's ambitions. Unlike most school flicks, Donnie Darko is
not about scoring or getting laid. Instead, it deals with metaphysical concerns,
like the inner workings of the universe, challenging notions about time-travel.
In short, unabashedly, Donnie Darko aims higher than most youth pictures."

Even though Donnie Darko is about five years old, it is still a must see for those who have not already.

Important reminder from Prof Bushnell

I just wanted to remind you all about one important detail, just in case anyone was confused. The review that you choose as your model should not, repeat not, be a review of the same movie that you're planning to write on. The assignment is asking you to take the structure of an existing review and put new content into that structure... so, for instance, taking the structure of a review of XXX but taking all the XXX content out of it, and just using the skeleton to talk about another movie (say, Charlie's Angels or what have you). Don't use the structure of the XXX review to talk about XXX—then there's not enough new material coming from you. If that doesn't make sense, ask me a question in the comments box, below.

While we're on the subject of Ebert's XXX review, I'm linking it below, in case anyone wants to use it as their model.

Maria Full of Grace

The uprising actress, Catalina Sandino Moreno, plays the role of Maria in 2004's "Maria Full of Grace". This movie takes place in Columbia where the young woman is working to support her poor family and expecting baby. Money was hard to come by until she was offered a chance to become a mule, someone who is paid greatly to transport packets of cocaine to New York. Maria faces several challenges and tough decisions along her journey to a new life. This Spanish drama and thriller did not dissatisfy me nor Ebert. He explained it as...

"...an extraordinary experience for any reasons including, oddly, its willingness to be ordinary. We see everyday life here, plausible motives, convincing decisions, and characters who live at ground level."

Click on the link below to read more about the movie, characters, and what else Ebert thought.

The Comedy with a Life Lesson

The movie "Click" gives out a message that has been gaining popularity recently. The message being, live all of your life to the fullest and not missing out on anything. The movie is a must see to all of the Adam Sandler fans. However, the review by Roger Ebert may dissapoint and even make others loose interest in the movie as one can see by the following statement Ebert made.

"The movie is being sold as a comedy, but you know what? This isn't funny."

He goes on to give it only two out of four stars. To go into more depth and to see how Ebert defends his viewpoint click on the link.

"Remember Remember the Fifth of November."

One of the most important films of 2006 is, by far, V for Vendetta. It is an intense film about a fascist government and those who are ready to take it over, especially "mysterious masked vigilante" who goes by the name of "V" (played by Hugo Weaving) and his accidental accomplice, Evey (played by Natalie Portman), and return it back to the way it was before. Adapted from a comic book by the same name, the film yields many differences.

“The film shows liberalism rising up against fascism; Moore's vision offered anarchy as a counter to fascism. On the big screen, V for Vendetta says "We can take the system back!" On the page, the suggestion is that there's nothing in the system worth having.”

This was taken from this website which spews both similarities and differences to the comic book and the Wachowski Brothers “The Matrix.”

The review is great for those who enjoyed the movie, and for those who may not have fully understood the movie.



--Anastacia

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

When you think of Jim Carrey, you automatically assume that anything associated with him is a comedy. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind defies Carrey's role of a comedic actor. Carrey instead plays a rather depressed guy in this film, which makes this film seem far from a comedy. It's an absolute love story of a couple who have been seeing each other for quite some time. "After a nasty fight, Clementine stormed out of Joel's apartment and his life and impulsively hired a New York firm called Lacuna, Inc., to erase all memories of him. Joel was devastated when he found out what she had done and decided to undergo the procedure himself." During the erasing process they both remember why they fell for each other and towards the end don't want to go on with it but it's too late.

Here is a site that talks about how the idea for the movie came around, and also there a whole big section that explains the whole movie and talk about everything in detail. I have also seen this movie and I consider it to be an excellent film.

Will the real secret agent please stand up?

Have you ever wanted to become a secret agent or even had a dream that you were one? Well, here’s your chance to learn the reality of being a true secret agent.

“What guy hasn't actually wondered what it would be like to be a spy? Cruising around foreign countries, experiencing great adventures, hooking up with hot exotic babes, and, at the same time, helping out your country.”

Mr. and Mrs. Smith page

Hey everyone! Mr. and Mrs. Smith is in my opinion, one of the better examples of showing how the world of secret agents really works. At the same time, the movie adds of good amount of comedic relief as well. If you are at all interested, the link to the movie's site is as follows... http://www.mrandmrssmithmovie.com/#
At the site, you can check out the movie trailer, read about the movie, the characters, view photos, wallpapers, and more. Hope you all enjoy this site.

J.MOSS

Posting links now even easier

OK everyone: I fooled around with Blogger a little bit and found a way to make adding a link even easier. Now when you go to create a new post you'll see a blank field just below the "Title" field and just above the "posting window." This field is labeled "Link" and it'll look pretty much like this:

Now, all you need to do is plug the URL you want to link to into that field, and Blogger will make the link and add it to the end of the post for you automatically. It'll look like the one at the end of this post. (That one will lead you to a Q+A page about how to make posts to Blogger, if you have any questions about that.)