Denzel Washington-Man on Fire (2006) Review

Another Denzel Washington masterpiece was produced in the year of 2004. The name of the film is "Man on Fire", and it's my favorite Denzel Washington movie. It reveals some of the harsh facts about the kidnapping rates in Latin America, and how smart some criminals really are. If you are a fan of action or adventure movies, or you are just in the mood to watch a top quality movie, you should watch "Man on Fire". One forewarning about the movie, the first hour builds an emotional connection with all of the characters, and the second hour is when all of the action takes place.

Like I mentioned earlier, the movie takes place in Latin America, and a family assigns a bodyguard named Creasy (Washington) to protect their daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning) from being kidnapped. Pita is a swimmer on the school team, a great person in the community, just as you would expect. The movies places an emotional connection with Creasy and Pita, which progresses throughout the film.

Then comes the dark side of the movie, the second half. This is where all of the action comes to life. It all starts with Pita getting kidnapped, and Creasy wanting to take revenge. He vows to kill every single person involved in the kidnapping. In doing so, he finds out an array of things. Each thing he finds out, brings him closer to the unimaginable truth, and it's shocking ending, which is for you to find out.

In conclusion, Man on Fire is a very unique film, unlike many pointless action films. It has a great message, which shouldn't be missed. Another trait that makes this movie great, is that it's based on a true story. The movie contains some great acting, and features the likes of Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, and Marc Anthony. Everyone does a great acting job, and no one contradicts each other. It seems as if they picked the perfect cast. I think that this is one of the most underrated movies of 2004. If you ever have a chance to watch it, I would strongly recommend it.

Review written by Josh

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The Top 20 Football Players Turned Actors

Football players are extremely popular among fans of the game. After their playing days are done, many go onto coaching, announcing, or other careers that keep them in the public eye. Many also go on into the field of acting.

Here is a look at the top 20 football players turned actors

#20 Bill Romanowski - Bill Romanowski played football for 16 years for the 49ers, Eagles, Broncos, and Raiders. Following his career he has appeared in movies such as The Longest Yard and Benchwarmers.

#19 Bill Goldberg - Though his football career was not much to speak of, Bill Goldberg made quite a splash in the acting world. He first became famous in the world of professional wrestling, but would go on to appear in Universal Soldier: The Return, The Longest Yard, and a number of television shows

#18 Brett Favre - Brett Favre is sure to go down as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. While he doesn't have an extensive film career, it is impossible to ignore the large role he played in the hit comedy film There's Something About Mary, starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller. The dance scenes at the end are worth seeing against and again.

#17 Bo Jackson - One of the greatest running back careers was cut short when Bo Jackson suffered a career ending hip injury. He would go on to appear in a number of television shows and movies including Diagnosis Murder, Married with Children, The Chamber, and Moesha.

#16 Mike Ditka - Famous for being both a great tight end and a great head coach, Mike Ditka would go on to also make quite a few acting appearances including in Third Rock From The Sun, Kicking & Screaming, L.A. Law, Coach, and Cheers.

#15 Ed Marinaro - Ed Marinaro appeared in two Super Bowls for the Minnesota Vikings and also played running back for the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks during his pro career. He would go on to appear in a number of hit television series including Laverne & Shirley, Hill Street Blues, and Sisters.

#14 O.J. Simpson - O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy and then was the first person to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season in the NFL. He went on to appear as a guest star in a number of television shows and also appeared in a wide variety of commercials. His most famous role though was probably as Nordberg in the Naked Gun movies.

#13 Merlin Olsen - Merlin Olsen was a Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams, and was one of the players that quarterbacks during the 1970s feared the most. After his playing days were finished, he appeared on Little House on the Prairie and then his own show, Father Murphy.

#12 Joe Namath - Broadway Joe Namath was the face of the American Football League in the 1960s and hero to New York Jets fans every where. He appeared in a number of movies and television shows including the A-Team, Brady Bunch, C.C. and Company, and he even guest hosted an episode of the Tonight Show.

#11 Lawrence Taylor - One of the greatest linebackers of all time, Lawrence Taylor is another of the famous football players who have gone on to have a credible acting career. He has appeared numerous times as himself on both television and in film. His other roles include The Waterboy, Shaft, and Any Given Sunday.

#10 Bubba Smith - Bubba Smith was a great defensive lineman for the Colts, Raiders, and Oilers. He achieved more fame after his career by appearing in a large number of very popular series of beer commercials for Miller Lite. He is also known for playing officer Moses Hightower in the Police Academy movies.

#9 Alex Karras - Alex Karras was a legendary defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions. After his career he went on to appear in Blazing Saddles and was Emmanuel Lewis' dad in the television show Webster.
#8 Howie Long - Howie Long played 13 seasons with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders. Since then he has appeared in television commercials and movies like Firestorm and Broken Arrow.

#7 Dick Butkus - One of the most feared linebackers in football during his playing days, Dick Butkus would go on to have a decent acting career. He played in the films Any Given Sunday and Blue Thunder, as well as the television series My Two Dads.

#6 Terry Bradshaw - Many fans don't know it, but Terry Bradshaw has not only been honored with a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but also with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His film roles include Cannonball Run, Hooper, and Failure to Launch.

#5 Carl Weathers - Carl Weathers played linebacker in both the National Football League and the Canadian Football League. He has one of the most famous roles of any former football player, having played Apollo Creed in a number of the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone.

#4 Fred Dryer - Fred Dryer played 13 seasons in the National Football League and was one of the most respected defensive ends of his era. He had one of the bigger hit television series of any football player, starring in the lead role of Hunter eight seasons in the 1980s and early 1990s.

#3 Fred Williamson - Fred Williamson played defensive back during the 1960s and upon his retirement he moved into acting almost immediately. He has had roles in Starsky & Hutch, Original Gangstas, and From Dusk Till Dawn in recent years, but is probably even more famous for the many films he made in the 1970s that were part of the blaxploitation genre.

#2 Woody Strode - Woody Strode is not a name recognized by most football fans. He played collegiately at UCLA, on the same team as Jackie Robinson, and then went on to play just one season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946. He was one of the first African American athletes to appear in the National Football League, and he would later play professional football in Canada too. He had a long and impressive film career, even being nominated for a Golden Globe award for his performance in Spartacus. Other movies and television shows he appeared in include Stagecoach, The Ten Commandments, The buccaneer, Pork Chop Hill, Rawhide, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Daniel Boone, How The West Was Won, The Dukes Of Hazzard, and The Quick And The Dead.

#1 Jim Brown - Jim Brown is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is widely considered the best running back ever. He had a very successful acting career following his retirement from the NFL. He appeared in The Dirty Dozen, The Running Man, Original Gangstas, Mars Attacks, and a number of 1970s films that were part of the blaxploitation genre. He also appeared quite a few television series including T.J. Hooker, Knight Rider, Highway to Heaven, Police Story, The A-Team, ChiPS, and I Spy.

Check out more information on football players movie careers at IQFB.com! IQFB is a great place for football trivia of all kinds. IQFB... Get Football Smart!

How to Make a Movie

In this article I will be talking about the many roles and challenges you face in making your own movie. We will talk about everything from how to write your own script and directing your film, to producing and finding the cost to finance your video. Each of these are all important roles when it comes to making your own movie.

First I would like to talk about writing your script. I feel this is your foundation; everything is built around your story. You want to brainstorm lots of ideas create the purpose of your story. What is the goal or plot of my story, how are your main characters involved in this. It helps to create an outline and lay out how your events will unfold on paper. You want to include details like your setting, the time of day, and your characters actions. Don't be afraid to show your work to someone who's had writing experience let them critique it and remember it's just their opinion.

Before we can talk about producing and directing your film you need to figure out how you will finance it. Now if you have an unlimited budget then you have little to worry about but if you're like the rest of us this could and can be a huge factor in creating your own movie. There are typically four methods for financing the production of a film, I will discuss two of them; government grants and tax schemes. Many governments run programs to subsidize the cost of production. Some states provide a tax credit that can cover part or all of the film cost that are filmed in the state. Governments provide these in hope it will attract individuals into their area and raise employment levels. Many countries introduced legislation that enhanced tax deductions for owners or producers of films. Governments are realizing these tax deductions are an inefficient way of supporting the film industry.

Now we can get into your production. You already have your script so your next step is hiring your cast and crew. So once you have your casting call you decide your actors and give out their roles. You may negotiate salary but most will work for scale (actor's minimum wage). Sit back and let your crew begin shooting your film. You will have tons of footage to go through as you begin your post-production editing, but this is mostly done by your editor. Once you have your final cut your best chance is distributing your movie to a prestigious film festival. Studios send there reps to seek new films.

There are many roles and responsibilities a director has and it can be very difficult. There's tons of behind the scenes work involved with directing a film. You need to be on top of everything as everyone is looking up to you. You will be creating all the aspects of the movie as you draw out each scene and break down the script into sections. Track your characters emotions and express each of these elements with your actors, tell them what you expect from them. You're there to observe and give notes on every scene give direction to your actors keep there characters on role. Spend time on rehearsal and preproduction and just keep a main over view on your team of actors. Now after reading this it won't guide you to creating your own blockbuster hit but I hope it helps you to understand the roles in making your own video.

Hello my name is Steve Bean. I work with Octo Interactive. We are an Orlando Fl Video Production Company that specializes in Web Video Production (321) 338 - 2962

The Blaxploitation Era - Can You Dig It?

Blaxploitation films. They mean many things to many different people, whether positive or negative. Regardless, you cannot deny the fact that the so-called Blaxploitation film genre was very much the first form of entertainment to gleefully celebrate the culture of African-Americans in what was, up to that point, a landscape dominated by squeaky clean Caucasian depictions of life and society in America.

The term Blaxploitation itself, as you may have gathered, was created by combining the words Black and Exploitation, being that the genre was supposedly the Black spin on the already existing Exploitation film genre.

Interestingly, a vast majority of the filmmakers and actors who were a part of the Blaxploitation movement resented the term, which was created by Hollywood bigwigs; which is understandable, considering that the Exploitation genre was quite seedy and almost the black sheep of the film industry, including such down 'n' dirty sub-genres as 'women in prison' films (The Big Doll House, Caged Heat) and 'Nazi exploitation/Nazisploitation' films (Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS).

In the minds of the Blaxploitation purveyors, exploitation was an incorrect term to use, as the films were made by Black people (who were paid for their work) for Black people (who enjoyed watching the films); sadly though the White-owned film studios/distribution companies still profited more than any of the Black actors or filmmakers.

The genre was for the most part born out of necessity, the necessity to voice/display the thoughts and feelings of Afro-Americans. Melvin Van Peebles' definitive classic Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) is widely regarded as the opening shot from the Blaxploitation cannon; although 1969's Putney Swope, directed by cutting edge filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., which follows the journey of a Black man (played by Arnold Johnson) on the executive board of an advertising firm and his rise to power, can also claim status as a pioneer.

Following on from Sweetback's searing portrait of African-Americans life, the monumental Shaft, from the revered Gordon Parks, continued to push the envelope both artistically and creatively. It also, for the first time ever, established strong African-American leads (in this case Richard Roundtree) who were bold and articulate at the same time.

Both Shaft and Sweetback put race issues under a never before utilised microscope, thus changing the dichotomy of the American film industry and then society. Political and social statements were not the only subjects on the agenda though, as films such as Superfly (1972) and The Mack (1973) introduced the slick-talking pimp persona to mainstream American culture. Releases such as these, in addition to the groundbreaking Hustler's Conventions album by former Last Poets member Jalal Nuriddin (Lightnin' Rod) and the literary works of rehabilitated pimp Iceberg Slim, are responsible for creating Hip Hop music's eventual obsession with pimp/mack culture.

As Quentin Tarantino exclaimed of his movie going experiences in 1970s Southern California, Blaxploitation ushered in a new era, described by some as 'Black Hollywood'. Despite the abundant (and unexpected) success of Blaxploitation projects, the films came under attack by the likes of Jesse Jackson and the NAACP, who took to task the films' portrayals of Black America, claiming that they perpetuated negative stereotypes and built negative images of African-Americans; the same line of fire Hip Hop culture would fall under years later.

Once the Blaxploitation formula proved successful it didn't take long for the major studios, who usually then delegated it to their low budget/indie division, to begin churning out every film and scenario they could think of, such as interracial female fugitives on the run chained together (Black Mama, White Mama). Even Shaft found his way to the motherland for Shaft In Africa (the Shaft franchise was clearly running out of steam by this point).

The pre-existing 'women in prison' motif was somewhat given the Blaxploitation treatment as well in pictures like Cleopatra Jones and Foxy Brown, starring Tamara Dobson and Pam Grier (a veteran of 'women in prison' flicks) respectively, which centered around a female lead who could stand up against her oppressive male counterparts in her quest for justice and equality.

Certain films were not only insulting to the senses but also managed to make 'worst film of all time' lists by countless critics. The lowest is arguably The Thing with Two Heads (1972), where the head of a dying White bigot is grafted onto the body of an able bodied African-American (with hilarity not ensuing!)

Also at the bottom of the barrel is the hilariously bad kung-fu/Blaxploitation hybrid Blackbelt Jones, starring Enter The Dragon's Jim Kelly, which features not only some of the most ridiculous dialogue in film history ("That son-of-a-bitch just threw his panties at me") but also some of the most unconvincing and weak martial-arts sequences in film history.

Whether people wanted to see a full length feature about a Black version of Dracula or not, that's exactly what moviegoers got in 1972 with the release of Blacula, who was "Dracula's soul brother".

Despite the varying quality of Blaxploitation films there was always one constant, an accompanying killer soundtrack, that in many instances overshadowed and outdid the images on display. Ironically enough two of the worst films (Black Belt Jones and Blacula) possess two of the best soundtracks. Other monumental soundtracks include Willie Hutch's The Mack (with the track I Choose You most recently sampled by UGK for International Player's Anthem), Isaac Hayes' Shaft, Curtis Mayfield's Superfly and Barry White's Together Brothers.

Much like the 'women in prison' and 'spaghetti western' genres, both also Tarantino favorites, Blaxploitation had a short shelf-life. Although if you examine many of the genres greatest creations you will see a parallel between the extravagance and fast living of the films with the demise of the genre itself, it couldn't last forever at the rate it was growing and expanding, which was not anticipated by many, if any, at all.

Along with jazz, blues and the poetry of performers like Gil-Scott Herron and the Last Poets, Blaxploitation very much was the genesis and lay the groundwork for Hip Hop music and culture; not only in its tales of getting over and out of the ghetto and the enjoyment of material items, but also in its tales of Black pride and messages of both a social and political nature. Now can you dig that?!

By Andrew Hickey (Contributor and Content Manager) [http://www.planeturban.com]

Science Fiction Films Capture Fans' Imagination

When speaking of the various movie genres, the one that has probably thrilled more audiences than any other is science fiction. Science fiction can be difficult to define due to the fact that it includes a wide range of sub-genres and themes that can be both suspenseful and thought-provoking. Perhaps one of the easiest to understand definitions comes from Rod Serling whose stated definition is "fantasy is the impossible made probable, while science fiction is the improbable made possible".

Science fiction in films is nothing new and has existed since the early years of silent cinema when Georges Melies' 1902 film A Trip To The Moon dazzled audiences with its trick photography. The 1930s brought larger film budgets to the movie industry benefiting fans of the genre. The first feature length sci-fi film by an American studio was the generally unfamiliar title Just Imagine. More notable American made films in this genre during the 1930's include King Kong, and Lost Horizon.

Many of these films produced not only a great storyline, but also a classic movie character. Two of these unforgettable classic characters come from the blending of two genres - science fiction and horror. They would be Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1910), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912).

Today many of these films are based on comic book characters. This is nothing new. In 1934, comic strip characters entered motion pictures in movie serials. Two good examples of this include Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon (both played by Buster Crabbe). The similarity extended beyond the actor playing the role, as each of these characters were space heroes, and each had a movie that was similar in title. Buck Rogers Conquers The Universe was released in 1939 and Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe was released in 1940.

For a period of time, the general public looked upon science fiction movies as being juvenile, and as a result there were no more big-budget sci-fi films produced after 1936. However, this all changed in 1950 with Destination Moon, the first sci-fi film to be made in color. The 1950's brought a resurgence of popularity to the science fiction genre with some of the most famous and entertaining science fiction movies ever being made came during this time. Some of these titles would include the classics The Day The Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth, and one of my personal favorites Forbidden Planet.

Carl DiNello is an Article Author and Blog Owner whose passion is Hollywood history and those movies from the 1920's - 1950's that make up this rich history.

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What Makes A Good Movie

Art is reflection of our society and life and movies are often regarded as modern expressions of art. They make us laugh and cry and we often love to quote them, they edify us enlighten us.

Every year numerous movies are made in the entertainment industries but all are not liked: some top the charts while others are kicked out of the box office. Some become the hot topic of discussion for the critics while others just escapes their notice, in short some get a thumps up while others a thumps down.

But how many of these, which get a positive feedback, are actually good movies? Well it is not that simple to answer, as it seems. The topic is very much subjective. What seems good to some may not be the same for the others. What appears enjoyable to a few others might be enjoyable for others. Then what exactly is a good movie? To generalize it, we can say that those movies, which are liked by the mass and not by some class category of people, could be considered as a good movie. But what are the traits that are needed for a movie to qualify as a good one. First of all a movie should provide good entertainment. They are of course others:

Touch our feelings: A movie should touch our heart and make us talk or think about it instead of just becoming a time pass. It should have the capacity to teach and inspire us and provoke us emotionally.

Educative: It should be able to let us know about something new. Nowadays movies are considered to be one of the most effective educational tools used to teach or educate people regarding certain issues. In short a good movie should have some educative value for the masses.

Mirror of the society: A good movie must also provide some elements of encouragement and inspire people towards successfully overcoming barriers. Movies are regarded as the mirror of life. Every story of a movie is more or less inspired by our life, by what happens around us.

But this is not all; there are some other factors also which contribute in making a movie, to be considered as good. Following are the points:

The Plot: This is the most important part of the movie. Without a good plot a movie fails to attract and retain the viewers in the theaters. Even if they were drawn to it initially for some reasons, people would loose interest sooner than later.

The Characters: The second most significant factor of any good movie is the characters of the story. Without them there would be no story and no plot. Characters should be such, that the audience likes them. Be it a positive character or negative one. They should have some qualities to which the people can relate.

Actors: We need good actors to make a good movie. Actors, who can justify the characters and make them, come alive in front of the audience. They must be able to portray the characters well so that people say that the characters are made keeping them in mind. They should blend themselves into the characters.

Script: Without dialogues movies look dead. Script is the life of movies so they should be very strong and appealing. They can even make people come and see the movie repeatedly.

Last but not the least, visual display of a movie with beautiful scenes and sceneries can also influence and draw people to the theaters.

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Third World Cop is a Great Movie to Learn How to Speak Jamaican

I recently watched the film Third World Cop and I must say it is a great film for the student of Jamaican Patois or anyone that wants to learn to speak Jamaican. The movie is based in Kingston, Jamaica, and has an all Jamaican cast that is made up of famous dancehall artists like Elephant Man and Ninjaman and many prominent Jamaican actors and actresses. For anyone that has seen Dancehall Queen, many members of the cast also play a role in Third World Cop such as Paul Campbell, Mark Danvers and Audrey Reid.

The movie is the story of a police office from Kingston who goes by the name Capone (Paul Campbell). Capone is transferred from Port Antonio back to Kingston in an effort to breakdown the organized crime occurring in the Dungle neighborhood of Kingston, where Capone is originally from. Upon his return to Kingston, Capone is given the assignment to investigate gun smuggling into the neighborhood. When Capone goes to the Dungle, he learns that his best friend's little brother, Ratty, is a huge community leader. Although, Ratty is a hero in the community, he is much more involved in the underworld dealings than people would like to believe. When Capone learns that Ratty is involved, he does everything he can to stop and help Ratty and also stop the criminal kingpins arming the neighborhood.

I do not want to give too much of the movie away because I truly think it holds a special place for the person looking to learn how to speak Jamaican. No, the movie will never be a Hollywood blockbuster and it is not the best film quality, but there are so many other gems in this movie. From a language perspective, this movie is in the top 5 for Jamaican Patois. The language largely used throughout the film is Patois and the DVD allows you to use subtitles, so this really helps in building your understanding. The most famous patois expression in the movie is "We run tings, tings nuh run we." The pronunciation is that of native speakers so you hear the words in the right context and emotions. You also see people greeting each other and just having everyday interaction. This is invaluable and makes the film well worth watching.

From a cultural standpoint, the film also sheds light on the "bad man" element of Jamaica. This is a recurring theme in many Jamaican films. A "Bad Man" is a gangster for all intensive purposes and many of the Jamaican movies that are not focused on Rastafari put emphasis on the gangster element of Jamaica. Along with the "bad man" you see the role of the police in Jamaican society and how much respect or lack thereof the community has for them. Finally, like most films based in the developing world, there is a glimpse into the struggle of people trying to make something of themselves, but still being held down by other forces.

All in all, I say this film is well worth your time and really worth buying. As mentioned, the film is invaluable in learning to speak Jamaican. I would highly recommend this film.

Ras Zuke is the author of The Rastaman Vibration - The Definitive Source for learning about Jamaican culture, Reggae Music and how to To learn more about Jamaica, Dancehall Reggae, Reggae, Jamaican Culture and how to Speak Jamaican Patois, visit http://www.SpeakJamaican.com

Movie Review: "The Fault in Our Stars"

"The Fault in Our Stars" is a romantic drama staring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as Hazel and Augustus - two teenagers who reluctantly forge a relationship. Their relationship is affected by the fact that they have both been diagnosed with cancer and know that their life is not guaranteed. Despite the risk of loving and losing, Hazel and Augustus decide to be together for as long as they have left.

Plot Summary

"The Fault in Our Stars" opens with 17-year-old Hazel Lancaster meeting a boy named Augustus Waters. The teens soon discover they have one thing in common - both of their lives have been affected by cancer. Hazel tells Augustus that she is suffering from thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs - a condition that is by all accounts going to be fatal. In turn, Augustus shares that he had cancer when he was younger, but it is now in remission.

Shortly after meeting, Hazel and Augustus agree to read each other's favorite books. Augustus gives Hazel a book called "The Price of Dawn," and the story ends up deeply affecting her. She shares how she is troubled by the fact that the book does not explain what happened to the main character - a girl who, like Hazel, was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager.

Augustus secretly writes to the author of the book, Peter Van Houten, asking him for answers about the book's ending. Eventually, the author agrees to give Augustus answers if he comes to meet him in person. Augustus arranges a trip to Van Houten's home in Amsterdam, but right before they are to leave, Hazel's lungs fill with fluid and she is admitted to the hospital. After she recovers, Hazel and Augustus travel to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten, but he turns out to be an angry alcoholic who refuses to give them answers about the book.

When they return home, Augustus reveals that he recently found out that his cancer has returned and is in an advanced state. Hazel assumed she would be the first one to die, so she struggles with her feelings for Augustus. In the end, Hazel finds answers to her past and future from an unlikely source: none other than Van Houten.

Cast

"The Fault in Our Stars" is expected to be one of the best movies of the year, partly due to the great on-screen chemistry between Woodley and Elgort. Both characters face cancer with the determination not to fall into depression or accept the sympathies of others. In that way, both actors create characters that are altogether very similar. However, Woodley's character is strong on the outside, but afraid and vulnerable on the inside. Her hidden frailty is offset by Elgort's character who is sure of himself and Hazel. Their roles vis-à-vis each other are reversed toward the end of the film when Augustus suffers a relapse, and both actors make the switch effortlessly.

Film Analysis

"The Fault in Our Stars" is a heartbreaking story that should seem depressing. However, the way the lead characters refuse to play into the image of a teenage cancer patient allows the film to focus on more than just their impending deaths. Additionally, Hazel's reluctance to forge a relationship with Augustus saves the film from moving too fast. The teens meet in one of the opening scenes, but they do not confess their love for one another for some time. This makes the evolution of the relationship the focus of the film, rather than the fact that both characters are affected by cancer.

The film is faithful to the novel it is based on, and that's not a bad thing. The film captures the essence of the characters and stays true to the story without altering any of the major details. Although this means there are no major surprises or plot twists, the story does not require any. The only real change is that the conflict with Van Houten is played up a bit in the film. This actually makes the story more intriguing, since there is no other real conflict between the other characters.

One of the best aspects of the movie is the script. With the movie that spends so much time watching two characters talk, a great script is absolutely necessary. The screenwriters in this case deliver. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, writers of the screenplays for "500 Days of Summer" and "The Spectacular Now," bring the words from the book to life in the film, but also make some great changes. Hazel and Augustus banter back and forth constantly throughout the movie, even when one or the other is in the hospital, and the witty conversation breaks up the sadness at the heart of the story.

"The Fault in Our Stars" tells the story of young love in an unconventional way. The characters go through many of the ups and downs of falling in love, all while dealing with impending death. The witty, light-hearted script and the development of the characters takes a film which could have been tragic and instead makes it poignant. Although there are some very sad moments in the film, "The Fault in Our Stars" has a very uplifting ending that is definitely worth seeing.

For the past 6 years, Zack Mandell has been a contributing writer for Gossip Center's general entertainment news department. In addition, he currently owns and manages the movie website, http://www.movieroomreviews.com.

2010 Maro Charitra Telugu Movie Review

Maro Charitra (1978), a movie by K.Balachander starring Kamal Hassan and Saritha is a story that revolves around a simple "Telugu - Tamil" neighboring girl and boy falling in love and later separate with the interference of their family which makes the story end in tragedy. This movie was the biggest hit of the decade with heart-touching songs composed by M.S.Viswanathan.

Now, the same story was remade using the same old title "Maro Charitra" starring Varun Sandesh and Anita in lead roles under the direction of Ravi Yadav with good production values by "Dil" Raju in 2010. The story of this new maro charitra was same but only thing is that it takes place in U.S where the old movie story takes place completely in Vizag. The Songs were all remixed from the old ones by Mickey.J.Mayor.

Story of Maro Charitra (2010)

Well the story is a romantic tale with the backdrop of U.S where Balu (Varun Sandesh) is a free-going guy who discontinue his studies as he didn't like the course. It is here he sees the heroine Swapna (Anita) and in no time, both fall in love. At no matter of time, the parents will come to know about their love and disapproves their love due to a constant fight between Balu's Father and Swapna's mother (Urvashi). Then, an agreement is signed in the presence of Paul Sastry (Naresh) who is a cop cum Priest. As per the agreement, Balu and Swapna will not talk, see or meet each other for 1 year and if they still maintains the same love, their love is true.

Do they really meet after an year? Will their love stand still after the long gap? All this forms the rest of the story.

Secret: Well, the Old movie Maro Charitra have a tragedy ending, this new story had been changed to a happy ending love story.

Actors Performance

Varun Sandesh gave an OK Performance but not as expected from him. He could have worked more on creating an impact. Anita as a debut actor has done a good job. Shraddha Das was the best as she justified her role and made her existence felt. Music was average and not good as expected.

Conclusion

The technical values are good in the film but the depth and content of the film are very weak. The story was received well by the people of 70's as it was a fresh concept at that time but it was boring to the people now as they have seen a lot of similar stories in the meanwhile from 70's to now.

Overall, the movie was an average go with A Class people and it's a fail in the sections of B and C. Not a must watch film.

Well, You can read a lot more Telugu Movie Reviews at Cinemajaa.Com which is the best Telugu Cinema News Website that covers all the latest events of Tollywood Film Industry.

Old Bollywood Movies

If retro styles are in, then it is certainly because we believe that, 'Old is Gold.' The sweet and simple melody of songs, meaningful interludes and the charisma of natural expressions in the olden times is a regaling experience. The look of sixties and seventies has a charm of its own. There were all kind of films then namely action, suspense thrillers or the Indian family drama. The essence of old Bollywood movies relates to a hero who is the super hero and essentially a Jack of all trades.

Parallel cinema of art form was associated to social concepts, the prevalence of evils in the society or simple facts of normal living. In the earlier days, women oriented subjects were limited or the films revolved on a single theme. The complexity that is present in today's Bollywood films like multi-star cast, dual stories, assortment of screen play and specialization in functions was not adhered in the olden times. Film making was a devotion and a process which internalized in the directors mind. Most of the vamps or villains were predictable in their behavior and certain mannerisms were associated with them. There were stories about the kings and queens, patriotic movies and also others which had the pathos of romance. The actors were veterans and had a clear mind to play the role. Improvisation was their key objective. It is also true that story writing and lyrics writing was a true passion. The words were initially formed and the tune was set accordingly which is reverse to today's trend.

Quality was well maintained about continuity in the films. Flashback scenes were not of a very high detail yet the link was very well continued. The masking concept was very much in use for mingling two different shots at the editing table. Sounds were mostly verbal and the action scenes had less drama than the modern concept. Compositions and musical arrangement were simple and genuine. No treatment was given to alter the vocalists sound. There was a special charm in the look of the sixties. The fashion was original with familiar trends that came with the western influence.

The adaptation of hairstyles was very evident in the black-white era. Make up ideas were minimal and the heroines had their own style concepts. Eastman color films also led to another change breaking the cliched presentation in the black and white films. The actors then were also playback singers and this worked as an advantage to the films popularity. Press conferences and film launches were comparatively a straightforward affair and award ceremonies were laudable for their simplicity. Elegance reigned supreme and this added to the glamor of the filmdom.

Learn about the latest Hindi songs [http://www.latesthindisongs.net] from Bollywood movies and find resources to download Tamil songs.

The Most Enjoyable Films Starring Or Featuring Edward Norton

When it comes to versatile actors, Edward Norton is right up there for me with Johnny Depp. Norton can play any role, from a mentally challenged defendant to a superhero, to a hillbilly and everything in between. At the end of the day, there are not many people who do a better job.

Here are some of my favorite films featuring Edward Norton in a lead or supporting role.

The first movie I would like to discuss is Spike Lee's 25th Hour. In this movie, Norton stars as a convicted man who has one day before he begins a long-term jail sentence. There is one scene in particular in this film in which Edward Norton starts going off about the different people in New York to blame and its awesome.

Another great Edward Norton film is The Illusionist. This movie had the peculiar misfortune of coming out right around the same time as The Prestige, which starred Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and was directed by Christopher Nolan, and as a result was overshadowed.

American History X is one of Norton's finest films, and even as a villainous Nazi, he is amazing to watch. This is an important film about race and the choices we make. I highly recommend this movie.

One film of Edward Norton's that you probably have not seen is Leaves Of Grass. This movie was released in 2009 and in a very Adaptation-esque style, features Norton playing a set of twins. One is a brilliant hillbilly drug dealer, while the other is your average Joe.

The next movie worth mentioning on this list should not come as a surprise; it is of course, Fight Club. This movie is beyond cool, and the dialogue and overall writing in this film is just amazing. Every line is well thought out.

As it stands, this is my list of my favorite Edward Norton films. Let's see what the next five years bring for him.

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The Importance of Voice Overs

Everyone has heard a voiceover at one time or another. From the voice of Mickey Mouse, to the voice that sells you shampoo or insurance on the radio, voiceovers provide an effective way to evoke emotion or get important information across to an audience. In fact, without voiceover, media wouldn't have the same impact and the entertainment industry would be at a great loss. The importance of voiceover can be seen every day in a variety of techniques.

What is Voiceover?

Voiceover is a production technique where a voice that is not part of the production is used to speak a particular part. Voiceovers are common in radio, television, film and even theatre. Often, voice actors are hired specifically to perform voiceovers and have no other role in the production.

Techniques

Character Voices

One of the more popular uses for voiceover is to give a voice or a personality to an animated character. Think about Shrek or any other popular Disney Movie. Each character is actually someone behind the scenes with a microphone making the voice come alive. As animated movies are growing in popularity, well known celebrities are looking for voiceover roles, hoping to add a bit of variety to their acting portfolio.

Movie Narration

Another popular use for voiceover is providing narration to a movie. This type of voiceover is so common in movies, you probably don't even realize it's happening. Generally, the narrator in a movie has intimate details about the characters on the screen and provides insight for the audience as to their thoughts or emotions. In this sense, voiceover is a critical part of many movies and is necessary for keeping the audience informed. Blockbuster hit movies like Fight Club and Shawshank Redemption use voiceover to provide context.

News Reporting and Non-Fiction Television

Often voiceover is used to report the news. In fact, most television news broadcasts use voiceover as much as live anchors to report news that was taped earlier or segments that were edited beforehand. Other non fiction television that relies on voiceover includes media like the History Channel or the Discovery Channel. Particularly where the focus is educational, voiceover provides a guide for viewers to understand what they are seeing. In addition, game shows have been using voiceover for decades to announce contestants and prizes. Almost everyone is familiar with the popular voiceover from the 1970's who exclaimed "come on down, you're the next contestant on the Price is Right!".

Commercial Advertising

Advertising is another very common use for voiceover. In fact, radio is completely voiceover and actors are never seen. In fact, voiceover is so useful for radio advertisement that certain product manufacturers have signed long term contracts with voiceover actors to "brand" their products. When consumers hear the same, familiar voice representing a product, it builds instant trust and credibility. Even on television, where actors can be seen, it is more likely that a product is featured with voiceover and without an actor. Besides, a strong voiceover highlights the sale instead of the actor seen with the product.

Voiceover is an important part of our movie and television experience. In many cases, voiceover represents more than just information, but has become part of a product, building trust and credibility with consumers.

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Judy Garland As Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939 Film)

Judy Garland was the teenage girl who played Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, an MGM musical film released by MGM in 1939. Her performance as the girl from Kansas named Dorothy won her a special Juvenile Oscar and gave her a theme song for the rest of her life: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The song was initially deleted after executives from MGM thought the movie was too long, but good sense prevailed and it was restored to the movie and survived to become one of the most recognised music of the century.

Many people often refer to Judy Garland as Dorothy, it was the character that put her on the Hollywood map and followed her throughout her life and career. Shirley Temple, then the most popular child star, was originally set to play Dorothy on loan, but her home studio (20th Century Fox) refused to release her to MGM for the movie.

The Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn LeRoy thought that Shirley Temple's singing voice wasn't quite up to the standard for the role anyway, so the part of Dorothy was given to Judy Garland who had the singing talent, natural acting ability, star quality and charisma. She toured with her two older sisters known as "The Gumm Sisters" in the vaudeville circuit with moderate success, then later appeared in seven movies before she landed the starring role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Her salary for The Wizard of Oz was $500 per week. Although $500 was a lot of money in those days, she was still the least well paid main actors in the movie, except Toto, the dog who was paid $125 per week.

Toto was actually a female dog whose real name was Terry. Judy Garland was so attached to the small cairn terrier and she wanted to keep her after the movie, but Terry is a highly valued animal actor by her owner and they didn't want to let her go.

The blue gingham pinafore dress and ruby shoes that she wore in The Wizard of Oz is considered one of the most iconic costumes in Hollywood history. Even to this day, when people see this costume, "Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz" comes to their mind.

Judy Garland's performance as Dorothy proved to be the high point of her career, and she will always be remembered as one of the most strikingly beautiful and talented stars ever to grace Hollywood.

http://www.judygarlandasdorothy.com

For more information and pictures on Judy Garland as Dorothy, please visit: Judy Garland as Dorothy

Movie Review: COURAGEOUS - 'Honor Begins at Home'

Courageous is triumphantly American and unashamedly Christian. The film wreaks havoc on the generally accepted idea that everything that goes wrong with adults can be traced back to bad childhood experiences which then become excuses for the worst behaviors we can produce.

It is the idea of standing up to take responsibility for our actions that compel the principal and lead actor in the movie, Alex Kendrick (Adam Mitchell) to draw others into his decision to put his commitments down on paper and sign them after which they are made public to Church, friends and family.

Kendrick is obviously the anchor in this film, but he catches you off guard because just when you thought he was just some stodgy middle aged cop who lived for the job and a good football game he takes flight. He soars into places a lot of men will never go, and don't even want to think about. He carries the plot from loss, to courage, and then one step further to honor. It is bravery in the long run that Kendrick is after, rather than one single act of heroism followed by a life of ease and past glories.

Three other men are drawn into Adam's plan, they are all Sheriff's deputies like Adam and while they needed a bit of coaxing they decide to sign the act of responsibility along with their co-worker.

The deputies work in the mid-sized city of Albany, Georgia where most of the picture was actually shot. The town is listed as one of the poorest in the United States but has been beautified in the last few years and is home to the Albany Civil Rights Institute. The town has a mixed population of about 77,000 in Dougherty County which has a total population of 96,000, but it has its fair share of gangs, drugs and criminals.

Working the streets along with Adam is Ken Bevel (Nathan Hayes) who previously acted in 'Fireproof.' Hayes plays the part of a boy brought up in foster home that was always looking for a mentor or a father figure. His faith in God became the avenue by which he got connected and God himself became the father he had so desperately been seeking. Nathan is as tough as they get, but he shows a tender and merciful side to his family and anyone in trouble who he sees needs someone to believe in them.

Deputy, David Thomson played by Ben Davies is a rookie, athletic, all American college grad but is unsettled and brooding. Like most young brands he is still a bit selfish and prone to disregard the plight of others. After considering the real meaning of his new commitment he ponders the unresolved matters of his past relationships. When he tries to fix the past he sees that all the athletic prowess in his life could not help him to climb the mountain he is facing. He too resorts to his faith. Some of the most touching scenes in the film are finely executed by this talented new actor.

A third deputy Shane Fuller is played by actor Kevin Downes who is also a director and producer (Like Dandelion Dust) and he plays the role of a divorced father with two boys. He struggles with the commitment he has made and with his own personal weakness and is pulled aside by the desire to take a shortcut to solve his problems. Fuller creates the element of tragedy in the film and his ability to act out the desperate changes that bring him to disaster is performed with compelling artistry that is anything but amateurish.

Joining the deputies in their pledge of honor as a new found friend is Javier Martinez played by Robert Amaya. Amaya is a professional stage actor from Miami who assumes the role of a hard working immigrant who only wants to give his little family the very best life he can. He stumbles into the group of Sheriff's deputies quite by accident, but it is perhaps one of the funniest moments in the film. Javier wins everyone's heart in short time with his childlike approach to life. Yet, because it is so trusting, he seems to fall into good fortune and favor as if God had nothing better to do with himself but to follow Javier around and find ways to bless him. Amaya's acting skills take you up and down the spectrum between sad and uproariously funny which attests to his ability to wield his acting craft as a true and well experienced thespian.

The movie is also graced with supporting actress Renee Jewel (Facing the Giants,) and Eleanor Brown who plays as Nathan Hayes' wife. Angelita Nelson plays the role of Javier's wife and while she is a medical technician from Birmingham, Alabama she has acting skills that add greatly to the film. Rusty Martin Jr. plays as Adam's son who for most of the film seems cast into the background, but before long bursts into the story and into the hearts of the viewers with great gusto.

There is plenty of action in the film that at times does push you toward the edge of your seat. The film crew produced some remarkably well coordinated stunt scenes and the cinematography is a credit to all the crew and techs in this flick.

Courageous is about mustering courage, not to die or face danger, but to live. It is about taking stock and being responsible as an act of courage. It also makes the point that children need fathers to balance their lives and it is a natural God designed way of giving them confidence and becoming complete and productive human beings.

Those who share my belief that everyone in this world is in one way or another looking for their fathers will be delighted with the theme and the execution of this film. Even those who have a good family life will be touched by the message because after all Christ did say, "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Mt 23: 9)
The film is a Tri-Star release in conjunction with Sherwood Pictures. Michael Catt is the Executive Producer, Jim McBride, Executive Producer, Steven Kendrick is Producer and Co-Writer, and leading man Alex Kendrick is both Director and Co-Writer. (Rated PG)

I always rate films on a scale of one to ten based on see-ability. This one is a solid ten. It is much more than another family film but is geared to single parents, teens and mavericks of all ages. The movie is now available in video stores. Good Watching!

http://www.americanprophet.org has since 2005 featured the articles of columnist Rev Michael Bresciani along with news and reviews that have earned this site the title of The Website for Insight. Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe.

Independent Film Producer? 5 Basic Tips to Become a Success and Make a Profit

So you want to make money as an independent film producer. Do you even know what it takes to get a film completed? There is an old adage in Hollywood, that it takes "an extreme amount of talent to make even a bad movie". With that in mind, making a movie is a daunting task and each and every day, movies are being made and sold to a variety of audiences.

Just because you have a story or a screenplay and the talent to make a movie doesn't necessarily mean you can make money with the film. Today there is a plethora of movies being made: and among those being made, only a small percentage of the films actually make any money for their independent producers.

Sure if you make a movie for $10,000 and get a deal that is worth millions such as "Paranormal Activity" you definitely will make money. But "Paranormal Activity" is the exception not the rule. Plus the advertising budget for that film was in the tens of millions of dollars. With that type of promotional dollars the movie was bound to make the filmmakers money.

So what can you do to make sure your film is a success? And can you do it without spending your inheritance? Well yes and no. Audiences are fickle. Make a movie you think is great still may flop because no one watches it.

Keep your eye on the goal: to make money as an independent producer. If you have never made a film before and are out to set the world on fire, good luck. It probably will not happen. And if your goal is to make a living as an independent producer you must follow a few basic rules towards that goal.

First of all have a great story and after you turn it into a script have someone advise you on it. The story must have a beginning, middle and an end. Sounds easy and straight forward, but it isn't always the case. First time filmmakers (and those that aren't first timers) are typically shooting too much and editing too long and lose the impact of a good story by putting in too much material

Second keep your budget low and use actors that know how to act. This usually means getting actors that have credentials and have been in films before. If you can't afford to use SAG actors then ask local community theaters for actors and beg them to be in your film for the experience.

Third, rehearse and rehearse again. This is related to keeping your budget low and being able to put money where it counts. Rehearsing is one area that can keep the number of takes to a minimum.

Fourth, start looking for a distributor or sales agent before you start to film. If you have not talked with a distributor before you start your film do so now.

And finally, keep a good paper trail. Many films are never distributed because the producer had hand shake deals with everyone. That may work in school, but in the real world it doesn't work.

These are just a few tips to get you on the road to success as an Independent Producer...In fact this barely scrapes the surface of the process. For more info email me with questions. Check out the resource box below.

Bob Willems is an Independent Film Producer and Director and President of Champion Entertainment Inc. ( http://www.championentertainment.com ) a film production and distribution sales agency company with offices in Houston and Los Angeles.
Through Bob's many contacts, he advises filmmakers throughout the world on getting their project completed and distributed through the proper outlets. You can email Bob questions info@championentetainment.com. Bob will personally answer every email he receives and is constantly looking for co-production projects and unique scripts to get produced. Visit his IMDB page at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0929721/

Megan Fox - A Brief History And Her Career

Amazingly a big number of celebrities belong to very poor background with a very low income levels. Megan Fox has to go through the same but she is the famous artist and model of the new era. We have seen her in different roles. She is an actress and model who have fascinated the world with her amazing beauty and sizzling personality.
Early Age and Family

Rockwood, Tennessee is the birth place of Megan Fox and she was born on May 16, 1986. Unfortunately she doesn't belong to a very rich family and has grown up in very poor atmosphere and livelihood. She has one elder sister. Megan Fox has Irish, French, and Native American ancestry.

In the year 2007 , that means that Megan Fox was still 20 years old and she got engages to Brian Austin Green, the previous actor in the hit series Beverly Hills 90210. She is known that she has a thing for tattoos and her body has five tattoos on it, also a fan of Shakespeare where she tattooed a quote from "King Lear". The quote means "We will laugh at (Fake Individuals). The wedding between Green and Fox is still not yet determined

Career

She started training of drama and dancing at just age of 5. She continued her training after arriving at Port Saint Lucie. Florida. She finished her high school there as well. After her high school she went back to Tennessee. She lived in Oak Ridge for six month and then started her acting career.
At the age of 13, her talent for dance introduced her to great opportunities to modeling world. Fox made her film debut in the 2001 film Holiday in the Sun as the spoiled heiress Brianna Wallace and rival of Alex Stewart (Ashley Olsen). In "Ocean Ave", "What I like about you", "Two and a Half Men", and "The Help" from 2003 to 2004 are programs in which she appeared as Guest Actress. She was subsequently cast in her first recurring role in a television series on Hope & Faith, in which she portrayed Sydney Shanowski from 2004 until 2006.

She get the biggest appreciation when she performed the leading female role "Mikaela Banes" in the movie "Transformer". "Transformer was the live-action based movie and her performance was amazing. Fox was cast in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring alongside Jeff Bridges and Kirsten Dunst. Coincidentally, the character Fox will portray is that of a young Hollywood starlet getting her first taste of fame. The film will be released in late 2008.

Fox has appeared in a five page spread for the November 2005 issue of the popular men's magazine FHM. She also posed for the March 2007 issue of FHM, the June 2007 issue of GQ, the July 2007 issue of Maxim, and the September 2007 issue of Arena.

For more news and latest pictures visit [http://www.megan-fox.mobi]

Films - A Review Of The DaVinci Code

Whether or not you're an avid reader, you certainly had to hear about the book "The DaVinci Code". It was only on the top of the best sellers list for more weeks than one can count. Dan Brown must be one of the richest men in the world right now. And it was a no brainer that somebody was going to turn this masterpiece of a novel into a movie. And what better person to do that than Ron Howard? With past great movies under his belt like "A Beautiful Mind", Howard was sure to produce a work of art.

Well, things didn't quite turn out the way he had planned, at least not as far as the critics were concerned. Maybe the biggest problem with this movie was the first problem they encountered before the movie was even cast. Howard wanted Harrison Ford to play the lead role in this film. Ask anybody on the streets and they would have told you that Ford would have been the perfect choice for the part. But he was either not available or didn't want to do it. The reports vary depending on who you ask. So Howard went to his next choice, Tom Hanks.

Hanks is certainly an accomplished actor, having turned in some great performances in films like "Apollo 13" and "Philadelphia". But critics literally tore Hanks and his female costar Audrey Tautou to shreds. They called their performances wooden and uninspiring. One critic said the most exciting scene in the movie was when they were in the library discussing the history of Christ. That is pretty sad for what's supposed to be an action movie. Another critic said the movie actually seemed longer than the book.

But the worst part of this whole production is that it appears to be so bad that reviews of it are actually posted on rottentomatoes.com. This is a web site that only posts reviews of really bad movies. For this one to appear on this web site is truly a disaster. Some of the comments should make Ron Howard want to hide under his bed. One critic said "Duller than watching DaVinci's paint dry". That's quite a mouthful.

But not all the reviews were 100% bad. There were some kudos to Ian McKellen who most critics say turned in a delightful performance and saved the movie from being a total disaster. This should come as no surprise to anyone as McKellen has always been at the top of his game no matter what he does. His performances in "X-Men" and "Lord Of The Rings" should be enough to convince anyone that he is one very talented actor.

So just what went wrong with the DaVinci Code? How could such a great novel turn into such a mess of a movie? Some critics say that Howard tried to play it too safe and had too much plodding dialogue which just slowed down the pace. Others said that Hanks was just the wrong person for the role of Langdon. Whatever the reason, the movie and the book are definitely worlds apart in terms of achievement.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Films [http://films-guide.com].

Film Review - The Ron Clark Story Starring Matthew Perry From Friends

Want to watch a film based on a true story and see one of your favorite actors in a different role? This is a heart warming story of a teacher turning around no hopers and making something of their life.

There were no good films at the cinema this week and it was a cheap Wednesday today where weekly DVD'S are only one dollar for a week at my local video store so I went and hired eight DVD'S. This one was one of the best.

The Ron Clark Character (played by Matthew Perry) is doing well in his local town as a teacher with high performing classes every year he teaches. One day he decides that he isn't doing the miracles he is teaching his students that they can do. He makes his goodbyes and heads of to New York to find a challenge.

When he found a school that needed a teacher, he was offered the honors students in one classroom and yet as he was being shown that classroom by the black principle, he saw a class full of children playing up all over the place. He told the principle that he wanted to teach the class that was out of control whose teacher had just quit.

The principle argued with him and wanted to change his mind but the Ron Clark promises him that he can make something of the other class. On the DVD jacket it says: No one believed in them... except him.

With a woman that he meets as he does waiting on tables before he gets his school job, as a friend in his life, that creates a love interest for the film, and the impossible as it seems job to get a bunch of what people say no hopers to pass in their end of year exams, this film moves forward in once good scene after another.

If you want a heart warming story, of a real teacher, whose book on how to teach went on to become a best seller on the New York Times list, this is a film for you if you can find it. There are not many films that I would buy and keep to show friends when they come around, but this DVD is the ticket!

I hope you enjoy it!

If you liked this article please check out more from the author. Matthew Robert Payne is the author of four Christian books as of July 2013 which can be found on Amazon or read for free at http://www.matthewrobertpayneministries.net.

A Review of the Movie - Gangs of New York

The movie "Gangs of New York" was released in 2002. I first saw the Martin Scorcese film when it was first released. I did not think much of the film upon first viewing. I thought it was entertaining but not a great film. I saw it again a few months ago, and I must say that I found new insights after I saw it again. I now think of this as a great movie.

To summarize the film briefly - The movie is about New York in the year 1863. It shows quite accurately I feel what life was like in New York in the Civil War era.

The main plot centers on a city gangster - Bill "the butcher" Cutting played by Daniel Day Lewis and an Irish immigrant - Amsterdam Vallon played by Leonardo Di Caprio. Bill killed Amsterdam"s father years before and now Vallon wants revenge. He wants to kill Cutting.

The movie shows the hostility between the "natives" - people who were born in America and the immigrants - people who came to America from other countries. The natives called themselves real Americans, somehow superior to the immigrants.

After my second viewing of the film I realized what a violent and racist society New York was over a century ago. Life was at times barbaric. New York was a melting pot of many different people but it was definitely not all sweetness and love. Many ethnic groups hated each other and that hatred often erupted into violence. A prime example were the draft riots of July,1863 in which mostly Irish mobs went on a killing spree. They targeted groups they did not like, particularly African-Americans and the rich. Federal troops had to be called in from Gettysburg to restore order after days of death and destruction. Crime, vice and corruption were rampant.

Director Scorcese paints a stunning, realistic and gritty portrait of New York not so long ago in our history. The movie shows while the nation was at war with itself during the civil war, New York was at war with itself. The city was going through growing pains which resulted in the 20th century of New York becoming one of the greatest cities in the world.

I highly recommend seeing this film for the great acting performances, the settings and a way of life at the crossroads of American history. View an important part of New York history.

Top Trending Actors and Actresses

In today's technology-driven world, there is often a focus on who is trending on the Internet. This is certainly true when it comes to actors and actresses. Publicity has always been of paramount importance to actors. That has certainly not changed. What has changed is where the public turns to information regarding their favorite celebrities. Actors and actresses can trend online for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons for trending online include new movie releases and personal matters.

Such has certainly been the case with Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson. While there has always been a strong interest in the "Twilight" stars, that interest has recently reached epic proportions. After word went out online of Kristen's affair with the married director of her film "Snow White and the Huntsman," interest in everyone involved in the matter escalated. Since that time, there has been tremendous interest in Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson, and Rupert Sanders. The most popular question at the current time seems to be whether Rob will take back Kristen. The level of interest in the former couple has even included such questions as to whether they are fighting over houseplants or whether Kristen is refusing to return Rob's clothing. All of the interest in the matter is certainly not hurting each actor's current projects, including Rob's latest film "Cosmopolis."

In other instances, there may be increased online interest in an actor when his or her death is revealed. Recently, there have been two instances that underscore such interest. One of those instances occurred when it was revealed that Michael Clarke Duncan recently died at the age of 54. Although Duncan is best known for his role as a death-row inmate in the Tom Hanks film "The Green Mile," Duncan actually had dozens of movie titles to his credit, including "Kung Fun Panda," "Planet of the Apes," and "Armageddon." There is now increased interest in Duncan and his films.

Actors may also begin to trend online when their deaths are erroneously announced online. This was the case when rumors began to swirl online that beloved actor Morgan Freeman recently died. Although there was certainly no truth to the matter, the news quickly went viral. Around the world, fans began to tweet their condolences and share the story on Facebook.

Regardless of what it stems from, publicity is still publicity and is the lifeblood of any actor's career. Fans just simply cannot seem to get enough information and gossip regarding their favorite stars. The increased interest can help significantly boost the careers of fledgling stars who are hoping to make it big in Hollywood. One such actress is Jessica Brown-Findlay. The young actress first drew notice when she landed a role on the British drama "Downton Abbey." From the beginning, it quickly became apparent that Brown-Findlay would be the breakout star of the series. Since that time, she has also landed the leading role in the film "Albatross." Although the film was not a huge box office success, it did allow Brown-Findlay to cement her abilities and led to further television work. She has also landed the lead in another film that could well prove to be a true breakthrough for Brown-Findlay. With appearances by both Will Smith and Russell Crowe, "A Winter's Tale" could be a film that many will quickly be discussing.

Jane Levy is another young actress currently receiving her fair share of attention online. While most fans know the pretty redhead from her role on the TV series "Suburgatory," there is much more to come from this actress. It appears she is already making significant progress in entering the movie world. Over the course of the next year, Levy will have no less than three movies waiting in the wings for release. First up will be "Nobody Walks." That will be followed by "Fun Size" and "Evil Dead." Levy landed the lead in the latter film after Lily Collins reportedly dropped out.

While the ladies in Hollywood are currently receiving their fair share of attention online, the guys are certainly not suffering from lack of interest. There are many actors who are poised to make a dramatic entrance into the Hollywood scene.

Shiloh Fernandez is one such name that continues to appear. The whole Kristen/Rob coupledom might never have even happened if Fernandez had not lost the coveted role of Edward Cullen to Robert Pattinson. Still, Fernandez went on to star in "Red Riding Hood" and will also appear in a number of other films, including "The East," "Adult World," and "Syrup." Fernandez is definitely a name to keep an eye on.

For the past 6 years, Zack Mandell has been a contributing writer for Gossip Center's general entertainment news department. In addition, he currently owns and manages the movie website, http://www.movieroomreviews.com

Common Acting Interview Questions With Answers

The term acting came from the Latin word that simply means 'speak with accent'. Acting is somehow related with the working of an actor. An actor works in a film or television and tells the story by playing a role just by saying the written words or play. If you really want to get a god job in this field you really need to prepare very well for the acting interview. It is highly skilled and highly paid job. It is such a very glamorous field.

A professional actor is someone who performs in a theater drama and also works in a television, film or theater. If you really want to be an actor, you really need to work very hard in order to improve your acting skills and talent and to become successful in this field. Here I am providing you some frequently asked acting interview questions to secure a decent job in the acting industry.

In How Many Television Shows You Have Performed?
I have performed more than 50 theater dramas and 15 television shows till now and I have gained a large amount of professional experience in this field.

How Much Experience Do You Have In This Field?
Sir, I have a 10 years professional experience in the acting field. If I get this job you will come to know that how hard working I am.

Will You Be Satisfied With This Career?
I feel that I am a lover of justice so if I get a good job I will be highly satisfied with my work. I have the lots of abilities to get into the deep of the character more quickly and I always try to learn new things.

Some Other Questions Are:

1. What kind of role you want to do the most?
2. Who is your role model or ideal in acting industry?
3. Tell me about your best quality as an actor
4. What are your weak points?
5. Are you fresher or experienced?
6. What are the tips to become a successful actor?
7. Tell me your any adventurous activity.
8. Who is your favorite actor?
9. Who is your favorite actress?
10. How will you handle your popularity?
11. What do you think about yourself?
12. What you have learned from the last acting career?
13. How do you work to improve your acting skills?

These are some very common interview questions; if you work hard you will get success.

A grand collection of standard job Common Interview Questions. These are some traditional questions which are often popped up by the employers at interviews. Read more about acting interview questions.

Watch Free Movies Online and Explore Various Genres

Most people love to watch comedy, horror, action, adventure, or drama movies. These categories do well at the box office and in terms of DVD sales. There also happen to films that belong to other genres. If you ever watch free movies online, you may want to give them a try.

Classic Movies. The mid-20th century is also known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, which produced quite a number of films considered to be defining moments in cinematic history. Stars such as Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Joan Crawford, Audrey Hepburn and directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles are just some of the legends of the cinema who dominated this era.

Biographical Movies. These movies tell the life story of real people such as entertainers, heroes, monarchs, scientists, philanthropists, etc. They do not purport to reveal every single detail of a person's life but rather center upon a predominant theme and important highlights. Biographies are sometimes dramatized and feature reenactment scenes to further illuminate the personality life of that person. They also touch upon the various historical and social realities at the time.

Family Movies. These films focus on a wider audience, i.e. families. The scenes, themes and dialogue presented in family-oriented movies are generally wholesome and either rated PG (Parental Guidance) or G (General Audience) so as not to leave any negative influence on the children who are watching. Oftentimes, these movies impart moral lessons such as the importance of listening to your parents, the joy of being with your family, and the fact that no matter what happens to you, your family will never leave you. They also tackle family problems that the characters will need to resolve themselves in order to live happily ever after.

Fantasy Movies. These films create a sort of escape for viewers. Fantasy movies often deal with magic and the supernatural and are often filled with wonderful creatures like dwarves, fairies, leprechauns, elves, wizards, etc. They always have some element of drama and purport to teach lessons about life, love and sacrifice to heighten the plot.

Animated Films. These films appeal to children and the young-at-heart but can also be targeted at more mature audiences. Animated films are made with advanced graphics and CGI effects and feature fictitious characters dubbed by real persons, mostly famous actors. A lot of animated films are based on fairy tales and characters in comics; some go so far as to parody classic fairy tales or even retell them from a revisionist point of view. Today, you can find a lot animated films when you watch free movies online.

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Modern American Animation

This article describes the history of animation in the United States of America since the late 80's until the early twenty-first century. This period is often called the renaissance of American animation, during which many large American entertainment companies reform and reinvigorate its animation department after the decline suffered in the 60, 70 and 80.

From 1988 to the present

Disney's return

In the mid 80's, the American animation industry fell into disgrace. Toy commercials masquerading as entertainment programs cartoons dominated the evening and the morning of Saturday, and the only experiment was carried out by independent developers. Even animated films were projected in theaters at times, but the glory of the old days was gone. Even the animation giant Disney, which had fought a corporate acquisition in the 80's, was considering abandoning the production of animated feature films.

Both the enthusiastic audience, critics, and the animators were taken by surprise when the long-awaited renaissance of animation began in the oldest and most conservative corporation, Disney.

Disney had a drastic change in the 80, its new chief Michael Eisner the company relocated to his feet, returning to its roots and revitalizing their studies. With great fanfare, in 1988 the study worked with Steven Spielberg to produce the animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film was a success, and gave to the animation industry awaited push for that time. Roger Rabbit not only earned him a pile of money for Disney, but also sparked the popularity of the classic animation that continues to this day. The history of animation suddenly became an object of study (and their fans). Several directors, business legend, such as Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng were suddenly in the spotlight, being acclaimed after decades of being virtually ignored by audiences and industry professionals.

Disney continued the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? with "The Little Mermaid", the first of a series of animated films that seemed to recapture the magic of the golden age of Walt Disney himself. The studio invested heavily in new technology of computer animation for such purposes, but could do super-productions like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin," which attracted audiences that were not seen in decades, and Once provided a visual feast that has not been exceeded since the 40. The peak of the hit Disney was in 1994 when his film "The Lion King" exceeded all expectations of the study to become one of the most successful of all time. Even later Disney films as "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", "Hercules," "Mulan" and "Tarzan" was blockbusters.

Disney has also made inroads into the neglected area of the animated TV series. With the success of shows like "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", "The Adventures of the Gummi Bears Disney" and "Duck adventures", the "new" Disney made his mark in TV pictures. Through association and repetition, Disney can provide high quality animation for TV. A series of large diffusion was conducted in mid-nineties, with some critics designating "Gargoyles" as the Disney animation project for TV's most ambitious and best done artistically. The soundtracks of each of these animated films were an important part of its success, because Disney was including in each of these projects a loud voice from the world of music, such as Elton John (The Lion King), Luis Miguel (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Ricky Martin (Hercules), Christina Aguilera (Mulan), Celine Dion (Beauty and the Beast), Ricardo Montaner (Aladin), Jon Secada (Pocahontas), among others.

Spielberg and animation

Spielberg and Bluth

While Disney gave new life to animation, Steven Spielberg was making his own way. Animation amateur life, Spielberg was also interested in making high quality animation, and worked with his rival, Don Bluth animation producer to produce "Fievel and the New World." The box office success of this and Bluth's next film, "In The Land", Hollywood made him realize that Disney did not hold a monopoly on animated features. The other Hollywood studios resumed production of its own animated features, but still falling into the trap of trying to imitate Disney's 1997 film Don Bluth, "Anastasia", produced by Fox, is mentioned as the one launched the Fox Animation Studios and Disney's rival, however, these studies failed to succeed after "Anastasia" and closed in 1999. Like most successful productions of Disney, "Anastasia" was attended by Thalia, who played the central theme of the soundtrack in its versions in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Spielberg and Warner Bros.

Spielberg, meanwhile, switched to TV and worked with animation studio Warner Bros. to produce "The Tiny Toon Adventures," a high quality animated series that paid homage to the great cartoons of Termite Terrace. "The Tiny Toon Adventures" had a good rating thanks to its young viewers, which inspired the Warner Bros to resurrect his dying animation studio and once again a contender in the field of animation. The Tiny Toon Steven Spielberg were continued by presenting "Animaniacs" and "Pinky and the Brain". The latter not only attracted new viewers to Warner Bros., but also captured the attention of viewers adolescents and adults.

Bakshi's return

Ralph Bakshi, director of innovative animated films like "Fritz the Cat" and original "Lord of the Rings", returned to animation after making a brief stop in the mid 80's. In 1985, he teamed up with the young Canadian animator John Kricfalusi and the legendary British band "The Rolling Stones" to make an animated music video for "The Harlem Shuffle", which was completed in early 1986. Although the music video did not talk much, he built a production team "Bakshi Animation" project continued with the short-lived but well received, "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse." Bakshi & Co, worked on numerous projects at the end of the 80, but the biggest project was "Cool World: a blonde between two worlds", which premiered in 1992. The production got out of hand and ended up being severely criticized and forgotten by almost everyone.

Outsourcing animation

The main reason for increasing the quality of American animation is the ability to outsource the heavy lifting to cheaper animation houses in the South and Southeast Asia gaining a large number of frames at low cost. The script, character design and storyboarding is done in American offices. The storyboard, models and color books are mailed abroad. Sometimes causes problems because no final product can be completed until the frames are mailed to the U.S.. Although budgets have been reduced, foreign productions houses are chosen per episode, or even per scene, depending on the amount of money available at that time. As a result there is a big difference in quality from one episode to another. This is particularly evident in shows like "Gargoyles" and "Batman": The Animated Series where, sometimes, the characters seem completely different from one episode to the dismay of its directors.

Adult Animation

The Simpsons

In the 90's came a new wave of animated series whose primary aim was the adults, after an absence in the genre over a decade. In 1989, "The Simpsons," an animated short based on the "The Tracey Ullman Show," became the first animated series in prime time since "The Flintstones" and captivated a large part of the audience. It was the first hit series for the fledgling Fox, caused little sensitivity, entering popular culture and gaining wide acceptance. In 2008, "The Simpsons" seem to show no signs of stopping, and could surpass "Gunsmoke" as the fiction program on the air longer the history of American television. In 2007 have released their first film, titled "The Simpsons: The Movie", dubbed in Spanish and Chinese.

Ren and Stimpy

In 1991, Nickelodeon premiered "The Ren and Stimpy Show," "Ren and Stimpy" was a quirky series run riot violated all the traditional restrictions of correct drawings of Saturday morning and instead favored the quirky style of the short the golden era. Moreover, the series creator, John Kricfalusi, who had worked as an animator during the downturn of Saturday morning, was much influenced by the classic works of Bob Clampett.

Spike & Mike

Alongside mainstream animation nineties there was a strange and experimental movement. In a short animation festival in 1989, organized by Craig Decker and Mike Gribble Spike (known as "Spike & Mike") and originally located in San Diego. It all started with the representation of a collection of thematic short, known as the Classic Festival of Animation, in places of business meetings and trade throughout the country.

The collections were made mostly by Oscar-nominated short, works of students of the Institute of the Arts in California and experimental work of the National Film Board of Canada. The first festival included works by John Lasseter, Nick Park and Mike Judge. Judge's work, "Frog Baseball" marked the first appearance of their franchise characters Beavis and Butthead.

However, the festival gradually became a film program called Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation and turned into an underground movement of adult humor and subject matter.

Adult Swim

In 1994, Cartoon Network gave consent to a new series called "Space Ghost" coast to coast with a particular postmodern turn, showed live interviews with celebrities, mixed with cartoon animations original "Space Ghost." The series made the leap with the production of Hanna-Barbera, now owned by Cartoon Network. It was the beginning of a common practice used old Hanna-Barbera characters for new productions, as the surreal "Underwater Laboratory 2021", based on the cartoon short early 70's "Sealab 2020." Also, Harvey Birdman, attorney, on a mediocre superhero, Birdman which was originally the star of Birdman and Galaxy trio had become a lawyer. Its customers, like many of the characters in the series, came completely from old Hanna-Barbera characters.

In addition to large animation files old and cheap, independent animators also began to benefit from new digital technologies. An artist with sufficient technical skills could explore new styles and forms with much more freedom. The traditional animation skills of drawing and painting had given way to digital manipulation and aggressive use new techniques of animation.

Along with these new programs, the American audience, particularly in geographic areas influenced by fusion with the cultures of the Pacific coast, began to adopt Japanese cartoon, or anime, 80. This growing market for anime videos satisfy the public child and adolescent, with a large number of Japanese series translated into English. Initially access was limited to videos, but the anime as it became a mainstream found its way into the film department stores throughout the U.S.. As the animation occupies a different place in Japanese culture, including a range of issues not addressed by the American animation.

"Adult Swim" is a block of animation for adults that is issued at the start of primetime on Cartoon Network, leads the adult industry and has the latest technology in animation. Adult Swim, which originally aired on Sunday night in 2006 was in the air until 5:00 AM, and was broadcast every night except Friday. The series, which is produced exclusively for Adult Swim, as "The Brak Show," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Tom Goes to the Mayor", tend to be surreal and bizarre, but also considered fresh and original. Adult Swim reissued series "Futurama" and played an important role to avoid the cancellation of "Family Guy". In addition, it also issues numerous popular Anime series such as "FLCL", "Lupin III" and "Inuyasha."

Other drawings for adults

Other TV stations also experimented with animation for adults. MTV has produced several animated series especially for young and adult audiences, "Liquid Television" and "Beavis and Butthead". Even USA Network program found a cult following with his "Duckman show". But the adult animated series of the 90 most successful was "South Park" which premiered in 1996 as a cartoon pirate on the Internet.

The more fast-paced animation and disturbingly clandestine saw the light, the more dominant force in television animation was, led to an increasingly frenetic territory and perhaps eschatological, for example in "The Tick and Duckman."

In 2005, adult animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi said he would work on another film, "The Last Days of Coney Island" which he would finance and produce independently.

The decline of the Saturday Morning

After spending nearly a coma for over two decades, the American animation industry experienced a sudden growth in the 90. Several new studies appeared keen to take risks, and found a large number of markets to sell their talent. Along with the animated TV series, the animation used in television commercials, video games and music videos. The small animation studios challenged "Hanna-Barbera Productions" in the market for TV animation.

In fact, Hanna-Barbera could not compete with the new varieties of animation on the market. During the time that dominated the entire spectrum of pictures of the Saturday morning Hanna-Barbera had virtually no competition, causing a deterioration in the quality of its series. In the 90's, the study could only offer fried as "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and "Tom and Jerry Kids Show" to compete with "Fox Kids" and the new "WB Television Network" from Warner Bros. Hanna-Barbera stayed behind and found himself completely bought by Turner Broadcasting.

Hanna-Barbera not only had problems adapting to the changes that are spread all over the TV. The "Big Three" networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) found its loyal audience being eroded by competition from new channels, including new strains of "Cable TV" as Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. Video games and movies available on video also helped change the market, to the point that for a time gave NBC cartoons altogether. The ABC was bought by Disney, and Disney turned the grill on Saturday in a series of Disney animated productions.

While the series animated in large networks seemed mediocre, the cable television cartoon achieved several successes. Nickelodeon did see light cult hits like "Doug," "Rugrats," "Ren and Stimpy," "Rocko's Modern Life," "SpongeBob," "Invader Zim" and "The Fairly OddParents." Meanwhile, a new owner of Hanna-Barbera, Time Warner, the study focused on the creation of new drawings for the Cartoon Network. Hanna-Barbera was an influx of fresh blood and a new generation of drawings of Hanna-Barbera cartoon was born as "Dexter's Laboratory," "Johnny Bravo", "Cow and Chicken", "Powerpuff Girls" and " Courage the Cowardly Dog. "

Still, each new piece of animation was not a gold mine. The Disney animated films began to suffer in quality to late 1990, after the producer Jeff Katzenberg left the studio and team up with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to form DreamWorks. Also, several animated films were released in the 90 trying to imitate the success of Disney, but as in the Years 1930 and 1940, the animations of 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros could not catch a considerable market segment Disney movies that had been dominant. In particular, Warner Bros, had a string of failures "Cats Do not Dance", "The Magic Sword" and "The Iron Giant" (the latter being praised by critics and audiences, but virtually being ignored by most the public) died at the box office. Warner Bros. also tried to recreate the success of "Roger Rabbit" to "Space Jam", an attempt to combine the popularity of Bugs Bunny with basketball superstar Michael Jordan.

In addition, the market trend of children continued during the 90's, almost as ubiquitous as a decade earlier. Two major events dominated toy many children's programs in the afternoons of the weekend: "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" in the mid-90 and "Pokemon" from the latter half of the 90's to mid Years 2000. Until the animation suffered another revival in the 2000s, a great deal (and many dollars spent) continued to spend on merchandising.

The growth of computer animation

Yet another wild card is added to this crowded and competitive atmosphere with the emergence of a new wave of "Computer Animation". The decade of the 90 experienced an exponential improvement in the use of computers to enhance animated sequences and special effects. This new form of entertainment soon dominated the world of special effects in Hollywood (the film "Terminator 2": "The Judgement" and "Jurassic Park" included impressive computer-animated sequences), and was only a matter of time to find a film produced entirely with computers.

Once again it was Disney who led this area. Disney animators had introduced computer-generated sequences gently in his movies, as in early 1991 in "Beauty and the Beast." A computer-generated magic carpet played a significant role in "Aladdin." In 1995, Disney produced with Pixar "Toy Story", the first completely computer generated film. The film was a huge success and created a new movement, other studies investigated produce their own computer-animated films (CGI).

Perhaps because it first developed as a new method of creating special effects, computer animation was not seen as a form of "children's entertainment." After decades as related but separate industries, the line between animation and special effects are eliminated by the popularization of computer special effects, to the extent that the use of computers in Hollywood movies has become a natural. The best special effects are often so subtle they go completely unnoticed. The winner of the Oscar for best special effects with "Forrest Gump" (1994) relied heavily on computer special effects to create the illusion of realism, to the extent that the actor Tom Hanks was seen shaking hands with U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The movie "Titanic" used computer graphics to bring each scene in three hours, which produced a level of realism that helped the film itself to become the biggest movie box office tax collection so far.

The computer animation has also made forays into television. The series of Saturday morning "ReBoot" gained much popularity among adults, this was the first of many CGI series like "Beast Wars," "War Planets" and "Roughnecks". The quality of computer animation has improved considerably with each new series. Many non-animated TV series (especially science fiction "Babylon 5") invested heavily in CGI production, producing special effects of a higher quality of its predecessors could dream at a relatively low cost.

Other studies with Disney tried their luck with computer-animated films and discovered their weaknesses to the monopoly that was putting animated Disney box office successes. While DreamWorks with "Antz" and "Small Soldiers" paled in comparison with the productions of Disney-Pixar's "Bug" and "Toy Story 2", finally got a big hit numbers with "Shrek" in 2001. "Shrek" was a huge box office success, attracting the public on the production and mastering summer of that year, "Atlantis". Even 20th Century Fox pulled the oil when it conducted a CGI animated film in early 2002 entitled "Ice Age". Not all studies were successful at the box office with computer animation, Paramount with "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" released in 2001 they did so well at the box office, but received a nomination from the Academy and later found success with the television series based on the film which was awarded the following year.

But the real star of the CGI revolution seemed to be Pixar. Even before "Toy Story" The study made a name producing amazing animation shorts (his short "Tin Toy" won an Oscar) and when Disney tried to create a CGI film on its own without Pixar ("Dinosaur") the result was notably disastrous.

Despite this success, the computer animation continues to rely on characters drawn and stylized. In 2001, living first attempt to create a world completely animated using "human actors" digital "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," which found a moderate critical acclaim but did good box office.

The CGI special effects increased to such an extent that in 2002 science fiction film "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" was considered by its director, George Lucas, as the first animated film that used real actors. In fact, the CGI effects have become so common that it is difficult to distinguish computer-animated real life. A growing number of films begin using completely computer created characters interact on screen with real parts, as Jar Binks in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" Gollum in "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and the main character in "Hulk." While computer-generated characters have become acceptable actors, fully animated movies with virtual actors seem to lack a few years.

Disney seemed ready to lead the decline in hand-drawn animation, despite the box office success of "Lilo & Stitch", the failure of its hyped summer "Treasure Planet" seemed to assure that there would be further reductions in the study of Disney animation. The loss was most damaging to Disney in 2002 when the Oscar for Best Animated Film went to the artist (by hand) by Hayao Miyazaki, "Spirited Away" Disney inflicting a second defeat followed the Academy Awards.

Disney settled all their desks and Dreamworks Animation also announced it would abandon the traditional drawn animation and focus exclusively on computer-generated productions from 2003 onwards. While frame traditional animation is likely to remain supported by the TV cartoon and TV ads in the near future. The schools of animation history believe that "the era of classic American design," which began with the Walt Disney film "Snow White" is about to end. Others disagree, pointing a moderate success of traditionally animated film "Brother Bear" and the fact that Pixar has announced it will produce traditional animation films in their own attempt to revive this art form.

In 2004, he premiered the movie "Sky Captain" and "The world of tomorrow." Note that the entire film was shot against a blue screen with the background completely computer generated and all were real actors. Robert Zemeckis film "Polar Express" starring Tom Hanks with five characters is done entirely with CGI animation, but uses motion capture technology to animate the characters.

In July 2005, Disney announced it would close their studies in Australia in 2006. That study, responsible for video sequels like "The Lion King III" was the last bastion of hand-Disney artists. However in 2006, Pixar creative chief John Lasseter, told Time magazine that could restore traditional animation unit of Disney, saying that "of all studies should be doing 2-D animation, it should be Disney."

In December 2009, the last great animated film that has gathered huge profits at the box office is "Avatar" from 20th Century Fox, directed by James Cameron, has received high praise for the quality of special effects are really impressive.

Animation Awards

The animation has become so widely accepted that at the beginning of the XXI Century (2001), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced the Oscar for best animated film. The two main rivals for the first year of this award were two CGI films: "Shrek" from DreamWorks and "Monsters Inc." Disney-Pixar. The award was for "Shrek." However, there were complaints that the award seemed to be geared more toward family movies to animated films, "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" was the third nominee, not the innovative and critically acclaimed adult film "Waking Life" or visually innovative "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within." Hayao Miyazaki's critically acclaimed "Spirited Away" won in 2002 and the Disney-Pixar film "Finding Nemo" received the award in 2003.

The Annie Awards were presented at the Los Angeles branch of the International Animation Society (Association international du film d'animation or ASIFA), known as ASIFA-Hollywood, the month of February competing animation for film and TV.

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