Science Fiction Movies

By: Vinay Rana

These days people are getting more and more crazy for Science Fiction movies as compared to simple family and love movies but of course exceptions are always there. Now days Directors prefer to have computerized characters for their films rather than having real characters. For example movies based on Dinosaurs and Anaconda are already big success. Movies based on space are very much liked by the people and creating ripples on the Box Office.

Movies based on ALIENS and Extra Terrestrials are liked all over the world. Actually the main thing is that the audience is interested more in subjects which are different from... their real life. Science fiction movies creates a sort of fantasy, which the people really love. Most of the fiction movies use highly sophisticated computerized graphics with real life animation. These movies are mostly watch by the young people and teenagers. Movies based on Robots and Man Machines are very much liked by the people.

Day by day the movies are becoming more and more creative. Actually the science fiction movies success totally depends on the creativity in the movie. People like more and more new subjects these days to excite their senses. These movies have lot of action these days. Actually their success also depends on the quality of action in the movie. Most of the stunt scenes are computer based with high graphics and quality.

So, the science movies are more and more likes by the people. The era of science fiction movies has just started and it has go a long way to achieve perfection.

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Simon Pegg Linked To Tintin Movie Role

By: Holly Franklin

The Tintin Movie that is to be directed by both Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson has led to many wild rumours flying about. The creative duo is planning to film three Tintin movies back to back and the budget rumoured to be in excess of $100 million.

Spielberg has been connected to the project for nearly 25 years as he was approached by Herge the creator of Tintin back in the early 1980's. Herge believed that Spielberg was the only one in Hollywood who could do his comic hero justice on the big screen.

Spielberg though never was able to commit totally to the project because he believed that he would never be capable enough to translate the ligne claire style of action adventure books to the big screen with the technology available. It is only no with Peter Jackson... on board who using his Weta workshop that the Belgium boy detective can now come to life.

The big question and one that has Tintin forums are in a tizzy is the question if who will play the lead? Is it going to be an unknown such as Kristen Myburgh (has been one named linked) who may like Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter go on to become a household name. Well the newest name liked is a more established actor and British cinematic hero Simon Pegg.

Simon Pegg first came to the attention of British People in his self-penned TV series Spaced that became a cult hit. Along with his team of Nick Frost (Co-star) and Edgar Wright (Director) he went onto make the hugely successful Shaun of the Dead (2004) which along with Hot Fuzz (2007) brought him to the attention of Hollywood.

He has made several films this year including his first role as lead in a film that he hasn't written called Run, Fat Boy, Run (directed by David Schwimmer) and he also pops up in Grindhouse too.

The role of Tintin will be huge and will take up a lot of time for which ever actor accepts the lead with the films being shot back to back as Lord of the Rings was. It may not suit Simon Pegg who is always inventive and throwing himself into new projects. Simon though is a known comic book fan and has admitted to loving Tintin in several interviews that has only fuelled the debate.

The question though is whether he has the right look for the film. This maybe not as much of problem as previously thought. Simon Pegg maybe older that Tintin (Estimated to be in his late teens) but the technique that will be used in the films is similar to those used to bring Gollum to life in Lord of the Rings. The character Gollum was created by Weta using motion capture techniques on actor Andy Serkis then using key frame animation and subsurface scattering rendering techniques enabled the first completely convincing portrayal of an animated humanoid in a feature film. This technology would make it easy for Simon Pegg to play Tintin.

The debate is set to rage on and with the first film not scheduled to be finished in production till 2009 there will not be any answer soon.

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Urban Movies Rise With Solid Direction

By: Sid Kali

Please take a moment put away any initial thoughts of the way you think a real movie director should sound and act doing their job. It's tough not to want to emulate directors you respect both in style and attitude.

I learned that during the independent film shoots for Consignment and In With Thieves that were produced under the flag of Slice Of Americana Films.

Drug Dealing, Money, & Power. Consignment deals with the drug trade that thrives at the street level. This fast-paced urban movie erupts into 14 on screen murders. In this business you don't go legit. You just go.

The soundtrack highlights tracks from up and coming East Coast & West Coast artists that include Custom Made Recordings, Ayreon The Don, Malice & Da Commission and Street Squad Entertainment. Consignment is being released November 13, 2007 by Maverick Entertainment Group, Inc. one of the premiere distributors of independent cinema. Consignment will be distributed under their urban label.

In With Thieves is the intense story of a Cuban cartel that practices their own version of Santeria, an African based crime group that deals in blood diamonds, ruthless Albanian gangsters, and a tough American burglary crew. This film was completed July 2007 and is represented by Mark Bosko of The Bosko Group.

We are currently in pre-production for our third film. Stash Spot is a furious urban action film. Rival criminals fight to find a fortune in cash ripped-off during a drug deal gone bad. When the stick-up artists responsible turn up dead, a bloodbath erupts as each vicious criminal makes their ruthless play to locate the money.

Urban movies are on the rise in popularity with viewers. This can be seen in the exploding direct to video market where urban movies have carved out a very respectable following.

Who can forget how hardcore of a director Robert Rodriguez looked on the cover of 'Rebel without A Crew'. Rodriguez's story inspired guerrilla filmmakers everywhere that they could shoot an ultra-low budget action movie like 'El Mariachi' that was entertaining, while giving the finger to the traditional way of getting a movie done.

Quentin Tarantino is a cool as they come. His style is often 'borrowed' from because he knows how to tell a good story using pictures. Tarantino has creative influences like all directors who grew up watching movies. The difference is Tarantino turned those influences into his own unique style.

There are many more directors who make great movies and look cool doing it I didn't mention for the sake of brevity. There's even more directors who's personalities and colorful nature keep them in the publics even if they haven't had a hit movie in years. The cult of personality is a real factor in the world of movies. It can keep some directors working or at least in the media eye until they can turn out a good movie. In Hollywood that may work, but on the true independent side of filmmaking your image won't get you anywhere unless you can make entertaining movies.

Instead of wasting your energy to create a colorful image and developing your own cult following like a rock star. Focus on learning what a director does and has to deal with during a movie shoot. You don't want to be all style and no substance. Craig Brewer, Charles Dutton, Damon Dash, Sid Kali, Hype Williams, John Singleton, The Hughes Brothers, Mario Van Peebles, and Kasi Lemmons had to prove themselves by making sharp urban films before anyone knew who they were or cared.

It takes more than deciding where the camera goes to be a director, especially when you're directing an indie film where you won't have the luxury of sitting in video village cut off from all the other production gyrations going on. I've wrangled cable, broke down equipment, dressed sets, and a dozen other jobs as 'director' on indie film shoots. It's not glamorous, but it gets the job done.

General rules of thumb that will help you become a stronger director.

A strong grasp of the entire process it takes to make a film is important. There's different departments that work together to bring a film together. The camera department, sound department, make-up/wardrobe department etc. You need to know what they do and how to maximize their efforts to help achieve your creative goal as a movie director. On big budget film shoots the departments are very distinct and well supported.

Knowing how to best utilize your team comes from understanding how these departments work. On indie shoots more often than not the departments blur together out of necessity. During the shooting of the urban movie Consignment we had one person with an assistant doing key hair and make-up while also heading the wardrobe department. These two departments were put together because I knew how they worked and how to bring them together to keep the production moving.

You should learn basic camera shots, angles, and moves. Know what a medium shot is. Know what a reverse-angle shot is. Know what a dolly shot is. Know what a two and three shot are. Pick up 'Film directing Shot By Shot' by Steven D. Katz'. It can provide the technical foundation you will need as a director to help your creative vision come to life. Keep in mind their is only so much you can learn from books.

When you get on set you'll hear terms for shots, like 'cowboy guns' and 'cowboy no guns' not covered in a book. It's a medium shot from the waist up no guns to thigh up guns. People will yell 'Wolf!' which means stop. "Flying in (insert film gear here) means bringing in. No shame in asking what a term means when you do not know. Ignorance is not bliss on a urban film set.

I was a grunt production assistant (PA) acting as a human stop signing controlling traffic with another PA. I got called on the walkie we were rolling and to not let any cars through. I gave the hand signal to the other PA, production had limited walkies, that we were rolling. He nodded knowingly for two takes. During the middle of the third take he let a motorcycle roar through killing the take and getting us both chewed out. I later asked if he missed the signal, he told me he had no idea that signal meant rolling. He never worked on a film before. Asking what the signal meant would have saved us being chewed out.

That story ties into how crucial communication is when your making an urban action movie. You have to be clear to with everyone involved in your film about what you're going to do, what you need, and what you're looking for them to do. People look for this, they expect this from a director. Don't leave cast and crew guessing about what you want. There's never enough time or money to play that game during production. Communication runs two ways. Make sure people can ask you questions if they're not clear on something you said. What might make total sense to you can be lost in the translation as it goes out to the troops.

Accept you're not always going to make the right call on every shot. You're never going to be totally happy with the way some scenes turned out. You'll always want to go back and re-shoot certain scenes again. Fight through it. It might not seem like it during crazy times of filming, but if you have paid attention to the details you will have shot yourself a movie at the end of production. Trust your instincts. I was a nervous wreck after CONSIGNMENT was in the can. I could barely sit down with the editor Tim Beachum to watch the raw footage because my neck and back were seized up with stress.

Sure enough a couple of the camera moves I chose for a few scenes did not turn out like I had envisioned. A few of the calls I made as a director just didn't work. I was a mess, editor Tim Beachum was surprisingly relaxed about it all and talked me down from the proverbial ledge. I was positive the urban movie Consignment was doomed. What saved the day?

A tip I got from an old school Director of Photography (DP) I listened to before shooting. No matter what kind of amazing camera move you want to experiment with to shoot a scene grab at least one take of a master or a standard three shot for coverage in case your wonder shot goes to hell. Turns out the coverage I thought was never going to use because surely my awesome camera moves would work. Some didn't. The extra coverage I grabbed did end up covering my ass in post.

The editor had enough coverage from those few takes to cut the film together without losing continuity. I had spent three or four takes on what I thought were the coolest shots only to end up using the basic takes that worked. The other side of the coin of that is some of the shots I had taken chances on worked beautifully. Nothing like hearing an editor say, 'that was a real pretty shot' or 'loved the way you shot that scene'. So if it all goes to hell with your experimental shots have at least a little standard coverage to get you through. If it comes down to time. Plan ahead to give yourself a take or two with the shot you really want and a take going by the book for coverage

Having a solid sense of how to tell stories using moving pictures and thinking about how a scene will cut together before you yell 'Action!' is a smart. It gives you much more flexibility as a director to be creative, take chances, and experiment with a scene. Knowing the basics how to cover a scene allows you to bend the rules.

Avoid being a paranoid and insecure director. Yes, you have to keep firm control of the shoot because a film directed by committee doesn't work, but there is a fine line between control and paranoia fueled by insecurity. It can quickly turn into on of those possessive relationships where it all goes bad quickly if you go along with it.

I was working on a shoot film in Los Angeles with a director that was wired pretty tight. He asked me once if any of the cast or crew said things about him behind his back. Of course they did. That's what people do. Of course I lied like people do in that situation and said no. He was completely convinced that one of the actors were forgetting their lines on purpose to undermine him and the DP was just waiting to hijack his movie all together. He was wrong. They were talking about what an absolutely paranoid hard on he was.

It all came to ahead when a camera shot wasn't working after numerous takes and the director went off into one of the most colorful profanity laced fits I had ever seen. I mean for a fit it was a beauty to watch. Arms flailing, a prop glass being thrown against the wall like a child, and everything else you expect from a person who lost control. "Why isn't this working?" was the last thing he yelled. The 1st A.D. smartly told everyone to take five while things cooled on set.

The director got himself back together and we took another take that didn't work. We were losing daylight and had a lot of other scenes to shoot to make the day, so the DP suggested a way the shot could work, by using a different camera position and move to get the action the director wanted. Right on cue, the paranoid director completely over reacted. He told the DP to piss off he. He was the director and wasn't going to let him hijack his movie.

The DP cooly said, "stop being so insecure. I'm here to make your movie, not mine." The director blew off the suggestion without a second thought. He never got the shot he wanted to work and scraped the scene from the final cut. Who knows if the DP's suggestion would have worked? It would have made sense to try it considering the other shot wasn't working.

It was a different story on another shoot all together. A friend of mine was directing his first feature. He didn't have a lot of money, but he brought on a DP with a resume an arm long and for the lead this hot B list actress that had some slasher movie credits. He invited me out to visit the set. My friend was a director with energy and drive to spare. He knew exactly what he wanted from everybody on the set. He gave the DP detailed notes, his shot sheet, and they had already gone over in detail the story-boards my friend drew up himself before shooting began. My friend was in total control.

I was looking over his shoulder into the monitor during the crucial shooting of the final scene of the film. He had the actress in this amazing bikini being chased by a knife wielding killer. After the first take there was a problem. The actress ran slower than the actor playing the killer. On the next take he told the actress to speed it up and the actor to slow it down.

Still didn't work. My friend watched the playback with the DP. Then asked the DP what he thought would work to get the shot. The DP got the shot to work by changing the blocking and moving the camera. My friend got the shot and the ending he wanted because he was secure enough as a director to utilize his DP, not neutralize him.

Those two experiences really gave me some perspective on getting through directing a movie. During CONSIGNMENT I ran into a major problem that threatened to cost us shooting a crucial murder scene. We had been working all night and instead of chasing daylight we were trying to beat it. We had a shooting scene that had to be shot before the sun came up, we had about an hour of night left, and there was no option to push the scene.

We were losing that location for good after we wrapped. After a couple less than stellar takes I turned to my DP Royce Dudley. We have to make this work, we can't lose this scene I said. I took the actors through a last minute rehearsal without rolling on the camera to see if I could cover the scene a different way. Royce stood back like he did sometimes watching. After the walk through rehearsal he said, "I can get your scene" and he did. Thanks Royce!

On the IN WITH THIEVES shoot I brought back an actor from CONSIGNMENT I really enjoyed working with named Jerome Hawkins.
I write and direct my own movies, so I get really involved in not only the action, but that the lines are delivered the way I want them. So here we are shooting a scene, when Jerome tells me he's really feeling adding something to a line, keep in mind this movie is my baby, but I felt his vibe. I gave him one take to run with it his way. The line he added to close the dialogue was great. We added it to the script and kept it in the movie. Did I feel he was under-minding me? No. I was secure enough as a director to let an actor I respected contribute creatively to the movie.

These last couple of stories might seem to go against what I said about not directing by committee, taking chances that don't always work, and keeping control of your movie. I still feel that a movie can't get done right when you have a weak director who listens to everyone on what their movie should end up looking like. I still feel you can't be afraid to take chances on shots that don't end up working. I still feel you have to keep control of your movie. It's one thing to be overly paranoid about someone hijacking your movie, but it's equally destructive to you as a director to cave in when someone is trying to tell you how to do your job as a director.

You also don't want to become so completely narrow minded that you can't brainstorm with your key production personal to problem solve, work creatively with your DP to see your vision materialize, allow your talent to spread their wings from time to time in a scene, or see when you need to be open minded enough to change the way you're shooting a scene so that it can work. You surrounded yourself with a good team let them help you make your movie. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well it takes a production team to make a movie.

it will always be your overall vision behind the way a movie will turn out, but being open to collaboration with your cast and crew creates a more positive set. You don't want mindless robots going through the motions. You want fired up people eager to lend you all their talents to make your movie rock. Don't let your ego get in the way of you seeing the big picture.

Some myths I do not buy into about being a director.

You're not a real director if you don't shoot on film. Once you've completed a shoot on any format you're a real director.

A director needs to know how to light scenes. The more you know about any aspect of film production the better, but if you don't know about lighting a scene you can still direct. What I do is make notes on the look, feel, and mood I see in my head for each scene. I pass that along to the DP so we can discuss how to make it happen. I also like to suggest to the DP DVD's to rent with scenes I feel lighting wise are close to what I'm going after. Your DP is the master of light. He'll deliver the lighting set ups you need.

The director needs to know how to run the camera. Not true. It's very possible you will never touch the camera once during a shoot. I myself for the most part watch through a monitor. I do look through the camera after the DP has set the frame for the shot, but I rarely run it.

It's easier to direct a low budget indie movie than a mainstream Hollywood movie. Wrong. Directing a low budget indie or a Hollywood blockbuster both have their own challenges for a director to numerous to list. In the end you still have to be able to tell a good story using pictures. It's never easy.

A director sits in video village all day while everyone else works. I wish that was true. A director has to be on top of everything going on during shooting. They deal with the actors, check with camera and sound to make sure there were no problems with the take, and put out a dozen other fires that pop up.

Some ideas I do buy into as a director.

Never let anyone give your actors direction or notes, unless they are coming directly from you. You're the director It's your role and your role alone to work with actors to get the performances you want. No one else should ever be allowed to work with the actors. One time I was on a roof looking at a scene. I didn't like the way the blocking was playing out, so I walkied the 1st A.D. some directions to pass along to the actors. That's as far as I felt comfortable having people work with talent.

It's your set and you should be the only one to yell CUT! I had an actor once in the middle of the take turn to the camera and say cut because they flubbed a line. It wasn't their call, it's not anyones call but the director. They were warned and when it happened again they were released from the movie.

The director is the driving force behind a movie. Nobody is going to care as much about your movie as you do. You have to keep everyone pumped up and on track to finish a movie. You want your passion for what you're shooting as a director to be contagious on the set.

A director needs to be able to be secure enough to listen and collaborate with cast and crew. This is not directing by committee but having the leadership ability to fully maximize everyone's talents. Your movie can only turn out better because of it.

You have to be a cheerleader and a salesmen. When things are not going well on set you need to be able to keep morale up. After a rough day of shooting I let everyone know what a great job they were doing and how excited I was by the dailies I looked at each night. I had to keep them excited about the movie now, not when they would get paid a week later. The next toughest thing is keeping people going after you've hit 12 hours.

You have to sell them on your ability as a director to not only finish the movie, but turn out a good one that people will want their names attached to in the credits. You would be surprised how many people worked on a movie for credit only and the movie never got done or turned out terrible. Let them know you're not that director. If they stick with you and dig a little deeper you will put out a good film.

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The Misunderstandings of Downloading Movies

By: Isaiah Henry

If you think downloading movies is illegal and difficult and only for teenagers, think again. While there are still lots of illegal downloading out there, there are many services which permit you to download movies either for free or for a small fee, with the permission of the major movie companies.

With fans around the world interested in movies, the big bosses at the movie studios came to realized that download movies is the future, and began to create their own movie services with all the licenses to remain legal.

If you are not like your brainy internet wiz child, then it may a take few movies to get the feel the movie download applications. But after a day or two, you will probably find it as easy as browsing the internet.

You will need a high speed connection. If you are still on dial up, it is not recommended that you...attempt to download movies because the file size is so large. Most movies are 600 MB or more. You will need a high speed cable or ADSL connection.

Movie Subscription sites

Be careful choosing a service. Many Internet sites offer access to a library of movies for a monthly fee. Be sure to check their library before signing up! Some services have dramatically better libraries than others. Most services have a free trial period as well so that you can test their service before you commit.

Movie services usually give you several extras with downloaded movies. To name a few, youll receive bonuses like extra scenes, commentaries, interviews & more. This is a lot more than the average video or movie rental store would offer.

In my opinion, there are too many movie services on the internet. So you will have to do some digging to guarantee that select the right service. You may be surprise in the range of prices from a one-time fee of $14.00 to $29.95 per monthly subscription service.

Yet look on the bright side, movie selections are ever increasing on weekly basis. This will ensure you have enough movies to watch on your free time.

Monthly movie subscription services have extensive HELP and customer support available. If you feel unsure about dealing with the technical aspect of downloading movies, this is the best way to go. Their technical support staff will walk you through everything.

All movie sites provide you with the movie manager to download & watch movies and even organize your collection.

Below are common questions on downloading movies:

1) Is movie downloading illegal? Definitely not, but make sure to do your homework first. Do not download copyright material from p2p movie sites.

2) Are movie downloads just like DVDs in quality? Most movies are of high quality, but some sites provide movies various formats that may range in quality.

3) Are pay-per-download movie sites file-sharing? NO. Movie subscription sites are totally different. Movie subscription sites operate with the permission of the movie companies and are completely legal.

4) Do I have to watch it on my computer? NO. You can burn the movie file to a DVD, and watch it on your television. This does require that you have a DVD burner, which is pretty standard on most computers.

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The Five Best Halloween Movies Ever

By: Jon Murray

First of all I want to distinguish between the best horror movies and the best Halloween movies. I think I have a good example. Jaws is an excellent horror movie, but a poor Halloween movie. The chances of a huge great white attacking you in the dark on Halloween is pretty minimal, unless you live on a boat. An example of a good horror movie for Halloween would be a movie like "The Shining" as insanity is always scary.

To decide what are the best Halloween movies we must first come up with some criteria. Certainly they must be scary... and not in a "Jaws" kind of way. If they have some sort of fog in them, that would be cool and of course there should be an element of the macabre. Here are my top 5 Halloween movies and why.

5. How can you pick the top five Halloween movies without including Halloween on the list. I'll take the original 1978 version with a very young Jamie Lee Curtis in it. Michael Myers has become a horror legend since this movie.

"Brutal, emotionless Michael Myers stabs his sister to death at age six on Halloween night in 1963; on October 30, 1978, he escapes from a mental institution and institutes a new reign of terror in his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. He is pursued the whole time by a psychiatrist (Donald Pleasence) who knows just how evil this young man is."

4. You cannot have a top 5 list without Phycho being on it. Norman Bates has become somewhat of a horror legend and the shower scene was unmatched in it's day. The suspense using music and imagery that Hitchcock brings to this movie is amazing and the perfect casting of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates finishes it. Alfred Hitchcock deserves to be on this list and if I was listing by scary movie directors he would be #1. Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window all stick out in my mind as some of the best ever.

3. Wolf Creek sits at #3 in my list. Many of you will probably second guess this one, but for some reason this movie really got to me. Maybe it's the torture scene, but for some reason I found this movie much more disturbing than the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes and other movies which are meant to terrorize us.

2. Friday the 13th. This one is especially scary for those of us who like camping or cottaging. The thought that some nut is out there in a hockey mask waiting for us in the dark is what makes campfire stories so compelling.

1. Everyone has their favourites and reasons why. I believe that horror movies you watched as a young child have more of an effect on you than ones watched as an adult. I can name 4 or 5 that I've watched this year which are scarier than 1973's "The Exorcist", but in it's day The Exorcist was probably the scariest movie made. Scenes from it still sick in my mind to the point that even parody's of it still creep me out.

In my honorable mention category I have movies like Saw, Hostel, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining (of course) and many others too numerous to mention. This Halloween, pick up some scary movies and watch them with friends. Happy Halloween!

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Movie Gift Baskets to Go?

By: Brian Connors

What is a weapon in the arsenal of gift giving possibilities that could win you Academy Awards for ingenuity, thoughtfulness and outstanding entertainment? Movie gifts is this option that can be yours to send out for any occasion or situation that merits the action of giving on your part.

So when would this strategy be appropriate for you to put into action? Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations come to mind at first. These events...can be celebrated by granting those you know exactly what they desire with a good flick and added goodies.

Movie gifts could also be used to cheer up those under the weather that you know of who need a jolt of healthy good wishes. Why not put a dose of emotion, adventure and imagination with a personal message of healing? Its impact will be felt by the one that needs your strength and encouragement now more than ever.

Need to send your gratitude to someone who is a cinema buff? Movie gifts can advertise your thankfulness to that person in no uncertain terms. You will have given the lucky benefactor of your generosity something to look forward to and treasure forever.

Want to know the best way to grant someone this type of entertaining present? Care to find a way to send popcorn, cookies and other movie theater treats along with a Blockbuster gift card giving them their choice of films to watch? The answer is Movie Gift Baskets that can give all of this and more!

There’s your answer as far as what to give. The next question, however, is where to find them and how to get them into the hands of the one that you wish to make happy. Fortunately, the solution can be easy and painless with the use of a little technology known as the internet. How so?

Go to Google, Yahoo or whichever search engine that you desire and plug in keywords or keyword phrases that would fit your desired end. Examples would be “movie gifts” or a more specific “movie gift baskets” to get a selection of websites from which to choose your selection. Find the right one within your budget and you are almost done. The next step is to have it mailed to the right destination.

Just use your typing skills to let the Movie Gifts website know who and where to send it to and by when. Make a safe credit card payment and your mission has been completed. No traffic congestion driving to the mall and back. No competition for parking space. No wading through herds of other people to try to find the right movie gifts item that might not even be available. No wasting gas going to and from. There is a multitude of other reasons but I’m confident that you get my point.

Try movie gift baskets as a way to send the right message in the most time and sanity efficient way. Make yourself an instant star in someone’s life today!

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Movies, Movies, Movies In Your Own Home Movie Theater

By Nicholas Tan

We all love to go to the movie theater to relax after a long day of work. Even if you need to tide traffics jams to go to the movie theater, you are willing to endure this to be able to watch a movie. The sight and sound of a movie theater is what makes us go back there every so often. We easily get lost in the movie scene because of the bigger than life pictures and surround sound that takes you there beside the characters in the movie. This may prove to be costly in the end but we continue... to do this because we love to go to movie theaters and see movies.

If you can bring home a movie theater, it will be good and I am sure you will love the idea. However, before you say no, think again. Going to the movie theaters every single day is definitely costly in the long run. Additionally, if you know the basic components of a home movie theater, you may not think twice and will definitely leave right now to acquire your own home movie theater.

A complete setup of a movie theater in a big room is definitely only accessible to the rich and the famous. However, if you have meager budget, you can have the home movie theater for yourself knowing the basic components and setting up the home movie theater in a smaller room. You may convert you den to a home theater room. You only need the three basic components and you may already enjoy watching movies with no limit.

If you have a television set, which I know you do, that is about 27 inches, you run away spending for the first major component of your home movie theater. The second major component, which I think you have, is the DVD player. If your DVD Player has progressive scan that is wonderful, however, even without progressive scan, your DVD player may work as the second component for your home movie theater.

The final piece of the puzzle, which I want you to spend on, is the home theater speakers. You need three high-quality home theater speakers for your home movie theater. You need to place one on the right side, one on the left side and one on the rear center of the room.

These are the three basic components of your home movie theater. You may now start enjoying unlimited movie and enjoy watching movies with your whole family. I am sure you will agree with me that this is the best part of owning your own home movie theater.

The set up for your home movie theater with the three basic components is the best perfect setup for small rooms. However, if you have a bigger room for your home movie theater, I am sure you have a bigger budget for your home theater. Then you may want to consider the recommendation of home theater experts, you may add more speakers up to six home theater speakers and may need to compliment it with subwoofer to maintain the surround sound effect for your home movie theater.

If you want a bigger picture, you may want to consider buying a home theater projector. You may also acquire home theater seating and television cabinet if you want to compliment the home theater design to make up a complete package for your home entertainment. All these additions to the basic components may be necessary if you have a bigger room. If the room is smaller, then you may only need the three basic components for your home movie theater.

Having to be able to bring home the sight and sound you run after in movie theaters may be very efficient and less costly. Aside form the fact that you enjoy life with your family beside you watching movies after movies in your very own home movie theater.

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Trekker Versus Trekkie: the Controversy

By: Fran Black

So what is the difference between a trekker and a trekkie? The short answer is: nothing. According to Wikipedia, the all-knowing, on-line encyclopedia, both terms denote a fan of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. So why all the controversy between the two? I once heard that fans of the original series were called trekkers, while those of the Next Generation were trekkies, but I have since learned it’s not as simple as that. The difference, it turns out, has nothing to do with the actual meaning of the terms, but with the connotations associated... with them. Taking this into consideration, it’s largely a matter of preference which label you prefer.

The Star Trek fan base is, after all a widely diverse group. Attending a convention, you will see young and old, male and female, from all walks of life. The ideology of Star Trek captures the interest of more than science and technology “geeks.” I’ve known well-educated professionals to don a uniform and attend a convention as enthusiastically as the pop-culture groupie. Can one term describe them all?

Apparently not. In the late 1960s, science fiction editor Art Saha used the word “Trekkies” to describe a group of early fans who were wearing pointy Vulcan ears at a science fiction convention. The label caught on, although some devotees felt it sounded too much like “crazies” and preferred to call themselves trekkers. To a trekker, the term trekkies creates images of fanatics struggling to distinguish between reality and fiction.

Our friends at the USS Dauntless (http://members.tripod.com/~learnb/dauntless/recdeck.htm), a web-site devoted to Star Trek trivia, makes these comparisons between the two:

A Trekker wears a STARFLEET uniform to a convention because its fun…
A Trekkie wears a uniform to a convention because s/he has heard that it is in style at the academy.

A Trekker has a STARFLEET Academy window sticker on his car…
A Trekkie is cramming for the entrance exams.

A Trekker thinks Wil Wheaton was a lucky kid who got to play a kid on Star Trek…
A Trekkie thinks that Wesley Crusher was a lucky kid who got to sit on the bridge.

A Trekker thinks that it is a shame that the show is coming to an end…
A Trekkie thinks that it is a shame that the crew is being reassigned and the Enterprise is being decommissioned.

A Trekker knows that there are gaping holes in the technology, but ignores them and enjoys the show…
A Trekkie can't wait for the price to come down on those home food replicator units.”

Those self-identified trekkies, however, have their own fodder to fling. They associate the term trekkers with pretentious nuts obsessed over minutiae and details. Moreover, they accuse ‘trekkers’ of being too ashamed to admit they are ‘trekkies.’ Apparently this camp has the good graces of Gene Roddenbury, the creator of Star Trek. According to his former assistant, Richard Arnold, Gene Roddenbury spoke during a convention and used the term trekkie. Someone attempted to correct him, to which he responded, “Excuse me, did you say 'TrekkER?' The word is 'TrekkIE.' I should know, I created them." (http://www.trekdoc.com/database/fanfeed/1.htm)

And so the question still rings, trekkers or trekkies? What is the correct term of usage? My advice? When labeling any group of people, political correctness rules the day. Just to play it safe, maybe use “Star Trek enthusiast.”

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Filmcrave.com Lets Regular Folks Review Movies

By: Josh Collins

Everybody's got an opinion about movies, but only the pros get to offer their critique. At least, that's the way it seemed to the founders of FilmCrave.com — a start-up website that challenges that notion the pros know what's best. "We were just three guys out of college who really liked talking about movies," said cofounder/ designer Josh Collins. "But when we tried to join rottentomatoes.com [an association of professional movie reviewers], we found our opinions weren't welcome."

"I thought, 'This is ridiculous. There should be a place where everyone can share reviews.' But that place didn't exist yet. So we decided to make it," said Collins.

Filmcrave, which launched its beta edition on August 1st, has thousands of movies in its database, making it easy for users to search out flicks, rate or review them. But the site is more than just a place to post comments: it's also a social networking site, much like MySpace, where users can create Top Movie lists, meet new people and maintain their own profiles.

"It's much easier [to use] than MySpace," says cofounder/designer Alex Olson, "And it fulfills a unique niche on the web. No one else is mixing movie content with a MySpace social networking feel the way we are."

Filling this niche should make the site a huge success, cofounder/developer Nick Barry believes. While there are other movie related sites, none of them make user interaction their primary aim, said Barry. "Some even seem to be more like an online store than a community."

The three friends expect the online community to grow exponentially — and continue to thumb their noses at the critics.

"Professional movie reviewers are the lapdogs of the entertainment industry," said Collins. "Those who generate the best hype are treated
to fancy tid-bits and allowed to cozy up with beautiful people. It's a club, and until now, none of us were invited."

Early test users of the site agreed. "That's why sites like this one are so important: everyone has access to the clubhouse," said Christopher Hemann. "It's like the angry mob with pitchforks at the gates of Hollywood exclusive neighborhoods. NO MORE ABOMINATIONS! WE'RE NOT PEASANTS — WE'RE UNPLEASANTS!"

The site is already generating intense enthusiasm, Barry says. And — who knows? — with the influence the internet is already having on movie making, maybe Hollywood will hear the roar.

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Current Top 5 Movies!

Every quarter I will provide a list of recommended movies based on what you the avid movie fan has been buying from well-known retailer Amazon recently. It is not an exact science but I am able to get a good indication from new releases on popular films listed at Amazon. I have my very own Amazon-based store right here, with an exhaustive database of movie titles to choose from. If you were to purchase one of the top 5 recommended movies I would receive a small comission, which will pay for hosting and design enhancements. Now for the movies:

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