tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32021692933851848372024-03-14T02:21:26.801-07:00Movie News Ideasexcel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-15687860773835662212012-05-06T21:20:00.000-07:002012-05-06T21:20:24.220-07:00How to store memories in your life<div style="text-align: justify;">Precious moment will be a memory that will not be forgotten. Each person will save the precious memories of each moment is experienced in his life. Some people want to save memories with family or friends in the past, so it can be seen again sometime later so the memories will not fade with time. The ways new technologies can be used to store memories so that we can look back at certain times and will not fade with time. The technology today is make storing memories is not difficult. There are various ways we can do with the memories such as in form of photographs or record precious moments in video form. Make a video or photograph is an interesting way to have fun or store memories. If you cannot make a video to keep the memories, you can use <a href="http://www.mindboxproductions.com/">MindBOX Video Production Austin, TX</a>. You will get the video to capture precious moments like a wedding or the birth of your child. MindBOX Video Production Austin, TX consists of an expert people so you will get a quality video because not everyone is capable of producing a good photo or video, using MindBOX Video Production Austin, TX is the perfect solution, so you'll never lose precious moment in your life.</div>excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-89875331549237866562012-02-25T20:42:00.000-08:002012-04-15T20:43:11.330-07:00The All-Time Best College Movies<div style="text-align: justify;">College buddies swap stories about their old college days as they grow older. Some decide their stories are good enough to be turned into movies, or come up with really good ideas for movies just by talking about their lives. Many excellent movies about college life have been made, and while this is by no means a complete list, they should be at the top of your must-watch list.<br />
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The movie "21," starring Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey, is about six MIT students who are chosen by a professor to become part of a card counting group because of their incredible math skills. This movie is based on a true story, which is a bit unsettling because they are essentially breaking the law by taking their card counting training to Las Vegas in order to swindle the casinos out of millions of dollars.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
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If you are interested in a legal career, you may or may not feel that "Legally Blonde" is a good representation of college life in law school. Reese Witherspoon is Elle Woods, a sorority queen turned aspiring law student who chases down her ex-boyfriend to Harvard's law school and finds out that she is actually quite talented in legal studies. Elle is a girly girl and a true blonde with a heart of gold, and many hilarious quirky comments.<br />
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One of the greatest college football movies that exists is "Rudy," starring Sean Astin. Most of the movie takes place at the University of Notre Dame, where Astin's character, Rudy, aspires to play football. He was always told that he was too small to play college football, but Rudy works incredibly hard to fulfill his dream of playing for the Fightin' Irish. "Rudy" is an amazing story about how perseverance and hard work can get you anywhere.<br />
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Sometimes, older people get nostalgic and start yearning for the good ol' days, especially the college days. At times, people go too far in wanting to relive those glory days, like in the movie "Old School," starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. The guys, wanting to relive those college days, form their own fraternity in the new house Mitch (played by Luke Wilson) recently bought. Hilarity ensues when they put a bunch of misfit college students, retirees and other random fellows through rushing for their new frat.<br />
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Anyone who has interacted on the Internet should be aware of the world's biggest social network, Facebook. The movie describing the story leading up to its creation, "The Social Network," is about Mark Zuckerberg's brilliant idea to create a social networking website similar to Hot or Not. Zuckerberg is played by Jesse Eisenberg.<br />
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These college movies depict but a small part of what college life could be like. Of course, if you choose to go to college online, your life may not quite live up to these crazy tales. Searching for degrees online can be a great start if you are interested in an online college. Looking for career guides for college students is a good thing to do as well.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-8188853597516623862012-02-10T20:41:00.000-08:002012-04-15T20:42:06.202-07:00Tales of the Broke and Famous<div style="text-align: justify;">"Beverly Hills is a place where you spend a lot of money you don't have to impress a lot of people you don't like!"- - Anonymous Hollywood Producer<br />
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Many times a famous person's wealth does not equal their fame. John Wayne found himself in hock after 150 movies. Three wives, seven children, investing his own money in the box office troubled The Alamo (1960) combined with an exceedingly generous nature left the Duke completely wiped out. He would often walk into bars and shout, "Drinks for everybody on me!" He would get fan letters full of wild pleas for money, from people who had tax problems to mothers who asked for help to pay for their daughter's braces. Wayne would agonize over them but send financial aid if he thought the requester was really needy. One time his second and soon to be ex-wife Chata hired a private detective to get the goods on him. Down in Mexico near where Wayne was filming the western Hondo (1953) the investigator forgot his identification one day and got locked up in a Carmargo jail. Not knowing anyone in a foreign land the desperate P.I. called Wayne himself. The cowboy hero arrived with his buddy and frequent co-star, a disbelieving Ward Bond. "Duke, this guy is trying to ruin you! Let him rot!" Wayne reached into his pocket and pulled out the necessary coin to pay the bail. "Ah come on Ward, the poor man was only doing his job."<br />
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Stars can find themselves in money trouble before they know it. While performing in Las Vegas with Dean Martin at the Flamingo hotel in 1953, twenty-seven-year old Jerry Lewis ran up $137,000 dollars in gambling debts. The mobsters who ran the casino confronted him to ask how he planned to pay it off. The nervy Lewis told them it was their fault for letting a kid run up such a large tab. How irresponsible! The gangsters, a bit bewildered, agreed, and then repeated their question. Realizing that these nice gentlemen could whack him, Jerry asked them what they suggested. After a hasty conference they told him he would work it off. The gambling addicted Lewis asked if he could win it back at the card table instead, he was told a firm no. The debt took a year and half for the comedian eliminate. He would have retired it quicker but the card games continued during train rides with former Blackjack Dealer Martin, who kept putting the volatile clown further in the red.<br />
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Another star that suffered through money trouble in the fifties was Marilyn Monroe. Tired of playing dumb blondes, she bolted from her studio Twentieth Century Fox to start Marilyn Monroe Productions. Actors are often advised not to use their own name in their personal ventures; it makes other ego-driven stars less willing to work with them. Marilyn's film output slowed down and by 1959 her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, was telling her she should accept the dumb blonde role in Some Like It Hot, they needed the money. "I can't see through Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in drag? Oh my God, I've been dumb before but never that dumb." She went to her well renowned acting teacher, Lee Strasberg, to ask how she could make the audience believe her character. Strasberg suggested that Marilyn, always a man's woman, play the part as someone so desperate for female friendship, she simply didn't pay attention to her co-star's masculine features. She took his advice and the result was a comedy classic.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
A celebrity's money trouble can spill over to others that they work with. Judy Garland was a popular guest on television talk shows in the 1960s. The problem with booking her was in cities where she appeared hotels were reluctant to put her up. She was famous for abusing the help and skipping out on her bills. One time New York based TV talk show Merv Griffin called up the Waldorf to see if she could stay there. Absolutely not, he was told. She owes far too much money. What if Merv paid her outstanding bills? He was told he could pay double what she owed and she still wouldn't get a room there.<br />
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Comedian Stan Laurel found money so tight he ended up in a sixty dollar a month apartment in Santa Monica in the early 1960s. He was listed in the phone book and people would call him up. Are you the Stan Laurel? Can we come over and meet you? Charlie Chaplin's former vaudeville understudy would warmly welcome the fans that visited his residence. But what happened to all his money? Laurel would joke about his three wives getting it all, and then explain that Producer Hal Roach owned all the Laurel and Hardy films. He and Oliver Hardy, (or Babe, as his friends called him) had been scared to death when the silent films had ended in 1928. When Director Leo McCarey came up with the idea of teaming the skinny English comic with the rotund Georgia born actor, the two were happy just to keep getting a weekly check. Who knew that the two reelers that they were only paid once for would be shown to new generations on television? Stan often told the story about how he and Babe had gone touring in Europe. While browsing in an airport gift shop in London they saw some miniature Laurel and Hardy figurines, thought they would make wonderful gifts and paid full price. (Stan had previously lived in a large mansion and was better off than he let on; moving to a small apartment helped to deter struggling comedians from asking Laurel for handouts.)<br />
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Comebacks abound in the movie business. Frank Sinatra, who had not served in World War II due to a punctured eardrum, was very unpopular with American fighting men who were jealous of him being back home crooning to their girlfriends. As our military forces began returning his popularity began to wane. By 1949 both his film and singing career had bottomed out to the point he was telling his manager to pay people to attend his concerts. His voice was in bad shape, his marriage was ending, his weight had gone down to 118 pounds and there were reports of suicide attempts. Four years later he was back on top, winning an Academy Award for his performance in the film From Here To Eternity (1953). He decided to enjoy his accomplishment by taking a solitary moonlight walk through the quiet streets of Beverly Hills, just him and his Oscar. After ten minutes the Chairman of the Board was stopped by two police officers that rained on his parade by not recognizing him, and asking hard questions about where he had gotten that statue.<br />
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Being broke in Hollywood is often a matter of perspective. One time at a party Martin Scorsese was lamenting to his fellow director Frances Ford Coppola," Frances I'm broke. They've torn up my credit cards. I have nothing, do you understand me, nothing!" "Marty, will you shut up? I owe fifty million dollars; it's no big deal."excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-50831446221576879072012-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:002012-04-15T20:41:11.916-07:00The Best Films of Italian Cinema<div style="text-align: justify;">Italian Cinema ranks among the most respected film countries in the world. The amount of great films it has produced is mind blowing. Something that demonstrates the relevance of Italian cinema is that it has received the highest amount of Oscars for foreign language films. Also when you will have a look at the major movie databases like IMDb you will find that a lot of Italian movies score extremely high.<br />
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Here I want to present to you the three very best films of Italian Cinema. With these movies you can get introduced to Italian Movies. It will also be a good indication of which directors you might like. I have chosen three films by three different great movie directors For every film I have included the IMDb rating to give you an impression of its popularity.<br />
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1. Cinema Paradiso (1988)<br />
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Filmmaker: Guiseppi Tornatore<br />
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IMDb: 8.5</div><a name='more'></a><br />
According to many the best art house film of the last decades. Indeed, it is very enchanting and inspiring. So much so, that it is not only the best Italian movie, but also the best european movie in our opinion. It is about a filmmaker who looks back on his childhood years, which he spend in the local movie theater. It was there that his love for film developed. It has received the oscar for best foreign language film in 1990.<br />
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2. Eight and a Half (1963)<br />
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Filmmaker: Federico Fellini<br />
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IMDb: 8.2.<br />
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An amazing film by legendary Italian director Federico Fellini. Everyone who knows a little about European Cinema knows this man. Probably one of the names people love to name-drop the most. And for a reason. Eight and a half is considered to be his most famous work. It won two Oscars. It is about an Italian director delves into his memories and fantasies.<br />
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3. Life is Beautfull - La Vita e Bella (1997)<br />
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Filmmaker: Roberto Benigni.<br />
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IMDb: 8.5.<br />
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One of the most touching movies of the last 20 years. A film all schools should show their pupils. Not only the teach them about the horrors of the second world war, but also to let them know what real courage is. The film is about a young father who lets his son believe the german concentration camp they are staying is all part of a game. It received 3 Oscars. One went to Benigni for best Actor. He also directed the film.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-52811663301390758532011-12-01T20:39:00.000-08:002012-04-15T20:40:33.953-07:00How to Get Your Hands on Movie Premiere Tickets<div style="text-align: justify;">Ever wanted to watch the live performances of Kenny Chesney, Paris Hilton, Enrique Iglesias, Carrie Underwood or Britney Spears? Many of us must have speculated movie screenings or see celebrity snapshots from the fashion magazines. However, the quest to hang out with your hot celebrities enjoying complimentary drinks, food and pampering in a private VIP enclosure often remains a mystery. Here are five top tips to ensure you find movie tickets with an awesome viewing experience.<br />
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1. Know Where to Look for Coveted Seats<br />
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One of the easiest ways to get tickets to a movie premiere is to know someone connected to the movie. If you can rub shoulders with filmmakers, movie stars or their friends, you will have the winning chance to be a part of all the excitement and glamour that surrounds this major event as you socialize with celebrities and get access to all the exclusive parties.<br />
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2. Check Back Frequently<br />
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Register with websites that provide access to the world's most ultra-exclusive events and VIP movie premiere tickets. These websites are not only behind the scenes when it comes to movie premiers, but also indulge their clients with up to the minute access for attending the latest Movie Premieres, Celebrity Parties, and Red Carpet Events.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
3. Update Correct Information<br />
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The importance of reliable contact information is extraordinarily valuable when it comes to getting invited to world premiers and movie screenings you would want to attend. Make sure any personal information you provide is updated and correct. Tickets are often distributed based on priority basis.<br />
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4. Plan Ahead and Shop Early<br />
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This makes it important to plan ahead and shop as early as possible if you want to get the best deal possible on your movie premiere tickets, and avoid having to pay too much especially if you're going to book tickets for A- list events. Those that arrive early will have the best chance to get preferred seat near the celebrities.<br />
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5. Leave Camera Phones Inside Car<br />
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The security is high and hence, there is no way that they will allow you to carry your cell phones or camera in to the premier. If you have a camera phone, they will ask you to return it to your car. Avoid losing your place in line and make sure to leave it in your vehicle.<br />
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Don't miss your chance to sit among the celebrities along the catwalk!! Experience the history, tradition and excitement that the movie premiere awards have come to be known for. Whether you are drinking or relishing cuisine delights in the exclusive hospitality milieu, or gazing at the world famous celebrities, the movie premiere is sure to be a time to remember.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-80165825472965301132011-11-18T20:39:00.000-08:002012-04-15T20:39:50.894-07:00A Time in Casablanca<div style="text-align: justify;">The movies are all about adventure and imagination. It is especially deep romantic classics like Casablanca that resemble a piece of gold in a treasure chest. The mind conjures up images of an exotic, mystical place like Casablanca - the perfect place for a romantic interlude. It is a place with plenty of history, intrigue and wonder. One minute you could be on the beach sipping a delightful mint tea and the next minute be shopping in the exotic, yet dangerous bazaars crowded with colourful spices, drinks, sweets, condiments and fashion accessories. Indulge on Turkish delight or enjoy the walk through the fruit and vegetable markets.<br />
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What a spectacular journey through a timeless and culture rich city.<br />
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The classical romance of Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart is unforgettable for those of all ages, cultures or religions. It is a romance set in a historical place rich in beauty and aura. Morocco is a country surrounded by colourful mosques and temples - the perfect symbols of religion and culture. It has also been described as one of the fashion spots of Africa with the fascinating blend of cultures forming unique designs and artwork.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
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As you enter Morocco, let the journey begin. Travel through the crowded streets to watch the snake vendors, the acrobats and performers. Walk through the malls full of people busy looking for a classic restaurant.. Sit down at a restaurant to watch the Belly Dancers perform their best dances and attract crowds of clientelle.<br />
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It is full of mystery and intrigue.<br />
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The story of a handsome, intelligent man like Humphrey Bogart meeting a young woman like Ingrid Bergman in an exotic and exciting place like Casablanca seems so adventurous. It seems like the perfect time and place for a love story.<br />
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As it is set in World War II, it is the story of one man torn between love and virtue. It would be an almost impossible choice to make: choose between the love of his life or continue the fight with the Nazis. It is certainly a film that is anything out of the ordinary. Also, it has achieved worldwide acclaim and incredible success due to the location, actors and story. It was popular in the earlier centuries and continues to be popular right now.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-64206921077913219212011-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:002012-04-15T20:39:04.932-07:00It's Really A Wonderful Movie!<div style="text-align: justify;">"It's A Wonderful Life" is the most wonderful film I have ever seen. It's most inspirational movie I have ever watched and it's very perfectly made movie in my opinion. Performances, script and dialogues are so perfectly done that you don't have enough words to appreciate them. This film by Frank Capra is a gift to the world. Strange enough it was a box office flop when it was released and it failed to win an academy award.<br />
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The performance by James Stewart who plays George Bailey is one of the greatest on big screen by anyone anytime in the history. George Bailey makes you so engrossed with his emotions that it naturally calls for your empathy and you start living moments with him and start thinking for him. Even if you don't believe in the angels and God, the part where that comely angel starts alleviating suffering of George Bailey makes a profound impression on you and instills feelings of goodness in you. The second half just emphasizes the importance of life whereas the first one underscores the great character of George Bailey right from his childhood.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
You witness some instant karmic clean up in the second half and you see how the good deeds George Bailey had done come back to him saving him and making him realize importance of life he had. Prior to that he lives with an impression of having sacrificed a lot for everyone else and that had some inner lack of satisfaction in his life and the accident which renders bankruptcy to him and his organization just evokes this karmic burden to the fore and then it seems that all the wrong things start happening with him, but then his good deeds come to his rescue. There are so many well-wishers who pray for him and then he realizes importance of life and accepts it the way it's and with this acceptance miracles start happening and money for which was about to end his life; comes rolling on its own and his brother says "To George, the richest man in the town". The coloured restored version made it look even more exquisite than it would have been when it was made. It's indeed a most wonderful film with a most inspiring climax.<br />
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Some of us find ourselves reluctant to great movies of past just because they were made in Black & White. Restoration of this movie with nice colors removes that obstacle and helps you enjoy one of the greatest movies of all times.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-83562632460955422782011-09-10T20:37:00.000-07:002012-04-15T20:38:18.401-07:00Carrie The Movie Lives On<div style="text-align: justify;">Carrie the movie is a 1976 film adaptation of the novel with the same name written by Stephen King. King wrote the novel the year prior and it was known to be the first of his books to be bought for film rights.<br />
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It starred Sissy Spacek as the main character of Carrie. This role eventually earned her an Academy Award nomination for the Best Actress Category. Her portrayal was directed by Brian de Palma who had a great heavy lending from the movies made by Alfred Hitchcock. This gave Carrie the same kind of feel and character.<br />
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As for box office standing, Carrie the movie generated a domestic gross of $33,800,000. A huge profit earned from its original budget of merely $1.8 million. In 1976, it was named one of the best films after Steven Spielberg's Jaws shown the year before.<br />
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The movie adhered to most of the characters depicted in the novel in the beginning of the draft. However, as it should be, later on became restricted due to the financial situation that surrounded it. A lot of the scenes and important details had to be taken out from the first draft. Even the principal character of Carrie the movie did not truthfully reflect how she was originally described in King's novel.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
Carrie the movie had its share of the limelight. It was one of a handful of horror films that ever caught the attention of critiques. The award-giving bodies in which it had been given the hopeful spots gave it credit, in addition to the Best Actress nomination. The Best Supporting Actress from the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award were also given. The motion picture award was given to Piper Laurie who breathed life into the character of Carrie's mother Margaret White.<br />
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Additionally, the film has received various recognitions including being placed on the 86th rank among The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time in 2008. Hailed 46th by the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Cinema Thrills and the eighth position on The 100 Scariest Movie Moments (2004). Even the novel writer King himself had said that it was a good movie. In spite of the fact that the 1976 film had departed from his some of his core ideas in the novel.<br />
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Despite the great accomplishment, the 1976 film has received the reproduction and various adaptations failed to impress on Broadway stage plays. It was hugely slammed for its unsuccessful turns, including the 1999 sequel of The Rage: Carrie 2. Also, a novel-to-television remake in 2002 which were all negatively received.<br />
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Many reviewers and critiques alike have said Carrie the movie would surely go down in history as one of the greatest Hollywood horror classics. That it would continue to scare future generations for its intense and raw human emotions. The high school setting in which Carrie White and the people from her school would remain etched in the memories of viewers in 1976 and in the present.<br />
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As for the future, there have been talks in the recent year about an upcoming remake. If that should happen, we would all be able to find out whether Carrie movie can scare the living daylights out of all of us once more.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-31832330854274885602011-08-09T20:36:00.000-07:002012-04-15T20:37:32.864-07:00The Origins Of James Bond<div style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever wondered where the name James Bond came from? As with so many aspects of the Bond stories there are numerous theories to its origins. Perhaps the most popular is one where Ian Flemming sits down to pen his first of many Bond titles and quite simply lifts the name from a title on his bookshelf. The book in question was "A field Guide to Birds of the West Indies" by James Bond. Flemming was fascinated with wildlife and said to have been an avid bird watcher.<br />
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There is a clever homage to the origins of the name in the film "Die Another Day" starring Pierce Brosnan. In one scene Bond is seen hiding behind a copy of the Field Guide of West Indian Birds, disguising himself as an Ornithologist or bird watcher. Flemming was said to have reported in an interview years after writing the Bond titles that he always intended the character to have a brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon though masculine name. He felt it suited his anonymity.<br />
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The codename 007 is thought to have had a far simpler inception. One of the greatest successes of British Naval Intelligence in the 1st World War was the breaking of the code in the famed Zimmerman telegram in 1917. This single event is thought to have been a catalyst for the United States to enter the war and seal Germany's fate.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
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The numbers 0075 identified the diplomatic code used in the highly classified German telegram. From that point in time the double zero code was attached to all top-secret British documents. 007 became the highest classification for the most sensitive documents. The double zero code was later dropped by British intelligence but faithfully adopted by Flemming to provide Bond with his license to kill.<br />
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To Flemming, James Bond was a combination of characters he had met during the course of the 2nd World War. These included both secret agents and commandos. Although he never denied that Bond was a combination of real people, he never singled out anyone in particular. Quite the contrary in fact, as Flemming was said to have flattered more than one person with the suggestion that they had been the criterion for the British super-spy.<br />
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Both Flemmings father and brother along with the man himself have been suggested over the years as potential inspiration for the character. Apart from the family connection there have been many others that have laid claim to this lofty title. One candidate in particular stands out form the crowd, Patrick Dazel-Job. He is said to have served in an elite commando unit, been a superb marksmen, learnt to ski backwards, dive and pilot a miniature submarine. Very Bond indeed!<br />
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Dazel-Job may have had the strongest claim to the title of Bond role model but he was not the only forerunner among the ranks of elite service men in naval special operations. There is no definitive answer to the question and debate will continue, no doubt, for decades to come. In truth Bond is most likely a piece of each and every one of these characters who have laid claim to the notion of prototype. It would be fair to say that whatever the mix, there was a healthy serving of Flemming himself in the make-up of the worlds greatest ever spy.<br />
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Richard Connery invites you to visit his website at http://www.richardconnery.com Richard Connery Productions provide professional content and writing services to a variety of industries including general articles, travel reviews, blog posts, newsletters, press releases, scripting, product reviews, dining and entertainment reviews, media reviews, web page content and text creation, sales literature and advertising text. To find out more information about his latest novel "Web Games: Hearts & Minds" please visit the website. For more articles and further information visit http://www.richardconnery.com/blog.php. Richard is a freelance journalist and writer. For further information or to read more articles by Richard Connery you can visit the blog or Articles pages on the website. Topics include Travel Reviews, Film Reviews, TV Reviews, Online Dating, Crime, Fishing, Gardening, Landscaping and other general subject matter.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202169293385184837.post-3850012735220765532011-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:002012-04-15T20:36:42.460-07:00Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn Enchants<div style="text-align: justify;">'Roman Holiday' is a very unusual movie - a combination of a fairy story about a princess, a romance, a comedy and with more than a touch of intrigue and excitement thrown in as well. It does not have the traditional "happy ever after" fairy tale ending either. It was made in 1953 by William Wyler, one of Hollywood's pre-eminent directors, already well-known for other classic movies such as 'Wuthering Heights', in 1939, 'Mrs Miniver' in 194? And 'the Best Years of Our Lives' in 1946. Wyler assembled a first class cast led by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn as the romantic interest and with Eddy Albert as the perfect comic foil.<br />
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The film was a major international hit and was nominated for a total of ten Academy Awards, a remarkable number for the romantic comedy genre. It actually won three Oscars, including Best Actress for Audrey Hepburn in her first Hollywood film and, at that time, relatively unknown outside Britain where she had appeared in several movies. After 'Roman Holiday', and, indeed, because of it, she became an international superstar and a fashion icon for women across the globe. Of the movie's other two Oscars one was won by Edith Head for Best Black and White Costume design and the other by Ian McLellan Hunter for Best Original Story. The screenplay had in fact been written by Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten infamously blacklisted for supposed ties to the Communist party. A disgraceful wrong was partially put right when Trumbo was posthumously credited and awarded an Oscar in 1992.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
The whole film was shot on location in Rome and the Eternal city's well-known landmarks add authenticity as well as a touch of magic to the fairy tale atmosphere of the story. Audrey Hepburn plays a princess who is tired of the pomp and ceremony of her ordered royal life, and she seeks to escape by slipping away from her staff and mingling with the ordinary people in the streets of Rome. She meets an American reporter, played by ~Gregory Peck, who is in Rome to write about her Royal visit, and the two spend a wonderful time together exploring the city and, naturally, fall in love. This is where the movie deviates from conventional fairy stories. The princess never loses sight of the reality of her royal existence and we, the audience, watch the loving couple fall under each other's spell and the spell of the city whilst knowing that that it all has to end. And end it does with the couple bidding each other farewell and with most of us in tears.<br />
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'Roman Holiday' is an exquisite film. Although the story is fanciful it is sufficiently grounded to be completely believable. We buy into it and find ourselves willing the lovers to forget royal etiquette and to go off, get married and set up home together. But it is not to be. Part of the charm of the film is the reality, and royal duty has to take precedence. But for a while we hoped, and enjoyed. 'Roman Holiday' is a delightful experience. Go and wallow in it.excel99http://www.blogger.com/profile/04804602844798504612noreply@blogger.com0