Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts

Monday, August 1, 2011

Best Psychological Movies

I know when it comes to watching movies people have all sorts of flavors, it could be action, adventure, comedy, sci-fi, horror and many other genres of movies. But the truth is that people are more likely to enjoy movies that will have them thinking about the movie even after it's finished. These are the types of psychological movies that really mess with our minds while we are watching and leave us thinking about the clues and facts that occurred throughout the play of the movie.

In this article I will share with you some of the tittles that I consider to be the best when it comes to psychological movies. Maybe you watched one or two; maybe you didn't watch any of these. But either way keep in mind that these titles are classic movies that will have you grasping for air while the story develops into something great and extraordinary.
Shutter Island is full of mind blowing action! Packed with thrills that will have your head going at 100 miles per hour trying to figure out what is going on!
Minority Report; this movie certainly blew me away! Such an intelligent and smart picture that was directed by Steven Spielberg! I can say this is a masterpiece! True work of art.
Inception is also another great movie that will have even the smartest people trying to figure out facts during the movie.
A true classic I am sure all of you remember is The Sixth Sense. This movie takes you to a whole new direction even at the end. While we think we may understand the movie, we actually end up thinking totally the opposite understanding completely only in the end.
American Psycho goes to a whole new level. This movie brings back the old psychological movies to our time of today. This is a must watch!

The list of great titles is really long and I am sure that in any type of genre and classification you can find a great movie that can be considered for that great movie night for your friends and family. Some are recommended and some movies aren't recommended at all to be seen by kids. The truth is that people love the thrill of having their minds taken to many different directions while watching it. To be able to deliver a masterpiece that can do just that to its viewers, it requires more than knowledge, it's a gift that not all screen writers have.

For more titles and a list containing more of these movies, check out this psychological movies list. For even more action packed titles with the best mind blowing movies of all time check out the best psychological movies of all time.


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The Meanest Audis Featured in Movies

Hollywood is a tough town. Millions have traveled there, hoping to be discovered, hoping to make it big. And a select few bright stars make it. Until a few years ago, Audi was a bit player on the big screen while flashier vehicles like Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes got starring roles. Even the little Mini Cooper was grabbing up screen time. Audi finally got its big break with Iron Man and a star was born.

Robert Downey, Jr.'s character, Tony Stark, races around saving the world in his Audi R8. This movie was a big comeback for Downey, and it was equally important for Audi. The movie showcased the sleek lines and incredible power and performance that Audi delivers. Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer at Audi said, "What we really needed was to get America talking, and that meant targeting Hollywood. It's about luxury and performance. People who know us get it. We needed more people to know us." Mission accomplished.

Transporter 3 was the next big movie for Audi, which Business Week called a "two-hour commercial for the Audi luxury sedan A8 as it outruns police, outmaneuvers a truck by riding on two wheels, and flies through the air to land on a speeding train - all without so much as losing a hubcap." Not bad for a sedan.

Will Smith drove an Audi in I, Robot as well. Audi designed and built the concept car specifically for the movie. You can easily get the A8 or R8, but you might have to wait until 2035 for the RSQ. The A5 and Q7 starred in Hitman, and the S8, A8, and A3 made appearances in Taken.

Last but certainly not least was a 1998 Robert DeNiro film, Ronin, which featured the Audi S8 in car chase scenes that won awards for years to come. In the movie, actor Skip Sudduth upgrades the standard Audi S8 with a number of upgrades, including the less common dual-tank nitrous system, as thought the stand model was not enough!

Hoping to keep its winning streak alive, Audi recently chose Justin Timberlake as their brand ambassador. A big part of his role will be in promoting the A1 compact. "Audi has always been at the forefront of engineering and technology. I am very excited to be a part of the next evolution conscience with Audi and the A1."

Audi is at the forefront of engineering, technology, performance, and power; get behind the wheel and experience it yourself.

Enid Glasgow is an automotive enthusiast and writer. Learn more about Audi Parts online.


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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Establishing Character In Ensemble Sci-Fi Movies

The quality of characters in movies can mean the difference between a decent film and a great one that impresses movie fans for decades.

In some movies especially those with ensemble casts there is only so much screen time that can be devoted to each character. Think X-Men, Transformers, Spider-Man and Star Wars. The movie makers make use of character traits that we can easily and quickly identify with. By intimating certain character traits the viewer can infer as much information about the character that is necessary to move the plot along and make the movie effective. Some films do this very well and some don't.

In the movie X-Men by Bryan Singer there are around ten characters that the viewer needs to be familiar with. The main protagonist Logan when introduced in the movie is shown fighting in a cage bar brawl competition. This establishes Logan as a violent and unpleasant person from the off. Logan is given ample screen time in the film so that the impression of him is different by the end of the movie. By the end he is still seen as violent and unpleasant at times but he is also revealed to have a heart of gold.

Not all characters in the X-Men universe are given so much screen time or even any dialogue. For them it is important that the movie establishes their character quickly. In the X-Men sequel the character Collosus only has one line but he is judged by his actions. In two short scenes we see him defening the school children from military attack and offering to help Logan stop the intruders. This shows him to be a formidable foe as well as being generous and kind.

Where the X-Men movies tripped up big time is with the third movie The Last Stand in which even more mutants are introduced. The character Warren Worthington otherwise known as Angel is quite comical in the lack of impact he has. There is one scene at the start of the movie where we are shown Warren as a young boy trying to cut off and hide his wings. Later we see Warren fly out of a window. Then we see him turn up at the Xavier mansion. Then at the end he flys in to rescue his father from a plunge off a building. I think Warren has one line of dialogue. When he does fly in at the end the viewers don't care a jot. Why? The scenes he appears in tells us nothing about him other than he is quiet and he has wings. We don't know if he's brave, scared, noble, deceitful, cool, nothing. Other notable X-Men last stand character failures include Rogue, Iceman, Pyro, Juggernaut and Callisto.

Another example of characterisation going awry is in the Transformers films. In the first one the Autobots are all introduced and their specific talents talked up by Optimus Prime. They then each get a few scenes each where we see them do or say something. In the second movie they are not so lucky. As well as the surviving Autobots from the first movie many more are added in the form of Sideswipe, Arcee, The Twins and Jolt. Sideswipe gets a scene at the beginning of the movie where he rips a Decepticon apart and tells us how awesome he is. Fair enough, we can now assume that he's a confident and deadly Autobot. Jolt or Arcee? Nothing, Jolt doesn't even say anything but I suppose it's another toy to sell. The Twins get lots of scenes so we get to know them pretty well. In the new movie Dark of the moon this is remedied somewhat with the new Autobots getting more scenes and dialogue.

There are some movie franchises with ensemble casts that manage characterisation well such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter in particular adds new characters in each movie but they are always given enough scenes and dialogue to get the character across to the viewer.

To read more about Sci-Fi movies or to buy DOTM voyager Ironhide visit Scifi-toys.co.uk


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Rocky Movies

Rocky Balboa is a fictional American boxer who made his screen debut in 1976's Rocky. The movie was written by then unknown Sylvester Stallone who also played the title role. He was once a promising boxer but never got his shot. Now he is a part time loan shark although he still trains in Mickey's gym. The heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, needs to find a matchup for his bicentennial fight. Out of obscurity they pick the Italian Stallion and Rocky finally gets his chance. Talia Shire also stars as the incredibly shy Adrian, Rocky's love interest. Paulie Pennino, played by Burt Young, is Adrian's brother and Rocky's best friend. Rocky's long time trainer, Mickey Goldmill is played by Burgess Meredith.

In the final fight Rocky defies all expectations and gives Apollo Creed the fight of his life. Although Creed wins the points decision, in the sequel, Rocky 2, he receives a lot of criticism from fans and journalists about the fight. He eventually taunts Rocky into a rematch. Rocky accepts after he struggles to find work in the real world. However, Adrian cannot bring herself to support his efforts as she is too scared of him getting hurt. She eventually comes around and with her support Rocky becomes the champion of the world.

In the third Rocky movie, 1982's Rocky 3, Rocky Balboa is an established heavy weight champion. When a young tyro emerges on the boxing scene accusing Rocky of being too scared to fight him, Rocky realises Mickey has been cherry picking his fights. Clubber Lang, plated by Mr T finally gets to fight Rocky and destroys him in the ring. The stress gives Mickey a heart attack, killing him. Rocky once again finds his hunger and beats the young fighter in a rematch.

In Rocky 4 a super human Russian boxer, Ivan Drago played by Dolph Lundgren, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match. Rocky seeks his revenge and fights Drago in front of a hostile crowd in Russia. He takes a beating but eventually gets the better of his bigger opponent, knocking him out.

The injuries from his career, particularly those of the Drago fight force Rocky to retire. Unfortunately a crooked accountant has stolen his fortune and Rocky has to move back to Philadelphia. Working in Mickey's old gym, a young boxer named Tommy Gunn convinces Rocky to train him. However, Gunn soon become jealous of Rocky and the pair have a brutal street fight that Rocky wins.

In the final Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa (2005), Rocky has lost his wife Adrian to cancer and he owns and runs a restaurant in her name. He is convinced to come out of retirement to fight an exhibition match with the heavy weight champ Mason Dixon. Fortunately for the much older fighter, Dixon suffers a hand injury, which hampers him for the fight. Rocky gets the opportunity to exorcise some of his inner demons and Dixon gets to prove himself to all of his critics. While Dixon wins with a points decision, they both get to leave the ring with their heads held high.

If you want to find out more about the inspirational Rocky movies, check out my Rocky Movies Squidoo Lens. I also have a Rocky Movies page at HubPages.


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Now To Rent Movies With Netflix

Netflix was one of the first online DVD rental stores to eliminate the late fees. This doesn't mean you can keep the DVDs for years. However, if you can't return the DVD's for some justified reasons, Netflix will not penalize you.

Along with the DVD, you will also get a postal free of charge envelope to send the movie back. This way, besides the monthly DVD rental fee, you won't need to pay anything else.

Netflix has several available packages. The cheapest one allows you to rent one movie at a time once every two weeks, while the most expensive one allows you to book eight DVDs at a time.

The smallest package that costs 4.99 dollars a month is not such a great option, as you will be limited at two movie rentals a month. All the other packages are unlimited, so you can rent eight DVDs at a time, and whenever you need, you can give them back and request other eight. However, before signing up for real money, you could try their trial program allowing you to benefit from the Netflix services free for one month.

The engine of Netflix is simple. If you like a movie, you can add it to the Queue. The movies will be sent to your home in the order from the Queue, but you can change the order whenever you like. The movies are sent considering your package and personal preferences.

Once you send a package back, the next package will be delivered automatically. This is why Netflix allows late returns: you won't be able to request another set of movies until you deliver the old set back, and this is how Netflix makes sure you are always sending the DVDs back.

Netflix introduced other services also in the latest years. For example, you could watch the movies online if you don't want to wait until they are delivered. The number of free movies is also limited considering your package. You will find the Instant Play section with all the available movies from this program.

The quality is guaranteed with Netflix, as they have the Player developed exactly for the formats available for Netflix. You can connect the computer to your TV, but you can also order the special Netflix hardware that will guarantee the quality and the clarity of the movies.

Another important section that might be helpful is the review section. Each movie has reviews from previous watchers, so you could easily know if the movie suites your needs or not. The star system is also helpful. Netflix also has a system that makes the reviews of the experienced users more valuable. Some Netflix fans are giving constant reviews, and you can be sure their opinion is objective.

Netflix rental service has many options for it's users. This guide will help determine which is the best fit for you.


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Abusing the Use of 3D in Movies

When Avatar was shown to viewers in commercials, it was heavily advertised as a 3D experience taking place in a theater near you. If you have had the opportunity to visit an amusement park, there are many rides that include a 3D feature requiring you to put on glasses in order to experience the spectacle. With that in mind, the idea of Avatar in 3D enticed a large percent of the population and caused people to flock to the movies.

To each his own, however, Avatar was fantastic, and allowed you to experience an action movie like never before. Would not this imply that 3D is here to stay? That was the initial thought. Movies began to feature a 3D option, but at the cost of paying an extra 3 to 5 dollars (not to mention the overpriced 3D televisions). As viewers began to see, most of the movie had been in 2D with the occasional object flying in his or her direction. Without a doubt, many became angry that they had to pay more for one scene and wear glasses the entire time.

It had become apparent that 3D was becoming a marketing gimmick in order to persuade customers to pay more for a greater experience. These great experiences faded away quickly with the likes of Jackass 3D, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and many more. To add more harm, 3D movies are often darker because the image has to be rendered twice, and therefore suffering in quality compared to its 2D counterpart.

Movie studios did not stop there. Older 2D movies were making a comeback in the form of Blu-Ray with a 3D option. When movies are not shot in 3D, and instead modified, the quality is lackluster and the effects are dull. So why was Avatar so successful in 3D? Because James Cameron developed the technology himself, to be in 3D from the get-go, and to be brighter, therefore eliminating any darkness. The movie, itself, also is meant to be in 3D due to the various depths and action scenes. It is the extra effort that James Cameron took, that made Avatar a successful box office hit. Other studios just looked at it as a "get rich quick scheme".

If viewers needed another reason not to adopt 3D, it would be the health effects. Your eyes are heavily strained throughout the movie because they must take in images displayed differently. There are 2 images laid on top of each other in a cross-eyed pattern that your eyes must adapt to and that is what cause some viewers to become nauseous or suffer from headaches.

Like the introduction of every new technology released ever 5 or so years, 3D is another selling point to get consumers to buy. After all, their businesses depend on it.


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Friday, July 1, 2011

Oscar Nominated Movies in Bollywood

Bollywood refers to one of the film industries of India, where many movies in Hindi are made. The fame of producing the highest number of films in India goes to Bollywood. Among the most popular movies in Bollywood, some are so rich in their content that they have competed with other foreign language films in the category of Best Foreign language Film in Academy Awards.

Mother India is considered to be one of the most admired movies in Bollywood. The story of this film is penned by Mehboob Khan and is a remake of his 1940 film Aurat. The film depicting the social set up of old India has Nargis Dutt and Sunil Dutt, playing the main characters in the film. A poor woman in rural India, in spite of all the hardships in life, holds on to good principles and values. Even then she murders her own son, at the end, in order to keep her promise given to the landlord. The film was chosen as one of the five Best Foreign language films at Oscars in the year 1958. Mother India is the representation of India after Independence and became the first Indian film to compete at the Oscars.

Salaam Bombay! became the second film to be chosen from India at the Oscars among other movies in Bollywood. Released in the year 1988, this film depicted the lives of many street children living in Bombay (now Mumbai). The movie has received numerous awards in many national and international film festivals. Some of the most revered awards, received by this Mira Nair film are Golden Camera Award at the Cannes Film Festival, National Film Award for Best Feature Film and Montreal World Film Festival.

Lagaan, starring Amir Khan, India's one of the most leading actors, became the third entry into Oscars. Released in the year 2001, the film is set up in the background of Victorian era, where British ruled the Indian subcontinent. Lagaan tells the story of a village, which unites to fight against the increase in taxation by the British Government. The film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, with a budget of 250 million, also had some of the British actors.

Water, directed by Deepa Mehta, an Indian-born woman director, is the fourth film to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. With the backdrop of India of 1938, the movie explores lives of many widows in Varanasi. The film, which started off many controversies, starred many talented Indian actors and actresses like Liza Ray, Vinay Pathak, Raghubir Yadav and John Abraham.

Rang De Basanti, by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, had the contemporary India portrayed through the characters of young college going students. The film brings forth the evolution of these students from being passive to corrupt social system to changing the rules by giving their lives. The film became a huge influence on young Indians, who were disappointed with the corrupt Government. This film got nominated at the Oscars after competing with other movies in Bollywood.

To check out movie videos or to watch bollywood videos visit DoctorFlix.


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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Are Comic Book Movies Dying Instead of Thriving?

June has marked the release of one of the year's most critically panned movie. No I'm not talking about the mediocre movie The Hangover Part II. I'm not talking about the brilliant X-Men: First Class. As much as it pains me to say it, Martin Campbell's Green Lantern may become the worst disaster for comic book movies since the likes of The Fantastic 4 hit cinemas. And it was all going so well this year...

As I've mentioned before about the likes of Thor and X-Men: First Class, comic book movies have needed to drastically improve in order to survive at the box office. Throwing a special effects extravaganza at audiences just doesn't cut it anymore. Movies need to develop interesting characters, and generate a good story before worrying about spectacular special effects. That's where comic book movies are struggling. With so much choice now for comic book movies, the films can't afford to be lazy. Thor told a great father-son story, First Class added some historical gravitas to a superhero story whilst Green Lantern fails on just about every level...

Terrible plot holes, bad pacing, boring characters (unlike the comic book versions) and a bland story keeps Green Lantern's feet firmly on the ground. It's also an example of how a generic 'popcorn' superhero movie just doesn't cut it with critics and fans alike. If Green Lantern bombs, DC will probably shy away from moving forward with projects such as The Flash and Wonder Woman. This could cause serious ramifications for comic book movies because; Marvel's on screen catalogue of comic book characters will eventually run dry. With no alternative to go to, fans will inevitably get bored of Marvel throwing every B-List character under the sun at them. The same goes for DC's Batman and Superman franchises. They will eventually run dry and DC will have nothing left to offer.

That's what's most disappointing about the Green Lantern movie. There was so much riding on it, and despite having Green Lantern wiz Geoff Jones behind the scenes; the movie has killed off all momentum for DC. Yes they have The Dark Knight Rises coming next year, but considering that's up against Marvel's Avengers, don't expect it to reach the heights of The Dark Knight.

If the genre is dying, every upcoming comic book movie needs to be unique. The initial awesomeness of seeing Marvel's finest united on screen will undoubtedly hold off bad reviews, but other projects such as Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman might not be so fortunate unless they give the characters and the story proper attention. It's time studios take these movies seriously. From the moment the initial GL trailer hit the net and viewers were treated to a classic Ryan Reynolds 'I KNOW RIGHT' scene, it was clear Warner Bros weren't treating GL seriously. And that's why the genre is struggling. It needs more X-Men: First Class, less Van Wilder in space.

2012 will be make or break for the comic book movie genre...


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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

DC Characters We Will Never See As Movies

The summer comic book movie season started off with a hammering bang. Thor was superb, offering cinema audiences a slightly different superhero movie to what they're used too, but still managing to be dramatic, compelling and fun. X-Men: First Class was dramatic, intelligent, and filled with youthful energy. The pressure was on for DC's Martin Campbell's directed Green Lantern, and did it deliver? No. The movie was universally panned by critics and now faces a struggle to avoid becoming a box office disaster. With Warner Bros putting such high hopes on Green Lantern for it to instantly fail, the ramifications will undoubtedly hault future DC movies for B-List characters. But which ones?

The Flash

The adventures of DC's Scarlett Speedster would undoubtedly have been DC's next superhero film in line. With a huge comic book fan base, The Flash could have easily translated well to the big screen. Whether the film followed the origin of the always late Barry Allen, or the story of his nephew Wally West, it was a certainty that the film would be announced after the success of Green Lantern. With Hal Jordan not causing much of a storm at the box office, the film starring the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong struggling will undoubtedly have Warner Bros pushing the panic button on their smaller franchises, meaning we probably won't see a Flash movie any time soon. It is however the most likely character to avoid the fall out of the Green Lantern movie.

Wonder Woman

This will undoubtedly be the certain casualty of the fall out of Green Lantern's failure. With Joss Whedon the only likely candidate to successfully helm the Wonder Woman film and get results busy on Avengers business, the Amazon Princess will likely stay in development hell for the mean time. If DC don't even have the courage to green light the Wonder Woman TV series, a film version is now certainly looking like it won't happen.

Aquaman

Lampooned by comic book fans as the 'useless' hero who talks to sea animals, the cinematic potential for Aquaman likes much deeper. Aquaman could have been an underwater epic, to rival the likes of Avatar. The story could have followed a young Arthur Curry as his human father raised him in the under water city of Atlantis, where Curry develops healing powers along with other powers suited to his aquatic surroundings. What also makes this film standout is that of all the superhero movies getting the 3-D treatment, this was probably the film that could have benefited from it most. If Green Lantern can't strike cinematic gold, there's no chance of seeing Aquaman on cinema screens, unless a director such as James Cameron or Steven Spielberg gets behind it.

So these are the main DC films that will probably never see the light of day. There are tons of other DC properties that could have benefited from films, such as Green Arrow, Black Canary, Atom and Hawkman, but these certainly won't be made if the big three I mentioned can't escape development hell. Also to take into account, is that Warner Bros are behind the upcoming DC comics reboot, as they wish to start turning a profit on comics books, meaning money saving now seems to be on their agenda.

They do certainly not seem like the type of company to give us a Martian Manhunter film anyway.


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I'm Thinking: Are Comic Book Movies Ruined by Actor Face-Time?

It seems a general trend in comic book movies that no matter who the character is, the actor portraying he or she needs a consistent amount of face- time. I began to dwell about this issue recently after watching the Spider-Man trilogy. It seemed Tobey Maguire would lose/remove his mask in almost every fight scene? Was Maguire's constant face time worth ruining the secret identity aspect to Spider-Man's character entirely? Surely someone would recognise Peter Parker in one of those moments from the films. I'm hoping Sony has learnt from this and we won't see Andrew Garfield loose his mask in every action scene. Though, based on his rising fame from his work on The Social Network, we probably will.

It's not just the Spider-Man franchise that has been plagued by actor face-time damaging the aspect of the characters. In 2003 audiences who saw Daredevil would have witnessed what has become a classic comic book movie cliche, where the superhero removes or looses his mask in the final battle. Though In Daredevil's case, Ben Affleck's need for face-time was just one of the many issues wrong with the film.

The X-Men franchise had one of the most popular comic book characters of all time stripped off his mask completely. Yes, I am talking about Wolverine. Sure it would have looked a bit daft to have Hugh Jackman running around in a mask, but on the other hand was the decision for him not to wear one really based on this? Or was it based on studios not wanting to cover one of their high profile actor's face? If done right, (Batman Begins style), Wolverine wearing a mask would have worked on screen. Especially since mutants would surely want to keep their identities a secret. Wearing masks would have portrayed that beautifully.

It doesn't seem like persistent face-time in comic book movies is going to slow down anytime soon. For anyone that has seen the Iron Man films would know Ol Shellhead rarely keeps his mask down in the films, despite the use of clever camera shots of RDJ inside the helmet. For me as soon as you see the hero remove his mask or helmet, the fights over. And in the Iron Man films, the fights were never long.

There's been a bit of fan-boy concern over how Chris Hemsworth is rarely seen wearing his helmet in the Thor movie. For a Norse God\warrior, wearing a helmet would seem like a daily essential. Especially since minor characters (Heimdall, royal guards) etc in the film seem to manage it. Whilst I haven't seen enough of Captain America: The First Avenger to judge, one can only hope Chris Evans doesn't lose his helmet as seeing as it's a World War 2 film, Captain America could easily be shot in the head.

This isn't a huge problem right now, but with the comic book movie industry thriving, it soon could be.

And don't even get me started on Ryan Reynolds and his mask in the Green Lantern.


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