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Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest

by Kaye Branch on Apr.15, 2010, under Arts & Entertainment

Alfie Hitchcock is always remembered as the premier master of suspense, the undefeated master of the plot twist. Yes, he was all that, but he was also much more. He pioneered just about ever genre of modern film. He created the slasher film with Psycho, and in North by Northwest, he essentially created the first all-action blockbuster.

Everyone has seen the whole airplane chase, or at least a spoof of it, and while that’s truly an incredible scene, it’s only one incredible scene out of several. You rarely see referenced the shootout on the face of Mount Rushmore, nor do you see referenced one of the most inventive car chases ever, wherein Cary Grant has been fed an entire bottle of whiskey and is now being forced to flee the baddies in a car with no brakes.

In this day and age, you rarely see this much imagination in action films. There are always exceptions like in the film Shootemup, or some of the Hong Kong classics of recent decades, but regardless, this film has more imagination and intelligence than a dozen other action films put together. Seeing Cary Grant cruising down the street, drunk as a skunk and dodging bullets… It’s hard to get so excited over one more car running over yet another fruit stand.

One thing this film has that most action flicks lack would be context. The climactic shootout isn’t just a shootout, it’s a shootout on the face of Mt. Rushmore. The chase scene with the biplane has Grant running into the crops only to have the plane dust him with pesticide. Layers of challenge were thrust at the hero and it only kept piling up.

It was never enough for Hitchcock to just put the hero up against some badguys with guns, he had to put his heroes between a rock and a hard place, into situations where anything they could do to solve one problem would only lead to other problems. This made for better stories and better action.

The legacy the master left behind has since been frequently copied, turned into a formula. So few directors have innovated upon it, though. It has so infrequently been re-imagined or reshaped, only repackaged. Of course, we always have Psycho, Vertigo and Rear Window to go back to and watch again and again, but still, if only modern filmmakers took Alfie’s imagination, and not just his tropes.

This film, in addition to some great action, also has one of the all time great love scenes. When the hero and heroine embrace, we cut to a train going through a tunnel. The directness of this scene had Hitch saying “What’s the big deal? I already did that!” when the X rated movies got big in the seventies.

If you haven’t already, you need to see it. If you have, you need to see it again. It’s one of the all time great action films, and one of Hitchcock’s very best, and of course, that’s not something you say lightly. Without this film, you really wouldn’t have the action genre that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stallone would go on to dominate. In Hong Kong, they’ve always had the action tradition of Kung Fu films, rooted in Peking Opera, but for the US, the modern action film was born of the western, and Hitchcock.

Like all filmed on location movies there were logistical problems. Rent Dvd Online Your work on the editing will ultimately determine the overall feeling of the film. No more garbage to fill your screen as you search the internet with Firefox.

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Gangs, Karma And A Clockwork Orange

by Alfred Weber on Apr.15, 2010, under Arts & Entertainment

A Clockwork Orange first premiered in the United States in the early nineteen seventies as an X-rated cult film, which as you may guess, experienced a great deal of controversy, for both images and plot. For, while an outstanding piece of cinematography, the subject matter is not one many people can handle for as long as the film runs.

While offering some of the most colorful entertainment ever seen in films at the time of the original release, one can often escape the other more violent aspects by focusing on the awkwardness and beauty of the many art deco items within the setting. In addition, although this movie had been set in the future with regards to such brutally violent gangs at the time, many more gangs are prevalent today than during the period the movie was released. Therefore, while this may have been a really hard movie to watch in the nineteen seventies, it can be an even harder movie for some to watch today.

As a matter of fact, sometimes individuals have asked if this movie has had an impact on the development and popularity of gangs. However, as Al Capone can attest, gangs were around long before A Clockwork Orange. So, while no is the most likely answer, this does not mean that other criminally minded individuals may not use the images and plot in a negative way with regards to such behavior.

Although if one can handle the brutal violence and overall subject matter, then one can generally stay to the point where one sees a change beginning to occur in Alex. A change that is partially thanks to the experiences and partially due to receiving a get out of jail early option, that is as long as he goes to experimental treatment. Of course, given the choice, most hard core criminals would take experimental treatment over prison any day. However, in this case, one often finds that it may have been best to ask more questions before doing so.

Regardless, this movie is one which many people try to analyze over and again in relation to the characters and whether Alex, the lead, is either good or evil, whether he is a victim or a villain. For, while the crimes which his gang committed were brutal, others have also indicated that the individuals administering the program beyond his will along with their tactics is clearly torture. Which do you believe? For, only oneself can answer such a questioned based on their own ideologies behind good and evil or right and wrong.

As for Karma, as with any other ideology or religion today, there are many who believe and many who do not. For those that believe however, many see an extremely strong correlation between Karma and events in this film. However, when considering the effects of Karma, one may also want to consider that Karma can also provide great gifts to those who attempt a generous, good and gracious life as well as providing lessons to those who do not.

Also, while watching the film, individuals often see other ways in which Karma can work in ones life, based on both the actions Alex takes and the movie overall. Whether such Karma is related to blessings provided or lessons learned, is something each individual must decide for oneself. To this end, for those who believe in Karma, one must walk a very careful path with regards to involvement with others who may or may not also believe in such an ideology in order to remain on the path to enlightenment and avoid paying Karmic debt in the future.

To this end, there are a lot of valuable lessons which can be learn from A Clockwork Orange about crime, gangs and Karma, all of which play a vital role in the universal laws of reality. For, whether one believes in Karma or not, generally one gets back the energy one gives out. To this end, most individuals have good and bad days. However, it is those individuals who take it to the next level and take their frustrations out on the innocent which are the ones most commonly effected by Karma and other such ideologies.

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Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now

by Dwayne Beach on Apr.15, 2010, under Arts & Entertainment

Coppola is a truly unique director in several ways. Perhaps the one thing that really defines him is that he is NOT defined by his gimmicks. When you watch a film by Martin Scorsese, he may surprise you, but you know that you’re going to get some exotic camera movements, some fast paced editing and, if it’s set in modern times, “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones will play at least once. Apocalypse Now defines Coppola’s unpredictability.

The film is allegedly based on Heart of Darkness, the novel, but outside of a few key parallels, the two are very different stories, albeit sharing a similar nihilistic tone and a few moments. We follow Martin Sheen as the alcoholic Captain Ben J. Willard, a secret operative who has grown more and more psychotic in his time away from the action.

The only thing he wants is to be put back into action, thriving on the blood lust and having no other purpose in life than to fight. He rots away in his room as choppers fly over head, going stir crazy while awaiting the next assignment.

The famous shot from the opening scene is of course Sheen punching the mirror. This was not in the script. A lot of things weren’t. Coppola nearly lost his mind in real life making this film, and in fact, the documentary on the making of the movie is, in many ways, less predictable and just as fascinating as the film itself. Unfortunately, we only have time to actually review the movie.

The movie is simply loaded with unforgettable characters. Without even discussing the main cast, we have Cockroach, a youth from Harlem capable of sleeping through the most intense battle, waking up to launch a perfectly arced grenade at an enemy hiding in the shadows, eliminate him, and go back to sleep. We have Dennis Hopper as a maniacal photo journalist, and Robert Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, a mix of samurai, Patton and surfer dude, sending his men out to hit the waves amidst napalm detonating against the beach.

This isn’t even getting into the main cast, these characters appear for one scene and then disappear from the film forever. Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz doesn’t even appear until the very end, but his presence, his mere existence, casts a shadow that commands the entirety of the film, despite his limited screen time, or perhaps, mythologized by his non-presence.

The movie is a success on literally every level. At times it can be quite endearing, when you see the love and camaraderie between the men on Captain Willard’s boat. It’s often funny, and Coppola has even described it as a comedy. It’s exciting, with “Ride of the Valkyries” being amongst the greatest action scenes of all time. But Kurtz’s nihilism is what overwhelms the film in the end.

Coppola always cites Rumble Fish as his own favorite amongst his films, but fans will duke it out between Apocalypse Now and The Godfather Part 2. Of course, it’s always up to the individual viewer, but without a doubt, this film is certainly his most ambitious, his most unpredictable, and his most insane movie.

He was also exposed as Dexters older brother from his dark past. Download Film Online This public taste for eye-popping effect work has proven insatiable and created a growing industry for computer animators. -, you can do that too and save yourself the trouble of having to sing in a supermarket ;) Habit Three.

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An Introduction To The Motion Picture Alien

by Sharron Kramer on Apr.15, 2010, under Arts & Entertainment

If you are looking into an article such as this one, than I can venture a guess that you are wanting to learn a little more about one of the most horrifying science fiction pieces of cinema in the world today, “Alien”. Through the upcoming paragraphs, you will get a detailed plot synopsis as well as some interesting things that you might care to know about the film in general.

This was by no means the first extraterrestrial based film to be released, so people were fairly familiar with what they thought an alien should look like on screen. However, this movie gave audiences an outer worldly being unlike anything that they had ever seen before. To say the least, there were several differences between these creatures in earlier interpretations to what the minds behind this film brought.

The first thing that you would likely notice as a considerable difference between these creatures and those that you might have seen before would be the fact that they aren’t just “stand around and look eerie” beings. These are very aggressive and very deadly creatures, that have absolutely no interest in making patterns in corn fields or beaming you up into their spaceship.

They were creatures that fed on fear as much as they fed on the lives of humans. They walked on all fours and they stalked and hunted their prey, which in this case was a group of unknowing space miners. They had several sets of teeth, and they salivated a substance that could eat through metal floors with ease. While you don’t learn it in the original release, but in the sequels, most of them report to a much larger and much more terrifying queen.

The film centers on a crew that is sent off to collect mineral and tow it back to Earth. They receive a distress signal that brings them out of hypersleep and encourages them to check out a nearby planet. While they are on the planet, they soon learn that they are not alone when Dallas and Kane encounter a large supply of feathery eggs. One breaks open and attaches to Kane’s face, which is impossible to get off.

But unbeknown to them at first, the crew later learns that they were meant to land on the planet and retrieve one of these creatures, whether they themselves actually made it back to Earth alive or not. They try many different ways to escape, and many of the crew is killed in the chaos. Ripley manages to escape on a shuttle after hitting the self destruct button on the ship, but not without an alien clinging to the outside portion of her craft trying to get in. When the creature attempts to enter through the thruster vents, she fires them on which kills the creature and she is able to make the trip back to Earth.

This film would likely not have been as good without the performances that brought the film to life. The most noteworthy of these being from Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) and the supporting roles of Tom Skerritt (Dallas) and John Hurt (Kane).

So if you cared to learn a little more about the “Alien” franchise, this should have been a help to that end. There is a lot to know, but if you haven’t seen the film you should start there, and then you might consider renting the sequels just so that you are completely up to speed.

Downloading Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa does not differ from downloading other movies online. Downloads Movies Online It could even be that you have had some lessons but you have given up as it has taken longer than you thought to learn. The Am fits well with the C, F, and G combination.

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Raiders Of The Lost Ark

by Harold Andrews on Apr.14, 2010, under Arts & Entertainment

The story idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark came from George Lucas. He had postponed the film to concentrate on the Star Wars series, and eventually suggested to Steven Spielberg that he direct the movie. Spielberg liked the idea, and the two of them hammered out the details. Neither expected the 1981 film to be the blockbuster that it turned out to be. It won a total of five Oscars and spawned three more Indiana Jones movies. To maintain consistency with the other films, the movie was renamed

Tom Selleck was the first actor chosen to star, but he was committed to Magnum P. I. And had to turn the role down. Lucas had resisted offering the lead to Harrison Ford because Ford had previously been in not only Star Wars but another Lucas film, American Graffiti. Lucas did not want Ford to be handicapped by appearing to be a constant actor in his films. Ultimately, however, the role was given to Ford not long before filming was to begin. The movie is credited by many with turning Ford into a true star and establishing him as a fan favorite.

Debra Winger had first refusal for the part of Marion Ravenwood. Karen Allen was then signed to play the part of Marion, the daughter of Indy’s mentor, Abner. John Rhys-Davies was cast as Sallah, Indiana’s Egyptian friend. The museum curator Marcus Brody was portrayed by Denholm Elliott. Paul Freeman was cast as Belloq, the French archaeologist who is Indy’s nemesis.

The movie carried a budget of around $20 million, as compared to about $18 million for Lucas’ 1977 Star Wars and approximately $28 million for Blade Runner, which was filmed in 1982. Raiders turned out to have the highest box office of 1981, grossing more than $380 million. Considering every major studio rejected the idea at least once, this was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for Paramount.

Set in 1936, the plot centers around an archaeologist who, in between teaching classes at a university, travels the world to recover priceless artifacts. His journeys lead him into many harrowing adventures. As the film opens, he narrowly escapes several booby traps to retrieve a valuable idol from its jungle hiding place. His prize is forcibly taken from him by Belloq, who has recruited a native tribe to assist him. Indiana manages to escape and returns to the university. He is quickly approached by two federal agents, who inform him that Belloq is working for the Nazis and seeking the Staff of Ra. The staff is supposedly in the possession of Abner Ravenwood. Realizing that the Nazis are after the Ark of the Covenant, Jones travels to Nepal to track down Ravenwood. He finds his friend is dead, but Marion Ravenwood has the headpiece for the staff. The problem is, he is not on Marion’s list of favorite people, and before he can recover the item from her, the Nazis attack. They manage to escape with the headpiece. Following more adventures, near misses, and narrow escapes, they lose the Ark to Belloq and the Nazis. Belloq wants to open the Ark and test it before delivering it to Hitler. This destroys everyone in the area except Marion and Indiana, who do not look at it. In the end, the Ark is returned to America and placed in storage.

The movie won Academy Awards in the categories of Sound Effects Editing, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Sound, and Art Direction. It was nominated as Best Picture but lost. Industrial Light and Magic provided the visual special effects, while Ben Burtt supervised the special sound effects. The score was provided by John Williams and was also nominated, losing to Vangelis for his Chariots of Fire score.

Cast and crew faced several challenges while filming on location in Tunisia. One was the heat, but many also fell ill from dysentery. One trademark scene, where Indiana shoots a swordsman bent of displaying his skill with the blades, was not scripted initially. Ford was feeling too ill to perform the scene as written and suggested shooting the guy instead. In addition, he was injured during the filming of a fight scene when an airplane tire ran over his leg.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fan favorite from the time it was released. In 2008, a DVD version fixed some errors that had been present in earlier versions. It is available alone or as part of a set.

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