NewMovieSpot

Make Money With Your Music In Films

2007-10-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Licensing your music into films is a great extra income stream for you as an independent artist. But, as with any other aspect of the music business, you have to go through the learning curve and networking process. My experience with film licensing, just like everything else, revolves around whom you know.

Your first (or tenth) licensing deal probably won't be the next Hollywood blockbuster, but that's ok. There are a zillion independent films that need and want your music. No, you won't be immediately rich and famous from having a song in an indie film, but you will probably get paid, and you'll get some good exposure. Remember, a good ling music career is not built on one big hit. It's built on a series of small projects and successes building to bigger ones, and, of course, multiple streams of income.

With that in mind, independent films are a great place to start. So where do you begin? Well, listing sites like Versus Media, Film Music Network, and Taxi are a good place to start, but it's hard to rely on a steady income from people you've never met. Also, something I've learned recently from a couple of music supervisors, is that follow up on your package is not required, nor particularly appreciated. So you really are relying on your package and your music being picked out of the pile. However, the listing services will give you access to projects you may not have known about otherwise. They are, therefore, a good investment.

An even better way to hook into independent films is to go out and meet film people. As musicians we tend to get stuck in our own little world. Hanging out with musicians, going to music workshops and events, etc. You must take your product to the people who need it instead of waiting for them to come to you.

A great place to start is Indie Club. This is a worldwide organization of independent filmmakers, actors, crew, and everyone else. Find your local chapter through the IndieClub.com website. It's free to join. Where I am, San Francisco, we have the country's largest chapter. Join their discussion list and introduce yourself as a music artist. Go to their meetings and get-togethers. When I went to my first Indie Club meeting, I was one of two music artists in the room. The cries of "We need you!" were not just the voices in my head (this time). That room full of independent filmmakers was looking for good music that they could license and still stay within their budget.

I scored my first licensing deal within an hour. Two songs in the same film, one I'd already written, the other to be written specifically for the movie. My tactic was simple. Ask them about their latest project. They'll be happy to tell you about it, I assure you. They'll ask what you do. Tell them, but don't exaggerate. I explained that I had not yet written for films, but just came to see where I fit in. This particular filmmaker then explained to me that he couldn't find a particular song for this one scene he was working on. I told him I'd be happy to custom write it for him. And there it was. I was being paid up front to write a song. How much? I received $100 for the new song, $50 for the previously written and recorded one. Like I said, you won't get rich off of these. But hey, $50 to let him use a song that I'd paid for long ago is free money to me.

For the new song, the director arranged for recording time at the local recording arts school where his sound editor was studying. This was fortuitous, and not necessarily normal. Most other project I have to record myself. Because I kept the copyright for the song (which you should always try to do), I was able to release the new song on one of my future CDs, which put more money in my pocket. There's that multiple streams of income again. And, as a topper, I was able to perform at the premier and sell more CDs there as well. I got all that just for showing up to a meeting and talking to people. I made a few other deals at that meeting too.

So the moral of the story is to just go where filmmakers are and talk to them. Besides Indie Club, I'm sure there are other film clubs and organizations in your area. Find them and make yourself a part of them. Get to know everyone, and you have your tunes in the movies in no time!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD Review

2007-09-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter's success worldwide is simply undeniable. The books have all been best-sellers, the movies top the charts, and Harry Potter merchandise is always in hot demand. With such high popularity and such a devout following of Harry Potter fanatics, high expectations result. Thus far, the movies have, for the most part, delivered in their task of bringing the books to life through glamorous special effects, excellent sets and environments, and solid acting.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was, in the eyes of most critics, the most successful movie thus far in the Harry Potter series and the DVD follows through with only some minor problems. Although some of the performances in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie were a bit lackluster, to say the least, the movie held true to the novel and delivered exactly what fans wanted to see. It took the series on a darker path, similar to its paperbound counterpart, and movie-goers enjoyed the experience. Although the high budget of the films can probably be accredited for the fact that some of the acting is overlooked, the quality of the movie was still spot-on in most regards.

The DVD also delivers in most respects. The audio is delivered beautifully in high quality with plenty of options. The movie transferred well to the small screen in all but one area. The main problem with the DVD lies simply with the night scenes. The scenes are much too dark and the problem should have been noticed and resolved prior to the release of the DVD. This problem isn't major and won't even be noticed by many, but it still does exist and that knocks the DVD down a couple points. The extras offered on the DVD are simply spectacular.

There are quite a few lengthy, interesting features and many intriguing additional scenes that didn't make the final cut for the theatrical release. However, even more fun and engaging are the demos and interactive games that can be played through this DVD. These games are surprisingly fun and fans of the movie who purchase the DVD will definitely want to try them out. The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD turns out to be a solid offering.

Fans of the series and of the movie will undoubtedly want to pick this one up to add it to their collection and so they can view the movie on demand. The extras are well worth it and aside from the slight problem with the presentation, the movie make a successful transition to DVD form.

Funny Cartoons for your Health

2007-09-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

We live in a chaotic world where the power of smiling has been forgotten amidst the cities' traffic, job's pressures, conflictive relationships, and many other issues stressing people at the point that it has become a major health problem in modern society.

Funny cartoons are perhaps the easiest way to cope with stress and there is nothing easier to obtain, whether browsing a newspaper or magazine, or surfing the net visiting web sites providing graphic entertainment.

Stress is the source of numerous diseases, including chronic fatigue, headache, anxiety attacks, mood swings, peptic ulcers, and in more severe cases, migraines, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

However, medical research has found that humor is helpful therapy that not only reduces our chances to be at risk for these problems, but also can eradicate them. Funny cartoons promote relaxing smiles that enhance anyone's mood with ease.

Scientific evidence found that an estimated 40% to 80% of visits to the doctor's office occur due to illness directly linked to stress. When there is no humor to cope with stressful situations, people tend to abuse alcohol and drugs, to escape from stress.

Other people may suffer from eating disorders and smoking problems, but as soon as they find a good source of laughter, such as funny cartons, the situation changes, finding prompt recovery and over time suppressing all the stress in no time.

Cartoons are graphical depictions that provoke a smile after people look at them, so there is no need to undergo complicated and costly therapies to recover your good spirit by laughing aloud.

When you see the funny side of the miracles in life that can happen and you soon will be recovering from stress. Seriously, it is not a joke that you can find emotional support and alleviate most diseases with just a smile.

"Spend 1 minute - get 1 smile", why not make this simple phrase your motto for a healthy life?

Funny cartoons provide you with humor and a positive attitude in your life. Web sites such as GeneralComics.com is one of the greatest places online where people can find the most funny cartoons on the net, categorized by subject.

Starting a day with a smile is the best way to rejuvenate the energy of your body. Even though taking a break to smile again is a refreshing opportunity for the spirit to keep your mood high.

Youtube Phenomenon

2007-09-26T06:19:00.001-07:00

If you browse the web, you'll come across many websites that has one or more video clips embedded in it. News websites such as BBC and CNN fall in this category. But, what about a website that has only video clips and nothing else? This is exactly what the Youtube Phenomenon is all about. To those who have not heard about Youtube, it is a video sharing website where one could upload, share, and watch video clips - Youtube videos - for free. It is owned by Google.

Here is a bit history of what all went behind in the making of Youtube.com. Little had the three former PayPal employees - Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen - anticipated about the growth and fame Youtube would achieve in less than one year since its inception, when they first planned such a video sharing website. An out-of-the box idea, Youtube.com was launched as an unknown new website on February 15, 2005 with virtually no promotion. The website with its full features become operational few month later; the first preview of the website was offered in May 2005 and its official debut in November the same year. As it had been with many great path breaking projects in the past, the incubation days of Youtube took place in a modest garage in California, much like its present owner's - Google - beginnings, who started their journey from a leased space in a Menlo Park garage in 1998.

The beginnings of Youtube was pretty modest and its creators more than once at least went through a cash crunch as the visitors to the website grew and the need for better infrastructure and technology became inevitable. Irony it may be that the first helping hand they got which had pulled them out of the financial crisis was that of the venture capital firm Sequoia, the very same firm that had funded Google in its early years. Sequoia invested $3.5 million initially in Youtube, the stake which they upped to $8 million few months later, realizing the vast potential Youtube.com has in the fast growing world of infotainment in the near future.

Another development that had immensely helped catapulting Youtube into the forefront of online entertainment industry came from rather unexpected quarters, in the form of new software tool - the Flash Player 8 by Macromedia - that enabled people to view Youtube videos directly from their web browsers without having to download it into their PCs and view it with the help of third party software programs such as Windows Media Player or RealOne Player. In fact, it not only eliminated the need to view downloaded files in third party tools, but also provided a far improved video quality than its predecessor, Flash Player 7. Had it not been for the new Flash Player, the Flash Player 8, it is unlikely that Youtube.com would have taken off this fast, in such a short span of time.

As of today, Youtube.com, under the umbrella of Google, is the fastest growing video website in the globe and the 10th most popular amongst all websites in the cyberspace, according to the latest Alexa ratings. Nearly 100 million video clips from Youtube are seen by netizens daily and around 65,000 new Youtube videos are added every day into the database. The number of netizens visiting Youtube every month is thought to be anywhere near 20 million. No wonder, Youtube.com is described not as a website, but as a phenomenon by market experts.

Making Urban Movies

2007-09-26T04:22:00.001-07:00

There is a belief that when you attach the word urban to a indie movie that the story will be based on life in the ghetto or barrio. Plus the production quality will be less than an art house film made for the same budget.

Many talented filmmakers are changing that thought by putting out high quality urban movies made on indie budgets. The diversity of the urban genre continues to grow because the storylines are connecting with a larger audience by going beyond what you would expect to see in a urban movie.

The word 'crime drama' is used to describe films like 'The Departed', 'Scarface' and 'American Gangster', but you could easily label them as great urban movies.

After I watched 'Menace II Society' by the Hughes Brothers I knew I wanted to make urban movies. Making independent urban movies has been a learning experience for me.

I completed my first film titled 'Consignment'. The script centered around an East Coast drug dealer that runs into trouble and has to lay low on the West Coast. This being the movies all the problems that come with drug money, women, and jealous rivals plays out.

When I sat down to write the script I knew I was going for a story that was authentic and showed a Black and Latino perspective. When it was done I was able to mix in some outlaw bikers and corrupt police. The bonus was being able to add people I grew up with to the cast to give it a real edge.

Working within a budget that was raised through the kindness of family and friends was challenging, but rewarding. Not having money to throw at problems forces you to come up with creative solutions.

The cool thing about indie filmmaking is you're more open to collaboration. I reached out to Tim Beachum founder of Jackin4Beats.Com, one of the original Hip Hop music news sites, to connect with artists for the soundtrack. We were both hungry to see a hot urban movie that had a Black and Latino perspective. I flew out from So Cal to Virginia Beach to see if we could pull together on 'Consignment'. He joined the team and I ended up editing the movie on the East Coast with him.

Through collaboration I was able to add a quality soundtrack featuring East Coast & West Coast artists including Custom Made Recordings, Ayreon The Don, and Malice & Da Commission. Also I was able to work with an editor that understood the pacing of the movie. When you're sitting in an editing suite with someone for long hours it helps a lot of if you're in the same page. The CGI effects Tim Beachum was able to deliver looked great, especially the work he did on a scene that caused for an acid trip.

I completed my 2nd film titled 'In With Thieves'. I new the cast was solid on this shoot because Casting Director/Production Coordinator Stream Gardner (always a slash in indie) was able to bring actors back from 'Consignment'.

Plus deliver some actors that brought their best with no ego. What I liked on this movies was we mixed it up big time in this urban movie. We folded in the Albanian Mob, American crooks from the streets, and a Cuban cartel that practiced a wild version of Santeria. I asked a family friend that ran a botanica to show me items that would fit the movies. She set me up down to Jesus Malverde giving us realism at the voodoo altar. Despite all the unique creative elements this movie is still urban to the core.

Urban Movies Continue To Rise

2007-09-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

Urban movies continue to grow in popularity. This can be seen in the exploding direct to video market where urban movies reign supreme. The rising quality of independent urban movies has made them much more attractive to DVD consumers.

Some talented film directors behind this urban movement are Charles Dutton, Damon Dash, Sid Kali, Hype Williams, John Singleton, Dale Stelly, Mike O'Dea and Quentin Tarantino.

The diversity of the urban genre continues to grow because the storylines are connecting with a larger audience by going beyond what you would expect to see in an urban movie. Filmmakers are pushing the complexity and overall look of the urban genre to new levels.

Exploring the urban landscape and culture makes for entertaining films that offer viewers a look into a slice of americana they might not otherwise experience. Collaborating with dedicated individuals that work in front of the camera and behind the scenes to create quality urban movies has always been a life goal of Director Sid Kali.

Sid Kali made his directorial debut with the urban feature "Consignment". The spirit of independent filmmaking came together. We felt "Consignment" was best served highlighting a Latino and Black perspective of the events that were going to unfold in the film.

The plot centers around a Virginia Beach drug dealer that runs into trouble and has to lay low in Southern California. This being the movies all the problems that come with power, drug money, fast women, and jealous rivals has to come out. It was nice to be able to mix in the subtle cultural differences between the two places.

This West Coast and East Coast mix worked out because Co-Producer and Editor Tim Beachum had lived in Ohio, Detroit , and Virginia Beach during his years. While Sid Kali has only lived in Southern California his entire life. By working together they were able to blend these influences together. "Consignment" is being released on DVD November 2007 by Maverick Entertainment Group, Inc. Support independent film and add this feature to your DVD collection.

An important aspect of making an urban movie is keeping it authentic. At the independent level budgets are tighter, so it helps if you write a script that has elements you can realistically translate from the page to the screen. The basic idea is to write a script that you can shoot using your resources. The cool thing with urban movies are they lend themselves to many more backdrops than before.

It used to be when you attached the word urban to a film the story had to take place in the inner city. That's changing as urban culture and style is moving beyond those pervious boundaries. This makes for an exciting time to shoot urban movies.

The word "crime drama" is used to describe films like "Training Day", "The Departed", "Heat" and 'Scarface'. To some movie buffs these are urban masterpieces done by highly talented and respected filmmakers at the top of their creative game. This shows the diversity of the urban genre.

After the experience of shooting "Consignment". Slice Of Americana Films wanted to expand their take on the urban genre with "In With Thieves". This urban movie brings together a unique blend of creative elements.

"In With Thieves" features a Cuban cartel that practices their own version of Santeria, an African based crime group that deals in blood diamonds, ruthless Albanian gangsters, and an American burglary crew that is Latino, Black, and Irish.

This unique blend of creative and visual elements we felt would make for a provocative urban film. The inspiration was to show that urban stories can have global influences.

Career criminal Jack McGee (Tony Napoli) is out of prison facing hard times. His trophy wife Karen (Jennifer Day) spent all the money they had stashed away and found time to fall in love with another man. Max (Edward Gusts) his junkie brother-in-law, made enemies with the Albanian Mafia leaving Jack to hold the bag on a large debt. The release date for Jack insn't a surprise to anyone who runs in criminal circles. Former gang member turned burglar Hector Garcia (Walter Pagan) and street huslter Frank Washington (Jerome A. Hawkins) are his partners in crime. When Jack was running the robbery crew they were flush with cash. After he went inside the scores dried up. Now it's time for them to reconnect and go back to work.

Anton (Jayson Matthews) a savvy and vicious Albanian boss, has his trusted solider Vicktor (Marek Matousek) carry out a brutal act of violence to send a message to Jack. The message is clear to Jack. Pay the debt or everyone close to him will be murdered. Over friendly welcome home drinks Jack asks Hector and Frank to come through on the money he needs to pay off Anton. They both refuse his request turning the reunion bitter and bringing some old wounds to the surface.

Karen halfway walks back into Jack's life pushing him into a frantic mix of anger, confusion, and dark alcohol fueled thoughts. She's still involved with the other man. Adding to his problems is a gunpoint reminder that he has a short time to pay his debt or Karen will be killed. Pressed he hooks back up with Hector and Frank to steal the money he needs to pay Anton. They come up short.

He falls into a heated sexual affair with contract killer Rita Desouza (Arnita Champion) to numb his pain. Sex turns to conspiracy when she lays out a plan to have her husband ripped-off during a 5 million dollar diamond deal. Her husband is ruthless Cuban kingpin David Desouza (Art Parga). He's heavily into his own version of Santeria and the blood diamond market. He depends on Rita and his most bloodthirsty enforcer Voodoo (Jesse James Youngblood) took keep people in line.

Jack brings in Hector and Frank to help him pull off the robbery. Out of time on his debt he's forced to let Anton in on the job for a large cut of the take. They crash in on illegal blood diamond deal between a Cuban cartel and an African based crime syndicate headed by an ambitious upstart known as Omar (Keion Adams).

The rip-off erupts into deadly violence. This sets off a frenzy of double-crosses and brazen executions that entwine everyone in a bloody conflict that plays out to an explosive ending. Friendship, loyalty, and love run short in a world of greed.

The trailer can be viewed on YouTube.Com, Yahoo Videos, Google Videos, AtomFilms.Com, and iFilm.Com

"In With Thieves" is in the final stages of post-production and is being represented to interested distributors by Mark Steven Bosko the author of "The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook". A must read for independent filmmakers that want practical advice on the business. While filmmaking is an art you should be prepared for the harsh realities of the business side. All filmmakers take lumps coming up through the game.

Urban movies will continue to rise as talented filmmakers show their passion for making movies with an independent heart. Slice Of Americana Films has started pre-production for their third urban movie titled "Stash Spot". 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.

You always learn things with each film you produce. Hopefully filmmakers will continue to push the urban genre beyond what it is now.

* Quick and dirty tips if you're going to produce your own urban movie:
(* does not apply to filmmakers that have Hollywood connections or access to big money)

Avoid writing an amazing scene like the shoot-out in 'Heat' if you can't pull it off.

Write realistic locations into your script that you have shooting access to.

Action scenes are always going to take longer to light and shoot than talking head scenes.

Make sure your dialogue is authentic to the culture of the street. If you're writing your own script the right words will cost you nothing.

Wardrobe can't make Corey Feldman (nothing against The Corey) a Latino gangster by having him wear a bandanna and a flannel shirt buttoned only at the top. You see that type of phony wardrobe in some really bad urban movies.

Nothing will go as planned.

Leave your ego behind.

Whatever happens keep the show rolling.

10 of the Most Romantic Movies Ever

2007-09-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

The thing about romantic movies is that many of them are not for couples to watch! What women find romantic will usually have guys channel hopping during the commercial breaks on TV and the movies guys find romantic have women rolling their eyes and wondering about what men really think about!

Among the following 10 romantic movies there are a number of romance gems that are cool enough for you have your partner watch with you, and then there are others which are best enjoyed by a group of girls -- and a box of tissues!

West Side Story
Ok, so it's Romeo and Juliet brought into the 20th century, but it's set to an incredible soundtrack and has the rough and tumble street gang lifestyle of two rival New York City gangs. The romance between former Jet (white) Tony and Maria the sister of Shark (Puerto Rican) Bernardo plays between the lines of the racial and social issues in the movie and ends with Maria sending Tony to stop a fight between his ex gang and that of Maria's brother. There's action, story, and music in this movie to complement the romance making it an ideal couple's romance flick.

Notting Hill
When America's girl next door Julia Roberts meets English public schoolboy Hugh Grant, the resulting movie is one that both guys and girls will find entertaining as well as funny and romantic!

Sleepless in Seattle
With an 'ahhhh' factor that can be heard from coast to coast, this romantic movie with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is a wonderful chick flick -- especially for those who think that they'll never find 'Mr. Right'!

Ghost
This movie deals with one of the worst situations any couple could find themselves -- the violent and unexpected death of their partner -- and yet it manages to be one of the most romantic movies of the past few decades. Light relief to the story comes in the shape of a medium hilariously played by Whoopee Goldberg.

Titanic
Ok, so the ship sinks -- but this movie isn't just about the ship that hit an iceberg. The story is about a fictional old lady who was aboard the Titanic that fateful night and who is taken down under the sea to see what remains of the ship. She tells of a young man she met, a man she fell in love with, who didn't survive, but who she continued to love over the years. The ship may sink, but the heart goes on forever in this movie!

An Officer and a Gentleman
Love lifts us up in this movie as guys as well as girls can enjoy the interplay between the trainee naval cadets and the local ladies. With humor from the training, and romance between the characters, there's something for both him and her in this one.

One Fine Day
True love doesn't always come first time around as this movie shows -- with both Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney both divorced and finding romance and laughter in this romantic comedy that both you and your guy can enjoy.

Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and an Affair to Remember
If you love old movies, then here's top romantic trio. If you're looking to watch one of these with your man, then Casablanca is probably your best choice, but if it's a girls night in, then Gone with the Wind or An Affair to Remember will offer a very different look at romance -- although both of them proving that the path of love never runs smoothly!

Star Wars: The Franchise That May Never Disappear

2007-09-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was the little sci-fi movie that could "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope". At the time, though, it was just known as Star Wars, and it created a franchise unlike anything seen before.

In 2005, Forbes magazine estimated that the Star Wars franchise, from the time it began in the late seventies, had generated more than twenty billion dollars in revenue, and with six big screen success stories, at least three spin-off films, five licensed television shows, and thousands of books, comic books, and toys, it's no surprise. What might be a surprise, though, is that by the time Star Wars creator George Lucas finished the first film, he was over-budget, out of time, and convinced the film would be a flop. Early screenings of the film did little to improve Lucas' ideas that the film would be any kind of success, but when it was finally released in the summer of 1977, the film earned nearly seven million dollars in its first weekend. It is considered to be the second highest profitable film of all time.

More than Great Films

Ask any Star Wars fan, though, and they'll tell you it's not just about the movies, it's also about the associated merchandise. The initial film was predicted to be a flop, so no merchandise was created to debut with the film's release. The toy company, Kenner, though had purchased the license to sell associate products By Christmas of 1977, demand was so high, Kenner created an "Early Bird Special" kit. The kit held a certificate fans could send in for four 3 inch figures as soon as they became available. On Christmas morning, thousands of kids got empty cardboard envelopes that held only a display stand, a Star Wars club card, a few stickers, and a certificate they could put their name and address on, mail in, and wait for several months for the first Star Wars toys ever produced to arrive. Months later, lots of kids did get Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Chewbacca in the mail, and years later, these four figures are considered to be some of the most valuable action figures on the collectors' market today.

Explosive Industry Growth

As you can probably imagine, the Star Wars toy and merchandise franchise has grown considerably since the Christmas of 1977. Once Kenner geared up the production machine, it slowed for no one. From additional action figures to vehicles, playsets, and lightsabers, the vintage Star Wars toy market had everything. As Episodes V and VI were released, more toys hit the market. T-shirts, bed sheets, toothbrushes, combs, and watches were all part of the marketing campaign as well.

After the release of Return of the Jedi, though, the Star Wars marketing machine slowed considerably. People seemed to thing the Star Wars market was nearing the end. However, in the late 1990s, a new line of Star Wars action figures was released. Dubbed "The Power of the Force" line, these green carded figures created a whole new generation of collectors, and with the release of the special edition of the original trilogy, and the subsequent release of Star Wars Episode I, the marketing machine kicked back into high gear. From bubble bath to sandals, the Star Wars name can be found on almost anything these days, and with talk of additional television series, DVDs, and even other films, it's hard to tell when the franchise will ever slow down.

Why Horror Films Are So Popular

2007-09-22T09:57:00.001-07:00

Horror films are designed to scare and disgust viewers with evil characters, plots and events that can range from realistic to completely supernatural. Nobody will ever really understand why people would prefer to put on a horror DVD rather than a nice, relaxing comedy that won't make you jump out of your seat. However, the horror genre has been around for years with classics from Dracula and Frankenstein to modern day versions such as The Hills Have Eyes and The Ring.

A horror DVD is the top choice for many people when it comes to selecting a film which is why this genre has remained a firm favourite amongst movie fans. Maybe it's to laugh at the story lines, pull faces at the disgusting bits or to get adrenalin pumping. One popular theory is that horror films touch on emotions that other films don't. After all what other kind of film can make you bury your head under the pillow, jump at the slightest noise or make you suddenly afraid of the dark?

People know that they can get a thrill from a horror DVD which you can't get from any other type of film. Viewers anticipate an adrenaline rush similar to the kind of felling you get before going on a big ride at an amusement park. That is one of the reasons why this genre of film is so popular - because people know exactly what they're getting and they know exactly what to expect.

People also enjoy the fact that when they are watching a horror DVD they are completely detached from reality. When completely engrossed in a film and sitting on the edge of your seat, it is easy to forget everyday stresses and problems and therefore is a great way to unwind for an hour and a half. This is something you are unlikely to achieve from a light - hearted film as you can probably get distracted very easily.

Perhaps the most obvious reason why horror films are so popular is because people like to watch them at Halloween. At a time when everyone is talking about ghosts, witches and unexplained occurrences, people like to put on a horror DVD and get in the spirit.

There is such a wide variety of horror films available from monster films, gory films, supernatural and slasher films so it is no surprise that there is something out there to appeal to everyone. With such an abundance of films to choose from horror films will probably always be a favourite amongst many people.

Anime -- The Popular Animated Japanese Art And Artists

2007-09-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Starting in the early 1960s, anime has blossomed into one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. Originating in Japan as comic books and magazines, and going on to animated forms, the series of incredible stories developed with various characters, their life and growth have attracted fans around the entire planet, both young and old.

Anime is, of course, an abbreviation of the word "animation." There are a wide variety of artistic styles in anime because it depends on the specific style of the artist or studio and what they create in their own imagination. In many series, the characters have large, round eyes and big hair but this isn't always the case.

All animation must first be hand-drawn by the artist, and these artists have mostly also done comic renditions for comic books and started out with that as their goal. This then expanded into the animation sector, and was often assisted by other animators in studios, sometime using computer techniques. The procedure of turning drawn cartoons into animation is a long and complicated one but fulfilling for both the artist and eventual viewer.

Early on, the Japanese film industry solved the problem of low budgets and other restrictions by making their movies from the characters in the early comic books. The artist could have free reign to create whatever kind of characters they wanted. Since Japanese anime usually emphasizes backgrounds for atmosphere, any scene whatsoever was possible, from the big city, nature, to different countries around the globe and even outer space settings. Thus any story line could be complimented by the illustration coming from the artist's free creativity. Any sort of action and activity was feasible, from wild fights, to whole cities blowing up. The possibilities were endless.

The artists of these characters and story lines often took part in the animation process, sometimes devoting literally years to creating the series. The anime went on to become television broadcasts and occasionally full-length movies.

One of the most popular anime series is called Inuyasha, a feudal fairy tale. Rumko Takahashi, a Japanese manga (comic book) artist, developed the tale originally. Her incredible talents led her to become the best selling female comic artist in history. Studios adapted her comic illustrations to the screen, and now there are currently about 167 episodes of Inuyasha on DVD for all to enjoy. It is still an on-going plot and thus fans can continue to enjoy Inuyasha far into the future.

DragonBall, another extremely popular series, was created by Akira Toriyama who spent over 11 years producing hundreds of episodes. Over 160,000 people a month search for DragonBall Z on the main search engines, and it is likely growing by the day.

Credit must be given to the Japanese culture for producing such original and thoroughly enjoyable entertainment for all ages. It has competed with the American cartoon industry that has mostly concentrated on the children of our culture, but now competes with the animated movies becoming more and more popular in present day.

Anime vs Manga

2007-09-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

If you are a manga fan and reading up on the latest anime and manga releases and the history of the subject, you will find there has been a lot of confusion between anime and manga. Oftentimes, fans will ask others on forums or on blogs or in chat rooms what the difference is. But this is like having the blind lead the blind in most cases.

There are experts who visit these sites and can answer questions intelligently, but since they do not usually leave links to back up their claims, it can be unclear if what they say is true or if they are really experts. If you go to an online encyclopedia, you often find so much information to wade through with so many big words, it's hard to fully make sense of it all.

Suffice it to say that manga means Japanese comic books, or in other words, those drawn-on-paper cartoons originating in Japan. Similar to the American comics with Superman and Spiderman, these comics were often made into different series and are still produced in quantity. Anime is animation, or you could say, the animated versions of manga.

Any animation actually needs to start out as a cartoon drawing of some kind. Manga artists create the characters and story line, then their drawings are made into animated film. The animation process is long and detailed, and takes a number of talented people to bring off the final product. The artists who originally create the character, his personality and the scene where the action takes place play a large part in the production of the anime.

Sometimes, besides the creator of the manga itself, studios take the artwork and make the backgrounds and other details with the labors of other animators. These drawings are combined and photographed or scanned as one piece, making an entire scene with the character, extras and the sights of a modern city or whatever is being portrayed. Thus anime is created.

Rumko Takahashi created the popular series, Inuyasha and Ranma. She does the original drawings and assists in the animation process along with other artists in the studio that produce the final anime. And so it is with many manga-kas (manga writers).

Which came first, manga or anime? That is easy to answer in studying the history of cartoon drawing. In Japan, the most famous manga artists were in production in the 1940s, for they were producing cartoons regarding the World War in progress at the time. That doesn't mean there weren't other cartoonists prior to this time. Certainly there were.

In the U.S., comics were in vogue early on. As early as the late 1700s, Benjamin Franklin started the first editorial cartoon. This soon expanded to the longer comic strips, the first of which was drawn by Richard Outcault in 1895. Then in the 1930s there were the debuts of such heroes as Superman and Batman.

OUTSOURCED movie trailer

2007-09-21T09:14:00.001-07:00

Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) spends his days managing a customer call center in Seattle until his job, along with those of the entire office, are outsourced to India. Adding insult to injury, Todd must travel to India to train his new replacement. As he navigates through the chaos of Bombay and an office paralyzed by constant cultural misunderstandings, Todd yearns to return to the comforts of home. But it is through his team of Indian call center workers, including his motivated replacement, Puro, and the opinionated Asha (Ayesha Dharker), that Todd realizes that he too has a lot to learn not only about India and America, but about himself. He soon discovers that being outsourced may be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Hitman Movie Trailer

2007-09-21T08:59:00.001-07:00

Hitman Movie Trailer

Official Iron Man Theatrical Trailer 2008

2007-09-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Official Iron Man Theatrical Trailer 2008

Based on the Marvel Comics Character; Billionaire playboy industrialist Tony Stark makes weapons for the U.S. government. While out on a field test of one of his inventions, he is wounded, captured and forced to make weapons for the enemy. Instead, he fashions himself a crude power armor to save his life and facilitate his escape. When he returns home, he revises his armor and finds purpose as the Armored Avenger Iron Man!

'The Brave One' is No. 1 at box office

2007-09-21T08:39:00.001-07:00

'The Brave One' is No. 1 at Box Office

"The Brave One" flick scared up $14 million at the box office and become the weekend's top film. The film was directed by Neil Jordan and though the The Brave One's trailer received at first bad reviews, men an women enjoyed the violent, R-rated film. The Warner Bros. film beat last week's box-office winner, "3:10 to Yuma," which was placed second with $9.2 million in ticket sales.

The Brave One's story follows a woman who fights to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge according to imbd.com. I haven't see the movie yet and if you didn't too, check out the trailer under the article to have an idea about the thriller. A little tip, you can see a movie armed with good performances of celebrities like Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

The Brave One trailer:

Spiderman 3 - new trailer

2007-09-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Spiderman 3 preview (new trailer)

Sony Pictures Entertainment's third film in the popular franchise, Spider-Man 3 which is scheduled for May 4, 2007 while Japans get a first look at the third chapter in the 'Spider-Man' series on May 1. The upcoming movie was directed by Sam Raimi and futures stars like: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell and Rosemary Harris.
As for the plot of the highly anticipated third movie, reports say that Peter Parker manages to have a balance between his love to Mary J. and his superhero actions. The quiet time ends when his suit suddenly changes, turning jet-black and enhancing his powers. The sad part is that it transforms Peter bringing out the dark side of his personality. Always in the middle Peter will have to find the strength to overcome his personal demons in order to protect everyone he loves.

The summer of 2007 will bring "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and "Ocean's 13."

Click play to watch the Spiderman 3 Trailer:

IBM scores 'Symphony' as free online Office rival

2007-09-19T04:32:00.001-07:00

IBM Corp. has spun out productivity software included in the latest version of Lotus Notes as a free stand-alone suite to compete with Microsoft Corp.'s Office productivity suite.

The name for the suite, Symphony, is the same name IBM used for its first integrated productivity suite, which it offered in the 1980s but which never took off with customers. Mike Rhodin, general manager of Lotus Software for the IBM Software Group, said the company brought back the name to "herald in a new age" of productivity software.

Symphony includes Lotus Symphony Documents, Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets and Lotus Symphony Presentations. The applications are available online at a new Web site that will also serve as the home page for a community IBM hopes will grow around the suite.

Rhodin said IBM is offering Symphony in beta form because it wants the community to suggest improvements for the software so the suite can evolve more quickly than it could if the company were to work on it independently.

Like the productivity software built into Notes 8, Symphony is based on the open-source Eclipse platform and uses Open Document Format for XML (ODF) as its native file format. ODF is a document standard recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), but a rival to Microsoft's Open XML (OOXML), which is the native format in Office. Microsoft's quest to have OOXML become a standard alongside ODF was dealt a significant blow when the ISO voted against fast-tracking approval of the format earlier this month.

IBM has been an ardent supporter of ODF for some time, but with Symphony the company is bringing this support into the Web 2.0 age. Symphony is an alternative not only to Office but to Google Docs & Spreadsheets, the search giant's own version of online document-editing and creation software. IBM also is offering fee-based telephone support for services if customers want that option.

In addition to Symphony, IBM Tuesday also unveiled Lotus Notes as a hosted service on Tuesday. Rhodin said the service is meant for the small-to-medium-size business market, for organizations up to about 10,000 users. According to IBM, the operational cost of hosted Lotus is about US$5 to $10 per user, per month.

In addition to Lotus Notes, customers can choose to include hosted versions of Lotus Sametime and Lotus Quickr as optional services, Rhodin said.

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Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

Apple may be next in EU antitrust sights

2007-09-19T04:26:00.001-07:00

September 18, 2007 -- With Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust appeal now decided, the next U.S. technology company to get a place on the European Union (EU)'s regulatory hot seat may be Apple, an antitrust expert said today.

"The decision by the Court of First Instance is a clear signal to the European [Competition] Commission that it has the leeway to go ahead," said Herbert Hovenkamp, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law and a noted antitrust scholar. "[The commission] now has a license to go ahead, and they have a pretty aggressive posture. I think this bodes ill for some companies."

Among those already facing investigations or accusations from the EU antitrust agency, which is led by Neelie Kroes of the Netherlands, are chip makers Rambus Inc. and Intel Corp.; Qualcomm Inc., a wireless technology vendor; and Apple Inc.

Apple, in fact, will face two days of hearings before the commission starting Wednesday to answer charges that it and its four music label partners are violating EU laws with the pricing structure and purchase restrictions of the iTunes music store. In early April, the commission confirmed that it had sent a Statement of Objections (SO), the agency's term for an official complaint, to Apple and partners EMI, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and Universal Music.

The SO claimed consumers are restricted in their choice of where to buy music -- because each country's version of iTunes only accepts orders from customers who live in that country -- and at what price. ITunes tracks sales for varying amounts, depending on the country.

But the commission steered clear of calling Apple another Microsoft in April. "The Statement of Objections does not allege that Apple is in a dominant market position," the group said in a statement at the time.

Yesterday, Kroes downplayed any link between the court's rejection of Microsoft's appeal and possible action against other U.S. technology companies. "You may hear scare stories about the supposed negative consequences of this ruling for other companies," she said during a news conference Monday afternoon. "Let me be clear. There is one company that will have to change its illegal behavior as a result of this ruling: Microsoft."

Microsoft, however, thought different.

During his own news conference yesterday, Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, repeatedly pointed to Apple. "Apple has something like a 70% market share for digital music," said Smith. "ITunes is far and away the leading source for music on the Internet; the iPod is far and away the leading hardware device for digital music."

Even the U.S. Department of Justice weighed in. Thomas Barnett, the assistant attorney general for antitrust, yesterday said: "We are concerned that the standard applied to unilateral conduct by the CFI [Court of First Instance], rather than helping consumers, may have the unfortunate consequence of harming consumers by chilling innovation and discouraging competition."

Hovenkamp was confident that yesterday's decision would embolden the commission. "This was a landmark decision, and a landmark case," he said. "It stands for a couple of important things. First, it's a declaration of independence, a statement that their anticompetitive policy is not going to be dictated by U.S. policy. Second, it clears the way for the commission to pursue new cases.

"You're going to see a more aggressive commission that will go after high technology companies, especially those that are involved with networks or standard setting," Hovenkamp said.

"Rambus and Qualcom, certainly," he said, are among the companies at risk from a combative commission. "Intel? Perhaps. As for Apple, there are some undeveloped issues there."

In Apple's favor, he said, are European antitrust traditions that may let the iTunes operator and iPod maker off the hook. Europe's antitrust agency has typically looked differently at two kinds of pricing discrimination. The one where a company prices products differently in different countries in order to squash competition -- pricing products lower in nations where rivals exist, higher where competitors are lacking -- is usually treated harshly, said Hovenkamp. The other type of pricing discrimination, where a seller prices products based on what it thinks a particular country's buyers can bear -- more in Germany, for example, less in Portugal -- are not generally considered a competition problem.

"If Apple is pricing differentially because of economies and consumer buying power," said Hovenkamp, "it is probably safe. But if [it is] doing this to suppress competition, the commission may act."

Among the possible results of the hearings: fines levied to the tune of 10% of global net revenues. Kroes' agency could also dismiss the SO after the hearing.

"Europeans are much more comfortable with regulation," said Hovenkamp.

Apple did not reply to a request for comment on the court ruling yesterday or on the hearings that kick off tomorrow in Brussels.

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The New iPhone

2007-07-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

The New iPhone !

The first solid info anyone heard about the iPhone was in dec.2004, when news started to trcikle out that Apple had been working on a phone device with Motorola as its manufacturing partner. About ten months later, under the shadow of the best-selling iPod nano, that ballyhooed device debuted -- the ROKR E1 -- a bastard product that Apple never put any weight behind, and that Motorola was quick to forget. The relationship between Apple and Motorola soon dissolved, in turn feeding the tech rumor mill with visions of a "true iPhone" being built by Apple behind the scenes. After years of rumor and speculation, last January that device was finally announced at Macworld 2007 -- and here we are, just over six months later -- the iPhone, perhaps the most hyped consumer electronics device ever created, has finally landed. And this is the only review of it you're going to need.

We've gone into serious detail here, so here's the review split into multiple parts. Trust us, it's a quick read. Enjoy!

Welcome to our blog !

2007-07-20T15:28:00.001-07:00

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