Turistas: a less violent Hostel

It's seems to this reviewer that Turistas is a nice change of pace for the horror genre. With a greater emphasis on making the movie a "psychological thriller" instead of one with blood and gore, Turistas hits it's mark as being different from most films out today.

High Tension of High tension

This is a review for High Tension a horror/ psychological thriller/ crime thriller that came out in 2005 that I doubt may people saw. The critic is asking that this is a bad movie and he gave it 1.5 out of 4 which I totally disagree with.

Romance Shmomance

This is basically debating whether or not romance can go from book to screen without loosing all the elements that make it fit into the romance genre. It basically breaks down the genre and then tells us if certain movies still embody the elements that would qualify it for that genre.

Exorcist:Escapism vs. Supernatural

This is a link to Ebert's review of The Exorcist. In this review he gives the film a great rating but talks about the film's themes. He argues that the film is escapism not reality. I believe an exorcism isn't escapism, it's just unexplained. This is the link to the review, enjoy.

Too much gore?

This website has an interesting view on the horror films. It challenges that films are getting more gruesome because filmmakers are constantly trying to outdo the film before it. But the question remains- have filmmakers gone too far? That's for you to decide.

Sci-Fi Movies

According to a recent survey, three out of every four Americans believe that our planet will be visited by extraterrestrials within the next 100 years. Whether the visitors are hostile bug-like overlords or cute little piles of goo, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that little green men will eventually visit our mud ball. You want to be ready when they land, right? So start out by watching a few sci-fi flicks.

DID YOU SEE SAW? GET IT? SEESAW? HAHAHA

This is a review of the film, Saw. You might be thinking "oh, Mr. B-dawg told us to blog a persuasive, durr..." Reviews are somewhat persuasive, sillypants. The reviewer, Dragan Antulov, displays a clear stance on the quality of the film and supports his perspective with examples from the film. He starts off by giving a summary of the plot, then states the reasons why he believes Saw is a bad horror flick. Though somewhat short and undetailed, Antulov gets his point across quite efficiently.

Action Movies

The rule of action movies: whoever breaks the most stuff wins. Sure, there might be this "writer" who throws in a "plot," but everyone knows that action movies are really about seeing people get kicked, shot, punched, thrown through glass, thrown off buildings, or otherwise creatively disemboweled. On this front, our choice of the top 5 action movies to rent will not disappoint. They all involve fights, guns, more fights, bigger guns, and if you're lucky, a gunfight.

Horror Movies

Horror movies have generally gotten a bad rap. Let us guess: your idea of a horror movie involves some ghoul from the underworld devouring the brain of a screaming, large-breasted female. Or maybe what comes to mind is a slasher film, where a mad serial killer stalks a screaming, large-breasted female. If you're a little older, or if you watch late night TV, you may be more familiar with the old black-and-white classics, where a pale supernatural figure emerges from the shadows, first to frighten and then to seduce (you guessed it) a screaming, large-breasted female.

Romance Movies

I found a website that talks about 5 of the most popular Romance movies of all times!!!!!!

Feast-was it a good gory film or not?

This guy here, Tim Knight, gave this gory film 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. He says,

"Although Feast will never be mistaken for a masterpiece of the horror genre, on its own 'grindhouse cinema' terms, it mostly delivers the gory goods."

I can honestly say I agree. I think Feast was good gore movie for those who love to see blood and chopped bodies on screen. I would rate this movie about the same-gory movies don't really have to offer a plot that makes sense; it's all about blood and guts. Read his review and see if you agree!

Feast-was it a good gory film or not?

This guy here, Tim Knight, gave this gory film 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. He says,

"Although Feast will never be mistaken for a masterpiece of the horror genre, on its own 'grindhouse cinema' terms, it mostly delivers the gory goods."

I can honestly say I agree. I think Feast was good gore movie for those who love to see blood and chopped bodies on screen. I would rate this movie about the same-gory movies don't really have to offer a plot that makes sense; it's all about blood and guts. Read his review and see if you agree!

Murder By Numbers

The Author relates this movie to works of the past in the first paragraph. The second paragraph is a short summary of the movie. Thirdly the author expresses his opinion of the characters and director which he does no like. Lastly he gives an opinion on the movie. He does not like this movie and gave it a rating of "Not That Good." I disagree with this man's view I think everything about this movie is great. It strikes me as very realistic. Ever since this movie i have always been nice to that smart, psychotic kid that attends highschools throughout North America.

Reel love vs. Real love

This website goes into the complicated relationships between costars in a movie and their real life relationships. From Vaughniston to Brad and Angelina, this article explains the concept behind watching a film with two actors who are romantically involved behind the scenes.

Is romance getting old or is just getting modern?

Will romance films get old one day or is the formula changing? Directors are using the old formula to make new modern romance films. Romance now is not only about the boyfriend and girlfriend now it involves according to the essay, "It's also about relationships within families and between friends. " Relationships are growing much deeper now a days

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Love and marriage is a very tricky thing. In this article, scientists try to figure out whether marriage can help a person's carreer or send it into flames. It is very interesting to read about their reasonings and why some instances happen the way they do.

When horror is good...

"With visual panache and consistent dexterity, "The Amityville Horror" confronts a completely normal, likable young family with a glimpse of hell."

The following review is on the remake for the film, "The Amityville Horror". The review not only praises but encourages moviegoers to see this film. The review contain specific details from the film, as well as specific details on the genre of horror as a whole. The film is an excellent example of a good horror film.

The Exorcist

I found another review on The Exorcist and it is totally obsurd so check it out I found that the critic had nothing to go by. I am going to do my persuasion paper on this guy because he is totally clueless! In my opinion.

Meet Joe Black

`Meet Joe Black'' is a movie about a rich man trying to negotiate the terms of his own death. It is a movie about a woman who falls in love with a concept. And it is a meditation on the screen presence of Brad Pitt. That there is also time for scenes about sibling rivalry and a corporate takeover is not necessarily a good thing. The movie contains elements that make it very good, and a lot of other elements besides. Less is more. a classic romance that Ebert give three stars.

JUST FRIENDS

Just Friends is one of my favorite movies, it has comedy and it's romance, the perfect combination for my type of movie. Its a movie you can watch with your friends and/or boyfriend becasue it's not even that cheesy.
Who doesn't want to see the ugly fat guy come back home looking good? Although it isn't something that will likely happen at least it makes for a good movie night. "[F]or the most part, Just Friends only looks like a stupid comedy."

Does the Romance genre hold high expectations for relationships across the world?

This website explains how romance differs culturally, and how the genres can vary in topic. With all these guidelines is it a positive image for couples to mimmick the characters in these stories? Do you think these novels can make people self conscious of what to expect from love if they have never experienced it? As informative as this site is, it opens up new ideas from the romantic genre such as settings, word usage, and idealistic relationships that may be expected in society.

Is love colorblind?

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. People in love can either have the same interests or totally different interests. We tend to turn up our noses on lovers that are out of the norm, such as in the movie Pumpkin. In this case this is a biracial couple, in the movie "Something New". So the question rises, "Is love colorblind"?

Is Horror Dead?

Often times when we sit down and watch horror films are we really frightened or is horror long gone? I personally believe that we sit watching horror films and laugh. Read these arguments and see what others think?

Cabin Fever Was Gross!!!!

This is just a little background info of the cast and interesting points in the film. So take a look!!!

Blogging By Numbers

Roger Ebert gives the film noir "Murder By Numbers" three out of four stars. He enjoyed this movie and did a great summary on it. He especially enjoyed the charcters and the plot twists. I agree with Ebert the plot is great and the twists kept me filled with suspense.

Animal HOuse

Writer Roger Ebert reviewed "Animal House" the movie is a comedy from 1978 that takes place on a college campus. It is now a classic of the comedy genre. Roger Ebert loved this movie and so do I. It is a stepping stone for all modern day comedies.

Silent Hill

In this persuasive piece of writing, Roger Ebert rips into the film Silent Hill. The film is based off of a popular video game. While many video game enthusiasts were overjoyed at the outcome of the film many were not happy with the film. Ebert thought that the film had too much talking and too much background information to succeed. He thought that the film didn't cause any of his synapses to fire. Ebert also had some qualms with the actors or actresses that were in the film.
There were some parts of this film that he enjoyed, mostly the special effects. He also praises the director of the film for using many different things to modify the film in order to make it seem more like an art film than a major studio production.

The Ring 2

This review of "The Ring 2" compares it to the original Japanese version as well as to the first film. The reviewer critiques the actors; "...it was a mistake to bring back Naomi Watts for the sequel, her contractual obligation notwithstanding." In his opinion this film is not scary enough, "What we need is the return of the good old-fashioned R-rated horror film."

"Gore will eventually become a Bore"-Is the gore in horror movies the scariest part?

In both English 100 and 160, we discussed what scares us the most in horror movies. Producers today seem the believe that gore in horror movies is the most terrifying part. But does the audience feel the same way? The Gazette posted an article debating the necessity of gore in horror films. "Although the theatres are bathed in blood now, audiences will eventually grow bored. Someone will make a frightening film that gets us thinking once again, and the cycle will repeat." Although many of us have seen the classic, psychologically scary movies, we grew up in an age predominantly consisting of gory horror films. If horror movies do go back to being psychologically scary, will audiences that are used to gory movies appreciate the fear instilled in different horror movies. This is a great article to debate and you can easily include the different horror movies we've seen such as a gory horror film (Land of the Dead) and a psychologically thrilling film (The Exorcist).

Is "Brokeback Mountain" the best new romance with a twist?

In this article authour Tom Long describes "Brokeback Mountain" as "a good old-fashioned romance guaranteed to give homophobes a heart attack. If love does indeed conquer all, it should win hearts across America". So do you agree? I liked this film and thought it was a good modern romance, with a good twist. Would I say it is the best? Probably not...but good none the less. What do you think?

Simpsons and Society

With so many references to current issues, The Simpsons have done a humorous representation of how our society functions. As funny as this show is, do you think people should take it more seriously and try to repair the flaws our country has created?

Romance genre: Real connection or passion to make money?

I think that a lot of movies from the Romance genre focus too much on physical passion and appeal than on an actual believable connection. In many romance films it is a kiss that makes a couple fall for each other, they have sex, and you're left wondering when some sort of connection was formed other that a physical, sexual connection. It is hard for me to believe in the love between couples in most films. I think the majority of an audience is too quick to believe that a couple is madly in love because they have had hot, passionate, steamy sex. I only tend to like the romance films that really focus on a couples relationship and how they interact with each other. I think that being in love is something that would be terribly hard to act out.

Film Noir

This site gives a well explained definition of what a film noir is. The site also gives a few movies and books that they feel were staples in film noir's history. What noir is today is mentioned and examples are posted, blade runner is one of those examples.

Batman Begins

In this article, the author expresses his dislike for the recent film Batman Begins. He explains that he loved all of the actors and actresses, well except for Katie Holmes. He thinks that the director was basically an idiot. He says that the way the fight scenes were handled rendered them intelligible.
The author also mentions that Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman seemed as if he was "trying too hard." The author also says that the film was given a free pass concerning lines, especially in a year where George Lucas was getting so much bad press for his own lines. The author's problem with the movie concerned just the directing, an actress, and some of the lines in the movie. There were a few parts in the movie that the author enjoyed.
Here is the link if you were unable to get to the page with the link
http://www.ninthart.com/display.php?article=1061

Are Horror Films Too Gory?

Yeah they are bloody and they make your skin crawl! So how do you feel about horror flm? Are they gross or what? I enjoy them and they are entertaining, so tell me what you think!!

Star Trek: Good vs Evil

You cannot talk about science fiction and leave out STAR TREK. So while trying to find persuasive essays about Star Wars vs Star Trek, i came accross an essay that talks about which force is better (good or evil) in Star Trek. The author of this essay brings up aruments that people would bring up to say that the good side is better, or why the good side was not as good as the bad, and he gives his opinion along with examples and facts. The essay was not that bad, he kind of changed my mind on some things.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist has been one of the most talked about horror films of its time. There have been many controversies surrounding the film since the beginning of the extended production in 1973.

If you are interested in writing your paper on the many controversies surrounding the film The Exorcist, here is a great site to help you decide on a topic that has been a controversy since the begining of its production.

The Siege; Far From Racism

Many Arab-Americans felt the film "The Siege" only focused on stereotypes, which it did but also had a more to say about them. In a film review of "The Siege" by Charles Taylor explains that terrorism plays on our emotions and yes in this film it is the Arabs who are being accused.

"Far from being racist, "The Siege" shows how terrorism is used to justify racism towards Arabs and Muslims," says Taylor.

Click on the link below to read Taylor's full review on the film, "The Siege."

Link

Noir: Genre or Style?

We have been taught to that Noir is a genre type, but after careful analysis, one can clearly see that Noir is a style rather than a genre. While the author states: "If you think movies are defined by their themes, then you probably think of noir as a genre. If you define films by their visual look and tone, then to you noir is definitely a style." This raises the question: how do you really define a movie? I agree that Noir is better defined as style. The name it self refers to the dark, shadowy cinematic style.

Hostel not a Horror movie at all?

After watching Hostel, many people have left the theatres believing that Hostel isn't a horror movie at all. Critic Wesley Morris writes about why Hostel isn't a horror movie at all. With examples and evidence, he does a great job summarizing the movie and also persuading readers that Hostel doesn't belong in the genre of horror.

Science Fiction Essay

In this post this persuasive essy seems to argue that the science fiction genre is most appealing to younger audiences. Do you agree? Let me know what you think by responding to post.

film noir and the american society

This small essay gives insights to how the film noir genre might have reflected the lives of many of the Americas during that era. It provides historical backgrounds and a few explanations to why such things in movies are portrayed and how it related to the lives of the people back in the 1940s-1950s.

Is Texas Chainsaw Masscre a science fiction film?

There has been a lot of talk about this film being one of the most gruesome films of all time! But hey I think it was pretty good at persuading me about its horrifying characteristics! TAKE A LOOK!

DO YOU LIKE DANIEL CRAIG

Do you like Daniel Craig? Where here is a link to some who think that Craig should not be considered a Bond character! So take a look! Tell me what you think ?!?!?!?

Old vs. New Bond

""Die Another Day" is only intermittently entertaining but it's hard not to be a sucker for its charms, or perhaps it's just impossible not to feel nostalgia for movies you grew up with. "

Perhaps in a way, the reviewer is right, but in my opinion, the new bond movies still capture that lavish spy story filled with beautiful women and acting. Though the reviewer takes the new bond films as flashy but not good film, i strongly disagree. Now that Casino Royale has hit theaters, i believe bond has taken a full turn towards the old bond we remember and love.

POOR CHARLY

I personally do not love sci- fi movies, but if they have a romantic twist to it I might just watch it. Looking for a site to blog I came up to the sci- fi channel's website and it immediately grabbed my attention when I started reading the review of a movie called, "Charly," the child- like letters were interesting, were they those of a child? As I read the review I soon realized that it was not, instead it was that of a grown man with severe mental retardation. He undergoes a lobotomy to make him smarter, but things do not last as expected.
The way the author wrote the review seemed, attention- grabbing. He starts by writing in large font in the first paragraph, which is used to entice readers, and in the rest of the review he uses regular font. The choice of words he uses are not inhibited and he writes in the form that most people might speak in the real world. "He will soon regress to the moron he once was."

The Femme Fatale

Film Noir Films often represent women in a negative way, something that always bothered me was that the portrayal of women was that of what men think of women. I have found an interesting article written by John Blaser that talks about the exact opposite. In the article titled "Film Noir's Progressive Portrayal of Women" he states that because of the negative stereotypes placed on women through the genre we are able to see the barriers that society has placed on women.
"But a closer look at film noir suggests an opposite interpretation. Even when it depicts women as dangerous and worthy of destruction, film noir also shows that women are confined by the roles traditionally open to them - that their destructive struggle for independence is a response to the restrictions that men place on them."
The article then goes on to give example of women displaying this behavior. I think his idea is an interesting one, but perhaps I'd accept this idea more coming from a woman.

Hard Boiled Fiction

This is a critical response of the hard boiled fiction. In this you will find some things familiar. For example, in this writing it discuss Dashiell Hammett and the Maltese Falcon.

Review of The Matrix

In this post you will see Roger Eberts view on the action film, The Matrix. We see really how negative Roger Ebert is in this one. He quotes "The Matrix" did not bore me. It interested me so much, indeed, that I wanted to be challenged even more. With this he seemingly tries to persuade us on not going to see the movie, instead of promoting it.

History of the spy genre

this link offer great detail about the origins of the spy genre, and how it has evolved through time.

James Bond...Detective....Action

This is a sweet website. It is funny to see how James Bond movies started such a trend. They are so popular that they have molded detective and action films all around. James Bond has become such a large part of our culture that, without it our views and eSo much action is based off of the Bond charcter, give or take different flaws and attitudes. The main idea focuses on the Bond and his mission. This website made me think of how many different genres there could possibly be and how each genre started by one formula and lead to so many other expectations.

Analysis of Action

This website basically explains an action formula seen in most action films. The main idea of an action film is to have a disaster, whether it be from nature or man. This genre is very conflict based which makes action films suspensful to watch. These films usually have a protagonist that is the "good guy" which allows the audience to root for his side, and in return, the "bad guy" is always included to battle good and evil sides. Action qualities were first seen in the western films, and were later broken into different categories and levels of intensity seen through the decades. Our generation is focused mostly on special effects and destruction, whereas the original idea was to focus on the characters abilities to get in and out of trouble.

It has Samuel L. Jackson in it. What more could you want?

I think that Die Hard with a Vengeance was a very good action film. However, James Berardinelli begs to differ. While I completely disagree with him, he tries to persuade his readers to believe that Die Hard is an all-around bad film. Do you agree? Read the article and see if his argument holds water.

Braveheart: The best action film of all time?

Braveheart is probably considered to be one of the best action films of all time. Yet, I'm pretty sure that some people can find reasons to go against it. For those of you who do not believe Braveheart is a worthy film, this article tries to persuade you that Braveheart is not only a good action film, but a great film on many levels. I believe the author supplies good details to uphold his claims.

Interview with a romance author

I found some of the things she said about the way she wrote interesting. The only thing i found odd was how she was able to go from romance stories and novels to history books and things like that. It just seemed like a jump.

DVD of The Year?

Just like in most lists I have some disagreements. Lord of the Rings is a poor choice it is way too long to sit through at your house. In my list Seinfeld would be number one. School of Rock would definitley be moved to the top five since Jack Black is the shit.

Die Another Day Review

This review is of a Bond film, "Die Another Day". The reviewer compares the film to other Bond films as well as actions films like XXX. She is also very persuasive about her thoughts on the actors and the film as a whole. I think this is a review makes a claim that many people could counter, especially Halle Berry fans.

Blaxplotation

When I think of action films I do not think of the same films that most people think of, because I grew up on Blaxplotation films, what is Blaxplotation? Films that contain high violence, racy sex scenes, and often times very stereotypical content. The plot is often always the same the hero who is always black has to fight the crime which the police and government neglect to fight. I can put aside the flaws of these films because of the social commentary they makes and the fact that they gave blacks an opportunity in the movie industry most of these films were wtitten and produced by African Americans. My all time favorite blacxplotation actress is Pam Grier, I have chosen Roger Ebert's review of her 1973 film Coffy which features every element of the blaxplotation film. Blaxplotation is often considered tainted because of the way it stereotypes blacks, I raise the question has black film diverted from using stereotypes or are these same stereotypes still there but presented in a different way.

Is iRobot that good?

I found an interesting movie review on the action film, "iRobot". This reviewer gave it three out of four stars, and is pretty fascinated by the film. He tries to persuade us that it's a good film, because it has "very good special effects" and is "a great mystery". The reviewer gives us examples from parts of the movie and why it made it so good. He did a pretty good job persuading me to go see it!

Zombie games

I found this awesome game online called "Zombies". It features a person who tries to kill and destroy all of the zombies walking around, before they kill you. It's an amusing game if you have some time to kill, and the screenshots are hilarious. The zombies in the game are hilarious : green, grotesque, and slow moving, just like zombies we see in movies.

The History of Zombies

I thought this was a cool site, it talks about the history of Zombies. Like a lot of monsters, zombies have their roots in folklore and -- according to some researchers -- in real events in Haiti. In this article, we'll discuss Haitian zombies, explore depictions of zombies in films and video games and review the best course of action for surviving an attack.

ZOMBIES ARE REAL

Most people think that zombies are some sci fi and horror fantasy. Well all those people were wrong! The abc network in austrailia put up this article on their site. It explains how zombies come from Haiti, where voodoo priests drug their victims/patient into a fake death. The article goes on explaining how this is done. The article talks about one case that was actually reported in 1980. Now what do people think of this? Is this real or is it a hoax?

"Zombi..Spirit of the dead."

The idea of zombies originated from the Voodoo culture in Haiti. This site offers a better understanding of a "Zombi" -Haitina for "spirit of the dead." It also explains how "coup padre" is administered on a victim. The Haitian "Zombi" is very different than the one's most people are used to. Haitain folklore says a zombie is a "mindless drone" enslaved under the dark magic of a "Bokor." So how did zombies become canibalistic monsters?

Demon Zombies

Author Brian Keene has a new outlook upon what zombies are. In his books, The Rising and City of the Dead, the zombies are people that have dies and their souls moved on who are possessed by demons banished from this realm by God. The live in a place called the void and are the bringers or destruction of all life on earth. I enjoyed this writers new take on what zombies are thought to be. I most of all enjoyed his detailed writings on the types of demons that these beings were and how they came to be. It was a break from the normal zombie, as these zombies were sentient and capable of advanced military tactics and a high level of intelligence. The link that I have posted is a link to his website that has a listing of his novels and a PDF file that is an ending to The Rising that didn't make it into the published version.

Many Different Types of Zombies

I am not the biggest fan of zombie movies, most of the ones I have seen have been grotesque and that is not entertainment for me. But this site I stumbled upon shows a different dimension to the zombie- like philosophical zombies, voodoo zombies and Hollywood zombies. The website also offers a theory on where zombies may have originated. It says that some zombies may have come from ancient beliefs on ghosts seeking vengeance. At least if offers an explanation, I don't like how Land of the Dead offered no explanation as to why the zombies were even there.

Many Different Types of Zombies

I am not the biggest fan of zombie movies, most of the ones I have seen have been grotesque and that is not entertainment for me. But this site I stumbled upon shows a different dimension to the zombie- like philosophical zombies, voodoo zombies and Hollywood zombies. The website also offers a theory on where zombies may have originated. It says that some zombies may have come from ancient beliefs on ghosts seeking vengeance. At least if offers an explanation, I don't like how Land of the Dead offered no explanation as to why the zombies were even there.

How Zombies Have Changed Over the Years

Hey guys! I thought this website was really cool...it guides us through some zombie movies of how the zombies have changed over the years. In some movies, the zombies move fast, in others, they move slow; sometimes they are smart and other times, well, they are not so smart. It also mentions how the make-up of the zombies have changed. If you explore this site, it will take you to: The Zombie-Killin' Babes list, Zombie Games list, a list of things you would need in case a Zombie Apocalypse was to happen (I thought the list was really funny), and the Zombie Philosophy of each of Romero's films and of 28 Days Later. You should really look at this site-its cool!

Lock and load, and aim for the head...

Zombies have been a majoy impact in movies as well as in video games. The following link directs to a site that lists numerous video games in which zombies play a dominant part in the storyline. Zombies are horrid creatures and most commonly portrayed as well, walking corpses. The list of video games, for example resident evil, do give a clear understanding of how the zombies move, look, and even think. I believe that video games today developed a clear understanding of how humans think to believe as a zombie.

List of the best Zombie flicks!

1.

Dead Alive


2.

Night of the Living Dead (Millennium Edition)


3.

Dawn of the Dead (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)


4.

28 Days Later (Widescreen Edition)
by Danny Boyle


5.

Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition)


6.

Re-Animator
by Stuart Gordon


7.

Resident Evil - Apocalypse


8.

The Return of the Living Dead
by Dan O'Bannon


9.

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn


10.

Land of the Dead


11.

Shaun of the Dead


12.

The Evil Dead


13.

Army of Darkness


14.

Resident Evil (Deluxe Edition)
by Paul W.S. Anderson


15.

Night of the Living Dead
by Tom Savini


16.

Return of the Living Dead Part II
by Ken Wiederhorn


17.

Return of the Living Dead 3
by Brian Yuzna


18.

Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)


19.

H.P. Lovecraft's Bride of Re-Animator
by Brian Yuzna

Where did zombies come from?

This website shows the original zombie ideas. It relates to certain religious practices and explains what zombies were thought of when people beleived in them, if they still do. It is interesting to think that the modern day zombie still craves a brain and wanders around mindlessly. Back in the day, though, people felt zombies maybe existed and they would perform rituals that are similar to wiccan and pegan practices. The humorous part is the blurb on horror films and stories, zombies have been given so many distinct characteristics and it is crazy how we know zombies of this day. This website is very serious and descriptive about a scary and humorous subject at the same time.... Check it out yo!!!

zombies 101

This link has a well developed timeline about past zombie movies and their significance. This site also gives a brief explination on why people are so fasinated by the living dead and some rules on what a zombie constitues a zombie movie.

The Origin of the Zombie

Zombies have been the focus of many horror movies including: 28 Days Later, The Dead series, Resident Evil, The Crazies, and House of the Dead. Yet, the archetype of the zombie must have been drawn from somewhere. This website gives some interesting information about the origins of the zombie and its connection with Haiti.

Zombie survival guide

In the tradition of American capitalism, the intrigue of zombies has opened up an entire market of products. The products range from the obvious to the down right strange. Max Brooks, the author of Zombie Survival Guide I think this belongs in the strange category. Perhaps the book is merely a harmless joke, but to me he is a prime example of a person who plays on the fears and superstitions of others. But in the end people like him could not exist if there were not people that go out and buy his product.

Zombie Powers

Interested in learning more about zombies? This site describes the strengths and weakness of the living dead. Although most of the facts in this link are commonly known, there are a few interesting details that I learned about zombies. Also, some of the facts about zombies in this site contradict things that we see in movies like Land of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead.

• "Zombies are impervious to pain and require no air to breathe.
  They are thus immune to drugs, poisons, gases, extremes of temperature and pressure, high voltage electricity, suffocation, and drowning."

How to survive a zombie attack.

This guy's page seems to know something we don't. Why is this guy so concerned about a zombie attack? I hope someone tells him soon that zombies don't acutally exist.

On the other hand, this little guidebook to Z-Day couldn't hurt. Not to mention it's pretty funny.

Zombies-The walking dead

Where did the idea of zombies come from? In this site you will learn about the zombie. Go head don't be scared! Take a look see!

All About Zombies

So you want to know what the ideal zombie would be like? Zombies are said to be a symbol and what makes them a main factor in a horror film is their sense of uncanny.

"Zombies have been credited as symbols of revenge; adolescent angst; puritanism, sexual excess; frustrated ambition; the desire for immortality; consumerism; scientific irresponsibility; suburban stress; …"

This site gives you much detail about death, decay, exploitation and the apocalypse of a zombie. Click on the link below to learn about the archetype zombie.

Link

"BOKOR"

In this site there is information on zombies and how some people truly believe that they exist. In different parts of the world such as West Africa and Haiti- where they are called "bokor,"they do not call them zombies but they have the same concept about how the dead can come back as "mindless slaves." There are even researchers that have tried to investigate whether zombies truly exist or not but do not have solid evidence to prove there are any.
Different stories about how people have encountered zombies and ways that they function are all in this interesting page, just take a look. "They are not self-aware and are not particularly dangerous unless fed salt, which restores their senses."

Where do zombies come from?

So I was thinking... who the hell came up with the whole 'theory' of zombies and are they or were they ever real? I've never really thought about zombies before this whole unit in class but what if they really exist? Here are some beliefs from the past about how zombies came about.

THE ZOMBIE

Yeah there gross i know. They scare me also!! But.....Did you all know that there are 3 types of zombies?????? Well if not this is a site that tells you all about them and also gives you the history of the zombie!!
Take a look!! Its COOL!

Where did Zombies come from?

This link gives a look of where the concept of zombies originated from. It is pretty intresting and gives readers a look of where it all started and how "zombies" migrated to the U.S. from Haiti. Check it out I think you will enjoy!

Everything You Need To Know About Zombies!

This interactive website tells you everything you need to know about zombies. It includes descriptions of different types of zombies. It explains the origins of these scary creatures and talks about different powers a zombie may have. This animated website makes zombies a bit more intriguing then we may have thought! Check it out, it's pretty cool!

The Basics on writing a Screenplay

This is a straight-forward website on how to write a screenplay. It is for anyone who is insterested in screenwriting, whether it is for a class or if you are trying to make it big in the movie world. Screenwriting.info offers definitions of key screenwriting terms, breaks down important aspects, and includes important do's and don't in the screenplay business. I suggest anyone in Mr. Bushnell's English 160 class to check out this website because it will be a great help in writing your movie proposal. Hold onto this site if you are planning on taking any other films classes in the future as well.

Quick tips for speaking in front of your peers

There is always a point in someone’s life that requires that person to speak to a group of people, and not everyone handles these situations as well as they would like. Whether its talking to coworkers or classmates it is important to be confident in what you say and to know what your doing. This article gives a couple of quick tips for speaking in front of your peers. This is a pretty short article but the pointers are definitely helpful.

How to draft a short screenplay

A lot of people enjoy writing short stories, fiction stories that don't take what seems like a lifetime to write. Well, do you think any of those people have considered turning those short stories into short films? All of the film festivals, regional and national, are full of short films that are crafted just to make a point. Here are some tips and formating techniques that you can use to come up with your very own short screenplay and make it into an actual film.

What's a Screenplay?

You always hear movie buffs talking about how well written a screenplay but you never really know what it is. I always thought it was as simple as writing a story but I was wrong, writing a screenplay is something very complicated and it involves the writer becoming in touch with many elements around him because the ultimate goal is to create a story that can come to life. The page I have linked to gives a detailed description of how to write a screenplay with subtopics like "What exactly is a script?,What makes a good story" and "A Series of Shots and Short Lines/Poetry/Lyrics" just to name a couple. This website was one of the very few that was not trying to sell me something in order for me to learn how to write a screenplay something I appreciated.

All About Screenwriting

Want to write a screenplay? Here is the basic screenplay format structure to get you started! It has everything from plot points, to characters, to dilemmas and much more.

So....You Wanna Sell A Script

Sellascript.com is a resourceful site in helping anyone to make their script a hit. They give tips on how to get your script sold as well as resources to help you on your way. This is great for anybody who is lookin for the perfect presentation, and to get input on how well yours measure up to others. I would especially check it out if your in Mr.Bushnell's English 160.

How to write a screen play

This link shows you the do's and dont's of screen writing. The blurb about writing scripts was interesting because it lets you know that most writing needs a conflict, and that is usually the base of most stories. It can be seen in many genres. If you really think about it conflict is what grabs an audience because we are so obsessed with seeing other people go through problems. I think it can be good therapy for people to see movies, and if the conflict is really interesting, that is what sells the movie.

Want to write a great screenplay? Why not look to the winners?

Alright. We can learn how to write great screenplays by reading tips and actually looking at real screenplays. Yet, we can also learn by looking at the ingredients that have produced Oscar winning screenplays. By looking at the best screenplays and best screenwriters, we too can also produce memorable film ideas.

The following link provides a list of both the best screenplays and the best screenwriters. By looking at these lists, we may be able to write great screenplays such as Francis Ford Coppola has.

Script Format

Can you tell the difference between a spec script and a shooting script? Well I couldn't until I went to this website. It is full of script terms, tips, and many examples. Here is a helpful tip from the website on writing a screenplay: "Write Only What Can be Seen and Heard - Unlike a novel, everything in a screenplay must be recorded in terms of picture and sound. Therefore, narrative description should never include anything that cannot be seen or heard. "

Ten Steps for Horror

This link provides the 10 structural steps many decide to take when creating a horror film. The movie must start with a hook to entice the audience, then the flawed hero must be introduced shortly after. After the introduction of the hero, his flaw is introduced. Many times this flaw must be overcome in order to survive in the end. The main setting is then plotted out. This setting is usually an area that is not easily escapable. After the audience is teased with scary and pop-out scenes, the hero uncovers something about the antagonist. The hero then confronts the monster in a final showdown. In the end, everything returns to normal. Many times the hero also experiences an lifelong change. For the final scene, many horror films will include a sign that the monster has somehow survived, and there is a remaining threat.

The five key points to screenplay structure

This link is a benificial link when trying to figure out a good story plot. Plot structure simply determines the sequence of events that lead the hero toward this objective. And here's the good news: whether you're writing romantic comedies, suspense thrillers, historical dramas or big budget science fiction, all successful Hollywood movies follow the same basic structure. STAGE I: The Setup, TURNING POINT #1: The Opportunity (10%), STAGE 2: The New Situation, TURNING POINT #2: The Change of Plans (25%), STAGE III: Progress, TURNING POINT #3: The Point of No Return (50%), STAGE IV: Complications and Higher Stakes, TURNING POINT #4: The Major Setback (75%), STAGE V: The Final Push, TURNING POINT #5: The Climax (90-99%), STAGE VI: The Aftermath. Let this website help you gain a great understanding on how to write your paper for Mr. Bushnell's Film Paper!

Advice from Funders for Proposal Writing Acceptance

This link will take you to a website where actual funders give advice on where to send your proposal writing so it can get accepted easily and avoid the hassle of sending it to many funders and waiting for acceptance. It also gives other helpful hints.

The Basics of Screenwriting

This website gives you the basics that you will need to know if you are interested in screenwriting. From structure, sub-plots to visual storytelling, everything is found within this site.

Click the link below to learn everything you need to know about screenwriting.

Link

Tips for a successful proposal writing

This website gives you excellent tips to write a successful proposal. It's from the University of Oklahoma, so it should count for something. All of these tips were tried and it seems to worked out well.

TIPS FOR THE SCREENWRITER

This site helps people who are trying to write a screenplay. It seems pretty interesting and it is for any type of screen writer; television and film. They even offer tips on how to network and getting an agent.
"Focus on one movie genre. Comedy, action, thriller, and romantic comedy are the most popular."

A Pratical Way to Write a Screenplay

This site gives you some really easy ways to create a screenplay. All it takes is a couple of index cards, outlines, and good ideas. Then you take your once little idea and keep on adding to it and before you know it its huge and large enough to be a full-length screenplay.

Great tips for writing a Screenplay

this cite gives great tips, from writing a screenplay, to what makes a good screenplay.

How to write a screenplay

This website has both a long and informative guide to writing screenplays. It is very in depth. There is a listing of all of the essential elements of a successful screenplay. There is a total of 21 chapters listed on the website concerning everything about screenplays.

A Guide in Writing Proposals

This link basically gives the layout on writing proposals. Its also gives the various formats of proposals.

10 Successful Writing Tips

10 tips on writing success. These tips can be very helpful when thinking about writing. There are a few questions that I need answers but now I know! Check it out!!!

What Writers Need To Know

Think is a link to site that just gives tips on successful screenwriting.

Tips for Screenwriters

Do you want tips on how to be a better screenplay writer?
Go to this link... it gives you ideas about how to start an idea and shows examples of a screenplay.
come here and check it out!

10 Tips for Writing an Excellent Screenplay

Have an idea for a screenplay, but don't know how or where to start? Well, these ten tips can help. They tell you exactly how to write, what to write, and where to write. It's all the information needed to write a fantastic screenplay that will sell. In fact, it'll help with our proposal assignments in class too!

Screen writing tips!!!

Here is a tip from a screenplay structure and genre site. (Check out link to see more):


Don't Confuse Genre with Structure

I'll repeat: Genre and structure are not the same thing.

Genre refers to the story elements the audience expects the movie to explore, like romance, danger, humor, horror, war, alien worlds, crime, or technology. The structure of a movie is the arrangement of scenes that reveals character and unfolds action - path of the storytelling.

Don’t let your story genre limit your structural choices. Writers are often led to believe that a romantic comedy unfolds a certain way; and an action picture must unfold another way. These are generational prejudices. Great story structure transcends any trendy genre elements that attempt to stifle it.

The Do's and Don'ts in Proposal Writing

This is a page that talks specifically about writing film proposals. It gives all the do's and don'ts in writing a proposal and can be very helpful in creating a guideline. While this page does not give a template like i had hoped, it gives some great advice and tips you should keep in mind while writing your proposal. It's generalized so it can apply to any genre.Enjoy...L8ER dAYZ.

Hollywood Disabilities

this particular link gives a list of many films in which disabilities are a key factor to the film's plot. for example, A beautiful mind starring Russell Crowe portrays a genious John Nash whom possesses a rather schizophrenic personality. the film not only displays the mind of a genious but describes how people with disabilities can live on and learn to be normal. In this film, John Nash is forced to go on with his life knowing that there are these people whom john sees but noone else does.

Unconditional Love

Love is a hard concept to grasp even for people who are perfectly capable of doing every day things on their own. So people with down syndrome and other mental handicaps are usually not expected to ever find love. The link I have chosen is to an article in Time magazine that details the wedding of a couple that have down syndrome. You can see the happpiness in the faces of both the husband and wife. If the resources that this couple is blessed with could extend to all people with down syndrome and other mental disabilities then cases like this would not be so rare.

Christopher and Dana Reeve

When I was first assigned this blog in class only one thing came to mind. An article that I had read about the love between Dana and Christopher Reeve. Following his accident, Reeves thought it would be better for everyone if he had just died. Then Dana gave him his inspiration to live. Here is what Chris had to say about Dana "When Dana whispered those life-saving words to me, ‘You’re still you. And I love you,’ it meant more to me than just a personal declaration of faith and commitment. In a sense it was an affirmation that marriage and family stood at the center of everything, and if both were intact, so was your universe."
Even though he had sustained a severe spinal column injury, the fact that his wife, marriage, and family were going to be there for him, he chose to live. He and his wife were forever changed by his unfortunate accident that left him permanently paralyzed from the neck down. With the love and support from his wife and family, Reeves made giant advances into spinal column research through his foundation.
The life of Christopher and Dana Reeve goes to show that even with disabilities,love can survive.

DISABLED PEOPLE WANTED

I found this site in which a disabled man writes about how there are people out there that are attracted to the disabled. It is a long essay but it is interesting to read how disabled people are wanted and how some people want to be disabled. He writes how most men are attracted to amputee women while most women prefer men that are in wheelchairs, they are called "devotees."
"Since I am all too familiar with being rejected because I have a disability, I was astounded to find that some people are actually attracted to my disability."

DISABLED PEOPLE WANTED

I found this site in which a disabled man writes about how there are people out there that are attracted to the disabled. It is a long essay but it is interesting to read how disabled people are wanted and how some people want to be disabled. He writes how most men are attracted to amputee women while most women prefer men that are in wheelchairs, they are called "devotees."
"Since I am all too familiar with being rejected because I have a disability, I was astounded to find that some people are actually attracted to my disability."

Live or Die?

I am going to have to take the side of the husband. It was not fair to Terri or Mr. Schiavo. Both suffered menatlly and physically for years. It was incredibly selfish and immature that the parents could not let Terri go.

"Benny and Joon"

"Benny and Joon" is a romantic comedy that includes a disabled couple. Sam, played by Johnny Depp, is a free spirit who falls in love with Joon, who is schizophrenic. Although Sam is sane he cannot read, write, or live on his own. Joon, when in one of her moods, talks to herself and becomes violent, forcing her to live in a hospital or with her brother. Sam and Joon overcome these obstacles in the end and fall in love. This is a heartwarming love story that will keep a smile on your face throughout the whole movie. This link gives you a review by Roger Ebert.

"Most people would side with Benny in his opposition to the talk of marriage, but the movie suggests that love and magic can overcome madness, and for at least the length of the film I was prepared to accept that." Roger Ebert.

Where do women with diabilities fit in?

This article addresses the issue of women in today's society and their body image. Women with low self esteem and chronic problems with their body image can be considered women with a disability because it is proven that if they are not comfortable with themselves then they can't achieve a healthy relationship. The article also addresses the way society feels about people with disabilities and the amount of prejudice that they recieve.

Disabled meets Disabled

Have you seen the movie, The Other Sister? It is an enchanting movie about a mentally retarded girl, named Carla, who falls in love with a mentally retarded boy, named Daniel. Despite of what Carla's mother thinks about her and dating, Carla learns to live on her own, become independent, and stand up for what she believes in. Her whole life she is put down for her disability but soon learns that she can make it on her own in this beautiful story about how two mentally retarded people learn too love and become successful in the world around us!

Here is a review on The Other Sister!

Dating Skills For the Disabled

Along with online dating services for the disabled, there are also groups to teach disabled persons the socail skills of dating. This is a link of a study that was done with 41 outpatient adults who were placed randomly into 3 different groups (groups are listed in link) to test which group and situation worked better to increase socail interactions. It is good to see that there is other options other than internet dating services for the disabled.

Love is Blind

In the 1999 film "At First Sight," a women falls in love with a blind man and she is fully aware of his disability. She takes him to New York to undergo surgery in regaining his vision back. He gets his vision back but does not comprehend what he is seeing because he has been blind since age three. His vision fails and he becomes blind again. Their love doesn't fade despite of his disability and they stay happily together. This film has a lot to say about true love and how love can be blind, literally.

Click on the link to read a full synopsis of the film and characters.

Link

Online Dating for the Disabled

This website specializes in hooking up those that are disabled or challenged. There is a chat room that one can go to if he/she wishes to speak with other members, and a discussion board that talks about love and stories of disabilities. But, this website is not just a dating service. Friendships and support are found here as well.

Mentally Challenged People and Their Children

I know this prompt is supposed to be on romance and disabled people, but I couldn't leave out the kids of these couples...what about them? can mentally challenged people take proper care for their kids? Well, I came accross this site and it talks about how there is a program called ESPRIT that educates parents with mental disabilities on how to take care of their kids and how to develop their child's skills. I'm glad that these people get extra help. Their lives are a bit more difficult as it is because of their illness and to take care of their kids must even more difficult.

on-line dating service for mentally challenged people

I found this online dating site for mentally challenged people. I think it's great that people with mental disabilities can chat and get to know eachother without having to be afraid of being rejected because of their illness. This dating site is specifically for mentally challenged but I also noticed it includes people with an eating disorder too. I think this is helpful for people with these conditions; they can actually do something as normal as chat/date through this site as other people do.

Law of Disabled Love

Section 1.E of the Basic Rights states the basic marital and child-bearing rights of the mentally disabled. If the mentally disabled individual is self-supporting and can handle marital and family responsibilities, then the individual has the right to marry/raise children. This forfeits the right of annulment due to mental retardation. If the condition of the mentally retarded is hereditary, the individual is to receive genetic counseling to make certain that the individual has full understanding of the possible outcomes. If the retarded individual eventually become unqualified in raising his or her children, the situation is to be handled as if the individual was not mentally disabled.

Romance and Disablility

Our English class has watched the movie "Pumpkin", and we all know how hard it is to accept disable people in a relationship, or even in love. Well i found an article online about a young woman who has a rare facial disfigurement, and how she learned to love her face. She took a photography in class for college, and started taking "beautiful" pictures of her face, and she realized she's desirable WITH her disability. She then met a boy, found the courage to out with him, and now their in love. It's a very touching story, how a woman thought she was ugly her entire life, finally saw her beauty, and is now very accepting of herself. It's a must read!

Romance Isn't Impossible When Disabled

Here is a article that highlights the advantages and disadvatages to having a relationship and being sexually attracted to someone. Physical Disabilities actually is an advantage in some relationships. It may take a relationship with a "abnormal person" in order to bring out your inner self. Love is love reguardless of who is in the relationship. Beauty is only skin deep so you have to look beyond the makeup into the heart.

The Science Behind The Love

I just found it very interesting that its not all about looks and personality. It has a lot to do with science. Since I now know that smell has a lot to do with picking up chicks I will return to the old ways of showering daily. This coming weekend I will have to try these techniques out. Who knows, I just may find that girl that smells just right and fall in love right on the spot.

Falling In Love Was Easy, but Facing Life Was Not

For the disabled, life doesn't come easy. As we have seen in the movie Pumpkin, they face many hardships that you and I would easily be able to conquer. However, falling in love isn't a problem for people with disabilities. For one disabled couple, fallling in love was easy but the bumpy road life had set out for them was not. Their love for one another kept them going and in the end this love paid off. After reading the article, it made me realize that true love really does conquer all.

Attraction to Disability

Can romance between a disabled person and a normal person occur? We found that this of course is possible, but, how? is the question. In this link I found that the attraction on both sides can be a reason. "Attraction to disability is a paraphilia involving sexual interest in the appearance and experience of disability, sometimes involving a wish to be disabled. It is a minority fringe to commonplace erotisation of unusual physique." This is a very unique definition and is the reason I found this link to be very interesting. Enjoy!

Romance/Disabled people

okay so in class Mr. Bushnell mentioned what characteristics are often listed on dating websties. I went to google and typed in Romance/Disabled people... and it just took me to all these weird porn sites, but there was one description that did have a dating service for disabled people. So it does exist, and the separation between disabled people and people who aren't isn't too much of a gap. Although we portray them as completely different, or incapable of doing certain things, they still have the same things that we do, such as dating services... :-D

Old School "Romantic" Music 2: Earth, Wind, and Fire

Alright! This is David Centeno and I'm here to give you another old school love song that you can sing to that special someone. The Spinners weren't the only band in the 70's that were putting out love songs like clockwork. If there was a band that put out as many romantic songs as The Spinners, it would have to be Earth, Wind, and Fire. Earth, Wind, and Fire put out such love classics as: Got To Get You Into My Life, Can't Hide Love, and Love Music. Yet, the best love song they released, in my opinion, was the song that you could hear at any Chicago prom in 1975, Reasons. The lyrics are amazing and it has been featured in a couple of movies, including Love Don't Cost a Thing. If you have never heard this song, I encourage you to listen to it by clicking on the link.

Romance Movies 101

Here is a site that states the obvious and the not so obvious about romantic movies. The site even gives a definition of the word romance. This link also gives you romantic movie subcategories and articles.

"Action films, fantasies, even historical dramas, can serve as a backdrop for a classic tale of romance."

"Romeo and Juliet" in Chicago

Yes, that is right. You can go see the Romeo and Juliet play here in Chicago. Its located in the Shakespear Theater in Navy Pier. " Well yeah! The current incarnation of Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare Theater personifies what could be the maxim of teens through the ages: Act first, think later! " This play is great you can see for your self how much violences there's in the scene and you can feel the tragedy in your body. I recommend this play is awesome. Trust me.

romantic novels 101

Are you big on romance novels? Well in this site learn everything you need to know about romance novels as well as participate in poles. You can have book discussions without leaving your computer. The site also includes reviews on resent books and the top 100 romances.

for him or for her

Here is a site dedicated to the idea of romance. The site includes love poems of the day and ideas on how to woo your partner. If ever you ran out of ideas of gifts to give to your girlfriend I bet you can find a few things here. I mean this site is full of those little things that men find stupid and meaningless but women adore. If your trying to find a gift the site even categorizes gifts into birthdays, christmas, anniversary, etc. so its idiot proof. you can't go wrong

Top 20 Romantic Comedies

Here are the top 20 romantic comedies!

"These are funny movies with strong storylines, minimal bathroom humor, great characters and witty dialogue that are sure to leave you rolling off the couch and into each other’s arms".

I think all of you guys have at least seen one of these films. Some are old and some are recent. Hell! Even Shrek made it!

Love in My eyes

I am grateful that I have grown up in the era that I have. I am open to new things an have a variety of different choices. So when I wanted to read my first romance novel I got to read one about people who were like me. This is very different from my mother's generation and generations before hers. Everyone had to ready the same set of novels with Fabio on the cover portraying the "ideal" man. The popular Romance author Beverly Jenkins sums this up in her quote "Not a one [of the romance novels] featured women who looked like us, but as we read them we longed for stories that did feature us, stories that reflected the love our parents shared or our grandparents shared; the love that we saw in that married couple at church who was always holding hands; or the love we see every time we look into our partner's eyes." As with film people want to relate to the novels that they are reading. Many people however still feel that early African American romances do not depict the life of the real life and struggles people go through to find love. This has opened up an new sub-category of the Romance the "Hip Hop novel". The novels are fast moving, filled with gore,violence, and explicit sex. Perhaps this new trend of writing displays our generations need for this type of content rather than the traditional romance novel.

Should Pumpkin be considered a romance film???

While watching this film in class on October 16, 2006 I was extremely unsure about what the film was trying to get across. In a way the movie can fall into the romance genre with a twist. The film allows me to make the conclusion that opposities attract.

Romance movies that make you laugh

We all know that girls will do anything to get their boyfriend to watch a "chick flick" with them. Now it doesn't have to be that hard ladies! With more and more romantic comedies coming out by the minute, it's easier to convince your special someone to take a trip to the movies. And guys, when your laughing at the movie it makes it much easier to survive.

TOP 20 ROMANCE SONGS (for your wedding)

So while googling something to post up on this blog i came across this bride website that listed the top 20 romantic songs to play at a wedding. So heres the list of 20 corny songs, so you can go home tonight and download them and then put them on your ipod. The list has songs like, I Swear (by All for One) and the them song of Top Gun (Take My Breath Away). I wasnt very happy with this list, since R Kelly's Bump n Grind was not number 1. Thats me though, so let me know how you feel about the list. What should be added? What should be removed?

Valentines Day Tradition

Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day falls on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, often anonymously. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

An expensive Romantic tragedy

Titanic is not only one of the top grossing movies in history but reigns as one of the best romantic tragedies in film history. The movie based on actual events in 1912 aboard the "biggest ship ever made", Titanic is a movie about tragedy but yet expresses this through a love story between Jack and Rose. The movie was extremely expensive to make, but turned out to be a masterpiece. What we see mostly in this movie is the idea of romance through an event of tragedy. It is in the romance that effects the movie as a whole as we witnesses this great tragedy.

"The romantic thread is appealing enough, but its greater purpose is to make the effect of the tragedy more personal."

What i think makes the romance unique, is that the love is not always a happy ending.

Wicked the Uncommonly Romance

Wicked being known for its different view on the story The Wizard of Oz, can also be considered a romance. Not only does it "defy gravity", but it defies race, color, and societal views when it comes to the romance between Fiyero and Elphaba. While I have yet to see the musical, I have read the book, and it is phenomenal. Thou it does seem to hit all sorts of topics, the romance involved is one of a kind and at the same time relatable with people today. It discusses forbidden love, marriage, and interracial relationships. It questions and discusses everything. A musical with romance that not only shows love, but questions it also. So off you go to defy gravity and fall in love.

Romance Writers Of America

This was pretty surprising... these statistics show the popularity of the romance genre. I wonder how much of the population is based on men and women. I also think it is interesting that this site has a fan club and meetings for romance novels. I can only imagine all these little old ladies having tea and discussing their favorite parts in whatever romance they just finished.

"Frustrated with writing conferences that seemed to ignore romance writers, and individually voiceless against daunting New York publishers, the founding members realized the need to unite. They organized writing conferences geared to nurture the careers of romance writers, created a nationwide network of romance writing peers that shared information and supported each other. The result is the 9,500-member strong writers association that is today considered "The Voice of Romance." Currently, RWA has 9,500 members worldwide; with 1,600 members published in book-length romance fiction. "

Top Romance Movie

Here it is, the top romance movie ever (as voted by the users of IMDb). It is Casablanca, which came out way back in 1942. Most of the movies on the top romance list were all old, does this mean nowadays we can't make a good love flick, or that you just can't beat a classic? Whichever the case, Casablanca takes the cake as the top movie of the romance genre.

Top 50

Behold...the top 50 romance movies of all time as voted on by you the people! I've gotta say, a lot of the movies on this list are OLD! In fact, some of the movies listed date as far back as 1927!

Top 50 Romance flicks of all time

Old School "Romantic" Music: The Spinners

I don't know about you guys, but I was raised on almost every style of music. One of my favorite types of music that has always fueled me is old school R&B. The reason why I have always loved this type of music is because of not only its amazing grooves, but the message it tried to convey, love. So many bands of the old school R&B scene focused on the concepts of love and romance. Any person can listen to any old school R&B album and find at least one song that they could dedicate to the love of their life. Many people find it very difficult to tell someone that they have strong feelings for them. Why not do it with a song?

One of the corner stones of this magical genre is the legendary group The Spinners. This quintet of love gurus have performed a bevy of excellent love songs including I'll Be Around, Then Came You and Could It Be I'm Falling In Love. They have been featured in not only the romance genre of films, but films all across the board. My personal favorite it Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, and it is a great tune to dedicate to that special someone. The link below is of the actual song. So light up the candles and feel the passion.

LOVE HURTS

Love hurts people and it is time to tell you that not everyone has a happy ending. I found this one poem by Pablo Neruda a polital figure from Sapin who wrote many poems about love.
One of his poems titlled "Love" is about someone that has been dumped and can't seem to find happiness anywhere they go. This goes out to everyone that knows how it is to feel down because that special someone has broken your heart and nothing seems to make you feel any better.

<3 Top 20 Romantic Places in the World <3

Looking for a romantic place to take your significant other to? Well, look no more!! Here's a list of the top 20 most romantic cities in the world and a brief summary of what to except from each stunning place. Three of the 20 cities are right here in the U.S. and the others, well, are a bit farther. But what price tag can you put on love? After seeing the beautiful scenery and breath-taking sites, I'm sure there will be no other place in the world you'd rather be than with your loved one.

Nicholas Sparks: The Famous Author

In this website, a reporter interviews Nicholas Sparks, authors of many romance books, including The Notebook, A Walk To Remember, and Message In A Bottle. However, if you read the interview, he says: "Yes, I write about love and relationships...but what I do would not be accepted by romance publishers, since the romance genre has numerous requirements and I don't satisfy any of them. I write love stories, a completely different genre. "

I think it is interesting that he denies that he writes romance novels, because to me, that means that he really understands what he is doing and not just writing to make money.

Romantic films at their earliest

In this link you will find info on some of the earliest romance films and also the actors/actresses who played in these films. I believe the class will find this link interesting because it gives info in saying that romance films relates to film noir. Specifically, these romantic films that relate to film noir are called destructive romances. Hope you all like it and also class, consider on reading some of these novels.

LIFE WILL GO ON

LIFE WILL GO ON
SINCE U BEEN GONE!

To start off this is my favorite singer and to those who don't know who she is, this is: KELLY CLARKSON!
Ok, this is a video called Since U Been Gone.
The song is about how life will go one without the person you love.
Anybody can move one as long as you are willing to accept that
harsh reality.
The first excerpt is:

"Here's the thing we started off friends
It was cool but it was all pretend
Yeah yeah
Since you've been gone"

Another excerpt from the song is:

"But since you've been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on
Yeah yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get
What I want
Since you've been gone"

And finally:

"You had your chance you blew it
Out of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth
I just can't take it
Again and again and again and again"

As you can see it's a song dealing with heartbreak, but how you can be happy & relieved
because there's the ablility to move on.

Now go on and enjoy the video because it is my favorite and I want to share with you!
:)

Medievil Romance

Most of what is listed here are the Cinderella's, Prince Charming, or some other nobel knight looking for love. The list also describes a hopeless romantic character. I wonder if Disney or any other film makers considered these things when putting their fairy tales together. It was interesting how the "Hero-Knight" was mentioned. There always has to be a hero when it comes to love. Even in modern films, whichever character is trying to win their lover, they tend to go on a wild goosechase to make sure that it happens. The obstacles have to be there in order to allow the hero-knight to exist.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

This movie surprised me to be on the top romance movies on a site I found. I love this movie, and although it is a love story, the expected-boy meets girl and falls in love and then acts silly to get her back-is there, but not to the extent of what you would see in a movie such as She's All That, or Drive Me Crazy. This movie was beautifully done, and the characters had a self evalutation during the entire film. It made the idea of love beat the odds when even your memory couldn't allow certain information to get in. It's good to see that a movie like this would be on a top romantic films list.

The Notebook

When i saw this movie, I thought that this was your typical love movie. Two young teens from different societies brought together by love and because of their love for eachother, they reunite after being apart for so many years. they grow old and died together, The End. Check out this clip and let me know if you agree.

Romance: BUFFALO '66

Although unconventional and unfromal, Buffalo '66 starring Vincednt Gallo ( Brown Bunny) and Christina Ricci (Pumpkin) is a great romance story. It's very different than one might expect when they are expecting a traditional in-your-face love story. The firt time I had seen this film I didn't realize it would turn into such a great love story. The movie is basically about a man (Vincent Gallo) who has just been freed from prison. He kidnapps a tap dancer ( Christina Ricci) and 'forces' her to pretend to be his wife when they go to visit Vincent Gallo's parents in order to impress them. His parents don't even know that he has been in jail for the past five years. This movie has some excellent shots. It is an older film now. It looks like it has technicolor. It is a bit artistic, but at times rediculously laugh-out-loud funny. It shows great perspective and insight on the ver odd, lonely, and extremely flawed characters. I encourage evryone to watch the attached link. It is a short clip of one of my favorites scenes from the movie.

"Casablanca" Top Romance Film Ever Made

There are many great romance films made but which one is the best? Using a search engine like Google and typing Best Romance Film Ever, you'll get "Casablanca" numerous times. Michael Curtiz's film is certainly the best romance film yet.

In Phil Villarreal's review of "Casablanca" he states, "Casablanca" was made with little fanfare, and was one of three pictures director Michael Curtiz cranked out in '42. The movie gods kissed the production with a confluence of brilliant writing, photography and acting, with all parties collaborating at their ultimate peak of potential.

Click the link below to review Villarreal's film review of "Casablanca"

Link

Top 25 Highest Grossing Romance Movies

Whether it's a chick-flick or a sappy love story, romance movies are always popular. I found a list of the top 25 highest grossing romance movies, ranging from the 80's to the present day. Do you wonder which film is number 1? Check it out!

Romeo and Juliet Reviewed

I have never seen anything remotely approaching the mess that the new punk version of ``Romeo & Juliet'' makes of Shakespeare's tragedy.

The desperation with which it tries to ``update'' the play and make it ``relevant'' is greatly depressing. In one grand but doomed gesture, writer-director Baz Luhrmann has made a film that (a) will dismay any lover of Shakespeare, and (b) bore anyone lured into the theater by promise of gang wars, MTV-style. This production was a very bad idea.

I chose this review because of our discussion in class and because I saw both movies, the original and the re-make. I was wondering which movie people liked the best.

MTV Movie Award-Best Kiss

We all know that a big element of romance is kissing. To honor this important element,the kiss, MTV Movie Awards has a category for "the best kiss." A few movies are nominated but as usual only one wins. I thought the winner was the best, all the other movies did not seem as romantic. What do you think?

Romance Novels

The romance genre is the genre that I like the least. It appeals more to the feminine side of many, rather than at the masculine side. The themes that I found most prevelant in the romance movies and books that I have read or viewed were social barriers between the couple, some tear-jerking, sappy moment when everything is perfect for the characters, and an injury or illness in some of the most recent romance movies.
I found this list of the top 100 romance novels preferred by readers on the website www.theromancereader.com. There are such classics on this list as "Gone With the Wind" and "Pride and Prejudice". I have read "Pride and Prejudice" and frankly I found it to be a boring book, maybe that's because I am a male and find romance novels a waste of my time, but I don't know for sure.
Many of the author's names are repeated numerous times, as they seemingly have a knack for the romance genre.

I am also posting two links besides the highlighted one.

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mmitchel.htm - "Gone With the Wind" info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice -Pride and Prejudice info

History of Romance Films

Romance Films are also known as common love stories that are put on film. Romance films are similar in the way that they all have challenges that the couples have to face, while trying to express their love. Love is a beatiful thing and I feel that god put love on this each for a reason, so why not use it in films to make money? Some romance films can be used to guide a confused couple in the right direction. Here is a link to popular romance films and a ton of information on the history of romance films. Enjoy!!!!!

Great Expectations: a romance?

"Great Expectations" was originally written by Charles Dickens and followed a boy named Pip around as he aspired to be an artist. His romantic life with Estella was just a side plot to the book and it actually revolved more around Estella's evil side. The book was turned into two movies, both with the same title, at different time periods. The screenplay for the 1947 movie version followed the book more accurately than the 1998 version. Ebert even states, "Certainly that's the case with David Lean's `Great Expectations' (1946), which has been called the greatest of all the Dickens films, and which does what few movies based on great books can do: Creates pictures on the screen that do not clash with the images already existing in our minds." Like most Hollywood films, the 1998 screenplay focuses on the romantic relationship between Finn (Pip) and Estella, and completely changes our image in the book. Not only does the plot change, but the majority of the characters's names. In Eberts review of the 1998 film he mentions how it is a romance by saying, "`Great Expectations'' begins as a great movie (I was spellbound by the first 30 minutes) but ends as only a good one, and I think that's because the screenplay, by Mitch Glazer, too closely follows the romantic line." The reason I believe it is a romance is because all of Finn's actions revolve around how they will effect his relationship with Estella. He decides to go to New York becaue Miss Dinsmoor tells him Estella's there. Most of his paintings are of Estella. However, others may disagree. "Great Expectations" isn't the only movie that people debate on whether it falls under the romance genre or not. Try finding other movies that may be in debate on the genre it falls under and if it's similar to "Great Expectations" because it is originally a book or a remake of another movie.

Children and violence

I found this article that linked aggression in children with violence in media and I agree with it completely. It goes into detail about how much violence is viewed and what the effect is on the people who view the violence. This would be good a good thing for parents to read because of the tips throughout it.

The True Effects of Violence on Our Kids

This link lists the effects of violence on children today and what you can do to stop it. I'ld check it out if I were you, so that you can judge if that is really true. Wouldn't you trust The American Academic of Pediatrics to get it right?

FELONY FIGHTS!!!

Violence has come up to new level. Today, it is hard to avoid violence in media. Especially with stuff like the FELONY FIGHTS dvds. I came across one of these dvds about a year ago. The makers of these movies basically pick up ex convicts and pay them to brawl with no protection out in the streets. This clips shows one of these fights. This clip is actually not as bad as the ones that i have seen. Its very violent so kids dont try this at home.

"A History Of Violence" its more than just the title

I had first head that this movie was a change of pace from most other action thillers. And while the story-line is a lot deeper than in most movies the violence is just as crude if not worse.

In countless scenes the killings, beatings, and even sex acts are shown in an extreme light. And while they each help give the movie a unique individuality, they are often used too much.

The movie could have gotten the same point across even if it was toned down a few notches.

TV and Film Violence

The results of a study released in March, 2002 that tracked 700 male and female youths over a seventeen-year period showed a definite relationship between TV viewing habits and acts of aggression and crime in the later life.
All other possible contributing environmental elements, such as poverty, living in a violent neighborhood, and neglect, were factored out of this study.
According to one of the authors of the study, the findings help cement the link between TV and violence. The study is detailed in the Science journal.

American Me-Violence in Film

American Me is a film starring Edward James Olmos. It deals with the life full of violence, poverty, and crime that three friends deal with in L.A. There are many scences of violence in this movie including scenes where a man is burned to death, one where a man is sodomized with a shank, and yet another one where a young boy takes part in a drive by shooting in order to become part of a gang. I chose this movie because it was shown to me by a friend and it seemed to speak out about the types of violence that happens every day in our world.

"A life of violence is traced from the Zoot Suit riots of the 1940s to the bloody streets of the 199os."-Rotten Tomatoes

The link that I have posted has a great, detailed description of the plot and violence of the movie.

Rap Music and Violence

Does listening to rap music put you at risk to be engaged in violence. According to the linked article it does. Hearing rappers rap about killing, hurting, or inappropiate behavior makes it seem like it's okay to do that. Studies have shown that the more teens listen to this, they are more likely to act out in violence.

Sid Kirchheimer states, "Teens who spend more time watching the sex and violence depicted in the "reel" life of "gangsta" rap music videos are more likely to practice these behaviors in real life, suggests one of the first studies to specifically explore how rap videos influence emotional and physical health."

Click on the following link to review about rap music influencing violence.

Link

Out of Control?

It is a proven fact that media violence has had a great impact on socitety. Since the day we are born we are exposed to violent images. The problem is that some children have trouble diciphering the difference between fake and real violence. They do not realize the consequences of their actions. The constant stream of violence has warped some children. There is not much that can be done about it though. We can not control the T.V. we must teach the children. LEts face it we live in a violent world and there is no getting rid of it in real life or T.V.

Violence From Those Who You Expect Least: The Police!

Do the police take advantage of that uniform that they wear? You may have not heard of many instances, only because you hear of all the great things the police are praised for on the news. The media seems to leave out the smaller details and the cases in which innocent civilians are hurt as a result of unnecessary police violence. Everyone makes mistakes, including the police. Consequently, these mistakes can cause people their lives and portray the police as a violent icon in our communities. The following link is just some of the cases, most of which may not have been broadcasted on the news, in which police have commited acts of violence.

John Woo Says No To Violence

"[John Woo] believes September 11th has changed the American film industry."

This small articles covers John Woo's declation on controlling the violence in movies as response to the terrorist attacks against America. John Woo goes on to say that Hollywood should 'instead make movies with encouraging stories.' This is quite a surprise coming from the progenitor of "hyper kinetic" violence in films.

Teen Violence

It's not right just to blame the media for the violence. It can also begin at home or even at school. "When children are disciplined with severe corporal punishment or verbal abuse, or when they are physically or sexually abused, or when they witness such behavior in their home, it is not surprising that they behave violently toward others." Many teens abuse other teens because that's what they witness at home.

Do you like violent video games?

In this article... it is said that parents are coming to the conclusion that teen boys who play violent video games are violent people. What is it that would make people think that video games would influence teens? why are they stereotyped against boys? dont girls play too? This article touches on some of those ideas... but try to get you own opinion on this question... did violence in video games influence the shootings in the schools?

A GREAT EXAMPLE OF VIOLENCE IN FILM

In my opinion, American History X is a great example of violence in a film. This man is very evil and cruel and doesn't appear to have a heart. I believe that this movie is not appropriate for children under the age of 13. This specific scene is very disturbing, so beware class! Don't say I didn't warn you.

Kill Bill

Watch Kill Bill 1 & 2 for plenty of hyper kinetic violence (and sword fights) and the lead role is played by a female.

Grand Theft Auto: Violence and Sex

Grand Theft Auto: a game many kids love to play. It promotes violence throughout the whole game. There are missions to kill people, rob, destroy buildings or cars, and even stalk people. You can recuperate your health by the help of hookers in the game. Now, there are cheat codes to get to activate pornographic scenerios where you are in control... The game is being blamed now for a shooting, "lawyers for 18-year-old Devin Moore, accused of killing police officers, are blaming that game for a cold-blooded shooting spree that took place in Alabama."

(I don't think my other blog linked correctly, SORRY guys)

wrestling...takin' it to the yard!

We all see, or at least some of us, wrestling on t.v. Ok, so some of it is fake but little kids don't know this. They are prone to imitate their heroes and don't know the difference between acting and reality. They're more likely to be violent with other little kids. Well, these kids are older and probably know how some of professional wrestling is fake but I guess they like to imitate their heroes...and take it to the extreme.