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.