Are Hollywood New Released Movies Going to be All Remakes?
Author: Neil Gerstein
All Right! Who's up for a night of movies, buttered popcorn, your favorite candy and ice cold slushies? A show of hands please. Yeah, just what I thought, pretty much everyone is. I doubt we will ever get tired of America's greatest national treasure, watching new released movies. Whether it's in the comfort of our own homes, or in the local movie theater, we are in love with watching movies. But wait a minute! As with most good things, there is a bad side or two. Have you ever noticed that most of the movie review guys are over-weight? What do you think you would look like if you went to every new release movie and ate all of that buttery popcorn and calorie laden candy? Can you say Big Fat Fatty? I guess a good Hollywood film is worth a little fat.
The thing that really aggravates me is the way Hollywood is spitting out all of those movie remakes and stamping them as new released movies. Can anyone tell me why are all the new released movies are re-makes of old flicks, TV shows, cartoon characters or comic book heroes? Come to think of it, how many comic book heroes are there anyway? Can't anyone use their imagination anymore? This is really starting to bother me. I have to go see how many comic book super hero new released movies?
I probably shouldn't complain so much. After all, one of my favorite movies is Robin Hood with Errol Flynn and all though it is considered a movie classic, it was just another new released movie remake. Another good new released movie I went to see was Peter Jackson's re-make of the film "King Kong." OK, I'll admit it. There are some good movie remakes out there but the reason this film was good was Peter Jackson who just finished making the critically acclaimed and Academy Award winning "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy was completely obsessed with remaking "King Kong", and although he used all of today's special effects technology to help him pull it off; it was the fact that he pretty much stuck to the plot combined with good acting that made this a successful new released movie. It took a really good director to make it again and show what it truly could be using today's technology.
Alright, just because I just mentioned a couple of good remakes and I'm sure there are more, doesn't get all the other poorly made new released movies off the hook. Someone please tell me, why in the world did they re-make "The Omen"? In my opinion the original Omen was fantastic. The movie wasn't that old, they really couldn't improve on the special effects and the lead actor was Gregory Peck, need I say more. There are times when some thing is done so well it just can not be improved upon, and this was one of them. When a movie is that good, why can't they just re-release the original movie as a new released movie, why do they have to remake it?
For some reason they remake horror films more than any other genre. And I understand that with today's superior special effects the temptation is just too strong not to want to remake everyone's favorite scary movies. But, guess what Hollywood? The reason most people go to see a new released horror or hack and slash movie is the suspense, the unknown. Guess what? When you remake a horror or hack and slash movie, the suspense is gone, the unknown is known. Use your collective imaginations and make a completely original new released movie so we can start using our imaginations once again. I have actually heard remakes called "re-imaginations" and that's a sad thing. So please stop taking the "thrill" out of the thriller.
Listen, I think I have a solution to this whole new released movies and movie remake problem. I understand that you are releasing more new movies than ever and that they are being shown in the movie theatres for less time than ever so they can be re-released as DVD's for sale or rent in places like Blockbuster and Hollywood Movies or sold as PPV to cable networks. I understand it's all about the money, but why not remake movies that didn't fare so well when they were new released movies. Take those movies that have a decent plot but because the producers didn't have a very big budget or the director sucked or the actors couldn't act and do whatever it takes to make them good movies that we will enjoy watching, slap a new title on them and put them in theatres as new released movies. Sounds like a money making plan to me. Before I end this, I was thinking of doing a remake of this article instead of writing a new one. What do you think? Let me know. In the mean time, surf on over to Movies, Music, Games & More and download all of the new released movies and movie remakes you want for free.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/are-hollywood-new-released-movies-going-to-be-all-remakes-196969.html
About the Author:Neil Gerstein writes informative articles on various subjects when he isn't busy building and promoting his own websites. He currently have two websites that are great for content. At Movies, Music, Games & More he reviews the best unlimited free download sites for movies, music, games and more. At The Health Nut Health and Fitness News & More
Budgeting a Film From Experience
Author: Ray James
Preparing a film budget can be very tricky and time consuming. First you need to breakdown the script to even start thinking about the budget.
1. How many actors do you need? How many days do you need them? Are you using SAG actors? Are you paying them a daily, weekly, or buy-out rate?
2. How many locations do you need? Is there travel involved?
3. How big of a crew do you need? Do you need a Director of Photography and a Camera Operator? How many people do you need in your Art Department? Do you really need 3 Electrics and 3 Grips? Is Craft Service needed? What should I expect to pay each crew person? Will there be overtime?
4. How and what are your feeding your actors and crew?
5. Can I afford the effects? Do I need to hire an Effects Supervisor?
6. How much am I getting paid? How much am I worth? How much do I deserve?
7. What about equipment? Am I shooting film, HD, or DV? Can I afford film processing?
8. How long should I expect Post-Production to be? What about finishing and delivery?
9. Do I need to budget for festivals?
10. Is this budget realistic?
These are only a few of the questions you should be asking yourself. My feature feature was difficult and I was determined to make it for $3,000. I pulled in a lot of favors and ultimately I should have spent more time developing the script, but it was only a $3,000 lesson.
You may think ONLY a $3,000 lesson? I consider it money well spent. I learn a lot about budgeting, prepping, shooting, and finishing a feature film. Well, not finishing. Like I said, I should have spent more time on the script and the film sits on an external hard drive in my closet. But, had I not been determined to stick to my budget it could have been a lot worse. Thankfully, it was my money and not someone else's.
When I shot this film, I had gone to film school and worked as a 1st AD for a few years. I knew enough to prepare the production budget, but I was clueless about the post-production, which I ended up doing myself.
As I prepared the budget for my $1 million feature, I knew I needed help. I not only learned more about script development, but I also needed to know more about post-production. After spending several days at Barnes & Noble, I found my saving grace "Film & Video Budgets" by Michael Wiese.
I have prepared over fifty budgets since and I always keep it by my side for easy reference.
Helpful tip: Go big and you can always cut your way back to a reasonable number. It can hurt, but it's better to start with everything that way you want it and make compromises.
About the Author: Ray James, a 15-year film, television, and internet industry vet and contributor to Get Your Film Funded. Also, a freelance writer for several other websites including, ElectionBook.com and 1764ent.com - Caribbean Travel for Men.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/budgeting-a-film-from-experience-208784.html
About the Author:About the Author: Ray James, a 15-year film, television, and internet industry vet and contributor to Get Your Film Funded. Also, a freelance writer for several other websites including, ElectionBook.com and 1764ent.com - Caribbean Travel for Men. This article may be used for free as long the about the author section is not removed, deleted,, or altered.
When in Rome Visit the Film Festival
Author: Andrew Regan
While Rome, affectionately referred to as la Citta Eterna ("the Eternal City"), is often visited due to its rich history, its stunning architecture or renowned cuisine, later this month from the 18th to the 27th of October, visitors can experience the Rome Film Festival. Although it is only in its second year, it has attracted a high number of private sponsors, and the City Council of Rome, in the name of the Mayor and film-buff Walter Veltroni, the Province of Rome and the Lazio Region all strongly support it both in terms of institutional communication and economic investment.
The actual title of the festival in Italian is Festa, which could be translated as feast, not festival, and is apt, since it is more a celebration of the joy of cinema than a regular film festival. Indeed, though the Rome Film Festival’s jury includes a renowned director as its president, last year Ettore Scola, the rest of the 50 jurors are not film professionals but are, in fact, regular moviegoers selected both in Italy and Europe.
Although it enjoys fierce rivalry with the Venice Film Festival, The Rome Film Festival has attracted its own audience and this year will host the world premiere of 11 new films. Among the most exciting is 'Youth Without Youth' - Francis Ford Coppola's first feature film in a decade. The film is about a timid Romanian professor who becomes young again after being hit by lightning. The five-time Oscar-winning director wrote the film based on a novella by Romanian philosopher-author Mircea Eliade and has been described as his "third renaissance" after 'Apocalypse Now' and 'The Godfather'.
Coppola's film appears out of competition, along with a number of American films exploring the political climate post 9/11. These include Robert Redford's 'Lions for Lambs' and Gavin Hood’s 'Rendition'. 'Lions for Lambs' stars Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep and tells the story of two soldiers wounded behind enemy lines in Afghanistan and the repercussions back home. 'Rendition' is about an American woman trying to track down her Egyptian-born husband, who is held at a secret CIA detention centre. It also stars Meryl Streep, as well as Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon.
The 14 movies in competition for the top Marcus Aurelius award for Best Film include 'El Pasado' (The Past), with Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, 'Li Chun' (translated as 'And the Spring Comes') from China's Chang Wei Gu, 'Barcelona (un mapa)' (translated as 'Barcelona, a Map') by Spain's Ventura Pons and Alain Corneau's 'La Deuxieme Souffle' (translated as 'Second Wind'), starring Monica Bellucci and Daniel Auteuil. Separate awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, as well as a special jury prize, will also be handed out.
In addition to the more mainstream fare, the festival also boasts dedicated sections for alternative productions and documentaries, children films, first films by new directors and the craft of acting.
Visitors wishing to experience the Rome Film Festival can take advantage of cheap flights to Rome’s two main international airports, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, more commonly known as "Fiumicino airport", and Ciampino International Airport. From either airport travellers can catch a train or bus or arrange private transfer to get to their final destination with ease. Hotels in Rome can be booked online in advance, which is recommended, especially due to the popularity of the festival. Last year’s inaugural edition attracted half-a-million visitors and this year is looking to top that.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/when-in-rome-visit-the-film-festival-231019.html
About the Author:Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
The Five Best Halloween Movies Ever
Author: Jon Murray
First of all I want to distinguish between the best horror movies and the best Halloween movies. I think I have a good example. Jaws is an excellent horror movie, but a poor Halloween movie. The chances of a huge great white attacking you in the dark on Halloween is pretty minimal, unless you live on a boat. An example of a good horror movie for Halloween would be a movie like "The Shining" as insanity is always scary.
To decide what are the best Halloween movies we must first come up with some criteria. Certainly they must be scary...and not in a "Jaws" kind of way. If they have some sort of fog in them, that would be cool and of course there should be an element of the macabre. Here are my top 5 Halloween movies and why.
5. How can you pick the top five Halloween movies without including Halloween on the list. I'll take the original 1978 version with a very young Jamie Lee Curtis in it. Michael Myers has become a horror legend since this movie.
"Brutal, emotionless Michael Myers stabs his sister to death at age six on Halloween night in 1963; on October 30, 1978, he escapes from a mental institution and institutes a new reign of terror in his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. He is pursued the whole time by a psychiatrist (Donald Pleasence) who knows just how evil this young man is."
4. You cannot have a top 5 list without Pycho being on it. Norman Bates has become somewhat of a horror legend and the shower scene was unmatched in it's day. The suspense using music and imagery that Hitchcock brings to this movie is amazing and the perfect casting of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates finishes it. Alfred Hitchcock deserves to be on this list and if I was listing by scary movie directors he would be #1. Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window all stick out in my mind as some of the best ever.
3. Wolf Creek sits at #3 in my list. Many of you will probably second guess this one, but for some reason this movie really got to me. Maybe it's the torture scene, but for some reason I found this movie much more disturbing than the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes and other movies which are meant to terrorize us.
2. Friday the 13th. This one is especially scary for those of us who like camping or cottaging. The thought that some nut is out there in a hockey mask waiting for us in the dark is what makes campfire stories so compelling.
1. Everyone has their favourites and reasons why. I believe that horror movies you watched as a young child have more of an effect on you than ones watched as an adult. I can name 4 or 5 that I've watched this year which are scarier than 1973's "The Exorcist", but in it's day The Exorcist was probably the scariest movie made. Scenes from it still sick in my mind to the point that even parody's of it still creep me out.
In my honorable mention category I have movies like Saw, Hostel, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining (of course) and many others too numerous to mention. This Halloween, pick up some scary movies and watch them with friends. Happy Halloween!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/the-five-best-halloween-movies-ever-218358.html
About the Author:Halloween movie reviews aren't everyone's cup of tea, how about some Free Classic Books from http://www.free-classic-books.com - Free Classic Books