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Movie Theaters And Good Health Don't Mix

With movies becoming quite popular, there are quite a few questions regarding its effect on the health of moviegoers. More often than not, the thoughts arise with regards to movie theaters, as opposed to looking at movies at your home. Mostly because of the extreme sound effects and the massive screens in the atmosphere with regards to the movies theater. The majority of movie buffs will certainly swear by viewing films in movie theaters, with their good quality surround sound units and big screens, however, many specialists have expressed considerations.

Movie theaters have been guilty of playing movies much too loudly, which can have side effects on the eardrums of some film lovers. Specifically vulnerable, are small children, who have much more sensitive underdeveloped eardrums, than do grown ups. Should you depart the movie theaters with a ringing in the ear canal, it means that harm might have been caused directly to them, and repeated episodes can cause long term harm that could be avoided. To treat this challenge, a good answer would be to wear a good pair of ear plugs. One other issue with movie theaters is precisely related to 3D movies. As of recent, 3D films have become more popular. That's why this information is very important. Men and women must be well-advised that 3D innovation in movies might cause severe headaches, faintness and a sick stomach. However,experts in photosensitive epilepsy declare that a Three dimensional film playing in movie theaters wouldn't amount to seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.

Movies also can affect the body and your brain in different ways as a film transports its message by way of emotion. In turn, this leads to an emotional release, which isn't always a bad thing. Case in point, a comedy film can distance an individual from their problems, thereby reducing emotional stress, and lowering blood pressure levels. In contrast to feeling good from watching a comedy there could be an opposite feeling when viewing a horror movie.An intensive horror film can certainly, however, rise heart rate and hypertension, and may even induce painful memories or occurrences. For this reason, it will always be highly recommended to be aware of your own health problems as well as problems involved with watching a particular film at the movie theaters. Should a film may put you in danger, just avoid it for something a little more subtle.

Harvey Bernstein writes for a website that specialized in articles and techniques surrounded around the movie and television business. Don't get caught out there. Learn more about tips and enjoy the movie information. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

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New 'Avengers' Flick Churned Out Major Action, Explosions And More

Marvel Studios released a new super hero movie "The Avengers" into theaters. I checked it out, and I thought it was quite fun to watch because it served up major action right from the start, and never stopped.

In fact, the action and tensions got even more scorching hot as the movie progressed along. In the new film, Thor's evil, really crazy, brother Loki came flying through a dimensional portal that was produced by an energy source that Nick Fury and the SHIELD group was playing around with, known as the Tesseract.

As soon as Loki arrived, he began a mad tare, murdering a lot of people, and used his energy staff to get certain people to perform his bidding, including Hawkeye and physicist consultant Dr. Erik Selvig.

This swiftly prompted Nick Fury to resurrect the old "Avengers" strategy, that was previously deactivated, in an attempt to deal with the dangers Loki posed on the earth. Once all the heroes were recruited into action, they were able to obtain Loki and imprison him. Unfortunately, it was too late, since he already set an operation in gear to open a portal with the Tesseract that would let his evil army to enter the world.

At some point, Loki's men attacked the SHIELD ship, allowing Loki to get free, and that's when the real madness commenced. Bruce transformed into the Hulk, and started tearing up the ship they were on, a huge gunfight broke out, and it turned into total Chaos in the sky.

Towards the end of the film, Loki used physicist consultant Dr. Erik Selvig, with mind control, to open the portal, which let in all of Loki's evil, monster army, and they totally began killing off almost everything. The Avengers teamed up to ward them off as best they could, however, unless they sealed the portal, the drama would continue.

At some point, they were able to discover a remedy, and blow up the source of the monsters' power. However, it truly was anything but uncomplicated. The movie was fantastic to view, because it served up a great deal of elements, including some excellent humor with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Ironman. It also provided some hardcore showdown, fight, scenes, and extreme explosions. It was very wicked.

I also liked how they gave, almost, similar screen time to all the heroes, and genuinely displayed their strengths. It really served up a fascinating dynamic, especially between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark as they are both extremely smart.

More movie news is always available at newzhot.

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New Hindi Films Attract Huge New Fan Base

At one point in time, Hollywood was the world's center for film making industry. While it is still the center of the American film industry, other parts of the world are developing their own centers. Bollywood is not an actual location, but it refers to the center of the film industry of India, and the new hindi films being made today, show off the distinctive features of Bollywood productions.

Hindi is the language spoken in most of these films. It is one of the major, official languages of India and is spoken by a large percentage of the population. It also lends itself readily to the musical genre of movie making. Therefore, a large number of these hindi movies feature a song and dancing.

In general, these Indian-based movies tend to be much more family centric than those produced in Hollywood. They deal more with the everyday life of people and the problems they encounter. Musical romance is among the most popular film genres produced in Bollywood with music being an important part of all the best Hindi films.

Of course, they also have their own action/adventure stars and movies. One thing that has not been seen in movies produced by Bollywood is a complete segmentation of movie industry genres. Most producers still try to create something that will appeal to a broad audience base. American films tend to be sorted into specific genres that each appeal to a segment of population.

New hindi films are available from a variety of sources. There are several websites on the internet that allow users to download or stream movie trailers and clips. Many of these sites also allow users to view entire movies.

Some scenes depicted in older trailers might seem familiar to audiences from other global locations, despite the language difference. This is because Indian film writers were forced to borrow plots and themes from other sources around the world in order to meet the deadlines they were placed under. India has tightened up the enforcement of copyright laws in response to accusations of plagiarism from different fronts.

While the cinematography of hindi films was once very inferior to the quality of work produced in western cultures, this is no longer the case. The increased popularity of Bollywood productions on a global level has helped to fuel advances in technology and craftsmanship that bring new Hindi films up on a par with anyone, including stunt shooting and animation.

While many do not yet realize it, Bollywood has had an influence on the rest of the world. The global interest has also had an effect on Bollywood, resulting in more global themes and costumes. The process has occurred so slowly that many Indians do not even realize the foreign influences exist.

To checkout the great quality hindi films that are being produced these days, go to [ http://www.newhindifilms.org/ ] and browse info, reviews & video clips [ http://www.newhindifilms.org/ ]

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One Tree Hill - The Enthralling Drama TV Series That Is Bound to Captivate You!

Someone's chickens will ALWAYS come home to roost, this is truly the case in the One Tree Hill TV series. One Tree Hill is set in a small town known as Tree Hill in North Carolina, and the show focuses on the various characters. The show is based around Lucas and Nathan who are half brothers - however the only thing they share in common is their surname. Lucas is a brilliant street-side basketball player; but his river court mates are the only guys who admire his talent. However the affluent Nathan takes all the credit, and he is thought of as the star player for his high school's team by virtually every in town.

The father of the two boys is former college ball player Dan Scott; whose prior decision to ditch Lucas and his mother (Karen), will come back to burden him long into his life with the wife he later married (Deb) and Nathan, their son.

Dan had been successful in keeping both his sons far apart, until now. However, when the basketball coach of Tree Hill chooses to recruit Lucas to the team, the past and the present catches up with Dan and Nathan.

The competition between the half brothers gets taken to a whole new level when the two boys set their sights on the same girl, Peyton.

The One Tree Hill TV series basically follows the lives and dramas of Lucas, Nathan and their family and friends as they guided through school, married life, and finally through adulthood.

The general consensus from the viewing public is that One Tree Hill is a highly emotional, heart warming and inspirational drama series that is absolutely captivating to watch. The main characters stay in the hearts of the fans thanks to the highly talented actors and actresses on the show. Viewers are captivated by the roller coaster ride of the characters happiness, pain, sadness and love. Many people can relate to this show; from the high school student, to the married adult, the show's characters continue to inspire people from all walks of life.

As well as inspiring wider audiences One Tree Hill shows that life has it's ups and downs and without experiencing pain, fear, sadness, anger, disappointment and heartbreak, one would not truly appreciate the joy, love, courage, pride, fulfillment, and accomplishments that ALWAYS turn up and make life truly worth living.

It is easy to see how the much loved One Tree Hill has now lasted 9 seasons and hopefully continue much longer.

No keen fan of this drama will want to see it come to a conclusion, but even when it does finish; the show has had a great run and will always be remembered.

I am almost finished all the episodes of One Tree Hill. You gotta see it for yourself!

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Phyllis and Harold (2008)

In our youth-obsessed culture, something awful happens to people of a certain age. We take away their humanity. Once white hair and wrinkles achieve a certain critical mass, we tend to think of the individual as a mute, taxidermied version of a once vital family member who gets only minimal attention. And when a couple makes it to this stage, they're looked upon as cute and cuddly - we assume happiness and harmony.

Not so with Phyllis and Harold, a captivating documentary by Cindy Kleine. It's an unflinching portrait of her parents' marriage of nearly 60 years that was anything but a storybook romance - and couldn't be told until after the death of her father.

It opens slyly with a scene of Phyllis and Harold Kleine in the kitchen, going about their day-to-day routine. They bicker. They tease. They're cute. And then, there's a cut to Kleine, who addresses the camera and tells us that for as long as she can remember she's been trying to figure out who these people are and why they were together. The answers unfold as a kind of 20th century suburban tragedy.

Harold emerges as a kind of World War II era everyman - a dentist version of the guys on Mad Men - confident and primed for success in the upper end of the post-war middle class, determined to provide his wife and two daughters with all the material comfort he can afford. He exhaustively documented his family's life, taking photographs and home movies of daily events and the globetrotting vacations he lavished on his wife. His version of their life together is a happy one.

Phyllis has a different take altogether. From her first words, Phyllis paints a picture of regret, of having settled. It's a naked confession that blows the movie wide open and turns it into something completely other than what I expected. The source of regret is an affair with a married man that began before she married Harold, but carried on into their first years as husband and wife.

Kleine interviews her parents separately, and what is striking is how alike they view the facts of their marriage, but how differently the meaning. Their interviews are intercut to a chilling effect - underscoring how people so close for so long can yet be miles apart.

Phyllis ended the affair after five years, unwilling to walk out and unable to live with the stress of a double-life. "I didn't see how you could build a building on such a hurtful relationship - all the hurt we would inflict," she said. The man "disappeared to California. But I never stopped thinking about him."

Harold, oblivious to the affair, focused on his career and a string of real estate investments, while Phyllis decorated the house and focused on their social life. Their housekeeper took care of the girls and was a source of comfort in the midst of their parents' constant battles. The Kleines come across as a family in a David Sedaris story. Phyllis systematically turned her daughters against her father through the use of secrets - withholding information from Harold that would anger or hurt him - so that, despite her emotional distance, the three were unified by a common enemy.

I would have liked to have heard more about Harold - gotten his side of the story - but I understand why Kleine gave a pat explanation for him and pushed him to the background. Secrets. That, and her mother's interviews are mesmerizing. There's a confessional quality to them that borders on the voyeuristic to watch - her emotions ranging from shame and regret to pure joy as she reflects on her true love. It's a rare glimpse into an aspect of marriage that's almost never explored this honestly.

Harold never learned of his wife's secret. He died during the making of the documentary, alleviating his youngest daughter of the burden of what to do with such hurtful material. And with him out of the way, the daughters help orchestrate a reunion with the man who siphoned off so much of their mother's attention over the years. It made me want to know more about Harold - what he did to make it so easy for his daughters to discount the betrayal and facilitate their mother's wishes.

It's easy to judge, but I'm betting we all walk around with secrets, shame, and guilt that we never confess. Cindy Kleine has given us a document of one woman's unrepentant confession, and though it may be painful to watch, it's impossible to turn away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvmFG8JEWqU&feature=related

Scott Slucher is grateful to have grown up in a household with many books and almost no restrictions on TV viewing, the breeding ground for a pop culture obsession that is explored at http://www.slucherville.com/. These days, his scribbling is limited to a commentary of season 5 of Mad Men.

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Prometheus Review - Symbols and Themes

Prometheus, directed and produced by Ridley Scott, had quite a bit of hype, especially from me. It was great, and had a few plot holes in the second half that didn't quite ruin it, but were unpleasant. Many viewers will not "get it" if they have not seen and remember the original Alien movie. It's not just another shoot-em-up sci-fi movie, it's a pretty big deal for fans of the series. If you plan on seeing Prometheus and don't remember the 1979 Alien film or haven't seen it, I think it's essential that you watch Alien first.

The characters were good. Not phenomenal, but good. And the acting was excellent, for the most part. I felt sorry for the archaeologist, Elizabeth Shaw, and I just wanted to give her a hug the whole second half of the movie. The android, David, was also a memorable character. Elements of Blade Runner were present in this character, specifically the idea of the "tears in the rain" monologue. In fact, the actor for the android avoided watching the original Alien movies, and instead got the inspiration for his character from Blade Runner.

The two screen writers, John Spaihts and Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost), did a decent job. Spaihts is somewhat new to the writing scene, but has experience writing sci-fi. He wrote the original script, but then Lindelof rewrote it, probably fixing some things while creating more plot holes. I think it was the script that took away the most from the film. I don't know which writer is more responsible. But I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say Lindelof, considering he's been writing about being stranded on a tropical island for years, and then suddenly jumps into the sci-fi genre. Seriously, someone who once wrote for a MTV show called Undressed--clearly a sign of writing just for money--has no business messing with the Alien universe. I just had to let that out.

The cinematography was amazing. Just as expected from a Ridley Scott movie. The intro shots were especially good, and the imagery provided in the opening scene let me know that Scott had not forgotten that important part of Alien. Most of Scott's movies are deep and full of thematic elements. He did not disappoint with this one.

---SPOILERS BELOW---

The movie opens with a humanoid, pale alien standing on top of a waterfall on Earth, probably tens of thousands of years ago. He drinks a black liquid (which seems to be alive) and we witness rapid changes in his DNA, as the strands are twisted apart. His skin starts to deteriorate and he falls into the waterfall, with his limbs falling apart. He dies and supposedly plants his DNA in Earth, so it can have life. I think the purpose of this scene is to show that the humanoid aliens are responsible for life on Earth.

The first half of the movie is the best. I appreciate buildup. The two main scientists are trying to discover these "Engineers" on an alien planet, indicated by star maps found across Earth. The Engineers are assumed to be the creators of human life; the humanoid at the beginning scene was an Engineer. I find it funny that Meredith, the Weyland Corporation employee, is so controlling of their expedition. It's allegorical to PhD researchers who have to deal with being controlled all the time.

Throughout the first half especially, it was surprisingly philosophical and spiritual. I know that Ridley Scott wanted to take it this way; he believes that most science fiction films don't cover these topics, when they should. During their transit to the alien planet, which takes two years in cryosleep, David (the android) observes Shaw's (the female archaeologist) dreams. In the dream she is a little girl with her dad on what seems to be a digging expedition. A cross necklace appears over the image in the dream a few times; this symbol becomes important later on. She and her dad discuss what happens after death, and her dad says it's something like paradise. She asks why he says so, and he replies "because that's what I choose to believe."

David, being an android who is troubled by his existence, is the main cause of all the trouble that ensues. At one point he asks Charlie Holloway (Shaw's love interest) why they created him. Holloway replies "because we could." David goes on to ask if Holloway would be satisfied if he asked his creator that question, and got the same answer. There are many points like this in the movie, which help propagate the existential dilemma that exists in the human mind. The whole philosophical part of the movie is based around the "greatest question," regarding who/what created us and why, who created the creator and why, and so on. I think the important conclusion in the movie to this question, is that there is no answer, and never will be. It's about living with existence and enjoying it best you can.

It's not exactly known why David infects Holloway with the black fluid. It's either due to his immense curiosity or receiving orders from Peter Weyland, who is secretly hiding on the ship. After Holloway is infected by taking the drink offered to him by David, he visits Shaw in her room. She's found that the Engineer's DNA is a match to human DNA. Holloway says they've found their creators, and tells her she can take her father's cross off now. She refuses to, saying that they don't know who created their creators.

We learn that Shaw is unable to bear children, and she's quite upset about it. The two proceed to sleep together that night. And it's easy to see it coming that whatever was in Holloway's system would be in her system now. On their next expedition outside, Holloway becomes too sick and ends up volunteering to be immolated, to avoid spreading the infection. The event was traumatic for Shaw, but Holloway's death didn't have much of an impact on the plot.

After Holloway's death, David is checking Shaw for infections in the medical bay. David insists that she takes off her cross necklace for the body scan. She complies and David takes the cross. She learns that she is three months pregnant. It's also revealed that it is "not a traditional fetus." Almost immediately after learning this, she says "I want it out" and screams "get it out of me."Â Just ten hours ago, she was desperate to have a child, and now she wants an abortion. She doesn't know whether or not it's dangerous, but she assumes it is. David reflects on the circumstances and says "it must feel like your God abandoned you." The symbolism here is obvious.

The next scene is one of the most disturbing I've seen in a movie, not just because of the graphic aspect, but the emotion as well. Shaw escapes from the medical bay and finds the emergency surgery pod, in hopes to remove the developing fetus. She finds out that the pod is meant for male patients only, after requesting a caesarean section. I find it odd that it would be calibrated for male patients only. There's a symbolic importance in this, I haven't quite figured it out yet. She proceeds to have a "foreign body" removal surgery instead, and injects herself with painkillers and enters the pod. The painkillers are not enough for anesthesia, and the process is painful. Her lower stomach is slit open and a mechanical arm reaches in and pulls out the alien fetus, which begins squirming violently, trying to get back inside her stomach.

She's now trapped inside the surgery pod with the partially developed alien baby being held above her, as her stomach is stitched back up. She manages to get out of the pod and contain the alien inside. Since it was moving around in her stomach, it was probably gestated enough to survive on its own outside. I think Ridley Scott was referring to this scene and a few others when he was asked about the rating and said "the question is, do you go for the PG-13, or do you go for what it should be, which is R? Financially it makes quite a difference... essentially it's kinda R... it's not just about blood, it's about ideas that are very stressful."

What happened next really threw me off. She re-enters the medical bay and it is revealed that Peter Weyland, the founder of the Weyland company, is alive and aboard the ship. The main reason this threw me off is because the mood set from the last scene was completely lost and forgotten. There is no mention ever made by anyone of the alien fetus that was inside Shaw. But her pain is still clearly presented.

So Peter Weyland is much too old to be alive (obviously being kept alive by technology--transhumanism) and wishes to ask the Engineers to extend his life. His character is someone who has not accepted death, and is desperately clinging to life. In order for him to walk into the buried ship with the Engineers, he must have mechanical assistance from a suit he wears. He doesn't even get to ask his question to the awakened Engineer before being pummeled to death by it. I guess he got his answer.

The Engineer that was awakened doesn't appear that intelligent, even though they are presented as super-intelligent beings. He refuses trying to communicate with the humans and just resorts to killing them. He then readies the ship in order to go to Earth and spread the black liquid among the population, which appears to be a biological weapon at this point, which mutates humans into overpowered monsters. This is the part of the plot that's annoying, it feels like it was just kind of thrown in there.

The captain back on the human ship decides to sacrifice himself to bring down the ship by suicide bombing it, to prevent Earth from being destroyed. The two other crew members on the bridge agree to sacrifice themselves as well. They had previously made a bet, and one agrees to pay up "on the other side." The cinematography at work here is clearly stating the importance of their belief in the afterlife. They raise their hands, as if riding a roller coaster, before they collide with the alien ship. It's noticeable that the daughter of Peter Weyland is also desperately clinging to life. We see her struggling to make it to an escape pod and put on a space suit in time. She makes it out, but is still crushed by the crashing alien ship, revealing that her struggle was meaningless.

Shaw manages to survive the crash and makes it back to the surgery pod room where the alien that she carried is contained. It has grown to be huge and resembles an octopus (which was actually Dan O'Bannon's original idea of the facehugger). David, who has been decapitated but is still functioning, radios her and warns her of the Engineer who is approaching the ship. I'm not sure why the Engineer found it necessary to try and kill her. Maybe he was just angry after his ship crashed, or trying to eliminate all the humans that were left. When the Engineer enters, she opens the containment area and the octopus alien is released. I'm going to call it the Master Facehugger, since it's basically a very large facehugger and starts the whole process of the queen alien, except it resembles a sea monster more than a crab or a spider. So the Master Facehugger grabs hold of the Engineer while Shaw escapes, and latches onto him to begin the process of alien gestation.

After Shaw finds David, she asks him where her cross necklace is. It seems that after finding David and putting the necklace on, she has regained her strength to keep going. Just before this, she was lying on the ground, telling David "I can't do this anymore." After that, she puts David's head in a duffel bag and gets out of the ship (this generated many laughs in the theatre). Most of the ending dialogue between Shaw and David was weak and not well thought out.

Death acceptance and death denial are huge thematic elements. During the dream early in the film, Shaw as a little girl saw a man being carried in a funeral and asked her dad why he died. Her dad says, "sooner or later, everyone dies." It sometimes seems, that part of the crew is clinging to their current life, and the other part may be clinging to the afterlife. It proposes the question--what does it mean to accept death? It's symbolic to the never-ending struggle to find peace with existence.

The theme regarding motherhood and abortion is also important. A friend of mine pointed out an interesting fact in the Aliens film. When Ripley finds the queen alien, it's kind of a horrifying scene, and she has all of her eggs around her and is violent, in a less-than-happy situation. That particular movie was released during a time when feminism was starting to become successful. The Alien franchise has always carried a subliminal message.

For those who don't believe Alien movies have an underlying message, read what the screenwriter for the 1979 movie, Dan O'Bannon, said: "One thing that people are all disturbed about is sex... I said 'That's how I'm going to attack the audience; I'm going to attack them sexually. And I'm not going to go after the women in the audience, I'm going to attack the men. I am going to put in every image I can think of to make the men in the audience cross their legs. Homosexual oral rape, birth. The thing lays its eggs down your throat, the whole number.'"

So, in reality, there's much more going on in movies than most people are aware of. Only certain people will see it, and some will interpret it differently. That's alright, that's what art is meant for.

Another thing worth mentioning are the snake-like monsters they found. Before those appeared, an earthworm was shown in the soil around the area. So after the black liquid was released, the earthworm must have been infected and morphed into the monster.

Also, the ending sequence of the Xenomorph (black colored alien) leaves more questions. It would seem that it is the queen alien, and it proceeds to lay eggs in the crashed ship, which they find in the original movie. If it's not the queen alien, then there's still the possibility of using the other live Engineers that are sleeping for gestation. Either way, it makes enough sense to proceed to the original movie. Although, the Space Jockey scene is not exactly explained. Note: these were my original thoughts on the Xenomorph at the end, right after viewing. It's been confirmed that they are actually on a different planetoid.

There has been some speculation that the pale-skinned humanoid aliens are not the Engineers. I'd consider this a definite possibility, which opens up another great batch of questions. Looks like we'll have to wait for a sequel to Prometheus to know for sure.

Overall, it's a very thought provoking and stunning film. The visual effects and sound were incredible, and the use of CGI didn't take anything away from the movie. In the end, however, the original 1979 Alien will always be the most memorable one.

---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIJeQNyZ6VE

Discover more interesting thoughts from Sparky at the Novel Thought website.

(C) Copyright - Jordan S. Sparks. All Rights Reserved.

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Racism and The Hunger Games

Plenty of times in films - such as Thor - the issue of race causes some people to get up in arms on one side of some supposed fence or another. This has seemed to especially plague The Hunger Games and now Catching Fire, more so than pretty much any other movie that comes to mind.

When Jennifer Lawrence was announced as Katniss, she drew criticism for being an older blonde white girl with curves instead of being a scrawny olive-skinned 16-year-old with black hair. Makeup and movie magic of course transformed her into a character closer to what is described in the books but the question still remained, why couldn't they have just cast someone who had those characteristics to begin with?

When Amandla Stenberg (and to a lesser degree, Dayo Okeniyi) were revealed as Rue and Thresh there was a well publicized backlash against them being black. The issue came up once again when the film was released as those who didn't follow the casting saw the characters for the first time. Despite being two of the most specifically described characters in the book as having very dark skin, there were complaints ranging from surprise to claiming that Rue not being "an innocent blonde white girl" ruined the movie.

The casting of Lenny Kravitz as the beloved Cinna was, I think, a surprise overall - he just wasn't someone most people had imagined in the part. Once again, the fact that he has black skin seemed to upset some people - not that he was a left field casting choice or that he had almost zero acting experience despite the fact that Gary Ross specifically sought him out because he fulfilled the vision he had for the character. Cinna's physical description is very ambiguous (as are many of the characters) in the book, with skin being a little darker than Katniss's being about as specific as it got. That could really mean he spent a lot of time in the tanning salon (he was a stylist after all) or was middle eastern, or mixed race, or really, just about anything but pale. It seemed though, once again, that many people assumed he was white and some were all kinds of distraught at the thought of Cinna being anything but.

Now, as we get into the casting of the sequel, Catching Fire, the racial fires are flaring once again. Particularly as fans discuss who should play Finnick. Darker skinned Jesse Williams has come out as a fan favorite (despite having never heard of the character before he heard about the fans who wanted him in the part) and immediately there are those who say he in no way fits the description of being "extremely handsome, tall, muscular, and athletic, with tan skin, bronze-colored hair, and incredible sea-green eyes." Sometimes it's the fact that he's not white that gets cited as the reason, other times he's just not handsome enough in the eyes of a particular fan. Once again, "tan skin," and "bronze-colored hair" are somewhat ambiguous terms - Suzanne Collins seems to like to leave much up the readers' imagination.

What is it about these characters that seems to bring out all sorts of racist comments from people? Here's what I think - Suzanne Collins has crafted characters that people care about. They care about them a lot. And as you read a story, you form a picture of them in your head and that picture becomes that character. Especially if they are described in more ambiguous terms, it's only logical that picture will more often than not be someone who looks like you - whether you are white, black, Native American, Chinese, Mexican, or bright purple with six-foot wings.

When that character comes to life in a movie, there is a good chance they won't perfectly fit the vision in your head. They may be taller, older, or a completely different race either because that's what the director saw in their head or because the actor or actress is just a perfect fit with their personality and talent, regardless of if they look quite like what people might expect or not.

I'll admit - I pictured Finnick, as well as most other characters as white. It's something that happens automatically, I think, because of my race and the fact that I grew up in an area that was not terribly diverse. As long as an actor captures the essence of the character, I couldn't care less what the color of their skin is. In Finnick's case, as long as his skin looks like someone who spent his life on the shore, fishing, it doesn't really matter that means he's got a surfer dude's golden tan, a native Hawaiian's darker skin, Jesse William's racial background, or something else.

It is important to remember that just like you have a set-in-stone picture of that character in your head, so does everyone else, and it probably doesn't match up with what yours looks like, but it's just as right. Unless you try to tell Suzanne Collins that Rue is not actually black, despite what she wrote. Then you are wrong.

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The 3 Best HBO Mini Series Of All Time

Some of the most addictive TV shows ever seen on television are actually HBO mini series. Popular shows tend to grab a hold of the viewer's attention immediately, keep them engaged for the entire episode, and then leave them hanging until the next episode in the series airs. Back in the early 1980's when HBO first started, they've been known as a leader in the TV industry. These top three mini series provide a glimpse of the high quality entertainment you can enjoy and are just a few reasons why it's smart to have access to HBO in your home.

1. V. "V&" isn't the Roman numeral five, it stands for "Visitors" and not the cute and cuddly kind. This popular mini series on HBO tells the story of aliens who come to earth to make a trade with humans that should prove to be beneficial to both sides. But it seems the aliens are hiding some secrets and, along with their ability to shape-shift, have caught the attention of a scientist played by Faye Grant and the roving reporter played by Marc Singer. The series' heavy-handed allegory of fascism had critics and viewers alike riveted through to the end. The mini series was later picked up for a regular season spinoff that lasted only one season.

2. Band of Brothers. You don't have to be a history buff to get hooked on this magnificent series. Band of Brothers is a show that tells about several Easy Company soldiers that fought in World War II. This honest look at life during and after the war shows the fears they faced, their prejudices and personalities, and the overall humanity of each soldier interviewed for the series. Their battles and what they faced trying to stay alive definitely makes this a favorite.

3. From the Earth to the Moon. At some point or another, we all wish to explore other realms. From the Earth to the Moon tells the behind-the-scenes tales of those who have prepared for travel into space and experienced failure and success. The stories of the families who support the astronauts are as interesting as those about the men who paved the way for space travel in our generation.

Between the sports shows, movies, first run series as well as ground breaking HBO mini series, there is no question HBO is an industry leader. At the end of a long work day, nothing is more relaxing than your favorite beverage and an HD or On-Demand mini series on HBO. Who knows...maybe your current favorite could end up being one of the top three mini series of all time.

Wilbert Haands is a huge fan of the movies and mini-series that the HBO channel offers.His DISH movie channel package gives him access to all the movies and shows on both HBO and the Cinemax channel.

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The Avengers Review (No Spoilers)

I consider myself lucky. I just saw an early screening of "The Avengers", and it gives me an opportunity to dish. Overall, lot of parts in the film were great, some were bad, and some just left me scratching my head wondering what the heck just happened. For director and screenwriter Joss Whedon, it was a film he can be proud of, except for some inconsistencies and some wooden acting beyond his control. Speaking of actors (or actress in this case) Scarlett Johansson just did a phenomenal job playing Natasha Romanoff the Russian spy working for S.H.I.E.L.D., I'll get more into that later.

First lets start with a little warning about this film. If you have not watched the movie "Thor" you will be lost! If this movie wasn't named "The Avengers" it could have been called "Thor 2: The return to Earth". It is totally dependent on that one film, and I highly recommend that you pick up the Thor DVD, before you put down a single cent to see "The Avengers". There are references to the "Captain America" film, but not enough for me to advise renting that DVD.

The best thing about "The Avengers" is the eye-popping special effects. Hands down the best this year so far. It is surprising though that this film is being released on May 4th and not during the Summer. With the amount of eye candy this film puts out, this film should have been released in June. If CGI is your thing, then "The Avengers" will not disappoint. Looking back I kind of regret not seeing this in an IMAX, since those "wow" moments would have been so much bigger on a bigger screen.

When you see this film the two on screen presences that you will remember are Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Lee Renner. Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow plays something this is not in action movies, a smart, tough, independent woman who is not romantically involved with the hero. She plays a former spy before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. who works well with the team, and doesn't feel the need to bat her eyelashes to get the job done. It's not a role that one would initially pick of someone as beautiful as Scarlett Johansson to play. However, she exudes such a toughness and seriousness that it makes her character believable, that she can stand amongst Earth's greatest heroes.

Jeremy Lee Renner plays the edgy Clint Barton / Hawkeye in "The Avengers", and does an outstanding job as the archer who can make impossible shots. I can't go into much about him, because he is such a driving force in the first half of the film. Let's just say he plays both sides of the coin with a deadly efficiency.

All comedic relief is handled by Robert Downey, Jr. reprising his role as Tony Stark. Downey, whose is the driving force behind the "Iron Man" franchise, has this role down so pat I swear he could do it in his sleep! Playing the egotistical but moralistic Tony Stark, Downey brings a character that does not play well with others on the team, but will get the job done no matter what it takes. Downey is able to move the plot by stirring up conflict in the team, and taking one's mind off of his co-star Chris Evans.

Captain America played by Chis Evans, should have the hero's name changed to Captain Boring. It was like watching Al Gore trying to save Earth. It didn't work, and I really wished he wasn't such a prominent role in the film. He played a one dimensional hero, upset about his past, stuck in one particular mindset. That leads me to believe that it wasn't Evans fault, but just the way the character was written. I thought Evans portrayal of America's hero was better in the franchise "Captain America" than it was here. I know Evans is a good actor, and I do hope his character can be fleshed out more in "Captain America 2". However, for "The Avengers" the inconvenient truth is that Evans plays a part as wooden as an Al Gore joke.

The rest of the cast were there, but nothing really stands out. Chris Hemsworth as Thor played the part he was born to play, but brought nothing but eye-candy and great fight scenes to the film. His role was the least amongst the films giants Downey and Johansson. That is surprising since his characters brother Loki played by Tom Hiddleston is the main antagonist of "The Avengers". Hiddleston played a great character, but I felt it could have been more. Loki is a torn character with issues (see the movie "Thor" to understand why), that really needed a darker portrayal than a typical movie villain wishing to enslave mankind. There are flashes of what should have been, but the screenplay just didn't provide enough to make this character great. This character could have been another Heath Ledger's joker, but it turned out instead to be something seen before.

Samuel L. Jackson turned in another man behind scenes pulling all the strings role as Nick Fury. A great role, and he played it perfectly. The same can be said of Mark Ruffalo playing Bruce Banner before CGI takes over to transform him into the Hulk. Ruffalo put his own spin on the "Hulk" franchise that really works. It was great to see this classic Marvel character able to grow, and I really hope the studio sticks with Ruffalo for a Hulk sequel.

Nowadays, since going to the movies can get a little pricey one judges films if it was worth the money. "The Avengers" was worth my price of admission. It was fun, and surprisingly it moved at a quick pace considering how many storylines and characters they were trying to squeeze into this one film. I left the theatre wishing for more from Hiddleston, surprised by Johansson and disappointed by Evans. Overall out of four stars it gets a solid three; because for a should have been summer flick it keeps you entertained with the action. The action scenes and eye-candy alone are worth the price of admission, and can gloss over any negatives this film may have.

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The Hollywood Reporter Vs. Variety

For many years there have been two dailies reporting the goings-on in show business: The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The Reporter was the first entertainment trade paper, begun in 1930 and adding television news in the 1950s. It was the predecessor to gossip columns and movie magazines.

William Wilkerson was the publisher of The Hollywood Reporter from 1930 until his 1962 death. His wife, Tichi, then became the publisher and editor-in-chief. She sold the paper in 1988 to publishers BPI for $2.7 million. (That would be $9.3 million today.)

The Reporter underwent several management and ownership changes, often employing staff who had previously worked for Variety. That backfired slightly when editor Cynthia Littleton left to join Variety in an editorial position. In 1995 it was the first Hollywood trade paper to start a website, called The Hollywood Reporter, covering tech and business as well as entertainment. Some special events through the year include the Key Art Awards honoring successful movie marketing and advertising, as well as the Next Gen issue honoring promising entertainment executives under 35.

The Reporter's affiliate companies include Billboard and Adweek. It has come into the 21st century, other than being a magazine, by including a high-traffic website, a mobile-optimized site, a digital daily and an iPad app.

The competition with Variety still exists today. In 2007 The Hollywood Reporter finally surpassed Variety with the largest distribution numbers. But Variety was achieving more of a household name when it was featured in old movies about show business such as Yankee Doodle Dandy and Singin' in the Rain, with the movie script referring to auditions listed in the paper. Aspiring actors flocked to Variety.

Variety, created in 1905, is actually one part of three issues. The original is a trade magazine, and Daily Variety, founded in 1933, concentrates on the motion picture industry. Daily Variety Gotham from New York City was created in 1998. The Variety website features a huge number of film- and TV-oriented conferences as well as box office information and reviews. All websites, of course, are connected with Twitter and Facebook.

The Variety Foundation raises funds for charitable causes and endeavors to increase public awareness. Variety's Power of Youth has young talent involved in philanthropic causes. The foundation is also involved with Power of Women, hosting an event to honor generous supporters. An annual stand-up comedy event, Power of Comedy, funds cancer research and prevention. A newly created 2012 event is Power of Music.

So you want to be in show business? These are your bibles.

What do you know about the background of show business? Sometimes hearing the history can answer a lot of questions. How do you break into movies? Read the industry publications if you want a showbiz career.

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