Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Attend A Movie Premiere
1- Know where to look.
Movie screening locations will be advertised in the entertainment section of local newspapers or online. Newspaper ads will require you to RSVP to an email or pick up the tickets from a physical location. Online movie screening recruitment companies such as Movie Filler provide information, news and a movie screening locator about free movie tickets to screenings and movie premieres.
2- Check back frequently.
If you thought discount airline tickets were tough to get your hands on, wait until trying to get movie screening tickets. Although tickets are generally free, they have a tendency to sell out quickly. Checking websites that distribute screening tickets on a regular basis provides a higher chance of reserving a ticket. In addition, make sure to sign up for any electronic newsletters to keep informed as new screenings are posted.
3- Update personal information.
Make sure any personal information you provide is updated and correct. Tickets are often distributed based on specific demographic. Having your information correct will increase your chances for getting invited to world premiers and movie screenings you would actually want to attend.
4- Plan to arrive early.
Movie premieres and screenings are often overbooked to ensure that the theater is full. Those that arrive early will have the best chance to get available seating inside the theater. A general rule of thumb is to arrive around 60 minutes before a movie screening and at least 120 minutes before a movie premiere.
5- Leave camera phones in the car.
When it comes to piracy, studios take no chances. Recording devices will not be allowed into movie screenings. There will usually be several security officers performing a search as you enter the event. If you have a camera phone, they will ask you to return it to your car. Avoid losing your place in line and make sure to leave it in your vehicle.
6- Prepare your review.
Horror Movie News
Icons Of Fright Reports...
Big news for "Scream" fans from Wes Craven. During his panel discussion Craven revealed that he had recently had breakfast with Neve Campbell. He told us that she had recently spoken with the Weinsteins about coming back for "Scream 4". Wes made it clear that this was the first he'd heard about it, but Campbell seemed to be seriously considering another stab at Sidney Prescott.
My 2 cents on Scream 4
Back in 2000, when the third film was released, and I saw it, I felt things had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion as far as the "Scream" universe goes, despite the ominous ending. Now here we are 4 years later, and the rumor of a 4th movie still lives, and now with this latest lump of coal added to the fire, seems to have gained steam. Truthfully, I would pay to see a 4th film, but still alot of questions remain... We know Williamson won't be involved. Craven most likely won't be. Who will write and direct then? Neve Campbell has been a long time hold out for doing a 4th film if you believe what you read on most of the "Scream 4" rumor sites. Just who will and won't be returning? and finally, what direction can this story continue in? Sids already disposed of Mrs Loomis, and her Brother Roman, as well as Billy and Stu, whos left at this point? Sure there are plenty of relatives out for revenge type scenarios, but which one makes the most sense?
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Movie script
Have you ever read a movie script? For those who haven't and don't really plan to, let me fill you in on a few things. A screenplay is written differently than a novel. Unlike fiction, with movie scripts you only write what can be seen or heard on the big screen. In other words, you try to stay out of characters' heads. Remember that no one is going to have the script in-hand while viewing the film. If you can't see or hear it up there, it should be left out. It's all about being concise and descriptive at the same time. Think short powerful lines. Obviously you want to suck the reader in and hold their attention. The professionals who read screenplays regularly will toss them aside if they stink or are written poorly. They don't have time to waste on this. So format and grammatical issues are crucial. This is why several drafts are written before you actually pitch a movie script to a production company.
Check out a little website known as simplyscripts.com. This is my favorite, because it tends to have the particular movie script I'm looking for. Since I write screenplays myself, I like to get a feel for the ways other writers craft their scripts. This is a great exercise for anyone who is serious about screenwriting. If you want to see how a professional movie script is written, you should pay attention to the pros who've actually sold them. However, keep in mind that you're writing a spec script. You should leave out camera angles and such. This is a job for the director. He/she will make those changes if you successfully sell your work. It helps to take a class on screenwriting prior to beginning, or at least reading a reputable book.
Movie theatre
Though you might often hear that a certain piece of technology will certainly spell the end of the movie theatre, that never seems to come to pass. Though attendance might not be what it was long ago, the theater is still alive and still kicking. No matter how good a television might look, or how lifelike things become, nothing will ever replace going out and having the entire experience of watching a movie on the large screen. People love the experience of it, and many find that this is one of the few times they get to go out and leave the house.
The movie theatre experience is something that teenagers like to have because that means they can be alone with peers while in a place where their parents feel safe about leaving them without supervision for a few hours. Perhaps this is why teens love the mall so much. Parents feel it is safer, and they are usually attached to a movie theatre or two. The kids love the movies and the parents love that they don’t have to worry too much about what they are doing. Movies are also great for dates, especially when a teen first starts dating and things can be overwhelming to them.
The movie theatre is also something that adults learn to love again after they have had children. They learn that finding a babysitter is hard, but when you only need one for the time it takes to go out for a quick dinner and a movie, finding one is rather easy. This is especially true if they catch the early show. The movie theatre allows them to enjoy themselves while knowing they are easily reachable if something were to go wrong and they had to head home. This might be why the local, smaller theatres are still around and still do pretty decent business.
One thing that seems to be a the norm at any movie theatre is the price of concessions. People complain (and rightly so) about the price of soda and popcorn, but there is a good reason why these prices are so high. It’s not greed for the most part, but rather, profit. Most movies don’t make a lot of money for the movie theatre. The price of the ticket mostly goes somewhere else and the theatre has to make up for that or they would not be able to remain open. Though the prices are high, this is why so many can stay open. Without the extra income, many of the theatres would have to go out of business.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tintin Movie Previews For The Fans
What is known is that Spielberg and Jackson two modern giants of film direction are trying to recreate the look of the books with in the Tintin movies and figures of $100 million dollars have been banded about.
The first camp those that cannot wait for a Tintin movie believe like Herge did that the only man in modern cinema able to produce the Tintin adventures for the big screen is Spielberg. In fact I have reported earlier that Spielberg has been trying to get this film made for over 20 years now. The use and demo work by Peter Jackson and his Weta effects workshop only sets to highlight the attention to detail that the people involved in the project are putting into developing a true reflection of the Belgian boy detective in his deeds of good and crime solving.
The Tintin movie debates other side don’t want the Tintin persona to be touched for fear of a bad recreation could damage the standing of this much loved character. He is a Belgian creation and very much a European comic character that most don’t believe can be become a Hollywood film. American’s have never embraced Tintin as he was introduced to the world a few months after Mickey Mouse so was lost to an American audience who had their own plucky character.
The film will be heavily reliant on CGI that Jackson was brilliant at creating for the role of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings but many believe that these technologies cannot be then related to the ligne claire style of Herge creation Tintin.
The debate is set to continue as Tintin Movie news is still thin on the ground. The rumour mill is still though thriving with several people rumoured to be playing Tintin from Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) to Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot).
The debate will never be completely answered because even when the film is finished and reaches the multi-plexes there is little chance there will be universal praise for any Tintin movie that produced.
Movie News - Daily Update And Articles
I haven't caught 'Invasion' yet, starring Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) and Nicole Kidman (The Golden Compass), but despite the bad reviews I'm still looking forward to it. The flick is based on one of my favourite sci-fi horror movies of all time - 'The Invasion of the Bodysnatchers'! Both the original black and white paranoia-fest with Kevin McCarthy and the 70's Donald Sutherland starrer chill me to the bone every time! The 70's version also starred a terribly young and skinny Jeff Goldblum (he once appeared in an episode of 'Columbo' you know - he was an extra!). Remember Sutherland's final scene in 'Bodysnatchers? That twist still gives me serious goose bumps. I hope the new version is better than the reviews reckon; Craig is a quality actor and he ought to be able to bring the same eerie tension to the movie that Sutherland did - even if he doesn't have curly hair and a moustache. Maybe Kidman will provide those?
Al Pacino to play the next James Bond villain? That's the rumour currently making the rounds (Source: Ain't It Cool News). You may remember that the last Bond film, the brilliant Casino Royale, ended with Daniel Craig's 007 hot on the trail of the leader of the terrorist organisation responsible for the death of his girlfriend, Vesper Lynd (the stunning Eva Green). It seems that this villain will only make a 'cameo' in the new movie, 'Quantum of Solace' (love that title!) but that Mr. Pacino will indeed play him. I last saw Pacino in Ocean's 13 with George Clooney and Brad Pitt - a disappointing flick which saw the usually terrific cast members sleepwalk their way through their lines. Hopefully Pacino will turn up the evil quotient for Mr. Bond, as Quantum of Solace has a big job to do - living up to expectations raised by the franchise-freshening Casino Royale.
On the subject of Al Pacino, Al Pacino has a new movie coming out this year that will surely be one the year's biggest box office draws - Righteous Kill, directed by Jon Avnet. In it (prepare yourself), Pacino re-unites with none other than Robert DeNiro! I'm loving this already! The two 'Godfather' legends have only ever appeared together in one film, Michael Mann's crime thriller 'Heat', in which Pacino played the cop on the trail of DeNiro's crime boss. In that movie, the pair only shared one scene (over coffee) but it was an all-time classic meeting of icons, with palpable tension between the two. This time around, they play cops tracking down a serial killer in New York. It's said the two will play most scenes together this time, so this ought to be one of heck of ride! 50 Cent and Donnie Wahlberg (astounding in The Sixth Sense) co-star.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Guideline For Writing Movie Review
A movie review gives indication as to whether or not others will find the movie worth watching. The purpose of most movie reviews is to help the reader in determining whether they want to watch, rent or buy the movie. The review should also give enough details about the movie so that the reader can make an up-to-date decision as to whether to watch the movie or not. At the same time, the review should not give away too much of the essential plot of the story.
In this article we will be discussing the guidelines that should be followed while writing a movie review. Before starting to write a review, the writer should remember the following procedure:
- Selecting the movie
- Knowing the context of the movie, such as it's director, actors, story and many more
- Formulating the writers opinion in one sentence
- Selecting special scenes from the movie or other facts that will support the writer's opinion.
The first step in writing the review is to watch the movie. Most take notes as they watch the movie. Watching the movie a second time helps to absorb a lot more detail about the movie. Most movie reviewers give their personal opinion of the movie in their review. In all good journalism, the reviewer should always give impartial details, and allow the reader to make their own opinion as well.
Reviewer's opinions should be explained to allow the reader to determine whether the readers would agree or not. The reviewer also needs to consider the audience. Writing a movie review for children requires a different approach than if writing for a general movie audience. The review should always be written keeping the targeted audience in mind. The main essence of the movie should be retained in an outlined sketch -- but it should always be remembered not to give away any essential details like surprises or a sudden turn in the plot.
Details of actors, crew members, directors should be mentioned in the review. It should also be mentioned how well they have acted and how well the movie has been made technically. The technicalities are an important part of the review. Technicalities include art direction, music, editing lighting, cinematography and many more.
Movie reviews even include a little bit of criticism if needed. Criticism says what could have been done to make the film better or what the weak points of the movie are. Though critical analysis is not always needed, a word or two can serve the purpose in a movie review.
Conclusion
A reviewer must always remember to give an outline of the whole story, but not give away details which hold surprises or the special essence of the film. It should be kept untold for the audience to watch the film. The review should be written keeping a note of the types of readers who would be reading the review. The language, presentation and technicalities of writing would also depend on the types of readers. The medium which the review will be published is also important, because if the review is published on the net, the reviewer will get mostly youth readers. However, if it is going to be published in a local language in a local daily newspaper, then the approach should be different.
The Gift Of Horror Movies
Horror movies have been around for decades, but they keep getting better. My brother says that the plots aren’t necessarily better, but the effects have certainly moved ahead by leaps and bounds. Some of the best horror movies, according to my brother, are the older ones. Some of the classics cannot be beat, and even the remakes of them are lacking the same charm the originals had and still have.
For me, I don’t need to see a lot of blood to be freaked out by horror movies. In fact, the less I see and the more that is left up to my imagination, the more scared or freaked out I get. The more the movie presents to you the less you have to use your mind. When it comes to good horror movies, at least for me, I have to have the element of surprise and I have to know that I don’t know what is going to happen next.
Whatever your taste in horror movies might be, you can find something to give you what you want. You can find the newer movies in theaters and you can find the older ones are now out on DVD for a very good price. If you have a fan of horror movies in your family like I do, you don’t have to think too hard about what to get them for Christmas. Though I don’t get my brother the movies any more because he has so many of them, there are plenty of other things to buy. Each year I go to Spencer’s and get him a two-foot tall figure from any of the number of movies that he loves. The collection he has is growing, and he looks forward to the next one I will get him each year.