Pan's Labyrinth

Here's the reason why I give 5-stars to this movie, & even include it into "my favorite movie" list :

This movie , at a 1st glance & basic-level, is basically a simple story (okay, it's mainly drama, but a very 'imaginative & magical' drama! Very few actions. Sorry, action-movie folks!) about a young little girl who is can 'seemingly' see the unknown "Magical World" just 'beneath' her hard Reality-ground!

*This is probably gonna be SPOILER to those who haven't watched! Be warned!*
So while she's living in a seemingly World-War period (also something about war with Communist, in Spain!? i'm not really a history freak...) 'harsh-Reality' setting, and while the other grown-ups people have to face the hardships & painful struggles (& even, *gasp*, Tortures! yes, this movie is full of it! it's all due to the main antagonist "hitler-like" dictator character!) daily, and often can only either succumb, give-up to that Dicator Kapiten, ..or DIE painfully ; yet this young little-girl can somehow live 'ONE-layer' other than that "harsh-Reality" layer, as it's shown beautifully, & magically (kudos to the Writer, for making such a - although not many times shown - very imaginary & out-of-this-world "magical" creatures, 1 COOL monster, & world!

So in its very basic , the movie is all about: Reality .vs. Fantasy !BUT,..if only you watch until the VERY END of the movie,..then you'll be FREE to do more 'deeper' analysis & pondering of the movie, ....and if you're like me, you'll see that this movie is WAY

MORE than the initial-seemingly "Reality .vs. Fantasy" notion! No.The movie has a DEEPER meaning carried with it! .and only then,you'll appreciate & be astonished verily by the ending, & the WHOLE movie! *hint* : the movie has a LOT to do with one particular Religion! (ie: from symbols, message,meanings, etc)

Babel

A very deep movie with underlying theme: Pain is universal, and Human beings is very fragile...What I like so much about this movie (no wonder it's nominated Best Picture, & many other awards), is how the director shoots the movie from 4 different locations in the World. We have Marocco, US, Mexico, & Japan ; each with their own teams of production. And each country, with its own story,...all finally seems to have a beautifully-depicted underlying theme, that Pain is universal in this Planet & life, regardless of the distance, status, wealth, & race.

Also we can learn a lot from this movie about many other's interesting daily-life cultures, aside from US only (US audience most probably would find this movie very interesting, to understand better 'bout OTHER cultures, outside their country. And also send them messages that "they are NOT the only country in this whole world! open ur eyes!").

Especially very eye-catching & interesting for me, is the 'abstract', musical & endless-varieties culture on Japan. And this is told, ironically, from a deaf-mute girl in this Modern & sophisticated country. Even she HAS problems, in this advanced country!

The music , consisting mainly of one-guitar piece, just adds the intensity & can make us reflect & ponder more....about this Human-Life & its barriers. If there's one thing we can learn from this movie, is that: Human beings is very fragile. There's no need to be proud of ourselves...

Titanic

I just watched this old-movie again in DVD, It's been 12-years ever since,...but now as I've grown 12-years older also, I've now becoming more understand of WHY this movie is possibly the greatest movie in all/any Hollywood movies.

Moreoever, my friend even said that this calibre of 'gigantic' movie is "not merely difficult to make at all, but almost impossible to make well" Heck, now I'm even bold to say that this movie even beats LOTR series (LOTR still have flaw, especially the the last ROTK, with many 'silly unforgiven' mistakes!) I mean, what else do you still look for?? almost EVERYthing is INside this movie!

You want drama? you got it! You want romance? you got it! you want to get awed in the technology & technical aspects of the movie? you got it! (keep it mind, that this is still IN year 1997!..to be able to create such 'HUGE' movie like this!?) You want suspense? You got it!

Most important of all (that NOW, after 12-years, I've just realized fully) :
You want depth? this movie ALSO got it!To quote Cameron's own words: "The story could not have been written better... The juxstaposition of rich and poor, the gender roles played out unto death (women first), the stoicism and nobility of a bygone age, the magnificence of the great ship matched in scale only be the folly of the men who drove her hell-bent through the darkness. And above all the lesson: that life is uncertain, the future unknowable... the unthinkable possible"

It's a tale of rich & poor, also human's fragileness & Nature (or God)'s grandeous Power, it's a story about Irony, fragileness, etc. I seriously doubt this calibre of gigantic movie could ever be made again! Movie nowadays is mostly only about effects, but lack story.

I hope someday there’s someone make this movie anymore in new story or version

Click

I rarely cry for a movie, especially lately since there haven't been really good movies for a long time. It feels great that I could really emotionally touched by the movie. My friend told me that this movie is a very meaningful one. So I watched it on the 1st day of 2007. My, he is really right: this movie is very meaningful. I think it's 1 of the best Adam Sandler's movie. It's not just pure comedy, but it has lots of lessons to be learned.

The struggle and situation that happened to Michael *Adam Sandler's character* actually happened to many of us, and I personally can relate myself with him. I think many of us, in the name of work, try to deceive ourselves about the fact that we are abandoning our family. If we say that we work for our family, sometimes we have also to think that the family doesn't only need money and food, but also our time. Perhaps, time is the most precious thing that can be given towards anyone: You probably are more readily give out money to help others than spending your time with that person, listening to his/her troubles, attend to them when they need us. The movie just teach you that: Family comes first. I think everyone should watch this, especially with their family to learn or relearn about what family is all about.

It's a really great movie, what a great thing to start the year! Happy new year everyone!

PS: I'm surprised though, that this movie only got 27% at rottentomatoes.com, while Happy Feet has 77%! Talking about mainstream website.. or they are actually getting paid to give good review on Happy Feet since it's big budget movie while "Click" didn't, since it's a low budget movie?

Happy Feet

I saw this movie with my dear family on the last day of 2006. My sister loves to watch 3D animation,so I thought it would be great to watch. The movie is quite ok, but definitely not as good as my expectation. The animation is really great, the quality of the environment is just fabulous, there is no doubt about it. The icy area, the swimming scenes, the natural movements of the objects in the water environment:it's something not seen before. I am truly amazed with the look of the rocks and ice, and how they move while they are on the surface of the water.
Music is also a big thing in the movie. There are so many familiar tunes for all ages. They have new ones, those from the 90s, the 80s, and even 70s! *They have "Somebody to Love"!*. I think anyone with lots of knowledge about music and video clips would really enjoy the inside jokes, such as "shake your bon2" by Ricky Martin, Elvis' signature moves, Freddie Mercury's songs, etc. I really enjoy the musical part of the movie.

However, the thing that made this movie a bit disappointing is the storyline. They just don't have a good script. You can pretty much guess all parts of the movie.The movie follows somewhat a cliche story about a boy being and outcast from the society, and he just come back to save everyone. Typical like Alladin,Sword in The Stone,Notredame,etc. And after Mumble, the main character, grows up, then you don't really have that greatly animated and cuddly character. Fortunately, they have other characters that support the story well, with, again, inside jokes about Spanish people in California. Those who had been in US, especially California, would know what I mean. =)

All in all, it's an ok movie, I recommend people to watch it on the theater for pretty much the pretty eye-candy, but if you are really only into story, then buy the DVD.

300

This is a mixed review. The movie, I think, has to be reviewed in couple of point of views. First, let me tell the good part. The movie definitely has a very great cinematography.It doesn't try to blend 3D environment to look like 'real', but actually really emphasize that it's 3D graphic,which is nice, then try to blend stupid tiger in Gladiator.

The slow motion graphic looks nice, the falling soldiers over the cliff,but I dislike war scene where the blocking is slow, n then attacking is fast.It's confusing,it also looks so fake.Also,for a movie that's based in real history, I think I prefer to have it more like Braveheart:during war, Braveheart doesn't have computer graphic,no music during war, all looks real, n no super human power.

one thing that I find to be annoying is the scriptwriting and the 'inaccuracy' of the history.First,this battle is very famous indeed in history,it's called Battle of Thermopylae

Home Theater Decorating Results in a Cozy Media Room For All to Enjoy

Create a home theater decorating your basement or (other space) into a media room that is both functional and comfortable.

A basement is one of the best places to turn into a media room. It generally has fewer windows and a room without windows is ideal. It is easier to control the light and the interference from outside light won't cause glares to the screen or distract the entertainment.

Prepare the room for good acoustics as much as possible to optimally experience movies and if you are starting your project from scratch use sound proof drywall and insulation for the walls.

Sound reverberates off hard surfaces like wood or tile so this is one room where wall to wall carpet in dark colors' work best and hanging draperies or other sound absorbing items on the walls are necessary.

Furnishing the room with big soft furniture will also insulate sounds from the outside.

Window treatments help to absorb sound and also control the light entering the room. Choose heavy fabrics for draperies and have them overlap in the center by a few inches and extend the windows at each side to block any slivers of light.

Controlling the light is a major factor in the success of your home theater decorating.

* Try to avoid overhead lights. They may produce a glare in the room.
* Lighting should be on dimmers to truly capture the movie theater experience and if possible locate the control near the seating area.
* Sconces lining the wall will offer soft lighting that can also be controlled with dimmers.
* Consider any light coming in from under doors, closets or other openings into the room and block at the bottom with weather stripping.

The quality of movie viewing is affected by paint color.

* To ensure an optimal viewing experience, paint your home theater decorating space with deep colors such as charcoal gray, chocolate brown or deep red or plum.
* Use matte finish paints to avoid reflections or choose textured wall coverings or fabric for the walls in dark colors.

The basic component of home theater decorating is the TV.

* Consider the amount of available space you have before buying a big screen tv.
* The viewing quality is affected by the distance from the screen as much as the size of the screen itself. The larger the screen the farther the distance must be between it and the seating area.
* To calculate, multiply the diagonal of the tv size by 2"-2.5" and that should give you an idea on the distance the seating should be. For example, take a 30" tv screen multiply the screen size by two. 60" or 5 feet of viewing distance from the tv.
* A 55" tv is best viewed from a distance of nine feet.
* For your home theater decorating, use a theater system of six speakers to provide high quality sound. A left and right speaker for each side, one speaker for in the center, and two surround speakers for in the back, and a sub woofer.

Manufacturers design specially made cable accommodating pieces for housing electronic equipment in exquisitely crafted armoires, credenzas and modular units.

These cabinets accept a variety of tv sizes and are available in styles suited for most everyone.

Be sure to compare both the width and the depth with your tv. A display wall with a media cabinet in the middle is an effective and stylish solution.

Most pieces will include storage for videos or CD's and some will feature pocket doors to close off the tv when not in use.

Center seating for optimal sound and screen viewing.

* A seating arrangement with large sofas, or sectional sofa units is a great way to seat a lot of people and accommodate kids comfortably.
* A set of recliners, swivel chairs or chairs with castors can seat guests individually and offers many alternatives for lounging. High backs support the neck but not too high that affects the surround sound.
* Choose upholstery materials in dark colors that are easily cleaned, like the washable suede, lightly textured chenille, brushed twill, and leather.
* Have tables within reach for each guest when possible. Use wood tables with a low sheen finish, or ottomans that can be used for supplement seating.

Now pass the popcorn!

Please visit http://www.interior-home-decorating-ideas.com/home-decorating-design.html for more useful information and advice about interior home decorating and shopping home furnishings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Mabey

Do You Need to Go to the Cinema? Learn How to Select Your Own Home Theatre

By Nicky Foote

Having your own Home Theatre System is all the rage now it seems. The idea of just having a TV in the corner just doesn't cut it anymore. The whole idea is to simulate the experience of going to the Cinema. The advantages of doing it in your own home are many, it costs less, you don't have to stand in queues, the food is better and, of course, the movie starts whenever you are ready.

Your basic Home Theatre System comprises a TV, a receiver, a DVD player/recorder and your speakers. Of course you can add in a VCR, your favourite game console and so on. The receiver is the 'box' that takes the signals from your other components, like the DVD, and distributes the sound to the speakers and the picture to the TV. So the big question is how do you choose your Home Theatre System. Like so many electronic devices, be it MP3 players, cameras and so on there is an incredible choice of products to choose from.

There is no one system that suits everyone, probably a good thing as not everyone wants or needs the same system. One of the first things to consider is budget. The price of systems vary from a couple of hundred dollars to the tens of thousands, you need to have some idea of what you are willing to spend.

Next is quality. This may be limited by budget but there is also your personal preferences to consider. For many people they cannot notice a significant difference between a medium quality and high quality system. You also need to think about the environment it is going to be used in. Will it be used extensively to watch movies and will this be by one or more adults sitting in a room listening attentively to the movie. Alternatively it's primary use may be to watch TV in a space where kids or other activities are making noise and thus it is difficult to listen to the TV attentively.

Lastly you need to have a think about where you are putting your Home Theatre System. Will it be in it's own room complete with leather cinema seating for viewers or will it be sharing a room with other activities. How big will the space be that it is in? What sort of space do you have for speakers, can they sit on the floor or will they need to mounted on the wall and so on.

Once you have considered these three things then you have a better chance of getting they system to suit you. With this information you can head off to the shops and tell the sales people exactly what you need and have space for and they can show you systems to suit your requirements. Or you research different components and systems on the Internet before heading off to the shops to get the best deal.

The final decision is whether to put the system together yourself or have someone else do it. This probably comes down to your confidence and common sense. The theory is simple, you connect the speakers to the receiver and this is normally fairly obvious in that they mark front left etc. Next you need to connect you components like DVD, game console etc to the input side of your receiver and the TV to the outputs. That's the theory, now it does get a little complicated with all the types of connections you get for different things like HDMI, Component and Digital. I find that it is all fairly logical but I understand that if you are more technically challenged then it may just look like a sea of cables and it may be better to get assistance. A quick tip on this, whoever does it make sure they do a sketch of how it is all put together - it can be very useful for later reference.

Nicky Foote is a successful publisher of quality eBooks and software, giving practical information for practical living. Information to help you enhance your life, lifestyle and family, assist in your business and improve your leisure time. Visit http://www.toplinepublications.com today to instantly download ebooks of your choice.

Go to http://www.toplinepublications.com/home/hometheater to download your FREE mini version of the complete guide to selecting and setting up your own Home
Theatre System.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicky_Foote

Gladiator

Gladiator
I saw the movie in DVD, some friends told me that when they watched in the theatre, it feels like in the Colloseum.The effect was display every detail of ancient and historical city of Rome, it’s amazing. I love this movie, there are balance between action, drama story and technology. I’m very impress to the opening scene from this movie, when Rome army prepare for last battle in Germany against local tribe. The battle scene feels like real and absolutely much better than 300, unfortunetely they were not making few big battles in the movie. I think this movie hard to forget and when you finish watching it, you will hope to buy plasma tv, home theatre, audio system, big screen tv, etc

Devils Wears Prada

This is one fine movie.It's typical 'princessy' story where a young girl/woman faces the odd of 'unfair' situation. But certainly with a huge twist. This has been possibly made, I dare to say, solely because of the character Miranda Priestly that Meryl Streep played. It's a very excellent performance by her! Those young actors and actresses definitely can't be compared to real actor and actresses of her caliber. When there was this one scene, where she only speak, no music, no action, just her face and she was talking for more than 1 minute.. dang,that's when her real talent shows up.

Well, pretty much the movie isn't really about Andrea "Andy" Sachs (played by Anne Hathaway), but more about Miranda Priestly.That's what makes it very interesting! I think perhaps because of the talent gap, you seems to be more drawn to Miranda's character rather than Andy's *though she's definitely a looker!*. It's perhaps 1 of the very few movie where the 'antagonist' is actually, much, much more interesting, detailed, and has more character than the protagonist.

I really recommend this movie for anybody who enjoys great laugh AND a great twist of a story. Bring the popcorn and sodas in!

Jerry Macquire

I watched this movie last night on HBO (it was like my 4th/5th time watching it). I always like the movie, n I just thought, man, now u don't really get to see that many movies with such moving script and acting. Now u only see guys *or girls* jumping around in slow motion kicking/slashing ass out of screen w/ so much 'bad' special effect.Well tell me traditional, but I don't think even the graphic like Matrix Revolution or 300 can cover up for weak script, bad acting, and ugly casting. Look at Matrix, other than visual effect, n perhaps music, the movie sucks at almost every other aspect.I think movies of the 90s has much more quality because of it's non-reliance *or not available* on much of visual effect technology.

Movies such as Jerry Maguire,Braveheart,English Patient n Schindler's List have great scripts, great directing, n almost no CG effect.casting is solid,writing is well done,n the story is definitely unique and original.Even on my 4th/5th time watching,i'm still fully engaged n moved by the characters in the movie *especially Rene's performance*. I wish idealist people can still make movies rather than those that make gore/excessively action movie just trying to 'grab' big bucks.

Night at The Museum

The film is really only ok. I think the movie has not much too offer, especially you pretty much know the whole story throughout their ads. Not even a single part of the twists within the movie that has not been told in the 30' trailer. In fact, it's one of those rare movies where I can actually fall asleep while watching *true, I was dead tired n was in the comfort of my bed, but still*. It's such a shame that they had such strong cast of actors but still produces terrible movie. I guess that's when u realize that movie is really more about story, script and director's vision.