Everything movies

Billy the Kid (The Movie) – A Terrifically Entertaining Western

2012-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Billy the kid is one of the most spectacular looking and outstanding Technicolor western epics. The movie is helmed by director David Miller. Billy the kid also happens to be the first western that starred the legendary Robert Taylor. The film is loosely based on a popular book named “The Saga of Billy the Kid” by the famous author Walter Noble Burns. The premise revolves around a kid who is a cold blooded and ruthless killer, but once he comes under a rancher, he transforms to a great extent. The dialogues are cleverly written and delivered to perfection by Robert Taylor in a true southpaw style. When you watch Billy the kid, you will find an interesting theme in it. In the movie, Robert Taylor plays a character of a right-handed individual, but he packs his pistol on the left hip. When Chief villain Dan Hickey (played brilliantly by Gene Lockhart) noticed this, he asks Billy, “Left-handed, eh?” Billy replies with a straight face, “I'm saving my right to shake hands with friends”. This is indeed one of the cleverest dialogues you may have heard in any westerner. Billy comes in contact with Gene Lockhart when he goes into the town, to save his friend Pedro and accidentally falls into the company of crook Dan Hickey. He starts working for Dan Hickey and subsequently starts making troubles for rancher Sherwood (Ian Hunter). In “Billy the kid”, Hunter plays the character of rancher Sherwood effortless and yet flawlessly. He is great in his laid back attitude, and when he convinces Billy to stop running and come to peace with himself. It would not be wrong to say that Billy the kid is not the best western of Robert Taylor, but it has certainly opened a lot of opportunities for him as far as the westerns are concerned. Brian Donlevy plays Billy's friend and a ranch foreman and later-on the marshal. There is another interesting character in Billy the kid named Mary Howard who plays the sister of Hunter and is engaged to Brian Donlevy; however, the interesting bit is that she is surprisingly infatuated with Billy. Though they never engage in any romantic relationship in “Billy the kid”, you will truly love their innocent relationship. Billy the kid becomes excessively violent in certain parts. For instance; when hickey’s people kill Hunter, Billy becomes so furious that he goes on a rampage and kills all, and at the end he shoots Hickey in the back. The last scene of Billy the kid is truly breathtaking; when Billy is impatiently waiting for Brian Donlevy, what you will find truly awe-inspiring is the reflection of his blue eyes in the darkened shed. “Billy the kid” has further strengthened the fact that Robert Taylor can play the good and evil characters equally well. It’s worth mentioning the fact that Taylor prepared hardly for the role of Billy; for instance, he practiced for many months to draw with his left hand. The good thing is that all the efforts put by all the cast and crew members are evidenced from the quality of this great movie. The bottom line is; Billy the kid is a must-watch movie for all the die-hard fans of westerns.

Jack Nicholson

2012-10-22T10:43:00.001-07:00

Jack Nicholson, an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director, is a 3-time Academy Award winner and 12-time nominee.

John Joseph ‘Jack’ Nicholson Born at April 22, 1937 in Manhattan , New York. Jack was raised believing his grandmother was his mother, and his mother, June Frances Nicholson who work as a showgirl, was his older sister. His father, Italian American showman Donald Furcillo, left them years after jack born. He discovered the truth about his mother in 1975 from a Time magazine journalist who was researching a profile on him.

Jack moved to Los Angeles to promote his acting career. his first job was as an assistant in the studio famous animators, Hanna-Barbera. Since he was a talented artist, he was offered the position of an animation artist. He declined since he had always wanted to become an Hollywood star as actor. After sometime, he found work as an actor for the film producer Roger Corman. His debut was in the b-movie "The Cry Baby Killer (1958)", in which he played the role of a young criminal who shoots two teenagers and flees. His next performance was a small role in the b-movie The Little Shop of Horrors (1960).

Jack landed in his first major role in 1969 in the movie "Easy Ride" as the lawyer George Hanson. When Rip Torn refused to do the movie after a row with producer Peter Fonda and director Denis Hopper, they cast Nicholson. Jack got his first Academy Award nomination for his performance.

Nicholson new status allowed him to pick his jobs more carefully in the 70's. His next movie was "Five Easy Pieces" (1970), He got his Best Actor nomination for his role in this movie. The next stop was roman Polanski's's masterpiece "Chinatown" (1974), when jack play JJ 'Jake' Gittes, a private detective who seems to specialize in matrimonial cases. Again, jack got his Best Actor nomination. His first Best Actor Academy Award was won for the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", in which he played the role of Randal P. McMurphy. The movie based on novel written by Ken Kesey, is about a Prisoner who sent to a mental hospital and Reveals a world in which denied the humanity of patients. Jack's act was remarkable, and set it as one of the world's top acting players.

After winning his first Oscar, Nicholson began to take on unusual roles. He played retired astronaut, called Garrett Breedlove in the movie "Terms of Endearment" (1983), he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His significant movies in the 80s were "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1981), "Reds" (1981), "Prizzi's Honor" (1985), "The Witches of Eastwick" (1987), and "Ironweed" (1987) and he was nominated for the Oscar for Reds, Prizzi's Honor, and Ironweed. An international blockbuster came in in Tim Burton's Batman, released in 1989, in which Nicholson played the role of the Joker.

Nicholson is a big Los Angeles Lakers fan. His attendance at Lakers games is legendary, as he is a season ticket holder since 1970 and has held courtside season tickets for the past 25 years at both The Forum and the Staples Center, missing very few games. In a few instances, Nicholson has engaged in arguments with game officials and opposing players, and has even walked onto the court.

Tombstone

2012-10-22T10:21:00.002-07:00

Tombstone

As movie genres go, none have been as fascinating and exciting as the western. Until the late eighties, the western was always seen as box office gold. Even more so if big stars such as Clint Eastwood had starring roles.

In mid 1992, rumours where spreading around that Kurt Russel was trying make and star in a western of his own. A few months after that the rumour mill started again when Val Kilmer, at the time a big name himself, had said he would like to star in a western.

Those rumours where officially transformed into fact when in 1993 Tombstone hit the big screen. Produced by Hollywood studios and starring a cast of big names such as Sam Elliot, Robert Mitchum, and of course Kurt Russel, it seemed the western was back and with a bang.

The story revolves around Russel’s character, Wyatt Earp, a retired peace officer looking to settle down in a small mining town called Tombstone in Arizona.

After years of dishing out justice to outlaws, he decides a more peaceful life is for him and he thinks he will get just that in the small town.

However, it doesn’t take long before the very fugitives he put away, find him in his new retirement home, and it’s then down to the stunted lawman to do what he does best.

Thankfully, in this adventure, he has some help in the form of his brothers Virgil and Morgan as well as a new friend, and gunslinger extraordinaire, Doc Holiday.

After arriving in the town, Wyatt and his brothers begin to make a good life for themselves. They bring peace to the city and prosper thanks to a stake in a gambling casino.

However, life begins to turn sour when a band of outlaws known as the cowboys show up in the city. After the death of one brother and the maiming of another it’s left to Wyatt and his friend Doc Holiday to clean up.

The problem is though, Doc’s health is failing, and it becomes a race against time to not only save his beloved Tombstone, but also his friend.

After several epic gun battles, Wyatt finally finishes off the cowboys for good. As the movie comes to an end, Doc losses his battle with tuberculosis. He passes away in a sanatorium, leaving Wyatt to head to Los Angeles with his wife Josephine and start a new life.

Although the movie was never hailed as a critical success Tombstone did provide enough action, story and grit to keep audiences coming. At the end of its cinema release, it was said that the movie grossed over 56 million dollars.

Not a great sum of money by today’s standards but nothing the studios would sneer at either, and of course there was talk of another western starring our favourite action men Russel and Kilmer, however it never materialized and to this day neither one seems likely to commit to such a project.

All in all, if you like your westerns to be fun and action packed then Tombstone is certainly the movie for you. It is not on the same level of grittiness as say, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, or the current remake of True Grit, but it does pack enough punch to keep even the most hardened cowboy and cowgirl entertained.

Unforgiven

2012-10-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

Unforgiven

One of the most celebrated films of Clint Eastwood’s career, Unforgiven represented the pinnacle of Eastwood’s success as both actor and director. Released in 1992, Unforgiven is a powerful tale of revenge, action and drama set in the Old West with the lines between good and evil are blurred. Nominated for nine Oscars and winner of four including Best Picture, Best Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman and Best Director for Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven has taken its rightful place as one of the best films of the western genre.

Unforgiven is set in the lonesome, rollicking town of Big Whisky, Sheriff “Little Bill” played by Hackman keeps a tight grip on his township while building a new home. The saloon girls and whores that have also settled in the town are rocked on night when two cowboys cut up one of their own. Not satisfied with the justice dispensed by “Little Bill”, the whores band together and put up a bounty on the assailants.

News of the bounty attracts an eager young gun named “The Schofield Kid” played by Jaimz Woolvett and a retired killer William Munny played to grizzled perfection by Eastwood who was nominated for his performance. Munny had given up his killing ways to settle down on the farm with his young wife and two kids. But with the passing of his wife, Munny realizes that his place is not on the farm. So he recruits his old partner Ned played with great gusto by Morgan Freeman and sets off for Big Whiskey.

While Unforgiven is set in the old west and contains many of the trademarks of a traditional western, it plays out more like a Greek tragedy with the hero embodied in Eastwood’s character far more reticent and interested reclaiming his lost ways rather than fighting for what is right. Unforgiven also features plenty of wonderful supporting characters such as Richard Harris as the aged, yet proper gunslinger English Bob and veteran TV actor Saul Rubinek as reporter W.W. Beauchamp who serves as a rather nervous witness to the events that unfold over the course of the picture.

The climax of the film is simply one of the best ever filmed, full of intensity, raw nerve and unsettling action where all the combatants finally meet in a showdown inside the saloon. The understated power of Eastwood’s performance and Hackman’s complex character blurs the line between right and wrong. The ending of the film does not leave one with the feeling that all is settled, but rather that the survivors remain to live out the rest of their lives.

Interestingly enough, the script for the film has been passed around for nearly two decades before Clint Eastwood, who had ignored it for several years himself, finally read it and realized the potential of Unforgiven. What’s even more bizarre is that Hackman had read and passed on the script years earlier before being convinced by Eastwood to play the role of Little Bill.

Unforgiven became only the third picture to win Best Oscar, having achieved this a year after Dances with Wolves won the year before. It stands as a true testament to the power of Eastwood’s acting, directing and storytelling abilities.

John Wayne

2012-10-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

John Wayne

John Wayne was born in Winterset, may 26. 1907. And he died in Los Angeles, 11. June 1979. He was an american actor and one of the greatest legends, not just of Hollywood but of international film scene in general.

With more than 100 recorded movies he is considered one of most expressed film creators. During nearly fifty years of his career, he acted in several legendary roles that are still remembered and popular to this day. As an actor, John was very professional, disciplined and quite famous for his incredibly endurance. He proved it by showing up on the recording, almost until the last breath, even though he was very ill.

He had an accsident during shooting of a movie called Genghis Khan in the deserts of Nevada, by falling of the horse hit by a desert storm.

He won an oscar prize for a main male role in the movie “A man Called Courage”.

High School and College

Duke Morrison was among the most popular students in high school in glendale. He participated in various activities, and was a president of class, wrote for school’s sport newspaper, represented the school in a state competition in performing Shakespear’s dramas,…

His main interest, as he claimed, were girls and american football. He was a bit taller than 190 centimiters, dark haired and handsome, and also quite good dancer. He was very attractive to girls, but he never accepted any commitments and long-term relationships. Partly because he was quite poor, and sometimes he need to take the girl out, but mostly because on weekends he was drinking himself to oblivion, which he continued to do for the rest of his life. In Hollywood, a whiskey in a 2 deciliter glass was called “John Wayne’s cocktail”.

American football played the major role in his future. He was in the first team of his high school team, with whom he later on reached the state finals, so he got a scholarship for studying Law in South California.

There, they helped him improve his financial situation. With the help of actor, Tom Mix, a star of western at that time, he got a job as a worked in film studio Fox. Twenty days before his 19 birthday, his parents filed a request for divorce.

But, Wayne didn’t suffer too much for that, in fact, he didn’t care, because he fell in love for the first time, in a girl named Josephine, daughter of Hose Saenz, a successful businessman. He met her at a dance, and later on walked her home, which was when everything started.

He was lucky, Josephine had the same feelings for him. They got engaged, despite the unnaproval of her rich father. He considered that Wayne doesn’t deserve her because he can’t even earn enough for himself, and not Josephine too.

Later on, he dropped from university and went on pursuing his career, and everything after that is a story known to every fan of western movies.

John became a legend.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2012-10-16T08:04:00.001-07:00

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

INTRODUCTION

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a masterpiece that is considered as one of the best Westerns ever made; one that continues to get better and better with each viewing. This movie is an adventure of three gunfighters looking for $200,000 in gold in a remote cemetery. The Good, the bad and the ugly, directed by Sergio Leone, has influenced other Spaghetti Westerns greatly and the director’s elaborate and opulent film-making style such as close up shots and long shots can be seen in this movie. This is the third film of the Dollars Trilogy following A fistful of dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965).

PLOT

Tuco, a Mexican criminal, teams up with Blondie, an American bounty hunter. They earn money together with a simple plan, that is, Blondie turns the Mexican in and when Tuco is about to get hung, he rescues him by shooting the rope. They carry out this trick of theirs in every town and split the reward money that Blondie gets. This lucrative money making scheme that these two had come up with comes to an end when Blondie abandons Tuco in the desert keeping all of the money. An ireful Tuco arms himself with a revolver in another town and decides to kill Blondie with the help of three other outlaws. Tuco manages to capture Blondie and they set across the desert. At this point of time, they encounter Bill Carson, the only person who knows about the whereabouts of the gold, tells Tuco that the money is buried in a grave in Sad Hill cemetery and collapses. When Tuco goes to get him some water, he tells Blondie the name of the grave and dies soon after. Blondie, being the only person to know about the name of the grave, gains leverage over Tuco who takes him to a Catholic mission run by Tuco’s older brother. Once Blondie returns to full health, they set out in search for the gold when they are captured by Union soldiers. They meet Angel Eyes, disguised as a Union Sergeant who makes a deal with Blondie and rides with him and his body of men in search of the gold. Tuco, too, escapes when he’s being transported by train for his execution. After a long series of incidents, with endless double-crossings, betrayal and changing alliances, the three men arrive at the cemetery.

The 'Good' is played by Clint Eastwood, the Man with No Name. An unscrupulous killer who’s quiet and inexpressive, only seen once with a brief moment of humanity where his classic disinterest contrasts with the real tragedy of the American Civil War.

The ‘Bad’, with his cruel voice and a deathly pale face, Lee Van Cleef delivers remarkable performance by playing ‘Angel Eyes’ who is a merciless and pitiless sociopath.

The 'Ugly' is played by Eli Wallach whose captivating and comical presence is compensated by his arrogance. Tuco is seen to have a lot of qualities, some that help him in getting closer to his goal. He’s demonstrative, sensitive, loud, wild, and unforeseeable.

MUSIC

The score is composed by Ennio Morricone, whose compositions include whistling and a sound of a howling coyote. This melody is used for the three main characters; flute for Blondie, ocarina for Angel Eyes and human voices for Tuco. The music perfectly characterizes the film and it does so in a beautiful way.

RECEPTION

Though initially criticized for the depiction of violence, Leone mentions that "the killings in my films are exaggerated because I wanted to make a tongue-in-cheek satire on run-of-the-mill westerns... The west was made by violent, uncomplicated men, and it is this strength and simplicity that I try to recapture in my pictures." The film, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly failed to garner positive reception initially as Spaghetti Westerns were looked down then.

The film, however, has managed to accumulate positive feedback and a worldwide positive reception. One of the most popular westerns, it’s considered to be the greatest Spaghetti Western with the director Quentin Tarantino calling it as “the-best-directed-film of all time”. It’s also in Time’s “100 Greatest movies of the last century.

CONCLUSION

This epic Western displays style that has been copied in a multitude of movies. Long scenes of tense silences and close-ups implemented just wonderfully by the director, make it an absolute treat to watch. The whistling, that is said to be one of the greatest musical compositions is unforgettable. The integration of comedy, drama and war makes this movie a close perfection. We can also see anti-war sentiments and a soft side of Blondie when he witnesses a Civil War. As Roger Ebert puts it, this Civil War sequence can be considered as a film within a film.

Martin Scorsese

2012-10-10T11:14:00.001-07:00

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese is an American filmmaker (director, producer, and actor). He knows as one of the best film director of all time.

Martin was born at November 1942 in Queens, New York. His parents were second generation Sicilian. When martin was seven years old, the difficult economic situation force his family to move to a small apartment in "little Italy" (Lower East Side of Manhattan). His passion for films came from home, Luciano, Martin's father, was an avid collector of films. When martin was 10 years old he saw his first film with his father, and that change his life.

At the summer of 1960, Scorsese start to study film at New York University. For a start, he was making short student films. By the time he finished the University, in 1966, he had masters in art and film, a wife, Laraine Marie Brennan, and a child.

In 1967 he start making his first full length feature film, black & white film, called "Who's That Knocking at My Door". It's a film about Italian-American young man in the streets of New York, Like Scorsese's life himself. The film was not a blockbuster, but it attracted the attention of Roger Corman, Academy Award winning American film producer, Who took the young director as a personal project.

While his marriage ended in 1971, his professional life starts to take a positive direction. A Meeting between Scorsese and Robert de niro, Produced the movie "Mean Streets". The movie earns some good reviews and put Scorsese as young promising director. The following year he produces the drama "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", which won a best actress oscar for leading lady Ellen Burstyn.

After the first film with Robert de niro, Scorsese decided totake him for his new movie "Taxo driver", psychological thriller , set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film was nominated for four Academy awards, and won highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.

Then in 1980 he released "Raging Bull", a biographical sports drama art film in which DeNiro played the boxer Jake LaMotta. DeNiro won an Academy Award for his work on the film. Scorsese was nominated for his first Best Director Oscar, but lost. "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull" are classic examples of Scorsese Films. Both star an Italian-American actor who worked with Scorsese on multiple film (The role served by DeNiro in the 1970s and 1980s and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2000). Both are set in a gritty, violent New York City.

After losing out five times, director Martin Scorsese was awarded his first Oscar at 2007 "The Departed".

Selection of other films: Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), Gangs of New York (1999), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2010) and Hugo (2012).

Three facts you didn’t know about Martin Scorsese:

1. In 1987, Martin Scorsese directed Michael Jackson's music video for "Bad.

2. Martin Scorsese is also an actor. He played in his own movies for a bit.

3. Scorsese is the founder of The Film Foundation.

Filming a Movie: how do they do it?

2012-10-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

Filming a Movie: how do they do it?

The process of creating and shooting a movie is divided in several different segments, each equally important and absolutely required for a successful production.

It all begins with a producer, a person who is generally in charge of the whole process of movie production. Before any shooting takes place, the producer and director complete the first stage of the process, which is called pre-production. In this stage, they work with large teams of professionals to plan the whole movie, filming and production process to the last detail.

The Screenplay for a Movie

Each movie production project requires a “script” before the filming begins. Generally, it is written by the Screenwriters and it’s called “the screenplay”. The screenplay is considered as a vital part film creation and it’s usually changed many times before the final product.

After it’s been written, the Artist’s and the Director use the screenplay to produce a storyboard that consists of series of drawings that include sound effects, special effects and other notes to help explain everyone involved how each scene is imagined to play out.

Pre-production Process

After the first step is complete, the next thing to do is finding a suitable location where shooting should take place. A location manager is in charge of this job. After finding it, they arrange permission for filming on that location, and complete any other requirements involving shooting on that location.

After that, actors required for each scene written in the screenplay are hired. A Casting Director is in charge of this process and he hires the actors he finds suitable for specific screenplay. Than, the Costume Designer creates neccesary clothing for the actors based on the screenplay. A production designer than plans the visual atmosphere and the Set Designer uses it to build the sets.

Starting the Filming

Before each filming of a scene, actors are dressed and “made up” by the Makeup Artist’s to fit the scenario of scenes that will be filmed that session. The actors than play out the scenes, which are shot by the camera crew. They are usually repeated and shot several times to ensure everything is captured and ready for the editing process. The Sound crew films on the location, but the actors usually re-record the dialogue in the studios for higher sound quality. Also, in the filming process, many people are hired to assist with props like sound, lightning, stunts and similar.

After Effects

The modern technology allows the computer professionals to add additional effects that are unable to be shot using conventional camera methods. These effects sole purpose is to enhance the viewer’s experience.

Editing the Film

After everything is completed, the Director and the Editor work together to select the scenes that will make up the final movie. The final output is what we see in Cinemas, DVD’s and the Television.

The movie production is a form of art, and also one of the largest industries worldwide. The film making process involves many people, and the new technologies are allowing the producers to push the limits of what we currently see as possible. We hope to enjoy a completely new level of experience in the near future.

COMEDY MOVIES

2012-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

COMEDY MOVIES

The comedy genre is the oldest film genre and the comedy movies aim at making people laugh by often exaggerating situations, language and action. Comedy movies are generally light-hearted movies intended to elicit laughter. It’s considered as the toughest genre to make but these movies yield remarkable results and turn out to be the highest grossers more often than not. Comedies go well with pretty much everyone from all age brackets as they keep all parts of society, whether children or adults, harmonious and content. Comedy movies oftentimes impose moral lessons and happy thoughts to the story thus providing mirth and gaiety in one’s life in the otherwise monotonous day-to-day life.

TYPES OF COMEDY

There are many different kinds and types of comedy, including:

-Slapstick comedy: This primitive, time-honored comedy with belligerent and visual action that included innocuous and harmless elements in the movies, required exquisite timing and sharp, well-honed acting skills. One of the best examples of this type of comedy is the movie “The Three Stooges”; a movie that delivers all the elements of Slapstick humor such as hasty, brutal physical action while at the same time, being inane and certainly heartfelt.

-Screwball comedy: This particular type is possibly the most popular and enduring film genres. There is no decisive list of the elements found in these movies but some of them include farce, tomfoolery and a skillful, desterous blend of sophistication, elegance and slapstick. Another prevalent elements include fast-talking and witty, mirthful repartee. Based on the book of the same name from Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon), “The Thin Man” is a comedy masquerading as a detective story and can be considered as one of the greatest movies of the screwball comedy genre.

-Black comedy: Black or dark comedy movies are used to flaunt the incongruity, absurdity and callousness of the society. This genre deals with pushed aside subjects such as death, murder, war in a satirical approach. The greatest example of this type of comedy is “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” that spoofed the dogmatic insanity of political and military institutions. This movie was remarkably successful in its attempt to take a deadly serious issue and in putting forth the elements to make a black comedy.

-Spoofs: This type of comedy uses elements like sarcasm, mockery to satirize and lampoon the works of a serious film, performer or genre for comic effects. They also deal with issues that are controversial but include humorous, bizarre and outrageous elements for comic effects. Popular examples of this genre include Young Frankenstein, The Freshman and the Austin Power films.

INFLUENCE OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN COMEDY

"At once a train of comic possibilities occurred to me. I saw myself sleeping in bed, oblivious to the clanging of the fire bell. This point would have universal appeal, because everyone likes to sleep. I saw myself sliding down the pole, playing tricks with the fire horses, rescuing my heroine, falling off the fire engine as it turned a corner, and many other points along the same lines. I stored these points away in my mind and sometime later, when I made "The Fireman", I used every one of them. “said Charlie Chaplin.

As writer, director and principle actor, Charlie Chaplin exhibited an extraordinary and unparalleled degree of cinematic control that enabled him to instill in his movies, a dramatic arrangement of inimitable styles. His keen-eyed observation of life around him is what made him so successful and long-lasting in the cinema.

The elements that he used in his movies continue to influence the comedy genre.

WAR MOVIES

2012-10-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

WAR MOVIES

War films, a genre concerned with warfare, often acknowledge the heartbreak of war and subtleties of military life. These films focus on prisoners of war, military training, psychological and physical effects of boot camp training etc. War movies are considered to be the most historic movies and have immense respect as a genre. The influence of these war movies has been large and has always managed to make a positive impact on the society. It was seen that people could stand up for themselves; such was the impact in the older days especially during the Great War and the Vietnam War.

A number of movies on World War II that were made in the 1940’s garnered public interest and heightened their spirit of patriotism during the war by showcasing the wicked and criminal behavior of the enemies in the last months of World War I. Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator aimed at the villainy of Hitler, was immensely popular despite Chaplin’s fears of a parody of Hitler wouldn’t go down well with the wartime audiences. This social satire also managed to show the hateful oppression and emotional pain that the war caused to the decent folk of the society. Another great movie that used parody to satirize wars is Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) directed by the legendary director Stanley Kubrick.

Anti-war films that emphasize the horror and brutalities of war provide the plot for the action of the film. One of the earliest and the greatest anti-war film to be made was All Quiet on The Western Front(1930) that had powerful and intense battle scenes and were considered graphic by the audience at that time. All Quiet on The Western Front opens with the caption, "This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war...”. This epic movie made on a budget of $1.25 million was a huge critical and financial success. It’s still popular and stands up well nearly 8 decades after it was first shown on-screen.

Also, The Vietnam War has been the subjects of many war films and these movies had particular elements that were such as gut, grit and audacity. The willingness to take bold risks inspired people during the war and post-war. There were movies that followed the boot camps and training and experiences of the marines. This critically acclaimed movie received several accolades with winning overwhelming performances by the actors. Francis Ford Copolla’s Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now, considered as culturally and historically significant is about an American captain who has been ordered to assassinate a renegade colonel who is waging a brutal war in Cambodia.

While some may think the influence of war movies is often glorified or overrated, they are generally notable when the movies offer substantial and detailed information. These movies have garnered positive reviews and made a large impact on the general public due to the well-crafted, thought provoking and frightening nature of the movies and by strengthening the beliefs widespread in the society.

MAFIA MOVIES

2012-10-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Mafia are a network of individuals or a group of associates in the world of organized crime. Mafia movies deal with organized crime and it’s seen that these movies often highlight the life of a crime figure. Gangster films or mob films, as they are called, garnered a lot of interest during the 1930’s and 1940’s when the streets of New York and Chicago witnessed the growth of crime and bootlegging of alcohol, with gangsters, bank robbers, hooligans and thugs large on the street. Real life criminals such as Al Capone, Machine Gun Jelly, Baby Face Nelson were subjects of these mafia movies and helped in popularizing the gangster film genre. These money hungry profligates were widely identifiable by the general public.

The storyline of these mafia movies is essentially about gang wars wherein gangsters seek power, wealth and respect of the society. These films depict violence as seen in the underworld by highlighting the rise and downfall of violent, psychopathic criminals. It’s seen that the gangsters of this particular genre of movies are immoral, womanizing and self-destructive. Based on the life of Al Capone, “Scarface (1932)” is one of the greatest gangster movies that starred Paul Muni as a grossly immoral, vicious profligate whose ambitious and violent nature ultimately leads him to destruction. However, the audiences loved the depiction of bloodshed, lawlessness, violence and betrayal shown on-screen.

The earliest mob films can be traced back to D.W. Griffith’s silent film, “The Musketeers of Pig Alley” that introduced the genre of mafia movies. “Little Caesar”, a classic, is the story of a young man from a small town whose ambition to make it big in the world of gangsters gets him killed after having achieved some remarkable highs, and was one of the first movies to deal with the criminal underworld. This particular movie paved the way for other great gangster movies such as Scarface, Public Money and The Finger Points.

It’s seen that Hollywood was largely associated with the mob directly in 1930s when money laundering and extortions were common. The mafia saw a huge potential for financial growth in the film industry and decided to move into the film industry. Since the 1930s, the mafia has browbeaten actors, producers and directors for financial gains and power in the society.

The Mafia exists in different parts of the world and there are many organizations similar to the Mafia that exist such as Irish Mob, Chinese Triads, Japanese Yakuza. Out of these, the Irish Mob, one of the oldest organized crime gangs in the U.S, is widely recognized as the most influential part of the mafia movies genre. Irish mob gangs such as ‘The Westies’ and ‘The Winter Hill Gang’ were dreaded on the streets of the U.S. These gangs were active during Prohibition by organizing gambling, prostitution rackets, narcotics trafficking and smuggling in cities such as Chicago and Boston. “Gangs of New York”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best Irish mob gang movies of all time that depicts the birth of Manhattan and the bloodshed, carnage filled gang wars was rather, well received by audiences.

Prohibition in the United States was the period in which there was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol that began in 1920 and ended in 1933. Though the intention was to eliminate bootlegging and businesses that manufactured and sold alcohol, it paved a way for organized bootlegging by Mafia groups. Thus, this period actually saw the organized crime flourish in the States. The Mafia movies that were made during the Prohibition era such as “The Public Enemy” and “The Roaring Twenties”, garnered a lot of interest in the 1930’s. The Public Enemy, starring James Cagney and directed by William A. Wellman is the story of a young Irish man’s rise in the criminal underworld set in the Prohibition era. The depiction of the violence and bloodshed caused by the hoodlums of the underworld was accurate and the critics were astounded by lifelike portrayal of these young hoodlums by Woods and Cagney.

The Godfather, one of the greatest mafia movies of all time has seen remarkable critical and commercial success in Hollywood and was able to make a strong impact on the public. Elements of this movie can be seen in almost all organized crime movies of today and its influence on motion pictures can be clearly seen. The Godfather, Francis Ford Capolla’s masterpiece is all about family, loyalty, greed and relationships that is hardly ever shown in other mafia movies.

In conclusion, Hollywood mafia movies have been highly successful because of their mass appeal and the critical role that they play in American culture.

Here is a clip of one of the famous mafia movies ever :

Old western movies

2012-09-24T10:25:00.003-07:00

Old western movies

Western films can be traced back to the late 1800s, and vaudeville performances known as Wild West Shows. Buffalo Bill is credited with the first of these traveling shows, which began running in 1883. Later that decade, old Western movies began to make their way to film. However, it was not until 1903 that the most famous of these early works was released to the public. The Great Train Robbery is a 12-minute Western film by Edwin S. Porter, and is considered one of the first major milestones in filmmaking.

Prior to 1939, Western films did not feature sound. It was not until the debut of Stagecoach that sound was introduced. Stagecoach starred John Wayne, also known as the "Duke". John Wayne starred in more than 35 Westerns, and he gave new meaning to the word "Pilgrim".

With sound came singing cowboys and movie theme songs. John Wayne starred as a singing cowboy in the movie, Riders of Destiny. However, he was not the best of singers, so Smith Bellows was cast as Wayne's singing double.

Western movies typically romanticized life on the American frontier, and the standard plot was good versus bad. The "bad" was usually a bank robber, a greedy banker or Native Americans being forced off their land. Much material has been written and filmed about historic events such as the Alamo. Likewise, real outlaws and lawmen of the Old West feature prominently in many Western movies. Many of the Old West personalities like Butch Cassidy, Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid have generated so much interest over the years, that they remain the topic of current day films. Many American actors are famous for their work on Westerns, such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, two names that are synonymous with the Old West.

A term many will be familiar with is the "Spaghetti Western", a sub-genre of Western films that came into play in the 1960s. Originally, the name "Spaghetti Western" was a derogatory term, but ultimately embraced by both fans and the Italians producing these movies. Spaghetti Westerns were made on low budgets, and relied on the talent of both rising and fading stars. One of the most popular Spaghetti Western directors is Sergio Leone, best known for Fistful of Dollars, which ultimately turned into a trilogy starring Clint Eastwood.

The Spaghetti Western, and Sergio Leone's films, was blamed for the rapid change of the Western genre of films. Movies like Leone's Fistful of Dollars featured more violence and killing than was seen in earlier American Western films.

The highest rated Western films of the 1900s include The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Rio Bravo, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, True Grit, Unforgiven, and Fistful of Dollars, to name only a handful. Westerns of the current and past decade have evolved to something quite a bit different, featuring less grit and more gore. Some, like Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens, have tried to modernize the genre by pitting 1873 gunslingers against aliens from another universe.

Despite current efforts to modernize the genre, the Old West films of the 1900s will always remain classics. The Western genre will continue to evolve, and at least once every so often, we can be sure that filmmakers will toss Wild West fans a little taste of the past.