Categories
Home Rental Trials internet tv Netflix

Top 3 Grand Entrances in Film – The 1960’s

Image via screen capture.

The directors of these films weren’t taking any chances of their characters being forgotten, so they came out all guns blazing. Here are my top grand entrances by characters in some of the most iconic 1960’s movies.

Lawrence of Arabia  (1962)

David Lean’s masterpiece of film making included the notorious entrance of Omar Sharif (playing Sherif Ali Ibn el Kharish).

Lawrence and his escort Tafas are standing at a Bedouin well in the middle of a desolate desert, in excruciating heat, as Tafas draws water from the well.  Cue a tiny glimmer of action on the far horizon, a cloud of dust and a speck emerging from the shimmering heat haze  – what can it be?  Lawrence is alert – could it be ‘the Turks?’

As the ominous figure comes closer into view, a transfixed Lawrence and Tafas try and make out who it is – slowly the image coming into view becomes a black figure on a camel, coming closer and closer. Before reaching them, a shot rings out and Tafas falls, dead.

As Lawrence is fixed to the ground, the mysterious black clad stranger dismounts his camel and walks over to check on Tafas.

Sherif: “He is dead”

Lawrence: “Yes. Why?”

Shreif: “This is my well”.

Lawrence had a lot to learn about Bedouin ancient tribal warfare!

James Bond  No 2 (1969)

This 007 never was much of a wall flower when it comes to grand entrances, but the 1969 film “On her Majesty’s Secret Service” was an entrance everyone was on tenterhooks about, following the popularity of Sean Connery in the first five Bond films.

Now it was up to silverscreen Bond No 2, a little known Australian model George Lazenby, to step into the famous shoes.

Cue classic opening shot of Bond driving along the coast of Portugal in his Aston Martin, in the sunshine. He stops to rescue a fully clothed woman who is drowning herself in the surf, and as he carries her back to revive her, he utters the famous line, “My name’s Bond, James Bond”, so we are all crystal clear. Then, suddenly he is attacked by two men but (of course) he manages to fight them off  – delivering the killer next line “This never happened to the other fellow”,  sealing his place in Bond history.

The Graduate (1967)

In a classic tale of Cougar-gets-younger-man, the opening scene sees troubled, alienated college graduate Benjamin Braddock (played by a very young Dustin Hoffman) sitting in his bedroom, avoiding his own graduation party.

As he stares into the glass of a fish tank, in the frame we see the doors fling open to reveal a black-clad older woman, Mrs Robinson, who had followed him there on the flimsy excuse that she needed the bathroom.

Benjamin is not quick off the mark and says he wants to be alone, but arch cradle snatcher Mrs Robinson sets the path for her seduction of him, by insisting that he give her a lift home. The rest is indeed history – as solidified in the 1968 song by Simon & Garfunkel.

What are your favourite film entrances?

Sarah O’Neill is an eco-blogger who loves film. She writes for Merritt Plastics, one of the largest plastic recycling companies in the UK, who undertake PVC U plastic window recycling to a new level, turning consumer waste products into products that can be used again and again. 

Categories
Home Rental Trials internet tv Netflix

Find The Home Theater Design That Reflects Your Favorite Movies


Image by gsloan

Most people like to watch their favorite movies in their home entertainment center, and half the fun of having a theater in your home is knowing that you can watch the films that you really enjoy the most at any time of day or night, 365 days a year. There’s no waiting for the film you want to see arriving in the local theater for a limited run. Any movie that you like can have an extended run right inside of that room where you like to be entertained.

But there are some folks who take the whole home entertainment thing to an entirely new dimension by making their home theaters look like the movies that they like to watch. When you show “Return of the Jedi” in your specially designed “Star Wars” themed home entertainment room, you might have a rather difficult time figuring out where the movie stops and the real world begins.

So what other kinds of themes are movie fans pursuing when they decide to deck out their viewing area with some spiffy décor that will immediately put them in the mood for the kinds of films they like most?

Bat Cave Movie Theater Theme

Some creative movie fans came up with a Bat Cave Movie Theater that features some high end home theater seats upholstered in black, shiny fabric that makes the theater immediately reminiscent of those nocturnal flying mice. It sure would be interesting to watch a chain of Batman movies in the Bat Cave theater. Some lucky individual reportedly paid a half million dollars just for the seating in his Bat Cave home movie space. All the lucky owner would need now is Alfred the butler to serve drinks and popcorn.

Opera House Theme

Another film fanatic built a home theater made to look like a turn of the century opera house that has a refreshment stand, box office and marquee, as well as some Elite home theater furniture. The theater is complete with three DVD players, a JVC projector and some high-end sound gear. It might be the perfect place to watch the Marx Brothers in “A Night at the Opera.”

Bank Theme

If you want to feel really safe and secure while watching movies, you might want to build what one movie fan constructed – a home theater with a very large bank vault, some ornate woodwork and comfortable seating, of course. What better place could there be to watch some of those old gangster movies from the 1930s, especially the ones with a bank-heist theme?

Stargate Theme

And finally we have a Stargate-themed home theater that is replete with star lighting effects and in-wall speakers. When it comes to movie fans, few are as dedicated as the ones who are science fiction fans. The Force is with them.

Bobby Bala is an honored home theater furniture expert and contributing writer specializing in discussing various seating for movie theaters in home. He has been in the home movie theater furniture industry for a long time and is one of the top suppliers of custom seating solutions.

Categories
Home Rental Trials internet tv Netflix

Avatar: A Great 3-D Film Experience

If you haven’t seen a 3-D film in a while, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Unlike the 3-D movies of yesteryear, today’s 3-D films are incredibly immersive and extremely exciting. One exceptional example is the movie “Avatar,” which debuted in theaters in 2009. While it’s been a few years since “Avatar” was released, it continues to amaze audiences with its high-quality 3-D animations. Unlike the 3-D movies of years past, “Avatar” manages to incorporate three-dimensional elements in a completely natural way. While watching the film, it’s easy to forget that you’re sitting in a theater or your living room. Find out why “Avatar” is so special by checking out the following information.

Low-Key 3-D Effects

When using 3-D, many films reserve it for a handful of scenes. That’s not the case with “Avatar.” Instead of throwing out 3-D graphics during specific scenes, the film relies on them from the moment it begins until the moment it ends. That doesn’t mean that you are constantly being bombarded with images that fly directly at you. Instead, the effects are used in a wonderfully subtle way. Instead of projecting out at you, the 3-D effects are used to draw you into the action. You’ll find yourself slipping off your 3-D glasses from time to time to make sure that you’re actually watching a 3-D film.

Movement in the film

Another thing that makes the 3-D special effects in “Avatar” so amazing is that they occasionally make you feel like you’re moving right along with the characters. There are several flying scenes in the film, and they make audiences feel like they are along for the ride. Impeccable editing and exciting music intensifies the excitement of such scenes, and you won’t want them to come to an end. The 3-D effects in “Avatar” transform jungle chase scenes into something that’s truly amazing.

Enjoying “Avatar” at Home

Some would say that the only way to get the most out of a film like “Avatar” is by seeing it in the theater, but that’s not necessarily true. The right 3D TV makes it easy to enjoy a fantastic film like this from the comfort of your own home. 3-D TVs have come a really long way. When paired with a high-quality Blu-ray player, a 3D TV can bring the excitement and drama of an amazing film like “Avatar” into your own living room. To make things even better, invest in a top-notch surround-sound system.

There’s no question that 3-D films have been enjoying a great deal of popularity lately. Some 3-D movies are better than others, but that’s true about any genre of film. If you’d like to get your 3-D television adventure off to an incredible start, though, you should opt for a movie like “Avatar.” In addition to wowing audiences in theaters around the world, the movie makes a profound impression when viewed at home with the right television set. Even if you’ve already seen “Avatar,” you should give it another try at home. It is sure to become one of your favorite 3-D movies.

VD has blogged for over three years and likes to contribute to the blogging community in the way of guest posts. She enjoys blogging about food and writing recipe blogs and sharing what she likes to watch on her 3d tv.

Categories
Home Rental Trials Netflix

Jennifer Aniston Had a Rough Start to Her Career

Jennifer AnistonAlthough she was born into a family of actors, Jennifer Aniston did not have an easy ride to where she is today. In fact, her ride used to be a bicycle dodging traffic as a bike messenger. This in a long list of ‘first jobs,’ Jennifer Aniston’s career was less career and more job to begin with. Born to actors Nancy Dow and prolific soap-opera star John Aniston, you’d think she could have just walked into her acting career, but that wasn’t the case. Before Friends, Jennifer Aniston would clean toilets to make pocket money; a horrible job for the Horrible Bosses star. Raised in New York City, Jennifer Aniston had high hopes for Broadway, but had to make due pedalling up and down it as a bike messenger. She concedes that her toughest job was definitely hitting the streets on a fixie-bike and a low point was slamming into an opening door; not to mention what a helmet would do to the famous Jennifer Aniston hairstyle.

Jennifer Aniston next found herself in an office job as a telemarketer and taking New York City offices into consideration, it was probably not in a luxurious serviced office London style – one can only imagine. It was during this time that Jennifer Aniston would act out her Broadway dreams no doubt to potential clients over the phone. With her infectious friendly demeanour however, we’re sure Jennifer Aniston made more than a few sales. During this period of her life, there were many failed Jennifer Aniston shows – five TV shows and one movie flop. Jennifer Aniston’s acting career was almost over before it began with her considering dropping it altogether.

This story has a successful third act however, as it was when she was at her lowest that Jennifer Aniston auditioned for the role of Rachel Green – the role we all grew to love over the sitcom’s ten-year run. Reported by Hollywood, Jennifer Aniston was paid $1 million dollars an episode in the last two seasons of the show. With a string of successful film appearances, such as cult classic Office Space and the hilarious dark comedy Horrible Bosses, Jennifer Aniston has cemented herself as a bona fide movie star. To think if she’d kept her telemarketing job she might’ve ended up in office space London. The next step for Jennifer Aniston’s career is the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where she is scheduled to receive her star in 2012.

 

Sally Roberts is an enthusiastic writer looking to share news and views with fellow bloggers.

Categories
internet tv Netflix Online Games

Quality Audio in FLAC File Downloads

FLACThe most common digital audio format is MP3 and it is widely used in the digital audio industry today. Basically the MP3 format is a patented digital audio encoding that has been standardized to be compatible in most audio and media players for sale today, whether portable or not. MP3 files are compressed audio files, also referred to as lossy comprehension. One of its defining characteristics is that it doesn’t take up too much space (the average size for an MP3 file is 3 mb) but the quality of the sound is still a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio. So if the MP3 files seem to be a standard music format for listening to music, then what’s the deal with FLAC files that are now considered to be the fastest-growing audio codec today?

One of the greatest weapons that FLAC files can showcase to all music enthusiasts and audiophiles is that when it comes to audio quality, this audio format ranks the top one. FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec – with an emphasis on the word “lossless” (as opposed to the “lossy” quality of MP3), meaning, “without loss in quality.” If the MP3 format is a patented digital audio, FLAC is considered to be non-proprietary and in most cases, independent and clear from patents. With those qualities associated with FLAC files, you cannot blame most audiophiles and music enthusiasts to switch from MP3 to FLAC.

But FLAC remains to be in the background compared to MP3, albeit the fact that it can offer high quality audio sound. Why? There are also downsides when it comes to FLAC. For one thing, FLAC files cannot be played in iTunes so if you are a die-hard Apple fan, then you will find this extremely discouraging. FLAC files play in Windows Media Player and Winamp though.

Another reason why many people shrugged off FLAC files is that they take up too much space, with a FLAC audio file taking up to 43 MB compared to MP3’s average 3 MB size. Some people prefer to skimp on storage space and sacrifice music quality. One must consider, however, that compared to downloading movies from sites like Netflix, the amount of bandwidth and storage space required for music is trivial.  Even the highest quality audio contains less data than a decent video stream.  This makes opting for MP3’s a false economy in todays bandwidth rich world.

Still, if you find quality audio important to you then you’ll discover that you’re not really interested in compressed music files. After all, you can always buy extra hard drives – they are cheap these days. So make the switch to FLAC file formats, grab a cold beer from the fridge, and settle in for some quality music appreciation today!

Categories
Home Rental Trials Netflix

The Anatomy of a Guitar

In 1996, Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa about mus...
Image via Wikipedia

The modern guitar has evolved over the years from the early vihuela, invented in 15th Century Spain, to become the instrument that we all know and love. There are some lovely instruments out there that would make even those who don’t particularly care for the guitar sit up and take notice. There also exists a dizzying array of options and paint jobs to choose from these days, and the salesmen in the music store use so much jargon that it can be quite intimidating for a beginner who just wants to buy their first guitar.

So let’s demystify the guitar jargon and explain what all the different terms mean that relate to its anatomy.

The Parts of a Guitar

The different parts of a guitar have quite exotic sounding names that don’t necessarily give any obvious clues about which bit of the guitar they relate to. You wouldn’t expect a musical instrument to be made partly from a “nut”, or a “bridge”, would you? Some of the other pats are more logically named, for example the “sounding board” is a no nonsense description of the the function of that part of the guitar.

So lets look at a few of the parts in turn.

The Body

The body of an acoustic guitar is hollow and has a hole in it between the fretboard and the bridge. The purpose of the hollow body and the hole are to amplify the sound generated by the vibrating strings. Electric guitars on the other hand do not require hollow bodies because their sound is amplified electronically using an amplifier, or “amp”.

The Headstock

The headstock of the guitar is right at the opposite end of the guitar to the body and is the important section of the guitar from the point of view of making sure it is in tune. The headstock is where the tuning pegs are located. The tuning pegs (sometimes called “machine heads”), are used to adjust the tension of the guitar strings, thereby altering the pitch produced when they are played.

The Nut and the Bridge

The nut is usually made from plastic or bone and is a narrow strip with grooves cut into it across which the strings are stretched. The strings reach along the length of the guitar and pass over the bridge, which is located on the body of the guitar. The distance between the nut and the bridge defines the length of each of the strings that is free to vibrate when plucked. The further this distance, the lower the note produced.

These are the basics of the guitar. Now you know them you can go to the guitar store with confidence and not feel intimidated by all the jargon.

Don’t forget to take your wallet!