What I Learned From the Movie - March of the Penguins

I would like to recommend a movie I saw recently called, March of the Penguins, produced by Warner Independent Pictures and National Geographic Feature Films.

This movie was a surprise to me, not at all what I was expecting. I was hoping it would be more like Polar Express and I would leave the theatre feeling uplifted and that feeling would stay with me for days. This was a different kind of film. It was beautiful and stunning and I was deeply touched but I couldn’t help but feel the anguish and pain that these grace filled beings suffer every year when they endure the 70 mile - 20 day march to their breeding grounds and the experiences that follow, to give life to the enchanting baby penguins. There were scenes in this film that are burned in my memory forever.

I saw this movie with a friend who was feeling a little down and thinking his life was difficult. After watching this documentary, both of our lives seemed like a piece of cake. I highly recommend this movie. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. I have been haunted by it ever since. This amazing story has caused me to think deeply about so many things. It has uncovered places deep inside me that cry out for healing and it has reminded me of what is really important in life.

The story, beautifully narrated by Morgan Freeman, opens with the words...“In the harshest place on earth, LOVE finds a way. This is the incredible true story of a family’s journey to bring life into the world.”

And incredible is an understatement. As I watched these tuxedo clad beings leap out of their ocean home to begin their journey, walking upright in single file, I understood the power of clear focus, keeping your mind on the goal and moving forward with fierce determination in a way I had not comprehended it before. I understood too about never giving up. And as they progressed along their perilous journey in the dark and cold and the scenery changed from previous years, and they needed to find their way, I knew the importance of following my own instincts and connecting to my own inner guidance. I appreciated how important it is sometimes to just keep going, even if it means you may have to crawl on your belly for awhile.

After the long, cold and arduous trek to their mating ground, I sat raptured as each penguin attempted to choose a partner, someone especially for them, from a sea of what only appeared to be identical partners, wondering just how and why they made their choice. And then I witnessed what had to be the most tender, delicate, intricate, courtship dance on the planet, intimate, affectionate and stunningly beautiful. Totally enthralled with this ritual, there were moments here where I didn’t know where these beautiful beings ended and I began.

Each female, lucky enough to have found a mate, laid a single egg and that egg was very carefully transferred to her male partner, to guard and hatch, while the now very weak female begins her journey back the same 70 miles to obtain nourishment again on the ocean floor.

As I later viewed the fathers gently hovering over their new born offspring, the baby chick cradled on top of their feet, I felt their deep love and parental bonding and I experienced the sacredness and importance of sustaining life at all costs. And as I witnessed thousands of penguins huddled together braced against the elements, I realized the importance of sticking together for a common goal and the comfort that a sense of community can bring. Each one took turns on the outside and inside of the circle in order to share the warmer and cooler spots and I saw first hand what integrity and a sense of fair play can mean to the interconnectedness of all living things.

Now desperately needing nourishment of their own, and elated at the safe return of the females, I witnessed each father, with great sadness, getting ready to leave his baby chick and listening for the chick’s song, so that he would recognize him or her, upon his return and I remembered that we are all born with our own unique song in our heart and when we sing that song with love, our true nature is instantly recognizable and our extraordinary life purpose fulfilled.

And later when I listened to one mother penguin cry out in pain over the loss of her chick to the bitter cold, I ached too for my own lost family and understood her grief. As the weather warmed and I saw another mother push her little one out to mix and mingle with the other young penguins, I was transported back to my first day at school when my own mother did the exact same thing to me.

Near the end of the movie I watched in shock as the parents finally walked away and left their young ones behind. In that moment, I felt a strong sense of betrayal, abandonment and fear as my own need to cling to things long after they are over surfaced once again. I was reminded of the importance of letting go and moving on, taking that next step or leap of faith into a brave new world, as these little ones eventually did with their first courageous leap into the sea, their new home for the next four years, until they too would make this remarkable journey.

Until this film, I was not aware of what is involved in the life of a Emperor Penguin as I am unaware of so many other amazing things that happen on our planet. What if, in the media, instead of focusing on the comings and goings of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities, we strive to learn more about the nature of the universe and the wonders of our planet instead. How our lives would be so changed for the better I suspect, if we each did that. I applaud everyone who was involved in bringing this beautiful story to life and I thank you for a job well done.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Veronica Hay

It Takes an Iron Resolve to Make an Independent Film Production Happen

Commitment is an independent filmmaker’s most valuable resource. Without a lot of money to grease the wheels of production, a low budget film producer must rely on creativity and determination to get their films made. If a person wants to get their film made badly enough, there is not much in this world that can stop it from happening.

Making a film on your own with your own money is a very daunting task. It can also be very rewarding. When you decide to take on the awesome responsibility of writing, directing, and producing your own independent film, you better know what you are getting into beforehand. Once you set the ball in motion, there is no going back. You either succeed and your film makes to the film festival circuit (which is a major accomplishment in and of itself), or you crash and burn halfway through the film production process and your film vision never sees the light of day.

The next time you watch a movie I suggest that you pay particular attention to the credits at the end of the film. Take a look at how many names scroll across the screen and this will give you an idea of how much work goes into the making of a motion picture. Then take away all of the names on the screen and picture your name in front of every credit for every job and this will give you an idea of how much work YOU will have to do to make your own movie.

When I first graduated from film school I hit the ground running. I landed a decent job as the Director and Animator on an independent film that had Pat Boone’s name attached to it. I was hired to film clay animation stories about The Bible. I worked on that job for about four months and was paid fairly well for my efforts. I decided that the best thing I could do with the money I saved was to make another film. I would take the knowledge and money I gained and use it for my own benefit. I decided to make my own movie with the idea in mind that I would enter it in on the film festival circuit and hopefully win some awards. If that happened it would almost certainly be a boost for my fledgling film career.

I wrote a script for a short film that involved a combination of clay animation and live action, and I was ready to make a film. My plan was to use all of my knowledge and talent and do almost all the work. For the parts that I could not do myself I would hire friends and business associates at a substantially discounted rate. These people agreed to work for cheap in return for a little creative control, a credit for their demo reel, and possibly exposure if the film does well at any major film festivals. I only had to hire them for the filming of the live action scenes and for some of the post production work (like sound design, mixing, foley sound effects, etc…). The animation I would do entirely on my own.

I contacted a couple of friends of mine that managed camera and sound equipment rental houses. They set me up with a 16mm camera package and a DAT (digital audio tape) package to rent at discounted prices. I rented these packages on a weekend (to get the extra 2 days for free) and I started filming the live action part of my film right away.

I worked extremely hard that first weekend. I basically filmed most of the time with only about two to three hours of sleep each day. When I was not filming/acting/directing, I was setting up lights, moving furniture, making meals for everyone, setting up props, distributing and apply makeup, rehearsing with actors, fixing costumes, and performing script rewrites on the set, to name only a few things. By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was mentally and physically exhausted, but I still had to bring back the camera and sound equipment packages by 10:00 am or I would be charged for another day of rental. You do not have that luxury to just sleep in and not worry about it when you are making an independent film on a shoestring budget. There is no rest for the weary when you are making your own movie. Time is money, and you do not have a lot of either one of these resources.

I returned the camera and sound equipment packages just in time on Monday morning. Then I went straight to the film lab and dropped off my film. I then made an appointment for the following week (the soonest date I could get) to see my dailies (developed film), and counted the days until the day of my appointment arrived.

I arrived at the film lab a half hour early for my appointment to see my dailies. As I sat in the lobby waiting for my big moment, I began to get very nervous. Unnerving thoughts began to fill my head. What if one of the rolls of film somehow got damaged in the lab? Maybe the machine that develops the film broke when my film was running through it and all of my film rolls are scratched? What if the cameraman I hired was not as good as his demo reel implied and all my rolls are under or over exposed? What if the guy who took my film at the front desk of the film lab is a disgruntled filmmaker who only took that job so he can ruin other people’s film when they hand it over to him? What if there was a mishap in the film vault involving fire sprinklers and all my rolls of film got ruined? Of course, all of these are irrational thoughts, but nonetheless they are the kind of thoughts that go through the mind of an independent filmmaker as they are quietly waiting in the lobby of a film lab facility prior to their appointment to see the fruits of their efforts.

As it turned out, everything was fine. My dailies looked great and that only inspired me to keep the ball rolling with my film project. I put every ounce of effort that my body and soul possessed into that project, and it paid off. That film (Mike And The Magic Lamp) won several awards at several film contests that year (1998) including a Silver Award at the Houston Worldfest in the same category that had seen past winners with such names as Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, and Quentin Tarantino. It was a perfect springboard for my film career. I have made several films since then and all of them have led to bigger and better projects. My latest film is a ninety minute science fiction love story. I already have a couple of distribution offers for this film, and I have yet to enter it in a single film festival. I should be able to make a very decent profit if it does well on the film festival circuit, and I owe it all to my iron resolve to make my film career dream a reality. Where my budget was lacking, my determination picked up the slack.

Copyright 2006. Michael P. Connelly

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Michael Connelly

Hostel Movie Review

Two American backpackers in Amsterdam, Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez), along with their Icelandic friend, Oli are lured into a hostel Slovakia where they are told the woman are eagar to pleasure American men. They're travelling Europe for a last trip before they graduate from college, so there are no holds barred when it comes to sex, drugs and anything else that comes their way. Once they reach Slovaki, Josh and "Pax" hook up with 2 very accommodating and very beautiful women, Natalya and Svetlana, and things go a bit weird.

This was definitely a whirlwind 1 hour and 35 minutes. Any longer and things may have gone very, very wrong and very, very long. I went to see this movie with my friend, who was completely grossed out and freaked out...just as the hype said she should be. I'm not sure if I was expecting more or have just seen one too many horror films because I thought it was kind of tame.

Jay Hernandez was great as Paxton, as far as performances go...but my goodness, this guy made some pretty stupid decisions. I won't go into them here because you'll kill me for spoiling the movie. The movie was rather predictable, but in an enjoyable way, if you know what I mean. You knew what was coming up and it's kind of what you wanted to happen. Many people got their just desserts and that's all I'll say!

Final comment: If these guys had put Canadian flag patches on their backpacks, they may not have run into so many problems. It seems that Americans are very valuable in this grotesque game.

Director: Eli Roth
Producers: Boaz Yakin, Scott Spiegel, Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Jan Vlas?k, Barbara Nedelj?kov?, Eythor Gudjonsson

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Alice Flegel

How To Enjoy The Movies Without Wasting Your Time Or Money

It's hard to keep up with the onslaught of movie releases these days. It seems that the movie studios practically conspire to drown us in a tidal wave of big-screen entertainment.

But, fear not. In this article, I'm going to give you three valuable resources that you can use to start saving your time and money while still enjoying the best movies that the studios have to offer.

If you're ready, let's get started...

1. http://www.rogerebert.com

You've likely heard of Roger Ebert. He is one of the most popular and influential movie critics alive. A movie can flourish or fail at the box office based solely upon what Ebert says about the movie. His ability to dissect a movie, analyze it and offer a fair review has led many savvy moviegoers to consult this site prior to choosing a movie to watch.

2. http://www.rottentomatoes.com

Relying upon the verdict of merely one critic may seem foolhardy to you. If that's the case, you'll enjoy this site. It gathers the reviews of dozens of movie critics (some are well-known, high-profile critics) and issues a "Tomatometer" rating based upon the consensus. Use this site as a barometer of how a movie is generally received by movie critics.

3. http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies.html

James Berardinelli started his movie review career from humble beginnings, but quickly earned the respect of other critics like Roger Ebert. Today, Berardinelli is considered one of the most credible movie reviewers online. One of the benefits of reading Berardinelli's reviews is that he often disagrees with Ebert. Rather than having to choose sides, you'll likely find both critics offer great arguments and reading their reviews offers different perspectives on the same movie.

One last tip to make your moviegoing experiences as good as it can be...

If you find that a new movie has not been reviewed by Roger Ebert or James Berardinelli, avoid seeing that movie. These two critics are extremely dedicated to their work. If they have not reviewed a movie at the time of its release, it is likely that the studio responsible for the movie did not offer pre-screenings for movie critics. That is usually a sign that the studio lacks confidence in the movie and wants to make as much money as possible on the movie's release weekend before the movie dies.

I've given you three online resources that you can use (starting this weekend) to save your time and money by avoiding bad films. While Ebert and Berardinelli offer critical reviews that dig deep into a movie in order to analyze it, RottenTomatoes.com offers a general barometer so you can get a feeling of the general consensus of movie critics about a movie.

Each of the three resources mentioned in this article offer comprehensive archives. Use these archives to test whether you agree with Ebert, Berardinelli and RottenTomatoes on past films. If you find you DO agree, you can feel comfortable placing your trust in these resources for future movie picks.

Hopefully, you can use the resources above to make the most of your next moviegoing experience.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Michael Lewis

How To Identify and Find The Best Movies

4 Factors to Keep in Mind When Searching for a Flick

In the 21st century, many people still very much enjoy spending an evening out at local movie theater. However, with the costs associated with a typical ticket to a motion picture show, a person needs to take care to make certain that the picture selected is well worth the money being spent. There are some steps you can take in regard how do you identify and find the best movies.

1. When it comes to identifying and finding the best movies, the first step that you should consider taking is reading reviews in newspapers and magazines and watching reviews on television. Of course, many people are quick to pan reviews. These people make a number of assumptions about reviews and reviewers and oftentimes conclude that a review simply is not going to be helpful when it comes considering movies. Naturally, whether a person enjoys and appreciates a certain types of movies is a matter of personal taste in many instances. With that said, if you take the time to read and watch a number of reviews by different reviewers, you will find that there are reviewers that share your tastes and likes when it comes to films and motion pictures. In other words, you will find a reviewer (or more than one reviewer) who tends to like the movies that also enjoy. In time, you will find a reviewer (or reviewer) that you can rely on when it comes to newly released motion pictures.

2. In your efforts to find the best movies that you will enjoy, the Internet has become a valuable resource. One of the tools that you will want to consider taking advantage of when it comes to finding movies that you will appreciate and enjoy, are video clips that are now to be found on the World Wide Web. By previewing these video clips of soon to be released of just released motion pictures, you will be able to get at least a taste of what a particular film is all about. Of course, in releasing these clips over the Net, movie producers take care to make certain that the clips feature well done sections of the film. In other words, the clips that are placed on the Net are the best of the best when it comes to a given motion picture in most instances.

3. In working on identifying movies that you will enjoy and appreciate, keep in mind the value of word of mouth. In life, it is natural that you have similar tastes to your friends. Therefore, talk to those friends whose opinions that you value and see what they have to say about a given motion picture. If you have friends in which you share interests and tastes, you very well may enjoy the same types of motion pictures that appeal to your friends. (On the other hand, we all have at least some people in our lives that are polar opposites. Therefore, if you have such a person in your life, if they like a motion picture it may be one you hate and vice versa.)

4. Finally, as you go about the process of finding the best movies, you naturally pay attention to actors in different films. Most people tend to have favorites and tend to gravitate towards films that feature beloved actors. However, do not stop at paying attention only to the actors that are playing in a particular motion picture. Look at who is directing and who is producing. In Hollywood, indeed throughout the motion picture industry, there are directors and producers that truly are hot properties at any given point in time. By paying attention to who is directing and who is directing a given film, you will be able to have better luck landing on motion pictures that you will enjoy.

When considering ways to find the best possible movies, by following these tips outlined in this article, you will end up being satisfied with the amount of money that you spend on tickets to movies. You will fin that your money is better spent by following these pointers when it comes to selecting a motion picture.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Roy Barker